316 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



defeat ; the noble adversary but relaxes his efforts that, in 

 the resulting confidence which follows, he may the more 

 successfully concentrate his powers for a final dash, and 

 frequently succeeds in escaping. I can compare it to 

 naught else than the skillful swordsman who, finding him- 

 self overmatched in his antagonist, gives ground and feigns 

 fatigue to imbue his foe with confidence, hoping that a 

 careless pass will still afford him an opportunity to deliver 

 the deadly thrust. Men have always foibles, always para- 

 mount pleasures ; their tastes are as diversified as the col- 

 oring in Joseph's coat, as the physiognomy which we bear. 

 While one is devoted to the horse, another is to the hound; 

 while one loves the gun, another loves the rod. To ques- 

 tion their tastes and argue with them the' reason would 

 probably be unproductive ; but of this I am convinced 

 no man ever felt the pleasure, the intense excitement, of 

 having a salmon on a rod, or even the more diminutive 

 trout, without being again desirous of renewing the sensa- 

 tion. The very uncertainty causes this fascination. A 

 gentleman for whom I have much esteem, and who has 

 been busily employed all his life in mercantile pursuits, 

 principally abroad and in countries where fly-fishing was 

 not practicable, a few years ago met me on a fishing excur- 

 sion. His essays with the fly, from lack of experience, were 

 not generally successful; but when I hooked a heavy fish 

 and handed him the rod to play the deluded victim, his 

 countenance, particularly if victorious, exhibited more sat- 

 isfaction than I believe it would have done if he had made 

 thousands of dollars. Fishing legitimate fishing with rod 

 and fly requires but to be known and practiced to have 

 more votaries than any other sport extant. 



The next afternoon I killed four more fish, all worthy of a 

 place in the memory of the most successful angler, all deserv- 

 ing of notice for their plucky efforts to avoid their doom. 



