ADVENTURE WITH A TROUT. 347 



the trout could not have been over fourteen or fifteen feet 

 from me, but down in deep water, moving slowly in rings 

 of a foot or two in diameter. 



Whatever some persons might have done, I did not ex- 

 actly like bivouacking in two feet of rapid stream, with a 

 very precarious footing, and a cloud of mosquitoes singing 

 either a requiem or a lullaby about my unprotected face. 

 My patience exhausted, I inwardly made up my mind, let 

 the results be what they would, that I would force the giant 

 to declare himself. Gradually raising the point of my rod 

 inch by inch, with a steady motion, to my astonishment I 

 brought him to the surface, giving me a good view of his 

 massive form. The chub was across his mouth, as a spaniel 

 would carry a stick, and devil a hook had touched him ! 

 Worse than all, it was apparent, from the constant strain, 

 that my hold of the impromptu bait was nearly at an end. 

 Being humbugged and victimized is at all times disagree- 

 able, and as the laugh was decidedly against me, with a 

 sharp jerk I disengaged my flies, anathematizing the brute 

 which had caused me so much trouble, and sincerely hoped 

 his breakfast would disagree with him. With a flourish of 

 the tail, my tormentor bid me good-morning, and I return- 

 ed to the shore in far from an enviable frame of mind. On 

 my way to the shanty for my morning meal I scarcely spoke 

 a word, no doubt moralizing on the uncertainty of all world- 

 ly affairs ; but just as I was entering the domicile, with feel- 

 ings of dire revenge I told my attendant not to say a sin- 

 gle word on the subject, for that I had a plan in my head 

 by which I trusted to wipe off all old scores. With vin- 

 dictive feeling I munched my food in silence, avenging my- 

 self on the finny tribe by the quantity of fish I put under 

 my belt, and only did I begin to feel in a placid frame of 

 mind after I had smoked an inch of my morning cigar. 

 Tobacco divine tobacco! how much does irascible man 



