GOING WITH THE STEEAM. 103 



him at the door of his own house : and certainly no 

 punishment could ever have a better effect. As soon as 

 the brute recognised us, he put his long tail between his 

 legs, limped into the house as mute as a fish, and never 

 annoyed us again. 



" During our second day's fishing I had a little adventure 

 which was not unattended with danger, though such was 

 the excitement of the moment, that I was scarcely conscious 

 of it. Having observed a large salmon rising at a fly in 

 the middle of the river, I got into the canoe and made old 

 Jean Grros pole me out to the spot ; kneeling as we were 

 often obliged to do, for fear of upsetting the unmanageable 

 little craft. I soon hooked the fish, and making my Charon 

 stick his pole firmly into the bottom, we brought our tiny 

 vessel athwart it, kept our position against the force of 

 the current, which here ran very strong ; and having a fine 

 range of the open stream, I played the fish for half an hour 

 until he was quite subdued. M. Jean was then desired to 

 weigh anchor, and push for a shelving sandy bank where 

 we had been accustomed to gaff our salmon. In pulling 

 up the pole, which was shod with iron, the old man, by 

 some inexplicable awkwardness, lost his hold of it ; away 

 the rapid stream bore us, whilst the long pole was left 

 standing perpendicularly, vibrating still and shaking its 

 head at us very ominously. 



" Jean Grros' shoulders elevated themselves to his ears in- 

 stantly, and his wizened and corrugated face was elongated 



H 4 



