7 6 Fly-Fifhing. 



few laftfprings or trout ? My amphibious friend 

 I faw juft above me flogging away for his life in 

 the middle of the ftream. Reading in my coun- 

 tenance fomewhat, I conclude, of what was pafT- 

 ing beneath, he propofed carrying me acrofs the 

 ftream on his back, provided I would truft my 

 precious perfon to his fafe keeping. With no lefs 

 innocence than willingnefs, I at once accepted his 

 kind propofal. It was fome time before I got well 

 into the faddle, he being a tall, flender youth, and 

 I heavier by fome pounds than I am now, though 

 little under eleven ftone. I could not help fancy- 

 ing at ftarting that I detected fomething very like 

 a patting fmile play upon his countenance, and 

 that was enough to put me a little on my guard ; 

 though if I had a fufpicion of foul play, it was a 

 very faint one. 



He feemed, I thought, to flounder along very 

 uneafily, as if the burthen were too much for him, 

 confidering the rapidity and depth of the ftream. 

 When he reached the middle of the river, where 

 I was obliged to hold up my legs, to prevent them 

 from dangling in the wet, he {hook himfelf vio- 

 lently, like a dog does when he firft comes out of 

 the water, intending, it feems, to make me off, 

 iprawling all fours, into the river. Not feeing the 



