Fly-Fifhing. 103 



It was juft fuch a mift that overtook us, not a 

 little, I muft confefs, to our difmay, when we had 

 nearly climbed two-thirds over the firft mountain 

 we had to crofs on our return. We knew our- 

 felves to be many miles from home, with not a 

 fraction of our fare left. What were we to do in 

 fuch an emergency ? " Go ahead," I fancy I hear 

 fome courageous voice exclaiming, cc go ahead, 

 to be fure." Yes, and tumble head-foremoft over 

 a frightful precipice that would indeed be going 

 ahead with a vengeance ! 



After fome hefitation, we determined to pro- 

 ceed as nearly as poffible in the direction we had 

 already taken ; ftill afcending the mountain, though 

 in a flanting way, concluding that when we had 

 perfevered fome time, we fhould either catch a 

 faint glimpfe of the brow of the mountain, which 

 we kept in mind as a kind of guide ; or elfe, from 

 the nature of the ground, be able to guefs at its 

 pofition with fufficient accuracy for our purpofe. 

 Continuing our courfe for fome time with this in- 

 tention, our doubts began to ooze out bit by bit, 

 in a running-fire fort of converfation like this. 



Clericus. I fay, Pifcator, this is pleafant. 



Pifcator. Not very pleafant will you find it, my 

 dear fellow, if you have to wander about this 



