262 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



leaped, not once, but three or four times 

 in immediate succession ; he bored to 

 the bottom and stood erect, tail-up ; he 

 dashed hither and thither, pausing only 

 to wag his head in playfulness or rage ; he 

 came to the surface and smote it with 

 his tail. Bismarck was unrestrained in 

 the generosity of his compliments and 

 exhortations. 



Swish ! sh-sh-sh-z Whirr-r-r ! 



. . . . " All right, John ! " He was again, 

 apparently, beginning the half -circular 

 tour, and I thought I foresaw an 

 opportunity to bring our performance to 

 an unexpectedly early finish. The fish 

 seemed to be in no fear of us. Time 

 after time, at the end of one of his con- 

 secutive curves on the outside edge, he 

 had come close to the bank, and had even 

 paused a few seconds there ; in fact, he 

 had paused each journey. Theoretically 

 he had almost been within reach of the 

 gaff; but practically he had been outside. 

 He had never, as far as, judging by the 

 feel of things, I could make out in the 



