156 With Rod and Gun in New England 



casting diligently. In a short time, as my fly dropped behind a bunch of 

 foam that eddied around the ail-but submerged rocks, I had a rise, and 

 sharply lifting my rod I hooked my fish ; it was a good-sized salmon, and 

 a very active one. 



My reel had hardly ceased singing, after the first wild rush of the fish, 

 ere I heard the Doctor's reel give voice, and the plunge of a large salmon 

 showed that he, too, had been successful. The guide seized his setting- 

 pole and shoved the canoe back into the deep water, where he held it as 

 firmly as if it were anchored. 



" You 've a pair of lively fish, altogether," he exclaimed, " and if they 

 don't cross the lines we '11 be in good luck." 



No sooner had the words been spoken than my fish, with a wild rush, 

 darted to where the Doctor's salmon was lying, and in an instant both 

 fish were jumping close together, and we could see that our lines were 

 crossed. 



The Doctor, like a true sportsman, made no complaint, but I felt pro- 

 voked enough to make any but sacred quotations. 



" Good-by to your saumon and casting-lines, gentlemen," said the 

 guide ; " I feared this would happen ; unless the lines separate, the fish will 

 take them away ; sure, this has been an unlucky day, entirely ; first, the 

 Judge lost his leader and smashed his tip, and now " 



He did not finish his sentence, for the salmon began leaping more 

 and more frantically ; they were playing each other ! 



" We may save them yet," said the Doctor ; " the lines are badly fouled, 

 but the casting-lines are unusually good " — we tied our own from the very 

 choicest selected gut — "and the fish can be conquered if no further acci- 

 dent occurs." 



We kept up as strong a lift with our rods as we dared, and the fish 

 soon perceptibly weakened. They assisted us by their own struggles, and 

 the pace they kept up could not help bringing them to terms. Slowly they 

 were drawn closer and closer to the canoe, which had begun to drift down 

 the stream, until finally they both lay on their sides. 



Hiram, with a quick stroke of the gaff, secured the larger fish, which 

 he dropped into the canoe, and then when the other was again, though 

 feebly struggling, drawn within reach, he impaled it and quickly threw it 

 beside the other. I kept them both from jumping out until the canoe, 

 which was already on the verge of the rapids, could be poled to a quiet 

 spot. 



" I never expected to save either of those saumon," exclaimed the 

 guide ; " it was downright good luck, altogether ; 'tis a bad tangle the lines 

 are in, and, see, one of them is broken already ; how we ever saved that fish 

 is a wonder to me " ! 



