276 A Sportsman at Large 



placed in the precarious position, but took jolly good care 

 to have my watch in one hand, while I essayed to cast with 

 the other. I was taking no risks, and had no intention of 

 cutting it fine ; so at the end of six minutes I yelled " Time ! ! " 

 whereupon Tolle turned the scow round and shot her into 

 safety. 



I had not had time to wind up, so about twenty yards of 

 line, with my " black doctor " at its extremity, trailed out 

 and was swept deep down into the depths. 



After I had landed, I began reeling in, when I found myself 

 fast in some obstruction. As I put a strain on to get loose, 

 I was conscious of a movement such as no snag or rock could 

 cause. 



" Yeu'm got risk, yeu tink ! " exclaimed Tolle excitedly. 



Faith, I had ; for it seems that a salmon had laid hold of the 

 fly as it was being swirled round and round on a loose line, 

 amid the raging waters. I brought the fish to the gaff in 

 safety, a very welcome eighteen-pounder. Here was another 

 example of taking a salmon in unexpected fashion ! 



Toward the end of July the water ran very low, and came 

 gently over the Foss, minus the roar and rattle which hitherto 

 had marked its fall. 



The narrow strait between Scylla and Charybdis no longer 

 surged with a tumult of waters. In fact, it was so pacific 

 that we were able to pass in the scow to the straits below 

 quite comfortably. 



The weather was now set fine, so it was hopeless to look for 

 fish, except very late at night and early in the morning ; 

 even at such times very little reward followed our efforts. 



Marcus gave it up as a bad job, devoting himself to pro- 

 menading the modest streets of Sand and giving the Norsk 

 maidens a treat. 



One day I had a brain-wave. 



My keen eye of observation had noticed the movements 

 of a salmon under a ledge of rock which jutted out from 

 " Scylla." Mounting a very small " black doctoi " of sea- 

 trout size, I was able, by a long cast, to reach the position 

 which I judged the fish was occupying. These tactics proved 

 successful, for I pulled out, not one but five fish, and lost 



