The Autocrat of the Eddy. 51 



face with all fins set, and surging doggedly 

 back and forth with short strokes of his 

 sturdy tail. 



What could such tactics mean ? Why 

 was he reserving his strength at a moment 

 when, according to my notion, he ought 

 to be tearing about in frantic efforts to 

 escape ? The landing-net was reached 

 out toward him. It was almost under 

 him when, with a tremendous plunge, he 

 threw a shower of spray in my face, and 

 the broken line, swishing through the air, 

 snarled among the hemlock branches high 

 up out of reach. 



The hook has worked out of his mouth 

 by this time, and at this very moment he 

 lies at the edge of the boulder beneath 

 the hemlock, waving his tail slowly to 

 keep his position in the uncertain current 

 of the eddy. When the stream roars with 

 autumn rains he will swing his tail to the 

 rhythm of the roar. When it thunders 

 in the spring freshet he will churn the 

 strong current with defiant tail strokes, 

 and stay by his boulder. When the 

 summer stream is gentle he will wave 



