HOW I CAUGHT MY FIRST SALMON. 191 



salmon killed like that ! Do you call that fishing ? 

 or do you think you catch a salmon like a shark ] " 

 With this limited amount of praise, he lit his short 

 pipe, and appeared to meditate on the depravity of 

 human nature in general. 



I confess I felt small At S. himself I dared not 

 look ; my eyes travelled furtively towards old Nowell, 

 who, with the stoicism of his race, had relapsed into 

 meditation, presumahly over the delights of fire-water. 

 ^Nevertheless, a guilty conscience whispered to me that 

 it might be that he was regretting the ancient glories 

 of his tribe, and might be thinking how small a loss 

 would be entailed upon humanity were he to take the 

 scalp of such a tailor as myself. Thus in gloomy 

 silence we continued our upward journey. 



But youthful spirits are seldom permanently de- 

 pressed ; and even my outraged mentor, after he had 

 finished his pipe and refreshed himself in moderation 

 out of a flask almost equalling the murdered fish in 

 weight, relaxed the severity of his features, and entered 

 into minute details as to the course to be observed 

 should another fish intrust itself to my care. Through- 

 out the remainder of the forenoon, however, we fished 

 unsuccessfully, though gradually nearing the best pool 

 in the river. Towards mid-day a war-whoop from S. 

 announced the discovery of no less a treasure than a 

 bed of wild onions, which did I certainly must own 

 they did give a decided relish to our salt pork and 

 doughy bread. After consuming the last root we re- 



