94 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



being"pretty expert at single-stick, could I have made any 

 impression on the beast ; but he only shook his head a 

 little, as if he dissented from my conduct. He seemed 

 much given to apathy indeed 1 never saw a more phleg- 

 matic animal : nevertheless, he kept advancing upon me, 

 and, at length, in spite of my blows, which were numerous 

 and heavy, reared himself on his hind legs, and fairly got 

 me within his foul hug. I assure you, upon my credit, I 

 never felt more uncomfortable in my life ; but the Nor- 

 wegians, taking the alarm, ran in and despatched him with 

 their long knives: for this they received my forgiveness, 

 though the combat was somewhat sullied, the rather, as I 

 found the beast was powerful and resolutely inclined, 

 though I would willingly have had a longer tussle with 

 him. He is not a very terrible animal after all, but, on the 

 contrary, somewhat too loving and close in his embraces, 

 whereof I felt the effects for a considerable time afterwards. 



" But, really, your Norwegian is always too hasty with 

 his weapons. As an instance of what I say, I must tell 

 you that I went with one of these barbarous huntsmen in 

 quest of a salmon. Day after day, and week after week, 

 did I toil without success ; believe me, sir, in all that time 

 1 never saw a fin. At last the long-desired moment came, 

 I hooked a prodigious monster; the natives were 

 astounded at his portentous size, nay, some went so far as 

 to say that he was no salmon, but the great sea-snake, 

 called Jormungandr, in person, whom Thor fished for with 

 a bull's head ; but it proved to be a salmon after all, and 

 not the great sea-snake. 



" Soon after 1 hooked him he made a prodigous rush, 

 which brought him on the channel in bare water ; the 

 officious Norwegian immediately tucked a large iron hook 

 into him, which was fastened to the end of a long stick, and 

 fairly hauled him ashore. 



" Being extremely disappointed to find my sport termi- 

 nate so suddenly, I obliged him to put the fish back into 

 the river, that I might kill him secundum artem. This 

 he was at length persuaded to do, though I must say he 

 performed it with a very bad grace. 



" The fish, once more in his element, began to exhibit 



