THE LADY OR THE SALMON? 117 



make for the sea. I staggered on to dry land to 

 follow him the easier, and dragged at m)' watch to 

 time the fish ; a quarter to eight. But the slim 

 chain had broken, and the watch, as I hastily- 

 thrust it back, missed my pocket and fell into the 

 water. There was no time to stoop for it ; the 

 fish started afresh, tore up the pool as fast as he 

 had gone down it, and, rushing behind the torrent, 

 into the eddy at the top, leaped clean out of the 

 water. He was 70 lbs. if he was an ounce. Here 

 he slackened a little, dropping back, and I got in 

 some line. Now he sulked so intensely that I 

 thought he had got the line round a rock. It might 

 be broken, might be holding fast to a sunken stone, 

 for aught that I could tell ; and the time was pass- 

 ing, I knew not how rapidly. I tried all known 

 methods, tugging at him, tapping the butt, and 

 slackening line on him. At last the top of the rod 

 was slightly agitated, and then, back flew the 

 long line in m)- face. Gone ! I reeled up with a 

 sigh, but the line tightened again. He had made 

 a sudden rush under my bank, but there he lay 

 asain like a stone. How long? Ah! I cannot 



