Salmon-fisMng — Catching the Fish. 135 



and the more it jumps and " cavorts," the better he likes 

 it. When it approaches an obstruction of course he op- 

 poses it as best he may. When some more than usually 

 persistent effort admonishes him that his line has another 

 end than that attached to the leader, he puts his best foot 

 forward. Then he flies over stock and stone, in the water 

 and out, passing his rod to his gaffer where tooth and nail 

 may be required to surmount some unusual difficulty, and 

 resuming it when it is overcome, half regretful that he 

 was so indulgent, and wholly determined to atone for it 

 if any effort short of a broken neck will do it. 



I know of no more interesting study than the face of 

 an angler under such circumstances. If a six-story build- 

 ing were clattering about his ears he could not show more 

 earnestness of purpose, while he forces his way through 

 brush, and skips over logs and rocks, as though the mar- 

 ket-price of surgeons-plaster and arnica was not affected 

 by demand and supply. The most apathetic will then 

 display a degree of activity little short of phenomenal. 

 He is animated by the spirit of the beaver of the story — 

 he does not wish to climb a tree, nature has not designed 

 him for that purpose, and he cannot do it; but the boy is 

 on one side and the dog is on the other, so, since no other 

 course is open, up he goes. 



Of course the character of the field of battle deter- 

 mines to what extent this method may be followed. 

 Though there is great excitement, and consequently great 

 fun, in seeing how near the ragged edge of defeat can be 

 approached without toppling over its brink, and though 

 a salmon of twenty pounds, saved after a contest in which 

 the scales of fortune have been throughout in constant 

 oscillation, is more esteemed than one of twenty - five 



