Salmon-fishing — Catching the Fish. 157 



angler breathes again — supporting his rod, doubled up 

 under all the strain he dares impart, with the butt against 

 liis body. 



Again the fish starts — this time up stream, the reel 

 shrieking as it parts with the line. Wild is the angler's 

 joy, to be succeeded by doubt, and then by anxiety as the 

 quantity of line in reserve grows less and less, and the 

 fish seems to have no idea of stopping. A second time 

 the canoe is forced to follow, and once more the fish con- 

 cludes his run by bounding into air once — twice — thrice. 



Again the line is recovered all but about thirty yards, 

 when away he starts across the river, if possible more 

 rabid than ever, finishing with another jump or two. The 

 line is then recovered almost altogether, never omitting, 

 no matter how hurriedly the act may be performed, so to 

 distribute it upon the spool that it will be free to render 

 , again without the slightest hitch. 



Then Tom says, " We will have to take him through the 

 rapids — no landing-place here." 



That the fish will take us up on some of the neighbor- 

 ing hills seems fully as probable, but the effort must be 

 made. The canoe is run into an eddy, then shoved into 

 the quick water, and down we go bounding like a cork 

 over the waves at the mercy of the fierce current. 



The fish follows quietly, as though he liked it; but no, 

 he has changed his mind; he dashes down stream and 

 obliquely across it with the speed of a race-horse — at 

 least it seems so, for the whizzing line trends in that 

 direction. But what is that? Away up above us and 

 half across the river, a salmon bolts into the air. " Did 

 you see that, Tom? — we'll go for that fellow when we 

 finish with this one." How Tom laughs ! — and it is not 



