i68 A SECRET FROM NATURE 



the water (my head now on a level with that 

 of the fish) I slowly lowered my arm, intending 

 to grip the salmon above the tail rays. But 

 the end came quickly. For at the moment of 

 contact, before I could close down on him, 

 the form simply vanished as if it had been 

 some phantom of the depths. So quick was 

 his passage, I can only describe it as the flight 

 of an arrow from a bow ; nothing remained 

 but a little cloud of dissipated sand. 



Had my attempt succeeded, in all probability 

 the story would not have been told. However, 

 even had I obtained a fair grasp, I much doubt 

 whether it would have been possible to hold 

 on to a fresh and vigorous fish. Like most 

 anglers, I had landed many a salmon on the 

 line by this method, therefore knew exactly 

 how to proceed ; but, alas, this awakened fish 

 was too much for me. 



Though it ended in a tramp home with 

 empty creels, the day had not been profitless ; 

 for though I had failed in seizing a salmon, I 

 had, so I thought (and still think)," snatched" 

 a secret from nature. 



That this salmon was perfectly healthy but 

 in a natural lethargic state, I was fully per- 

 suaded ; there was no other possible explana- 

 tion. A salmon with his eyes open, so to 

 speak, would not have permitted an approach 



