ADVENTURE WITH A TROUT. 347 
the trout could not have been over fourteen or fifteen feet 
from me, but down in deep water, moving slowly in rings 
of a foot or two in diameter. 
Whatever some persons might have done, I did not ex- 
actly like bivouacking in two feet of rapid stream, with a 
very precarious footing, and a cloud of mosquitoes singing 
either a requiem or a lullaby about my unprotected face. 
My patience exhausted, I inwardly made up my mind, let 
the results be what they would, that I would force the giant 
to declare himself. Gradually raising the point of my rod 
inch by inch, with a steady motion, to my astonishment I 
brought him to the surface, giving me a good view of his 
massive form. The chub was across his mouth, as a spaniel 
would carry a stick, and devil a hook had touched him! 
Worse than all, it was apparent, from the constant strain, 
that my hold of the impromptu bait was nearly at an end. 
Being humbugged and victimized is at all times disagree- 
able, and as the laugh was decidedly against me, with a 
sharp jerk I disengaged my flies, anathematizing the brute 
which had caused me so much trouble, and sincerely hoped 
his breakfast would disagree with him. With a flourish of 
the tail, my tormentor bid me good-morning, and I return- 
ed to the shore in far from an enviable frame of mind. On 
my way to the shanty for my morning meal I scarcely spoke 
a word, no doubt moralizing on the uncertainty of all world- 
ly affairs; but just as I was entering the domicile, with feel- 
ings of dire revenge I told my attendant not to say a sin- 
gle word on the subject, for that I had a plan in my head. 
by which I trusted to wipe off all old scores. With vin- 
dictive feeling I munched my food in silence, avenging my- 
self on the finny tribe by the quantity of fish I put under 
my belt, and only did I begin to feel in a placid frame of 
mind after I had smoked an inch of my morning eigar. 
Tobacco— divine tobacco! how much does irascible man 
