14 



" Thereupon followed a splendid display of piscatory skill. 

 Well knowing that his fish must he lost if he once should 

 succeed in getting his head down the rapid, Jasper exerted 

 every nerve, and exhausted every art to humour, to meet, 

 to restrain, to check him. Four times the fish rushed for 

 the pass, and four times Jasper met him so stoutly with 

 the butt, trying his tackle to the very utmost, that he suc- 

 ceeded in forcing him from the spot. 



" Eound and round the pool he had piloted him, and 

 had taken post at length, hoping that the worst was already 

 over, close to the opening of the rocky chasm. 



" And now perhaps waxing too confident, he checked his 

 fish too sharply. Stung into fury, the monster sprang five 

 times in succession into the air, lashing the water with his 

 angry tail, and then rushed like an arrow down the 

 chasm. 



" He was gone — but Jasper's blood was up, and think- 

 ing of nothing but his sport, he dashed forward, and em- 

 barked, with a fearless foot, in the terrible descent. 



" Leap after leap he took with beautiful precision, alight- 

 ing firm and erect on the centre of each slippery block, 

 and bounded thence to the next with unerring instinct, 

 guiding his fish the while with consummate skill through 

 the intricacies of the pass. 



" There were now but three more leaps to be taken be- 

 fore he would reach the flat table-rock above the fall, which 

 once attained, he would have firm foot-hold and a fair field : 

 already he rejoiced, triumphant in the success of his bold 

 attainment, and confident in victory, when a shrill female 

 shriek reached his ears from a pretty flower-garden ; caught 

 by the sound, he diverted his eyes, just as he leaped, to- 



