App. B. Victory! Io Triumphel 255 



ing the fire, I managed to make a very tolerable meal, 

 keeping a tight hold on the line with one hand, while I 

 used the other for dinner purposes. Feeling much re- 

 freshed by my hasty repast, I devoted all my energies 

 to my enemy with redoubled ardour. After one or two 

 runs, I fancied there appeared to be something wrong 

 with the reel, so, calling for a light, I examined it, and 

 found to my discomfort that the two screws which con- 

 nect the reel with the bar that was tied on to the rod 

 were gone, and of course on the same side as the handle; 

 the consequence was that the mere act of winding up 

 caused the reel to gape very considerably at this open- 

 ing. I tried various methods for remedying this mishap, 

 such as getting my fisherman to hold it as firmly as pos- 

 sible in his hands while I wound up line, etc.; but I found 

 none of them so satisfactory as crossing my legs as I sat 

 on the rock, and pressing the reel against my left knee. 

 This answered tolerably well, but it was a somewhat awk- 

 ward position to remain in for long. To make a long 

 story short, however, about 2 a. m. I prevailed on my 

 fish to cross the bar and have a swim in the deep still 

 pool. He gave two furious runs up and down, I luckily 

 just preventing him from returning to the stream, and 

 then I hauled him into a nice little shallow creek. The 

 fisherman carefully handled him, and he was secured. 

 I made my man carry the capture some yards from the 

 water, and deposit him in a safe place, and then a most 

 pleasant sensation of triumph filled my heart, as by the 

 light of the lantern I gloated over the splendid fish which 



