The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-07-21

showed into the quick water, and down
we go, bounding like cork over the
waves at the mercy of the fierce cur
rent.
The fish follows quietly, as Though he
liked 1t; but no, hehas changed his mind
ne clashes down stream and obliuuely
across it with the speed of a race-horse,
az least it seems SO, for the whizzine
line trends in that direction. But what
IS that? Away up above us and hall
across the river salmon bolts into The
ar. did you see that, Tom? Well %
Tor that fellow when we finish with this
one: - How Tom laughs-and it is not
without protracted effort that he finally
forces us to believe that that was the
hsh we are fast to. It is SO very far off,
and In so different direction from that
indicated by the bending rod and the
running line, that it seems impossible
that it can be so, though SO it is.
SO the canoe drops down with the
swift current, hating at times as the
iish becomes very obstreperous. and
then resumlng its course. And the sal
mon follows, sometimes freely, some
times reluctantly, and sometimes in
absolute rebellion, compelling us to let
him have his own way for time. We
near landing-place. The canoe is
brought to the bank, and we take to the
slore, with every precaution that the
pressure is not slackened upon the line
for an instant, and that the foot makes
no slip on the smooth stones.
But clearly he is now of the mind that
this thing has gone quite far enough,
for he is as immovable as the everlast.
ing hills. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes
pass, and it is still 'tpull Dick, pull
devil: Our arms now ache as though
they would drop off at the elbow joint.
'Stone him, Tom. Do something.
can't stand this any longer" So Tom
losses in stone after stone, none of them
large, and none of them thrown with
violence, lest they strike and part the
leader-seemingly without effect. ss
AT last the reel begins to move. II
speaks slowly at first, like the pendulum
OF clock; you can count the tooth OF
each rachet-wheel by the sound; Then
faster, faster, till again it screams and
the line willis, away from the reel like
dew before the sun.
"Qulck! the canoe! the canoer' and
we shamble down the bank, one eye on
the vanishing line, and one upon the
slippery path we are forced to follow.
At last, at the very crisis of possible de-
feat, the canoe reaches us. We tumble
in, and are off after fish apparently as
fresh as at the very outset. For another
half-hour we fight him from the canoe,
working him down stream, he running,
jumping and sulking, until we land
again on the other side of the stream
three-quarters of mile below where we
first took to the bank.
We again try to work him in by the
same tactics, but our first effort comes
to stand at once. He begins to Gig"
"a series of short, heavy, and sudden
jerks fills us with apprehension, and it
is plain we must wait his pleasure still.
He stops, and we begin. He begins,
and we stop. At last he yields, and
gradually step by step swings in toward
the bank; Slowly Tom approaches,
gait in hand, no part of him in motion
except his feet. The salmon is now a
pretty sick fish, and again and again
rolls upon his side, though recovering
himself almost Immediately. He sees
Tom. At once he RECEIVERS, and is of
again. But the pristine vigor of his
rush is no longer there. He can take
no more than half the line before
his failing strength compels a
halt. So we follow him down the
bank, working him in when we can,
letting him 60 when we can not, play
ing the great game Of give and take
Once more we work him inshore, show
ing increased signs of distress. But
again he sees Tom-it is wonder
full how they hate him-and
again he is off. But we are at the end
OF the landing-place, and so heavy a fish
could not be drawn up against the cur
rent though he should remain perfectly
passive. We must take to the canoe,
and try him again at the next landing
place, some half-mile farther down.
: He is quite discouraged now, and
does as he is bid, with little, remon-
STRANGE. We land again, and though
he sulks some, we work him slowly in
without difficulty Tom anticipates
about where he will arrive, ano motion.
less awaits him, gait in hand. Peter
hunts for a long thin stone, The ex-
hausted fish rolls on his side, when a
well-timed impulse of the rod slues him
still nearer the shore and within reach..
Like flash the cruel gaff is around his
backbone, he lies on his back, the lad
hammers him on the head with the
stone, the scales show thirty-two pounds,
and we drop the rod and sprawl out on
the bank, utterly exhausted, after a con-
test of one hour and fifty minutes. II
p. Wells, IN Ha1per's Magazine.
Causing a Smile in Court.