The National tribune., 1902-06-26


was an almost sheer cliff, against which
the current fretted and Kissed in strong,
deep rush to the rapids and a great silent
pool far below There were salmon under
the cliff. plenty of them. balancing them
selves against the arrowy run of the cur
rent; but, so far as my flies We're concern
ed, they might as well have been in the
Yukon. One could not fish from the Oppo-
site shOre-thcre- was no room for back
cast. and the current was too deep and
swift for wading-and on the shore where
the salmon We're there was no place to
stand. If | had had a couple of good In
dians | might have dropped down to the
head of the swift water and tished, while
| they held the canoe with poles braced on
the bottom; but | had no two good In
dians, and the one did have was unwill-
ing to take the risk. So we went hungry,
almost within sight and sound of the
plunge of heavy fish fresh run from the
| sea.
| One day, in following porcupine to
see where he was going. ! found :: narrow
path running for Il few hundred yards
along the side of the cliff. j,ia1 over where
! the salmon loved to lie, and not more than
so feet above the swift rush of water. |
went there with my rod. and. without at
tempting to cast. dropped my fly into the
current and paid out line from my reel.
| When the line Strengthened | raised the
rods tip and set my fly dancing and skit-
tering across the surface to. an eddy be-
hind great rock. In a flash l had raised
and struck 2J-pound fish, and in anotl-
er flash he had gone straight downstream
in the current. where from my precariOus
seat | could not control him. Down he
went. leaping wildly high out of water, il
a glorious rush, till all my line buzzed out
of the reel, clean down to the knot at the
bottom, and the leader snapped as if it
had been made of SPIDERS web.
| reeled in sadly debating with myself
tie unanswerabie question of how | should
ever have reached down 30 feet to gaff
my salmon had | played him to stand
still. Then. because human nature is weak.
| put on n stronger, double leader and
dropped another fly into the current.
might not get my salmon, but it was worth
the price of the leader just to raise him
from the deeps and see his terrific rush
downstream, jumping, jumping. as if the
witch of EndOr were astride of his tail in
lieu of her broomstick.
A lively young grlse plunged headlOng
Mt my fly and, thanks to my strong leader,
| played him ont in the current and led
him listlessly, all the jump and fight gone
out of him, to the foot of the cliff There
was no way at hand to get down; so. TAX
ing my line in hand, / began to lift him
bodily up. He came easily enough till his
tail cleared the water; then the weighing,
jerky strain was too much. The fly pulled
ont, and he vanished with q final swirl and
slap of his broad tail to tell me how big he
| was.
Just below me a boulder lifted its head
and shoulders out of the swirling current.
With the canoe line l might easily let my
self down to that rock and make sure of
my next fish. Getting back would be hard
er: but salmon are worth some trouble, so
| left my rod and started back to camp.
| 1t was late afternoon, and | was hurrying
along the path giving chief heed to my
feet in the ticklish walking, with the cliff
above and the river below, when loud
Hoowuff. brought me up with shock.
There, at turn in the path not 10 yards
ahead. stood big bear, calling unmistak-
able Halt, and blocking me in as complete
| ly as if the mountain had topped over
before me.
There was no time to think; the shock
and scare were too great. just gasped
Hoowuff! instinctively as the bear had
shot it out of his deep lungs moment be
fore. and stood stock-still. as he was do
| ing He was startled. as well as |. That
was the only thing that was sure about.
| suppose that in each of our heads at
first there was just one thought: I'm in
a fix; how shall l get out?' And in his
| training or mine there was absolutely
nothing to suggest an immediate answer.
He was anxious, evidently, to go on. Some
| thing, mate, perhaps, must be calling
him up river; else he would have whirled
and vanished at the first alarm. But how
| far might he presume on the big animals
timidity who stood before him blocking
the way, and whom he had stopped with
his HOowuffi before he should get too
near? That was his question, plainly
enough. There was no snarl or growl, no
savageneSs in his eXpression! only intense
wonder and questioning in the look which
fastened upon my face and seemed to bore
its way through, ~ find out just what |
was thinking.
met his eyes squarely with mine and
held them. which was perhaps the most
sensible thing l could have done, though
it was all unconscious on my part. In the
! brief moment that followed I did lot of
| thinking. There was no escape, up or
down; | must go on or turn back. If |
jumped forward with YELL as had done
before under different circumstances.
would he not rush at me savagely. as all
wild creatures will do when cornered? No.
the time for that had passed with the first
instant of our meeting. The bluff would
now be too apparent; it must be done
without hesitation or not at all. If |
| turned back. he would follow me to the
end of the ledge. growing holder as he
came on: and beyond that it was danger
Gus walking where he had all the advan-
tage and all the knowledge of his ground.
Besides, it was late, and l wanted sal
mon for my supper.
have wondered since how much of this
hesitation he understood. and how he came
to the conclusion, which he certainly
reached. that / meant him no harm. but
only wantd to get on and was not disposed
to give him the path. All the while |
looked at him steadily, until his eyes be-
gan to lose their intentness. My hand
slipped back and gripped the handle of
my hunting-knife. Some slight confidence
came with the motion. though | would
certainly have gone over the cliff and TAX
en- my chances in the current rather than
have closed with him. with all his enOr
nous strength, in that narrow place. Sud
denly his eyes wavered from mine: he
swung his head to look down and up, and
l knew that l had won the first move
and the path also, if / could keep my
| nerve.
l advanced step or two very quietly.
still looking at him steadily. There was
n suggestion of white teeth under his
wrink!eG chops: but he turned his head to
look back over the way he had come, and
presently he disappeared. 1t was only for
moment: then his nose and eyes were
poked cautiously by the corner of rock.
He was peeking to see if We're still there
When the nose vanished again l stole for
i