Year: 1872

| long ana desperate nPnG D6IOfo you,
fight which will try all your skill, en-
ergy, and endurance before it is over
[ have tried many sports, but truly ]
believe nothing comes up to salmon
| fishing.


Keep the point of your rod well
up Dinna slack your line Keep a
taut |"


Such were the continual cries of en-
couragement from Simon, who was now
making every preparation to gaff the
fish, determined to take the RESPONSE
bility out of my hands at the earliest
opportunity that presented itself But
it was not to be just yet. After the
first few wild rushes up and down the
pool, the fish dived to the bottom, and
there culked for few moments, and I
could not move him and, truth to say,
[ was rather glad of the respite, having
a slight tendency to corpulency, &c.


But now again he dashes down the
pool, evidently making for the rocks
and comparatively shallow water which
| terminate it. Seeing one huge bould-
er, he made dash at it, and tried all
he knew to double around it, and so
break my line; but I was equal to the
occasion, and, by keeping my rod well
up, and as high as [ could hold it, just
managed to steer the line around the
rock without coming in contact with it.
And now, the dodge having failed, he
INDUCES in another momentary sulk,
evidently for the purpose of contem-
plating some new move when, all of a
sudden, away he went right up the pool,
leading me strong and blowing gal
lop over a not too easy country, amid
the alternate scouts from Simon of
"Let out your line !" Haul in quick
ly !" Keep your point up ~ There
was bound of some feet into the air.
The g fash " perhaps feeling intrlitive-
ly that | was a little green, and imagin-
ing that [ should now keep, as [ had
hitherto done, all taut, and so allow his
fall back into the water to break my
line. To meet this move Simon had
coached me; 50, suddenly dropping
the point of my rod nearly to the wa
ter, [ slackened everything, and then,
getting all taut again, the moment he
returned to the water the peril was sur
mounted.


In this not difficult water wherein TO
kill fish,-a long, deep pool, where
you could not come to much grief so,
after he had repeated his lodges for
about five minutes, fancying the battle
was neatly over, tried to get him down
toward the shadows at the lover end of
the pool, for the purpose of giving
Simon a fair chance of using his gaff
with success.


By degrees [ got him down, and his
struggles were becoming fainter and
fainter, and I had nearly succeeded in
my object, when he made his last eff
fort, which, though 1t was but faint
one, succeeded in breaking my line just
below the point of the rod; for I had
evidently thought him safe, and had
grown careless TO Simon's repeated in
junction to keep all taut.


Down went the line into the water,
and up went the point of my rod. Obi
what reaction in my feeling How
ever, quick as lightning [ rushed into
the stream, and, never having lost sight
of the line, succeeded in catching hold
of it. So there [ was, up to my waist
in water, holding on with both hands
/ to a now nearly exhausted fish few
yards off, and Simon alternately laugh
| ing and swearing on the bank.


/ But oh. horror of horrors, what
should greet me now but sudden
shout of hideous laughter and on
/ looking to see whence it proceeded,
there were my tormentors, the whole
/ party from the house, seated on rock
high up IN the wood, "a splendid spot,
from which they could as they doubt
/ less had done, witnessed all my ma
noeuvres. But, not to be daunted, and
apparently not needing them, breath
lessly held on, until the fish was quite
beat; and then gradually drawing him
down to nearly where [ stood, Simon
rushed in and gaffed him; and land
/ landed my first salmon, a fine, clean
run fish of about twenty pounds
weight.


And, to do my tormentors justice, a
tremendous cheer now took the place
OF the laughter, as ny reward, and,
conspicuous among the voices, was the
musical bravo of one dear little soul
loved so well. Well, down they came,
and after congratulatory remarks, in
Guiding the drinking of the fish's health
by Simon in his own native whisky,
and the reception by my head of we'll
aimed bean-bag (by and by, [ observed
Elfn had one in her hand, but,
somehow or other, she neglected to
throw it), we all started back up the
wood on our return home.


[ hardly think l need say much more
except that, from some cause or an
other, of which [ am totally ignorant,
fatigue, perhaps, or excitement,-l
loitered somewhat behind the rest OF
the party, and by strange coincidence
Film seemed tired also. [ really dc
not know how it happened, OF what was
said OF done; but [ know this, that be.
fore we reached the house she had
promised to be-when [ had quite
learned how to play bean-bags-my Owl
dear little wife. Can you wonder nov
at my vivid recollection [ have of the
landing of my first salmon'9