eaten but little since coming into the woods, the poor creature was so
disturbed by the loneliness and the black flies; I, to make
preparations for dinner, while my companion lazily took his rod and
stepped to the edge of the big pool in front of camp. At the first
introductory cast, and when his fly was not fifteen feet from him upon
the water, there was a lunge and a strike, and apparently the fisherman
had hooked a boulder. I was standing a few yards below, engaged in
washing out the coffee-pail, when I heard him call out:--

"I have got him now!"

"Yes, I see you have," said I, noticing his bending pole and moveless
line; "when I am through, I will help you get loose."

"No, but I 'm not joking," said he; "I have got a big fish."

I looked up again, but saw no reason to change my impression, and kept
on with my work.

It is proper to say that my companion was a novice at fly-fishing,
never having cast a fly till upon this trip.

Again he called out to me, but, deceived by his coolness and nonchalant
tones, and by the lethargy a glimpse of the fish, I gave little heed.
of the fish, I gave little heed. I knew very well that, if I had struck
a fish that held me down in that way, I should have been going through
a regular war-dance on that circle of boulder-tops, and should have
scared the game into activity if the hook had failed to wake him up.
But as the farce continued
I drew near.