fish had rushed right up toward him, as if about to seek the upper
pool, in which it had been hooked, when, apparently feeling itself free,
from the pressure being taken off as Max wound up rapidly, the prize
turned suddenly, leaped out, giving the water a sounding slap with its
tail, and then darted off down the river.

"Haud your rod up! Haud your rod up!" cried Tavish frantically; but Max
did not respond this time, and the result was that there came a sudden
snatch, as it were, at the rod, the winch sung for a moment, and as Max
tried to stop it, he had his finger pinched.

He had not time to think of that, though, for the next instant there was
a sharp snatch and a heavy jerk which drew his arms out, and, before he
could recover himself, he lost his balance and went headlong into the
pool, while as he rose it was right in the full rush of the stream,
which rolled him over, and, after tangling him in his line, before the
boy could realise the position, he was being swept away rapidly down
toward the sea loch a couple of miles below.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

"TWA-AN'-TWENTY PUN'."

It was a curious sensation, but, in spite of the danger, Max Blande felt
no fear. One moment he was below the surface, the next he was in some
shallow, being rolled over by the rushing water and carried here and
there. He was conscious of catching at the masses of rock against which
he struck, but they were slippery, and his hands glided over them.

Now he had his head above water for a few moments, and caught a few
panting breaths as, in the wild confusion, noise of the water, and the
dizzy, wildering state of his brain, he fought for life. Then the river
surged against, and seemed to leap at him, as if to sweep him right away
as something which cumbered the easy flow, and proved more manageable
than the blocks of stone which broke up the river into a hundred
streams.

And all through his rapid progress downward, Max was conscious of
something tugging at, and jerking him away whenever he strove to catch
hold of the nearest stone, till, what with the scalding, strangling
sensation in his nostrils, the deadening feeling of helplessness and
weakness coming over him rapidly, all seemed to be darkening into the
semblance of a feverish dream, from which he was roused by a fresh jerk.

As soon as he could draw a breath which did not choke and make him cough
painfully, he found that he was gazing up in the face of the great
forester, who