ainst this
current, would increase the pressure of a large salmon on a small gut
line. Directly the boatman discovered that P---- had a bite, towards the
bank he commenced to row; but not with that degree of expedition
P---- desired. Although I was some distance from them, I could perceive
the energetic signals of P----'s left hand to the Norwegian to pull
ashore more briskly. Every now and then the rattling of the reel would
keep P----'s excitement alive, and as he gradually wound up the line,
the salmon, making another start, would threaten to run away with every
inch of tackle. Warily the Norwegian rowed, scarcely dipping his sculls
in the water, lest their splash should startle the most timid of fish;
but his cautious conduct made no impression on P----, for I could still
see him motion angrily to the Norwegian to be more speedy.

The bank of the river at last was reached, and stumbling over sculls and
baling ladles, for these prams leak like sponges, and getting his foot
entangled in a landing net, P---- contrived to step on shore; but barely
had he stood on land again, than the line snapped, and the rod flew to
the perpendicular with a short, sharp hiss. Imagination cannot
sympathise with P----'s feelings, when, after travelling over a thousand
miles, or more, for the sake of entrapping salmon, he should break,
through the stupidity or slothfulness of a Norwegian boatman, his best
gut line, and lose the finest salmon in the whole Larvig river. P----'s
eyes wandered to the summit of his rod as it shot, like a poplar,
straight into the air, and saw the remnant of his tackle, not half a
yard long, flowing in every direction to the varying puffs of wind; and
turning his head slowly round towards the astounded Norwegian, gave him
a mingled look of inexpressible contempt and anger; and then, casting
his rod violently to the ground, stamped his foot, and vowed he would
never fish again.

"You stupid ass!" I heard him shout to the Norwegian, perfectly ignorant
whether P---- was addressing him with excess of passion, or a tornado of
praise; "didn't I tell you, as well as I could, to pull faster? Do you
think cat-gut is made of iron?"

"Ja[3]," said the gaping Norwegian, catching a very vague idea of his
meaning.

"But it isn't, you d----d fool!" exclaimed P---- angrily. "Why don't you
do what you're told?"

"Ja----," again began the unhappy boatman.

"But you didn't," shouted P----, cutting him off in the midst of h