, of course.

"The tide's coming in all the time," said John. "If this fish ever
leaves the pool and starts across on the flats, I don't see what I'm
going to do, because the creek's too deep to wade now."

The salmon, however, obligingly kept to the pool, once in a while making
a mad leap into the air and shaking himself. Skookie, without advice
from any one, stationed himself at the foot of the pool, and whenever
the fish headed that way, he tossed a stone in front, heading it back
and keeping it from running out toward the sea. Finally he motioned
Jesse to take up this work, and without removing any of his scanty
clothing, or asking advice from any one, walked up above the place where
John was standing and deliberately plunged into the creek and swam
across, taking up a position on the opposite side of the pool, where the
tide-water was beginning to spread out into the flats. Thus the boys had
the pool surrounded, and whenever the fish started one way in dangerous
fashion, a stone thrown in front of him would usually turn him. All John
had to do was to keep the strain of the rod on his fish and to see that
he had plenty of line on the reel.

They fought the old fellow in this way for more than half an hour, until
John's arms fairly ached from the strain of the rod--a sturdy split
bamboo of the best American make, which well withstood the skilful use
it now was receiving. There is no need to break a fly-rod when the reel
is full of line, and the strain can be eased to suit the rushes of the
fish.

"Well, I don't see that we are much closer to our salmon than we were
when we began," said Rob, at last. "It's good fun, but a slow way of
getting salmon. Can't you pull him in on the line?"

John shook his head. "I'm afraid it would break," said he. "Never you
mind. We'll get Mr. Salmon before we're through. I can handle him all
right, I'm pretty sure."

He came near speaking too early, however, for now, with some impulse of
its own nature, the salmon concluded it had had enough of this sort of
thing and decided to go back to sea. With a long, straight rush it
headed for the bottom of the pool. Rob and Jesse began to cast in rocks,
but in spite of all their splashing the fish kept on taking out yard
after yard of John's line. At last John, still using all the strain the
rod would stand, was obliged to follow on shore. The fish turned the
corner of the pool and entered the narrow gut in the rocks which led out
to the