the end of this burst, he
drew near to "the falls"--a succession of small cataracts and rapids
which it seemed impossible for any fisher to go down without breaking
his neck and losing his fish. George and Fred roared, "Hold on!" Mr
Sudberry glanced at the falls, frowned, and compressed his lips. He
felt that he was "in for it;" he resolved not to be beat, so on he went!
The fish went right down the first fall; the fisher leaped over a ledge
of rock three feet high, scrambled across some rough ground, and pulled
up at an eddy where the fish seemed disposed to rest. He was gratified
here by seeing the fish turn up the white of his side--thus showing
symptoms of exhaustion. But he recovered, and went over another fall.

Here he stopped again, and George and Fred, feeling convinced that their
father had gone mad, threw off their coats and ran to the foot of the
fall, ready to plunge into the stream and rescue him from the fate which
they thought they saw impending. No such fate awaited the daring man.
He succeeded in drawing the fish close to a gravelly shallow, where it
gave an exhausted wallop or two, and lay over on its side. George came
up, and leaping into the water tried to kick it out. He missed his kick
and fell. Fred dashed in, and also missed. Mr Sudberry rushed forward
and gave the salmon such a kick that he sent it high and dry on the
bank! But in doing so he fell over George and tripped up Fred, so that
all three were instantly soaked to the skin, and returned to the bank
without their hats. Mr Sudberry flung himself on the conquered fish
and held it fast, while George and Fred cheered and danced round him in
triumphant joy.

Thus Mr Sudberry landed his first and last salmon--a ten-pounder--and
thus, brilliantly, terminated his three-months' rustication in the
Highlands.

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But this was not the end of the whole affair--by no means. Mr Sudberry
and family returned to London, and they took that salmon with them. A
dinner-party of choice friends was hastily got up to do honour to the
superb fish, and on that occasion Fred and his father well-nigh
quarrelled on the point of, "who caught the salmon!" Mr Sudberry
insisting that the man who hooked the fish was the real catcher of it,
and Fred scouting the ridiculous notion, and asserting that he who
played and landed it was entitled to all the honour. The point was
settled, ho