84 



by one of the most blood curdling screams I ever heard, and as it seemed 

 quite close to the tent I sprang into a sitting posture my hair standing 

 on end and every nerve strained to hear more, but, as no further sound 

 followed I came to the conclusion that our big maskinonge must have 

 been too much for me, and was soon again asleep. 



Next morning the scream was brought to my mind by one of the 

 party asking if anyone knew what sort of a noise a panther made, and 

 a little conversation developed the fact that all had heard the hideous 

 yell of the night before. There can be nodoubt as to itshaving been a pan- 

 ther and as we were camped on an island, the brute was probably on the 

 mainland, for I don't think they take kindly to the water, although 

 their smaller brethern, catamounts, swim very well and have been known 

 to cross a river two miles in width. Probably the quiet of night made 

 the sound seem closer than it really was. I had heard this cry once 

 before south of Lake Nipissing and was then told by indians what it 

 was. Jt is difl&cult to describe it and I think the nearest approach is 

 the shriek of a locomotive as it enters a tunnel and scares you from 

 your first nap. There was little attraction to remain long on Trout 

 Lake for sport was poor. Our only fishing apparatus was the otdinary 

 trolling line and spoon hah, and for some reason the fish would not 

 take it readily. Old residents along the route said that the water was 

 too cold and that it was too late in the year. I am not much of an 

 authority on matters relating to angling nor am I aware ol the thoughts 

 and imaginations of the fish tribe, but have been told that the spoon 

 bait spinning at the end of a trolling line i-esembles an injured fish of 

 small size making its uncertain way through the water, and hence the 

 voracity with which it is gobbled by nicmbers of the pike family, bass 

 and other fish that prey upon their weaker brethren. If this be the 

 case I fail to see why the lateness of the season should aftect the appetite, 

 or why the unlucky one should not be just as acceptable to the palate 



of a hungry gourmand of the finny tribe, in the fall as in the spring. 

 Major W. Ross King the author of " Campaigning in Kaffirland," 



says that the spoon bait resembles nothing in nature and is devoid of 



taste or smell, but appears, for some reason difficult to imagine, to be 



perfectly irresistible to pike as to many other fish. 



On the afternoon of Tuesday, 13th September, it was "Eastward So!" 



