FOREST, LAKE, AND RIFER 



water also lend to it a charm possessed by no other 

 river in the whole Dominion. 



But to return to my story, though I love to take 

 the angler's privilege of an occasional cast to one 

 side on the chance of an unexpected rise. 



One evening McTavish, after lighting his pipe 

 from a coal deftly extracted from the camp fire, 

 turned to me and said : 



" You know the Maid of the Mountain ? " 



"Yes," I replied, "slightly." 



" A grand woman, sir." 



"A very remarkable one, I should say," I dryly 

 replied. This, however, was quite lost on McTav- 

 ish, who continued : 



" I have known that woman, sir, for ten years, 

 and she has n't her like in our parish. She can 

 do anything that a man can. It 's a treat to see 

 her swing an axe. I 've asked her to marry me." 

 Here McTavish paused. 



" Well," said I, " what was her answer .? " 



" That she would n't marry the King of England 

 until every acre of land on her farm was cleared, 

 and then she'd decide. It 's all right though, and 

 I give her a hand whenever I 've spare time. 

 Faith, a man without a wife in these parts has 

 a hard time, and I 'm tired of it." 



I wished him all success, and thereupon we 



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