THE BOOK OF THE PIKE 



expensive. That little lake just mentioned, which 

 must be nameless here, was a favorite spot of ours for 

 eight years. We could drive to it in a few hours, and 

 so poor was the land that, though surrounded by 

 distant farms, we were absolutely alone, away from 

 folks, yet not too distant from a little city. Since 

 leaving that section of the country, I have often won- 

 dered if the little lake remains, as of old, as little fished 

 and as full of fish. I wonder if the farmers have con- 

 quered the sand, cleared away the jack pine, and if fields 

 of rye now wave where once there was nothing but 

 ferns? If not, and I ever become wealthy, I think I 

 should like to purchase the lake and the surrounding 

 hills for sweet memories' sake. It was there my only 

 child caught her first fish, spent many happy vacation 

 days of childhood. There used to be. some big great 

 pike in that water, too. 



114 



