THE CHASE. 401 



Sometimes the deer are disturbed by the night hunter, in 

 deeper water where they can submerge themselves to escape the 

 flies and mosquitoes, but I have never seen it. 



Not the least exciting of the different modes of pursuing the 

 deer is in the water with a light boat or canoe. A single inci- 

 dent of this mode will serve for illustration. Opportunities for 

 this sport occur when deer ai'e driven either into a lake or river, 

 or when they take to the water voluntarily, for the purpose of 

 swimming across. 



We had made camp near the foot of the lower of two small 

 lakes on the head waters of Pike River in Wisconsin, which were 

 connected by a narrow strait only navigable by canoes.^ Night 

 hunting had developed the fact that the waters swarmed with 

 black bass, which were continually breaking water with loud 

 splashes, sometimes within two feet of the canoe, and frequently 

 with such energy as to fairly startle those within it. They had 

 been tried with fly and spoon, but were too far back in the wild 

 country to have received the proper education to appreciate these 

 allurements. One of my companions had induced his Indian to 

 secure a good lot of dace from five to seven inches long, and in- 

 vited me to join him io try and ascertain what kind of fish they 

 were which made such an uproar during the whole night. So we 

 started with a couple of eight-ounce trout rods. Stockton w^as 

 in the bow of the canoe, while I occupied the middle, and his In- 

 dian, John Komoska, took the paddle. S. placed his rifle beside 

 me, and said we might see a deer, when he should depend on 

 me for the venison, although the camp was well supplied with 

 fresh meat, but Lucius wanted a chowder. (His great weakness 

 and his greatest strength is a chowder in camp.) We passed 

 through the lower lake and half way through the upper lake 

 without a bite, and came to a pause at the border of the lily 

 pads (iV! advena), opposite the mouth of a little creek. John 

 said we would get them there if anywhere. We exhausted all 

 our skill in all the ways we knew for luring bass, and only took 

 a few small ones. At length in disgust I threw my hook, with 

 a large bait upon it, into the water, and let it sink to the bottom, 

 perhaps twelve feet, and there let it rest. After half a minute 

 I attempted -to move it, and then the sport commenced. I had 

 hooked a five-pound bass. Fortunately, the first dash was into 

 the lake and the reel sung a merry tune. John was well up to 



1 A rare sensibility on my part prevents lakelets, since they were named for the 

 me from giving the name of these twin writer ! 

 26 



