(AI'IMN \M> SKN.VTOK GO A-FISHING. 219 



our worthy chief, went down back of the little hotel to 

 the river where it is broad and calm after its plunge over 

 the dam and down the fall. A small, narrow, flat-bottomed 

 boat was secured, into which got the Senator who essayed 

 the oars, and the Captain who was to catch the trout. 

 There was altogether too much weight of dignity in one 

 end of the craft, and weight of body in the other end, for 

 safety. The cockle shell rocked and dipped. The Captain 

 couldn't swim a stroke. 



"Take me ashore. Senator! " cried the Captain; "we 



shall spill out of this thing, certain!" 







"Oh, no," said the Senator, taking another hitch on Un- 

 seat to balance the boat; " we'll lie all right in a minute." 

 But, as he said so, in came a hotel pitcher full of water, 

 the Captain i-^u.-d his most peremptory order-;, and the 

 Senator, who doesn't like a welting himself, shoved back 

 to the shore. Procuring a small-, barefooted boy a sort 

 of tug to an ocean -learner the u<>od Captain a^ain duly 

 be-towing himself in the stern of the ticklish craft, with 

 his little spider like fellow at the oars in place of the Sena 

 tor, moved beautifully forth, (alas! there was no artist in 

 our company,) casting deftly right and left his choicest 

 flies, all about the pool, under the rocks and trees, up to 

 the very foot of the descending sheet of the river; but ca^l 

 he ne'er so deftly, not a rise did he get. Still he smoked 

 and still he cast, and lustily now, and gently then, did the 

 small boy ply the oars; and the slowly descending sun 

 winked and wooed, and insects hummed and skimmed 

 and dipped in the dimpling water; but never a trout glad- 



