154 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



like an angry terrier, he wrenched his bill free 

 and hurried back to reassure his mate, leaving 

 the body of the mink to sink languidly to the 

 bottom. Here, among the weeds, it was 

 presently discovered by the eels and crayfish, 

 faithful scavengers, who saw to it that there 

 should be nothing left to pollute the sweet 

 lake- waters. 



On the following day the two awkward, 

 dingy-hued, downy chicks were hatched, and 

 thenceforth the parents were kept busy sup- 

 plying their extremely healthy appetites. 

 The havoc wrought among the finy hordes 

 the trout and " togue J>1 and chub, the red- 

 fins, shiners, and minnows was enormous. 

 The loon chicks, enterprising and industrious, 

 speedily learned to help their parents by 

 hunting the small fry in the sunlit shallows 

 along shore. 



But the loon family were not the only 

 ardent fishermen on those waters. The new- 

 comers, the man family, they too liked fish, 

 and had no mean skill in catching them. 

 In fact, their methods were stupidly and 

 slaughterously destructive, well calculated 

 to quite draw out the lake in two or three 



1 The " togue" is a peculiar grey lake trout, of 

 Northern New Brunswick, which grows to a great size, 

 and is only to be caught with bait or a spoon. 



