SPECKLED TROUT. 119 



Before we had reached our companions the rain 

 set in again and forced us to take shelter under a 

 balsam. When it slackened we moved on, and soon 

 came up with Aaron, who had caught his first trout, 

 and, considerably drenched, was making his way 

 toward camp, which one of the party had gone for- 

 ward to build. After traveling less than a mile, we 

 saw a smoke struggling up through the dripping trees, 

 and in a few moments were all standing round a 

 blazing fire. But the rain now commenced again, 

 and fairly poured down through the trees, render- 

 ing the prospect of cooking and eating our supper 

 there in the woods, and of passing the night on the 

 ground without tent or cover of any kind, rather 

 disheartening. We had been told of a bark shanty, 

 a couple of miles farther down the creek, and thither- 

 ward we speedily took up our line of march. When 

 we were on the point of discontinuing the search, 

 thinking we had been misinformed or had passed it 

 by, we came in sight of a bark-peeling, in the midst 

 of which a small log-house lifted its naked rafters 

 toward the now breaking sky. It had neither floor 

 nor roof, and was less inviting on first sight than the 

 open woods. But a board partition was still stand- 

 ing, out of which we built a rude porch on the east 

 side of the house, large enough for us all to sleep 

 under, if well packed, and eat under, if we stood up. 

 There was plenty of well-seasoned timber lying 

 about, and a fire was soon burning in front of our 

 quarters that made the scene social and picturesque, 



