114 LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY 



around for two days with the tail of her liege lord 

 protruding from her mouth! A fish's eye will do 

 for bait, though the anal fin is better. One of the 

 natives here told me that when he wished to catch 

 large trout (and I judged he never fished for any 

 other, — I never do), he used for bait the bullhead, 

 or dart, a little fish an inch and a half or two inches 

 long, that rests on the pebbles near shore and darts 

 quickly, when disturbed, from point to point. "Put 

 that on your hook, " said he, " and if there is a big 

 fish in the creek he is bound to have it." But the 

 darts were not easily found; the big fish, I con- 

 cluded, had cleaned them all out; and, then, it was 

 easy enough to supply our wants with a fin. 



Declining the hospitable offers of the settlers, we 

 spread our blankets that night in a dilapidated shin- 

 gle-shop on the banks of the Biscuit Brook, first 

 flooring the damp ground with the new shingle that 

 lay piled in one corner. The place had a great- 

 throated chimney with a tremendous expanse of fire- 

 place within, that cried "More! " at every morsel of 

 wood we gave it. 



But I must hasten over this part of the ground, 

 nor let the delicious flavor of the milk we had that 

 morning for breakfast, and that was so delectable 

 after four days of fish, linger on my tongue ; nor yet 

 tarry to set down the talk of that honest, weather- 

 worn passer-by who paused before our door, and 

 every moment on the point of resuming his way, 

 yet stood for an hour and recited his adventures 

 hunting deer and bears on these mountains. Having 



