FISHING. — A BROKEN ROD AND SAD HEART. 173 



whatever of eiijo^'meiit the wilderness brought us, we 

 lay on the ground in the shade, were fanned by the breeze 

 that had arisen, looked out iqion the waters and the grand 

 old forests, and talked away the hours ( the bo}^ had no 

 end of talk in him ) until balni}^ night came again. 



The next morning John brought in a two-pound salmon 

 trout for l)reakfast. In the afternoon we went up through 

 Second and Third, and into Fourth Lake about half its 

 length, to Jack Shepperd's camp, situate in a grove of 

 small spruces, on the soutli shore. Jack is one of the noted 

 gui:les of the region, and he has a most comfortable 

 sportsman's abiding-place. There were at that time live 

 ' ' camps " — substantial buildings — on Fourth Lake : Snyder 

 Camp, Sam Dunakin's and Lawrence's on the north shore, 

 and Shepperd's and Pratt's on the south shore, all private 

 but Shepperd's and Duuakin's, which were for the enter- 

 tainment of all who would pay for it. 



On our return, just at sunset, we had some very pretty 

 sport at the head of Fourth Lake outlet. Ned struck a 

 half-pound trout, and with boyish impetuosity gave a tre- 

 mendous jerk, and broke a second joint. The poor fel- 

 low's heart was almost as badly broken, thinking that his 

 rod was ruined and his fun was all up for the trip. But 

 that evening John, our good genius, mended and made it 

 about as good as new. The lad afterwards, with a little 

 instruction, acquired considerable skill with the tly-rod, 

 and was sometimes elated with success superior to that of 

 liis elders. A boy may ])e trusted to pick up a knowledge 

 of fishing and all the kinks and knacks, quite as rt^adily as 



