POACHERS 111 



that I made I could not catch him. He got very 

 saucy after a time and used to boast about his ex- 

 ploits in poaching so that I should hear of them. 

 He carried this so far as to lay out a salmon on a 

 board that was used as a seat at the pool. I had 

 guessed long before that he was not alone, but 

 that he had confederates to warn him whenever 

 I left the house. I had slept at the pool several 

 times and had been hiding in the woods to watch 

 for him for days in succession, but all to no pur- 

 pose. The pool was over three miles distant from 

 the house and half of the distance was up the river 

 by canoe to the foot of the first rapids where the 

 portage began. Immediately on leaving the river 

 on the west side there was a high hill, from which 

 one had a full view of the river right down to the 

 entrance, and the Indian settlement was right on 

 the end of this point. Any signal made from this 

 point could be seen from the hill and ample warn- 

 ing given. One morning, being tired with 

 watching, I had slept much later than usual. It 

 was about ten o'clock, and I was just finishing 

 dressing when I saw an Indian coming towards 

 the house. I immediately surmised that Wil- 

 liam, not seeing me around, was sending this 

 chap to spy. I told my sister, who was with me, 

 to try and delay this chap as much as possible, 

 and to tell him, if he inquired for me, that I had 

 been gone since morning to mend one of my her- 

 ring nets in the bay. As the fellow came in at 



