36 THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE; 



you will be willing to shoot or hook anywhere near the 

 point to which he is conducting you." I then asked, "What 

 object has John in deceiving us in this matter ?" The reply 

 was given after a little hesitation, but without any marked 

 effort at evasion. I cannot attempt to recall Jim's words, 

 but they were, in effect, as follows : "John is a widower; he 

 lost his first wife some years ago ; he wishes to remarry, 

 and is courting a girl who lives with her parents in the 

 bush about one mile from the unoccupied shanty to which 

 he is now conducting you. He wishes to spend much of 

 his time in the company of this girl. He thinks you are 

 green, and that he can fool you into staying there while he 

 is courting at your expense. I would like to see you have 

 good sport, but you will find none there." This statement 

 was made with a certain degree of confidence to me, and 

 I quickly determined to make no use of it at present, but 

 to wait until it had been verified by our own experience. 

 Only a few days at most would be required for this pur- 

 pose. 



Our canoe was now passing the mouth of Watte's 

 Creek. Jim remarked to me that this creek afforded the 

 best trout-fishing on the lake. " I am not a professional 

 guide," he said, " but am acquainted with every person living 

 on this lake ; have worked as a wood-chopper a great deal 

 about here ; all these people fish and hunt more or less, and 

 I have frequently fished and hunted with them." I inquired 

 still further about Watte's Creek as a fishing locality. Jim 

 said he thought there might be some ducks and pigeons in 

 that vicinity, likewise adding that he would like to remain 

 there one day with me ; thought I might kill a considerable 



