126 THE ADIRONDACK. 



piece of raw venison for bait. This they would 

 '^ skitter^'' along the surface, and the moment it 

 caught the eye of a trout, away he would rush with a 

 leap and plunge after it. I found that my light tackle 

 was entirely out of place in this new mode of fishing, 

 for while I was drowning one big fellow, those in the 

 boat with me would tak6 half a dozen. Besides the 

 time for fishing was short, for twilight had already 

 settled on the forest — and so, after in my hurry break- 

 ing two or three snells, I, too, rigged on a cord line, 

 big hook, and piece of venison. I never saw anything 

 like it in my life — it was a constant leap, roll, and 

 plunge there around our lines — and some of them 

 such immense fellows for brook trout. In a half an 

 hour we took at least a half a bushel, many of them 

 weighing three pounds, and few less than a pound. 



At length, however, it became too dark to fish, and 

 a single rifle shot of the Indian recalling our scat- 

 tered boats, we started for the camp. 



Turning the head of our boat, we drifted down to 

 Raquette River, and then pulled for the lake. This 

 was a mile of hard rowing, and it was late before we 

 reached the outlet. One skiff having started sooner 

 than we, was already at the camp — ^the cheerful fire 



