ROD AND REEL. 127 



and a half by three ; no lying about tawny-colored 

 water by calling it " coffee." No ; but up in the 

 woods you take a pancake, twelve inches across 

 (just the diameter of the pan), and one inch thick, 

 and go conscientiously to work to surround it. 

 You seize a trout ten or fourteen inches long, and 

 send it speedily to that bourne from whence no 

 trout returns. You lay hold of a quart pan fidl 

 of liquid which has the smack of real Java to it, 

 made pungent with a sprinkling of Mocha; and 

 the first you know you see your face in the bottom 

 of the dish. And the joke is, you keep doing so, 

 right along, for some thirty minutes or more, rising 

 from each meal a bigger, if not a better man. 



The meal was finished. It did not take long to 

 wash the dishes ; and over the remnants of what 

 had once been a feast we sat in council. 



" John, what shall we do to-day ? " 



" AVell, I think," said John, " we '11 take some 

 trout. I told you, when we started, you should see 

 a three-pounder before we got back ; and here we 

 are within twenty miles of the Racquette, and my 

 promise unfulfilled. I know a little lake, hidden 

 away back of that hard-wood ridge yonder, which 

 is one huge spring-hole ; and when scouting through 

 here on my own account, some six years ago, I 

 took some fish from it such as you seldom see. I 

 doubt if there has been a fly on it since ; and if 

 the breeze will freshen a little, you '11 have rare 

 sport." 



