74 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



had been cast back into the water, as unhooked by 

 John. It was Saturday evening. The sun had 

 gone down behind the western mountains, and amid 

 the gathering shadows we sought a camp. We 

 found one in the shape of a small bark lodge, which 

 John himself had erected fourteen years previous, 

 when, in company with an old trapper, he camped 

 one fall upon the shores of this lake. Kindling 

 a fire in the long-neglected fireplace, we sat down 

 to our supper under the clear sky already thickly 

 dotted with stars. From seven in the morning 

 until eight in the evening we had been without 

 food. I have an indistinct recollection that I 

 put myself outside of elev^en trout, and that John 

 managed to surround nine more. But there may 

 be an error of one or two either way, for I am under 

 the impression that my mental faculties were not 

 in the best working condition at the close of the 

 meal. John recollects distinctly that he cooked 

 twenty-one fish, and but three could be found in 

 the pan when we stopped eating, which he care- 

 fully laid aside that we might take a bite before 

 going to sleep ! 



Our meal was served up in three courses. The 

 first course consisted of trout and pancakes ; the 

 second course, pancakes and trout ; the tliird, fish 

 and flapjacks. 



