A TRAMP IN THE CATSKILLS 87 



decayed vegetable matter, revealing the pebbly bot- 

 tom, fresh and bright, with one or two fish suspended 

 over the centre of it, keeping watch and ward. If an 

 intruder approached, they would dart at him spitefully. 

 These fish have the air of bantam cocks, and, with their 

 sharp, prickly fins and spines and scaly sides, must be 

 ugly customers in a hand-to-hand encounter with other 

 finny warriors. To a hungry man they look about as 

 unpromising as hemlock slivers, so thorny and thin are 

 they; yet there is sweet meat in them, as we found that 

 day. 



Much refreshed, I set out with the sun low in the 

 west to explore the outlet of the lake and try for trout 

 there, while my companions made further trials in 

 the lake itself. The outlet, as is usual in bodies of 

 water of this kind, was very gentle and private. The 

 stream, six or eight feet wide, flowed silently and 

 evenly along for a distance of three or four rods, 

 when it suddenly, as if conscious of its freedom, took 

 a leap down some rocks. Thence, as far as I fol- 

 lowed it, its descent was very rapid through a con- 

 tinuous succession of brief falls like so many steps 

 down the mountain. Its appearance promised more 

 trout than I found, though I returned to camp with 

 a very respectable string. 



Toward sunset I went round to explore the inlet, 

 and found that as usual the stream wound leisurely 

 through marshy ground. The water being much colder 

 than in the outlet, the trout were more plentiful. As 

 I was picking my way over the miry ground and 

 through the rank growths, a ruffed grouse hopped 

 up on a fallen branch a few paces before me, and, jerk- 

 ing his tail, threatened to take flight. But as I was 



