238 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



sight was really gorgeous ! After three or four similar rep- 

 etitions, we agreed that we saw the North Pole distinctly, 

 heading Sir John Franklin's grave, and the bow, spears, and 

 stars of the aurora borealis were merely the flag over Frank- 

 lin's tomb. 



While the doctor was evolving a new theory of mundane 

 matters, only to be understood by draining a dose of diffusi- 

 bility, John appeared. He was greatly excited, but breath- 

 less. So soon as he recovered power of utterance he said, 

 " Gintlemen, bedad there's a bear just foment yees ! I see'd 

 him." 



" Well, John," we replied, " how did he look ?" 



"Bedad he was as big as an elephant, and had a tail as 

 long as meself, and as big around, be gorrah !" 



" How long was he ?" we inquired. 



" Bedad he was as long as I can reach with my two arms." 



" What color was he ?" 



" Be gorrah, to tell the thruth, I couldn't see his color pre 1 

 cisely." 



"Was he green?" 



" No, yer honors, not perzactly. I should say he was mor 

 brownish." 



" We supposed so, John ; it is a fox." 



" No, no, yer honors ! Dr. Bluff, of the First Fusileers, said 

 he'd often see'd bears here, an' I think the beast I seed is 

 won." 



" This was at the shoot, twenty-seven miles farther up the 

 river," we replied; and just then the halo of the rising sun 

 began to illuminate the eastern horizon, and teach us to pre- 

 pare for the fresh-run salmon which had arrived that morning 

 from their visit to the sea. Having consulted our watches, 

 and learned, to our surprise, that it was only three o'clock, 

 and as our gaffers were still asleep, we reluctantly retired to 

 our tents and to sleep until called to breakfast. 



As it was our custom to rest the salmon-pools during the 

 best 'part of the day for angling, in order to protect the river 





