VERY TALL WALKING. 251 



to his fish, which he thought a forty-pounder at least ! His 

 gaffer followed close behind, and was about to embark the 

 general in a canoe to follow the salmon down the river ; but 

 the fish stopped in the pool where I was angling, and after a 

 play of less than half an hour the general brought it to gaff, 

 when it weighed 1 7-J- Ibs. This feat was the greatest of the 

 season ; and, had not the fish been hooked on the far side from 

 the general, so that it was hard to maintain an equipoise, it 

 would probably have torn away. I shall never forget the 

 picture of ardor and energy which rushed down along the 

 shore and dashed across Rattling Run, speechless with won- 

 der and excitement. At dinner we canvassed the morning's 

 sport, and, though the rain dripped slightly through the bark 

 roof of our dining arbor, we began to realize that a home in 

 the wilderness possesses an indescribable attraction, and the 

 apparently settled rain seemed an omen for better fishing 

 than we had yet enjoyed, and we parted that night to our 

 several camps with a renewed stock of hope and pleasing an- 

 ticipation. 



SECTION NINTH. 



THOUGHTS OP RETURNING HOMEWARD. 



" 'Tis a midnight fair to see, 

 Wondrous in sublimity. 

 Lingering at our cabin door, 

 Fast beside the river shore, 

 Dazzled is my gazing eye 

 With the grandeur of the sky. 

 Clouds are flying in mad chase 

 O'er the moon's benignant face ; 

 In the bme concave of air 

 Stars like diamonds gleam and glare, 

 While with weird, celestial glow 

 Springs aloft the lunar bow. 

 See ! like arch triumphal, high 

 How it soareth to the sky ; 

 See ! like heavenly rainbow, bent 

 O'er a showery firmament, 

 ITow its gorgeous columns climb 

 With a majesty sublime." ISAAC M'LELLAN. 



