With Gun r> Rod in Canada 



to himself the wonderful moment when his spear struck 

 true and fair the back of his monster trout. We knew it 

 was best not to hurry the old fellow into what was to us 

 the important climax of the tale. Finally, exasperated 

 at his silence, we impatiently urged: 



" Did you get him, Ma-tee-o ?" 



" Spear him all right, Camp-builder. When try pull 

 him out of hole in ice, couldn't lift him. Too big." 



Again he paused. 



" Did he break your spear ?" " Did he wiggle much ?" 

 " Did he get away ?" " What did you do then ?" were 

 the alternate exclamatory questions of his auditors. 

 But Ma-tee-o couldn't be hurried. After puffing some 

 more, exasperatingly, and poking the fire, he closed the 

 matter up as follows: 



" Pulled and pulled on spear. It won't come 'way, 

 so take axe and chop big hole in ice. Then, build nice 

 bright fire on bank so could see plain." He repeated the 

 performance of pausing and teasing us at this particular 

 place. 



"Well?" 



" Well ?" 



" Found spear sticking up over barbs in oak log." 



We breathed again. 



" How did you happen to miss him ?" we asked, after 

 we had digested this last bit of mysterious information. 



" No miss 'im," replied Ma-tee-o. " Kespeadooksit." 



And that was all we could get out of the old fellow 

 about the big trout. 



As we sauntered back through the moonlight to the 

 new log-house, we decided to make a serious attempt 

 at having an adventure with this mysterious and rapidly- 

 getting-famous fish. I made up my mind if I hooked 

 a fish that had the power of turning himself at will into 

 a windfall, I would at least pull it out of water and burn 



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