THE KANKAKEE. 377 



here, but I fear that such is not now the case. I can 

 remember as if it were but yesterday, although twenty 

 and more years have slipped past since then, I was 

 upon the upper deck of a steam-boat, talking to its 

 skipper, while the obedient vessel carefully threaded 

 the erratic course of the Holland River, my companion 

 exclaimed, " Here comes a buck ! " and darted for the 

 wheel-house ; in an instant he rejoined me, rifle in 

 hand ; for some minutes we lost sight of the beautiful 

 deer in the tall reeds, but soon afterwards had the 

 satisfaction of seeing him breasting the waves as he 

 headed for the opposite bank. The game being behind 

 us, pitching and tossing in the ground- swell caused by 

 the passage of our craft, the captain delayed firing till 

 the deer gained the margin ; in the halt that he 

 made to recover his strength, the better to be able 

 to withdraw his feet from the sticky, muddy bottom, 

 the rifle was slowly brought to bear upon the quarry's 

 heart, and with the report the gallant animal gave a 

 tremendous struggle, and pitched headlong to rise no 

 more. 



Excuse my wandering from my subject, but as I see 

 in memory the Holland River, the little episode 

 narrated rises before me. 



Another river, similar in its characteristics to the 

 Holland River, and also a favourite haunt of pike, is 

 the Kankakee, in the northern portion of the State of 

 Indiana, and whether we fished with shiners (resem- 

 bling minnows) or used the spoon bait, I and my com- 

 panions were equally fortunate. For a week we tarried 

 here ; the season was early autumn, and seldom at 

 night, when we returned to our encampment, but that 

 each could count from two to three dozen large fish 



