ASPETUCK 71 



** What a biter that pickerel is ! " exclaimed 

 Tommy-Anne. 



" Biter? I should say he was. Look a-here ! " 

 Obi showed some round white scars that made 

 a line across the ends of his left hand fingers. 

 "One of those fellows did that to me, way back 

 in the spring. I hooked him for keeps, and he 

 thought the smartest thing he could do would 

 be to swallow me, so he began with those fingers." 



" It is lovely, here by the water," said Tommy- 

 Anne, after a few minutes, drawing a long breath 

 of contentment; "everything is so new and 

 green ; and there are simply acres of ferns in 

 there. Do look yonder ; they climb up hill as 

 far as we can see ! " 



" Yes, the ferns are bully ! " said Obi, approv- 

 ingly ; " but we are after the Duck's nest, and 

 when you come to the woods, if you don't find 

 what you started after first, the other things will 

 make you forget all about it. I'll tell you what 

 we can do. Suppose I take the lunch basket and 

 find the easiest way to the Duck's tree and come 

 back for you. I generally go round the other way 

 by the foot of the mountain, but that is a rough 

 place, and I am not pop sure where we strike it 

 from this side." 



