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than do these rambling notes, but ever 

 kept returning to the original theme. 

 Meantime echoes of debate, drifting to 

 us from the men's tent, told that they 

 too were talking of fishing, and were at 

 the moment concerning themselves 

 chiefly with the practical questions of 

 tackle and methods. To a race of facile 

 speakers, it might be almost said of ora- 

 tors, one subject serves as well as an- 

 other for discussion, and a very fury of 

 controversy can be aroused as to the 

 best way to make pancakes, or to stop 

 a leak in a canoe. 



It appeared that Mesgil so I seek to 

 render phonetically the approved con- 

 traction of the good fellow's baptismal 

 name, Hermenegilde had made report 

 on a certain little rod which he had 

 watched being taken out of its case and 

 equipped for action. The delicate 

 politeness of the French Canadian for- 

 bade any expression of adverse opinion 

 in the presence of les messieurs, but he 



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