TOM AH JOSEPH. 141 



and refreshing, as the case may be, than canoe- 

 ing. 



You sit in the bow of the birch, on comfortable 

 robes, with one at your back, with your face to the 

 front, a trolling- line in your hand, your rifle or re- 

 volver within easy reach, your pipe in your mouth, 

 and you are ready for repose or excitement. 



A bend in the stream or lake unfolds new beau- 

 ties to your view ; you gaze dreamily upon the far- 

 away mountain-tops and the unbroken forests with 

 their different shades of green. You are recalled 

 to your senses by the cry of an erratic loon : you 

 scan the calm surface of the lake until your eye 

 seeks him out ; but the quick-sighted Indian has 

 seen him before you, and a few strong sweeps of his 

 paddle send us flying towards him. 



He is down, he is up again, and a bullet goes 

 whizzing after him ; it misses, of course, and down 

 he goes to be greeted with another when he rises : 

 after an exciting chase and a few more harmless 

 shots, we permit him to rest, and pursue our onward 

 course. And now a strong pull from behind gives 

 us a new sensation ; and with an " I've got him," we 

 pull alongside a handsome salmon. The guide 

 slips the net under him, and we feast our eyes upon 

 this king of the waters. Oh ! this is unalloyed hap- 

 piness : care comes not here. With a clear con- 



