Trout-FisJiiug in the Rangeley Lakes. 375 



ting that in his precipitancy, and then it came to my relief. But I 

 could neither lift myself over its side, nor could those who were in it 

 pull me in without imminent risk of capsizing. There was no other 

 way but to tow me ashore ingloriously. As soon as my feet struck 

 bottom, I waded to the beach, and then for the first time realized 

 how completely my strength was exhausted, and for how short a 

 time, in all probability, I could have sustained myself in the perilous 

 position from which I had so happily escaped. A blazing camp-fire 

 and a dry suit of clothes quickly restored my equanimity, which was, 

 however, completely destroyed again by the reflection, which in an 

 instant burst upon me, that my three rods, including a new split 

 bamboo, together with a carefully prepared box of fishing-tackle, 

 which contained my fly-books, were at the bottom of the lake 

 and in water at least twelve feet deep. At first, it seemed as if 

 my sport for that trip at least had been completely and disastrously 

 terminated. One of our guides, who was an expert swimmer, com- 

 forted me by the assurance that he could easily recover the 

 more important articles by diving for them, and for a time it 

 appeared as if this would be the only chance, until it occurred to us 

 that one of the most enterprising and ingenious of our party had a 

 day or two before constructed a square box with a pane of glass in 

 the end, with which, after the manner of the sponge and pearl divers, 

 he had been studying the bottom of the lake to discover, if possible, 

 the localities which the trout were the most likely to frequent. 

 Taking this out with us the next day, we found that the contrivance 

 worked to a charm. Thrusting below the ripple the end of the box 

 which contained the glass, and excluding the light as far as possible 

 from the other end, every object on the bottom of the lake, at a 

 depth of even fifteen or twenty feet, could be clearly discerned. 

 A little patient labor with this and a large landing-net with a 

 handle of sufficient length was finally rewarded with the recovery 

 of every article of any value. The fly-books, however, were both 

 destroyed, and part of their contents were seriously damaged ; 

 still, these were trifling offsets to my own fortunate escape and that 

 of my guide. 



An incident in strong contrast with this unfortunate beginning 

 terminated this same eventful fishing trip. Mr. Page, although the 

 most expert and enthusiastic fisherman of our number, had devoted 



