The Halcyon in Canada. 557 



the beam quickly ; a pound of coffee was added ; still it went up ; 

 then a pound of tea, and still the fish had a little the best of it. But 

 we called it six pounds, not to drive too sharp a bargain with fortune, 

 and was more than satisfied. Such a beautiful creature ! marked in 

 every respect like a trout of six inches. We feasted our eyes upon 

 him for half an hour. We stretched him upon the ground and 

 admired him ; we laid him across a log and withdrew a few paces 

 and admired him ; we hung him against the shanty and turned our 

 heads from side to side as women do when the)- are selecting dress- 

 goods, the better to take in the full force of the effect. 



He graced the board, or stump, that afternoon and was the 

 sweetest fish we had taken. The flesh was a deep salmon color and 

 very rich. We had before discovered that there were two varieties 

 of trout in these waters, irrespective of size, — the red-fleshed and 

 the white-fleshed, — and that the former were best. 



This success gave an impetus to our sport that carried us through 

 the rest of the week finely. We had demonstrated that there were 

 big trout here, and that they would rise to a fly. Henceforth, big 

 fish were looked to as a possible result of every excursion. To me, 

 especially, the desire to at least match my companion, who had been 

 my pupil in the art, was keen and constant. We built a raft of logs, 

 and upon it I floated out upon the lake, whipping its waters right 

 and left, morning, noon, and night. Many fine trout came to my 

 hand, and were released because they did not fill the bill. 



The lake became my favorite resort, while my companion pre- 

 ferred rather the shore or the long, still pool above, where there was 

 a rude make-shift of a boat, made of common box-boards. 



Upon the lake, you had the wildness and solitude at arms-length 

 and could better take their look and measure. You became some- 

 thing apart from them ; you emerged and had a vantage-ground like 

 that of a mountain peak, and could contemplate them at your ease. 

 .Seated upon my raft, and slowly carried by the current or drifted by 

 the breeze, I had many a long, silent look into the face of the wilder- 

 . and found the communion good. I was alone with the spirit 

 of the forest-bound lakes and felt its presence and magnetism. I 

 played hi<l<-and-seek with it about the nooks and corners, and lay in 

 wait for it upon a little island, crowned with a clump of trees, that 

 was moored just to one side the current near the head of the lake. 



