The Halcyon in Canada. 559 



six or eight of them would be swimming about watching my 

 movements, but they were wary and made a wide circle. One 

 day, one of their number volunteered to make a thorough recon- 

 noissance. I saw him leave his comrades and swim straight toward 

 me. He came, bringing first one eye to bear upon me, then the 

 other. When about half the distance was passed over, he began to 

 waver and hesitate. To encourage him I stopped casting, and taking 

 off my hat, began to wave it slowly to and fro, as in the act of fanning 

 myself. This started him again, — this was a new trait in the creat- 

 ure that he must scrutinize more closely. On he came, till all his 

 markings were distinctly seen. With one hand I pulled a little 

 revolver from my hip pocket, and when the loon was about fifty 

 yards distant and had begun to sidle around me, I fired. At the 

 flash I saw two webbed feet twinkle in the air, and the loon was 

 gone ! Lead could not have gone down so quickly. The bullet cut 

 across the circles where he disappeared. In a few moments he re-ap- 

 peared a couple of hundred yards away. " Ha-ha-ha-a-a," said he ; 

 "ha-ha-ha-a-a" and " ha-ha-ha-aa," said his comrades, who had 

 been looking on; and "ha-ha-ha-a-a," said we all, echo included. 

 He approached a second time, but not so closely, and when I began 

 to creep back toward the shore with my heavy craft, pawing the 

 water first upon one side, then the other, he followed, and with 

 ironical laughter witnessed my efforts to stem the current at the 

 head of the lake. I confess it was enough to make a more solemn 

 bird than the loon laugh ; but it was no fun for me, and generally 

 required my- last pound of steam. 



The loons flew back and forth from one lake to the other, and 

 their voices were about the only notable wild sounds to be heard. 



One afternoon, quite unexpectedly, I struck my big fish, in the 

 head of the lake. I was first advised of his approach by two or 

 three trout jumping clear from the water to get out of his lord- 

 ship's way. The water was not deep just there, and he swam so 

 near the surface that his enormous back cut through. With a swirl 

 h<- swept my fly under and turned. My hook was too near home, 

 and my rod too near a perpendicular, to strike well. More than that, 

 my presence of mind came near being unhorsed by the sudden 

 apparition of the fish. If I could have had a moment's notice, or 

 if 1 had not seen the monster, I should have fared better and the 



