264 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER, 



sail it ; and so Putnam crept in himself, with 

 his torch and his flint-lock musket, and shot 

 the beast where it lay. 



When such men lived in long settled and 

 thickly peopled regions, they needs had to 

 accommodate themselves to the conditions 

 and put up with humbler forms of sport. 

 Webster, like his great rival for Whig leader- 

 ship, Henry Clay, cared much for horses, dogs, 

 and guns ; but though an outdoor man he 

 had no chance to develop a love for big-game 

 hunting. He was, however, very fond of the 

 rod and shotgun. Mr. Cabot Lodge recently 

 handed me a letter written to his grandfather 

 by Webster, and describing a day's trout fish- 

 ing. It may be worth giving for the sake of 

 the writer, and because of the fine heartiness 

 and zest in enjoyment which it shows : 



Sandwich, June 4, 

 Saturday mor'g 

 6 o'clock 

 Dear Sir: 



I send you eight or nine trout, which I took yester- 

 day, in that chief of all brooks, Mashpee. I made a 

 long day of it, and with good success, for me. John 

 was with me, full of good advice, but did not fish — nor 

 carry a rod. 



I took 26 trouts, all weighing 17 lb. 12 oz. 

 The largest (you have him) 



weighed at Crokers. . 2 " 4 " 



The 5 largest . . . . 3 " 5 " 



The eight largest . . . 1 1 " 8 " 



I got these by following your advice ; that is, by 



careful iy' thorough fishing of the difficult places, which 



others do not fish. The brook is fished, nearly every 



day. I entered it, not so high up as we sometimes do, 



between 7 & 8 o'clock, & at 1 2 was hardly more than half 



way down to the meeting house path. You see I did 



