228 GUN, ROD, AND SADDLE. 



far as a six-shooter), and which he had been imbib- 

 ing, refused to accompany me ; so, with the youth 

 who had acted as Palumrus, I left him to ruminate 

 over his transgressions or misfortune. 



As I had supposed, large fish were to be found in 

 the stream, and my basket began to groan under its 

 weight ; when I hooked my flies in the top of a larch 

 that leaned over the water close in my rear. With 

 all my efforts I could not get them free, so sending the 

 lad aloft, I waited patiently for him to cast them off 

 The place where I stood was hummocky, such lumps 

 as you come across in the bogs of Ireland when snipe- 

 shooting, only a great deal larger. With care and pre- 

 caution the hummocks could be traversed without 

 wetting a foot, but hurry would certainly get you 

 between them, when over the boot-tops would be the 

 consequence. I had stood for several minutes for the 

 youngster to get the line loose, when across the 

 stream, but a short distance off, I heard an animal 

 grunt ; the spot from whence the sound issued was a 

 large clump of whortleberries, where some fallen 

 timber lay. Not being quite certain that my ears 

 had not deceived me, I waited, when the noise was 

 repeated. By this time my line was free, and my 

 juvenile companion was descending, when I asked 



