88 ADIRONDAC. 



DUF stay at this point was the taking by myself of 

 half a dozen splendid trout out of the Stillwater, after 

 the guide had exhausted his art and his patience with 

 very insignificant results. The place had a very 

 trouty look, but as the season was late and the river 

 warm, I knew the fish lay in deep water from which 

 they could not be attracted. In deep water accord- 

 ingly, and near Jhe head of the hole, I determined to 

 look for them. Securing a chub I cut it into pieces 

 about an inch long and with these for bait sank my 

 hook into the head of the Stillwater and just to one 

 side of the main current. In less than twenty min- 

 utes I had landed six noble fellows, three of them 

 over one foot long each. The guide and my incredu- 

 lous companions, who were watching me from the 

 opposite shore, seeing my luck, whipped out their 

 tackle in great haste and began casting first at a re- 

 spectable distance from me, then all about me, but 

 without a single catch. My own efforts suddenly 

 became fruitless also, but I had conquered the guide 

 and thenceforth he treated me with the tone and free- 

 dom of a comrade and equal. 



One afternoon we visited a cave some two miles 

 down the stream which had recently been discovered. 

 We squeezed and wriggled through big crack or 

 cleft in the side of the mountain, for about one hun- 

 dred feet, when we emerged into a large dome-shaped 

 passage, the abode, during certain seasons of the year 

 of innumerable bats, and at all times of primeval 

 darkness. There were various other crannies and 



