238 SPORTING SKETCHES. 



the choicest treasures of our fly-books were tried again and 

 again. 



Under the circumstances we were reduced to the necessity of 

 using the plebeian bait and of fishing between the logs, as the 

 latter made a natural bridge on which the walking was delight- 

 ful when we had learned by experience to wear our rubber canoe 

 shoes. The first day we tried it we used leather boots, and for a 

 successful experiment in turning the contemplative angler into 

 a powder magazine, I can heartily recommend a lot of barkless 

 logs rendered as slippery as ice by the elements. I can vouch 

 that by evening the logs were not the only barkless things 

 in the neighborhood. Trout were very plentiful, and we con 

 eluded to try no more waters, but to do our fishing there during 

 our encampment. Our record of fish kept for five days to four 

 rods was over 700, ranging from a quarter of a pound to a pound 

 and a half, the average, however, running small. 



B'rer Rabbit has never quite forgiven me for an accident which 

 occurred on the last day we fished this river. He was on the 

 opposite side of the stream from where I had been patiently fish- 

 ing a good pool, and deciding that there was a big one left in it I 

 crossed over to him, intending to give my pool a rest for a half 

 hour or so. B'rer Rabbit was standing on the outside edge of an 

 immense pile of logs and said " There's a beauty in here but I 

 can't hook the rascal." " All right, I'll fish over here," and I 

 dropped the bait in about thirty feet from him on the inside of 

 the pile and near the bank. There was a fierce tug and a swirl 

 and I soon had a good pounder in my creel. " Hang the luck,' 

 said B'rer Rabbitt, " you've got my trout," and so I had ; he had 

 been frightened from the outside of the pool and I just dropped 

 in in time to catch his eye. It was no easy matter to land a good 

 fish through the different holes formed by the layers of logs 

 crossing each other in the most intricate manner, and many a 

 hook did we leave in those logs. It was not satisfactory fishing 

 nor were the trout large, but we were enjoying our outing as 

 much as though we were four school-boys. 



One day we found the tracks of a large black bear on some flat 

 rocks in mid-stream. The tracks were still wet although the 

 sun was very hot, but as we had nothing but fishing rods and 

 beef tea flasks, and had lost no bear, we decided, without con- 

 sideration or argument, to let him have his own sweet will and 

 pay strict attention to our own affairs. 



