THE HALCYON IN CANADA. 233 



spectators. The congratulatory laughter of the loons 

 down on the lake showed how even the outsiders 

 sympathized. Much larger trout have been taken in 

 these waters and in others, but this fish would have 

 swallowed any three we had ever before caught. 



" What does he weigh ? " was the natural inquiry 

 of each; and we took turns "hefting" him. But 

 gravity was less potent to us just then than usual, 

 and the fish seemed astonishingly light. 



" Four pounds," we said ; but Joe said more. So 

 we improvised a scale : a long strip of board was 

 balanced across a stick, and our groceries served as 

 weights. A four-pound package of sugar kicked the 

 beam quickly ; a pound of coffee was added ; still it 

 went up ; then a pound of tea, and still the fish had 

 little the best of it. But we called it six pounds, 

 not to drive too sharp a bargain with fortune, and 

 were more than satisfied. Such a beautiful creature ! 

 marked in every respect like a trout of six inches. 

 We feasted our eyes upon him for half an hour. 

 We stretched him upon the ground and admired 

 him ; we laid him across a log and withdrew a few 

 paces and admired him ; we hung him against the 

 shanty and turned our heads from side to side as 

 women do when they are selecting dress goods, the 

 better to take in the full force of the effect. 



He graced the board or stump that afternoon and 

 was the sweetest fish we had taken. The flesh was 

 a deep salmon color and very rich. We had before 

 discovered that there were two varieties of trout in 



