DAYS ON THE NEPIGON. 



ceeding was totally at variance with all rec- 

 ognized characteristics of the careful angler. 

 But to those foolish trout it seemed the em- 

 bodiment of succulency; they had evidently 

 lost their boasted intelligence, and the be- 

 draggled Hobo hypnotized them with his 

 counterfeit saintly smile. His message was, 

 "Hand out a bite"; they gave it, and ended 

 their careers by sizzling on a broiler. 



The Hobo had been well fed, clothed and 

 doctored, his constitution thoroughly re- 

 paired; and one afternoon when he was strut- 

 ting around camp, feeling fine as silk and 

 quite cocky, we concluded he was seeking 

 trouble, so we ferried him across the river, 

 where he found it in abundance. He had 

 overcome his repugnance to water, and from 

 a rude platform below the falls made his 

 plunge into the rapids. He carried a chip on 

 his shoulder, and was soon busy. Full of con- 

 fidence and with an utter disregard of the 

 ultimate consequences, he provoked a quar- 

 rel with what proved a laker considerably 

 larger than himself. 



90 



