114 BASS-FISHING IN SUNGAHNEETUK 



a half-dozen of his thievish brethren in ambush 

 behind him, and, rather than bother with them, 

 I move on. 



The next fish that tries to rob me of a bait in- 

 tended for his betters and is sent grazing for his 

 tricks is a perch a far handsomer fellow, in his 

 bars of gold and dusky green, than the little bass, 

 and, to my taste, worth a dozen of him on the 

 table. 



So we fare downstream, taking here and there a 

 bass of the right sort from deep holes, under banks, 

 and hi mid-channel, and from the slack-water on 

 the lower side of the boulders, in no particularly 

 different way from that in which the first was 

 taken. Some are ingloriously lost: but the bass 

 should not be grudged their share of the sport, 

 which must lie in foiling the angler's arts. Besides, 

 the fish that is hooked and gets away may live to be 

 caught another day, and for the time of exemption 

 from creel and pan pay interest of a half-pound or 

 more: only one is not apt to fancy such uncertain 

 usury, especially when the fish is of two or three 

 pounds' present worth. 



Thus we come to the lower falls, where in old 

 times the incoming salmon doubtless paid heavy 

 tribute to the Indians as they scaled the first ram- 

 part of ledges that barred their yearly invasion. 

 This is the last mill-seat on the stream, where not 

 many years ago the screech of the saw was heard 



