28 HILLS AND LAKES. 



was seized by a speckled trout, weighing, perhaps, a 

 quarter of a pound. 1 caught six more " of the same 

 sort" as fast as I could throw mj fly, and could have 

 caught any quantity ; but we needed only enough for 

 a dinner, and I forbore. In the meantime my guide 

 had kindled a fire by the side of a fallen tree, and had 

 already upon the coals a steak, cut from the deer I 

 had killed on the previous night. This together with 

 the trout, subjected to the same broiling process, and 

 bread and butter, constituted our dinner. Let not 

 your fancy picture mahogany tables, white napkins, 

 silver forks, China dishes, and cushioned chairs, 

 these are far removed from the simple wants and 

 necessities of life they belong to the cities to the 

 age of luxury and studied refinement. Clean birch 

 bark, just stripped from the tree, and a jack-knife, are 

 the simple implements of a forest dinner. "Fingers 

 were made before forks," and a hungry man must not 

 be over delicate about using them. 



I am a temperate man, and can talk right elo- 

 quently about the evils of strong drink, but the 

 pocket pistol, from the pack of my guide, loaded with 

 choice brandy, did me no hurt that day, though dis- 

 charged at my own head. 



