FISH STORIES. 187 



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A pack of liungry wolves, attracted by the scent of camp, were out 

 regular nocturnal visitors, and proved a constant source of annoyance. Oi 

 one occasion they carried ofl'a bake-kottJe to a distance of several hunth-ed 

 yards ; — at another time, they took away a tin-pan, which we never after- 

 wards recovered ; — and, stranger yet, one niglit these piratical pests stole a 

 fur cap from oft" ray head while I was sleeping, and in the morning, after a 

 diligent search, no trace of it could be found. 



The river having sliglitly risen, we again loosed cable, and, after toiling 

 all day, and tugging with might and main, by hand-spikes and levers, — 

 twisting, screwing, and lifting, now in water up to our necks, aitd now on 

 dry Siind-bars, we succeeded in dragging, or rather carrying, our craft for a 

 distance of about five miles, and again lay oy for four succeeding days to 

 await a still further ri.se. 



Upon the opposite side of the river was a bald-eagle's nest, with two half- 

 grown fledgelings. One of our party, ascending the tree, captured the 

 young ones, and we had a fine meal from their carcases. A wood-duck'a 

 nest, containing some twelve eggs, near by, afTorded a seasonable repast, — 

 and, in hunting for game, we came upon the nest of a wild goot=e, as well 

 as those of numerous ravens among the neighboring cottonwoods and wil- 

 lows, which we subjected to sucii forced contributions as appetite demanded. 



A portion of the interval was employed in fidiing, but with poor success, 

 the fish of the Platte being nearly all of them small, and not very plentiful 

 even, at that. 



An old Franco-Canadian, of our crew, here favored us with, perhaps, « 

 little tlie biggest fish stoiy of any told at the present day. 



He had been down the Missouri on several occasions in boats coimected 

 with the fur trade. On one of these voyages, while in the act of reaching 

 over the boat-side for a drink of water, he dropped hia cup, which imme- 

 diately sank to the bottom of the river and was lost. 



Three years afterwards he again passed the same place, with hooks and 

 fines attached to the boat-stern for the purpose of catching fish as he gUded 

 along. 



A large cat-fish, attracted by the tempting bait borne upon the hook, 

 greedily swallowed it, and, in a trice, found himnelf translated to a new 

 and strange element. 



The creature was so heavy, it took two men to pull him into the boat, while 

 iiis gigantic proportions astonished all beholders. 



But the most surprising thing was revealed on opening him ; — there, 

 anugly stowed away in one corner of the monster's capacious maw, repo- 

 eed the identical cup our voyageur had lost, three years before, with lii» 

 name and the date marked upon it ! 



" Pooh ! Gumbo," said an old sailor, " I can beat such stories as thiat, a] 

 day. 



" Why, fellow, on my last trip from Liverpool to New York, a shark 

 followed the ship for a long time, picking up sucli bits of bread and meat 

 as were thrown into the sea. 



' Our steward was a very careless fellow, and, in shaking the tabid- 

 cloth, he would frequently drop overboard the knives and forks and epoona. 

 and recoived from the captain several fiiogginga on that account. He wm 



