and the Maritime Provinces. 95 



the point out into the lake, however, we found that " white caps " were 

 abundant, and in an incredibly short time a pretty good sea was on. 



Those who have had experience on fresh-water lakes know how much 

 more quickly a high sea will come up, even in a moderate blow, than it 

 will on salt water, but those who have not passed through it can form no 

 conception of the height and strength of the waves that arise as if by magic. 



Fortunately, our canoes were good, seaworthy, roomy Mic-Macs, and 

 we were in no danger of being swamped, but I thought my wrists and arms 

 would give out before we reached the camp, so severe was the effort 

 required to force the canoe through the head-wind and sea down the lake. 

 My position in the bow exposed me to " the spatter," and many was the 

 shower bath I involuntarily took before we reached the shore. Neverthe- 

 less, I love the canoe and paddle, and am perfectly willing to take all the 

 drenchings that come to me, if I can have the outings in which they occur. 



A change of garments was quickly effected, for dry clothing is abso- 

 lutely essential to one who has passed the meridian of life, after such an 

 exposure as I had experienced. 



Supper was soon prepared, and by the time it was disposed of the sun 

 was sinking behind a heavy and constantly-increasing mass of gorgeous 

 clouds in the west. 



" It looks a little off there," said the Judge, pointing to the clouds, " as 

 if we might get some rain to-night." 



" No rain to-night, sir," replied Hiram, " though the clouds are piling 

 up, there 's no rain in them ; it '11 be a fair night, no trouble " (no doubt). 



The guide was an old woodsman, and weatherwise to a degree ; being 

 in constant touch with Nature makes such a man an adept in reading her 

 signs and tokens, and the accuracy with which he can foretell a coming 

 storm is astonishing. Pete Sepsis, my old Indian guide on the Schoodic 

 lakes in the sixties, was the most remarkable man in this respect I ever 

 saw, and I used to think he could predict to an hour when the wind would 

 rise, when the skies would be cloudy, and when it would rain. 



Birds, as every observer knows, are good barometers, and by their 

 peculiar movements fish always seem to know of the approach of a storm. 



As usual, after supper the guides went into the woods near by for 

 fuel, while my friends sat by the camp fire and " made a smoke " with 

 their pipes. I also lighted mine, but instead of joining my friends I took 

 the water pail and went to a large spring that was reached by an old carry 

 road which led around the falls, for the purpose of obtaining a supply of 

 the sparkling water that it contained. As I quietly approached the spring, 

 for it is my custom always in the woods to move around with as little noise 

 as possible, I heard the cracking of twigs near by, and as I paused a 

 moment to ascertain the cause, a fox with a large ruffed grouse in his 

 mouth came out of the thicket and stepped into the path. 



