158 With Rod and Gtin in New England 



s 



" Yes, but that fish has two flies and two casting-lines," said the 

 Doctor; " one of the flies is mine, surely, but whose is the other" ? 



" It 's not mine," said I, examining it. " By Jove, it 's the fly and cast- 

 ing-line the Judge lost this morning." 



"Upon my soul, I believe you are right," replied the Doctor; " won't 

 the old boy be surprised when we show him his fish " ! * 



" Well, gentlemen," said Hiram, " ye have saved two nice fish that I 

 was sure would be lost. Shall we try for more or return to the camp " ? 



"I'm satisfied," said the Doctor; "it is growing late, and supper 

 time is near." 



The guide and I poled the canoe up the rapids and to the upper end 

 of the first pool, while the Doctor followed the " carry road " around to the 

 camp. 



We found the Judge assisting in the preparation of supper, and this 

 we knew meant a choice addition to our menu. 



He was astonished to learn that his fly and line had been recovered 

 and in such a singular manner. 



" Sure, 't was great luck to save the fish when the lines were crossed 

 in such a way," exclaimed William. 



" Good fishermen, too," added Francois, approvingly ; " no fool job 

 to handle salmon that way." 



At the Judge's suggestion a libation was poured in honor of the happy 

 incident, and the guides were not forgotten in the ceremonial. 



After supper was eaten we, as usual, adjourned to our tent, which had 

 been thoroughly " smudged out " by the careful William, in our absence, 

 and, lying on our fragrant newly-replenished bed of balsam boughs, we 

 passed the evening in the conversation which such interesting men as my 

 companions always kept in progress. 



" It was a piece of great good luck that you succeeded in saving those 

 fish," said the Judge; " such another might not occur again in a lifetime." 



" Yes, it was good luck, if there is such a thing as luck," responded 

 the Doctor ; it certainly was not the result of any special skill on our part ; 

 the fish did all the work." 



" Your modesty is uncalled for," replied the Judge ; " if the rods had 

 been in the hands of tyros the fish would never have been saved. I once 

 killed a salmon under conditions which, if not quite as uncommon, were 

 sufficiently trying while they lasted. I had hooked a very heavy fish, 

 which, although not particularly active, displayed powers of endurance and 

 strength that gave me all I could attend to for upwards of half an hour. I 



* The incident I have described actually occurred in one of my 

 outings. ■ — E. A. S. 



