and the Maritime Provinces. -55 



I let down the flint of the pistol, and said : "O, just looking for game," 

 and there was no more talk. I turned in, and nothing could have con- 

 vinced me that I closed an eye, if I hadn't suddenly found it daylight, and 

 breakfast almost cooked. 



John was cooking sausages, which were strung on birch twigs, boiling 

 coffee, and as I stepped out into the glorious morning, the fancies of the 

 night vanished, and I thought camping to be the highest form of life. 

 True I was stiff and sore from a knotty bed, but that was soon forgotten. 

 We were two of the greatest fishermen, mightiest hunters, and woodsmen, 

 that walked the earth ! Life was worth the living, if it was to be like this 

 in the future. We had neglected to bring a coffee-pot, but John had found 

 a little tin pail in a bough-house near by, and we had coffee. 



Then I looked in amazement to see John bring out his fishing tackle 

 and a cigar box full of minnows, for I knew nothing of fishing through the 

 ice. As I looked about by daylight I was surprised to see a farmhouse 

 and evidences of civilization. I thought we had left all those things far 

 behind. It was a sad blow, but we must endure it. We went forth after 

 the pickerel soon after sun-up on a clear, frosty morning, when the tapping 

 of the little sapsucker could be heard half a mile, and the calling of the 

 crows, much farther. 



John showed me where to cut the holes, and he rigged the lines, tying 

 each line to the middle of a stick, to prevent its loss, and so arranging it 

 that a pull on the line would roll the stick and elevate a twig, which had 

 been left on the limb, and that was to be our signal if a fish was biting. 

 I had cut forty holes and they were all baited before noon, but not a pick- 

 erel had sampled our baits. We went into a neighboring orchard to see if 

 we could find any unfrozen apples, and met the owner there. He took us 

 to his barn, and lifting some hay from a pile of choice apples, told us to 

 help ourselves, and to come again, only we must be sure to cover the 

 apples when we left. 



" What kind o' bait are you usin' for pickerel " ? he asked. 



" Dead minnies," said John ; " we could n't bring live ones, and if the 

 pickerel don't bite at them this afternoon we '11 wiggle 'em up and down 

 to make 'em think they 're alive." 



" Boys," said the farmer. " you '11 not get a pickerel in a week with 

 dead bait. I 've got to take several loads of grain to the railroad this 

 afternoon, or I 'd get you some live bait. Wait till to-morrow morning and 

 I '11 fix you with minnows. I watched you camp last night in my woods, 

 and noticed that you went after dead limbs for your fire, and did n't burn 

 my fence-rails, as some boys and men do. I think you'll find that open- 

 front bough-shanty better and warmer than your tent, only don't let it get 

 on fire." 



We moved into the shanty at once and then took a stroll in the woods 



