HOW I CAUGHT MY FIEST SALMON. 185 



ployers. But English teachers being scarce in the 

 backwoods where he spent the greater part of his life 

 as a trapper, he found himself compelled to resort for 

 instruction to the navvies who were at that time en- 

 gaged on the construction of the Intercolonial Rail- 

 way. From them he acquired a stock of phrases 

 which he employed with more zeal than understand- 

 ing. At least it appeared to me redundant to say, as 

 he invariably did, " By heavens, you fellows ! why 

 don't you come to dinner 1 ?" or, "D n it, you fel- 

 lows, tea's ready ! " Angus had no idea of giving 

 offence or taking a liberty, but solemnly assured me 

 he knew that was the usual style of speaking in Eng- 

 land ; and he utterly repudiated my suggestion that 

 he should adopt some such forms as, " Messieurs, le 

 diner est pret," or " Le the est servi." 



After S. had tried his luck ineffectually the next 

 morning in the pools near the camp, he proposed 

 that we should make an expedition up the Causaps- 

 cal, and try some salmon-pools thirteen or fourteen 

 miles higher up. A keg of salt pork, a little tea, and 

 a big whisky-flask were accordingly wrapped up in a 

 waterproof sheet ; and with this simple baggage we 

 started. S. stowed himself away in one canoe, I em- 

 barked in another ; and after the difficulties attendant 

 on the stowage of too much leg had been surmounted, 

 old Nowell, the principal Indian, gave the sign, and 

 we started on our upward journey. 



A more picturesque voyage it would be difficult to 



