Tie Broap BARREN. 62 

the moment your fry pan on the coals. Seizing your rod you 
hasten down upon the opposite side to have your shadow 
behind you from the water, for he seemed such a nice one 
as you saw him for an instant in the air that you really want 
him, so you do not make a cast directly at him, but a little to 
one side, then repeat. He sees it and shows you his silvery 
side, then retreats to his rocky hiding place again, and 
trailing your flies directly to you and behold, he does not miss 
this chance but chases on and takes the fly almost at your 
feet; you land him in less than half a day this time, as he 
only weighs a pound, yet he is full large to be the very nicest 
after all. 
On a fine morning in December, three of us, with luncheon, 
hunting axe and rifles, left the camp early in the day for the 
broad barren. We had about twenty inches of snow upon the 
ground and a nice snow-shoeing crust upon that, just friable 
enough to settle well beneath our tread, without noise, and to 
leave a fine road or snowshoe path behind us. And as the 
route to the barren was a good one, to run over occasionally 
to look for large or small game, we proposed (as was usual 
with us) to break out as we travelled a good road for our 
future use—one that we might pass over with ease, and 
quickly if we wished, without having to scarcely glance where 
we were stepping, leaving us our eyes wholly for the surround- 
ings. To have nice paths through the woods in winter over 
the deep snows to the lakes and barrens, over the ridges, by 
the swamps, besides your line of traps, and a number of them 
in different directions that you may start out any morning 
over the one that gives you the wind in your face (if for a 
deer) is a pleasure to one, after they are completed. And to 
have the paths satisfactory, is not each one travelling at ran- 
