128 THe Aroostook Woops. 


It is a simple thing for this supple fellow, that can swim 
down the trout so easily, to slide into the water from his fish- 
ing point and swimming well down underneath, rise and 
seize a wild duck by its legs, drag it under, and return to his 
point below, or hidden in the bushes, make a fine meal from 
its meat for a change. Its sleeping chance is often near the 
little falls or rapids, where the water remains open nearly all 
the winter, though it finds ample chances for a cosy night’s 
lodging when on its travels, beneath the roots of the old stubs 
and large dead trees along the banks of the quick water 
streams. It is frequently in winter making journeys from one 
quick water to another, striking across through the woods, 
over the shortest and most direct way, and arriving exactly 
on the line to the noisy rapid. Sometimes straight over the 
ridges, in place of winding around, although it is a very poor 
climber up hill. If the snow is not deep enough at such a 
time for him to dive under and hide away from you, or escape, 
he may be caught on ascending or level ground, but he gets 
away lively when on the down grade, as he knows how to 
slide down hill to perfection, leaving the pursuer far behind, 
though at his best gait. When the lakes and streams are 
frozen over and the weather is cold, he is under the ice and 
often on his beat, even then; and fishing as he goes, coming 
to the ice often to renew his breath when between chances for 
landing beneath the ice, often travelling a piece beneath the 
banks of snow and ice where it is raised up, or a passage for 
him when the water has fallen off from the stream, giving 
him even dry chances, and room enough to run about at will, 
hidden from our view in the coldest weather. But he is soon 
out again and upon the surface of the snow and ice early on 
a warm morning, and during the middle part of warm, sunny 
