AND THE WILDERNESS BLOSSOMED 



called " General." Fasten the General to a 

 stump or a rock and yell " Hike there ! " and the 

 obstruction had to come if the harness held. The 

 following year I found a sorry-looking beast on 

 the island in the General's place. 



"Why!" I exclaimed, "that's not the Gen- 

 eral!" 



" No," said Deck, « I sold the General." 



" Sold the General ! " I said with surprise. 

 " Why in the world did you do that ? " 



"Well," drawled Deck, "I calculate that if 

 any man wants anythin' I 've got more 'n I want 

 it, he 's goin' to git it." 



Notwithstanding an obvious ease of conscience 

 when it comes to a trade, the Maine man is con- 

 spicuously honest. I have known an angler to 

 leave a case of expensive rods on the public 

 wharf for several days, and they were there when 

 he returned, just as he left them, only some one 

 had stood the case under shelter so that it might 

 not be damaged by rain. When our house was 

 being built, I lived in a log cabin alone on the 

 island, and, unprotected by lock or key, kept by 

 me several hundred dollars in small bills and 

 silver, for convenience in paying off the men. I 

 left my camp tenantless for hours in the daytime, 



36 



