THE COUNTRY IN WINTER 



bodies the cisco rises lazily, but instead of pursuing the 

 minnow, stupidly seizes the bright bead on the end of a 

 line and eagerly swallows it. The lines vary in length 

 from ten to forty feet, and by law only two are allowed 

 in each house. Besides a door these tar-paper dwell- 

 ings have two windows, also prescribed by law, in order 

 that the inspector may be able to investigate at his pleas- 

 ure. Some days the catch will amount to three hun- 

 dred fish, at others only a dozen or so. Formerly the 

 cisco could be caught only in June, when the gnat known 

 as the "cisco fly" abounded; the fish coming to the sur- 

 face to indulge in this luxury were caught in quantities, 

 but now owing to the winter sport the supply in June is 

 limited. 



Sometimes this little village of "Ciscoville" consists of 

 forty houses huddled at picturesque angles about the 

 desirable localities with a stray sentry or two some dis- 

 tance away. I rubbed my eyes one morning as I looked 

 out on the lake. Where was my fishing village? Had 

 the ice opened in the night and swallowed it? Or was 

 the mischievous snow-squall hiding it? Or had I only 



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