Mooween, and the trout pools would be lonely 

 without you. But I wish you knew that your 

 life lay, a moment ago, in the bend of my 

 finger; and that some one, besides the bear, 

 appreciates your brave warning." 



Then I went back to the point to measure 

 the tracks, and to estimate how big the bear 

 was, and to console myself with the thought 

 of how I would certainly have had him, if 

 something had not interfered — which is the 

 philosophy of all hunters since Esau. 



A few days later the chance came of 

 repaying Koskomenos with coals of fire. 

 The lake surface was still warm; no storms 

 nor frosts had cooled it. The big trout had 

 risen from the deep places, but were not yet 

 quickened enough to take my flies ; so, trout 

 hungry, I was trolling for them with a min- 

 now. I had taken two good fish, and was 

 moving slowly by the mouth of the bay, 

 Simmo at the paddle, when a suspicious 

 movement on the shore attracted my atten- 

 tion. I passed the line to Simmo, the better 

 to use my glasses, and was scanning the alders 

 sharply, when a cry of wonder came from the 



175 



Tioskomenos 

 the S^ufcasf 



