THE CHASE. 401 
Sometimes the deer are disturbed by the night hunter, in 
deeper water where they can submerge themselves to escape the 
flies and mosquitoes, bnt I have never seen it. 
Not the least exciting of the different modes of pursuing the 
deer is in the water with a light boat or canoe. A single inci- 
dent of this mode will serve for illustration. Opportunities for 
this sport occur when deer are driven either into a lake or river, 
or when they take to the water voluntarily, for the purpose of 
swimming across. 
‘We had made camp near the foot of the lower of two small 
lakes on the head waters of Pike River in Wisconsin, which were 
connected by a narrow strait only navigable by canoes.) Night 
hunting had developed the fact that the waters swarmed with 
black bass, which were continually breaking water with loud 
splashes, sometimes within two feet of the canoe, and frequently 
with such energy as to fairly startle those within it. They had 
been tried with fly and spoon, but were too far back in the wild 
country to have received the proper education to appreciate these 
allurements. One of my companions had induced his Indian to 
secure a good lot of dace from five to seven inches long, and in- 
vited me to join him to try and ascertain what kind of fish they 
were which made such an uproar during the whole night. So we 
started with a couple of eight-ounce trout rods. Stockton was 
in the bow of the canoe, while I occupied the middle, and his In- 
dian, John Komoska, took the paddle. 5S. placed his rifle beside 
me, and said we might see a deer, when he should depend on 
me for the venison, although the camp was well supplied with 
fresh meat, but Lucius wanted a chowder. (His great weakness 
and his greatest strength is a chowder in camp.) We passed 
through the lower lake and half way through the upper lake 
without a bite, and came to a pause at the border of the lily 
pads (NV. advena), opposite the mouth of a little creek. John 
said we would get them there if anywhere. We exhausted all 
our skill in all the ways we knew for luring bass, and only took 
afew small ones. At length in disgust I threw my hook, with 
a large bait upon it, into the water, and let it sink to the bottom, 
perhaps twelve feet, and there let it rest. After half a minute 
I attempted to move it, and then the sport commenced. I had 
hooked a five-pound bass. Fortunately, the first dash was into 
the lake and the reel sung a merry tune. John was well up to 
1 A rare sensibility on my part prevents lakelets, since they were named for the 
me from giving the name of these twin writer! 
26 
