A TRIP TO THE LA VAL. 79 



ment was led round into the other channel, where, after 

 many a struggle and desperate effort to escape, baffled 

 only by prudence and care exerted through a long but 

 exciting half hour, I landed him by walking into the 

 water waist deep, and slipping the net under him. As 

 for leading him to shore, my rod, already bent double 

 would not bear the strain. He was a dark-backed, 

 yellow-sided river fish, and weighed four pounds and a 

 quarter. He was our champion prize, and remained so 

 to the end. The water not having been disturbed, I 

 made another cast, and was rewarded by another fish 

 that weighed four pounds. A brace of beauties, fit to set 

 before a king. The second one, however, so fought and 

 flounced, and kicked and slapped about in the pool, in 

 spite of all my persuasive efforts to induce him to leave 

 it, that the rest grew suspicious, and refused the most 

 seductive baits. My friend looked the least little bit 

 envious when I rejoined him, and mentioned his having 

 previously taken a sea trout at the Mingan that weighed 

 nine pounds. I smiled, of course respectfully. We 

 returned to the lake, having taken in all fifteen fish 

 averaging three pounds, and leaving the canoe on the 

 beach, wended our way through the woods back to our 

 sylvan home, where Pierre received us with a redoubtable 

 supper. Insatiable, however, I that evening took eight, 

 and next morning three, from our preserve, as we called 

 the pool in front of the tent. 



As we intended to return to the lake, and might per- 

 haps spear a pickerel, Joe made an egoff, which appears 

 to be the Indian name for fish-spear, the Canadians 

 having not only adopted the word, but coined from it a 



