510 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
appearance in the afternoon, and its coming is considered 
the universal signal for retreat from the fishing grounds, as 
no heroism, not even that of Piscator, could long withstand 
their assaults. 
We had taken about ten pounds of trout; and the first 
procedure, after reaching the camp, was to build a ‘smudge,’ 
or smoke-fire, to drive away these abominable gnats, which 
fortunately, take flight with the first whiff of smoke—and the 
next was to prepare the fish for dinner, though not till all 
had been carefully dressed by the guide, and placed in the 
cold current of the little spring stream near, that they might 
keep sound. 
Now came the rousing fire, and soon some splendid trout 
were piled upon dishes of fresh pealed elm bark before us. 
They were very skillfully cooked, and O, ye deluded Epicu- 
reans! let me tell ye! ye know not, on your rich and 
massive plate, the true flavor of this rare morsel for the Gods 
to smack their lips at, that I took up in my fingers from the 
bark dish—no, the ripe, high color of the flesh—the sweet, 
melting, luscious, glorious titillation of the palate by which I 
was exalted there in that rude shantee, to the highest heaven 
of the sense, you cannot know! The exquisite aroma has 
passed away before it reaches you, fading with the splendid 
colors of the skin, and ye cannot catch it! Not-all your 
wealth can transport it in the season, delicious as we had it. 
You can get them so in the winter, when it is cold enough to 
freeze them instantly on coming from the water, but not 
otherwise. 
The feast being over, then to recline back upon the fresk 
couch of soft spruce boughs, and with a cigar in mouth, watch 
the gathering ‘night-shades’ brooding lower and more low 
upon the thick wild forest in front—far into the depths of 
which the leaping flames of our crackling fire go, darting 
now and then with a revealing tongue of quick light—and 
listening to the owl make hoarse answer to the wolf afar off 
