8 



RECREATION. 



changing shores and the handsome 

 foliage, now doubly beautiful with the 

 first tints of autumn. Then suddenly 

 ahead the swift, white waters of a 

 series of rips or falls would gleam in 

 the brilliant sun like burnished silver. 

 Often these rips were easily run, but 

 in some instances the water was dis- 

 agreeably shallow, while in others 

 huge boulders so interposed as to re- 

 quire no little vigilance to put the ca- 

 noes through safely. We took our 

 time and fished many of the most 

 likely looking pools. In every in- 

 stance the trout rose freely and ap- 

 parently at any time of day. In the 

 early afternoon we stopped at the 

 head of Loon Lake falls and went 

 into camp on the Western side. 



We had our best fishing at Loon 

 Lake falls. The morning after our 

 arrival 3 rods, in less than 2 hours, 

 took from a single stretch of water 

 not over 40 feet wide by 200 long 

 more fish than discretion would now 

 allow. But the fun was so fast and 

 furious we took them before we 

 realized it. Double strikes wer,e fre- 

 quent, and one disciple for experi- 

 ment adjusted a leader with 3 flies 

 and made a triple strike. It is com- 

 forting to reflect that these fish were 

 nearly all returned to the water to 

 do battle again. 



The third day at Loon lake we went 

 cranberrying. We seemed out for 

 everything. This trip was to please 

 the ladies, but I doubt if they or their 

 escorts returned to camp the better 

 pleased for going. This reflection is 

 not due, however, to the cranberries 

 gathered. Landing on a chosen bog, 

 we sighted berries at once and fell 

 upon them. The berries hid in the 

 low, thick grass, and we had to get 

 right down to business to find them. 

 The work was too arduous for me. 

 I picked till the fruits of my labors 

 nearly obscured the bottom cf a pint 

 tin cup ; then I straightened up on a 

 soft tuft of grass, hugged my knees 

 and admired Mrs. S.'s nimble fingers 

 and the fusilade of berries that show- 

 ered into her cup. 



While thus hustling the succulent 

 crans, I observed the guide wildly 

 beckoning from a canoe out on the 

 water. I ran shoreward, and looking 

 in the direction he pointed saw 2 

 moose moving from the open bog in- 

 to the timber. A bit of old slang 

 about the "sights we see when we 

 havenft got our guns" rushed through 

 my mind, as I stood watching the re- 

 treating quarry. It was in the open 

 season, but our 45's and 30's were 

 stacked harmlessly in camp, just as 

 they were when we ran on the bear 

 or vice versa. 



Enough. A day came when we 

 must give over these pleasures by 

 flood and field. We planned for an 

 unusual task with the paddles that 

 last day out, so we were not disap- 

 pointed that the day was far spent 

 when we rounded the last headland 

 and saw our teamsters waiting on the 

 shore, punctual to agreement. 



Our trip was ended. Every hope 

 had been realized, and our enjoyment 

 had been complete. But like, most of 

 the good things of life, the time had 

 been all too brief. With regret we 

 saw our canoes lifted for the last 

 time from the water. What wonder- 

 ful craft those Indian birches are, 

 when skilfully handled, and how ad- 

 mirably adapted to cruising in re- 

 gions of alternate, lake and forest ! 

 Our canoes had come miles over land 

 at no great cost of exertion, but once 

 in their natural element each bore a 

 precious burden of many times its 

 own weight over long stretches of 

 open water, through rushing rapids 

 and swirling eddies, nor left a scar on 

 nature in the doing. 



But the teams were ready to move 

 and we obeyed an inelegant summons 

 to pile in. Reluctantly we wheeled in- 

 to the wood, while at our backs the 

 sun's huge disc was nearing a horizon 

 of wilderness, lake, and bog, the last 

 time for us in many suns, though not 

 for aye ; for the "serpent will cease to 

 wiggle while he wanders" sooner than 

 we shall weary of pleasures to come 

 in canoe and camp. 



