CANOE AND CAMP IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



ing, paddling among the many is- 

 lands, or lounging about camp, read- 

 ing, repairing broken tackle, etc. 

 One incident before we leave our is- 

 land camp and this sketch will be 

 complete. 



One bright afternoon toward the 

 last I started with my wife in a canoe 

 for a certain narrow run of water, 

 where we wished to try the fish and 

 take some pictures. Others of the 

 party followed a little, later. On 

 reaching the run I shoved the canoe 

 up into the swift water to 2 large flat 

 topped boulders lying about 10 feet 

 from the shore. Having made every- 

 thing fast, I stepped out on the rock 

 toward the stream, while Mrs. S., 

 thinking she would not fish, remained 

 in the canoe, merely exchanging her 

 paddle for the landing net, with which 

 to land the prospective fish. Of the 

 fish we had no doubts, for we had 

 never failed to secure them at this 

 place. 



I had only made a few trivial casts 

 to work out my line preparatory to a 

 long cast. mid stream when suddenly 

 from the other canoe, just entering 

 the run, came a frantic shout, "Hey 

 there, look behind you !" We turned, 

 and, ye Shades ! Shall I ever forget 

 the sight? On the bank, scarcely the 

 length of a canoe paddle away, stood 

 fiercely snarling and eyeing us, the 

 most formidable looking black bear 

 I had ever seen, alive or mounted. I 

 had no weapon, save a short belt 

 knife, and I did not yearn to try. 

 conclusions with that. I felt out- 

 classed. I trembled like a jelly fish, 

 and the most warlike, determina- 

 tion I could muster was to sneak ig- 

 nominiously, if chance offered. My 

 wife was deadly pale, but she made no 

 outcry and had the courage and pres- 

 ence of mind to offer me one of the 

 paddles for protection. I think I 

 should have made a sorry defense, 

 with a light spruce paddle. My first 

 thought was to cast off the canoe 

 and free my wife from danger. If I 

 could jump in, well; if not, ? 



I had scarcely evolved this scheme 



when I was horrified to see the bear 

 plunge into the water and swim 

 around the canoe toward my rock. I 

 thought the jig was up then. I had 

 no doubt the brute meant to attack, 

 for if, as seemed probable, he had run 

 blindly upon us, why, unless there 

 was blood in his eye, did he not turn 

 and flee into the woods ? The whole 

 broad domain of Nova Scotia was at 

 his service. 



The last and what seemed likely to 

 be the most serious act of this drama 

 was hardly so serious as ludicrous, 

 for when Bruin neared my rock I 

 stooped and soused his head with a 

 vigorous kick and then began hys- 

 terically thrashing him over the back 

 with an 8 ounce fly rod ! Just what I 

 hoped to accomplish by such hostili- 

 ties I am not certain myself, unless 

 it was to "shoo" him off. I have 

 thought many times since what a 

 strike it would have been if any of 

 my dangling flies had caught in his 

 hair or hide. 



Well, he did not attack, but swam 

 to the other shore, and when his stub 

 tail disappeared in the bush it was to 

 me a joy. It appeared that the party 

 following saw our visitor first, a ioo 

 yards below us on the shore, and 

 snapped at him with a .38 revolver, 

 which I am thankful missed fire. The 

 bear fled up the shore, intending from 

 the first to cross the stream at what 

 the guide thought was an old run- 

 way, viz., the rocks of which we had 

 taken possession. No doubt he was 

 nonplussed to find us in the way, but 

 thinking himself pursued, determined 

 to cross, and run the gauntlet. Prob- 

 ably he was as badly frightened as 

 we were. 



On the morning of September 16th 

 we bade adieu to the island of hem- 

 locks and steered our canoes for the 

 outlet which heads a narrow, swift 

 stream, 15 miles long, through which 

 our lakes drain into Lake Rosignal. 

 Our voyage down stream was novel 

 and frequently exciting. It was de- 

 lightful to slip over the long stretches 

 of smooth water, watching the ever 



