90 



RECREATION. 



"Take care, quick," came the Profes- 

 sor's call in French, while a shriek of the 

 reel told the voyageur the angler's excite- 

 ment sought refuge in the language that 

 recalled the battles of the North, and sug- 

 gested a conflict strange to these waters. 



Quickly casting off, the canoeman, without 

 disturbing the angler, held the birch bark 

 in equipoise against the stream, with bow 

 on, waiting for the downward rush that 

 surely would follow when the Professor 

 snubbed and held the quarry. 



Now the break and splash of water 

 sends a thrill through the angler's veins 

 and makes the voyageur think of Lac 

 Tschotagama! Ah! the Professor smiles 

 as the canoe begins to drop down the - 

 stream, adding force to the tackle, aiding 

 the angler and saving distance, when the 

 trout starts on the downward rush. 



It is a large fish and betrays its home 

 when it starts for the lagoon, but the 

 canoe is dragging the fish down the river 

 in a style that makes the Professor men- 

 tally pat the Chief of Guides on the back, 

 though he would not dare put it in words. 



Out of the water again, and the Pro- 

 fessor thinks of the time Tomas foretold 

 size by marking it on the paddle when they 

 got that 8-pounder on the Nepigon. 



Now the trout is going down stream and 

 the slender 4 ounce rod is much too light 

 to check. Reel in, Professor, for the canoe 

 is swifter than the flight of the trout, han- 

 dicapped by the drag of the silken threads ! 



Ah, Professor! that rounding up of the 

 canoe in a semicircle as the rod bent to 

 bow of promise, shows skill and judgment 

 you never found in any other guide than 

 Tomas of the Red Rock. 



"Four pounds, eh, Tomas?" purred the 

 Professor, more to himself than to the voy- 

 ageur, who was now heading the canoe 

 shoreward, aopreciating the difficulty of 

 netting the trout from the canoe, though 

 the Professor knew he could do it without 

 hazard ! In the hands of a good guide ! 

 The quarry is seldom lost from fault of 

 his and the canoe was firmly held on the 

 shingle as the voyageur said, "All right; 

 get out!" 



On shore. A few moments more and 

 Tomas had landed the trout. As the index 

 pulled down to 4^4 pounds, a hand reached 

 out, took the balance and fish from the Pro- 

 fessor, and a voice said, 



"I'll trouble you both to come with me ; 

 under arrest for trespass and taking prop- 

 erty not belonging to you." 



"Ah!" said the Professor, snuffing the 

 battle from afar. "Certainly we will ac- 

 company you ; but where shall we leave 

 our canoe and traps ?" Turning to the voy- 

 ageur he said in patois, 



"Easy, Tomas, it is nothing but vexa- 

 tion. We probably forgot we were not in 

 Saint Jean." 



"Leave the canoe there," answered the 

 man, on whose breast was pinned a bright 

 silver star with the legend, "County Con- 

 stable." "Here, Bill, take charge of these 

 traps. 'Taint likely these chaps will need 

 this stuff for some time." 



The Professor's back stiffened, and his 

 tones dropped to an evenness that some 

 who had met him would have thought om- 

 inous. The constable had taken rod, net 

 and trout, and the Professor and Tomas 

 followed him. The voyageur relit his pipe, 

 with serene indifference, and evidently had 

 committed his fortune to the Professor's 

 care. Into the village they took their way 

 and thence to the Court House, where a 

 reception awaited them because Court was 

 in session and an audience awaited the 

 trial in which the Professor and Tomas 

 were to figure. 



"Your Honor," said the constable, "I 

 arrested these 2 men for stealing Mr. 

 Lyle's property. They caught a trout with 

 this rod and net, and I've brought the 

 men and the trout into Court." The Jus- 

 tice turned toward the party. 



"What have the prisoners to say? What 

 answer do you make to the charge?" 



"Will Your Honor show us the warrant 

 if we are prisoners? And will you in- 

 form us of what we are accused?" The 

 Justice, hemmed and coughed. 



"Well, Mr. Lyle, I suppose — oh — oh, 

 Mr. Jones you appear for Mr. Lyle in this 

 prosecution ?" 



Mr. Jones arose and began, "May it 

 please the Court " 



"May I interrupt to ask that if there be a 

 warrant it be shown, so I may be advised 

 on what crime or misdemeanor we have 

 been arrested?" said the Professor. 



"Er — er, there is no warrant. The charge 

 is fishing in private waters and catching 

 Mr. Lyle's fish," said Mr. Jones, extricating 

 the Justice from the dilemma. 



"Ah," the Professor's soft voice went on, 

 "I suppose my rod and net are not im- 

 pounded as instruments of crime." 



"Of course not," decided the learned J. 

 P., taking his cue from Mr. Jones. 



"And the constable will be directed to 

 surrender my canoe and traps to me?" pur- 

 sued the Professor, to which counsel and 

 the J. P. nodded assent. 



"The Justice decides that my guide and 

 myself are not in custody, I presume, as it 

 appears that no complaint of crime or mis- 

 demeanor is to take the place of the absent 

 warrant," relentlessly continued the Profes- 

 sor, putting the words in the Court's mouth. 



The helpless Justice looked at the quon- 

 dam prosecutors and again nodded assent 

 to the Professor! At this noint the con- 

 stable turned to Mr. Lyle and said some- 

 thing about his mental status, unfit for pub- 

 lication. 



"Mr. Constable," pursued the Professor. 



