2Q2 



RECREATION 



and 'nobody else would be coming up 

 here at this time o' day. The crows are 

 following 'em.' 



'Then we can keep track of them 

 easily enough/ I said with a grim laugh. 

 'Yes, we can/ said the guide, 'but you 

 don't like the notion of staying up here 

 two or three days, do you?' 'Two or 

 three days?' I gasped. 'Nothing less/ 

 he replied with a grin. 



'What's the reason we can't step off 

 this path and skim around in the woods 

 and come down back of them?'. was my 

 next question. 'There ain't no way,' 

 said the guide. 'If we sidestepped for 

 a little ways we'd have to come back in 

 the path again to get out.' 'Oh, there 

 really is a path, then?' I queried sarcas- 

 tically and in no good temper. 'But we 

 could wait till they passed us/ said Ned 

 rather anxiously. 'No, that wouldn't 

 help us a bit, because, if they went by, 

 you can bet they'd leave someone at the 

 foot of the path,' Bob replied. 



"After this we sat down to think. 

 The crows kept drawing nearer, so for 

 safety's sake we got in the bushes at 

 the sido of the path. These were so 

 thick that there was no danger of our 

 being seen but the idea of hiding for 

 two or three days was not one we cared 

 to think of. Besidej, we knew the trout 

 would spoil in that time. There was 

 one alternative that none of us would 

 suggest; We felt above such a petty 

 resort. That was to throw away our 

 afternoon's catch. 



".In about five minutes of waiting and 

 worrying we did some tall thinking. 

 We stopped our whispered conversation 

 when we heard the footsteps of the war- 

 dens draw nearer. 



" 'Ought to meet 'em pretty quick 

 now, Jim,' we heard one remark in a 

 low tone. 'Yes/ growled another, 'and 

 a long walk we'll have to get to sup- 

 per after we catch 'em/ It was evi- 

 dent to us that this one was as hungry 

 as we ourselves were and, as misery 

 likes company, we were cheered upby 

 the information so unknowingly im- 

 parted. 



"We had still to dread attracting the 



attention of the crows, who would be 

 sure to hover about us if they saw us, 

 but even their sharp eyes proved un- 

 able to pierce the thick cover of the 

 spruce growth. 



"By some curious fatality the three 

 wardens — we could tell their number 

 by their voices — stopped within ear- 

 shot of our hiding place. 'Let's wait 

 here till they come along/ said the one 

 who had expressed a desire for supper. 

 We resolved that we would give them 

 a long wait as we heard the others sig- 

 nify assent and saw the crows settle 

 down on the tree tops to await devel- 

 opments. 



"Before many minutes had passed 

 we were startled by the sound of foot- 

 steps borne to our ears along with the 

 warning low 'Hist !' of the wardens. 



"Then we heard the words, 'Gentle- 

 men, you are under arrest for violation 

 of the fish and game laws of New 

 Hampshire !' This was followed by 

 exclamations of dismay, attempted ex- 

 planations which proved futile, and 

 finally came the curt command of the 

 wardens that their prisoners accom- 

 pany them. 



"As the last sound 01 a human died 

 away down the steep path we turned to 

 Bob Jenkins. That youngster was on 

 his back in a fit of uncontrollable 

 laughter. We did not need his expla- 

 nation, however, to tell us that there 

 had been two fishing parties at the lake 

 that afternoon, nor did we esteem it 

 marvelous that one had not seen the 

 other. The size of the lake, its shape, 

 and the wooded condition of its shore 

 made this possible. 



"Our guide's hysterics had been 

 caused by the fact that the guide of 

 the captured party was his then only 

 rival in the business. The arrest of the 

 men whom he was conducting would 

 not add to his reputation for wood- 

 craft, nor would the two hundred dol- 

 lar fine which would be settled on each 

 of the party next day tend to increase 

 their satisfaction. 



"As for us, we spent that evening in 

 thanking our lucky stars and in com- 



