S70 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 28, 1891. 



§h0 Mfiortsnim §0urist 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.-V. 



IContinued from Page S5S.'] 



THE dawn opened without rain, though the sky dis- 

 closed ugly wings of vapor, with patches and frag- 

 ments of leaden clouds, with here and there a streak of 

 light against the blue of the sky. It was not satisfying, 

 yet so eager were we to cast a fly that we ordered the 

 boat and went down the bay, where we succeeded in 

 catching two trout of about 21bs. each. After this we 

 started to cross the bay once more, to fish some choice 

 grounds where great wedges of granite were heaped in 

 pell-mell confusion in the water, and where the fo7itinaUs 

 are known to lurlr and grow golden. 



We had not sailed more than half-way across before we 

 struck a gale of wind, which soon set the lake shaking its 

 6no wy plumes. We were necessarily compelled to return 

 to camp, with the prospect of passing the remainder of 

 the day in enforced idleness. Our boatmen were in- 

 structed to overhaul the provisions and ascertain their 

 condition. Everything was found aU. right, with the ex- 

 ception of a few onions that were in a high state of 

 demoralization. They then busied themselves in repairing 

 "the dock," which a' sudden rise in the lake had tumbled 

 over. This time they made it quite secure, Joe declaring 

 that it would now stand a very heavy sea. After the dock 

 work was accomplished dinner was prepared, to which 

 we sat down with a wolfish appetite, and though 

 ''No sideljoards then with gilded plate were dress'd, 

 No sweating slaves with massive dishes press'd," 



we had a cuisine from our chef that tickled our palates as 

 daintily as if it had been prepared by old LucuUus him- 

 self. 



To add to the variety of the weather for the day a 

 heavy fog came up, creating a decidedly chilly condition 

 of the atmosphere, which made us all cluster around the 

 camp-fire for comfort. Toward evening we had some 

 visitors in camp, they being a party of half-breeds living 

 on the east side of BachewananingBay. They had started 

 for Point aux Pins for the purpose of gathering huckle- 

 berries, but the "northwester" and the fog which drove 

 us in also compelled them to put in near our camp. Joe 

 gave them some mildewed rye bread, the discarded 

 onions and quite a number of our slightly-salted trout. 

 They were a very intelligent looking set, and one of them 

 had a physiognomy akin to that of the lamented humor- 

 ist Artemus Ward. Joe said he was a Baptist, and the 

 only one in the party, the others all being devout Catho- 

 lics, the faith-germs of the teaching of Father Marquette. 



After quite a chat with our boys, with whom they were 

 weU acquainted, they left, kindly thanking us for the 

 damaged provisions. 



In looking around the camp after their departure I 

 found a tiny spear, its points being made of two pins. It 

 is used for the especial purpose of spearing coceduces, 

 which the Indians use as a bait for trout, and a taking 

 bait it proves. It is a small fish about an inch and a half 

 long, closely resembling a tadpole, and in color as black 

 as ink. 



At sunset the fog disappeared; the wind fell, the west 

 flushed with red; a few stars trembled in the airy dim- 

 ness of the evening blue; in the south was the young 

 moon, with just enough radiance to touch the lake in 

 silver and throw a gleam over the ragged rocks and on 

 the f oliaged forest. It was favorable for the birth of a 

 glorious day, and to our great delight the morning opened 

 with a bright sun and gentle breeze. Snowy clouds, 

 lovely with prismatic glitteriags on their puffed- up edges, 

 sailed from the sun, while the joyous sweep of the wind 

 dimpled the lake with an emerald green. 



When the boatmen arose to prepare the breakfast they 

 discovered a rabbit in camp, leisurely taking a survey of 

 the surroundings with an eye doubtless to a meal. A 

 swift-flying rock from one of their hands grazed poor 

 bunny and sent him jumping with alacrity into the 

 bushes. 



Our half-breed neighbors had not been idle as to secur- 

 ing game for their immediate use. They had placed 

 some snares for rabbits, set a gill-net in the bay and 

 went bunting in the forest, the results being four rab- 

 bits, six partridges and about fifty fish of various kinds; 

 enough to last them a week if properly cared for. No 

 wonder the Indian loves the wild life of forest and lake, 

 when his wants are so easily provided for during the 

 open seasons. It is as if his larder were at his very 

 threshold. It is only in the dead of winter, when the 

 ice-king has everthingin his rigid embrace, that he finds 

 he must skirmish around with, much more activity in 

 order to keep the wolf from his door. 



Immediately after breakfast we crossed over the bay 

 to the big rocks, and here we whipped the waters in vain, 

 for not a trout rippled the waters, owing to the sun being 

 too bright and the surface of the lake too placid. Not at 

 all discouraged we concluded to continue the trip to the 

 Chippewa River, some eight miles distant, as much for 

 a prospective trip as aught else, knowing full well that 

 with the present condition of the weather he of the 

 "painted fin and golden gleam" could not be persuaded 

 to any investigation on the surface. The boatmen did 

 no relish the long trip before them, which had then to be 

 made by oar. Joe stated by way of a demurrer that if 

 we went we would have to remain all night, unless a 

 favorable breeze sprang up. He mumbled some Indian 

 dialect to his helj)er, not all complimentary, I thought, 

 to us, and then bent sullenly to the oars. We reached 

 the mouth of the river about noon, and after partaking 

 of lunch, which included tea, took the boat and ascended 

 the stream for about a mile, the fallen timber that fre- 

 quently spanned the river preventing us from going 

 further. There being no trout that desired our acquaint- 

 ance we returned to the mouth , where one little baby 

 trout, under the legal limit, who had more curiosity than 

 indifference, was quickly snatched from the quiet waters 

 and about as quickly returned that he might grow to 

 trouthood. 



As we had a twelve-mile stretch to make to camp and 

 but little breeze we concluded to start at once. The sails 

 being spread to the light wind we slowly crept by a coast 

 displaying high ranges of wooded hills, which clustered 

 with charming picturesque irregularity. The boat rippled 

 along with apparent indications of breathlessness in the 

 air, while fantastic dream-like lights and shadows played 

 m thc\ little wrinkling waves, Soon there 17^ a dead- 



calm, a growl from the half-breeds, and then a lowering 

 of the canvas and the musical plash of the oars. 



The boatmen perspired freely at their work, and doubt- 

 less blessed us in other than language polite, as two old 

 cranks who stood sadly in need of guardians. It's the 

 hard work that robs the swarthy savage of his gentle (?) 

 demeanor, and the idleness that indifferently satisfies. 

 He is only good, Ned avers, when his toes are turned up 

 to the daisies. 



Reaching the big rocks where we first stopped we 

 landed for a little rest in the grateful shade, and to gather 

 some of the delicious raspberries so abundant here. After 

 a half hour's halt we embarked, and in about the same 

 time reached camp, with the long shadows stretching o'er 

 the shimmering lake, and a sun disappearing in burning 

 crimson. Our half-breeds, when they awoke next morn- 

 ing, went into the forest to look at some rabbit snares 

 they had set the evening previous. They were greatly 

 rejoiced to find one poor victim dangling from a limb, 

 and exhibited it to us on their return with some degree 

 of pride. Becoming restless, for want of a change, we 

 concluded to break camp immediately after breakfast and 

 go to Pancake Bay, where we expected some royal sport 

 with the dotted beauties of the dimpled pool. We were 

 off by 7 o'clock, and had a very pleasant sail of about two 

 hours, but under skies that momentarily threatened rain. 

 We landed about a mile down the bay, and on looking 

 around for good camping quarters, were somewhat disap- 

 pointed in not finding them in that locality. Joe was 

 then sent along the shore to see if he could find a good 

 site, and after going at least a mile further, returned 

 with the information that he had found a place that he 

 thought might answer. We all got in the boat and went 

 down to the chosen spot, and on looking it over, were not 

 exactly satisfied with it; but in view of immediate rain, 

 accepted it as a dei-nier ressort, and with alacrity soon 

 had our tents in position and the provisions under cover. 

 We were none too quick with our work, for as the last 

 box was carefully stowed away, "down rushed the rain 

 impetuous." This persistency of the deluging elements 

 was evidently realizing to the letter that impressive line, 

 in the song of "The Twelfth Nighf— "For the rain it 

 raineth every day." 



A close inspection of our quarters satisfied us that we 

 would have been just as well off in an African jungle, 

 for every side was strewn thickly with half-formed 

 humus of rotten twigs, leaves, branches and roots, from 

 which arose clouds of malarial vapor that all the balsam 

 we could pile in our tent would not wholly eradicate. 

 In addition to this, the water was trickling out of the soil 

 in innumerable places, and even through the interstices 

 of the rocks, ten feet above the surface of the lake, it ran 

 in streams. This was something unlocked for on the 

 shores Of this great lake, though we got into a similar 

 place on our trip last summer. Pancake Bay had now no 

 charms for us, even though its waters were teeming with 

 trout. 



Joe had a disagreeable time in preparing dinner during 

 the heavy shower, but he was always so eager for good, 

 square meals, that we never on such occasions suggested 

 a cold collation. He however succeeded, despite the 

 rain, preparing and placing before us in our tent a first- 

 class dinner, which we heartily enjoyed. About 3 o'clock 

 the clouds began to lighten and then the downpour 

 ceased, and soon we were en route for a trophy. The 

 trout did not rise greedily at the flies, and the result was 

 that we missed quite a number of the responses. At one 

 time two broke simultaneously for my flies, and both 

 were missed; and similar disaster bef el Ned, who declared 

 they were only playing battledore and shuttlecock with 

 then- tails. Joe looked on in wonder, fairly itching for a 

 chance to throw a fly, and as Ned was alongside, he 

 handed him his rod to see if he could not make a base hit 

 on the jumping trout. He did no better than Ned, much 

 to his disgust. The trout would frequently leap entirely 

 out of the water when making a dash at the flies, and 

 again rise an inch or two away from them. They were 

 assuredly having a picnic at om- expense, and the ques- 

 tion arose as to whether there was a skillful .■j.ngler in the 

 boat. Finally I hooked one of those playful pisces who 

 had become too rash and unguarded in his gymnastics, 

 and then Joe followed suit with another, neither of which 

 weighed over a pound. At this stage of the proceedings 

 Ned took his rod in hand, and after one or two misses, 

 secured one of the tumbling trout that practiced at vault- 

 ing and leaping. Our theory in regard to the singular 

 amies of the sportive trout was, that they were not feed- 

 , ing, but simply skylarking. Joe was of the same opinion, 

 1 as he stated that he had seen them frolicking in the same 

 manner, and that it was almost impossible to catch one. 



A return to camp was now sugrgested, and being pro- 

 voked beyond endurance on account of our bad luck, we 

 all acquiesced in the hooaeward movement. 



Though we were disgusted with Uie dense and shadow- 

 less woodland of this particular place, we were deeply 

 enthused with the bay. It is a lovely sheet of water six 

 miles in width, and under the now prevailing rays of a 

 bright sun, disclosed a highly picturesque shore, fringed 

 with balsam, spruce, pine and sugar. As far as the eye 

 reaches you realize those delicious "bits" such as artists 

 love for study, or poets for themes; of jutting rock, grav- 

 elly beach, cm-ling nook, jagged cliff", with here and there 

 an islet in its coat of gray and purple. The fascination, 

 however, is simply along the ragged coast. Our progress 

 was leisurely made, for after such a dismal dripping of 

 rain as we had had that day, we loved to linger and bathe 

 in the Avarm rays that were flooding everything with 

 golden radiance: 



"1 heed not, if 

 My rippliner slilff 

 Floats swift or slow from cliff to cliff; 

 With dreamful eyes 

 My spirit lies 

 Under the walls of Paradise." 

 Ned complained on awakening the next morning, which 

 was quite stormy, of having been flayed alive by the sand 

 fleas. "See," said he, showingme the afflicted parts, "it is 

 bloody raw." He resorted to a bathing of the inflamed 

 parts withPond's Extract, which somewhat relieved him. 

 He was about as disgusted as myself with the camp, and 

 we therefore concluded to leave the place in the morning, 

 weather permitting. My suffering, aside from a few 

 bites, was a severe headache, which I attributed solely to 

 the malarial vapor I had inhaled during the night. 



Immediately after breakfast Ned brought out his small 

 canvas bags which were labeled "wax and thread," fly 

 books," "fish hooks and feathers," <'tQols," "conipass," etc,, 



and ran over them as if their contents were pearls beyond 

 price. His reverence for tackle was so unbounded that it 

 was a sort of monomania with him. It was his first 

 thought in the morning and the last in the ev<^ning. I 

 became so familiar with the contents of thos^ little bags, 

 from their frequent introduction, as he. His rods also 

 received great attention. If a thread looked worn or 

 fragile anew wrapping was at once made; or if bethought 

 there was a weak spot in any part of the rod it would re- 

 ceive immediate attention. Although he ran tn extremes 

 in this, as well as in his flies, he was a very skillful angler, 

 and could give many an important point on the suliject to 

 professionals who ranked high in the gentle act. One of 

 this class remarked to me one day after Ned had had 

 quite a talk with him at the "Soo" on trouting, "Why, the 

 old gentleman is well posted." Truly Ned is well posted, 

 and it would make a cat laugh, if such a thing were pos- 

 sible, to hear him tell how he discounted some of the gilt- 

 edge craft at "Sailors' Encampment," when b,a8s- fishing 

 there last fall. They failed to get on to his modus 

 operandi in securing the bronze-backers to little or no 

 extent, while anchored near him, and fo crestfallen were 

 they at their want of success that they up anchor and 

 pulled away, leaving him to his delight and his 

 triumph. 



I am digressing, as my theme is trout, not black bass, 

 and will therefore return to the question. Time hang- 

 ing heavy on our hands that afternoon, after having 

 been compelled to remain in camp owing to the unpro- 

 pitious weather, we concluded as the wind had abated 

 considerably to take the boat and go down to the point 

 about two miles away, and endeavor to secure a few 

 trout. As we started the sky gave little promise of good 

 weather, for cloud after cloud of a dark slate color raced 

 o'er the arched dome, while the swell from the morning's 

 blow washed with moaning violence o'er beach and against 

 cliff. We had become accustomed to ugly weather, for 

 such a sight as a violet sky and zephyr ripples flash- 

 ing in silver were a rarity indeed. Ned predicted a 

 storm soon, in which the prophetic Joe acquiepced, from 

 the fact that his rheumatic bones were acutely aching. 

 The weather, however, was splendid for trouting. as was 

 evinced by Ned securing a "spotted beauty" on his sec- 

 ond cast, I was not long behind him, for as my flies fell 

 by a rock o'er which the waters were rippling, a trout 

 with a savage leap sprang for the feathery lure and was 

 securely hoolied. He went racing around in his element, 

 making dash after dash and leap after leap, in vain at- 

 tempt to escape from the cruel hook, but he fell a vic- 

 tim to the sux)erior sagacity of his foe aljove, and was 

 laid in state alongside Ned's peerless beauty. A huge 

 boulder a short distance ahead, which looked as if it was 

 the home of some trout, was our next point of attack, 

 and here Ned fooled a dappled warrior of rosy orange 

 that gave him infinite pleasure in battle. He was a good 

 three-pounder and a perfect model in symmetry; I 

 whipped all around the glassy rock, but in vain, as no 

 other trout, if there, had any idea of being deceived by 

 feather gay or tinsel bright. 



xllong we glide till we strike a cluster of shattered 

 rocks that looked as if it might harbor some of the spot- 

 ted dandies. Ned was the first, being in the bow, to send 

 his flies in an inviting place, and no sof^'ner had they 

 struck the water than an investigating trout took one of 

 them; but alas, toying with it a moment too long felt the 

 fatal prick of the tempered steel as it went into his 

 toughened jaw, and then, after frenzied effojts to pscape, 

 finally yielded to the artful skill of the unrelenting 

 angler. He was a trifle smaller than the last. I vvas for- 

 tunate enough to here beguile another of about 2lbs,, and 

 tills was the last the waters around the debris of rocks 

 produced. Once more on the move and we are soon at 

 the point, having fished earnestly as we went along and 

 without the reward of a single rise. We, however, cap- 

 ture three more here, all being under 31ba. Having now 

 a sufiiciency we return to camp, highly elated with the 

 raid on the scaly denizens. 



Ned related that evening that the beach in our imme- 

 diate front was where Cameron, the veteran of the Nepi- 

 gon, and a party of three others, en route to the "Soo" in 

 a Mackinac sailboat, made a landing in a terrific gale 

 that came near swamping the boat. They fortunately 

 rode in on a big "comber," that sent them high up on the 

 beach, though the men all jumped overboard at a given 

 signal and gave timely aid in shoving her, in order to 

 keep the sea from breaking over their provision''. Here 

 they remained thi-ee days, waiting for thi^ wind to lull, 

 and finally were compelled to leave in a very heavy sea 

 that was washing the shore with frightful violence. 

 Cameron, who was the dare-devil that insisted on leaving 

 in the teeth of the gale, narrates the story of the adven- 

 ture in a highly descriptive and eloquent manner. 



Alex, Starbuck. 

 [I seldom write to correct an error, knowing full well 

 that the intelligent reader will at once "catch on" to the 

 misprint in all ordinary mistakes. There w 'S one, how- 

 ever, in your issue of Slay 15 which somewhat confused 

 matters and which I would like to have you correct. It 

 is thus: You make me say that all the trout we caught 

 hung themselves. It should I'ead, that all the trout he 

 (Joe) caught hung themselves. Quite a difference. — A. 8.1 



NEVER. 



Mk. ChableB a. Shriner, fish and ga-me warden of Passaic 

 conniy, N. J., gives th^ follnwingas proniMtion-*, vvhich, while 

 not the subject of legal enacfment, are recognized as binding 

 laws of behavior by all renuiaole lovers of the pursuit of game 

 and flsh. 



Never violate the letter or spirit of the game laws. 

 Never tulie more Q.^h or game than you have convenient use for. 

 Never be insolent or impolite to a land owner who orders you off 

 his premisps. 



Never fail to destrov a net or trap when you ilaa one set. 

 Never sioot at a game bird except on the wing. 

 Never kill the last quail in a covey; leave some to breed nes± 

 year. 



Never foreet that game laws are iatendPd to improve and in- 

 crease sport, and not to prevent or restrict it. 



A Dakota farmer sold his son-in-law one half of a cow and 

 then refused to divide the milk, claiming that hehad sold the 

 front half of the beast. He also required his aou-in-lawto 

 provide all the feed the cow consumed and compelled him to 

 carry all the water to her three times a day. Recently the 

 cow hooked the old man anri he is now suing the son-in-law 

 for damages.— Sprin-q rielcZ Bepublican. 



A Book About Indians.— The Forest xst) Stream will mail 

 freeou applicacioa a descriptive circular of Mr. (Jrinnsll's book, 

 "Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk-tales," giving a •■able of content^ 

 9,nd speoiBaen IHustratioos tvom the yoIuoib.— ^ dii. 



