492 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jwm 8, 1898, 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.— VII. 



The Return Trip.— VII. 



lOontinued from page 473.] 



Wb arose early the next morning, expecting to find 

 the "crimson cupola" in a perfect blaze of glory, but were 

 gadly disappointed when a dark sunless sky and misty 

 vapor-clouds were flying low and threatening to give us 

 a momentary shower. We Avere undaunted, however, 

 and broke camp immediately after breakfast, and headed 

 for our objective destination, Grindstone Point. The 

 breeze was so light it would hardly straighten the sail, 

 and to increase our headway, the astut • Emery, of fore- 

 cast fame, placed himself behind a pair of oars, and dug 

 the blades into and against the shadowy waters with a 

 vigor that considerably accelerated our speed. It was 

 but a brief period before Jupiter Pluvius introduced us to 

 a merry little tinkle of rain, just enough to make us render 

 obeisance to his royalty by donning our protective robes, 

 the rubbers. In a very short time it ceased, the heavens 

 brightened, and then the aurate luster beautified the earth 

 and the waters. 



At 9 o'clock we were at Griadstone Point, and camp 

 formed in a thicket of balsam so dense that not even an 

 insect of blood-letting proclivities or any other kind 

 harbored there. Their absence from the place was re- 

 markable, and only accounted for by its being too shady 

 for habitation. It suited us to a dot, as it permitted us 

 to keep our faces free from the odoriferorLS repellent, and 

 to again feel hke a white man who could trace his lineage 

 back to civilized ancestors. 



After camp was pronounced tenantable, Ned declared 

 with barbarian dialect that as he had not CHUgbt a trout 

 for three days he woukistrikean avenging terror into tlieir 

 hearts as soon as he had reached their abiding place, We, 

 however, concluded to first invigorate with a good square 

 meal, and then start on tlie warpath for those fish infre- 

 quently called "speckled beauties." You have probably 

 heard the appellation, and so Avill descant no fm-tlier 

 upon it. 



While the boys were preparing the feast, we opened our 

 cases and got out the rods, which we put together with 

 due care for the assault upon the fortifications, where, in 

 fancied security, the knights of the golden drapery abide. 

 I selected a coachman for- my stretcher and a cow-dung 

 for my dropper, and after affixing them went to the 

 water's edge and there straightened both leader and flies 



by rexjeated casts, and then was ready to embark for the 

 attack as soon as I had placed a meal nnder my jacket. 

 That culinary essential having been duly secui-ed, word 

 i-ang out for the boat, and then in less than forty winks 

 we were all afloat, and in about as many more were send- 

 ing our lures in search of the quarry. Fortunately there 

 was a light and rising breeze that made' the desirable con- 

 dition in which to coax the coveted fish, and if we caught 

 none it would not be o\\'ing- to iuil'a\ oraJ)le circumstances. 

 We were full of hope and vci y earncat in our pursuit, and 

 left not an inch of the water, over which we passed, un- 

 covered. After a steady thrashing of the surface for 

 about a mile with stubbrn-n determmation, not a fin re- 

 sponded. It looked a httle ominous, I must confess, but 

 I had so often been .similarly placed and yet met liberal 

 reward, was confident ere the hrster of the sun departed 

 that we would capture trophies sufficient to satisfy our 

 aspiring ambitions. 



Ned, who was growing impatient for a rise, cried out at 

 last, "I beheve the copper-colored devils who fish for the 

 market have secured every trout iiere, big and little." 

 This observation was freighted with a practical fact, for 

 where we had made camp were substantially erected a 

 couple of Imge fishing reels, on which they dry and repair 

 their gfil-nets, while the beach in front \vm lined with 

 their rude implements of direful slaughter, This we never 

 saw here before, but as the tinted beauties bring a big 

 price, you can henceforth look for the semi-aavage woi-k- 

 ing every bit of available shore. 



I consoled Ned by calling liis attention to the gray rooks 

 just ahead, whicli were ribbed in sunshine and shade, and 

 • over which the waves w^ere curling the snowy foam with 

 poetic gentleness. "There," said 1, ' 'is the place Avhere we 

 have led many a handsome trout to an untimelj' depart- 

 ure, and where, I think, a few more still remain. Look 

 at that bottom, what a lovely retreat for a brigade of the 

 sky-dyed harlequins, what fastnesses to sortie from, what 

 chambers to i-epose in." 



"Here goes my persuader for an embrasure," and away 

 went Ned's flies, alighting upon the water seemingly pos- 

 sessed of life, and then, dancing along as if striving to 

 arise. I followed with my dainty lures, which fell in 

 such a choice spot above a creviced rock that I was posi- 

 tive some emboldened, if not inquisitive, scion of the red- 

 gartered royalty would pounce upon it with a prowess in- 

 sm-ing his annihilation. He came not, much to my dis- 

 appointment, and then I tried again and again, there and 

 elscAvhere, around this niagniflcent cover of fractured 

 rocks and planted boulders, but the surface remained 

 unbroken, save by the i-ising waves, and theu we con- 

 tinued our course along the sliore till we reached a long 

 lino of broken crag which ran raggedly to the lake, ;md 

 there formed in pell-mell confusion into what looked 

 like coral castles of gigantic dimensions. Having no hesi- 

 tation to rob an aqueous stronghold, or pierce the throat 

 of any dweller therein, wo deliberately went to work and 

 stormed every outpost, iutienchment, moat, portcullis, 

 gateway and turret, with the glimpse of only one spangled 

 red-coat that ran for dear life, and another that turned 

 tail as lie sped through one of the intrenchments. It was 

 a bloodless battle, and though we had engaged such old 

 soldiers as I,ord xMontreal, Eeuben Wood, Fiery Brown 

 and Tomali Jo, not a scarlet jacket was captured. It was 

 a fruitless attack, and so we gathered our forces and gave 

 pursuit to tlie retreating knights that so gaUy sport in 

 costumes the colors of A^ hich rival the ruby of the flower 

 and the red of the wiue. 



The wind was now gradually increasing, the rolhng 

 bUlows growmg m gi-andeur, while the skv. like a bound- 

 less prism, was reflecting rich and shiftini- tints. Slowly 

 we progressed, as if floating on the rnvstield boundaries of 

 two worlds, one rich with the treasm-es of memory the 

 other radiant with the hues of hope. The shore that c^ame 

 m review, as we endeavored to secure a trout, was aU that 

 a devotee of the rod would desire, so wasted was it by the 

 fury of the tempestuous waves that nought remained of it 

 but a stern, ra^-r',! coast hue of huge !;-ranite rocks, with 

 occasional stretches of gravelly banks t-hat ran into'dense 



forests of balsam, the fragrance of which is ever a delight 

 and an exhilaration. 



Fully three miles had we come, and not a scale to show 

 as a reward. Ned muttered ever and anon, and then the 

 red-handed pot-hunter had anathemas heaped upon his 

 head sufficient for his burial. He was getting in a humor 

 for returning, but as I weU knew there were fine grounds 

 a mile or less ahead, the word to advance was promptly 

 given. Emery was alarmed as usual about the rising 

 breeze, which was getting up quite a respectable sea, but 

 as we wanted a rising trout or two, we cared little for 

 aught else. On we went, indifferent to gales, and m the 

 course of a half hour reached the desired waters. It was 

 business now. and the flies fell and fluttered upoii all 

 sides. Soon 'I heard an exclamation of joy from IN ed, 

 who had at last hung a fontinalis. This was followed by 

 another more joyous tone, which conveyed the pleasing 

 intelligence that he was battling with two. "A dozen 

 followed my flies," cried the delighted Ned, as he was 

 manipulating the twain. 



"That being the case, with your permission, 111 try 

 your preserve," I selfishly responded. 



"All right, go ahead." 



My first cast secured one that soon liberated himself. 

 Another dropping of the lures, and my stretcher disap- 

 peared into the ravenous jaws of an exasperated and 

 fleckered noblesse, who fairly singed my fingers as he 

 sped against time in a vain endeavor to run away from 

 himself, as well as the interested angler. Here we were 

 with our hands full, Ned holding a pair to my ace high 

 and both good for a pot. I was not so busy with my 

 racing trout but what the double catch of Ned's reminded 

 me of the farcical dip of the old astronomer at the Twin 

 Sisters, which threw us all into convulsions. With an 

 eye to a similar scene. I suggested to Emery that he land 

 Ned's fish, which were about ready to be taken in. At 

 the prompting he sprang with alacrity for the net, which 

 hasty movement being obseiwed by Ned caused him to 

 heartlessly cry out: "Drop that," and the over-awed 

 Emery did drop it, and very spitefully too, and then 

 dropped on to his seat with a dull thud, as crestfallen as 

 if one of his forecasts had ignominiously failed him. 



Ned, after casting a furtive look at me with an avenging 

 glimmer in his gray eye, turned to Peter, who had re- 

 linquished the oars to Emery, and requested him to net 

 the twam, which he did with a perfection of artistic grace. 

 The confusion of the old man, and the savageness of Ned 

 at his audacity, as he thought, in again entering for 

 another /a?i.T pa.5 with the net, was a little piece of quiet 

 comedy I hugely enjoyed. In fact, I was so rippling with 

 mirth that I was fearful my captive at the end of the line 

 would desert me. After Ned saw his trout glittering in 

 their silken sheen at the bottom of the boat, he also real- 

 ized to its fullest extent the attempted ambuscade, and 

 then his seriousness gave way to a broad, grin that was 

 truly diverting. 



I finally, after much blundering, saw my trout signal 

 his surrender, and then in a patronizing way called the 

 sage old prophet, whom I wished to mollify, to land the 

 lovely victim. During all this time the breeze was 

 rapidly reaching its fortissimo notes, until it took the 

 efforts of both oarsmen to manage the tumbling craft. 

 There was but one broad crevice where the quarry poised 

 in this locality, and when we failed to send the flies over 

 it there was no response. The boys tugged manfully to 

 hold the Mackinac steady, and it was only occasionally 

 we could get our feathers at the desired place, but when 

 they did fall with precision it was a snap born of despera- 

 tion from one of the maculated dwellers down in that 

 narrow abyss. 



Ned held the choice position in the bow that afternoon, 

 and of course had his pick of the lovely inhabitants of the 

 fissures deep. His first double catch was followed by an- 

 other, but one of them worked off, while the other, a 

 dandy, was worked into the net. I was not long behind 

 him, for when I could lay my flies in the populated pre- 

 cinct of narrovrness, also had the pleasui-e of playing 

 one of the brilliantly-studded princelings of that royal 

 race. 



The sea was now tumbling about so lively that a sugges- 

 tion came from one of the oarsmen looking to a return , 

 but just as long as the boat would live in the neighborhood 

 of that populous preserve, just so long did we intend to 

 stay; The boys evidently were not pleased with our deter- 

 rnuiation, but we rather liked the wild tossing of the 

 waters, and particularly the abundance of the scarlet- 

 hued, and so remained. It rec[uu'ed vigorous work to 

 keep us near that crevice, and as the half-breeds were sick 

 of the job, thej^ finessed in such a way as to endeavor to 

 make us also sick of it. Ned growled considerably at their 

 apparent awkwardness, and I materially a.ssisted in adding 

 to the irritation; but we caught trout all the same, which, 

 if it did not lighten their labors, added to our sum of in- 

 finite happiness. 



As the time came for departure, I asked the boatmen 

 what the wild waves were uttering, and with one accord 

 they gleefully sang out, "Home," and then we gave the 

 word to hoist the old rag and let her boil through the 

 troubled sea. And she did boil, swiftly speeding with a 

 fan-shaped wake spreading from her bow, and the milk- 

 white foam curving with the dazzle of sifted snows from 

 either side. We had capkn-ed eight magnificent trophies 

 that were punctuated with tinted periods, carmined with 

 the red of the cherry, and blushing with, the purple of the 

 grape. 



It was about four miles to camp, and witli the svdftness 

 we were cleaving the fm'rowed lake Avould soon be there. 

 The deep shadows were lengthening with the sinking sun, 

 and great flakes of crimson clouds gathering around the 

 evening throne of the dazzling luminary, to bid it an adieu 

 as it kissed the crystal waters a good night. 



We reached our quarters a little before sunset, and the 

 oarsmen were really glad of it, as the afternoon had been 

 a very vexatious one to them, particularly to the profound 

 Emery, who felt as if he were in disgra^ce, owing to Ned 

 not aUowing him an opportunity to retrieve his fiasco of 

 the ridiculous netting of the doublet at Twin Sisters. Ned 

 stated that Emery's talent was altogether of a, celestial 

 character, and entirely in contradistinction to any accom- 

 plishment pertaining to the aqueous. Cloud life was his 

 sole and only study from (?arly morn to dewy eve, and 

 whether of snowy drapery, mantling or crimson, Hying 

 drifting or drowsy, he could .snatch therefrom, with hi.s 

 mtuitive knowledge, a forecast that would drive to des- 

 icration any scientist or student of the elements. It was 

 is hobby, and he rode it often and he rode it hard. 

 The boys gave us an elegant supper {that evening, the 



jnece cle resistance being a fresli trout broiled to perfec- 

 tion, that would have delighted the cultivated appetite of 

 the most dainty epicure, A planked shad, in its perfec- 

 tion, is said to be one of the culinary arts, but a broiled 

 trout, such as" graced our-table, is the ne p^ifs ultra of all 

 dishes served from the dwellers of the deep. Roughing 

 it, with limited commissary stores and a cook who is 

 only that in name, may be agreeable to some sportsmen, 

 but we believe that camp life is much enhanced by a lit- 

 tle extra attention to things toothsome, and, in affirming 

 this, we wish it distinctly understood that we are not 

 feather-bed anglers by any means. The comforts and 

 comestibles materially assist in bridging over many a cold 

 and stormy day, and bring frequent glimpses of sunshine 

 when the heavens are veiled in a funeral pall. We are 

 happily in accord with Byron when he declares that 

 "All human history attests 

 That happiness for man— the hungry sinner— 

 Since Eve ate apples— much depends on dinner 1" 



Our repast over, we had nothing to do tiU bedtime but 

 sit in the deep shadows of the dense forest and mix the 

 fragrance of our regalias with the health-giving odors 

 from the balsamic woods, admire the brilliancy of the 

 stars as they watched the sleeping earth, Usten to the 

 music of the beating waves as they strove to utter the 

 story of the sea, and watch the silvered lake, as if looking 

 for a rising Venus or a troop of Naiads. It was so su- 

 premely quiet, save the throbbing waters, that not even 

 an orchestral note was heard from the cloudy army, nor 

 a resonant sound quivered through the breathless air. 

 Even the boding owl, that hails the rising moon, sang 

 not his woeful dirges, while the ephemerEe that make 

 shrub and bush burn with diamond-like glimmer, were 

 nowhere to be seen. It was such a slumbering, death- 

 like silence, such a deep solitude, so lonely and desolate, 

 that we arose with a determination to shake off the 

 oppression which held us so firmly in its embrace. 

 A bonfire was suggested, and at it we went with 

 activity and vigor, and soon the debris of cast-up 

 timber along the serrated shore was gathered into a 

 gigantic pile that would have sufficed for a funeral pyre 

 for hundreds of widowed Hindoos. The torch apphed, 

 the flames leaped upon the air, carrying with them a 

 golden rain of sparks that were tossed about like fire-flies 

 in the eddying circles of the chilly atmosphere. Some 

 faded and were speedily lost to view, while others of more 

 body, gaining the limit of ascension, slowly fell, showing 

 all the brilliancy of the bright stars of a firmament on a 

 wandering journey through space. The deep red glare 

 spread out as luminous as a beacon light, falling alike 

 upon wood and water, which it peopled with weird 

 shadows that stood boldly out like gigantic specters. 

 After uidustrionsly feeding and watching the fire for hours, 

 that capricious jade, the wind, suddenly shifted to tlie 

 south, and then sent showers of bright sparks directly 

 upon our tents, and from being carriers of wood we very 

 suddenly became carriers of water, and very anxious 

 guardians over our inflammable structures, until the dan- 

 gerous flames ceased arising and the fire had fallen to 

 embers. We then retired and slept as soundly as if on 

 roseate beds. Alex. Starbucic. 



[to be concluded.] 



THE "KINGFISHERS" IN CANADA.— IV. 



hi 



Bigr Basswood Lake. 



Look Lake lies off from the head of Big Basswood 

 about a mile and a half, and is a mile or more in length, 

 and according to brother Dobie, contains only brook 

 trout that run large, from i to 8*lbs. He said the lake 

 was deep and the fish very shy, but large strings liad been 

 taken under favorable conditions of weather and wind. 



A couple of the boys got a bad case of "big trout fever" 

 and made a trip up to the lake. They left their boat at 

 the head of Big Basswood and walked to the Edgeson 

 farm, a half mile or less from the lake— they were our 

 cook's people and just as good and clever as they could be 

 — and stayed all night. i?hey were at the lake early in 

 the morning, but it was so rough they could do nothing 

 with the one old boat on the lake, and after a good deal 

 of sweating and swearing they came back without having 

 got a rise or a nibble, tired, disgusted^ but not altogether 

 cast down. Who ever knew a trout fisher to lose his grip 

 without "one more tryV" 



This must have been one of the unfavorable conditions. 



Several days after they made another trip, but this 

 time they got one of the Harris boys to take them up the 

 road, and as near the lake as they could get on his buck- 

 board. This time the lake was as smooth as a duck pond 

 and "they fished, and fished, and fished, and fished, and 

 then they fished some more," but nary a rise or nibble, 

 "the same as it was before," nor did they .see a fish of any 

 kind except a few lazy suckers. 



This ended the fishing at Loon-atic Lake, as it appeared 

 the "favorable conditions" were not for us. 



Mud Lake was tried with better results. Off and on, 

 several days were spent on it by one or two of us at a 

 time and always some fish were taken. This lake is 

 about five miles long by one-fom-th to one mile, or a little 

 more, at the widest, 'and turns out bass, pike-perch, 

 pickerel and maskinonje, and we got some of each except 

 the latter. While fishing down at the foot of the lake 

 one day a nativej told me that one of his neighbors had 

 the head of one killed by a spear that weighed JrSlbs. , 

 and he invited me to walk back to the farm half a mile or 

 so and see it, but I did not go — and that was as near as 

 I came to catching a maskinonje. We didn't take a 

 great many bass out of this lake, but those we got were 

 good ones, rtmning from 8 to near 41bs. in weight, and 

 they were all small-rnouths. \Ye did not take into 

 account the pickerel nor the pike-perch. 



As before mentioned, Mud Lake is a half mile, perhaps 

 a little more, south of Big Basswood and near iibft. lower.- 

 The upper end for more than a quarter of a mile is full 

 of gi-ass and bulrushes growing up from a mud bottom, 

 and patches of rushes are found along the east shore for 

 three or four miles down. The shores at the upper end 

 are low and flat, but the west shore, after about a mile 

 down, gets high and rocky clear down to near the oxttlet. 



The water has a muddy cast, notably at the extreme 

 upper end. The Indian iiame of this lake is "Pakawaga- 

 roencau," that of Big Basswood "Waquekobing,'' which 

 the reader is at liberty to twist his jaw on, as I did. 



The names are taken from Dyer's Government survey 

 map, but it does not give the IndisiA names for tlie other 



