Jan. 6, 1906.] 
BROREST AND STREAM. 

boat suddenly started off with a rocky clatter as 
if she was making amends for lost time. Good 
nature now prevailed and everything went as 
merrily as wedding bells. We speedily went by a 
picturesque and wooded shoreland that gave our 
vision a rare_and delicious treat. Flames of sun 
set fires touched the grassy banks and tree tops 
and burnt into the sloping hillsides that were 
turned into a mist of gold while the fragrance 
and exhilaration in the air was like the tonic of 
new wine. 
As we neared the promising waters it was un- 
animously voiced that I should be the Commodore 
and the barbaric law of disobedience should abso- 
lutely prevail. I therefore selected as the first 
locality at which to anchor a promontory a few 
fathoms ahead, and with this announcement rods 
and reels were soon ready for the capture of the 
finny spoils. Reaching the desired position, 
where a silver streamlet was trickling and twink- 
ling in the hazes of the low lying grass along the 
shore, we duly dropped the anchor, and when the 
boat had steadily settled to the current four ar- 
eeeopewe 

23 

ular spot, with the boat anchored and angling un- 
der way. I was quickly in communication with 
one of the dandies of the deep, and, much to the 
surprise of all, landed the first fish, a handsome 
gold-banded perch of about a pound. Norman 
soon followed with another and then the Gover- 
nor skillfully landed, after a delightful play, a 
pound black bass and was made exceedingly 
happy thereby. Harry was now growing a little 
nervous and restive, but kept quietly on, believ- 
ing that hope was no delusion, but the ruddy 
morning of joy and that soon its merited reward 
would come to him. 
Norman now cried out that he had a whale, and 
we simultaneously turned to see the college stu- 
dent fight his whale to a conclusion. Of course 
he had advisers as to the manner of handling it, 
but as the young man had a will and way of his 
own the instructors were relegated to oblivion. 
His method of handling the fish was not one of 
patience, for he went in for a short shift and the 
big fish went in for a desperate struggle, and 
triumphantly won his freedom much to the dis- 
nies ae eS eet Te 
oa SM aE aria Ge 
ON A CANADIAN SALMON STREAM. 
Picture in birch bark by J. Henry Phair. 
dent anglers eager for first blood dropped their 
silver shiners into the stream and with hearts of 
hope sought the coveted prize. 
For fully fifteen minutes not a nibble was had, 
though a sea gull floated by and saluted us with 
a terrible screetch as he rose and flew away. The 
Governor was now the first to give the gentle art 
a black eye by declaring it was not his lucky day 
in which 
“To welcome little fishes in 
With gently smiling jaws,” 
and began to whimper over the location. “If you 
will take the boat alongside the grass that’s show- 
ing its green leaves on the surface over yonder 
about fifty feet,’ and pointing as he spoke, “we 
will all capture some fish.” 
Harry now responded, stating that the Commo- 
dore was in command and that he was the one 
responsible and authoritative head to dictate all 
movements of the boat, and that suggestions were 
somewhat reflective on quallifications. Feeling 
called upon to settle the question of change, I 
stated that I thought a movement was desirable, 
but that we would hunt gravel instead of grass, 
and therefore ordered Norman to advance the 
boat about a hundred feet up stream, as I was 
satisfied that we were near the quarry, as this 
locality had always yielded me ample trophies. 
The Governor cheerfully acquiescéd but still kept 
his eye on the grass as if it were a precious pre- 
serve. For a wonder the engine this time 
promptly responded to the magnet and but a mo- 
_ ment or two ensued before we were at the partic- 
may of the youthful angler as well as our disap- 
pointment. 
“How often have I told you about handling an 
impaled fish. You discard the very elements that 
bring success, patience, and the result is in nearly 
every case an escapement,’ was the lecture the 
crestfallen youth received from his instructive 
parent. 
“Pa, did you ever lose a fish?” 
“Yes, one last summer, I think.” 
This pleasant rejoinder chased away the dark 
clouds and the birds in the branches along the 
shore filled the air with songs and rejoicings, and 
again the angle was taken up in expectation of a 
culminating tragedy. The fish now commenced 
in dead earnest in attacking our silver-coated 
shiners, and as a result they came rapidly tumb- 
ling over the sides of the boat. Harry, who had 
met disappoinments unnumbered, drew up _ his 
line, then laid his rod aside saying: “I can’t 
capture anything; I am evidently hoodooed.” 
“Harry, let me look at your rod and line. There 
must certainly be something the matter with your 
tackle?” 
He passed it over to me and I noticed at once 
that his hook was too large and his sinker too 
light. These I remedied, and on returning his 
rod advised him to fish about a foot above the 
bottom and he would surely make a success of it. 
At this juncture a cawing crow which was 
crossing the river came near the boat and gave us 
a few of his discordant notes. Norman, on taking 
in the flight of the ebon-hued bird, turned to 
Harry and said, “There goes a poetical crow,” 
and with that he winked his right eye at me and 
I gave him my left in response. 
“A poetical crow?” said Harry, who had taken 
the bait. “Who ever heard of such a thing?” 
“Yes,” said Norman, “a poetical crow, and he 
is now addressing you.” 
“What's he saying?” 
And then Norman with a broad smile radiating 
his visage at the biter’s innocence, repeated in a 
very expressive manner: 
Young man! Young man! You cannot fish at all; 
Reel up! Reel up! I pray, and homeward crawl. 
Your rod’s a fright, 
Your line a sight, 
Your sinker all but right. 
Reel up! Reel up! And not a minute dare delay; 
On the water the dragon fly wishes to play, 
And the turtle its eggs to lay. 
This was received with pleasant merriment, and 
on Harry’s recovering his equanimity, inquired 
of Norman: “Is that what you learn at college?” 
“That, among many other things,” was the 
quick retort. 
“T think I will have to relate that bear hunt of 
yours which made the cold shivers run down 
your spine.” 
“Go ahead. I presume you mean the time that 
Mr. Townsend, the author of ‘Chimmie Fadden,’ 
and I sought the bear on Neebish Island?” 
Mp seatohin” 
“Why, Harry, Mr. Townsend is an old Cali- 
fornia bear hunter and has the scalp of several 
big grizzleys he has killed. You certainly can’t 
reflect on him?” 
“Oh, no; not on him, but you.” 
“Go ahead then.” 
“T will wait till I have a larger audience,” and 
that closed the diverting incident of the poetical 
crow and the grand bear hunt, and again the 
pleasant pursuit of the scaly breed went on. I 
will here state en passant that I met Mr. Town- 
send at the Rainsmere last summer and found 
him a very agreeable and intelligent gentleman. 
I saw him also on the evening he returned from 
his fruitless bear expedition, but he said nothing 
about the exploit in which Norman figured as his 
companion. Norman and Harry, however, sought 
the same bear that they had seen on Neebish Isl- 
and, and the Governor, in speaking about it, said 
that they keep their boat well in sight and an 
open trail to it, and burnt no bridges behind 
them. We don’t think Harry will ever tell that 
story in open court, but he will never rest satis- 
fied till honors are even with the poetical stu- 
dent, whose tongue is as sharp as a serpent’s 
tooth. ALEX. STARBUCK. 
[TO BE CONTINUED. ] 
The Lake Champlain Fishing. 
AFTER a very favorable interview with the 
Quebec Provincial Minister, had in Montreal 
week before last, the matter of arriving at a 
mutual understanding with reference to the fish- 
ing in. Lake Champlain was taken up with the 
Dominion Government by the New York and 
Vermont commissions last Friday, ex-Governor 
Fisk, of Vermont, representing the Vermont au- 
thorities, and Senator Allds and Assemblyman 
Bedell representing New York. 
In the absence of the Dominion Minister of 
Marines and Fisheries, Mr. Prefontaine, Sir Wil- 
fred Laurier, the Dominion Premier, took charge 
of the matter personally, and a very satisfactory 
basis of adjustment seemed to have been reached, 
and it was arranged that the final meeting be- 
twen the various commissions and the Province 
of Quebec and the Dominion Government should 
be had upon the return of the Minister. 
The various members of the Commission have 
learned with extreme regret of the sudden death 
in Paris of Minister Prefontaine, but, in view of 
the interviews already had, they have full confi- 
dence that an agreement will be reached. 
Until the details are fully agreed upon the New 
York representatives do not feel at liberty to give 
more detail information than simply to say that 
they had been met half way by the Canadian au- 
thorities, and entertain the strongest hopes that 
the matter will be adjusted upon a basis which 
will be entirely satisfactory to the inhabitants 
upon both sides of the line. 
