IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4 / // A O .% <%^'>'5t^^^, fk TENT, ROD AND PEN. " And I wish the reader also to take notice, that in writing of it I have made myself a, recreation of a recreation. And that it might so prove to hini, and not read dull and tediously, I have in several places mixed, not any scurrility, but some innocent, harmless mirth; of which, if thou be a severe, sour-complex- ioned man, then I here disallow thee to be a com- petent judge . • . and I am the willinger to jus- tify the pleasant part of it, because, though it is known I can be serious at seasonable times, yet the whole Discourse is, or rather was, a picture of my own dis- position; especially in such days and times as I have laid aside business and gone a-fishing. . . ." ISAAK WALTON. i^««*W!8»«fe TROUT LINES. CLICK; click; click, click, click-k-k-k, vvhir-r-r-r, szz-z-z-z — " There he goes ! Up with the anchor, Peter ! After him, Louis; the line is giving out !" Stalwart arms grasp the paddles, and the light canoe is driven with swift and powerful strokes after the rushing fish ! Not a moment too soon; the pres- sure is relieved — the line slackens — a sounding splash — a flash of silver and a shower of rainbow-colored drops in the gleaming sunlight ! '• He's off !" " Not a bit of it, sir; reel him in, he's your fish !" The slack is taken up — the reel fills — we are right over the spot — the pliant bamboo is strained to break- ing point. Suddenly, the rod straightens with the spring of an archer's long-bow; the line flies up with a whiz, and at the end of . it a giant fish outlined against the dark green background of the tree-shaded banks of the rippling river. In recoil from the un- expectedly ■ sudden rising of what seems some aveng- ing spirit of the waters, the canoe isi 'Overbalanced, upset, and the occupants flung to the depths beneath. Then, as consciousness returned, and wondering eyes opened, a glance explained everything. The Scribe^ in reminiscent mood and slippered ease, bad instituted the periodical winter overhauling of angling gear beside the apology for a camp-fire in, his 10 TENT, ROD AND PEN. own particular den, and had dropped off into a doze. His pet retriever and the household cat, having sat silently interested spectators, took this fitting oppor- tunity to assist in thej operations they had till then been content to oversee. The end of a trout-line dangling from its reel set in plsxie on a rodi gave the cue. A few tugs started the music, and the dance began. The consequences of the exertions of such vigorous performers on a limited stage may be left to the imagination — the effects on the sleeping part- ner have been described. It may be that these were intensified owing to the latent malady ever responsive to awakening sugges- tion ; for, among the niany ills that flesh is heir to is one — if it xiiay be termed an ill — that attacks alike the young and the middle-aged, and spares neither gray hairs nor bald heads. While in some respects its characteristics resemble those of certain diseases that engraft themselves where existing conditions of diluted blood or dilapidated frame render the system susceptible to attack, it differs from them, and is pecu- liar, in the fact that its ravages are mostly confined to those natures that are cast in a finer mould, and it scornfully passes by those of a baser sort, who enjoy a comparative immunity from contagion. Strange to say, that although the " Faculty" num- bers many victims among its most distinguished mem- bers, the Pharmacopoeia provides no remedy for the malady. It is not as bad as seasickness, nor as de- bilitating as lovesickness, that drags its weary length along, and finally leaves the sufferer in a state of un- satisfied emptiness and general collapse. It is rather feverish in character and intermittent in attack, but ^ TROUT LINES. 11 has one symptom in common with the latter disease that impels the patient to protest with Orlando : *' I would not be cured !" In short, it is the " Trout- Fever !" Who has not had it ? Who is ever free from it ? Who docs not look for it as regularly as the returning wormth of the earlyi 'sunnner gives new life to the blood so long congealed 'by the frosts of winter ? Who does not feel its first insidious advances as he takes down his Greenhart or Split-bamboo from its bracket and lovingly brushes off the dust with his best silk handkerchief, gives a few turns to the reel, just to hear the old familiar click, or tenderly smooths out the rufilled feathers of his favorite "killers"? In imagination again waditig the same old stream, or on the secluded lake carefully balancing himself on the improvised raft or more luxurious skiff, indifferent alike to pouring rain or beating sun, he eagerly strives, by the well known tactics, to induce, the wary water- sprite to " come and be killed." Yes, my friend, you and I know all about it, don't we? We've been at- tacked so often that we recognize the symptoms at once, but, like sensible men, instead of fighting the inevitable, we proceed to take the case in hand. True it is, there are some people who can compla- cently congratulate themselves upon being free from all danger of arriving at such a maudlin condition. Tlicir idea of the proper enjoyment of a holiday is to get themselves up in the immaculate costume of the ballroom; to appear as symphonies in black and white in the nightly crushes at the Springs. These know nothing of the delights of flannel shirts and old clothes or the dolce farjiiente after the al-fresco lunch, when fp 12 TENT, ROD Ar:D PEN. pipe and story exhale a flavor that Time has not af- fected. They would look upon the homeward tramp through the silent woods with the precious load of fish and other " truck" as unmitigated humbug, or at least as something they are well out of. With such your true fisherman has nothing in com- mon; in his kindness of heart and broad charity for all that the Craft enjoins, he trusts to circumstances to place the Philistine within reach of those influences that tend to produce a better frame of mind, and impel him, at some time, to pause in his engrossing hunt after the mighty dollar, to forget for a while the claims of 'customers, clients or creditors, and turn his back on the work-a-day world, and his face to those quiet paths, by river or lake, where Peace and Contentment have their home. " Enough of moralizing," say you, " -it's fish we're after !" Ah! my friend, you should learn, the first line of the angler's creed, that '' it's not all of fishing to catch fish" ; and when you have driven ten miles or more in a rough conveyance over rougher roads, whipped a lake all day without getting a rise and driven back again at night with an empty creel, an unrufKled tem- per, and a contented mind, you may count yourself among the novitiate of the Craft. If in camp, you are able to show as the net results of a day's work enough fish to supply present needs, cooked them, eaten them with other fare off one tin plate with the aid of a three- tined fork and a pewter spoon, enjoyed the meal as you never did the finest a city restaurant could ofifer, washed the dishes, and are content, you have done well. If, then, you, too, can fall to moralizing upon H« g i; TROUT LINES. 13 tbe vanities of an uninterrupted existence within sound of the market quotations, sing " Hey ! for the life of the merry greenwood," and realize that the line be- tween the enlightened adept and the untutored pot- hunter is defined in that the one considers merely the fish and the other the fishing, you have reached a plane where the craftsman can welcome you among the in- itiatetl. Having done this, he can do little more, for, as the Grand Master before quoted says: "Now for the Art of Catching Fish, that is to say, how to make a man that was none to be an, Angler by a book; lie that undertakes it shall undertake a harder task than Mr. Hales, a most valiant and excellent fencer, who, in a printed book, called * A Private School of Defence,' undertook to teach that art or science, and was laughed at for his labor. . . For Angling may be said to be so like the Mathematics that it can never be fully learned." Shall the apprentice attempt what the master shrinks from? He may be well content if the reader be, wil- ling to accompany him on his rambles and show a dis- position to be entertained by his attempts at a little pleasant gossip by the way. To the Canadian angler chafing at his enforced de- tention in the city and sighing for the slowly com- ing time of his all too short annual outing, the embarrassment of riches is a disturbing factor in making choice of a place for the en- joyment of his own particular sport. There are the bass lakes of the Eastern Townships, the Mus- koka, and Gatineau districts; the muskalonge fishing of the Thousand Islands and the Ottawa River; there are the trout lakes back of Quebec and those of the 14 TENT, ROD AND PEN. Laurentian district, where the monsters come from; the Saguenay and Lake St. John, where the festive Ouinaniche sports in his native element, not to speak "^ of the sahnon rivers of New Brnnsvvick and the Lower Peninsula, which are availaljle only to the very wealthy and, as a matter of fact, are all held on leases by clubs and select syndicates at high prices. The counties of Kamouraska, Temiscouata, Rimous- ki and Gaspe in Qucl)ec, Restigouche and others in' New Brunswick, bordering on the State of Maine, may well be called the sportsman's paradise. It is here the lordly salmon has his haunts ; here the moose and cari- bou roam over their native wilds, and trout lakes and streams may be counted by the hundred. One may safely get off at almost any station in the district named and with a portable boat and camping outfit, strike back into the country from five to twenty miles and dis- cover lakes for himself that had never been disturbed with the cast of a fly, and by using a little judicious " influence" with the cultivateurs, secure their good will and co-operation, with permission to fish in any lake that may be on their land. A word of technical interest may be looked for and perhaps as well inserted! here and shortly dismissed. My experience of trout fishing in lakes during the summer season — which is not by any means the best time for fly-fishing — varies as to the size of fish. I find the best time to fish from about four o'clock to dusk, though I have taken them at all hours of the day. The style of fly — of which a cast of three is used — seems to be of small moment, as when trout are rising at all they seein to take almost anything. The general rule is, for bright days, to use some such flies as "dark TROUT LINES. 15 hackles," " turkey wings,' or " black fairies." For dull days, any bright-colored fly takes well, and when dusk comes on, a "coachman" or "white miller" as a dropper is very taking; in fact, the "coachman" or " Parma- chene belle" are good flies to make one of a cast at any time. A slight breeze to ruffle the water is a very de- sirable element, if it be not a cold wind from the North or East. Each lake — and there are hundreds scattered through the country more or less available — has individual characteristics of its own as to the size of fish, some apparently yielding none but small fry, and all of them containing in their hidden depths much larger ti>h, to be got at only with sinker and worms; a mode of fish- ing, let it be observed, justly held in contempt by ycur true disciple, who would infinitely prefer to have it said that he had " taken nothing" than to secure a boat- load in this nefarious fashion, of which the market sup- plier may well be allowed a monopoly. THE ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. " COME IN !" " Thanks ! and we'll Uglit some of your cigars, for we came up to talk over your proposal to do as Peter did, and *' go a-fishing," and a smoke helps one along. What do you suggest ?" " What about taking up our old quarters at the Sea- View House at Macnider? There are Silver Lake and Beaver Lake and Trout Lake, where you made such a record as a raftsman, not to speak of the brooks, the Tartagou River and the more distant White Lakes and their outlet, White River, all good for a day's out- ing and a basket of trout. We can take Johnny and make a three-days' trip down to that new lake he talked about, where the fish grew so big that one the last party caught was so immense they could not get it into the boat, but had to tow it ashore, and the whole party lived on him for a week !" Of course that settled it to the satisfaction of the quartette of congenial chums whose minds had been concerned as to the direction their steps should take on this particular and eagerly looked for holiday. Tackle was at! once overhauled and repaired, two wall tents, blankets and other requisites necessary to the better catclung, curing and digesting of trout were added to the combined outfit, and the day fixed for starting. The close of a sultry sunmier's day — ''the fever being hot upon us" — finds us wending our way down to the U ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 17 dock of the Richelieu Company's elegant steamers that nightly ply between Montreal and Quebec, those two queen cities of the North in whose defence and praise swords have been drawn and mightier pens than mine been wielded. Their feet are kissed by the noble St. Lawrence, that lovingly yields such willing homage, and proudly performs the menial part of burden-bearer of the tribute that the nations bring to enrich his regal mistresses, already embarrassed with the wealth of me- mories that cluster round an historic past, when self- denying sons and daughters of the Church, chivalrous soldiers, far-seeing statesmen, and earnest patriots laid broad and deep the foundations of their country's his- tory. Three hundred and fifty years ago, Cartier, lost in wonder and admiration, first sailed over its broad ex- panse. His pious soul, in memory of the day, would fain dedicate it to some tutelary saint — Canadian no- menclature ever after taking largely the same pious bent — and he hailed it St. Lawrence ! The poet, or novelist with a poet soul, will some day arise who will embalm his memory in some soul- stirring epic worthy of so great a theme. Germany has her Rhine, immortalized in poem, tale and legend. The Hudson and other rivers of the Great Republic have had their praises sung by many tuneful voices. Other lands, too, can boast of their beautiful rivers, whose shores have echoed to the stirring of some heroic deed, and shall it be wondered if the sons of the North- land view with glowing pride the glorious possession flowing in majestic sweep past their doors, whether these belong to the manor or the cot. Every foot of land washed by its crystal flood is redolent with the 18 TENT, ROD AND PEN. breath of romance and heroic daring. From the very spot where we start on our journey, the immortal Bol- lard embarked in canoes with his handful of predes- tined martyr companions. A few steps back into the town is the spot where the intrepid Maisonneuve — "first soldier of the cross," and governor of the colony — stood alone and held at bay before the p^atc of the fort a swarm o^ red-skins. A few miles down and almost within sight — we pass the spot on our way — the heroic Madeleine de Vercheres held her father's fort for seven days and nights against the baffled Indians till help arrived, her only garrison being women, boys and old men, who could not take the field. As the boat swings from her moorings, we think of the little band kneeling, two hundred and fifty years ago, before their improvised altar, on the spot where the wharf now stands, and dedicating the infant settlement to the protection of Our Lady under the name of Villc Marie, and all the accompanying circumstances so gra- phically related by Parkman as "true history and a romance of Christian chivalry." A " Royal City," truly, with wealth in rich abundance, gathered from near and far, from mine and field and sea, by the sturdy energy and brawn and brains of, and as lavishly poured at her feet by, the city's hard-headed Saxon sons. To the eye undimmed by the glare of the latter-day mag- nificence, and the ear attuned, to catch the whisperings that echo amid the jarring clamor and bustle of a great trade mart, these appeal with forceful insistence. The very air is voicelful v/ith memories of a stirring past. Amid the work-a-day crowds, impalpable forms, clad in doublet or cuirass, move to the accompanying tinkle of rapier and spur; the ghostly chanson of rollicking u ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 19 voyageiir or coiireur-de-bois is hushed by the warning finger of cassocked cleric, or shamed by the averted c^lance and shrinking demeanor of hooded saint ghding by on some okl-time errand of mercy; while high and shrill above the clangor of alarm bell, Pilotcs warning bark, or defiant gun, screams the strident yell of the vindictive foe that ever hovered, alert and ruthless. A comfortable supper, and a more comforting smoke on the moonlit deck to the soothing accompaniment of the violin and harp of the gentlemen from sunny Italy, and "we seek the seclusion that our cabin grants." After a sound sleep, we wake in the morning just as the steamer rounds the point under the guns of the citadel of Quebec. The slanting sun gleams brightly over the sparkling river, shining through the inter- mingled spars and rigging of the scores of vessels moored under the cliffs or anchored in mid-stream, and flashes again from dazzling tin roofs, touching up the distant foam of Montmorency Falls with a beam of light, the whole a picture of wonderful beauty, ever new and never-to-be-forgotten. Quebec! — the Mecca of the modern tourist, satiated with the chequer-board cities of more go-ahead proclivities — who shall do jus- tice to the romantic associations that cluster round its storied past, or describe its beauties ? Not I, here and now at least, for we go a-fishing, and trains won't wait. The Intercolonial Railway, by which we continue our journey, follows pretty closely the shore line for about two hundred miles, when it takes a sharp turn off through the Metapedia Valley. The beautiful pano- rama of ever-widening water, and distant mountain is continuously unfolded before our eyes. Our journey 20 TENT, ROD AND PEN. ends at tlic sharp corner referred to and we are soon at Macnider. On alighting, we find the beaming face of "mine host" looming up on the platform, and jumping into one of the antiquated carriages that here serve as busses, wc settle down for the five-mile drive to the Sea View House, on the shore. As the tide is in, and the after- noon warm, we take our first plunge in the sea, coming out with a glow and an appetite, and a warm spot in our hearts for all mankind. It is usually understood at the Sea View that when people go ofY fishing they go to " the lake" — a well known spot, easy of access, and in consequence com- paratively " fished out" — but, as aforesaid, Johnny had thrownj out hints on a fomier visit of an Eldorado where the fish were swarming one over the other in their anxiety to be caught. And the size! " OJi, mon Dieu ! " — the French tongue failed of words to ex- press the magnitude. We had, therefore, made pre- parations to make an early trial of thel simple-minded habitanfs veracity, as well as to relieve him of a solemn promise to show the place to no one before we had tried it. We found Johnny, and engaged his c/iarette and pony to take the baggage, his buckboard and mare to transport ourselves, and himself and his brother Isidore to go as boatmen, cooks, and general camp utility men, all to be on hand next morning, which finds us up bright and early, and the breakfast provided by our kind-hearted landlady quickly stowedl away. In view of the rough roads and consequent jolting, the proper packing of the miscellaneous camping out- ■ jy 'ip iii l i wiw ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 21 fit is a matter of some concern and much rope, but is soon arranged under Johnny's skilful handling. Rod-cases, overcoats, necessary change of clothing, and our "beufs" — than which there is no better foot- gear for the sportsman ; light, strong, easy to the foot, and, when properly made, (|uitc water-proof — are load- ed on the charette. Three day's provisions for two hard- working and hard-eating men; four others not so v/ell disposed in one respect, and a mare and a pony well qualified in both, quickly follow. These, with what utensils we required in the way of pots and dishes — not forgetting that standby of the camp, the frying-pan — with the tents and blankets, made quite a load for the charette, which we send off as a sort of avant-courier to make an impression, and more espe- cially to lead the way, we ourselves following with all the importance a dilapidated buckboard and battered habiliments would permit of. We pause for a moment to cut a " persuader" from a convenient hazel-bush, then "All aboard!" with a part- ing shout that induces the sleeping inmates of the hotel to growl a malediction on the heads of our noisy crew, and startles our ancient nag into a sufficiently lively state of mind to carry us with a rush over the short stretch of heavy, sand-covered road along the beach and up the little hill at the end. Passing the fir grove, we reach the first big hill — one out of many we shall have to wrestle with on our journey — at the top of which we found Isidore, whose impedimenta consists only of his woodman's axe, the usefulness of which will !)ecome apparent from the time we pitch our tents till we break camp. Isidore being settled among the TENT, ROD AND PEN. baggage on tlie chareitc with Johnny, we are now fairly started on our twenty-five mile drive. We follow the shore road for about eight miles, pass- ing through a thriving French village, witli, as usual, the most prominent objects, its parish church and the neighboring presbyth'c. Straggling out at either end of the central point at ever-widening intervals is ihc double line of familiar old-fashioned farm-houses, with their eaves overhanging in gracefully sweeping curves, whitewashed, and, according to the laste of each individual owner, the roofs and window-frames painted in vivid colors, or a mournful black; many of tliem with the front door appearing several feet above the level of thei road, but witli no steps up to it, suggest- ing ideas of a state of siege with the ladders drawn in ; one serving as a model for all the others, and each fur- nished with the same pattern of snapping cur, most valiant in bark, but whose usefulness is not otherwise apparent. A worn foot-path around the gable end dis- closes the more homely entrance by the back door, which will probably continue to be used till the inhab- itants reach a state wherein it will be possible to live up to the requirements of a front-door stoop, and, as the stage people say, a practical door. A striking feature in connection with most of the better places is the substantial -looking barn, with its long-armed windmill built out at the best angle to catch the prevailing breezes, a chain gearing running through the wall and connecting with the threshing maclnne inside, all of them, however, at this season of growing grain standing silent and grim. Another noticeable feature attached to nearly all the houses is the old-fash- ioned, oval-topped, clay oven standing in the open, KNSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 23 wherein the housewife, bakes the heavy, sodden black stuff called bread (!) by heating it with a strong fire, raking out the ashes and putting in the loaves to bake, just as her Normandy or Brittany French ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Along the fences, on liius strung for the purpose, or against the walls of the buildings, arc the opened skins of black poqioises, with the fat attached, which laten will be resolved into the flagrant and luscious porpoise oil with which much of the cooking is done. Presently we leave the shore and turn off for our tedious climb straight over the hills into the back coun- try, making for what Johnny calls the " donziimc range " or " concession," pausing for a moment at the top of the first hill to take a parting look at the ever- fascinating sea spread like an expanse of glistening mirror at our feet and reflecting the glare of the bright summer sun. We journey for miles, scarcely meeting a human being, and for long stretches not seeing a living thing, and reach in time a stream where the road descends and rises again at the other side of the bridge in a way that would cause the heart of a city hack to ooze out ,of his heels, but which our hardy nags seem to take as a matter of course. Our road crosses several likely streams that sugge^t possibilities of a good catch of the dainty little brook trout, but which we now regard with supreme indiffer- ence. More hills, along whose crests we drive and enjoy a magnificent view of indented valley and rising mountain, all covered with a thick growth of primeval forest; passing several lakes of varied extent, which Johnny contemptuously describes as ''pas don" or as containing nothing but '' i/es pctits poissons blancs'' .■■*s**i#^-'" 24 TENT, ROD AND PEN. Finally we reachi the "last house" and halt a moment to purchase a supply of milk. Then we plunge into a two-mile drive over a bush road, the vilest specimen of " road" it was ever my lot to traverse. We reach at last our journey's end and drive our team into an open space by the side of a most temptinj^ little sheet of j water, sunk, as it were, in the hollow of the surrounding ; tree-coverqd hills,v which dip gradually down to the 1 water's edge and form a fitting background to the pic- I ture, and throw ourselves on the ground to ease our { bones after the six hours' drive. Johnny speedily], has a fire going, tea made, and we all fall to on a refreshing lunch, topped off with the in- \ evitable and never-to-be-forgotten smoke. Ah ! that smoke — unpleasant comfort, discomforting pleasure — j who shall account for it, who condemn? ! A pleasant location having been settled upon for the 1 tents — the larger one for ourselves and the smaller one i for the men — it was decided that we should take our ! . first cast in the scows, which Johnny had dragged out \ from the spot where he had " cached" them the year before, leaving him and Isidore to set up the tents and have things in readiness for our return before dark. I The ground, or rather water, was new, the boats leaking ; like baskets from exposure to the weather, and as all \ wanted to fish to the exclusion of paddling, the chances , appeared slim. However, Fortune favors her friends, and the end of a day threatening rain being the best possible for trout, a few casts soon showed there were plenty of fish. We speedily landed several good ones of three-quarters to one and a half pounds. Presently, ' in making a long cast near a likely spot, where the lily pads showed al)Ove the surface, my flies were seized ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 25 with such vigor and displacement of water as to draw fcrth an expression of deHght. '* I've got him — the patriarch of all the tribe of fishes !'' Reeling him in as fast as the exigencies of light tackle and an eight-ounce bamboo rod would permit, he was gradually drawn within sight of my end of the boat. " By the shades of your valorous ancestors, Don Carlos, come and have a look at him, so that if he should break away I shall have a witness to the tale I have to tell !" The landing net soon disposed of him and he was laid in the bottom of the boat, the admired of two pairs of delighted eyes, the pocket scale recording his weight at two and a quarter pounds. Darkness was now set- ting in and we made for the landing, where the cheerful blaze of the camp fire shot across the quiet waters. Johnny and Isidore had done their work well. The tents were pitched, the baggage stowed inside, a tempt- ing bed of "sapins," or spruce tops, spread, and the rugs and blankets laid on top of these. The respective catches of the two scows were jjuly examined and compared, and though my big trout was awarded, and still holds, the " record," the results were eminently satisfactory all round. The all-important and ever-interesting function of camp-life — the evening meal — was now convened, and six hungry men proceeded to discuss one that skilled hands had prepared; rough and icady, perhaps, but enticing, as hungry fishermen well know. Fresh trout — on the fin — fried to a turn with rich bacon. Pota- toes boiled in their jackets and dried to a powdery whiteness. Fresh bread and butter. Tea — hot, strong, 3 tt^mffnilSataim^^^Sh I t i I I 26 TENT, ROD AND PEN. sweet, and served at the proper moment, winding up with canned peaches that never tasted so good before. Not very luxurious, perhaps, or fit to " set before the king" in >iis royal apartments, but served in such sur- roundings possibly even his royal nose might take on a less contemptuous curl. Have you ever eaten such a meal in camp, my friend ? If so, you'll agree with me; if you haven't, I can only say, you have not yet lived ! Isidore's axe having been busy among the pine- slumps, a fine store of camp-fire material is at hand which is now put to good use, and we gather round the roaring blaze that lights up the gloom of the surround- ing woods and shoots its cheerful beams far across the blue waters of the lake shimmering under the deepen- ing twilight. Cigars of a peculiarly racy brand kept for the purpose having been handed to the men, and feeling safe against prowlers of all kinds under their powerful protection, we give ourselves up to the serene enjoyment of our pipe of peace, the contemplation of the delights of a day well spent, and of Johnny, as we see him in the light of i the camp-fire — ^the beau ideal of the hardy, simple, honest French-Canadian farmer or ciiltivateiir^ whose ancestors are typified in the cou- reiir-des-bois of the old regime, and from whom are descended the voyageurs and raftsmen of later times. In fact, he might be allowed to speak of himself with better show of reason, as a certain royal personage is said to have done ; " Z^ camp ! dest moi !" He has travelled, has John; been to Quebec, the lumber shan- ties, and to that Eldorado of the French-Canadian la- borer — Fall River. He lives in a little cabane on a rough hillside, its one solitary room containing himself, ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 27 wife, and the usual tribe of children, which will proba- bly be increased by one each subsequent year we see him. We wonder where he would laise enough among the stumps of his little clearing to keep the life in his growing family. His house you would not stable your horse in. He does not see as much money in a year as you spend in cigars in a month. The ttoffe for his scantl wardrobe is probably made in continuous process from the sheep's back by his hard-worked, pre- maturely aged wife, and thc"^^/(/Jf"on his feet will by careful patching be made to last for years. He is a devoted son of the Church, to which he drives with his family some seven or eight miles when he desires its ministrations, and wishes to enjoy a gossip with his widely-scattered neighbors at the same time. He is strong, healthy and happy ; has probably no idea of the barrenness of his lot. He is fond of life and would not willingly leave it, but would make the most strenu- ous efforts to prolong, if need be, what you might be disposed to qualify as simply an existence. His fund of gaiety and good humor is inexhaustible, and his peculiar chuckle, as he seizes some mot dropped by the Philosopher in buckboard or boat, is funnier thati the attempted witticism, and quite as straining on their limbers. His neighbors call him lazy, and say he is fonder of going of with " les mssieii's " on their fishing trips than he is of attending to his farm, but this is mere envy of his good luck and greater qualifications for the business which he regards as well-paid pleasure. He is abFe to do more work round camp and in a boat, stand more exposure, carry a bigger " pack," eat more provisions, and is a better man for the rough work of a fishing trip than any I have ever met. Sai^t ! vajti'" ™*" ^-.^^M^ 28 TENT, ROD AND TEN. Johnny, may we smoke many a pipe and share many a meal together yet ! Our first day in camp ended; night closed in, and we retired to rest on our spring bed of fragrant spruce, to sleep the sleep of — if not the just — the tired and happy fisherman. Rain fell during the night, but cur tent_was perfectly dry. Continuing in a drizzle all the next day, we did not propose to lose vv^hat promised good, if damp, sport, so donning our mackintoshes we sallied out. This time, with our boatmen to paddle, and comparatively drier, because more soaked boats, as Paddy would say, luck favored us and we prepare for the supreme mo- ment of the first cast. " Carefully, now ! Just at the edge of those lily-pads," and dovv^n they drop right on the spot. The flies are scarcely wet when with a sound- ing splash a good-sized trout seizes a fly and hies ofif with a rush, making music as he goes. He is quickly brought up, however, gently played a while, and gradu- ally drawn within reach of the landing net, when the transfer is made with proper despatch from his native element into our basket. And so the sport goes on. We paddle up and down and across tlie lake, anchor at the likely places, and fish all over to the entire satisfaction of all concerned and the repletion of our fish-creels. As the sun gets high we go ashore to the camp for our midday lunch, which we enjoy as a luach only can be enjoyed under such circumstances. After a rest, and the inevitable pipe, we go at it again, till, tired out, we make for the landing-place, and prepare to pack up and start for home in the morning. The third day, at noon, sees us packed up ready to ENSNARING DIMPLES OF FONTINALIS. 29 start on our homeward drive, and we bid good-bye to the scene of many pleasant hours, our " record" con- sisting of the sport we had had, the fish we had eaten and enjoyed, and a sufficiency to allow of a welcome treat being offered to our friends in their seaside quar- ters. The long drive seems, as it always does, shorter on going over it the second time; in point of fact, being mostly down hill, it takes us an hour and a half less to do the return journey. We bring up our craft in full sail with flying colors, somewhat battered but still in the swim ; the crew are paid off, with an added bonus in the shape of some spare outfit, which is greatly appreciated, and the present voyage is over. AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. IT FELL ON A DAY, one summer, amid the bewil- derment of interminable figures of many books piled on office desks, and the oppressiveness of heaps of goods encumbering shelving and floor space in warerooms, and the irritating chaffering of the mart — varying only in degree from the huckstering of the MarcJid Bonsecours to the larger operating on the floor of the Exchange — when the ever-recurring longing for a whiff of the tonic breath of the woods and streams made all these seem but a weariness to the flesh, that a letter arrived. Seeing that in the nature of things this must be a common occurrence, oft repeated many times a day, it might scarcely be worthy of remark were it not for the weighty import of thei contents, which, in brief, proved to be an invitation from my friend the Professor to accompany him on a ten-days' outing in the northern wilds of Michigan, where it was proposed that we should enjoy life under canvas on the banks of one of its cele- brated rivers, the Au Sable, and fish for Grayling ! All care for the minutiae of such an expedition in the matter of equipment was hospitably assumed by the Professor, who, however, kindly considering my inex- perience, merely suggested that in one's personal outfit a Saratoga was unnecessary. In fact, the nearer the "plunder" — the Professor forgot himself at times — could be reduced to the proportions! of " a silk hand- kerchief and a shocking bad hat" the better would the transportation department's arrangements be facilitated. ^m AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. 31 ■^1 ■■.,( I I' -1 ■ ■■r i ii Here was enough, surely, to stir the blood of the eager tyro just then entering the novitiate of the Craft, and to set a-buzzing all his hopes and dreams of achiev- ing genuine camp experience under ideal conditions; and the many hundreds of miles of intervening distance were annihilated, and the worries of business were for- gotten, and the swift consideration of its claims de- cided the possibilities, and the answer was prompt, and it wasn't " No !" Knowledge has come with experience and the years, but the Professor's scanty suggestions respecting ward- robe caused some concern. Surely, even in the bush in midsummer, something else was useful — at least as protection against the flies and mosquitoes — say an eld pair of pants, ditto boots, and a shirt, if not a coat. Then, a rod and tackle were essential, and a pipe an absolute necessity. When at last an outfit had been evolved from the depths of inexperience and store-closets distantly ap- proaching the requirements laid down, second thoughts reverted to the object of all this pother — "to fish for Grayling !" What sort of a thing was this, anyway, and where had one heard the name before ? Then it dawned, and light appeared; but with it the thought that while I shared with the poet the delight of having met " with here and there a lusty trout," neither "here" nor "there" nor anywhere had I come across, or met with anyone who had even/ seen — not to speak of hav- ing caught — such a thing as a " Grayling," Recourse was then had to the books, and the Master was, natur- ally, consulted first. Hear, therefore, what good old Isaak Walton says in his " Observations of the Umber or Grayling " : — TENT, ROD AND PEN. " The Umber and Grayling arc thought by some to differ as the Herring and Pilcher do. But though they may do so in other nations, I think those in England differ nothing but in their names. Aldrovanus says, they be of a trout kind; and Gesner says that, in his country, which is Switzerland, he is accounted the choicest of all fish. And in Italy he is, in the month of May, so highly valued, that he is sold there at a much higher rate than any other fish. The French, which call the Chub Ufi Villain call the Umber of the Lake Leman Un Umble Chevalier; and they value the Umber or Grayling so highly, that they say he feeds on gold; and say that many have been caught out of their famous river of Loire, out of whose bellies grains of gold have often been taken. And some think that he feeds on water-thyme, and smells of it at his first taking out of the water; and they may think so with as good reason as we do that our Smelts smell like violets at their being first caught, which I think is a truth. Aldrovanus says, the Salmon, the Grayling, and Trout, and all fish that live in clear and sharp streams, are made by their mother Nature of such shape and pleas- ant colors, purposely to invite us to a joy and content- edness in feasting with her. Whether this is a truth or not, it is not for me to dispute; but 'tis certain, all that write of the Umber declare him to be very medicinable. And Gesner says, that thet fat of an Umber or Grayling being set, with a little honey, a day or two in the sun, in a litle glass, is very excellent against redness or swarthiness, or anything that breeds in the eyes. Salvian takes him to be called Umber from his swift swimming, or gliding out of sight more like a ghost tiian a fish. . . First, note, that he grows not to AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. 33 the bigness of a Trout, for the big^gest of them do not usually exceed eighteen inches. Hei lives in such rivers as the Trout does, and is usually taken with the same baits as the Trout . . and is very gamesome at the fly, and much simpler, and therefore bolder than a Trout; for he will rise twenty times at ai fly, if you miss him, and yet rise again. . . He is of a very fine shape; and his flesh is white, his teeth — those little ones he has — are in his throat, yet he has so tender a mouth that he is oftener lost after an Angler has [looked him than any other fish." Again, we turn to the fifth edition of a work pub- lished in Dublin in 1777, entitled: "The Art of An- gling," by R. Brooks, M.D., and read : — "The Grayling is in proportion neither so broad nor so thick as a trout, and in size seldom exceeds eigh- teen inches; they weigh about half a pound; but in some places they are said to| be three times as heavy. Tliey delight in rivers that glide through mountainous places, and are to be met with in the swiftest parts of those streams . . . The time of its spawning is in May. The flesh is accounted by some to have the most agreeable taste of all river fish ; it is firm, white, cleaves like the salmon, and is judged to be very whole- some. It is a brisk, sprightly fish when in the water and swims as swift as an arrow out of a bow; but when he feels the hook he is dead-hearted and yields rather too soon for the angler's diversion. The same rules that have been laid down for taking the Trout, will also serve for the Grayling, only let your hackle be somewhat finer." This writer also notes, in almost the same language as the Master, the alleged characteristic of the Grayling i \ 84 TENT, ROD AND PEN. to attack more boldly and frequently than the Trout, and both speak of the methods of taking with bait, which the modern angler will hold in contempt. In turning to the Encyclopedia, we find under an article giving the Latin name — Thymallus Vulgaris — much confirmatory of the foregoing as applied to the fish found in England and the Continent of Europe. In addition, we find it referred to as a "scaled fish* which "inhabits clear streams with rocky or gravelly bottoms, and 'seems to require an alternation of stream and pool.' The back and sides are silvery grey, marked with longitudinal dusky streaks; the dorsal fin is spotted, the spots arranged in lines across the fin. The Grayling is greatly esteemed for the table, but requires to be cooked when newly caught, when it has an odor which has been compared to that of wild thyme. . . There are several other species of Thy- mallus, none of which are British. One of them. . . a very beautiful fish . is called . . * Fish-with- the-wing like-fin,' by the Esquimaux." Finally, on referring to the dictionary, we notice under the heading, " Grayling," brief corroboratory data, specially remarking the peculiar " very broad dor- sal fin," and, in addition: — " Zool — An American fish of the genus Thymallus, having similar habits to the above; one species — Thymallus Ontariensis — inhabits several streams in Michigan." Here we reached a point in our enquiry where it were well to pause in search of technical lore; and, knowing we were at last on the direct road, to reserve further investigation till such time as personal intro- duction might lead to better acquaintance with the Grey Lady of our quest. For, notwithstanding the «b... AT HOME WITH THE GREV LADY. 35 eminent authorities above quoted, and mindful of ar- chaic diction, it seems more fitting that such a dainty incarnation of lovely wilfulness and sweet perversity should be clothed in female guise rather than in that of the more prosaic sex, however courtly and worthily displayed. Thus fortified with extended information, curtailed impedimenta, and a limited return-ticket, I started alone on the invasion of the territory of our bordering neighbors; and if the warm welcome of the Professor were any indication of the hearty reception which Ca- nadians €71 masse might expect, the wisdom and fore- thought shown in the purchase of that return ticket were fully justified. This, though long, was, however, only one of three stages of the journey; and regretfully cutting short our stay at the Professor's charming home, we fled together due North and were landed with all the baggage on the platform of the little station of Grayling at the head of the Au Sable River. We lost no time in the exchange of travelling gear for the " shocking bad hats" and other things; found the two guides, who had been, en- gaged with their boats, all in readiness to load up and start down the river at daybreak — if our impetuosity so decided; fixed upon a more reasonable after-break- fast hour than this, and " turned in" to dreams of free- dom from the thraldom of civilization. Seven o'clock of a fair August morning found our whole party assembled beside the loaded boats moored to the bank of the stream, which at these almost head waters was of the very diminutive proportions of a small brook. The Professor yielded to me the place of honor in the bow of the forward boat steered by r (« 36 TENT, ROD AND PKN. I I his veteran guide, Bill, while he took his seat in my man Charlie's boat, and — I with gun, he with rifle within easy reach for use on anything wearing fcDtiicr or horn — we waved our farewells and were at last off on our twenty-five mile run towards our goal in the deeps of Nature's solitudes. , The river soon widened and took on the* character- istics peculiar to these streams; here, sluggishly moving in level, reed-fringed reaches, calling (or continued and( strenuous use of the paddle, where an occasional duck or heron or sentinel eagle offered a mark, and perhaps a prize, for our shooting skill ; there, sweeping through a shelving sluice, with scarce enough water to float us, and plunging into the swirl and eddy of a deep pool below. The skill with which our steersmen guided us along our rapid, tortuous water way, where the natural difficulties of chute and eddy were vastly heightened by the necessity of dodging the fallen ce- dars on either bank, reaching almost acrossi the swift stream — technically known as " sweepers" — was a mat- ter of admiration to the tyro and experienced camper alike as they ducked and clutched at those precious hats in the desire to hold possession and enjoyment thereof. We put ashore about one o'clock for a tea-kettle snack, and shortly after starting again we had evidence from a crashing in the bushes along shore that we were in a nt)ted deer country; though we saw none, we fur- ther on passed an old Indian in camp, and a man ** poling" his way back to the settlements, who had each four illegally killed out of season — a circumstance which no one thereabout at that time seemed to think it his business to meddle with. AT HOME WITH THE OKEV I.ADV. 97 We reached our camping ground about four o'clock, a nice, clear point at a bend of the river, made fast and (|uiokly had tiie baggage ashore. Here, again, the ileft, n'.ethodical way in which our guides set about the work of preparing camp was a matter of admiration to us who, feeling ourselves in the way, were content to "sit around" and watch and sni'>ke and wonder. Our wall-tent was produced from among the bundles, poles cut, and it was soon set up on the chosen spot with pickets and guy ropes all in place. Then the near-by balsams were despoiled of their feathery, scented, plumes in great armfuls which, being laid, tops up, one over the other, covering all the floor space, and then a rubber sheet and a blanket spread over all, presented a most inviting bed. Pillows were arranged with the bags and spare clothing, great army blankets laid ready for top covers, the tackle and remaining outfit brought in under shelter, and our housekeeping affairs were in order. Tlie small fly tent set up near by for the men was more easily disposed of, and with everything so well advanced it was seen that there was yet time to drop a line at the door of the Lady in whose domains we now were. There's not a grizzled old fisherman of them all but may, if he will, hark back to his Simple Simon days in search of suitable sensations fitting the occasion; or, failing here, may pass on to ,his salad years, when with mingled feelings of joy and trepidation he pre- sented himself on the front piazza of the only fair one's abode in the wake of the mutual friend who had under- taken to administer the solemn rite of introduction, and there discover them. Did I think, as I stepped into Bill's boat and we wr 38 TENT, ROD AND PEN. .'\i itm\ ' drifted down lo what he said was a good pool just below our camp, of the be-ruffled gallant gliding in his gondola along some shadowed Venetian canal, lap- ping against the stones of his lady's prison-bower ? Did I hear the flick of the pebble against the window, or see the flash of a fair white hand in the moonlight, or perhaps catch an echo of the kiss and the rippling laugh that trembled and faded as the boat shot by into the shadows? I don't know. I only remember drop- ping my lure as daintily as I knew and the swift and sudden response, the desperate leap, the easy yielding, the surprise of the extraordinarily large and beautiful dorsal fin spotted and colored with the brilliancy of a peacock's feather, and the flash of dotted silver beneath as the prize was surely being drawn within reach, though evidently very insecurely held, all as laid down in the books ! Evidence as to the delicate care bestowed on such a dainty pound-weight was the covered well in the centre of the boat — made watertight except for the holes in the flat bottom permitting the water to enter — into which the fish are dropped as caught and thence transferred into a creel built in the stream by the camp and there kept alive till wanted for the base use of the frying-pan. And to think, in view of all this solicitude, of the party of so-called " sportsmen" the guides spoke of who came in, one season, with barrels, and bags of salt, pre pared to take home their catch in pickle ! Night closed in and all — workers and loafers — lounged about the glowing, pine-scented camp-fire in the enjoyment of after-supper pipes; and there filtered through the smoke and the consciousness of the latter AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. 39 final conviction as to the all-round skill and proficiency of the former by reason of pleasant sensations arising from the display of ability in the culinary branch of the guides' profession, and we were content. Silently we sat and smoked and tested our sensations in the novel situation; alone in the woods, dozens of miles from anywhere, and wrapped about in their utter and awe- some stillness and shadows; the latter only intensified by the flare of our pine-knot blaze, and the former but emphasized by the plaint of the river fleeing the reach- ing arms of the " sweepers" and snuggling against its banks at our feet, the cradle-song of the brfeeze as it rocked the pine-tops overhead, and the good-night calls from the rent-free dwellers in Nature's tenements as interpreted by her sympathetic, though unromantic- looking, lover, the veteran Bill. Untamed by other charmer, this grizzled, taciturn hunter and trapper is happiest when at home in the woods and will, with a few books, his gun, traps, and scanty stores, spend the long months of winter alone in such shelters as he may erect in moving from one camping-ground to another, gaining from his experi- ences a training in self-reliance, and building up a wholesome, manly character as rare as it is unappre- ciated among the swarming] masses of city-dwellers. The call of the whip-poor-will needed no interpreter, but it was needful that he point out to us the difference between the cry of the screech-owl or the hoot of the cat-owl; while the echoing whack of a beaver's tail on the smooth surface of a near-by water stretch, and the " chuck" of the muskrats among its fringing reeds, were cause of wonderment till explained by our men- tor; and the distant bark of a wandering fox, or the i r m 40 TENT, ROD AND PEN. r; ; i m lair, faint cries of a paclc of wolves in pursuit of deer lost their disquieting features under the reassuring indifferencQ with which Bill dismissed them in a word. It was now time to turn in for a first-night's perform- ance of a role in the proper costuming of which tradi- tion enjoins Pyjamas. The deprivation of these did not seem so strange as the manner in which the more experienced actor proceeded to dress for the part; first, slipping over his soft cap a fish-net-like mosquito veil, and tucking the ends well under his turned-up coat collar. Then, securely fastening other avenues to his person at the wrists and ankles, and assisting me to similarly equip myself, he declared — after plentifully sprinkling the tent walls and ourselves with extract of pennyroyal — that we were now fortified against all at- tacks of mosquito or " no-see-um," and might sleep as peacefully as in the peppermint-laden air of a counti-y church. Even a bed of roses has a few thorns sticking up here and there, and the compensating thorns in our much perfumed couch were the aggressive little "no- see-ums" which, despite peppermint and wrist-bands, wo ked their determined will on hands, arms, and otherwhere, to our no small misery. This to ease, I prepared on waking to strip ofif and indulge in an early morning* plunge in the pool at our door, when the alarmed expostulations of the others caused me to en- quire as to the cause. " Feel before you leap," sug- gested the Professor; and on^ doing so my feelings underwent a sudden and severe shock. I have plunged into the chill, east-wind-driven surf in the bay, or the deceptive shinunering enticements of deeper water ofif the Point Rocks, at Macnider, and as hurriedly scrambled out again, chilled to the bone; AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. 41 but the piercing, icy cold of this clear, northern stream in midsummer was a thing to remember and shun, and the scaled and hwry swimmers were left in possession of their own bathtub, while we stuck to the tin pail. Life in camp had fairly begun, and, as there were ten days before us, we desired to taste delight in leisurely and epicurean fashion becoming those who go " a-fish- ing" rather than merely to catch fish. In this spirit one may "fish" in a boat or ashore, with rod or without, in a hammock with a book, or, stretched at full length on the pine-needle carpet peering through the smoke of a pipe, energetically doing nothing. No telegrams, no letters, no newspapers ! " In the world, yet not of it," and, for the present, no desire but to be away from it. We "caught fish," of course, and enjoyed to the full the angler's keen delight in so doing; but we took no more than we could use each day, and kept no " record" of the spoils. We challenged each other to trials of skill, and if I beat the Professor at rifle target practice he took ample revenge when we made far-off, amateur attempts at "poling," generously off-setting his vic- tory by an offer to give me some lessons in Poker on Sunday, when it wasn't proper to fish ! Such an evenly balanced conscience is apt to cause uncasinessf>and I observed symptoms of trouble in the Professor's. On being pressed, he confessed that his longing for venison and his respect for the law were at conflict, and he feared the victory of matter over mind, inasmuch as a broiled venison steak was at that mo- ment the one thing lacking, without it Hfe was empty, and for it he would risk much. Could I help him, and did I think my scruples would affect my nerves and impair my proved, steady aim, and would I get into 42 TENT, ROD AND PEN. i V ■ Bill's boat and g-o up the river at once and be ready to " shine" down when dark set in, and bring meat ere he died? Certainly I would, with pleasure, alloyed, how- ever, with misgivings that this was but another of my friend's facetious ways of taking the stranger in and affording him entertainment. On the way up, I learned from the guide much res- pecting deer hunting, and how, between the hounds and the bullets of the swarming pot-hunters on one side and the fangs of the scouring wolves on the other, industriously at work day and night, in season and out of season, the poor deer were even then on the high road to extermination. The practice of "shining" deer is, alas, too common wherever they are found and the conditions of streams or lakes occurring in the dis- trict are favorable to its employment. In brief, and speaking generally, " shining" is accomplished by plac- ing a strong, forward-thrown light in the bow, beneath and behind which the hunter, sitting in shadow, directs his aim by the fascinated eyes of the game towards which the steersman's silent paddle is propelling the craft. It is resorted to, usually, in the closed summer season, when the deer seek the water to rid themselves of flies, is a nefarious practice at best, and we justified ourselves ini the use of it by the immunity granted in game laws to hunters in extremis and forest-rovers providing for the family larder. Having reached our objective point some miles above camp, we waited till dark, lit our "jack," and shoved off into the night ; not even a whisper or move- ment in the boat being permitted as we glided like a phantom with the current, along which Bill's silent pad- dle guided our unerring way. We passed the first stretch AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. 43 I of smooth water, but only silence absolute and deep fell on our straining ears. Then a thrilling run of rapid and pool, dodging under and around the overhangiiig " sweepers" grimly threatening catastrophe, brought us to the next "reach," over which we had about passed w hen we heard the splashing in the rushes for which wo had been so eagerly listening ;but too late, as it was useless to turn back and attempt a successful approach up current. Again we scurried through a bit of swift water where the vigilance of the steersman must be more keenly alert, and the attention of the rifleman may be diverted to the panorama whizzing, by, and the fantastic dance of light and shadow among the trees on either bank, and on the water stretching in a molten flood before ; then into another likely '* cover," which also " drew blank ;" a final slide, and, almost be- fore one might realize it, our six-mile run was over, and we were slowing up where the flare of our "jack" was nodding to the welcome of the camp-fire, and were stepping ashore, empty-handed, to condole with the dis- appointed Professor, and persuade him to try his luck. Tliis he did the next night; and for four consecutive nights did we, alternately, make the trip, with no better luck; and the tantilization of the ftast deferred waxed great with our whetted appetite, but the longed-for realization w'aned wath our fading hopes. It is the unattainable we ever desire; and though our refrigerator was kept full of fresh fish, and we had large supplies of hard-tack, condensed milk, and other such back-woods luxuries, the moon we sighed lor frisked just beyond reach. The situation was desper- ate and off-chances must be taken, so a foray down river by daylight was decidedi on, and Bill and I again 44 TENT, ROD AND PEN. were elected to go as the foraging party. We slipped off after breakfast, with the good wishes of the two left behind and the smiles of the morning sun beckon- ing us on before, alert and eager for achievement; but beyond going ashore to inspect an ingenious contriv- ance put up by an Indian hunter for smoking his ganif', and, again, to see the work of beavers in cutting down trees for their dam-building operations, the trip was uneventful; and, having run some ten miles, we decided to put back. The Chinaman is said to have defined toboganning as : — " F)iz-z-z-z— Walkee-back-a-milee ;" the moralist draws useful lessons from the difference between slip- ping down hill and slowly regaining the lost ground; and on a fishing river it makes all the difference whether one is usiii^^ a paddle or a pole — to the one so doing. As for me, having given up the hope of getting meat, and the necessity for doing anything not being apparent, I stretched full length in the bottom of the boat and proceeded to do nothing most sedulously all the way back — simply live. Thus engaged, the top of a high bluff we were nearing came within my line of half-awake vision, when I was startled into a fully aroused condition by seeing what looked like a large calf come skipping up to the edge and look over, a hundred yards or so away. " Deer," remarked Bill, quietly. " Think you can hit it so far away f* I dassent try to git any nearer."' "Well! ril have a crack at it, anyway !" " All rieht, I'll steady her agin th' bank. Now keep—" The well-meant advice was cut short in the impa- tient ring of the first shot of the kind I had ever fired, AT HOME WITH THE GREY LADY. 45 which, through the smoke, I could see, with pardonable elation, had taken effect; and it only required Bill's hearty ''Well done, good shot, you've got him, sure!" to make the satisfaction complete. WeJ put ashore, found the slain deer fairly and s(|uarely hit, prepared it for transport, dragged it down the bank and into the boat and made for the beleaguered camp, where we were welcomed in hearty and substantial fashion fitting the occasion. If our feasting lacked the vigour and thoroughness of our more savage brothers celebrating such functions, we certainly tested our guides' skill as caterers; and the taste of those grills and roasts, and the smell of their preparing, are among the memories that abide with us of our sojourn in the domain c. the Grey Lady. ( All too soon these golden days of idyllic delight r.re counted „off, and the Jast one is reached, the last fly cast, and the last meal eaten in our " Camp Lazy," which we shift that night a mile or so up stream, where we are to be met in the morning by a lumber team, and thus jirosaically toted back to civilization and store clothes. We had that night practical demonstration of the need for great care being exercised in selecting camping ground in a timber country; for there fell upon our taut canvas roof such a shower of rain, and there roared about our walls such a storm of lightning, thunder and wind as one meets with but rarely; and, when we sat upon the top of our baggage piled on the great lumber waggon which carried our whole party — boats and all — and wound our way out of the woods among the giant trees that lay prostrated in every di- rection, some torn bodily up by the roots, others snapped off like broken pipe stems, ,we appreciated 46 TENT, ROD AND PEN. the sagacity that instinctively leads trained experience to pitch a tent so as to quard against such ever-present danger. After some six hours of this laborious, dromedary- like method of travel, our weary, unshorn, sunburned, fly-bitten persons, and battered belongings, were un- loaded at the country inn from which we had started, and wc were contemplating the pictures of ourselves reflected in the little chamber looking-glass. Unat- tractive at best, the most partial critic might well shrink from faithful description, and we fled the sight and sought the remedial possibilities of dressing-case and valise, ^nd the consolatory evidence of the platform scale, which showed a gain of five pounds each in our weights. The next morning we bade farewell to our trusty squires, who were waiting to see us off in the early train which was td carry us the first part of our long journey of eleven hours to my comrade's home, where delightful hospitality tallies so with inclination that one needs no pressing to linger and enjoy, and the days pass. These, too, must end, and the daily grind be taken up, and the twenty-fifth day since this was sus- pended finds me again in., harness after nearly 2,000 miles of travelling to and from the quest on which I was bound, with a few beaver chips and a deerskin as evidences of success. But if these bcj all, then were it barren indeed, ajid the writing and reading of these chronicles a fruitless task ! IN JEWELLED GOWN SHE SILVERY LURES. " And here is a hearty draught to you, and to all the Brothers of the Angle, wheresoever, they be, . . and to all that love us, and the honest art of Angling . . for I love any discourse of rivers, and fish and fishing." , IF, perhaps, unmindful, or unknowing, of the strict letter, there ,is no doubt of the complete assimilation by later-day " Brothers of the Angle " of the whole- some sentiment of the Master's time-honored toast. Indeed, it was in pursuance of the implied injunction of the closing portion that a little knot of them were engaged, one summer afternoon, on the balcony of the Sea- View, at Macnider, just as they had been on every convenient occasion since Fortune had so kindly brought them together. Therel was the I General, who had hunted and fished in every corner of the world, mtc which it was popularly understood he had sprung, like a great forerunner, fully armed, and had been accumu- lating impedimenta ever since. Then, the Veteran, who had caught salmon, not to speak of trout, in greater num- bers and for longer years than he cared to remember, in all their most favored haunts. The Philosopher and the Scribe were there, too, absorbing knowledge from the lips of the Elders; while the unlearned and unnamed Neophytes simply wondered at and envied the capacity for absorption, and the skill displayed in the unfolding of the Book of Wisdom. 48 TENT, ROD AND PEN. As we sat and talked, tlie eyes of all swept over the noble expanse of shininiering bine spreading from the cliff-foot North, East and West, and fcjund no resting, save upon what seemed a bank of clouds faintly seen through the haze of the northern horizon, where lie the Hills of Mystery and Desire. We spoke with diffidence of our early yearnings and later resolve to visit and explore, and disclosed a half-formed project to hire Sandy's schooner, gather a following and make a descent in force forthwith and settle once for all the nature of those wonderful trout he was ever dangling like an Tgnis-Fatuus before our mind's eye. The Veteran heard with the tolerance of years for youth, but without enthusiasm; declared he wanted no "wet sheets" or "flowing seas," nor "a wind that follows fast," either, when he went fishing; expressed a decided pre- ference for Pullman conveyance in which to reach, and dry beds, comfortable boats, and good men to enable you to enjoy your fishing when you got to it. As we silently watched him deftly and artistically putting the finishing touches on a fly he had been making for our instruction, we thought with ill-suppressed envy of the private preserve which made it possible for our friend to indulge his taste in such happy way, when, as if answering our thought-suggestion, he spoke again : — " Now, look here, you, Philosopher and Scribe, what's tlie use of wasting your time and taking such trouble and risk going forty miles to the North-Shore for a few trout when there's my water on the Bale des Chalejirs lying idle. It's ,too late for salmon, but there'a lots of trout, and big ones too, and you're wel- come to all you can take. I'll give you a letter to Peter, who'll look after you on the water, while his wife IN JEWELLED GOWN SHE SILVERY LURES. 49 will attend to your comfortable lodging ashore! Wl»ai do you say ?" What was there to say, or do, but to try .to express our thank's as best we could and arrange the time of starting to suit train and steamer schedules? But, when all this had been done, it wasi found that a sudden in- disposition would prevent the Philosopher from going! What now to do ? Play Hamlet minus the title role, or close the doors — go alone or stay at home? The theatre-bred, accustomed to the stimulant of crowds, might demand tliQ one, but "The Contemplative Man's Recreation" is independent of extraneous stay; and its votaries, failing in better, are quite content alone in their own good company — hence the Scribe's un- hesitating choice. I find myself, therefore, in light marching order, with handbag and fishing tackle, on the platform of the little station at Macnider waiting for the down train, which soon whirls us ofY; now plunging into the gloom of interminable snow-sheds, and again emerging into the shimmer and sparkle of that noble sheet of water, Lake Metapedia. We slip for miles along its shores till the road dives into and burrows its serpentine way through the gorge of the Metapedia Valley, along the clifY-shadowed banks of the smiling river of the same name — the forest-children's higTTway across the inhos- pitable wilds of that portion of the Gaspe Peninsula and utilized by civilized men in building the now dis- used " Government road" on the other shore, whose broken-down bridges and grass-grown track we catch glimpses of as the superseding train flashes swiftly by. A foretaste of delight and a spur to appetite is afforded at the sight of a couple of local, business-like " fisher- ■ww"n irwuwn BS*iaj4»i(»«4*"^vft^ >.-v;j>.''"" -I'-fti.. ■MHMI TENT, ROD AND PEN. men" lugging on board at a way station a magnificent string of fine trout, the spoil of this well-known river; and, again, at the mouth, where the other celebrated stream, tlic Restigouche, joins and forms one of the finest salmon preserves extant, we get passing sight of the luxurious quarters, of the fortunate owners. We are hurried on to the seaside port of Ualliousie and at once go aboard the little steamer " Admiral," lying at her dock ready to start at daybreak. On waking, we find that we are well on our way down the 7)V«>, skirting the North shore and dropping freight and i)assengers at stated points into the great scows that have put out and serve as lighters in lieu of wharves. Our turn comes and we are dropped with other freight into the yawning depths; the long sweeps are got out and our unwieldy craft is slowly urged to the not distant shore, which we reach at last with an appetite as keen as our impatience at the delay. The gossip of mine host, and the more cheering fare of his wayside inn, serve to pass the time while con- veyance to Peter's is being arranged and got ready; and a stout team with a monosyllabic driver is pre- sently bearing) us towards our goal some miles up- river. Here, news of our coming having prece is, our welcome was warm and cheery. Peter V vvas temporarily absent, but our hostess's kii o over- looked nothing; rest and refreshment being, preferred, and substitutes for Peter and his boy in the canoe as- sured for the afternoon's fishing, the interval is utilized in taking stock of our surroundings. The house is perched on a little blufif at a sharp bend of the stream, overlooking one of the best salmon pools on the river, and is but one of a number strung IN JEWELLED GOWN SHE SILVERY LURES. 51 like beads along the road leading from the sea to vice- royalty's quarters on the edge of the wild. Each household is interested in the sport of salmon fishing, through supplying p(jlers, cantx^s, produce, etc., to the anglers, who secure accommodation by temporary en- gagement, periodical lease, or purchase outright, of lodges and fishing rights. Here, surely, a royal sjiort may be fittingly .enjoyed in luxurious ease, with care removed and inconveni- ence refined away ! The monarch steps down to a waiting barge moored to the bank belovV his lodge, seats himself in the low armchair in the centre, nods to his henchmen — who sit to paddle or stand to pole, one. at either end — and is steered, or pushed, down stream or up as fancy directs. His robes may not be very imposing, and his crown but a shapeless mass of felt; but his rod of office is of the best workmanship, his. tobacco or cigar of courtly flavor, and his all-end^racing smile of satisfaction and litter content a thing the biggest king of them all niay envy and vainly hope for till " crowns and kingdoms perish." Royalty and vice-royalty come here seeking that which courts and high places ill afTord; men of state and men of affairs gladly drop the weightiest mat- ter if they may but come and kiss the hem of the Jewel- led Gown; and the palace-dweller turns his back upon the tinselled pomp and glitter, hurries leagues upon leagues to the little, unpainted, wooden lodge, well con- tent if in his short stay he may catch but the glint of the Silvery Lure of the tantalizing Sprite flitting by wood and stream. Meanwhile the matter of fact Alfred and Tom are waiting the pleasure of the every-day-young-man, and ,i'JiOiMSJSii'ai^iJS..*i\^. /I 52 TENT, ROD AND PEN. we put off at once upon the; water. A first glance es- tablishes the necessity of heeding the Master's maxim, now become a truism : — " fish fine and far-off ;" for except in the deep, sluggish, level reaches, where fish are not usually caught, the river flows in a succession of pool and rapid over a clean, gravelly bed. and the water is remarkably clear even at great depth. We met with but fair luck, enough, however, to whet ap petite and put one in a, humor to enjoy the house- wamiing to which Alfred invited me that evening. This was enlivened by the strains of the country fid- dlers, brougiit over the hills " at great trouble and ex- pense ;" the presence of some of the anglers from neigh- boring lodges, together with a goodly supply of lemons and other Juices from their stores; and the vigorous efforts of the beamingv dancers to test the stability of Alfred's new frame house, which they persevered in till well into the dawn. The next morning brought to me the first fair view of the silvery lure of the Jewelled Gown; for, having shifted our scene of operations, we seemed to have better luck in the new pools; and the reel sang merrily, as, anchored at the head of a little rapid, we cast into the pool below,, and the silver flashes came at us singly, in pairs, and would no doubt have come in greater number had we offered more inducements in the way of flies. That two were enough, was soon shown when I got a lively trout, fresh in from the sea, of two and a half pounds, and another of one and a half, at once, on a light line and cast, at the end of an eight-ounce bamboo rod and tried to hold and land them in the swirl of the tumbling rapid. By careful handling of rod, landing-net, and canoe, we managed, between us, IN JEWELLED GOWN SHE SILVERY LURES. 53 to bring- up all standing with cargo safe; and while fill- ing up — pipes understood — we had opportunity to study and praise. The speckled trout of the brooks and lakes is a sin- gularly beautiful fish; the Michigan Grayling is unique in its dainty, delicate dress; but a fresh run sea-trout, lusty, fiery, and strong, having the characteristics of the lake trout, but with fainter markings and dimmer spots, and the added charm of the sheen that flashes from its silver coat, is, to me, the acme of piscatorial beauty. As a sport-afifording, gamey fish, when found fairly numer- ous and large, in ideal conditions for taking, there are few if any to compare; and even your veteran ^almon- fisher, after a long day swinging a heavy, two-handed rod without result, may be induced to admit that an hour's play with a newly-run school of one to five- pound sea-trout is " not half bad." Rain now interefered vvith the comfort of, ' f it did not entirely interrupt, the fishing, but the next evening Noah's bow of promise was once again displayed to cheer and encourage; and, as if to be more emphatic, it was this time doubled, and the glorious spectacle sweeping across the sky in broad arches whose bases were the eternal hills about us, lit by the last beams of the sun sinking behind the Western range facing our door, is in memory yet. The next day an early start was made up-river, with Peter and Richard polin.cf; partly to cnjov a leisurely trifling with the fishing in the pools controlled by our Veteran host and the proflfered hospitality of a neigh- boring angler-friend at a midday dinner by the way, but largely to simply explore the charms of this untried new world of stream, mountain and wood basking in 54 TENT, ROD AND PEN. glorious sunshine. The sturdy polers made short work of swift current and boiling rapid; and at one place, where a considerable actual fall is encountered, and appears to bar the way, I was astounded to see them make straight at it, and, by surprisingly skilful manoevring of the poles, the canoe was actually forced up and through the foaming water, and almost before one could draw second breath was floating in the calm, level stretch above. Here, we shortly turn and start on our long, dreamy, flight back, wherein poles are discarded and paddles but little used, except for steer- ing; the rod is scarcely heeded, and the pipe allowed to go out; all tension is relaxed in body and brain; thought and speech are quiescent and dumb. The witchery of the river is upon and about us, entering in and taking possession of our very being; its musical laugh is rippling in our ears; its seductive allurements are dancing before our eyes ; the perfume of its breath is stealing over our senses; and we drift unheeding of the fleeing hours, and the shadows lengthen, and the dusk falls, and — we are floating in the pool below Peter's house ! A suspicious splash, followed by the widening tell- tale circles, arouses all the dormant passion of con- quest. A tempting "white miller" is slipped on the cast and profTered as a feeler, with most taking success, and for half an hour the pool resounds to the splashing of the captives that are gathered in, till darkness and satiety combined intervene with a stay of proceedings, and we go ashore for supper. I have studied good old Isaak Walton's recipes for cooking a Trout, and have tasted Johnny's accomplish- ments in that line with the aid of a frying-pan and IN JEWELLED GOWN SHE SILVERY LURES. 55 some bacon, and have found them good; I have es- sayed the achievements of the Windsor's chef and found that fancy sauces and imposing names cannot redeem indififerent material or make stale trout fresh; but I take off my hat to the memory of that freshly-caught boiled sea-trout, served with q%% sauce, the good lady of the house placed, smoking hot, on the supper table that groaned in pitying asides at the clumsy compliments the grateful fisherman showered upon the embarrassed cuisviicre ! Not even ambrosial delights in the Temples of the Gods may long detain mere mortals yet fettered to grosser things; and the time arrives when one must pack up and hie away to labor. It is arranged that Peter shall take me down in the canoe as the more plea- sant way of reaching the sea shore, where connection with the steamer will be made ; and, accordingly, next morning, we bade farewell to our kind friends, feeling that even the Master with his boon companions and pupils might be well content with mine hostess's speeding of the parting guest and the modest reckon- ing of the charge. We drift leisurely with the easy glide of the current, which flows more sluggishly as we approach deep tidal water, and soon catch sight of the blue sea at the mouth of the river. Reaching this, we have still quite a run across a deep bay where the sea breeze has full sweep; but, notwithstanding this raises quite a swell, the little canoe rides like a gull, and, obedient to Peters steady urging — reinforced by some shaky paddling of my own — is shortly floating in smooth water by the little pier of the fishing station on the beach. Here we find store of ice and skilled hands to properly pack 56 TENT, ROD AND PEN. the fish we had reserved to bring home, and we adjourn to the snug quarters of the store-keeper to wait for the steamer and enjoy a gossip along with his proffered hospitaHty. His quaint originaUty and shrewd com- menting on men and things were as entertaining as the talk of his wonderful cancer cure and evidences of its operation were amazing; while his truly enchanting, old-fashioned garden, filled with quaint Hollyhocks, Sweet Williams, Marigolds, Monk's-hoods, Phloxes, and other species, unknown and forgotten in these hot-house days, all arranged with care and taste along pebble-paved, picket-bordered walks, was like a peep into Fairyland, and remains an abiding assurance that one may catch many things beside fish if one only wishes and keeps one's eyes open when going "a-fish- ing." At long last, the smoke of the steamer is seen round the point, and, with a hearty hand-grip to Peter, and a word of kindly farewell to our Genie of the Enchanted Garden, we are off in the scow and, in time, aboard. As we stand on deck watching the vanishing point of the beach and the widening stretch of blue between, there comes the thought of those who "go down to the sea in ships," or are occupied in labor by its moody shores ; of those who live the free life of the forest and camp by the running stream; of Johnny, and Bill, and Peter, each different in character, yet each typifying traits developed by the subtle spirit of out-o'-doors ; of the Great Teacher who chose His disciples from among just such men, and found them not wanting; of the hale spirit of " The Compleat Angler," sweetened and made lovable in the practice of his "gentle art;" and there comes, too, the wish to leave as parting fare- 'I IN JEWELLED GOWN SHE SILVERY LURES. 57 well to those who have companied thus far in these wan- derings, a line from his Creed : — '* . . the blessing of St. Peter's Master be . . upon all that are lovers of virtue, and dare trust in His providence, and be quiet, and go a- Angling." THE ENCHANTir^G HILLS OF MYSTERY AND DESIRE, THERE IS TUCKED AWAY in some pigeon-hole of memory of most of us, however prosaic, a recollec- tion of some youthful aspiration, some desired achiev- ment, some longed for atttainment, that danced and flitted before our imagination ever luring us on to the uncertain and illusory path of accomplishment. To the boys of Macnider, the distant hills of the Laurentians, hazily seen even on clear days across the in- tervening miles of blue sea between, loomed large with promise, their skies shone fair with hope, and their streams sang joyously to the dance of the leaping trout as none other. The " North-shore" lured them as the great unknown, big with wonder and discovery, has ever tempted. But there was no Isabella to pa.wn jewels and equip ships, and there certainly was power- ful influence to restrain impetuous mariners from ven- turing so far on their "long, low, rakish crafts" im- provised from the left-over planks of Sandy's schooner- building operations. And when we had attained the dignity of a " flat," the veto power still held, and the injunction: "not to pass the 'point rocks'" was rigor- ously maintained. And, even when in course of time Sandy's schooner was finally completed and floated like a sea-pigeon preening itself in the crystal mirror of the bay, the admired of dozens of pairs of envious eyes, and Sandy magnanimously offered to take a load of their owners direct to the promised land, there was still the THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 59 passage-money — which Sandy vowed was " fur naw- thin' " — and our parents' permission to be secured at one and the same time. Then it was we tasted the bit- terness of hope deferred, and, in our small way, felt the humiliation of Columbus going a-begging among the Courts of Europe on a question of ways and means, and entered, in a measure, into his feelings when he heard the stern and decisive " No!" The Boy, however, soon grew into man's assertive- ness and opportunity, and, by hire or purchase, achiev- ed the yacht or yawl that should realize his youthful dreams ; some of him, alas, but to find the sailor's death amid the treacherous shoals and currents and sudden storms that banish delight from those inhos- pitable shores. The Doctor was ever one of the most ardent and venturesome, and took long to mature his plans; but when, prior to his last summer's outing at Macnider, he proudly displayed certain Admiralty charts, nautical instruments, tackle and arms, it was surmised by the more cautious Scribe that something was in the wind and might be in the water before long. We were not long in doubt what he was about in the far-away regions of the Gulf where he had betaken himself, for a tele- gram reached us at Macnider to the effect that a fast and safe yacht had been purchased, an experienced pilot secured, and that even now the impetuous owner was on his way up and desired the Scribe to secure the presence of The Infant and Don Carlos, together with the more important items of tent, blankets, camp out- fit and provisions, all to be on the beach ready to be put aboard on the arrival of the Commodore, where- upon we should immediately set out for a cruise to the 60 TENT, ROD AND PEN. " North-Shore," where we should camp and sail, shoot ducks and porpoises, catch trout, and — speak it with awe — perhaps a salmon ! Here was a lengthy pro- gramme at short notice, truly ; but the long anticipated joys of landing a salmon and seeing Eldorado at the same time stirred, up the Scribe at once to action. There are, however, considerations of business and wives and boys of their own that weigh with the now Old-Boy. The Don pleaded business and the general Tomphool notion of the whole thing, and promptly declined. The Infant concluded his patients could wait a few days — we said they'd be glad to — and, as the expedition lacked ballast, thought he'd better go. The Scribe founcl no insurmountable objections in any of these respects, and, having in mind the gastronomic needs of a ship's company, and his peculiar adapt- ability to meet them, had, philanthropically, about de- cided to take the cook's chances of voyage, ship, and crew as a fair risk, when the Commodore^ hove in sight through the fog, pitched his anchor ashore, and followed it himself, demanding if we were ready to start ! Now, it is permitted even to a Jason or a Nan- sen time to fit out, and the intrepid navigator was per- suaded to allow at least twelve hours for this, and to start by daylight. This found us ready and determined, notwithstanding the Don's dismal prognostications of disaster; but, as we had seen him in close conference with Cannnelle on the river while pretending to be fishing, and knew Cammelle' s pessimistic views res- pecting foolhardy, amateur sailors and cranky sail boats already, we preferred the quiet assurance conveyed in the wink of our pilot Louis' twinkling eye, and cast off amid the rather subdued farewells of families and THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 61 friends, and pointed straight out as close to a fair Nor'- East breeze as we could win. This assurance was com- pleted as, when fairly .started, we watched Louis' business-like handlinjj^ of chart and compass, the cal- culating? and laying of our 45-niile course to our un- seen destination, and his emphatic declaration of his ability to sail the boat alone and go to Anticosti if need be, though admitting the evident advantages of deck and cabin for comfort and added security. Though the wind held fair, and we bowled along at a 5-knot gait, certain ominous signs presented them- selves, which one of our Medicos felt it to be his duty to go forward and investigate; and from the ensuing sounds the Cook was of opinion that a storm was ris- ing. He was about to anxiously apostrophise ''the Pilot" respecting " danger on the deep," when his glance fell upon this worthy as he sat in careless ease with his hand on the tiller, his pipe in one side of his mouth, and an incomplete grin on the other, and he refrained. The callousi and indifferent attitude of our other Medico to the troubles of a confrere struck with the hard plunk of ai winged duck, scattering and shat- tering a layman's innoculated respect for the camara- derie of the Profession, and the Cook sat and smoked and thought and wondered where the wisdom of pay- ing any more of his hard-earned dimes to the Hospital to cure him of a sore head after shore leave when two of its most brilliant attendants were impotent and sub- dued before a little Mal-de-nier ! The rapidly nearing shores took form, and Louis proudly pointed out the cluster of hou?es — the only ones for miles either way — which marked the entrance of the river for which he had been making in one straight 62 TENT, ROD AND PEN, run for half the clay, and remarked : " dat where I pro- mise' to bring you, and dere you arc !" Our confi- dence in his skill was confirmed as we watched him dodge the shoals and sandbars bordering the channel, which he made with ease, and we swept in on the swells into smooth water and rounded under the sterns of two Gulf fishing smacks anchored in the quiet bay. We and our baggage were soon ashore aud the camping ground selected. The tent was pitched, beds were made, a fire started, and supper prepared and eaten with the rapidity and Ccusc of old cam]:)aigners in good time to allow of the usual camp-fire pipe before turn- ing in for the night. It might bo supposed that a "jy^y wall tent would afford but inadequate accommodation for four men and their baggage. But if our six-footer sighed for more room he liad at least enough to ensure that his many feet came well inside the tent flap, and we half- raters took what was left without a sigh for the luxury (?) of our late seaside quarters; and, drowsily adapting the mariner's prayer; "Lord, have pity on those poor folks in the hotel nd^v," we surrendered to the soothing benisons of the chant of the lapping tide, the crojn of the pine-scented shore breeze, and the pervading and absolute peace surrounding our little hold, unshared by intruder and sentinelled only by the sleepless stars. Thus fended, we resigned ourselves, trustfully and care-free, to the benign ministry of Nature's own nurse, Sleep. So may it be when we meet the Cowled Sister as we camp by the other river, and our fears, born of the hospital and the charnel-house, fiee and are gone as she folds our passive hands and leaves us sleeping iriiMiikilH <*»■ THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 63 with the chaste kiss of peace upon our fixed and serene brows ! Our tent door faced the East, and the slanting beams of the early niorninpf sun, reflected from the blue tide now at its full, awoke us to the actualities and pos- sibilities of a glorious new day. Our glance swept around from the little point where we were encamped, formed by the river on the right, and the deep bay to our left, where three white porpoises were sporting within stone's throw of the shore that for miles East and West shelved precipitously to the sea. The tree- crowned bluffs were unbroken by building of any kind, save where the few fishermen's cots clung to the sand- bank shared with them by the telegraph station, and the little chapel used only in the infrequent visits of the missionary priest in his journeyings along the coast by pilot boat or dog-team, and the desolate beauty of it all was charming. The more prosaic thought oc- curred, however, that it was the last day of legal sal- mon-fishing and that our obtaining the privilege of permission to try the doubtful chances of capturing a belated wanderer of the tribe depended upon the good- will of the guardian of absent owners' rights. As our tackle consisted only of light bamboo trout rods, and their accompanying fly-books could not show half a dozen salmon flies among them; and, moreover, as trout fishing privileges are in general free'y accorded to accredited anglers, we thought that our ambition to score one salmon out of the hundreds already taken might, under all the circumstances, be reasonably facil- itated. Much to our regret, we found the keeper of the keys absent down the coast and not expected back for some days; but assuming the tacit permission of his 64 TENT, ROD AND PEN. letainers as a gracious invitation to enter the open gateway, we enlisted one of them as guide to the un- known land of many dreams. We left Louis in camp to do some needed minor repairs and stepped into the waiting canoe to be ferried across to the point whore we should begin what we supposed would be a few minutes' walk to the Unknown to which we were being lured. Oh, those miles through hot sand where the sun beat mercilessly, and those hills that extracted perspi- ration and breath so ruthlessly, and the weariness and the thirst only aggravated as we glanced in passing at the restful luxury of the barred and deserted fishing- camp and the evidences of thirst assuaged scattered all about ! The added discovery that we had brought no lunch did not, however, deter us, and we still pushed on till the welcome sound of the " chute" and the sight of an ideal pool at its base dispelled all fatigue and roused us to our opportunity. The Commodore and the Cook soon had their bamboos rigged with the likeliest trout cast the united experience of fisherman and guide could suggest; while the Ballast betook himself and the gun — with which he had immortalized himself by bringing down a duck on the way over — to the sha- dow of the friendliest rock he could find in that weary land of great rocks. The conditions of blazing sun and hot weather were not such as to invite success, and we met with indiffer- ent measure of it. The easily satisfied Commodore soon resigned his rod to the wiling hands of the gmde, professing to prefer taking lessons to fishing himself; but the Cook, despite a splitting headache, vowed he THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 65 would stick to tlie panic so long as it followed and adhered to the lines laid down by him, and the results were ten or a dozen trout runninp^ from half a pound to two pounds weight. Suddenly a sountling spla>^h almost at his feet caused the writer to turn a glance of enquiry, which fell upon the excited half-breed guide gesticulating and pointing to where his line cut through the water of the pool impelled by an, as yet, unseen motor. His yell of delight: — *' utic belle sau- mon " — was heard above the roar of the falls, and we gathered around intent unon the question propounded by the bald-headed man's friends: "what will he do with it?" Tliat this might soon be resolved into: " what will it do with him?" was evident as we saw the line swing towards the head of the rapid below, and the vain effort of the fisherman to overcome with his light tackle the weight of fish and swirling water. The fish was swept with a rush into the pool below, and the man, quickly following along the bank, soon had him drawn into a quiet comer, where he checked him till the net was brought and a hasty consultation held as to the best way of landing him. Obviously, the owner of the rod should have assumed his right and the guide his duty; but both the Medicos declined to assume respon- sibility in such an unaccustomed operation and passed it over to the Cook as more in his butchering line. He, nothing loath, rose to the situation on top of the rock where the guide was perched and took the rod, leaving the other free to handle the net which, with true professional ease and skill, was swiftly slipped under the now subdued fish and he was lifted out on the bank. The triumph was not spoiled by the diminutive size of the captive — which proved to be a small salmon of 66 TENT, ROD AND PEN. about five pounds weight — but the Cook yearned for the thrill of a capture wholly his own, and returned to his stand by the pool where, from certain signs he had observed, he hoped this might yet be* effected. A few casts evoked a reponse that his experience of trout- fishing entirely failed to account for; but the whispered comment of the guide who came running up with : " saumon, m's'sieu ! rest t'ree minute !" fully explained it. Tlie suggestion being acted on, the guide further remarked : " if you 'av 'Jock Scott' you ketch um sur? ;" but, so far as appeared, "Joek" not being of the present company, we concluded we must perforce submit to the implied alternative, when the guide's eyes fell on the fly-book, and he pounced with a cry of delight on a solitary fly hidden awav in a corner. In a jiffy he had the tail fly of the cast off and the exchange made, and with a satisfied smile he bade me " try * Jock Scott,' you see !" I did try what I now gathered was "Jock Scott," and we did see, in less time than it takes to tell it, a flash of silver darting through the pool in "Jock's" direction. The fly disappeared in the unmis- takable manner that follows a sure rise; the strike was fortunate and timely made; and the supreme moment, long anticipated and hoped for by the angler, when he should be fast hooked to a salmon risen to a fly cast by himself, was now upon him. He had read and been told of such moments; had just assisted in landing the first he had ever seen caught; but this was a sen- sation unuiistakably new, and it must be enjoyed to the full. Although it was soon evident that the captive was a small fish, the fact that inexperience and light trout tackle were pitted against one of the kingliest of game «r- THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 67 fish — albeit only a princeling — in a little pool at the head of a boiling rapid, gave the odds largely in favor of the fish. The excited spectators kindly refrained even from giving advice, but silently and intently watched the struggle of the angler to keep his fish in the comparatively quiet pool, fearful that the intense strain would prove too much for the tackle, and the fish either break away or be swept down into 'the froth- ing cauldron below, where the chance of landing was slight. Steadily but cautiously the tackle was strained to the limit of endurance,, and the battle forced away from the brink of the "chute" into the deeper pool above. Now a leap clean out of the water allowed a few feet of line to /be quickly reeled in, only to be re- signed inch by inch as the fish bored his way to the bottom of the pool, whence the relentless spring of the bent rod would again draw the struggling captive nearer and nearer to doom at the hands 'of the alert and eager guide, who waited, net in poise — in default of gaff — for the proper moment to strike. The angler was now conscious of having the mastery, but fearful of the strength of his tackle, hastened to end the fight. A final leap — a last dive — and the fish was yielding to the remorseless strain of rod and reel. The line was slowly but surely gathered in, and the fish drawn within sight, then within reach, of the waiting net, which the skilful guide swept under him, and he was lifted out on to the shingle and mercifully despatclied with a blow on the head. Amid the uniteil congratulations of the party, the gaffing tribute was cheerfully yielded by the proud angler, whose deHght was, however, somewhat chastened by the throbs of the headache — forgotten during the struggle — and the thought of the hot, weary 68 TENT, ROD AND PEN. Smiles before him ere ease and sleep might be hoped for in the little tent by the sea -shore. We draw a veil of silence respecting the tedious ^ homeward tramp, and the remarks of the tramps by I the way; sufficing to say that the desired haven was reached at last, and the used-up Cook — neglectful of his duty, and taking time only to swallow the dose ad- misistered him by the commiserating medicus — flung himself down among the blankets,' seeking oblivion in sleep. He woke some two hours later with headache nearly gone, and his professional complacency wholly so, as, peeping under the tent door, he watched the rest of the party engaged in preparing a supper, to which he was soon invited, and compelled to acknowledge as — no, not better — but at least equal to anything his skill had hitherto evolved. Next morning, we awoke to find Louis scanning the hazy sky and shimmering water with an anxious mien that, under the circumstances of what appeared to us a charming day, seemed inexplicable; but his quiet re- mark: "tink we go back," we unquestioningly took as a command, and prepared to pack up and get off, as we: had no wish to be either becalmed or storm- stayed. We breakfasted, broke camp, loaded up, and were off by eight o'clock on our long, and, as it proved, miserable return voyage. How the sun beat on that long, two-hours' drift that K scarcely took us a mile from shore, it were well to for- get in the cheerful sound of the water falling away from the bows as we cut through the waves that quickly rose under a tidy breeze that suddenly followed the calm ! The helping breeze dropped as quickly as it came and left us pounding about in the cross-chops of the "Rond- THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 69 du-Mer" in mid-channel, almost out of sight of land on either shore; while old Neptune took toll of the cargo that some of the party were sure they had, this time, stowed away fast and safe. Then an ominous lowering to windward caused Louis to get into his oil- skins and shorten sail, while we prepared ourselves and our mackintoshes to receive what might come. It came — rain in sheets — borne on a squall that drove us ahead into the grey unknown where the compass alone pointed the way, which the melancholy tattoo of the rain- drops, beaten upon the taut canvas, did not serve to enliven. Presently, the wind left us to the pity of the fog! and rain; and, when the fog left us to the sole mercy of the rain, we saw through the drizzle the dim outlines of the nearing shore to which we were bound ; but our hearts fell when Louis informed us that the particular point of it he had hoped to reach was ten miles away, dead to windward, and that our only hope of making it was to take to the "wooden sails" and get closer in-shore within reach of a favoring evening shore-breeze! Here was exercise we had not bar- gained for; but, accepting our luck as philosophically as usual, we comforted ourselves, as we took turnst at the long sweeps, in the thought that it was at least warming to our chilled, wet skins. After a spell of this galley work — which seemed hours long — the shore breeze caught us from the favorable quarter, and we skimmed along in smooth water, close in, lit our pipes, and congratulated ourselves that we were well on the way for home and dry clothes, only to find the wind again fail us while yet some five miles from our des- tination ! " Get out tlie oars !" rang out the Commo- dore's command, in weak and liquid tones. But 70 TENT, ROD AND PEN. instead of the customary, ready "ay, ay, sir!" he was greeted with, " not much, we're going ashore to finish this cruise in a hay-cart !" Rank nuinity^ this, and provocative of dire penalty; but, fortunately, trouble was averted by Louis' cheerful announcement: "good breeze come!" which, sure enough, did, in liberal mea- sure; while the rain ceased and we made the best going of the day in a bee-line for the lighthouse at our harbor mouth. This we won with ease, tied up to our moor- ings just as dark was closing in, and hurried for shelter and dry clothing. The latter having been donned, a prescription not in his Pharmacopeia insisted upon by the Chief of Staff and taken with a little Havana flavor- ing, it was thought that the party were in a proper mood to be catechised by sympathetic friends respect- ing net results to show for time, trouble, and expense. When these were truthfully tabulated and announced as two salmon, twelve trout, ten plover and one duck, contempt broke forth in sarcasm or lurked in the curl of lip where words failed. What argument should pre- vail against such a point of view, or of what avail to lay bare the hidden things of the Craft, and the chas- tened joys we treasured as abiding memories of our trip, to the indifferent and uncomprehending Philis- tine? We, therefore, held our peace respecting these; and, as we viewed the white-capped, storm-tossed face of old St. Lawrence that for days held to the ill-humor we had so fortunats^ly escaped, we reflected, with the serenity of the initiated, that in pursuit of the delights promised all faithful votaries of our Cult there are off- setting trials which, rightly vie\ved,but serve to enhance the pleasures that far outweigh the pains. Thus re- flecting, we could not but believe that, even to the un- THE ENCHANTING HILLS OF MYSTERY. 71 tutored in the deep things of the Mystic Rite, there must come from their experience of Life a knowledge of its hard, uneven way; and we, allowed ourselves the hope, that, permitting themselves to come under the sway of the Brotherhood, tliey, too, might learn from the practice of its ritual to philosophically accept the rough with the smooth on every path, and find, after all, that, once trodden in this spirit, the way is not as rough as it appears at starting, and, the journey done, that the recollection of the smooth and easy travelling it affords alone remains. si s « ^ HIGH DAYS AND HOLIDAYS. HOW their memories come crowding as one stops a moment to think amid the whirl of work-a-day affairs! Halcyon Days, truly, clouded though some were, cold and wet others, yet all brimming with delights that cheer and hearten as they come trooping in review ! Shall we mark that as one of the dark days, Don Carlos, Thanksgiving Day, though it was, too, when you beguiled me from my first love, my lissome rod, and won me to a passing notice of your lusty-voiced, compelling gun? You remember, don't you, how the fates lured us to the Siren-haunted Islands of Lake St. Francis that autumn day? How cold it was in the early dawn when we went to meet the guides and boats that failed to keep their engagements? How tantalizing to see the ducks in great flocks at quite a safe distance? Did we not in desperation assail the boathouse-keeper's hold and despoil him of a craft wherein we loaded de- coys, guns, and our three shivering selves, and started on our independent, conquering way ? Wasn't the water cold as it splashed over us and froze in falling, and weren't you mad enough to blow the whole flock of decoys we had set out so carefully and so painfully into little bits because in their wooden perverseness they wouldn't decoy at all ? And then that poor, lone straggler we almost ran down, and each fired two barrels at ! It was a very dead duck, of course, and I remem- ber both you and William each insisted you had killed it, while I never once doubted, and still think, mine HIGH DAYS AND HOLIDAYS. 73 was the fatal shot. Let it pass, however, and perish, too, the recollection of his funeral expenses, for the memory of that duck is very dear. A very different kind of day was that Dominion Day when Mac, having fired my imagination with glowing tales of the; wondrous bass-fishing to be had in these same waters, persuaded me to re-visit them under other conditions. One great difference was some loo de- grees of temperature, but in results there was little to choose, though we had an experienced guide, a good boat, lots of "bait," and fine weather. The fish were there, that I know, because Mac caught one — about as big as his hand — and we had a fine day's fishing, though we got no more fish. There's nothing truer to the appreciative mind than that the fish arel the least part of the fishing. Did we not have a glorious outing under the bluest of skies upon the fairest of waters within sound of the voice of the great Giant of the North, that became a roar as our boat shot through the swirl and foam of the rapid where he turned and tossed in his narrow, rocky bed ? And music, too, of the sweetest and best, from nature's own choristers. I never heard such a storm of sweet sounds as the birds gave us that day as we lay at anchor in the swift current that swept past their island aviary. Even if one were versed in bird lore, which I am not, it were scarcely possible to distinguish the parts of the different singers, but as true artists they poured forth their melodious notes in a burst of rapturous music that was a revela- tion to me; for it is a curious fact that in the heart of the wild woods, where my way has mostly led me, there is a solemn and oppressive stillness, broken only by the 6 ' V r ( 74 TENT, ROD AND PEN. foot-fall or rattle of wheel on the rough bush road, and a singing bird is a rara avis indeed. 1 Those were days to be marked with an exclamation point, when, in the long ago, the Seigneur invited me and his other friend, the China man — not so named because he is a Chinaman, or a\ man of china, but as short for " Man-in-the-China-tea-trade," — to accom- pany him on one of his infrequent visits to stir up his distant and procrastinating censitaires and incidentally to enjoy some trout fishing in his domain. It is a typi- cal French-Canadian fishing settlement and dates from the days of the French Regime, when it was raided by the British in one of their ascents up the river. Our mode of reaching it was by courtesy of the steamship line stopping their boat to land us in the waiting fish- ing smack arranged for weeks before. This uncertamty was only surpassed by that of our getting away, when we lay outside the harbor all night in the same open, fish-smelling boat, with the rolling swell and the blow- ing of the grumpus about^ us in the fog as a lullaby, and the fear of the steamer passing us as an antidote to keep us awake. We had novel experiences among primitive folk, watched the fleet go and return with the toll of the sea; saw the cod in its various stages of fresh to salted, and smelt the smells compared to which those of famed Cologne would seem as of " Araby the blest." We got trout, too, as the record and memory tell, but, alas, as so often happens to fishermen, the biggest was lost ! It may not be charged, however, in this instance, that " one can't lose what one never had," for we certainly had this one, as he seems now, without actual scale register, of a great fit§fllflifiiilfiui0ifm*^ »■ I myi m m%\im im»mf'