longer "master of the situation," he was as indig nant as was Balaam when his poor beast refused to do his bidding. But the perplexities of fire-kindling in the woods after a rain storm, like other human ills, always have an ending. Very soon a glowing log-heap rendered our selected camping ground home-like and comfortable. The tents were pitched, the surroundings were speedily brought into ship-shape, a bountiful supper was prepared and eaten with a relish, the moon and the stars shone out resplendently, and after two or three hours of mingled sedate and merry conversation, stillness reigned supreme over the camp of a quartette of weary but happy anglers. The morning after the tempest was all that heart could wish. The huge fire built in the centre of the camp had been kept in full blaze during the night, and dispersed every vestige of moisture within camp range long before any one not obliged to be moving cared to leave his comfortable couch. We had grown into the habit of taking things leisurely and were unwilling to break over a very pleasant custom simply because, by being tardy, we might fail to reach our destination before nightfall. I know that those who act upon the "early bird" theory may deem this confession derogatory to the character of zealous anglers. But I long ago abandoned the habit of fishing before breakfast, under the fallacious idea that neither trout nor salmon are ever so voracious as during the very early hours of the very early morning. A trout or salmon pool will yield just as handsome returns between the hours of eight and ten as between the hours of five and seven, if it remains undisturbed. A great many experts will probably dispute this statement; but if they will experiment as long and as faithfully as I have, they will agree with me, and by acting upon the discovery they will find themselves happier if not better men by contentedly enjoying their morning rest rather than encountering the raw morning air in their haste to secure the fish which would just as willingly and as surely come to them after breakfast. In making the twenty odd miles which intervened between our extemporised camp and "The Forks," we encountered at least a dozen rapids which it seemed impossible that our canoemen could surmount. North Woods guides, with all their skill and intrepidity, would deem it absolutely necessary to " carry round" these formidable obstacles. And, with their boats, they would be obliged to do so. But these bark canoes seem just adapted to overcome these tumultuous waters. It is hard work, and requires a quick eye, a steady hand, a firm foot, and a wonderfully nice appre ciation of the flow and force of the currents; but nothing seems so difficult as the exact balance they preserve during these great muscular exertions. They constantly change their setting poles from side to side and half face about with every change; but in doing so they preserve a perfect poise, not casting an ounce of improper weight upon either side while making these rapid changes. A novice, whatever props he might call to his aid, would find it impossible to maintain his equilibrium while passing either up or down these boiling cauldrons. But to lose his balance is the last thing to be apprehended from an expert canoeHe has this art perfectly-acquired by long man. years of constant practice. Indian Falls is by far the most threatening rapid on the river, and is the only one where anglers are expected to disembark in ascending. The canoes, however, are always polled up and it is very seldom that any accident happens. The descent is even more difficult, and prudent voyageurs take to terra firma rather than run the gauntlet of the numerous bowlders which dot the channel from summit to base. Only one of our party, however, had the good sense to "take to the woods " for half a mile rather than run the risk of a cold bath or something worse, by rushing down the fearfully turbulent waterway. It so happened that no harm befell his companions; but in making the detour he failed to share in the most exciting incident of the excursion. I have often passed the famous rapids of the St. Lawrence. That is an incident to be remembered and talked about for a life-time. But that passage is monotonous compared with shooting the rapids of Indian Falls in a bark canoe. The river between the Falls and the Forks nine miles is comparatively still water, the current not averaging more than five or six miles an hour. The sail is delightful, and we enjoyed it to the full, reaching our destination just at nightfall. But it was midnight before any one was disposed to withdraw himself from the camp-fire, whose ruddy glow gave piquancy and breadth to the ceaseless flow of wit and wisdom which found ready utterance during these always pleasant evening hours on the banks of the "fair Cascapedia," the melody of whose singing waters never failed to quickly woo us to refreshing slumbers. CHAPTER XXIII. GRAND SPORT AT THE FORKS -LEAPING SALMON And yf it fortune you to fmyt a gret fyfh with a small harnays thenne ye muft lede hym in the water and labour hym there tyll he be drounyd and overcome. Thenne take hym as well as ye can or maye, and euer be waar that ye holde not ouer the frengthe of your lyne, and as moche as ye may, lete hym not come out of your lyne's ende ftreyghte from you: but kepe hym euer vnder the rodde and euermore hold hym ftreyghte: foo that your lyne may be fufteyne, and beere his lepys and his plungys wyth the helpe of your cropp, and of your honde.-[Treatyfe of Fyffhynge wyth an Angle, 1496. The clouds are silver in an azure sky; The hills lie basking in a sunny dream; The lapping water coolly gurgles by Where lies the fallen trunk athwart the stream. E first visited these upper waters of the Cascapedia last season. Our camp is fifty miles from the sea, and is "beautiful for situation.' The spot chosen is a sort of peninsula, furnishing a fine view of the river and of the highest of the surrounding mountains. Our tents are pitched in the midst of a grove of young pines, whose shade is ample at all hours. The summer breeze |