reaching the banks of the latter, the Dutchman found a considerable
number already there. They were not engaged in fishing, but lay close
to the edge of the water, as if they expected the appearance of
something upon its surface. Had he been a little more observant, there
was something else which would have attracted his attention, on his
passage through the woods. Fully a dozen times a peculiar sound, like
the whistle of a bird, reached his ears, and he supposed it to be
nothing more, although it did seem odd to him that the bird should
follow him almost to the river bank. Besides this, he caught a
flitting glimpse of an Indian now and then, some distance in the woods,
that appeared to be watching him; but Hans did not care, even if such
were the case, and he paid no further heed to him.

Reaching the river, he made his preparations with great care and
elaboration. He had several hooks pendent from his line, upon each of
which he shoved the wriggling worms, spitting upon them during the
operation, as if to make them more tractable. To the line also was
fastened a pebble, to make it sink. Swinging this several times around
his head, he let go, when it spun far out in the river, and he
commenced cautiously following it by means of a projecting tree-trunk.
This latter extended a dozen feet out over the surface of the water,
and had been used as a seat a great many times by him. Passing out to
the extremity, he was afforded a comfortable resting-place where he
could sit hour after hour smoking his pipe and engage in fishing. Had
he noticed the large branch of the tree upon which he seated himself,
he would have hesitated before trusting the weight of his body upon it,
but his nature was too unsuspicious to be attracted by anything trivial
in its appearance, and he made his way out upon it, as he had done
scores of times before.