gone! Lead could not have gone down so quickly. The bullet cut across
the circles where he disappeared. In a few moments he reappeared a
couple of hundred yards away. "Ha-ha-ha-a-a," said he, " ha-ha-ha-a-a,"
and "ha-ha-ha-a-a," said his comrades, who had been looking on; and
"ha-ha-ha-a-a," said we all, echo included. He approached a second
time, but not so closely, and when I began to creep back toward the
shore with my heavy craft, pawing the water first upon one side, then
the other, he followed, and with ironical laughter witnessed my efforts
to stem the current at the head of the lake. I confess it was enough to
make a more solemn bird than the loon laugh, but it was no fun for me,
and generally required my last pound of steam.

The loons flew back and forth from one lake to the other, and their
voices were about the only notable wild sounds to be heard.

One afternoon, quite unexpectedly, I struck my big fish in the head of
the lake. I was first advised of his approach by two or three trout
jumping clear from the water to get out of his lordship's way. The
water was not deep just there, and he swam so near the surface that his
enormous back cut through. With a swirl he swept my fly under and
turned.

My hook was too near home, and my rod too near a perpendicular to
strike well. More than that, my presence of mind came near being
unhorsed by the sudden apparition of the fish. If I could have had a
moment's notice, or if I had not seen the monster, I should have fared
better and the fish worse. I struck, but not with enough decision, and,
before I could reel up, my empty hook came back. The trout had carried
it in his jaws till the fraud was detected, and then spat it out. He
came a second time and made a grand commotion in the water, but not in