CHAPTER XXII
FLY FISHING FOR BASS
They were certainly a tired lot, all right.
For once, at least, the rising sun caught the three boys fast asleep.Indeed, it was fully two hours afterward before any one came creepingout of the tent. Then it turned out to be Amos, wishing to build a fireso they could get a pot of coffee and some bacon ready for breakfast.
No one seemed anxious to stir far that morning.
“And it isn’t that we need fear meeting up with those two hard cases,either,” said Teddy, when the subject was laughingly referred to byDolph. “Fact is, we all of us feel pretty well done up, and satisfiedto just lie around and rest.”
“One thing,” remarked Dolph, “I mean to do if I feel a little morechipper this afternoon.”
“I can guess it,” laughed Teddy, jerking his thumb toward the near-bylake, “why they’ve been breaking water all morning, just jumping outto see what ails the crowd. To think of the outfit for bass fishingyou’ve got along with you lying idle, when here they are at your tentdoor, crazy to grab your flies.”
“Hold on!” exclaimed Dolph, “that settles it. I thought I might make atry, but now I know it.”
And ten minutes later Teddy chuckled to see him jointing his rod, andarranging what he believed might be an all-round taking cast of bassflies, consisting of a Parmachene Belle, a Montreal and a Red Ibis.
Teddy smacked his lips and as Amos looked up he remarked:
“It worked all right. Knew he just could not stand it. Fresh fish forsupper, Amos.”
But the day was warm, and Dolph knew the folly of going out to cast hisflies while the sun was high and the sky clear.
Along about four in the afternoon the conditions changed, just as hehad expected would be the case, judging from his observation of theweather.
Some clouds came up and obscured the sun. A gentle breeze, and from theright quarter, too, created a ripple on the surface of the erstwhilesmooth lake.
So Dolph jumped into one of the canoes and set out. He dearly loved tofeel the thrill that came when he felt a sturdy bronze-backed finnywarrior tugging at the end of his line, now leaping wildly out of thewater, and then trying to find some sharp-pointed rock on the bottom ofthe lake against which to drag the delicate leader, so as to weaken it,and give him a chance to break away.
There was no end of sport.
Everything seemed favorable, and for some time Dolph had the time ofhis life tempting the eager fish, playing them, sometimes two at once,and capturing three times as many as the camp could use.
But, like the true sportsman that he was, Dolph returned all his catchto the water after the limit he set had been reached.
Tiring finally of the fun, and Amos looking as though anxious to gethold of the catch in order to prepare the fish for supper, Dolph camein.
“Give ’em a try, Teddy, just to see what fighters they have up herein this cool water,” he remarked, as his chum came down to admire thecatch.
“Guess I will,” returned the other. “I may not be as crazy over fishingas you are, Dolph, but I always enjoy the feel of a two-pound fighterlike that one you got. Didn’t he keep you hustling, though? I thoughtyou were going to lose the sly dodger when he ran under the boat. Butyou didn’t. You were on to all his tricks, old fellow.”
So Teddy went out and had all the sport he wanted, up to the time theshades of evening began to gather, and Amos, beating a big spoon on afrying pan announced that supper was ready.
But Teddy brought in only one fish, which he had accidentally hookedso seriously that he thought best to knock it on the head, rather thanreturn it to the water.
“Enough for breakfast, with that fine fellow,” Amos remarked, for hehad not cooked all of Dolph’s catch.
They all united in declaring the fish gilt-edged. And it was decidedwhile eating supper, to put in just one more day in this lake camp.
Then they would try and find the man who had the horse and wagon, andwith whose assistance they hoped to make the long portage over to therailroad, and launch the canoes in the waters of the little TahquamanonRiver shortly beyond.
Here at a place named McMillan, they expected to replenish their nowdiminished stores, so as to be ready for the long dash down to WhiteFish Bay, and then skirting the south shore of Lake Superior, bringingup finally at Sault Ste. Marie, where the Government owns the greatcanal and locks, through which much greater tonnage passes in a summerseason than goes through the famous Suez Canal in a whole year.
That night the boys thought it best to keep watch.
They really did not anticipate any trouble in connection with Crawleyand Big Gabe; but knowing the character of the two men they felt thatit would not be advisable to take any chances.
Besides, Teddy was more than half inclined to suspect that the lumbercombine to which his father’s company was so bitterly opposed, waspartly responsible for the presence of the big and unscrupulous timbercruiser being in the vicinity.
They may have gotten wind of the expedition planned by the three boys;and suspicious lest it might be only a cloak to hide some clever dealof the wealthy lumberman, just because his son was in the party, Gabemay have been hired to keep an eye on their movements.
However this might be, there was no sign of any intruder in the camp,and the night passed without an alarm.
On the following morning Teddy paddled off all alone, his mission beingto find the settler living near the north-eastern point of the lake,and making some arrangement with him, looking to the packing of theircanoes across country.
It was going to be an all-day job, they figured; indeed they wouldconsider themselves fortunate indeed if nightfall found them fullylaunched upon the stream that after numerous windings emptied into thegreat White Fish Bay.
The others amused themselves in various ways, Dolph having to strikeoff some snapshots of the lake camp. How bitterly he regretted thatthey would have nothing to remind them of all the strange thingshappening in connection with the two poachers and little Sallie—onlythe memory of it all, and a wretched fiddle, which Amos was tinkeringwith every little while, trying to get it in better shape.
When Teddy came back he was evidently in a good humor.
“All fixed, fellows!” he called out, even before landing.
“Then you found our man?” asked Dolph, quite relieved; for he yearnedto set eyes on new scenes and had not fancied going back over theircourse, as must have been the case had a portage been found impossible.
“Sure, we can bring our canoes nearly to his door. He lives up a creek,too, which makes it all the easier. And in the morning bright and earlywe strike camp here. No sleeping till after the sun’s up, hear!” Teddycontinued.
“Well I should say not,” laughed Dolph. “But get out here, Teddy. I’vefixed my kodak so as to work it automatically at a distance. That givesme a chance to get in the picture, you see, and makes it complete.”
“Good for you!” declared Teddy. “I’ve always been sorry for the fellowwho carries a kodak along, because he has to make sets of pictures forothers, and hardly ever shows up in one himself. Then I want to go outand say good-bye to the bully bass of this old lake. Get ready foranother fish supper, Amos.”
Camp Mates in Michigan; or, with Pack and Paddle in the Pine Woods Page 23