Oh, how I enjoyed these excursions on the lake; the very idea of our dinner depending upon our success added double zest to our sport!

One morning we started as usual before sunrise; a thick mist still hung like a fine veil upon the water when we pushed off, and anchored at our accustomed place.  Just as the sun rose, and the haze parted and drew up like a golden sheet of transparent gauze, through which the dark woods loomed out like giants, a noble buck dashed into the water, followed by four Indian hounds.

We then discovered a canoe, full of Indians, just below the rapids, and another not many yards from us, that had been concealed by the fog.  It was a noble sight, that gallant deer exerting all his energy, and stemming the water with such matchless grace, his branching horns held proudly aloft, his broad nostrils distended, and his fine eye fixed intently upon the opposite shore.  Several rifle-balls whizzed past him, the dogs followed hard upon his track, but my very heart leaped for joy when, in spite of all his foes, his glossy hoofs spurned the opposite bank and he plunged headlong into the forest.

My beloved partner was most skilful in trolling for bass and maskinonge.  His line he generally fastened to the paddle, and the motion of the oar gave a life-like vibration to the queer-looking mice and dragon-flies I used to manufacture from squirrel fur, or scarlet and white cloth, to tempt the finny wanderers of the wave.

When too busy himself to fish for our meals, little Katie and I ventured out alone in the canoe, which we anchored in any promising fishing spot, by fastening a harrow tooth to a piece of rope, and letting it drop from the side of little vessel.  By the time she was five years old, my little mermaid could both steer and paddle the light vessel, and catch small fish, which were useful for soup.

During the winter of ’36, we experienced many privations.  The ruffian squatter P—–­, from Clear Lake, drove from the barn a fine young bull we were rearing, and for several weeks all trace of the animal was lost.  We had almost forgotten the existence of poor Whiskey, when a neighbor called and told Moodie that his yearling was at P—–­’s, and that he would advise him to get it back as soon as possible.

Moodie had to take some wheat to Y—–­’s mill, and as the squatter lived only a mile further, he called at his house; and there, sure enough, he found the lost animal.  With the greatest difficulty he succeeded in regaining his property, but not without many threats of vengeance from the parties who had stolen it.  To these he paid no regard; but a few days after, six fat hogs, on which we depended for all our winter store of animal food, were driven into the lake, and destroyed.

The death of these animals deprived us of three barrels of pork, and half-starved us through the winter.  That winter of ’36, how heavily it wore away!  The grown flour, frosted potatoes, and scant quantity of animal food rendered us all weak, and the children suffered much from the ague.