The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-04-14
EBENsBURG Pa, THURSDAY, APRIL il, 1870
a PEREL0US RIDE.


/ The well known spot on the RaQuette
River, Setting-pole Rapids, n. Y. AT,
/ ter a good breakfast had been disposed
/ of, with an anglers appetite, lit my pipe
/ with a feeling Of gratitude that l was an
other season permitted to come and enioy
( my favorite fly fishing. 1 took my rod
and strolled down to the rocks IN front Of
the camp. Ny companions had stretched
| themselves on the ground TO read and
smoke. Guides were engaged in consum-
ing their usual quantum of trout and pork.
Forest and river were very quiet, except
the rushing of the water over the rock 5.
The great city bad left a few days before
seemed a long way off, with its noise,
confusion and cares hardly real, SO little
I 1t intruded on my contentedness of mind.
/ commenced throwing my flies as much
| from habit as from interest in the snort,
/ and soon fell into mood Of dreaming of
! those who had encampcd with ME in the
/ same place years before. l did not take
many fish, possibly owing TO my indifsr-
ence, and thought best TO move down
stream few rods TO jam of saw~logs
left stranded by the late spring drive
They seem peilectly firm in their hold on
! the rocks, az though likely TO stay there
/ until the next years high water. | steps
/ ped on one Of the largest, which though
denudel ef bark, and made somewhat
/ slippery by occasional spray dashng over
/ It, looked safe enough 10 stand on, fcare
/ was only used not 10 fall into the boiling
/ rapids that rushed swiftly past. Being
accustomed in my fishing experience, like
the wicked, to stand on slippery Places
poised myself for cast.
! The first few casts failed to get a rise.
and | resumed my dreaming as before =
was suddenly awoke By the rise of
monster lake trout weighing 28 pounds
I | started with astonishment TO see so large
a fish take my fly and in bracing myself
to strike the hook firmly into his mouth,
| started the log or which l stood from
It's fastening, and seated myself with more
! promptness than grace. As with Mother
/ Hamlet's guests, it was no time to con
slider the or9er of going Away we
! dashed down the dangerous rapids at a
/ 2~l7 gait, the trout taking the lead and
! holding hacd on the mouth. 1t was Ger
! tainly a game, but fearful team to sit be-
/ hind and drive over so rough course.
shouted TO my companions as soon as the
/ fright OF running the rapids was passed.
/ but my voice was either drowned by the
louder noise of the water, or else they
were asleep. Still on we went re-
member as though seen yesterday, though
not seen for years, Flsh-H Hawk Rapids
and the Piercefield talis towards which
was rapidly approaching. All, would
| those lazy fellows in camp never miss NE,
and come to my rescue? | soon gave up
! all hope Of snccor in that direction if
was missed from the rock they would
think that l had become tired of fishing
and strolled into the forest, where | was
too old a woodsman to be lost On we
went, the trees. seeming 10 fly past me
as we entered Fish Hawk Rapids, passing
| them as those above, without being un-
| seated. Though my hair was on end, and
large drops of perspira;ion stood on my
face, could not help thinking ofthe COM
cal figure presented with no one but the
birds to enjoy it; | who had killed SO
many trout, as if to revenge their death,
was at last TO be drawn to destruction by
one oil the number
| thought of all the mad races [ ever
experienced or read of-John Gilpin,
Mazeppa tied TO the wild horse on the
plains of Tartary; my own boyhood rides
on untamed colts, whose natures seemed
akin to the ocean by the side OF which
they were pastured; 1 thought of ride
[ once took on locomotive through the
4 a., 1.
could not be seen, bat the wheels seemed
only to cling to the sides of the mountains.
But I had no time for things SO remote.
The roar of the great fall was already in
my ear. l would have broken my line,
and by letting the fish escape slackened
the speed to the current of the stream,
which seemed very swift when death is at
the foot of high fall which is SO very
near, bat the line had become fastened 10
knot on the log beyond my reach. in
such manner that | could not detach it.
On we plunged. entering the swift
water abUve the falls, the spray dashing
in my face | gave myself up for lost
thought over some prayers as we were
about TO take the last fearful plunge over
the brink the trout dashed madly to the
left, drawing the log into a quiet eddy,
and as it swung round, it lodged on rock.
was saved In an instant l cleared the
line, leaped on shore, landed the fish after
half hours struggle. My guide, when
he came to the shore to-call me to dinner,
noticed the jam of logs was missing, as
we'll as myself, quickly OWNED the cause
! of nv absence. The FLYING Fish spranp
over the waters as never boat did before.
AS sat on the shore among the trees, l
saw the old man coming long before he
saw me. His hat was off; his long hair
flying in the wind shouted, and he
came where | sat. holding up the fish.
which reached above my head. HIS first
exclamation, apparently forgetful of how