ottled
white and gray rocks. Its greatest extent in any one direction is
perhaps less than a mile. Its waters are perfectly clear and abound in
lake trout. A considerable stream flows into it, which comes down from
Indian Pass.

A mile south of the village is Lake Sandford. This is a more open and
exposed sheet of water and much larger. From some parts of it Mount
Marcy and the gorge of the Indian Pass are seen to excellent
advantage. The Indian Pass shows as a huge cleft in the mountain, the
gray walls rising on one side perpendicularly for many hundred feet.
This lake abounds in white and yellow perch and in pickerel; of the
latter single specimens are often caught which weigh fifteen pounds.
There were a few wild ducks on both lakes. A brood of the goosander or
red merganser, the young not yet able to fly, were the occasion of
some spirited rowing. But with two pairs of oars in a trim light
skiff, it was impossible to come up with them. Yet we could not resist
the temptation to give them a chase every day when we first came on
the lake. It needed a good long pull to sober us down so we could
fish.

The land on the east side of the lake had been burnt over, and was now
mostly grown up with wild cherry and red raspberry bushes. Ruffed
grouse were found here in great numbers. The Canada grouse was also
common. I shot eight of the latter in less than an hour on one
occasion; the eighth one, which was an old male, was killed with
smooth pebble-stones, my shot having run short. The wounded bird ran
under a pile of brush, like a frightened hen. Thrusting a forked stick
down through the interstices, I soon stopped his breathing. Wild
pigeons were quite numerous also. These latter recall a singular freak
of the sharp-shinned hawk. A flock of pigeons alighted on top of a
dead hemlock standing in the edge of a swamp. I got over the fence and
moved toward them across an open space. I had not taken many steps
when, on looking up, I saw the whole flock again in motion flying very
rapidly about the butt of a hill. Just then this hawk alighted on the
same tree. I stepped back into the road and paused a moment, in doubt
which course to go. At that instant the little hawk launched into the
air and came as straight as an arrow toward me. I looked in amazement,
but in less than half a minute, he was within fifty feet of my face,
coming full tilt as if he had sighted my nose. Almost in self-defense
I let fly one barrel of my gun, and