for us to see," said Jamie, and perhaps Jamie was right.

"You must be rare hungry, now," observed Thomas, as they entered the
cabin. "Margaret were just puttin' supper on when Jamie sights you
turnin' the P'int. 'Twill be ready in a jiffy."

"What have you got for us, Margaret?" asked Doctor Joe. "I believe I
am hungry for the good things you cook."

"Fried trout, sir," said Margaret.

"Fried trout!" Doctor Joe rolled his eyes in mock ecstasy. "It
couldn't have been better!"

"You always says that, whatever," laughed Margaret. "If 'twere just
bread and tea I'm thinkin' you'd like un fine."

"But trout!" exclaimed Doctor Joe. "Why, fresh trout are worth five
dollars a pound where I've been--and couldn't be had for that!"

"Well, now!" said Margaret in astonishment. "And we has un so
plentiful!"

David lighted a lamp and Thomas renewed the fire, which crackled
cheerily in the big box stove, while everybody talked excitedly and
Margaret set on the table a big dish of smoking fried trout, a heaping
plate of bread, and poured the tea.

"Set in! Set in, Doctor Joe!" Thomas invited.

And when they drew up to the table, with Thomas at one end and
Margaret at the other, and Doctor Joe and Jamie at Thomas's right, and
David and Andy at his left, Thomas devoutly gave thanks for the return
of their friend and asked a blessing upon the bounty provided.

"Help yourself, now, and don't be afraid of un," Thomas admonished,
passing the dish of trout to Doctor Joe.

"A real banquet," Doctor Joe declared, as he helped himself
liberally. "I've eaten in some fine places since I've been away, but
I've had no such feast as this! And there's no one in the whole world
can fry trout like Margaret!"

"You always says that, sir," and Margaret's face glowed with pleasure
at the compliment.

"'Tis true!" declared Doctor Joe. "'Tis true!"

"I'm wonderin' now about the trout," remarked David.

"What are you wondering?" asked Doctor Joe.

"How folks get along with no trout to eat off where you've been, sir."

"There are men who go far out from the city and fish in the streams
for trout, just for the sport of catching them," explained Doctor Joe.
"They will tramp all day along brooks, and feel lucky if they catch a
dozen little fellows so small we'd not look at them here. But it is
only the few who do it for sport that ever get any at all, and there
are hundreds of people there who never even saw a trout, they catch so
very few