ell, then, I'm after thinking you must have plenty porpoises, or the
likes of such things; for I am certain that it was one of such gentry I
struck to-day."

Happy, light-hearted Sam, bright and cheery he ever was, it was a joy to
hear him when, with a twinkle in his bright eye, he came out with his
quaint remarks. His odd question only the more excited the curiosity of
his listeners, and so amid the laughter and call for the story of his
mishaps, he had to let them have it:

"Well, the fact is, we were having a good time, and at every discharge
of my gun I would stun quite a number and succeeded in getting some of
them into our canoe with the gaff hook all right. Getting a little
careless with my success, I asked the Indian sitting before me to let me
get in the very front of the canoe. At one place where I saw a big
beauty I stood up and reached out as far as I could, and getting the
gaff hook under him I gave him a great jerk to be sure and have it well
hooked into him, when, lo and behold, before I could say `Jack
Robinson,' I was out head first into the water hanging on to my end of
the pole, while the monster of a fish was at the other on his way to
York Factory, it seemed to me."

"Why didn't you let go?" said Alec.

"Let go!" he replied, with a comical look, "sure the creature didn't
give me time to let go; and then, when I came to my senses, didn't I
remember that the gaff hook, pole, and all belonged to Mr Ross, and how
could I face him and his gaff hook on its way to York Factory."

No one laughed more heartily than Mr Ross at the quaint answer. He had
most thoroughly entered into the enjoyment of this odd adventure.

"Well, where is the gaff now?" he asked.

"Sure, it's in the boat, sir, and the fish, too," said Sam. "Do you
think I'd have had the face to come home so early without it?"

This answer amused and more deeply interested all, and so Sam had to
give the full account of his doings after his sudden jerk over the front
of the canoe.

Some of these jack fish grow to be six feet in length, and are very
strong. It seems it was one of the very largest that Sam had the good
or ill fortune to hook.

With a tremendous jerk he was fairly lifted out of the boat, and seemed
to skim along on the water with the fish like a small tug in front
towing him along. Fortunately it was in a large, shallow place, where
the water was not more than four feet deep, and so the fish was unable
to dive and h