voyage.
I'd go through it all again to come to such a place as this. Oh, I do
wish mother was here to see."

I did not give vent to my feelings in the same way, but I felt as much;
and all the time, as my heart seemed to swell with joy, there were tears
rising to my eyes, and dimming the glorious view of river, mountain, and
forest, while I kept on saying to myself, "Thank God for making such a
lovely world."

The first excitement over, and the feeling of wonder that we had not
seen all this last night passed away, we went on along the clearing to
the bank of the river, overlooking the shallows where we were to have
our bathe.

The sun was shining down through the opening formed by the stream, and
its waters were sparkling and flashing in the light, as we reached the
spot Gunson evidently meant, and just then I caught hold of Esau's arm,
and stood pointing away toward the middle.

"I see 'em," cried Esau, "just over those shallows. Just like shoals of
roach in the Lea or the New River. They must be gudgeon."

"Gudgeon!--nonsense! You forget how big everything is here. They're
salmon."

"Go along with you," he cried. "Think I don't know better than that?
Well, I am--"

This last was on seeing a bar of silver about three feet long shoot out
of the water, describe a curve, and fall with a tremendous splash not
half a stone's throw from where we stood.

"Why, it is!" cried Esau, excitedly. "That was a salmon, and I can see
'em now--they are big--hundreds of 'em, and oh! not a bit o'
fishing-tackle of any sort, not so much as a line."

"Are you coming to bathe?" I cried, laughing.

"Who's to bathe when there's everything to look at like this? Here,
don't let's go any further; let's write to mother and the others to come
over here."

"There, I shan't wait for you, Esau," I cried, slipping off my clothes;
while he began more slowly, gazing about him all the while.

"Can't help it," he said. "I never thought there could be such places
as this. I say, ain't it too beautiful a'most?"

_Splash_!

That was my answer as I plunged in, only to shout as I rose to the top
again, for the water was so cold it sent quite a thrill through me, and
the next minute I was swimming about in the full enjoyment of the dip,
after having to be content for months with a miserable allowance of
water for washing purposes.

"Here I come: look out!" cried Esau; and the next moment he too sprang
in, sending the water up spa