Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1905 — OVER AND UNDER. [ARTICLE]

OVER AND UNDER.

In paddling down the Squatook River, in New Brunswick, one of a party of hunters had an experience which afforded much amusement to his companions. In "Around the Camp-Fire,” C. (r. D. Roberts tells the story: The last few miles of the Squatook River were easy paddling, save that here and there a fallen tree was in the way. In passing these obstacles Stranion proved unlucky. His canoe led the procession, with himself standing erect, alert, pole in hand, in the sterti, while Queerman sat lazily in the bow. At length we saw ahead of us a tree trunk stretching across the channel. By ducking our heads down to the gunwales there was room to pass under It. But Stranion tried a piece of gymnastics, like a circus rider jumping through a hoop. He attempted to step over the trunk while the canoe was passing under it. In this he partly succeeded. He got one foot over, according to calculation, and landed it safely in the canoe. But as for the other—well, a malieiojis litlte projecting branch took hold of it by the moccasin. ami held on with the innate pertinacity of inanimate things. The canoe wouldn’t wait, so Stranion remained behind with bls captive foot. He dropped head first into the water, whence we rescued him. The next time we came to an obstruction of this kind Stranion did not try to step over it. He stooped to go under it. But another mallciot?* branch now came to the front. The branch was long, strong and sharp. It reached down, seized the back of Stranion’s shirt, and almost dragged him out of the canoe. Failing in this, for Stranion’s blood was up, it ripped the shirt open, and plowed a long red furrow down his back.