Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/353

 of which he received from eye-witnesses; told how Matt had stolen the canoe and six fine fishing-rods and reels, while he and his companions were looking for the bear they saw on the shore of Sherwin's Pond; and gave a glowing account of the fight in the creek, at which the guide laughed heartily.

"I'll jest bet that them was my taters that you pelted him with," said he; cause while I was out in the woods with a guest from Boston, my wife said that my garden and smoke-house were both robbed in one night. As for them fish poles—I think I can tell you where to find them."

"Good for you, Mr. Swan," cried Arthur. "Where are they?"

"Of course, I don't know that they belong to you; I only suspect it," continued the guide. "You see, one day last summer, Jake Coyle brung six as purty poles as you would want to look at up to the Sportsman's Home, and told Mr. Hanson, the new landlord, that he got 'em in a boat trade. He couldn't use 'em, fur they wasn't the kind that he'd been in the habit of handlin', and so he wanted to sell 'em.