Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/395

 these depredations were not stopped, and that speedily, it would not be long before the guests would be looking for some place of resort where thieves were not quite so plenty.

"But even that isn't the worst of it," continued Joe's bait-rod, who did the most of the talking. "Every thing seems to indicate that the squatter is going to have a bigger following now than he has been able to boast of in the past. He isn't the only worthless scamp there is in the woods, by any means. You know, I suppose, that the State fish commissioners have established a hatchery at the outlet of Deer Lake, a few miles from here?"

I replied that I had not heard of it.

"Well, they have, and the superintendent wants to prohibit fishing there, so that he can get a supply of eggs large enough to stock all these waters, which will soon be stripped of trout unless there are some put in to take the place of the multitudes that are caught every year. The superintendent sets traps in the outlet to catch the fish so that he can get their eggs, and three or four fellows who live right there, and who look enough like Matt Coyle to