“Pick up both paddles, will you, Dolph? Well, can you beat that? I’ve had some queer things happen to me, but that’s the first time I ever had a deer give me a ducking. Good joke on me, Dolph.”
“You’ll say so when you see the picture,” chuckled the other.
“What! did you strike me off?” gasped Teddy.
“Just when you were going over,” laughed Dolph. “Wouldn’t be surprised but what it’ll show what made the canoe turn partly over, because I saw the deer do it. There’s the marks of his horns right now, where they scratched the green paint.”
“Well, don’t that beat all? I’m glad we met up with that old buck. Say, he’s some scrapper, let me tell you. Look at him climbing out on the bank, Dolph! Aint he feeling proud, though? See him shake his antlers, and strike his hoof on the ground. You put it all over your Uncle Teddy, that time, old chap. I’ll be mighty careful after this, how I try and make a swimming deer tow me, while I’m squatting in the bow of a cranky canoe. There he goes. Good-bye, and good luck to you.”
There was not a bit of resentment in Teddy’s voice, as he waved a hand after the disappearing deer. He could give and take, and in his mind the buck had come out of the little affair with high honors.
“Guess I’ll go in with you,” remarked Dolph, after he had easily recovered the floating paddles, and handed them to his chum.
“Mebbe you think it ain’t safe to trust me alone on a big lake like this, and in a boat that can act like a bucking broncho!” chuckled Teddy.
“Oh! I’m done fishing. Got all we can use, and they’ve about stopped rising to the fly too. Gamey fellows, I tell you, Teddy, all right.”
“I watched you pull in a few, and saw that they were full of fight, all right. But that’s always the way with Michigan bass. They never give up till they’re all played out. I’ve had one on that jumped out of the water sixteen times, and only a two pound fish at that. Yes, that is a beauty, sure enough.” as Dolph held up a splendid fish, “and I see that you believe in knocking ’em on the head when you boat them, to end their suffering.”