ablethatwecanlookdownonitssurface.Weshall,perhaps,lookdownthusonthesurfaceofairatlength,andmarkwhereastillsubtlerspiritsweepsoverit.
Theskatersandwater-bugsfinallydisappearinthelatterpartofOctober,whentheseverefrostshavecomeandthenandinNovember,usually,inacalmday,thereisabsolutelynothingtoripplethesurface.OneNovemberafternoon,inthecalmattheendofarainstormofseveraldays’duration,whentheskywasstillcompletelyovercastandtheairwasfullofmist,Iobservedthatthepondwasremarkablysmooth,sothatitwasdifficulttodistinguishitssurfacethoughitnolongerreflectedthebrighttintsofOctober,butthesombreNovembercolorsofthesurroundinghills.ThoughIpassedoveritasgentlyaspossible,theslightundulationsproducedbymyboatextendedalmostasfarasIcouldsee,andgavearibbedappearancetothereflections.But,asIwaslookingoverthesurface,Isawhereandthereatadistanceafaintglimmer,asifsomeskaterinsectswhichhadescapedthefrostsmightbecollectedthere,or,perchance,thesurface,beingsosmooth,betrayedwhereaspringwelledupfromthebottom.Paddlinggentlytooneoftheseplaces,Iwassurprisedtofindmyselfsurroundedbymyriadsofsmallperch,aboutfiveincheslong,ofarichbronzecolorinthegreenwater,sportingthere,andconstantlyrisingtothesurfaceanddimplingit,sometimesleavingbubblesonit.Insuchtransparentandseeminglybottomlesswater,reflectingtheclouds,Iseemedtobefloatingthroughtheairasinaballoon,andtheirswimmingimpressedmeasakindofflightorhovering,asiftheywereacompactflockofbirdspassingjustbeneathmylevelontherightorleft,theirfins,likesails,setallaroundthem.Thereweremanysuchschoolsinthepond,apparentlyimprovingtheshortseasonbeforewinterwoulddrawanicyshutterovertheirbroadskylight,sometimesgivingtothesurfaceanappearanceasifaslightbreezestruckit,orafewrain-dropsfellthere.WhenIapproachedcarelesslyandalarmedthem,theymadeasuddensplashandripplingwiththeirtails,asifonehadstruckthewaterwithabrushybough,andinstantlytookrefugeinthedepths.Atlengththewindrose,themistincreased,andthewavesbegantorun,andtheperchleapedmuchhigherthanbefore,halfoutofwater,ahundredblackpoints,threeincheslong,atonceabovethesurface.EvenaslateasthefifthofDecember,oneyear,Isawsomedimplesonthesurface,andthinkingitwasgoingtorainhardimmediately,theairbeingfullofmist,Imadehastetotakemyplaceattheoarsandrowhomewardalreadytherainseemedrapidlyincreasing,thoughIfeltnoneonmycheek,andIanticipatedathoroughsoaking.Butsuddenlythedimplesceased,fortheywereproducedbytheperch,whichthenoiseofmyoarshadsearedintothedepths,andIsawtheirschoolsdimlydisappearingsoIspentadryafternoonafterall.
Anoldmanwhousedtofrequentthispondnearlysixtyyearsago,whenitwasdarkwithsurroundingforests,tellsmethatinthosedayshesometimessawitallalivewithducksandotherwaterfowl,andthatthereweremanyeaglesaboutit.Hecameherea-fishing,andusedanoldlogcanoewhichhefoundontheshore.Itwasmadeoftwowhite-pinelogsdugoutandpinnedtogether,andwascutoffsquareattheends.Itwasveryclumsy,butlastedagreatmanyyearsbeforeitbecamewater-loggedandperhapssanktothebottom.Hedidnotknowwhoseitwasitbelongedtothepond.Heusedtomakeacableforhisanchorofstripsofhickorybarktiedtogether.Anoldman,apotter,wholivedbythepondbeforetheRevolution,toldhimoncethattherewasanironchestatthebottom,andthathehadseenit.Sometimesitwouldcomefloatinguptotheshorebutwhenyouwenttowardit,itwouldgobackintodeepwateranddisappear.Iwaspleasedtohearoftheoldlogcanoe,whichtooktheplaceofanIndianoneofthesamematerialbutmoregracefulconstruction,whichperchancehadfirstbeenatreeonthebank,andthen,asitwere,fellintothewater,tofloatthereforageneration,themostpropervesselforthelake.IrememberthatwhenIfirstlookedintothesedepthsthereweremanylargetrunkstobeseenindistinctlylyingonthebottom,whichhadeitherbeenblownoverformerly,orleftontheiceatthelastcutting,whenwoodwascheaperbutnowtheyhavemostlydisappeared.
WhenIfirstpaddledaboatonWalden,itwascompletelysurroundedbythickandloftypineandoakwoods,andinsomeofitscovesgrapevineshadrunoverthetreesnextthewaterandformedbowersunderwhichaboatcouldpass.Thehillswhichformitsshoresaresosteep,andthewoodsonthemwerethensohigh,that,asyoulookeddownfromthewestend,ithadtheappearanceofanamphitheatreforsomekindofsyl