144 FISHING WITH THE FLY. 



came to be styled the Judgess, imagined herself on the 

 verge of a decline, and sought recuperation in the 

 forest. If the Judgess were described as fat and forty, 

 omitting the fair, the description would fall far short 

 of truth. In spite of her ailments, the Judgess would 

 have enjoyed herself in a way, had it not been for the 

 young woman she was chaperoning. This was Madge. 

 Certain young men in San Francisco called her a rattler, 

 and certainly there was nothing slow about her. The 

 chief end of her existence, at home and everywhere, 

 seemed to be the pursuit of fun ; to this end she flirted 

 with anything that came in her way, from stray herds- 

 men on the plains to an English baronet at a Yosemite 

 hotel. When nothing else was at hand, and to the 

 Judgess' indignation, she flirted with the Judge. With 

 charming zest she played continued games of poker 

 with him till his honor's purse was far thinner than its 

 owner. The Judge's admiration for Madge was pro- 

 found, but after an hour at cards, he would usually re- 

 mark, "that girl has the devil in her, as it were, bigger 

 than a wolf." 



It is said that all men have a ruling passion. Be that 

 as it may, a passion certainly ruled a worthy clergyman 

 of the company. The men of our generation affected 

 with beetle mania are many, but his Eeyerence was 

 absolutely devoted to bugs. The Judgess, a zealot to 

 such a decree that Marv of England was but lukewarm 

 in comparison, said that his Keverence valued a butter- 

 fly more than a human soul ; and Madge insisted that, 



