84 



T)ic American Angler 



FALLS ON THE RONDOUT — ELLENVILLE. 



The town we could not find, and the 

 only inhabitants we met were two very 

 old grass fed ones, on four legs, who did 

 not take as much interest in us as we 

 did in them, and so we left them there 

 upholding the dignity of a town where 

 none was, except on the map. We did 

 come to a farmhouse not far beyond and 

 the Dominie, seeking information as to 

 route and incidentally a drink of butter- 

 milk, interviewed a pretty girl — some- 

 how all girls are pretty that one meets 

 on a fishing trip, just as the da3-s are the 

 shortest of the year, although they may 

 be in June. 



At noon we found ourselves at the 

 "red school house," on a larger branch 

 of the Rondout, the children scattering 

 and running inside, with only the boldest 

 staying to see what manner of men we 

 were. Turning sharply to the south, it 



was not long before the valley of the 

 main waters of the Rondout lay before 

 us, and the thought of that glowing 

 scene under a brilliant sun even now 

 makes me a stranger to my city home. 



Can the reader explain why such a 

 view seems old to him, even if he has 

 never seen it before, and why it is that 

 not at all unexpected its beauty falls 

 upon him, and at once he is at home 

 and at peace, as if he had only left the 

 spot when a little child and coming 

 back found mountains and streams in 

 their half-remembered places ? 



With something of this feeling we 

 journeyed on into the little village of 

 Sundown. Here the mountains rise so 

 abruptly to south and west that evening 

 comes quickly and before its rightful 

 time, and thus the name. Here we met 

 the main waters of the Rondout, peace- 



