162 
ing each other. They intimated that 
the story would not hold water. It 
ought to, for everything else about us 
was holding a good deal of that fluid. 
We also told them that we had seen a 
bright blue snake, with a grass green 
tail, which was an honest fact, for we 
had, and I will stick to it. Whereupon 
they jeered at us, and made all kinds of 
scurrilous remarks about our veracity, 
which was unkind. They also said they 
believed we had ‘‘stopped somewhere” 
before seeing that snake, whatever they 
meant by that. A man’s character 
seems to go all to pieces the minute he 
goes fishing. He can start out with 
quite a good one, and come back with 
hardly a shred of it left. It’s tough. 
We came to the conclusion that we 
did not like spring fishing. 
We had four days to spend away, and 
for four days the north wind howled 
down the valley, and we had so much 
rain that the brooks were cotfee colored 
The American Angler 
and they had to dig the potatoes up 
and set them on stumps to dry. Spring 
fishing might be enjoyable if the water 
in the stream could be warmed. I 
think there is a big field open for some 
enterprising inventor and hotel keeper 
who could then advertise: 
‘¢The finest trout fishing in the state. 
Streams steam heated on allcold days.” 
It would be a drawing card and I 
think I will open a hotel and try it. 
After this I am going fishing in June, 
and if the trout will not rise in the 
middle of the day, whocares! for I will 
pick out a soft spot ina grassy meadow, 
and lie in theshade of a tree andsmoke 
my pipe, while the gentle hum of the - 
insects and the musical ripple of the 
stream sing to me of the sweet peace 
that is over all nature, and overhead 
the soft fleecy clouds drift slowly in 
the summer breeze. This will I do, 
but I will not again go fishing in the 
spring time. I have had enough. 

