GREEN FROGS AND A BOTTLE OF BEER 29 
reeds showed that a few at least of the morning flight 
had eaten their fill in distant grain fields and returned 
to the marsh again. It was so dark that I thought it 
might brighten things up a bit to be a little sociable. 
So I said to Jimmy: 
‘‘Who was the chap you guided the past week?”’ 
‘‘He was a slim young fellow of about twenty, with 
light blue eyes and yellow corn tossel hair,” replied 
Jimmy. ‘‘He came from the East and looked so green 
you wouldn’t really blame cows for biting him. He 
seemed mighty innocent at first, but looks are sometimes 
awfully deceiving. He and I chatted awhile and finally 
the blue-eyed chap said, ‘How do you make a living in 
this desolate looking country?’ 
‘*“T’m just proud to be a hayseed,’ I told him. ‘I own 
a hay ranch forty miles from here and raise considerable 
hay—there’s always a good demand for hay. Then I 
do some teaming with my four horses and every fall I 
come down here shooting a little and guiding a good deal. 
There’s good money and lots of fun in guiding.’ 
‘Did your father live here?’ asked Blue Eyes. 
‘**Ves,’ I said, ‘father took up the ranch, but before 
that he went to sea for many years. Sailed to China, 
India, and all over. Saw the whole world. Of course 
being an old sailor he told wonderful stories of sights 
he had seen and things he had done in foreign parts.’ 
‘What were his favorite stories?’ asked Blue Eyes. 
‘““Well,’ Isaid, ‘he liked best to yarn about a two-year 
whaling voyage he made once up Alaska way.’ 
“What did he tell you about it?’ 
‘“‘T looked round at Blue Eyes. Heseemedso darned 
green I just thought I’d turn loose the biggest yarn I 
could think of. So I said his favorite story was about 
catching a great big whale off the Alaska coast. 
