INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS 



watching. There were only one or two small 

 salmon but a number of good-sized sea trout in 

 water six to eight feet deep. They would not 

 touch our flies, and while we were talking trying 

 to concoct some scheme to make them rise a red 

 squirrel jumped into the water from the opposite 

 bank and began to swim across the river. The 

 largest trout made for him at once and coming 

 behind him caught his tail and pulled him below 

 the surface. The squirrel broke loose and strug- 

 gled to the surface again with part of the hair of 

 his tail gone. Again the trout caught him and 

 a second time the squirrel got away with more of 

 his hair stripped off. The third try was near our 

 bank, and when the squirrel finally came ashore 

 at Judge Van Etten's feet his tail was stripped 

 like a rat's and he was completely exhausted. I 

 know now that the hair on a squirrel's tail is his 

 natural protection against sea trout. Such are 

 the unexpected marvels of nature. 



147 



