The Diving Cows of Plumas 153 



the shadows, the colors, and, by the gods! the 

 fish? As I was saying, I had been casting and 

 had caught about five, running up to six- 

 pounders, when a regular whale struck. I had 

 been experimenting on him an hour with all 

 the flies I had and some I invented on the spot ; 

 and just as the wind came up, almost without 

 warning, down came this infernal grass. Now, 

 how do you account for it? It came all at once, 

 and, of course, a man can't cast in grass. I have 

 landed about a bale of that stuff, and it is the 

 slimiest, dog-ornery grass I ever saw. How do 

 you account for it?" he repeated, accepting a 

 cigar. 



" I don't," said the newcomer, " but it looks 

 as though some one was making hay up-stream. 

 Suppose we go up together and snake the villain 

 out and sacrifice him. A man who would spoil 

 a pool like that has lost his usefulness on 

 earth." 



" Good! " exclaimed the angler. " I am with 

 you on that. We will find him first and then 

 decide on the form of execution. Personally I 

 like the saw method used by the Chinese you 

 have heard of it? " 



Yes, the other had, but he was a practical 

 man, and he said: 



" We have no saw," which seemed to surprise 

 the angler. 



" You appear to have everything about you," 



