WESTERN TROUT-FISHING 277 



caustic and eloquent indignation. The previous day 

 he had been 'held up' by a passing stranger, who, 

 revolver in hand, had helped himself to the post- 

 office cash, amounting to some $250 ; had then added 

 insult to injury by demanding, and perforce obtaining, 

 a square meal ; and so gone on his way. Budd, it 

 appeared, was a law-abiding American citizen who 

 had only recently arrived from more civilized parts, 

 and even twenty-four hours after the event his 

 language in describing the episode was quite unfit for 

 publication. 



The Sheriff had followed the trail, which apparently 

 had preceded us to Wells' camp, and had there 

 obtained reinforcements. Eventually the pursuers 

 came across the outlaw at bay in the thick pine-woods 

 near the river. They were fired upon, and driven 

 back, one volunteer assistant being wounded ; and so 

 the forces of law and order were for the time being 

 vanquished. I did not hear of the outlaw's capture 

 during my subsequent stay. 



The day after our arrival I rode about four miles 

 up the river with Andy Anders, one of the boys of 

 our party, for an afternoon's fishing. On the way up 

 from Opal I had caught a few trout in the creeks 

 tributary to Green River, but this was my first 

 attempt in the river itself. None of the boys in 

 Wells' camp knew anything of fly-fishing, and my 

 tackle was at first regarded by them with some 

 contempt. A stiff fishing-pole, with stout line and 

 hook baited with a ' hopper ' (grasshopper), was good 

 enough for the local angler, and when a trout was 

 hooked he was promptly heaved on to the bank or 

 over the angler's head without ceremony. 



This reminds me of the story of a friend of mine 



