166 East and West 
which stood a tin wash-basin and a bucket of 
water. 
A Digger Indian with whom I used to go a- 
fishing always began his day’s work by putting 
some worms into his mouth, whereupon he bit 
them in pieces and spat them upon the waters, 
crying,—‘‘Come fish! come fish!’ and the 
fish surely came. Early in the season the 
trout fly appeared in great abundance on 
the banks of the Sacramento and at these the 
fish bit voraciously. Again salmon eggs—the 
pools were black with salmon—were excellent 
bait. Rattlesnakes were almost as abundant 
as fish and one had to keep a wary lookout 
by the rapids which drowned the sound of the 
rattle. It was no rare occurrence for the 
fisherman as he crept around a difficult ledge, 
rod in hand, to find the only safe and level 
space already occupied by a snake. 
Tiger lilies are blooming in the clearing 
and the swallowtail butterflies hovering about 
them have bright red spots on the wings. 
Indian pinks, pussies’-paws, and mariposa 
lilies revive memories of the splendid Sierra 
flora. Where is there a more delectable 
blossom than the mariposa, associated with 
rocky open places among the manzanitas; or 
the beautiful lavender mountain daisy, grow- 
