CAMPING Al LAKE CHELA N, WASHINGTON 



44, 



over the cliff, lodging on a ledge of rocks. 

 It must have fallen over 40 feet and if it had 

 not been killed by my shot the fall would 

 surely have put an end to its earthly career. 



Well. I had shot my goat, and the r 

 thing was to get its hide. It seemed very 

 near, yet to reach it we had to feel our way- 

 down to the bottom of the canyon and up 

 on the opposite side. After the hardest 

 kind of work, we reached the place where 

 the goat was when the shot was fired. 



The goat lay on a few projecting re 

 not over 40 feet below us: but a perpen- 

 dicular rock, above and below, made it im- 

 possible to get any nearer. After an hour 

 spent in vainly trying to find some way to 

 dislodge it. we gave it up. 



When I found I could not get the goat. 

 I used a few of my usual expression- : : 

 disappointment so forcibly that Hender- 

 son's opinion of me must have changed. 

 It was some time before I cooled off suffi- 

 ciently to look at my surroundings. 



Xear by was a " lick." and from the 1 : 

 of the deeply worn trails it must have been 

 a goat country for many years. 



I was passing along the trail where I had 

 seen my first goat when a few drops of 

 blood on the ground attracted my atten- 

 tion. I decided then that my second shot 

 had not gone far astray and we commenced 

 to investigate. We followed up the trail 

 and had not gone more than 100 yards 

 when we were surprised and delighted to 

 find the goat. dead. 



We reached the lake that evening and 

 the following morning returned to Chelan 

 Falls. I had been in no condition for such 

 a hard climb: but although it took me sev- 

 eral days to recuperate, I never regretted 

 having taken the trip to Goat mountain." 



George, who had remained silent while 

 several stories had been told, was asked to 

 say something. 



'" I was just thinking." said he. " of my 

 only narrow escape from drowning. It 

 was while fishing on Green river, in West- 

 ern Washington. several years ago. 

 Would you like to hear about it? " 



' Yes: go ahead." we urged. 



" Well." he continued. '* I had accepted a 

 friend's invitation to spend a week at his 

 ranch on Green river. The fishing was 

 fine. I would go out in the afternoon and 

 start in fishing about a mile above the 

 ranch: then leisurely work my way back, 

 trying the best pools as I moved along. In 

 this distance I would always get all the 

 trout we could use for supper and break:':. 5: 



My fishing always ended at a large, dark 

 pool, near the cabin. My special reason for 

 stopping at this particular pool, wa^ : 

 catch one of the big trout which I knew to 

 be there. I had seen them jumping late 

 in the evening, but. so far I had been un- 

 successful in finding, in my collection, a fly 

 that would attract their attention. 



the cabin, the last evening I 

 to be in the country. I told my friend I 

 would devote my time to the big 



I fished at different parts of the ; 

 least an hour, during which time I tried 

 all my flies and used all the skill, I - 

 : 1. in making my casts, but to : 



I had made one toward the middle of the 

 pool, and while wondering what I sh 

 do next, allowed the -:nk. 



It was probably a foot beneath the 

 face when there was an unexpected jer 

 the line and I knew I had succeeded in 

 hooking a big one. 



My locat: decidedly unfavorable 



for landing a big fish, as I - :eep 



bank about 6 feet above the river. 



The fish was a large rain': 

 :ig unusual vitality: but 

 conquered and I was slowly pulling it up 

 the steep bank. when, fr m ::- own we:, t 

 it broke loose and rolled back into the 

 water. 



It is hard to say just what happened dur- 

 ing the next few moments. In my ex 

 ment I must have tried to catch the fish 

 for. the next thing I knew. I was flounder- 

 ing in the ice cold water. The currer.: 

 the side where I fell runs swift and deep, 

 and I was rapidly passing lown stre: 



I am not a strong swimmer and with my 

 heavy boots and clothing I felt power 

 By putting forth every effort I succeeded 

 in reaching shore, but the bank was -: 

 steep that I was swept away by the terrible 

 current. My strength was fast failing and 

 I knew I would sink in a few momer.: 

 something unexpected did not happen. 

 Ahead I could see some :"rrhangmg 

 branches and these I frantic: ly grasped as 

 I came within reach. They were :: suffi- 

 cient size to hold my weight and had I had 

 the strength I could have pulled myself 

 up by them to the top of the bank. 



A short distance below me was or. - 

 wildest parts of the river, perpendi : 

 walls of rock on either side an i r Is that 

 I could not hope to pass through in safety 

 should I loosen my hold on the brand: es 



It was a decidedly uncomfortable p 

 tion. and my arms had become so tired that 

 I had about made up my mind to take my 

 chances with the rapids, when I heard a 

 voice calling from the bank above me. 



My friend had gone to the z : : I : : see 

 what luck I was having with the big fish. 

 He had found my rod and had seen where 

 I had taken my slide. 



Then he commenced to search for 

 and from up the river he saw my per: ; 

 position and reached the bank above m 7 

 soon as possii.e. After telling me :: 

 on a little longer, he returned to the c:. 

 secured a rope, and with the aid of a long 

 pole drew me oat - terra firma. Hai 

 friend not had - >ee me 



land a big fish I am sure that would have 

 been rav last fishina: ex: - ioi 



