178 THE OREGON SPORTSMAN - 
finished a steady ride of four hours over the road above described, 
I will leave to the reader to determine for himself the condition of 
the professor and his inability to navigate with the grace that sug- 
gested the dignity of his position in the world of men and action. 
But the aroma of coffee and corn-fed bacon frying in the pan soon 
brought the professor back to earth, and that mountain meal, he con- 
fessed, was one of the best meals he had ever eaten. 
After a hearty meal we got out our tackle and started along the 
shore to prospect for trout. We saw a large school of rainbows, trom 
eighteen inches to two feet in length, and I made the first cast, and 
just as soon as the hook hit water, a large rainbow took it, and with 
the aid of the professor it was landed and was the first conclusive 
proof at our hands of the success of the initial experiment, and 1] 
confess to feeling just a little pride that it was so. I landed four 
in rapid succession and then connected up the professor with the lake 
and told him to get busy. In short order he yelled, and I knew he, 
‘too, was going to obtain additional proof that the minnows had 
become mature fish; but there is often a slip betwixt cup and lip. 
and while the professor was struggling with the prospective prize, I 
shouted directions to him as to what to do, and that trout followed 
the directions instead of the professor, and the struggle continued. 
The last direction given was to keep the trout from the rocks, and 
this the trout heard and headed for them, used the same as a leverage 
and complacently, but somewhat out of breath, swam away with the 
professor’s hook and a goodly bit of line. The professor was ‘‘game’’ 
and with a hearty laugh declared that was sport and gave the trout 
the credit and did not begrudge it. His next cast was based upon 
the initial experience, and he soon landed a magnificent specimen, 
about twenty-three inches in length. We soon had an abundance and 
returned to camp for the night, both tired and pleased with the day’s 
outing, and we both slept the sleep of extreme refreshment that comes 
only from exertion in the open air in a high altitude and in the pur- 
suit of genuine sport. None of our catch was less than eighteen 
inches in length, and the prize was that caught by the professor— 
the reward of a true sportsman. We returned home the next day, and 
the professor learned that a down-hill pull is not all advantage, espe- 
cialy on horseback to which one is not accustomed. 
The fish planted in Van Patten grew approximately five inches 
a year until maturity, but those planted later in the lake developed 
less rapidly, owing, I assume, to the lack of feed for the increasing 
numbers of fish and the limited spawning area. 
I have seen but little of the professor since that memorable fish- 
ing expedition, for his time has been taken up with other matters, as 
he is now Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State, but I 
believe that I am justified in saying that he will ever refer to this 
trip to Van Patten, even under difficulties, as one of the pleasurable 
experiences of his life. 
| 
When you kill a deer and wish to skin it, always begin on its 
head or neck and pull the skin off towards its tail or heels, and you 
will scarcely need a knife except to make the slit along the stomach 
and inside of legs and around the neck. The skin will peel off 
almost free of any flesh and very easily, using the side of your hand 
or knife handle instead of the blade to push the skin loose, Just 
try this plan, 
