WHEN THE LINES RUN FREE 361 



he had spent the best part of his life in a supply of those innocent insects 

 looking for something "a little better," was to enable us to offer a tempting 

 and at an advanced age had finally array of dainties to try the appetites 

 come to realize that the opportunities of the gourmands of the deep blue 

 of his life had been passed by unheeded, waters. After knocking into insensibil- 

 till now. The old man is compelled ity a few dozen of the idiotic look- 

 to gain a livelihood by any odd jobs ing imps of the grass, we prepared for 

 that chance to come his way. the real pleasures of the day. 



I manifested a great deal of interest My instructor and guide kindly 

 in the old man, and made numerous in- helped me master the intricacies of a 

 quiries in regard to his methods of jointed rod and reel, and then pro- 

 angling. One day, to my pleasure ceeded to instruct me in the art of 

 and delight, he accorded me a favor casting. Taking his own rod and se- 

 which he had never been known to lecting a promising point, he began the 

 grant to another person. Perhaps it conquest with a few deft manipula- 

 was because I had shown such tions of arm and wrist, and soon con- 

 an interest in his past, present and vinced me that it was ''as easy as fall- 

 future, that he invited me to go on a ing off a log." But I had not the re- 

 fishing trip with him to the Big Klic- motest idea that it was as easy as fall- 

 kitat. I, being a "tenderfoot" from ing off a rock; or how infernally cold 

 Kansas, expressed a doubt as to wheth- it was down in those transparent depths 

 er I could even cast a trout fly ; but he of limpid water. After gaining what 

 wouldn't take no for an answer, saying I thought to be a point of vantage on 

 he "would teach me," and "that my top of a huge rock which jutted out 

 western experience wouldn't be com- into the stream, I proceeded to verify 

 plete without a day's sport with the my conviction that it was easy, and as 

 speckled beauties." So, after canvas- suddenly came to the unhappy conclu- 

 sing my circle of acquaintances, I col- sion that I was mistaken. When I at- 

 lected an outfit consisting of a hollow tempted to cast that gaudy fly out to 

 steel jointed rod, with reel and line ; where I imagined I could see a monster 

 also a good sized fish basket. As I trout rising to receive it, I threw my 

 boarded the train that morning in July body forward at a dangerous angle, 

 in company with my old friend, I could and with the hook in the back of my 

 not help but think of the time, long ago, neck and a screech of pain, I toppled 

 when, with a warped and knotty hazel over and sank to rise immediately and 

 pole and accessories, consisting of a strike for the nearest point of terra 

 twine string for a line and a few rusty firma, which I reached none too soon, 

 fish-hooks, which had done service to the for I felt that I was rapidly congealing, 

 gentle art for a number of seasons, for Of course my rod sank, but it was 

 it was with this crude outfit that I in- firmly anchored to the back of my neck 

 variably succeeded in capturing a and the anchor came to land with me, 

 goodly number of sun fish, "craw tads," and Johnson was enabled to save my 

 and mud cats, with an occasional terri- rod and reel for future experiment., 

 fying "snapper" turtle from the muddy Well, thought I, I've learned some- 

 depths of the old swimming hole back thing, and "got damp, quick, too!" But 

 in Kansas. after Johnson had extracted that harpoon 



In due time, I found myself on the from the nape of my neck, and bound 



famous fishing grounds of Klickitat a handkerchief around the wound, I 



County undergoing the first lesson of watched him land a few small trout, 



the day in exercising my batting pro- and was induced to try it again myself, 



clivities upon some seemingly demure, I was careful, however, not to get too 



but singularly elusive, grasshoppers, close to the edge of the rock, and I 



I was informed the reason for laying tried to be more careful in launching 



