A GAMY PRELUDE. 



REDLEH. 



There were 7 of us, the General, David, 

 Bearman, Piker, Farmer, Paddy, and the 

 Treasurer. After an 8 day wagon tour we 

 arrived at the anticipated paradise on Elk 

 river. This is one of the prettiest streams 

 in the Colorado mountains, clear and cold, 

 with picturesque rapids and waterfalls of 

 extraordinary beauty. 



After luncheon, guns were unlimbered, 

 rods uncased and with the promise of the 

 General and the Treasurer to remain and 

 arrange camp, the rest of the party took to 

 the woods and waters. Piker and Farmer, 

 with David in the lead, steered up the river. 

 Trout were evidently hungry for a diet of 

 gaudy feathers, so the boys cast and re- 

 cast, whipped, spanked and flogged the 

 water until creels began to take on weight 

 and smiles broke out into laughter as each 

 success brought up a writhing, twisting, 

 baulking trout, glistening with the drops of 

 crystal water and reflecting from its beau- 

 tifully colored sides the sunshine of mid- 

 afternoon. Such sport exceeded every an- 

 ticipation. 



Piker executed a flank movement behind 

 a huge boulder, poised his rod in air an 

 instant and gracefully placed the fly on the 

 edge of a pool opposite, at the same time 

 drawing in the rod and making the coach- 

 man appear to skim the water in a lazy 

 flight. P-s-s-s-h ! A miniature geyser ap- 

 peared above the river, augmented by the 

 vicious charge of a deluded fish. There 

 was an audible 'snip' and the reel at Piker's 

 hand commenced to sing, "Ah don't kare 

 ef yo nebber kum back." Piker put on the 

 brake and smiled complacently. The fel- 

 low at the other end of the tackle per- 

 formed an athletic turn, displaying much 

 strength and agility. Piker chuckled, and 

 had visions of himself showing this 

 champion to the. other fellows. Those vis- 

 ions proved the trout's salvation. The 

 line was maconsciously allowed to slacken 

 and when Piker grasped the reel to regain 

 his advantage, the linen had lost its ten- 

 sion. It floated limply down stream, and 

 a poor, unkempt, bedraggled coachman 

 came to the surface ! 



David wandered up stream and walked 

 into the water without stopping to re- 

 move his shoes. Just after a 10 inch rain- 

 bow had been safely cached in his creel, 

 he prepared for another cast and absent 

 mindedly stepped forward as if he were 

 walking on bare ground. One foot found 

 a bald headed, slippery boulder ; the other 

 tried to rescue its companion from a fool- 

 ish predicament, and with hands saluting 

 the sun, and back arched like a cake walk 



soloist, David received the first ducking 

 that was accorded any member of our party. 



His ardor received a temporary knock- 

 out, so he betook himself toward camp. In 

 passing a patch of sarvis berries a large 

 covey of grouse flushed, which calmed his 

 ruffled spirits. Hastening to headquarters, 

 he secured the small rifle and returned for 

 a renewal of hostilities on that wing of the 

 army. Eight of the flock were secured and 

 triumphantly toted to camp. 



As the sun approached the Western 

 mountains nearly all the party were back 

 in camp which, in their absence had been 

 comfortably set in order. Stories of the 

 afternoon were wafted about until the 

 Treasurer could stand it no longer. He 

 grabbed a discarded rod and made a sortie 

 on a pool below camp hitherto overlooked 

 by the other anglers. The first throw drew 

 a blank. Another cast, and a rainbow 

 scintillated through the water. He swal- 

 lowed the tempting fly like a pill. Then he 

 was taken with a violent spasm, gyrating 

 through the pool, dodging boulders, twirl- 

 ing in loops, and leaping into the air in his 

 endeavors to. spit out the distasteful dose. 

 After a 10 minute struggle he was towed 

 to the bank and the Treasurer viewed the 

 15 inches of conquered force with a smile 

 that was heard in camp. 



Just then the far away crack of a rifle 

 echoed over us. It seemed to come from 

 high in the air. A moment later another 

 shot sounded across mountain and valley. 

 Piker shouted, 



"That's venison," and, accompanied by 

 Farmer, started up the mountain, armed 

 with knife and hatchet. A short distance 

 up they overtook David, who had heard 

 and understood the shots, so the 3 con- 

 tinued up, up, up, breaking a trail through 

 underbrush and over fallen logs, talking 

 with difficulty in their laborious exertions. 

 Meanwhile those remaining in camp began 

 to guess at what was up. It was found 

 that Paddy had not been seen since he had 

 started up the mountain early in the after- 

 noon, so all the hellabaloo was laid at his 

 door. Later we learned that he had gone 

 over the peak and hunted nearly all day 

 without sight or sound of game, when 

 across a little clearing he saw among the 

 undergrowth 2 brown, pointed things 

 flicked together, with a sharp, black tipped 

 nose beneath them and what appeared to 

 be a bunch of brown sticks above. The 

 combination began to move off through the 

 aspen. Paddy raised his rifle and aimed 

 quickly. The object did a fancy step or 2 

 and ambled off briskly into the protecting 



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