218 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
did not hesitate to challenge their right to molest his hunting 
ground. Many of the younger generation along the river, as 
well as timid adults, had been thrilled and chilled times with¬ 
out number as stories of such encounters were related by those 
having the experience. Such stories had finally come to take 
on the nature of a legend. 
The vast majority of those living along the highlands of 
the river and in close proximity to the stream listened out of 
sheer courtesy to such narratives, but with little show of confi¬ 
dence in the veracity of the narrators. These were those who 
took not kindly to the art of fishing, and on each occasion when 
they were compelled to listen anew to the tiresome details of 
such legend would confess, unabashed, that it was their candid 
opinion that such person had, immediately prior to such alleged 
encounter, tarried too long at the winepress. Ofttimes they 
were somewhat unmerciful in their criticism, accusing these 
fishermen of having stolen a page from the despicable record 
of Ananias—in short, all these fishermen were plain liars. To 
such accusations those at whom they were aimed countered 
with the rejoinder that, even if true, all liars were not fisher¬ 
men. They insisted farther that such exaggerations as they, 
the humble followers of Izaak Walton might be found guilty 
of, had to do chiefly with the number of fish caught, the length 
of their string, or perhaps as is most often the case, the size 
of the great fish that got away. Even if true, they insisted, no 
one but the fisherman guilty of such colossal falsehoods could 
possibly be injured thereby, while their holier-than-thou critics 
all too frequently originate and set in motion gossip which 
works irreparable injury to the good name of those at whom it 
was directed. Thus the controversy raged, a controversy in 
which the writer cannot but side with these well-meaning de¬ 
votees of the art of fishing. 
Fear always gripped their hearts as they trudged cautiously 
through the hummock land and river swamp, a land over 
which this overgrown old diamond-back ruled with as much 
absolutism as any tyrant of either ancient, medieval, or modern 
times. New fears beset them, however, when they gained the 
river channel and began to display their luscious and appetiz- 
