The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
nR. BRoWv,s 1osr onEEU.
Tardy Revelation OF the Facts About the Lee
OF Fourteen Pounds or Trout.,

II lost q borrowed trout creel once" said
Banana Bob Brown. the cigar man, and was &C
mad at myself for not following 1t up and recov
ering It that I never told the owner how 1 came
to lose II, but bought him another and never
said a word. This happened up in Sullivan
county.
THE croel was q Hfteen.pound one, and the
morning l strapped II on, ready to start out
after the fifteen pounds of trout necessary to
fill IL, tho landlord of tho house where l was
stopping said:
Where arc you going, Mr.. Brownr
"Where am l goingf l replied. a little
ruffled. After trout, of counsel Do l look as IL
1 was going after whales
~ asked you whore you wero going said the
landlord. i didn't ask you what you were
going artor.'
"'ohi' said I. In going to jumping Creek.
Trout there, amt theref
Ought TO be- said tho landlord. IF tho
bears haven't flshed 'em all out
"'Bearsl' I said. and 1 had to laugh.
THAT'S right said the landlord. 'Surel
Bears can beat water snakes catching trout.
Water snakes can beat coons. and coons can
beat tho best trout fisherman that ever went out
carrying his fly hook where every one can see 1t
and his bait box hid In his pocketi'
Fudge! l said. and went my way.
II had great luck that day. The creel ! carried
belonged to a man who lived in the village. / bor-
rowed 1t because I was afraid my own crcel was
too small. 1t held only ten pounds. I had al
most filled tho hftoen.pound crecl. | only lacked
Two pounds. i came to n pool whore l knew I
could get the needed two pounds OF trout and at
ny nina Z ssSSSf e would be BS1 m orst ,port TO % XII twp %e
fn'hiR sS to chamber sS G%GG CMn d , to do r ,SSt;
place to get to tho pool. and I took Off my
n %fsb, an. Ind LEFT left 1T i at the top. fearing that I
had q pound trout hooked. Away he went with
went a hundred feet before he stopped, and then
stopped right where a tremendous big bear stood
fsh fhs ef for h'i nS > + BEFORE smfo i as eoS yHp rely aYe mS a ll.tls
put ins hooks Of rs Dig claw in my trout. and
at the same time and breaking it. Then that
aggrayating and impudent bear held up tho
in n way that made my dander raise right up,
and waddled out of tho creek into the bushes,
I had beer so mad as / was to see that bear walk
Not Z know ii, you don't get away with
rock to head the bear Off and make him stand
and deliver up that trout or take the conse-
rock ! discovered that my creel of trout wasn't
where I had left it. Hooked all around. but it
pushed them aside, and there. making for the
woods. ] saw two bear cubs walking OF with
was simply dumfounded, and while / gazed
after those audacious young thieves they
were, Joined by the old bear that had
caught. my big trout down the creek, and
away the trio went, showing every evidence Of
hilarity over the way they had tricked me. In.
stead OF bounding after that robber bear amily,
recovering the property they had looted me OF,
and administering them such punishment as
they richly deserved. | was 30 taken ahack that
stood there like n chump and let them escape.
When l came TO some degree of reason l was SO
mad at myself that / went home ashamed to tell
how ] really had lost the creel. and faxed up
some story about its having tumbled into tho
creek and been washed away. This is the first
time | ever gave away the truth about losing
that creel. and l feel better for it."