The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-24

he decided to make a nest of his own.
He did so and had Just induced a most
beautiful young fish Of the other son to
come and examine it, with view TO
#51natrinlony, when that same big bully
appeared on the scene. promptly turned
him out OF house and home and began
counting the beautiful young creature
himself. twas very exasperating, not
Ito say humiliatlng. but it was the sort
{ OF thing that one must expect when one
is only a 2 syear&old 81
The next year he had better luck. As
another summer passed away and the
E cooler weather came on lie farayed himself
in his wedding flnery, and itEalmost SEEM
ed as if he had stolen some of the colors
loftthe swamp naples in their gray fal;
dress, and was using hem to deck him
SELF out and lccke a brave display. In
later years lie was larger and heavier,
but don t. think he vas ever much hand
tsomer than he was in that fourth autumn
of his life. sSf Ii z5&
IA His back was a dark, dusky, olive
green, with mottings that6were still dark
4 er and duskier. His sides were lighter
in some places almost golden yellow; and
scattered irregularly over them were the.
small, bright carlnine spots that gave
him one of his aliases, the "Speckled
Trout Beneath lie was Il usually of a
pale cream color, but now that he had
orange and some OF his fins were varic-5s
gated with red and white. while others
were a fiery yellow. lie was covered all
over with a suit of armor madeao thou
sands ana thousands Of tiny scales, 50
small and fine that tho eye could hardly
separate them and from the bony shoul-i
ider-girdle Just behind his gills raised
line dark ind slightly waving ran back
to his tail, like the sheerline 1of ship.
There were other fishes that were moro
slender and more finely modelled than he.
and possibly more graceful, but in him
there was something besides 81 beauty
something that told Of power and speed
and doggedncss. II o B was like a ia man
So'-warS dressed out&n all her bunting for
some great gala occasion, hut still show
ing her grim, heavy outlines beneath her
decorations. Ills broad mouth opened
clear back under his eyes and was armed
with rows OF back ward pointing teeth
so sharp and strong that when they
once fastened themselves upon a smaller
fish they never let him go again. IT, The
only way, out from between those jaws
was down his throat. His eyes wcre
largo and bright and We're set we'll apart;
and tho bulge OF his forehead bet wea.l
them limited at more brains than are al
,lotted to some Of tho people OF tho stream.
Altogether, he was 4 most gallant and
knightly little fish and It would certainly
have been a pity If he hadr-t found a
mate. b n @ 5B5 n Il
And now he started tho third time for
the gravelly shallow, and Travelled as no
had never Travelled before In all his
life. Streams are made to swim, against
every brook trout knows that--andy tho
faster they RIM, the greater is the JOY
of breasting them. $ 81 Il sgs
Z As before, he and the other males
arrived at the nesting grounds some days
In advance Of their mates. and spent tho,
Intervening time In scooping hollows In
the gravel and qlarreing among theln-
selves. Two or three times he was driven
from Il choice location by some ono who
WAS bigger than he. but he always man
aged In some way to regain 1t, or else
stole another from q smaller fish; and
when the women finally appeared he had
a tlna large nest In q pleasant situation
n little apart from those Of his rivals,
But for some reason the first candidates
who came to look at 1t declined to stay,
Perhaps they were not quite ready to
settle down. or perhaps they We're merely
disposed to Insist on the feminine prlvi-;
lego of changing their minds. But H.
nally there came one who scnltd to be
quite satisfied. and with whom the trout
himself had every reason to be pleased.
As she and our friend swan sldo by
side, llcr nose and the end of ller tuil
were exactly oven with his. Her colors
We're the Same that he had worn before
he put on his wedding garments, and n
you had seen them together in the early
summer don't belleve.syou could oyer
haye told them apart They We're a we'll
matched pair, more evenly mated, prob
ably, ihan Is usual In fish marriages. HI
/ But thew were not to be allowed to ser