The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-30

ereel, nor Harris. The colonel was not
disposed Ito look gift horse in the
mouth" He transferred the trout. still
fresh and brilliant, to his own creel
and cached" the empty creel from
which they had been taken beside the
bank Then he took up the even tenor
OF his way again and waded down the
river. Presently he met the mayor,
standing away out in the stream, cast
ing into a pool on the right
What luck, Bill?" said his honor.
20, 1 guess I've got about twenty,
remarked BILL" carelessly.
The mayor cast again without effect
and rejoined scoffingly, IF you've got
ten you're doing wonders"
We'll" replied BILL" 1--WE got my
creel about full to the top and I'm
going to hike for camp pretty quick.
The mayor cast once more, hos ked
his trout, played him. brought him in
and creeled him. Then he waded over
to where the colonel stood. AS he did
so Harris appeared around the bend
and the three men began to compare
notes and catches" Harris had land
ed eleven fine trout. The mayors last
fish counted him nine, all big fellows
But the colonels catch when emptied
out of the creel caused the eyes OF
Harris and the mayor to assume lob
ster-like bulges and they were loath to
believe his calm assurance. Yet how
was it?
Wouldn't Believe Their Eyes.
He couldn't have bought them, for
he wouldn't buy a fish from principle
Even if he was willing to buy, no one
in that country would sell him a trout
He must have caught them, and he was
too thoroughly a sportsman TO use
anything but flies. So they talked and
pleaded and protested with the colonel
and even grew, so the colonel declares
somewhat miffed at his placid assur-
ances that he caught them just the
same as they caught theirs.
The cOloneFs sphinXlike sangfrOid
was proof against their united assaults,
so the trio returned to camp, the mayor
and Harris still unconvinced that Col
oneI Bill had told 1.-The truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth"
A still sadder shock awaited them
when they came to count" and weigh
up" the fish. This marvellous catch
of Colonel Bills threatened to leave
them so far behind that they would
never get within striking distance of
his record during that trip. They
smoked and grumbled and sDat and
disputed, and finally, to give his story
the requisite flavor of authenticity. Col
onel Bill assumed anger at their gibes
and they were compelled to smooth
over his supposed wrath and admit that
he could catch that many trout in that
time in order to keep peace in camp.
Transgression Is Revealed.
But the next morning, just as they
were about to rise from the rough
plank table, in walks an angler from
the upper camp.
"Howdy, fellows" said the new ar
rival with the easy cOmradeship of the
angling fraternity. Did any of you
see a creel down the river yesterday
I got tipped over in the rapids a piece
below here and lost my creel Sixteer
of the finest trout you ever saw in it
Hunted for it, but never saw it again.
His honor was the first to speak. 90
didn't see any creel while 1 was out,
he said Harris took up the thread Of
the conversation. Il never saw any
creels but the ones in our camp" h,
asserted truthfully.
And they looked at Colonel Bill.