Fleming is Shown
ing part of his belongings on Pepper, he found room to sit in the saddle, and started off for an afternoon in Hastings, after which he would return to the cabin to spend the night and to get the rest of his effects.
When he rode into town he laughed outright at the sign on Pop's door, and he laughed harder when he saw another on Charley's door; and leaving his things behind Pop's saloon, he pushed on to Devil's Gap. At the ford he met the two happy anglers returning and they paused in mid-stream to hold up their catch.
"You come back with us," grinned Pop. "We'll pool th' fish an' have a three-corner meal. Where was you goin'?"
"To find you," chuckled Johnny. "I'm surprised at th' way you both neglects business."
"Comin' from you that makes me laugh," snorted Pop.
Charley grinned. "Did you see that whoppin' big feller I got? Bet it'll go three pounds."
"Lucky if it's half that," grunted Pop. "If I'd 'a' got that one I had hold of, we'd 'a' had a three-pounder, or mebby a four-pounder."
Charley snorted. "Who ever heard of a four-pound brook trout? Been a brown, now, it might 'a' been that big."
"Why, I caught 'em up to eight pounds, back East, when I was a kid!" retorted Pop.
85
