Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1852-03-19
A Fast" Trout! and Learned
Bobolink!

to fish with them.
We'll, says Dan, 'we went, fished and
fshed and fshed. We drank barrel of
mon-ga-haly, and carried about two pounds
of fish back TO the hotel in Hollidaysburgh.
| got strayed off, one morning from the
party, and rod in hand, was overtaken by
an old cock in very ancient-built gig,
high as three story corn-crib. His sober
face, broad -brimmed hat. and square-tailed
coat, bespoke him a Quaker. The old
fellow drew up, eyed me moment, and
coming to the conclusion that | was a hu-
man, he invited me 10 get in and ride down
the mountain and as | had some distance
to go 10 overtake my friends, mounted
the cock'd up concern, and the old fellow
gave his mare-a viXenish little rip-the
string, and away we went.
'Thee's trouting, ell 2
'SlightIy,' says |.
Has thee a fondness for fishing p
Not very strongly inclined that way
says |.
'The trout are very cute sort of fish,
says he. -sIRpce had tame trout in my
pond. l pdrhim in the pond when he
was about as big as my finger. fed him
regularly, and he and | became very So
cial frequently lifted him from the pond
in my hand and he grew on till, reckon,
he weight a matter of three pounds. good
and | thought, one day, as | had some
city friends to dine with me, I'd take out
my fish and have him cooked. Ha! ha!
really | believe the critter guessed my in
tentions, for he never would come near me
after that. ! coaxed and tried 10 invegle
him for some time but it was no use, Mr..
Trout was shy, and avoided all further
sociability. | baited hook with a most
tempting morsel; but no, plague the crit
ter, he was done with me. | next bor-
rowed a scoop net, and though I'd get it
nigh under him, away he'd dart beneath 4
stone, and out of my reach
The trout grew bigger and bigger, and
so fat and saucy that made up my mind
that he must be eat. IIa ha ! at last
made snare. Now, my old friend, said
/. thee's bound to come out; but-ha
ha!-plague take the fellow, the moment
put the moose over his body, he'd poke
his nose down in the gravel at the bottom
of the pond, wiggle his tail, and off would
slip the wire, of course. The sleek rogue
actually appeared TO be laughing at me,
and | went away declaring that he might
live for ever, if lie could
Well says |, interested in the fish
and story, did he continue to live and
flourish 2
Not long for my son said he'd bet
most anything he could catch him, and he
did
All, indeed, SAYS I, and how did he
proceed 2
Ha ha! I'll tell you. Reuben
caught dozen large grosshoppers, and
threw them into the pond; the fish was
very fond of the grasshoppers, and having
eaten them all, he became so spJiRgy,
that, in jumping for fly, he actually
spra',S cteaa o,tt Of the pond, and Reuben
caught the critter bgofe he cOutd .jump
back again!
| told my Quaker friend guess'd I'd
get out about then!
Dan Marble told rather rich affair
about himself and Durivage going ont near
New-Orleans to shoot. They fell in with
a few bob0links, but Dan said neither he
nor Duri could fetch one to the ground.
Frequently says Dan we crept di-
! rectly under low ash or alder, upon the
top of which one of these clatterers was
perched, taking deliberate aim, our muskets
charged with about six inches of powder,
and blazed away. Down the bird would
come almost to the ground, and when we
thought we had him secure, off he would
/ fly. After performing divers fantastic gy
ratons, and tapping his wings to convince
US that we had not wounded or hurt him,
/ he would suddenly stop still in the air, peak
knowingly and wickedly in our faces, and
in the joyousness of his exuberant fancy,
would open with song of his own COM
position, the burden of which sounded 10
us something like the following:
Hal ha ha-don't you wish YOU
could Clink, bang! Wasn't | off in
season? Hiti-ka-dink. Put in more
powder. Chickadee, de-kee. You had
better shoot with shovel. Ha! ha ha
You can't come it. Did you think you
had me? but you didn't, though. Call
again to-morrow-always ind me at home
-Chickadee--tiy, wheel. Never felt so
well IN my life. Don't you feel cheap?
+ ria ha! ha! Ripsidady. Catch bobo-
link asleep. Zttikawheet. you are the
consarnedest fools | ever saw. Licka-te-
split. Give my respects to your aunt.
How's yourma! Takesme. Hip! zip
rattle-band, Ha! ha! ha! Go to the
devil. Skeetr
After indulging in this bit of extempo-
raneous raIlery, and laughing all the
whAe--we could fairly see him laugh
the bobolink would turn and fly off to the
,,n..t h,1rL IL to lnad crnen IL and