The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-05-07
FISHING.
a Dry GA Je,ss -sn : Syss l'lsilsrf Of. tl,s


49, sporf5xe Bass. aa
The other day I met Ben Martyr,
who looked so doEncast and blue as to
lead me to suppose he had recently been
admitted as silent partner into one of
the oid-established undertaking firms.
I stopped him to inquire into the cause
Of his deiectedness, and asked him if
he had been sick.
No, said he, haven't been exactly
sick. Been a fishing and got IA mac
nish-er-mac mac-nish-o-got a fearful
cold and am sneeziDg myself thin.
went out on White river as one OF
small hshing-partY. There were four
Of us-5erry Gill, Bob Wade, Jim
Wright and nae. We went out to Rock
ford on the evening train, aud camped
on the banks of the mill-raee for three
days 'rastle with those Indiana bass,
and set our hearts on having a good
time generally and plenty Of-er, mac
snish-er, er, mac-snish-ry-plenty OF
sport but as for me, can't say that
my anticipations were fully realized.
We turned into our blankets early af-
ter supper In order to get good, sound
sleep, SO as TO be up afore day and,
when we got at our work the next morn
ing, the air was raw and chilly, but l
never saw the signs look more favorable
for big catch. A small scow, with a
FAT bottom, lay tied to a root, and it
was proposed to occupy this boat and
fish out of it, which we did, until the
rest Of 'em tired of the plan and wanted
to go ashore again. You know how it is
with fisherman. You never saw one IN
your life who wouldn't change his spots
-er, mac-mac-er, or, mac-nish-ree-
oftener than chained bear, or hired
girl. But knowing a quiet thing or
| two which kept to myself, after those
scOundreIs had passed out, I stayed in.
I had had several as fine bites out of
| the stern of that boat as ever curved a
| rod or started q reel, and think / got
one light feel OF a pike, but won't be
| positive as to that, At any rate, was
mighty glad to get rid of 'em, and got
them out as quickly as possible, fearing
| they might change their minds and con-
| c1ude to stay. But they got out-and
| right here, blast them, IS where they
/ fixed up a job on me that nearly made
Job for the coroner. You see, there
was a tWo-inch plug, for'ard in the
/ boats bottom, that I hadn't observed,
and as they got out one of 'em-I don I
| know which, and it is now the main
purpose of the rest of my life to find
/ out which one it was,-one of 'em-er,
mac-nishro-oo-er, mac-nish-ri-y 0h-con-
found it viii I sneeze myself blind
! One of 'em quietly withdrew this plug,
and then slunk off lower down the
| dam to watch the result. Well, mind
| you, there were seven or eight four
/ pound bass turning handsprings
/ about my line, and, every moment ex-
/ pecting one to run with the minnow,
became so absorbed over my cork, and
so eager for the game, as to be totally
oblivious of the fact that the boat was
filing, until, suddenly, she careened
and sunk, pitching me overheard head
foremost. I went down like a hickory
shad, but managed with difficulty to
swim out, though completely exhausted
and nearly drowned, But 1 didn't
mind drowning half so much as l did
the actions of That party after the thing
happened. There they were, just IN
der the point below, with their idiot
/ faces ablaze with laughter over what
they facetiously called a dry joke on me.
Think of it, will you? Think of a
drowning companion being the object
of such levity. And those murderers
! who set themselves up to be judges of 8
| good thing-this trio OF assassins that
don't known, M, er, mac-snish-yo-er,
mac-um-don't know good thing when
! they see it, and who might read Baiiey's
Budget through and through, and pore
| over Mark Twain's last book until they
became gray-haired, and not have ap.
preciative sense enough to smile.
| say, these assassins who didn't smile al
a real good thing must coarsely laugh
| their sides sore over such feeble joke
as that which they played on me. But
it's all right. didn't stay on White
river to settle it. came home on the
first train, and found q friend in the
baggage-man who loaned me some dry
clothes. The party will be in on the
noon train, and I must be off to the
depot. A few friends from number six
teen engine-house will go down will
me-and by the way, if you are good
on obituaries, you might shake off (
first-class thing in that line, leaving tn,
name blank for the present. Good bye
I-.Lohal ClLades. IN er-.LOaLrnaL