The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-09-10

SANS S%-NAA JeS"o AASAO NAO w II
on the bait"
The skipper did not think it could
be a tautog, because none had ever
been caught in the river; but it
might have been some heavy cod
which had come into the river to
iced on the muscles at the old bridge.
further up.
Down went the line again, and it
was drawn up and down as before !;
but the boys waited fully five min
utes before they touched it.
Now, Ike, give him a halibut
bite" said Sim.
This time Ike gave a more deter
mined pull, with the same result;
when, thinking they had carried the
Joke far enough, they crept out on
deck, where they found the fisher
man in state of great excitement,
trying again for bite, and disap.
pointed that he could not get another
one, declaring that he never had finer
bites in his life. The boys chuckled
to themselves, but said nothing.
The old gentleman at last dis
continued trying, but left his line
hanging over the stern. A breeze
sprang up, the tide increased, and the
packet moved swiftly, the line
stretching far behind.
"Sim," said Ike ego down and get
the old umbrella frame we saw there"
"Sim crept down, and soon returned
with an umbrella, whereof little was
left besides the sticks; to which, the
line having been drawn in, Ike at
tached the hook near the ferule, that
the frame might not spread, and then
threw it overheard. Having done
this the boys walked away very I'M
concernedly to another part Of the
vessel.
The line ran ont to its utmost
length; and then commotion ap.
peared in the water, as the umbrella
was dashed from side to side and over
and over as if by some large fish that
was struggling to free itself No real
fish could have been more active
and one of the men, glancing toward
it, cried
whats On the line 2"
The cry Immediately attracted the
attention of the old gentleman, who
rushed aft and insisted upon his right
to pull in the fish, as he had been so
tantalized by the bites. The polite
waterman gave way; and, Selling
the line tie gentlemaih began to pull
Tit in. The excitement in the water
increased with the effort he made. It
was undoubtedly blue.fsh, he said,
because he had caught hundreds OF
them in Buzzard's Bay, and knew one
by the pull. The line slipped from
his hands, the resistance was so great;
and he eagerly began to pull in again.
All on board were eagerly watching
the line.
Il guess it's whale" said Ike.
Cor a shark" said Sim.
The skipper said nothing, but he
looked funny round the corners of his
mouth as he glanced sideways at the
boys.
Never was there greater trouble in
catching fish; even Commodore
Huntress, and his halibut hooked by
the tail, were beaten by this that
flashed and foundered out there in
the water. The sunlight was in the
eyes Of those looking on, so that it
| was no wonder they could not make
out what it was. The old gentleman
had nearly got it in, and giving last
effort he drew the sea monster over
the stern. Surprise and anger filled
the ancient fisherman as he threw
down the line and walked away, lay
ing all the blame to the one who had
given the alarm.
Some how or other it leaked out,
before they reached Rivertown, that
the boys did it, as well as what sort
OF fish it was that gave the bites
and, though the old gent felt vexed
wish them at first, he afterwards con-
fessed to the skipper that they were
"lively boys" And when he found
one Of them was Ike Darlington he
asked him for his autograph.
Ike was warmly welcomed home
by Mrs. Darlington, who looked him
over to see it ne had come back
whole, and then began catalogue OF
questions as TO what he had seen,
how he had behaved, and how they
had treated him.
II hope you were a good boy
sh said,
Ike assured her that his conduct
had been irreproachable, for the proof
Of which she might ask Sim.
HXXTol1 TN Glad Won didn't do