Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-10

The masq'allonge is simply an
enormous pickerel or oyergrown pike.
and exhibits no characteristics not com.
mon to these fish other than are the re-.
suit of superior size. His distinguish
ing marks are the absence of teeth in
the anterior portion of the lower law.
bare cheeks and half-naked (the lower
half opercles or gill-covers. He is not
so abundant as the trout, or so hand.
some, clearly and aristocratic fish.
since he exhibits a preference for shall.
Jew and less pellucid waters and reedy
and muddy bottoms over crystal depths
and gravelly reaches. While Namav.
;gsh may be styled the leopard or tiger
Of the ccen waters, this feliov-is but the
I:csal and hyena of subaqueous forests
and jungles, and a lover of filth and
carbon. There is nothing frank, open
9r careless in his composition or meth
ods. On the contrary, he Is shy, eau.
tious, sneaking, peering and crafty-an
arrant knave and coward, who never
pursues his prey bo1dlysand fairly, but
waits in hiding for nnsuspecting vic.
tins, upon which he pounces with more
than lupine ferocity and drags to his
lar, there to gloat upon, torment and
devour at his leisure. His very face, as
well AZ the character of his teeth, is
an inGex of his base and cruel
disposition. His eye is absolutely
devilish in its malignancy, and his 1.-THE,
active body, marked and variegated
with black, green and white, in spite OF
a certain glittering beauty, is cold,
clammy and snake-like in form and ap.
pearance. Namaycush is hot-headed.
bold, fearless and pugnacious, stopping
short at nothing; while Esox is cool,
slow, calculating and crafty. and more
than an ordinary tyrant, in that he
preys only upon those far WEAKER .hS.p
himself and every way his interiors liz
point of size. His delight is shallow.
reedy pool, where the lily pads and wild
rice attract the waterfowl, and from be.
meath whose shadows he can silently
and deftly poke ND his long srout and
seize upon some tender and contiding
duckling, which, to the amazement of
proud and happy mother, disappear.
suddenly in swirl of water to pay
tribute to incarnate rapacity. Nothing
comes amiss to him that is flesh,
whether clothed in fur, scales OF
teathers-not even sinking offal. Still,
he Will tight when cornered. and that.
too, good and strong" and with all
the wickedness of his malevolcnt dispo-
sition; and his supple form is capable
OF all sorts of unheard-of twistings
writings and contortions, as he now
dives like flash 10 the bottom, then
reappears in mid-air, shaking his
head like an angry bull and dashing
the water in showers from his glitterins
sides, and again dashing and swirling
about the pool flashing it in his rage
till 1t Is covered with mass of feathery.
sparkling foam. He is marvellous in
his strength, and possesses an astonish.
ing and never-ending repertory of feint:
and devices that try and puzzle TO the
utmost the arts and wits of the angler;
for in that long head of his there Turks
brain of remarkable fertility and Gun.
ming. He will bear more punishment
by ten times than either trout or sal.
mon, yet appears to suffer more, and
when impaled upon the spear will turn
and writhe and even sink his murderous
teeth into the handle to make fulcrum
of his jaws whereby to twist himself of
the barbed prongs, regardless of pain
and cruel decorations, and then seeks
safety in swift and inglorious flight, moi
alone from his great enemy, man, but
from those of his own race, immediate
members of his family, who, should his
wounded condition be discovered,
gather from all quarters, and with fe.
rocity unparalleled tear and rend his
mutilated body like so many wolves,
even satisfying Their ravenous appetite
upon the last quivering morsel. The
Continent.