Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-20

which started the mischief, nor had l
taken the trouble TO note the name OF the
papers IN which it had appeared, though
they mad been more than once referred to
( BY my congratulators. | was pretty sure
that the original statement was in the
FISHING something or other, but what the
precise name was, or where II was obtain
able. had not the smallest idea. With
feeling as if | was connecting bank
fraud, and might be run in at any mo-
ment. began to make inquiries at news
agents and ishing-tackle dealers for any
paper that answered the description.
discovered that there was paper called
I the Fishing Gazette and / bought the back
numbers for a month past and began to
study them. At last 1 came on para
graph as follows:
a MONSTER PIKE.-We learn from CORE
spondent that on the 2ith ult. Dir. Marmaduke
ii. Jones, solicitor, while spinning for pike at
the Upper Weir, Tenbury fortunate
enough to hook a 24-pounder, which after a
three-quarters Of an hour struggle he sue /
ceeded in landing.
This was so far satisfactory. though L
had an uneasy consciousness that some !
body in my presence had mentioned sun
bury, and somebody else Newbury, as the
scene Of my exploit; and that i had not
cOntradicted them. However, my moral
sense was by this time so far perverted
that now ! knew Tenbury was the spot
had always said Tenbury. One express
sion puzzled me. What on earth was
spinning in connection with pike? 1t
unfortunately happens that if there is one
subject about which ] know less than any
other it is angling. Ny experiences as +
fisherman are limited to the fact that when
l was a boy of eleven or thereabOuts |
spent all my available pocket money
thTee-and-siXpence, / think it was) in a
| brand-new rod and line. used it perse-
veringly for about a week, but not hav-
ing caught anything except cOlds)
| felt that it was locking up capital 10 no
purpose, and l accordingly snapped it
away to another boy for eighteen pence
and a dead squirrel. What use INTENDED
to make Of the squirrel | don't remember,
but know that was the price.
The above having been my first and only
experience in the fishing line ono joke is
intended. the subject is far too painful TO
be treated with leyity) it .wIll be readily
understood that my knowledge Of the art
was, to say the least, elementary. How
ever, one point was now clear. | had
caught my monster fish by spinning what
ever that might mean and spinning l
must stick to. The mystery as to how the
paragraph appeared in the paper was stih
/ unsOlyed. l referred to the Law List"
but could not find any Marmaduke II.
Jones, solicitor. 1t was just barely posi-
bic that there might be a country practi-
toner of that name, country solicitors
only appearing under the heading OF their
respective towns; but alter looking
through all the big towns | could find no
one of my own name except myself. My
first impression was doubtless right, that
the paragraph had been inserted as hoax
and | smiled to myself as | thought how
the engineer had been hoist with his own
petard, his intended ''ioke'' having been
received as substantial verify. But then |
| another thought crossed my mind and !
made me extremely uncomfortable. Per
haps this anonymous joker was only bid |
I ing his time. Perhaps he was only lulling |
me into a false security, and, when he |
thought his '.jOke'' had gone far enough. |
would write to the paper again and say
that Marmaduke II. Jones did not catch /
the big pike after all-and a nice sort of I
position / should be in them No, he had !
chosen to declare that l had caught a big |
pike, and | was by this time more than /
half convinced OF it myself. If the story |
was not true, why il ought to be true, and !
| was determined that for all practical !
purposes it should be true. made up my
mind that, come what might | would stick !
to my fish. fThe reader Will perceive that |
/ was now becoming hardened in crime
| felt that / was now master Of details.
The pike was "a pounds in weight; be was
caught at Tenbury; and he WAS caught by
spinning. Secure in this knowledge, |
sailed forth with head erect, feeling that
l could not now very well be caught trip
ping. But pride comes before fall. Al
most the first person l met was an old
acquaintance, Jack BrOderip. ''HullO,
Jones'" he said, II haven't seen you since
you caught that big jack"
1T wasn't a jack l replied; Fit was a
pike"
''Well, pike is a jack" he rejoined
isn't it?'' / began to stammer out some
N no
got, by the way, you swell sportsmen only
speak Of fOur-pOuuders and such small fry
as Jack l apologize for abiding to your
big fish 50 Qisrespectlully, but assure
you it waSquite unintentlOnal. BY the
way, how did YOU catch hims Live bait,
/ SUPPOSE
Live bait Of course" said. hadn't
a notion on the subject, bat as he seemed
so cock-sure, 1 thought it better not to
contradict him. spinning, you know"
spinning" he exclaimed, "with live
baitE That's novelty, isn't it?"
''Well, I believe it isn't exactly general"
| said, mOdestly.
.If YOU say it, Of course it must be the
thing to do. ] shall note that as a wrfn-
kle. But | should think it was rather
awkward to work. If it Isn't a secret,
how many hooks do you have on your /
iightY'
The question obviously implied more !
than one. ooh, about two" | said, TIM !
idly.
1.-TWO hooks onlyl All, two triangles, |
you mean. Whose flight do you use, then? |
'PennelPs.' or the Thames or the Fran (
els or something of your own?"
''Well, TO tell the truth which it GER |
tainly wasn't), a little arrangement OF
my own"
something special, Ell? Well, sup
pose these are professional secrets, SO !
mustn't pump you too much. BY the way, !
it was at Tenbury, l think, the event came /
Off Now, whereabouts is Tenbury?"
This was poser. Tenbury might have |
been in Owyhee, for anything | knew. / |
was obliged to make leap in the dark.
ooh. Tenbury, you know. Down Berk- !
shire way"
berkshire, is it? | thought it must /
have been Tenbury in worcestershire. /
There is a Tenbury in Worcestershire, |
am pretty sure. Tenbury in Berkshire,
Ell? Good fishing there, l suppose?'
"Pretty fair" l said, with the air of a |
man who didn't think anything under a |
20-pOunder worth mentioning, and at the !
same time making a mental memorandum |
TO look up the geography Of Tenbury with |
out delay. 81 must ask you to excuse me |
now, for I'm in a desperate hurry. l have |
an appointment at the Taxing Office. |
Good morning.
lie wished me Good morning." look /
ing, however, rather huify ut my abrupt /
dismissal, and / went into a statiOner's to
buy the A b G Guide. | found that Ten !
bury was in worcestershire, and deter !
mined to stick to that county in answer
ing future questions. ! met three or four
more acquaintance that afternoon. All /
of them were full of my big fish and /
showed a disgusting appetite for details. |
i answered their queries as we'll as could, !
but felt that | was getting deeper and !
deeper in the mlre at every step, and that |
] must manage to acquire a little more
knowledge on the subject
On my way back to the office | bought !
two or three treatises on fishing; but had |
barely had time to open them when val
ued country client, Mr.. Culpepper, came
in. He had important business to discuss
and was compelled to leave town again the
next morning; 50, to economic time, as it
was nearly my hour for going home, ! in
yited him to dine with me en- tdDille. We
walked home together and dinner was
half over when he suddenly said:
''By the way, Jones, that was tremen-
dous catch of yours down Tenbury way
that big pike, ehY'
My wife looked up surprised, for she
had heard nothing of my apocryphal
achievement.
''Oh, nothing particular" | said, trying
to turn the conversation; ''the thing has
been much exaggerated. Nothing in it,