Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-11-11
drew rein to gaze after Us; we were .
1 queer pack of sportsmen.

years have fled since the date of this
little sketch, and theromance has fled
from the bonnie burn. II has been
improved out of all its beauty.
But then--well, 1t rose in q peat
moss-a marshy, boggy, dismal swamp
Through which it flowed silently and
slugeishly, and here we caught many
lordly eel. Escaping at last, it
rushed merrily along the side OF a
road, over a sandy, pebbly bottom,
bordered by long slips of watercress;
then It went off to the left, and be.
camethe marsh" betwiSt my father S
land and neighboring farm. And
here even was good guddling ground,
and many lusty trout | have haul
ed to bank from beneath tho green
overhanging banks.
The Den burn went whipping away
through haughs and green meadows,
and under many rustic bridge, till it
reached at last the dark and rocky
wooded glen of Maidencraig. Here its
waters feed those mill-dams, and turn
ed monster mill wheel that seemed
always to roll round and round, night
and day; its black wet sides CHANGING
~ VIC SuiistiliiSJ VI EiitISIlilS AlEl lifc
moon shone. Onward it dashed for
another mile and then flowed sullenly
past the loot of gloomy pine-wood,
where, tradition alleged, more than
one farmer had been robbed and killed
while returning late at night from the
market; where a mother had hanged
| herself, and where, even in our day,
little Sammie Stuart, when looking for
birds nests, found murdered BARN
Close by this wood was to be our
guiding ground to-day, nevertheless.
Little We cared for tradition. 1t
was lovely day--a day that would
have made an old man young age in
| Spring was on the trees-spring was
everywhere, In the woodland glades
the scented furze was all in golden
bloom; the feathery larches were green
green, and draped with little Grim
son tassels; while pink-white fingers
protruded from the twiglets of the
dark and solemn pines. Spring was
in the hearts OF the birds-the mellow
| fiuting merle, the saucy, mocking MAJ
Wis, the modest sispin, the bold, bright
chatfie, the bonnie, wee rose-linnet
that sang on the thorn.
And spring was in cur hearts, at;
even in Jocks though, the green heath
er was high enough almost to bury
| him.
But here is the Den burn. 1t is
bright and clear, and not too full
just in fine condition for guddling.
And now my English reader will be
initiated into the mystery ofguddling;
that is, if hedoes not already know
what guddling is.
Oh goes every jacket; then our
sleeves are rolled up to the very
shoulders, and our trousers high up
over the knees. We are bare-legged,
bare-armed, and ready for action.
We begin by building strong wall of
green turf, which we tear up from the
burns bank at each side of thestream
then We make heap OF extra big
turfs close to the burn, and dashing
them and beating them down, speedily
complete our dam.
Hurrahi the burn is almost dry be-
meath the dam; only in the pools the
water still abides, and into these go
nearly all the trout. Beautiful yellow
trout, Spttkttu WIN TeI!
We wade in the water; the two Will
lies wade, and Davy wades, and Jock
wades; Jock uses his bill; we thrust
our bare arms in under the green
banks, needless of eel bites, needless
of the presence of ugly water rats. We
seize the trout by the round. slobbery
heads after working them into cor
ner, and pitch them out on to the
bank, and laugh to see them leap and
dance, their bodies shimmering white
and golden in the sunshine.
Every fish that Jock catches he tries
to swallow, but Willie pulls them
away and casts them ashore
Presently Jock gets a frog and
chokes on it. There is nothing stick
ing out but hind leg. However,
Willie lays hold of that and draws it
out, and cautions Jock, and the gud-
ding goes merrily on.
Never was finer sport on this earth
have fished all over the world since
then, but the memory OF that after
moons guddling always will remain a
sunny one.
While we are guddling, all the mills
below us that depend on the Den burn
for driving power have to lie idle; of
course they have, but what care we.
The waters rise very high in the dam
at last, and over and over again we
have to strengthen it.
At last, however, we hear shout
from Willie, and "skraigh" from the
heron, and well we know what it
means.
The dam has burst, and the waters
come down with rush and q roar
and force irresistible.
Suave aui pent. Save ourselves, save
our Jackets, save our fish.
The mills down the stream will have
water enough now and to spare 1t
will fill and overflow the dams and
make a dash breast high over the
wheels, and it will sweep the linen
from the fields of the bleaching works.
Again, what care we? Have we not
had fine fun. We tie our trout in
strings and prepare for home.
Only just in time, for yonder, run
ming up stream, comes farmer Milne
he always was a brute-and two of his
men. But if he thinks to catch us he
is much mistaken We take to the
woods with a defiant whocpl and
farmer Milne has seen the last of u.s.
Grief came on the following Friday,
though. For the dom;nie had got new
spengie cane, and we three conspirators
stole that and cut it up. Wewere just
about to begin.
LET ussmoke the calumet of peace"
I said.
When suddenly the sharp features
of Dominic Forbes were protruded
over the fence.
"Ohl you young scamp" he cried;
f'wait till tomorrow; I'll ca-ca-cal-
umet you"
What could we do to avert the Or
deal that would in all probability take
place tomorrow.
81 have it" / shouted. "Let us 60
straight and see Jeanie."
We told her all, adding
stOhl please, Miss Jeanne, take pity
on us, and be kind to the dominic. He
is so fond of you, Jeanne, and if you
say word he will never thrash us"
do you think he is fond of me"
said bonnie Jeanne,
"0l Miss Jeanne, Ireplied, "he would
die for YOU"
"That he would" said Willie.
Pm sure he would" said Davie.
Reader, that promised thrashing
never came off, but I'll tell you what
did come off just two months after
wedding.
And Dominic Forbes limped away
from church with bonnie Jeanie's
hand in his sleeve-Gordon Stabley,
NJ. D., G. NJ, r. NJ, in Home Chimes.