Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-11-16
q FISH STORY.

a FISH STORY.
When the Old Settler stepped into
the tavern the other day he found the
Squire and the boys in ecstasies over
basket of trout that one of them had
lust brought in, and after the savOry
fish. in the garnishing of ferns, had
been sufficiently admired and com
mented upon, and their fragrance
somewhat modified by the aroma of
several samples of assorted goods, the
Old Settler sat down and said:
The bes' trout fisher ! ever know'd d
were Hank Yellrack o Sugar Swamp.
An the bigges' trout | ever knOw'd
were OF Redtail the Rippero o the same
deestric'. An he want only the big
ges' trout, but he were the KNOWN est.
He lived in McGonigle's Run, an even
wen the fuSt settler in the Sugar
Swamp deestric', which were Honey
McGonigle hisself, shucked his fust
wolf on the banks o that run Redtail
the Ripper want no yearlin', not by
ez much ez thirty years, ez nigh ez
Honey McGonigle could figure, an he
could figure We up the age of the old
est crow to within an hour o its hatch
in, if y'd unly jis' give him one of its
tail feathers TO git his bearin's from;
an we know crows is n hundred years
old fore they've hardly begun TO cut
their milk teeth yit.
Honey McGonigle lived in Sugar
Swamp deestric' nine years fore he
were crowded by neighbors much, the
nearest ones bein Riah Snortbore's :
family, ez lived ten miles FIN Honey :
cabin; an off an on fer them nine
year Honey fished an fished an tished
fer Redtail the Ripper, 'thont ever
gittin' ez much satisfaction outen the
slv OF mossback ez the loSin' of hook
in his jaw. The trout were bout the
size OF nice fat baby. even in Honey
McGonigle's day, an the name o Red
tail were give to him cause his tail
were bout the color o robin chist
an cause he were ripper, an no mis-
take. An so Honey fished an iished
till the day he were gethered TO his
fathers, an the Ripper KEEP on a grow
in bigger an knowiner, an waXin'
fatter an fatter Then new gin 'ra
tions o fishers tried their hans on
him. an fished high an low an deep
an shaller fer him, trailin' flies an
sinkin' bugs, an coaXin' of him with
all sorts o traps an contrivances an
snares fer the wary an the onwary;
but oil Redtail the Ripper unly laid
back an larfed in his sleeve, an
showed hisself here an thar an now
an then in McGonigle's Run, jist to
keep the ball a rollin'
Fifty year arter the days O. Honey
McGonigle | fust see the Ripper, an
folks was a-fshin' fer him yit. Gin
rations had kim an gin 'rations had
gone, bgosh, an still oil Redtail the
Ripper were on deck, fat an sassy,
but a shown of his years a leetle.
Then Hank Yellrack 'peared on the
scene. Hank could ketch trout wuth-
er the water were high or it were low,
or wuther it were muddier thin a gut
ter or clearer thin a jar o strained
honey. But oil Redtail the Ripper
larfed at Hank, an dared him TO ketch
him, jist the same ez he had the heaps
an heaps o ordin'ry trout fishers,
W wich had kim up like flower in the
mornin', so to speak, an been cut
down in the evening, bgoSh, like
jimson weed. and had left the glidin'
waters o McGonigle's Run for the
rollin' tides o Jordan. The impidence
O the Ripper, an the way he had o
euchrein' Hank. no matter how cute
an cunnin he played his hand. tore
Hank all up. but he KEEP follerin'
that trout up an down the Run, year
in an year out, fer fifteen year, cause
he'd took oath 70 capture ol' Redtail
the Ripper or perish in the tempt.
At the end O. that time Hank were
shrunk Almost to a shadder His eyes
were sot back in his head SOS they
looked like green marbles in holes in
the ground, an he hadn't no more APP
petite thin dead calf.
But never mind. Hank usety say.
I'm jist o savin' o my appetite fer
the day th't yank OF Redtail outen
his hole, SOS kin hev it all in one
heap, an jist set it TO workin' on his
contrary carcase, billed, fried an
Drilled, an fatten up on him like a
goose in a cellar crammed with meal,
an come out sassy an clipper ez
fghtin' cock
An Hank KEEP on a fishin'.
"Ye mowt naturally s'pose th't dur
in the hundred year er so th't the
Ripper had knocked around in Nc
Gonigle's run he orter be gittin' a
leetle old hisself, an ye'd s'pose right.
Time tht Hank Yellrack fust begun
TO try an sarcumvent oil Redtail, ez
tel We, the fish had begun TO show his
age consid able, an at the end o
Hanks fifteen year fight agin him he
had failed most ez bad ez Hank he'd
One eye had took TO lookin' ez if it'd
been changed fer one th't b'longed TO
dead mack rails; his shoulder blades