The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-07
Tronhle With q Goldfish.

We accepted the urgent invitation Of
the foreman of the Crook county (Wy.)
stock ranch to stop and take dinner with
him one afternoon. AS we sat down to
the meal he passed suspicious looking
dish and said:
"That's what they call Goldfish"
"Codfsh always goes to the right spot
with me-" replied Briar, politely.
"That may not, though" continued
our host as he wiped his knife on his
boot leg before helping himself to some
butter. 'Tre had the greatest time rast-
lin with that air critter of fish that l
ever had in all the cookin' ever done. |"
"What was the trouble with it2"
$50 thunderin' salt! This is the
fourth or fifth whack I've took at it,
irwin to git up a mess that we could
eat. 'thont goin' down to deep pace
in the creek an standin' in the water up
to our necks the rest of the day."
sIt was worse than they usually are,
eh?"
"Worse'n Pve ever tackled, anyhow.
You, see, sent down after it by Shorty,
here, and I told him to git big un-
we'd been havin' bacon every meal be-
tween three and four years, an l was
bound to have change or bust. Shorty
packed it home tied onto the saddle, an
when he brought it in and busted it off
with his hat and looked at it, l says:
"Shorty, she's a dandy! Goldfish for
breaIfas or Pm Mexicanl" 1t wasn't
no slouch of fish. either; it was long
and we'll put up, little heavy in front,
I thought, but then the fish amt built
like steer or hoSs. It's head was cut
off and it was all dressed in good shape,
onlv its tail was left on, but Shorty said
that was to handle it by; an then he
tried to pound me over the head with it
in fun, but I yanked it away from him
and hung it up BY my Winchester where
the dogs couldn't get it, and left it there
for the night.
"Next mornin' we go up early an cut
off steak from round the neck of our
fish, cooked it, slapped it onto the table
an yelled sBreakfast!' Then we waded
into it. 1t tasted deal like ta%in' a big
lump of salt on your fork, bitin' off a
mouthful, chewin' n swallerin' it, an
goin' for it again! The boys kicked,
but ] told 'em Goldfish was al'ays salt, an
so we cleaned it out at last. Then we
went down to the creek an sort O. laid
round till noon an robbed the 1000
head O. cattle there is on the ranch of
the water they orter had. never saw
nothing hang by felier like that fish
did. Bout noon I come back up an
put the critter to soak in water bar'l
We left it there till the next mornin' an
tackled it again. Still too salt. Then
l left it two days an took another whack
at it. Couldn't go it yet. Then | tied
one end of lar'at round its tail an let it
down in the we'll and left it week. BY
that time the water was 30 salty we
couldn't use it, but it hadn't freshened
the cod enough to speak of. Then hove
il upon the rool an let it rain on it O
couple O. times au' afterward r'ared it up
on pole in front O. the shack an let the
wind kinder blow through its whiskers
for few days. 1t seemed to be gettin'
some better, but we still went in more on
bacon than we did on fish. / was mad
by this time an took it to the creek an
staked it down to the bottom, where the
current was rapid. an said if it didn't
spoil the water for the stock I'd leave
it there month. 1t staid there till yes
terday, when one O. the boys brought it
up. 1t was gettin' quite soft an Timber
like, an I reckon we've downed it at
last 1t may be little water soaked, but
the salt is knocked. tell you the ocean
must be a powerful sight saltier than |
ever lowed it was to git fish loaded
plumb full of it like this un was. This
ranch buvs fresh water fish after tbs.
I'll be hanged if l b'licve fish is fit to
eat after it's swum round in salt water
mebby ten years an got it all soaked
through it. should think they'd nave
scales on em to kinder keep it out partly"
Tribune.