San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-10
HOW THE BASS TELLS IT,
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY OF
WHY THE FISH GOT AWAY.
The Angler Never Fails to Boast of His
Own Prowess-Now Let a FInny Veteran
Tell How He Wasn't Caught and Lied
About by Man with a Rod and Line.

Imagine, for the moment, for the sake OF
justice and fair play, that fishes are able to
exchange ideas by means of speech among
themselves and that at certain favored
times, as we remember reading of in our
childhood's perusal of the Arabian Nights, it
is possible for mortals to hear and understand
their language. Let it be the privilege, too,
of somebody strolling beside a well stocked
fishing stream to overhear some such col
loquy among a school of black bass as follows
below Imagine the listener to be gazing
into the depths of deep basin in the channel
of the river when he is astonished by the
sound of queer voice from under the sur
face of the water, exclaiming:
HOW HE STOLE THE BAIT.
Didn't triumph over that poor fisher
man2'
Further permit the favored individual,
locking down still more intently into the
water, to distinguish clearly a school of
black bass suspended in the liquid element
near the bottom, winnowing with their fins,
heads up stream, and among them partieu-
lary large one vigorously working his gills.
The crowd of lesser fish seem to be held in
rapt attention to hear an interesting story
which the greater bass is about to tell Any
one who has ever hung over a clear running
stream from bridge or bank and has seen
groups of fish below will recall how invaria-
bly, the little ones in school gather admir-
ingly around the bigger ones, just as people
do in human society. Immediately let the
smaller voices, replying, be heard to say in
chorus, SHOULD think you didl Tell us how
it happened We were watching YOU"
"Well, you see," let the stronger voice pro,
coed, with the readers indulgence, Il am
pretty big bass. | weigh about five pounds,
and fatter myself that am as acti|e as
am big This afternoon, you know, being
hungry, began to look about for provisions.
In exploring here and there, discovered
long white line waving In the water, and on
the end of that line was bunch Of baby
toads. At the same time, on the surface OF
the water, noticed the shadow Of a long
yellow rod that was held out straight from
one end, as it seemed, by somebody on shore.
Hereafter, my friends, when you see an out
fit like that, look outl Those toads looked
very attractive. / am very fond of young
toads."
YES" chimes in the chorus.
consequently, steering clear of the white
line, rushed up and grabbed them in my
| felt them pulling back in a way l did not
understand. 1t seemed they had a power of
motion and resistance apart from their own
strength. But crushed them without mercy
and swallowed them, and when | cast my
eyes upagain, behold, the white line was gone.
So by this time | knew that it was what is
called fishing line, which of course you
have all heard about. Presently in my fur
Their travels passed by the same place,
when, strange to say, spied large crab at
tached to that same white line. Now, you
know | am very fond of crabs"
YES"
"Well, this time | was little chary of that
white line, for knew | must be careful, else
might get captured, as our ancestors used to
predict of us. So | swiftly approached the
crab, avoiding the little crooked contrivance
at the end Of the line-a mighty dangerous
device, by the way-and seized him near the
tail. | was just proceeding to swallow him
tail foremost when suddenly ! felt him jerk.
held on tightly, and Immediately the hook
and line disappeared. Having dispatched
that crab, continued purveying, and pres
emily CHANGED to return that way again.
Right before me, this time, a nice, neat, good
sized minnow was swimming, so | said:
Young fellow, you are predeStinated for me-
and charged Oh him.
HOOKED, BUT NOT LANDED.
II seized him croSswise in the middle, on the
back and the stomach, preparatory to swal-
lowing him head foremost according to our
ancestral custom, you know; but just at that
instant he jerked, and | felt sharp pain
thrill through my right jaw, and instantly
became aware that was pierced with one of
those dreadful hooks we bear so much about
braced up and brought all my arts and
tricks into play. flew across the basin and
back again; | rushed up stream, and then
darted down till the line gave out. But that
wouldn't %. Steadily and remorselessly the
line was Sawn in taut until | was pulled up
to the top of the water, and there"-
What did you see" cries the chorus.
There saw a fellow pulling for dear life
at the white line to which the hook in my
jaw was fastened and the other end of which
was attached to the long thin rod which he
held in his hands He seemed much agitated
The rod bent like a willow twig. His linen
duster was all mussed, his straw hat was of
and lying in the maud, his eyeglasses were
dangling by string to his vest, his hands
were trembling nervously, and in general his
conduct as he sputtered and muttered to
himself, was like that Of a man going mad.
He kept repeating rapidly to himself, Soft
soft, I've got himr but he hadn't l pitied
the poor fellow, he seemed so much excited
looked up sympathetically at him, but he
glared cruelty at me; and all the while he
kept dragging me nearer to him. | knew now
that the case demanded unusual exertion on
my part. realized that my situation was
desperate. However, l noticed that the bank
where the fellow stood was of clay formation,
md clir,r,r.r-