Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-03

moment We all talk at once. All but the
skipper. He keeps his hali-closed, pig
orbs fastened on some point unknown 10 US.
The breakers now fall with booming
sound, and to us seem to form an unDroKen
wall of froth and foam. We begin to catch
the first thin dashing of the spray over '1e
windward quarter of our little sloop,
covers US with shower of salty suds whlch
sparkle and scintillate in the shining sun
How will we ever get through that roarins'
foaming fringe OF sea?
By faith alone.
We have faith in the silent old mariner
at the helm. With steady hand and eye,
he guides us right into the teeth OF tne
surf.
Look outl Lutf her littlei Hold fast,
gentlemenl
Here we gol One dash, splash, crash!
Don't we lust get one in the neckl :, i
should say sol And how we shout ana yen
at each other, and shake the water from our
hats like so many spaniels at play, ana
shout again as we shoot out upon the Panb-
ing bosom of the open sea.
ON THE FISHING GROUND.
There was q channel there, after all;
very narrow one, says our skipper, but per-
fectly safe for anyone who knows his bust
ness. Not to hit it means to be thumped to
pieces. That's all. That's enough. We
have confidence in our skipper; but, all the
same, we breathe more freely as we look
back at the now fast receding surf. The
little sloop now falls away before the stiff
breeze and fairly flies over the long. un-
dulating swells. This is glorious! 1t e1alts
the soul.
We begin to get out the lines. Those who
have never been out before eagerly absorb
instructions from those who have. The
crew breaks clans for us for bait. The big
hooks are solidly imbedded in lead minnows
or sinkers. We select various positions for
active work, and would throw at once, only
the skipper says it is of no use-wait. we
| wait. Pretty soon we see another sloop,
| then another, then schooner. They are
Fl hing. But they are three or four miles
away. Perhaps half an hour elapses and
| we strike floating ocean of corks, empty
cans, orange and lemon boxes, bottles and
other things bobbing mp and down. These
mark the ocean current. They have been
| thrown from ships and have gradually
reached and slowly followed the gulf stream.
And this is the fishing ground.
Let her goi We do let her go, all at once
four sets of lines 60 overheard and are
swiftly let out in our wake. Two lines are
close to the boat; two projecting poles sep
arate the others on either side. The skipper
notes our speed. Too fast. The crew takes
in a reef or two. We bowl along now at an
easy rate, which gives the 60 or 80 feet Of
line a chance to sink below the surface.
THE FIRST HOOK.
We whisper to each other, now-as il the
fish might possibly hear US chatter and tax e
fright. The deadly intentness of every mind
upon the line in hand is almost comical.
There is bottle of wine bet on the lrst hsh
| caught. Perhaps this is something. A two
incn minnow couldn't touch my hook at this
moment without me knowing it. can feel
the throb of the revolving spoon. We run
about mile. Then
"Whoop! I've GOT"
In his excitement he rolls into the cock
| pit amid screams of laughter. Even the old
| skipper laughs. And winks. have my
suspicious. A gentle luf would have
| done it.
But the Young man scrambles out again,
still holding fast to his line and still pulling
in, and tangling the slack with the beer
bottles below and everything in his vicinity
| above.
Pull her ini Hang on, old mani Take
care, you'll fall overheard nextl He's of!
| No he isn'tl Play him! Pull him in!
Everybody gives advice. Everybody gets
| excited. Everybody talks at once. In the
| meantime the poor creature at the other end
of that line gets excited also He is within
occasional sight now, tugging at the line
| like mad, and giving the impression that he
weighs at least 40 pounds. Now he rushes
and leaps into the air-now plunges down
ward head first into the sea-now
permits his -captor to pull him
steadily in-only to repeat the first perform
ance. The nearer he comes the smaller he
grows. Until, at last, when exultantly
o,,llad oyar the side he sizes nm ah0ut fnu
pounds.
JEALOUS OVER FoUR-PoUNDER.
But he is lovely specimen, and we can
not but lock coldly on the young man who
captures him. If we could, we would raise
a question as to whether he is really blue
fish or not. As it is, we fall silently to
fishing. The airs of a young man who has
caught his first bluefish are intolerable.
Great Scottl This must be sharki I
| lust saw the black fins cutting the surface
over there. The line is suddenly yanked
out of my hand. 1 feel the coil tighten
around my leg, and have a brief notion of
| going overboard-but I quickly recover and
| get fresh grip in time to haul in the sack.
Hand over handl He's puller, egadl But
| I've got himl Plunge and jump and tear at
Every vein in my hands stands out-my
face is flushed-my heart thumps great en-
| thusiastic thumps!
All! That run burnt long brown streak
| in my tender palm! There ne rises! Look
at that! Come along, my beauty-we have
room for you in the boat. And SO, step by
step I hauled him in and finally land him
safely among the beer bottles below.
The edge is taken from my victory, how
ever by three more strikes in rapid sue
cession, two handsome fish being captured
at once. The novelty off we get down now
| to steady work. One after another, two at
a time, they bite with strict impartiality,
until in the course of two or three hours we
find ourselves exhausted, with fish enough
to crafty the most exacting amateur. My
hands are blistered by the lines, my neck is
blistered by the sun, my back feels as If 1t
would never get the kink out of it.
EVERYBODY FEELS SERIOUS.
The wind had veered and freshened. We
are running in the trough of the sea.
hadn't noticed it until one of us goes below
and stretches at full length in bunk.
Then also also noted that no one seemed
to be hungry. It was in the middle of the
afternoon. Nobody had clamored for beer,
or other refreshment. The subject Of cigars
was avoided In singular way, by tacit
consent 1t was in bad taste for the crew to
carve fat pork before his guests, but he did
it. and followed it with a pipe that drove US
all to windward. To this violation of the
rules of good society we owed the sudden
illness of the flower of our flock
"For Gods sake, man, 60 aft if you want
to smoke that pipe-go below p
| "If he comes comes down here
moaned a voice from the inner recesses of
the sloop, "it'll be murder!'
The skipper smiled crookedly as he or
| dered the crew, to stop smoking Int I