Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1891-01-03

nounced. Presently broad trail OF
silver light extended from the black
shadows cast by pine trees to the
boat. A great northern loon broke
the silence by laughing loudly, and
then we Knocked him, and did it so
unreally that he laughed US to scorn
and drove me to tue oars.
heard the click, click, of real
slowly revolving. "You are not
getting ready to fish at this time OF
night, are you, Sam ~ l asked rath-
er anxiously, As ! looked over my
shoulder at him. Seeing that he
was preparing to fish demonstrated
feebly, / fear, s.It is most outrage
Gus. It is not so nominated in the
bond.n
.See here, father the boy said
briskly; "You fished from the land.
ing to the edge of the rice swamp
this afternoon. You caught your
fish and you replaced them in the
lake, You said that you would
catch the precise fish we needed in
the little pond in the swamp. But
| the muskallonge you caught in the
water bore so startling resemblance
to famwanger, you said, that you
gras ped him by the tail and disdain-
fully cast him far out into the rice
swamp, and now we have no fish for
breakfast. And breakfast without
muskallonge is but sham. Shall |
| cast?" he inquired.
pretended not to hear the ques-
ton.
"What kind of fish is aamwan-
ger, father!" he asked, and there was
merry menace in his voice.
"Shall cast1" he repeated.
"Castl'' replied, being anxious
to avoid searching inquiry into the
habits Of that most noble game fish.
the muskallonge. Merriiy the reel
sang. In an instant tiny spray Of
liquid silver marked the spot where
the tarpon spoon had struck the
water. I grasped the oars and row.
| ed slowly for a few rods, then the
reel sang loudly, and there was
sweet music in the air.
"Swing the boat, father; / have
struck whale!" the boy exclaimed
excitedly.
swung the boat broadside to the
fish and then turned in my seat to
look at the boy. Sam was standing
upright in the bow of the boat with
bending, writhing rod in hand and
gazing through blazing eyes at a
tiny ripple that cut to and fro across
the moon trail, now disappearing
into the black water, then cutting
back to disappear on the other side
of the trail Presently the fish broke
water in the centre of the moon trail
and rose for full three feet above
the surface of the lake, shaking his
head violently the while and scatter
ing silvery drops in shower from
his glistening sides. I saw the tip
| OF the pole fly up strongly and the
fish turned in the air. / Judged it
to be the largest fish we had caught,
if we should catch it, and we had
landed muskallonge that weighed
twenty one pounds.
"Did you see him, fatheri" the
boy exclaimed. "Take the rod till
/ get out of my overcoat, so that ]
can handle myself. I do not want
this fish to escape" As he spoke
he thrust the rod into my extended
hand. How it did throb and beat
/ had just finished feeling Of the fish
when a lean, brown hand clasped
mine, and the boy said eagerly !:
"Let me kill him. Please get into
the stern and use the paddle. Keep
the boat broadside on, and will
show you rare sport"
Rather reluctantly I surrendered
the vibrating rod and clambered into
the stern to watch the fight, The
boy, stripped to his shirt and hat
less, stood upright in the bow Of the
boat with his right arm extended
and his hand strongly clasped
around the rod, and his brown thumb
pressed heavily against the reel. He
was intently watching the large,
powerful fish repeatedly breakwater,
| and as he broke he skillfully gave
him the full spring OF the bamboo
tip. Without removing his gaze
from the ripping water that the
moon caused to glow and sparkle as
though it we're lighted by countless
electric lights. Sam talked. He
says:
81 have your rod, father. How
many feet of line are there on the
reel!"
"Six hundred }" / replied, abut
not sufficiently strong to hold that
fish. Don't try to snub him." /
cautioned.
81 do not intend to-" he replied in
an excited whisper. II am going to
drown him with the weight of the
line. / will let him have 500 feet if
he wants to run that much off under
drag and thumb, and then / will
wear him out"
swatch him closely. Reel rapid
| " if he comes toward the boat and