The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-24
A QUEER CATCH.
ocAr 1NsrBA lad OF TROUT ON
49, TaE END OF THE LINE.

--,a+her ana Rave AAtAAAAAAS
errnqgl. in the Water-A Well
sarned victory at Last.
IRON. the Philadelphia Press.
,,r-rrTTF. PA, July 16.-If you should
IN front fishing on the dead water" OF
r.n in the Pennsylvsnis Hemlock
~ - Ia careful as you make your casts and
DO, hook a wild cat; for If you do you
~ he nut to good deal of annoyance,
20 like as not have your days fishing
o'i Na.d-that is, II your wild cat should
Pm TO have a disposition like the one
10y. nv friend Harry Cavanaugh hooked
-, .irne he was fishing those dead waters.
TT.,,es st the time in charge OF gang OF
rho were at work constructing one OF
49,. tram roads that the big lumber opera
.of the heulock belt had then Just be-
w IN build in the isolated and mountain
Gus forest tracts.
,Ibad heard says he, ga good deal
.,ont ne dead water of Alder run and the
e. trout that had their home there, aud
D's w. Eore likely SO always have their
80 there because OF the difficulties that
- in the way of any one who sought to
a. thoss waters. The dead water extended
trr rasrly II mile over level stretch Of the
s+rasnns bed, and were nowhere less than
fnur feet deep. They were bordered on each
siie bv an almost impe 4etrable thicket of
Lar. Growing close to the edge, aud in
sorne nIaces W here the stream was narrow
closing over il and hiding 1t from view.
T6srs we're many narrow openings in this
tbioget where deer sought the creek to
drigk and stamp, and among the alders
many hemlocks and other trees grew along
the streams In some places toe dead waters
vsrs fifty feet vide, but most Of the stretch
was narrow.
FISHING IN DEAD WATERS.
ain those days | enjoyed nothing 80 much
rs trout Ishing. had found some excellent
sport in the many Wild streams in that
icaIly: but | felt that l could never %
away from those woods entirely satisfied
without trying what the dead waters Of
Alder run were capable of; and as the sea-
BON grew my determination to get into those
waters grew with il. At last had one Of
my men to MAKE me a small fat bottom
boat out of hemlook boards, had it carried
20 the head of the dead waters, two miles
distant, aud one humid overcast June day
I started IN the rather unsteady and not
entirely water,tight craft TO fish through
that virgin trout ground. The capacity of
the dead waters was even greater than had
Anticipated. aud before l had fshed a
quarter Of the day through the dark stretoh
Of stream had landed a score or more of
the biggest trout had ever seen come from
any brook, ell of them Of dark color. with
the crimson spots almost as brilliant as
sparks Of fire.
"My boat had drifted, aided by an oc-
cssiousl movement OF The paddle, iuto part
of the creek where the slders were at least
fifty fear apart. This big pool grew very
narrow al its lower end, q hundred feet
from its head. and there the thick alders
interllcked their branches over ami in the
water, and the creek Disappeared from view
as completely as if il had been swallowed
up Oy the earth. On the right side Of this
broad extent OF water vas one of the deer
openings in the thicket, and the soft dirt on
the edge of the creek showed by the myriad
tracks that the deer wepe frequent visitors
there. just above that opening a hemlock
tree reared its zig stem, some Of the lower
branches on the upper side extending sew
eral feet out over the water.
II drifted along beneath these branches,
and twenty feet below the tree. There /
stood up to make cast at the edge of a
bunch of alders, some Of whose limbs were
stretched out upon the surface of the water.
NOVEL GAME FOR A FISHERMAN.
LAS / threw my rod forward my hook
stopped suddenly in the air behind me, and
my reel hummed at the resistance Stimuli
taneously with the stopping of the hook a
blood-curdllng screaoh rent the air.
turned quickly ABOUT. / was just in time
to see big wildcat leap from the lower
limb OF the hemlock, aud he was pointed
straight for me, although there ives
watery space between us, and wooosmen
have always held that an intervening
street h OF water is q sure barrier against the
attacks Of all fierce animals OF the cat kind.
My hook mad caught somewhere in G tender
spot on the wildcat, which had been crouch
lug N The tree unknown to me, and the pain
of the puncture had worked him Instantly
into an uncomfortable fury.
II was standing near the bow of the
boat, but moved quickly to the other end.
and none too quickly, for the wildcat
pounced into the boat on the spot where
had stood, before had time to steady my
self In my new position. Then 1 Saw that
The hook was fast IN one Of the animals
ears, and cats ears are the most sensitive
part OF It's body. The hook had gone clear
through the tender metnbrand and this
olood was trucking down in quit3 a stream
fortunately the paddle vas in the stern OF
the boat. As the big cas struck the boat it
almost upset the clumsy craft. The en-
RACED beast came for me again without an
lns-auts delay. | met him with "A blow
from The paddle, The paddle flew into a
uozen pieces The disturbance in the boat
was Too much for the boats equih urium
and over it went, rambling the wildcat aud
ms lneo the water. We Numbered there
close together, a d instead OF the bath COOL
ing down the wildcats temper it SEQ ned to
maze II hotter aud the ugly beast rene we'd
the light IN the water.
TIE BATTLE WAKES WARMER.
The boat when it upset was within q
lew feet Of tie foot of the pool, where the
water disappeared bssind the tangie of
hilers. l had nothing to defend myself
Win against the wild cat but my fists, and
pounded 1t with them with very little ef-
IeGL except to their own damage The
"lIo ca could swim like duck, kept its
neau veil out OF water, and struck at me
WIN such quickness and agility that my
sleeves were TORN in strips in q very short
Time and the blood began to flow from deep
RsShes In my hands and arms. | saw that
IA tie struggle the hook had torn loose
from she wild cats ear, leaving a
long aud bleeding slit. The persist
nut animal kept up an uneaTthly yell
Mg as IS fought. We 5000 worked
our way down against the wall OF alderS,
anu az tue struggle went on for a moment
18alh3t 1t, peard another screeeh, and
presently another wild cat came tearing
through the thicket to tao edge OF the pool.
20 as ms second ugly customer crouched as
~ 10 Ieap upon me TO the aid of his mate,
sne siders gave way, and my cat and
uounuereo through the maze. Behind it
t4s creek was ten feet wide between the
AICers, which Closad abova ~ IN a raot,Io -