Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-06-20

sh INV eaAAOeUS J$st SetN %es
swore that there was in that hole
freak Of nature, ergo, q wall-eyedt trout;
that he was never TO be caught, al.
though he might BE- hooked; that he
was the Britisher under the water
fairys antiquated hoodoo and that
anyone who persisted In hooking him
went blind or died before the year was
out
THAT settled II! did not finish my
lunch before l was up on the wall try
ing for that acknowledgement trout
with the boss eye, and nothing Pat
could say would shake me. For two
hours l worked as never man did.
whipped every inch Of the pool that I
could reach from the wall, but without
effect until, the light changing, l could
see that one side Of the hole terminated
at the top in a slight overhanging
ledge. | changed my fly for white
one with a golden tail, and deity
dropped It over the apparent ledge.
"Ye godsl with mighty rush and
swirl q giant fish took my fy, and In
breath ] could feel him hooked safe
enough. How the touch thrilled down
the taperinr four-ounce bamboo, every
section Of 1t thrilling like q telegraph
wirel To right, to left, up and down,
backward and forward, a good fighter
and bold one. No subterfuge about
himl Up to the top he came, and threw
himself out Of the water before my
eyes, then down again to the depths,
under the ledge and out again. but no
where could he find a purchase on
which to fret or fray the line, and still
at his mouth the relentless tension Of
the line was sinking the barb deeper
and deeper until the strain and pain
together began to tell. could feel
him weaken. BY that mystic intuition
known only to the true fisherman, |
knew that the end was coming, and
that the beauty was mine by the PROV.
ess Of my line and rod, as in the olden
time by tho sword aud spear.
"Who said 'hoodoo' to me ut that
moment2 had forgotten the wall
eyed Britisher, the fairy, Pat, almost
myself and my own existence In the
glorious battle Of skill and tinesse
against strength and cunning, At last
l bore q little harder on the line TO
brinr him round. With q last gasp he
turned from the butt, headed In mad
dying daah up the stream, and as |
held firm To the liue and reel with my
thumb, he cleared the water with q
mighty bound, and--the line snapped
IN the air like Z whip-lash--I had lost
himl II did not seem possible, and |
sorrowfully drew my leader up to my
f,ngers-the fiy. hook md leader were
In tact and whole as when newt
"Boys, / was paralyzed. Then q
sound striking nv ear | turned, and
there was moor Pat. rocking himself to
and FRO CRYING and sobbing after the
manner NJ his nsonle. ,Oebone ochonel
Aw the daar masterl Another nv EN-
uonal NAV the black shaddcr fall on
The wall.eved divil at tho last dayl Ow.
owl I could not helm laughing. In
spite Of nv disgust at losing the fish,
IA n.oL,rr IN wa mads our wav
~. r. ~. ho,sa po, rofrs,,, 10 Iva
aomto~,sd Navt mornino there was
ou,ts a ,.vsa out.,de 10 soc the 'man
Who was going 10 die or 20 blind be-
o.nso -, ~ All, tor ,bs tale was
,.ra,u, L. a., n.r,s oI,hough / do not
s.n ,h., /, pos an t,rely belIevsd I
w. to,d a, MA man md that man
wbo Nd nil suffered something for
tha,r ,.morItv when I wanted 70 20
Ssh,rc Dat rsf,,ssd 10 TAXA me ,Ye
cant mt var blud on nv hans boss
,yas tbs wav he mt Il
$50 went bv myself and purposelv
ashod IN towsrd the wall being do.
tarmirsd N bave another trv tor that
Mace ~ h oodoo bric.a.br.e Arriving
A. the nool flshed and tlshcd but only
having IN Tor lunch saw CLEAN of
silver in the weeds at the other side Of
tho water flftv vards or no down the
sssS ''~~~-f ----S