The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12

says, ana q consumed sight better II you only
know how to do en- l says. And when I yank
this old chap out o here and lug him over to tho
eddy and git Capt. Joe's 49, says. Jeb won't
be so dead sot, l don't think, and he'll have to
give in that green snakes II do it. l says.
The old mossback was in there all right.
There want no doubt O. that. cause l see him
give his tail a swish and a swirl as l snuck up to
the hole in the alder bend, he having riz up for a
fly or somethin' that he knowed we'll enough
didn't have no hook in 1t. So 1 put tho little
green snake on my hook and jest let it slide in
and wiggle of and around and up and down in
the hole, same as II II had got in there by acct
dent and didn't know how in Sam Hill it was
going to climb out ag'in. When it came along
lords supper time and the little green snake
was wigRlin' about in there yit and nothin'
hadn't rz up and kicked agin him doin' 1t, I
pulled him up and let him go, and he wigRled
off in the grass.
Somehow or other I says. 'Jeb seems to
been pretty nigh right. Green snakes won't do
it, I says.
so l went homo and got my supper, and
want perticlar glad when Jeb come q strag.
glin' in. cause 1 knowed how it d be.
"'Where is he I says Jeb.
"'Where's who . l says.
"'Old mossback. says he.
"'Oh.' I says. 'Ididn't git him.
"'What! says Jeb. Didn't green snakes
do itT
"'Nol' 1 says. gittin' a little huffy, cause I
didn't like the way job sort O. grinned. And
there amt nothin' will do it. neither. but draw
In the creek dry and pouncin' on him with
"'Oh, yes. there is says Jeb.
what is 1t. then Z ! says.
bears tongue! says Jeb.
Nov. this was SO consumed nEgrayatin' that
":YouFpc a" a iib bHs.H% fo Il P I says s'e0'
That might a, been a leetle strong. but was
oonsiderin'. Ten years or more before that. Pete
come driyin, in with his mules one evenin'.
nd pan, pa says he, it was easy as long as that.
III It was a RATHER, says. that amt
"'s'posin' 1t was a trout says Pete. What
close t1S bcln ns a iioi / fa says. ''o come poorly duFn
But Pete he stuck to it and snid he'd bet his
mules ag'in a settin' hen that he could prove 1t.
~ was fordin' the creek. he says, Jest at the
pened 70 fetch the water. close by the big rock.
when VIII Q h came z splash in the water. and
cracker in the water ag'in. and then l seen what
It was that had come So nigh to ynnkin' me in.
that long!' and the way Pete showed its length
on his hands this time, that trout had groWed
Now, ! hadn't never ketched Pete in no lie.
SeG w 9iaa i l.' an dim 81 70 think tRnnsb bhH Hd any ELS ide e that that
him out a little, and I says:
Don't you think maybe it was a snappin'
pete give mo setch a look O. scorn that I felt
Kind o sheepish. and he drove on without con-
desfendin, to speak to 10 ag'i9; SO thought
Ketchin, a grasshopper I ohuckod It in the doop
struck before the water was flying around az il
some one had sot q 2 big blast o pOwdeE in II.
glance of q trout that was maxim 1t all,
Thai trout was SO big that for half
that tho trout was as big ms Pete
had measured it off to be. but 1t was nigh
next time l seen him, Fore fseen Pete. though.
had done some fshin' for that ole mossback.
had done sonsidtfsbie hshin' for him. We oo"xodd
him with flies OF every consumed color, shape,
glod and y Worms that didn't 4" Ir T 2 We Z T triosd
him with fyin, grasshoppers and hoppin,,
fish and dead minny 1sh. We tished for
At poontime and at supper time, and b.: moon;
light and when the nights were dark. We laid
the hole. But not a consumed halt would he
touch. and not q Gunshot feazed him. and never
thinkin' that tho cunnin' old chap had left The
place but we only had to chuck n grasshopper
water that didn't have a hook in it. and he'd
soon show us he was there by swoopinR 1t so
quick IL q make our headS swim, rear after
year we fshed for that trout. but he Just laid
back and laughed at us.
Fancy fishermen from all over the country
took to comm there and tryin' what they could
do. but he Jest made monkeys of EN-: l felt
durn sorry for one O. these chaps one day. He
came In long about dark and give IL out that he
had hooked tho big trout.
ne came up and took my white miller this
fisherman said. sockcd IT in the jaw, and
would a landed him al! right II the hook hadn't
Folks had kind o. liked this chap fore no
come in and told that. Then they sort o fell
and Nose made out his bill and handed II to
him plumb on the spot and told HIM he'd have
to ask him 70 pay II right away, Then thoro
mil, lie went out to try his. luck with the old
mossback ono day and came in by and by lookin'
as white ~ a sheet, His poio was broke in two
and half his horse-hair line was, gone, -.
was baited with y pickorels belly fin : he hol,
Tered. i played him till he broke my pole and
my line and got away he h%1llered.
W. all believed Young mi; and old lake
and look At him and pint him out as the Teller
that had got hold Of the c'lnn!n big trout of
alder bend. Phil had q future ahead Of hin. !
II all in the head. lie done 1t by gittin' a mink in
his trap that had q hlshhook in his jaw and four
loot o. horse-hnr limo hRngin, to i. Then Phl
mule hostier, and he had 70 leave the district,
He hAin't never been sson In the Knob country
sencs. and some folks thinks he's. a hopeless
Then there was Joe. Joe watched for that trout
with his gun all o. one day. He sat there from
dSylight till the sun went down. hid behind
for 'f tSs O Tdi'h md ssi EN- hi StiR'0d plao ssFA'S 3Ss
didn't hardly wax, but the trout never
ria onoe. though the hole was black With the