The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
TOMS ENCHANTED BAIT.
copwioht. 1899. bv G. B. Loomis.

I,.,rinr for worms and getting crickets from bo-
O4.,h the stones that made walking so unpleasant
y N. bsrnyard II his father had been any
.sirs of farmer no would long ago have rid the
w.. ot its crop Of stones, but that would have
v".d, i, harder TO get crickets. and, like Tom,
Tr, Ioyeland dearly loved to 20 snshing. Tom
-. going to start early next morning and drive
,,Csat Lake, about six miles distant II he had
sood luck fishing, he was then going 70 Bashan
e,nrc to sell the fish TO the Methodists who wero
soldipg camp meeting there.
While he was digging. his dog Shop began to
rOEl "
a,y him on the head and then drawing forth q
,,ttcularly fat worm from the earth. Shops
,na was bristcd and his eyes CLEANED In the light
A. the lantern. Somebody was coming. Tom
r.,red through the gloom but saw no one Just
,A,n be heard voice that seemed 70 como out Of q
PARTICULARLY big rock In front Of him
no you want 10 know how 70 catch all the nsh
,ou can carry awayT said tho voice.
Tom was startled. but he'd heard OF vontrilo-
,,ists and he imag ned that some ono was playing
trick on him, SO he said why sure. Tho more
have the more I'll sell Where are you, any
how"
.lm right in front Of you. but you can't 500 mo
,.c,use you arc q mortal and I'm not Your
tog soes me, though. and he's frightened stiff.
Til him no has nothing 70 fesr from me- He
can't hear me. he con only 500 mo"
Tom a uieted tho dog and told him 10 lie down.
and shep stopped growing and charged By his
masters feet
Il am q rock gnomo,- said tho voice 7 and
NV hrothers live In the rocks Most Of tho farmers
b,rsabouts wage war on our homes and blast
them. but your father Is content TO got his living
without disturbing US, and wo have long wished
n show that wo appreciate his kindness. Yours
rong fishing aren't your
Yes answered Tom, I'm going hshing tho
ars, thing In the morning, and I'd like TO get
some rock bass, only worms are poor bott and
erckets amt much better, and there amt any
kelgamitcs around hero
-lll tx all that said tho voice when you
have dug all the worms you want and caught all
the crckets. leave them In heap on tho big rock
that stands In front Of tho north barn door, the
one that tho horses have TO step over every time
they como in with q load OF hay. The king Of tho
rnomcs lives under thst and he will instruct tho
worms and tho crickets TO catch all tho fish you
vsnt-rock bass, black bass, pickerel. porch, and
anything else the lake affords. They will DO
lust az good as any nsh that wero ever caught
but they will only Last until seven In tho evening.
II you can sell them before that time they viii be
a. fresh as when they were caught but II you
have them on your hands at seven, no matter
whether you keep them ON Ice or not. they will
all disappear. And this luck you may always
have II you will promise never 70 blast or remove
the rocks that lie all over tho place.
7 guess I can promise for father said Tom,
laughing. 1T would take hard work 10 got nd
If the rocks. and father'd rather fsh than work.
any day
We'll, dump your bait and you'll nnd II all
mere In tho morning. Goodbye
Goodbye" said Tom and dumped his bait on
he big rock
Then no went in and told his father OF tho com.
pact that he had made Mr.: Loveland laughed
and said: We get the best Of that bargain. Tom,
They were there when was born, and I've had to
dodge them in ploug hing over since could say
SSS and 1n m Laid
Tom Was up betmes, and hurried out 70 the big
rock. There lay the worms, moist and fresh and
crickets were all sitting in bunch. He put them
into tin boxes Then he hsrnesscd up jess. He
found that the girth needed visit to The harness
he started Tor Clear Lake The morning vas cool
and the birds were singing here and there. al
though most Of tho ehorister, had stopped iheir
The dew upon tho lowell weeds made the blossoms
look Gwen moro IKE Jewels and tho plumes OF
n
II that old gnome knew what he was talking
about I'll have fne luck and those Msthodists arc
s.IAs them ON a b. Why I'll al This wagon full and
50 thought Tom when he started out but after
driving mile or two he began 70 doubt whether
aud caught . dozen cricEets and a handful Of lat
grasshoppers. lacking faith In the enchanted
bait Although why IL wouldn't have dono as
wei! as any bait enchanted or not il might have
A ride Of an hour brought him to Clear Laka
4 was well named for there was no part OF Il 90
deep that you could not SEQ the bottom But
there did not seem 10 be as many fish as usual
Here and there Tom saw big bass or q pickerel,
but for the most part the water looked like tho
citizens were on the streets.
He baited his hook with ono Of the crinkets he
Of the best fishing places on the lake and fshed
ior good hour no caught only three fish Then
he absen tmndedly put on one Of tho enchan ted
Re pulled out large fat bass that weighed at
east four pounds II was the biggest fish that ha
bs hss oou "a fc ss$ his sfn
OF the hour lost with the ordinary bait, and he
oal'ed two hooks and cast them both out at once
mortal before Some Of the fish were so large
that he had hard work hauling them in, but he
had to stop fol, fear Of swsmping IL "
~ h ne rowed ashore and transferred his cargo
shos ho iina oNot nun
oied olg bass, half as many pickerel and moro
peISh than he could count
he Judged by tho sun that IL was about 10
O'CLOCK He ought to reach Bashan Grove by
Y and sell his fish in an hour and then he would
reach home by 4 with tho biggest pocketfull
q money that had ever come into the Loveland
homestead
He deluged the fish with pailfull Of waite,
70 lreshen them up and then he covered them
over with blanket, and putting Jess in the shafts
, Ie started Tor the grove The morning was COOL
al lively gait
AS 10Y Tom he sang at the top Of his lungs
o. hhlstled or shouted Tor Joy. He would easily
setS1O tor the fish even at the low price at which
ne would sell them and that would buy q COW "a
sake me place OF the one that broke her leg the
S SN.a IN front of tho stable door. The neigh
S S!s had said in the unpleasant way that neigh
"'as nave; that II the rock hadn't been there the
NV NV wouldn't have broken her leg and had to bt
1n9' nut Ezra had said that something Just az
,aa might have happened and 1t was no use cry
ing over spilled milk
, ntet Tom had gone couple Of miles he mel
nv, van coming from ths grove. The man who
"n uhSlng knew Tom slightly and he pulled
Ssh a'x TO him. Tom gave him a peep at thu
Nsn and the man said:
nhy' boy, you'll have en- crazy. They n
S s' w. On meat and you can sell those fish as fas
" Tou eau hand 'em out"
Sast how do get there" asked Tom excitedly
tb a'Isl road TO your right next TO your left anc
v, nsen straight ahead" called out the man gliblS
90 ne lrDye and diaa prsa red arnunh tuFT