The suburban citizen., 1900-02-17
BY l. j..

- '@'-T----aG ~ and we made the
most of it by a trip to the North, and
in the first week after his vacation
commenced we were lying in the
shade of the trees, low down on a
beautiful point upon one OF that great
chain of lakes which made the Adiron-
dacks so beautiful We were tired,
and it was mighty pleasant work to lie
there while the guide prepared sup
per. And such a supper as he gave
ns Flapjacks, maple sugar syrup,
brook trout fried as only good guide
can fry them, and coffee clear as
amber.
Gentlemen, said Bill, after the
evening meal, 81 reckon Til have to
give You q yarn Last year l went
down to Martins with party thet
was just going out. and arter they'd
paid me off went in to see if old
Martin he'd any business for me. He
was tickled to death when he see
me.
"Bnl, I've got big job for YOU
What kind Of iob?"
Why, to take a sick man up the
lakes
d" 4 don't like that kind of job,
says l. Them chaps are mighty con-
trary, and, like enough he'd die up
there just to spite me-.
You've got to take chances on
that, old chap; and if you take him
up there a month he'll give you $500.
'Whar is hep
"Martin took me into a room in the
front of the house, and there sat a
man that looked as much like living
skeleton as any l ever see; but when
/ come to look at the feller 1 see he
he'd more life than a good many who
didn't show so much bone, and that
very day L kerried him down to the
boat, laid him on q bed of balsam
boughs up forrard and away we went.
"He kept up wonderful for sick
man. L don't think L ever see man
who was so fur gone thet showed so
much vitality. L kept the paddle
going pretty brisk until bout
o'clock, aud then put into point,
left him lying on the bank and built
lean for him to sleep under. Arter
thet I caught six or eight good trout
from spring brook thet run into the
lake, built a fire, made some coffee
and was going to eat my supper,
calkilating to give him leetle suthing
when he wuz rested L wuz Jist going
to pitch in when he called me.
William, sez he.
"I amt none of yer Williams. On
adager Bill, am, and nothing but itP
every well, Bill. feel as ef 1
could eat leetle suthing'
"I asked his pardon and said I cal
kilated thet man as sick ez he wuz
wouldn't keer for Cruel.
"'I don't want much, Bill. A few
Of those trout, cup of coffee and any
other little triAes you can think of
will be good enough for me-
81 got up to wunst, and set to work
to catch some trout for myself, while
I set the rest before him ON a strip of
birch bark. caught about as many
trout as 1 thought L could get outside
of comfortable, and put 'em in the pan,
watching them and calkilating what
BOOu Jlme q nave Wnen tnab llVlnB
skiliton called me agin
"Another cup of coffee, Bill, if you
please.
ST got up to give him the coffee,
and may never kill another buck eff
he hadn't stripped them eight trout as
clean as a whistle.
"'Id like few more trout, he
says. Il amt got much appetite,
poor sick man like me. I'd give any
thing if 1 wuz only healthy.
'I went back and cooked some more
trout, but before got 'em ready he
was singing out for a few of those
nice trout
''I took him a dozen more.
"'Do you know, Bill, he says, look
ing up in my face in his smooth, in
nocent way, 'thet it almost gives me
an appetite to eat these trout?'
"Says I: Mr.. Staples, amt you
afraid you'll eat too much?'
''Eat too muchl My friend, have
eaten anything to speak of?'
Eaten anythingl Great Cesar.
Mr.. Staples, do you pretend that you
kin eat any more when you are well?'
L l..