The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-05-05

line an ketcheS q nSh rlSht OF the
bat. Aw, say, you make me sick.
Why don't you lie like you knew the
businessg"
-Tha's right" said the stereopticon
man. THE boy didn't just van to
gimme the line, but he give it t me
just to change his. luck. and see if
l could ketch a fish, an | ketches one
right away"
Big fish, I s'pose?" sneered the gas
man.
We'll" said the stereopticon man.
d~iffidently. 1t wasn't a big fish. But
it was Il fish all right. all right. /
didn't contract with the boy to ketch
no shark"
"'Bout four inches long. 1 s'pose?'
said the gas man. with another sneer.
We'll, p'r'aps. about four inches.
But it was a fish"
law. fish, exclaimed the gas man.
Tell a fish story about a fish four
inches long! Why couldn't you say
four feet? Say. you'd drive a man
to drink wood alcohol. A fish story
about Il fish four inches long"
This story amt about a fish, said
the stereopticon man. Its about
swimmin'!'
law, g'wan."
"Well, L don't mind sayin'," admit
ted the stereopticon man. that |
was pretty much s'prised myself at
ketchin' this fish. for l never was no
fisherman"
Course you wasn't" said the gas
man. You wasn't never nothin' but
a cold bluff-a four-inch bluff"
Il never was no fisherman" contin-
ued the stereopticon IN fact.
| hadn't never caught = fish. So. you
bet. 1 was pretty chesty bout ketch-
in this one"
-Four inches" .jibed the gas man.
We'll. he was a fish," said the stere-
opticon man. AMI guess a fish is a
fish if he amt only n inch long.
And, anyhow. | was up on myself.
cause | got n fish hot off the bat.
when this here kid. what had been
fshin' all day. couldn't ketch none.
SO | makes the kid put on Il new
erasshopper, an | gets ready to ketch
another.
We'll. as | says. [ vas feelin' pretty
chestv. an up on myself. long OF
ketchin' this fish. SO 1 waves the iath
around my head and shouts: See
NE get another"
An tEen. somehow. with the swing
of the lath l loses me balance an goes
hoofs over elbows. kerplunk! into the
Mauniee river"
..Haw! haw, haw' haw. haw! haw.
wovy-w-w-w!" reared the gas man.
That's great G'wan!*
We'll. sir. I went in with a splash
like a bar'l of salt droppin' into the
North river. | could feel the dirty
water runnin' into me mouth an ears,
an my heart vent bang like a cannon.
cause | couldn't swim n stroke. An
I guess the water looked 40 feet deep.
Well. sir. for n second L didn't know:
whether | was alive or dead. an then
when l come to my senses l found
myself hangin' to the side OF the
scow. There was a little square bit
of plank bolted onto the side-a
patch. | guess-an' l had caught 1t
with the fingers of both hands. Say,
wasn't that awful"
why didn't you call the boy"
asked the gas man. coldly-
Say. what sort of a lobster are you.
anyway" asked the stereopticon man.
a little impatiently. Say. you must
be off YOUR dot. What could that boy
do? He couldn't no more pull me
out than a baby couldn't raise Il splle
driver. But there was a little punt
chained close by an l shouts to the
kid:
".Eoy. for the love of heaven. git
into that punt and shove her over.
law. swim out says the boy. AN
bring my fish line.
.Haw. haw. haw. haw. haw. wow
w-w-w-w," screamed the gas man.
That boy was a peach.
\ dangerous look crept into the
sterecpticon mans eyes, but he went
on patiently:
81 can't swim says T..
".Then | guess I'll lose my fshline.
saws the boy. 4 can't swim. neither.
he says.
My boy. cant You see I'm drown
inr?' | shouts. Shove over the boat
and help me-.
We'll. the boy bundles into the boat
and shoves it over. but it's no use. She
don't conn within six feet of me.
II thinks I'm a dead 'un for fair.
an then l sees a pair of new suspend
ers on the kid an l shouts:
boy. for the love of heaven tie
them suspenders round my wrists an
make 'em fast to the scow.
But the kid only looks mad. Say
he says. that's a pretty smoky notion
Them's my new galluses!'"
"Haw. haw. haw. wow-w-w-w.
laughed the gas nan Wasn't that Kid
smooth?." and the light in the stere-
opticon mans eyes grew deeper. but
he wen on:
Then find n bit of rope shouts.
There's a piece there an I'm cryin
with fear.
Where says the boy. l showed
him where an cid ropes end was hang
ing and he went to get it. l could feel
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