Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-03-29
A Fish and a Bear
superior Truthfullness of the Man Who
Does Not Tell Fish Stories
Observation-Disclosures.

+ FIX me, SAID Caleb, the noun
N tain guiGe, who knows the forest
businesses of the Cascade range as no
other man knows them. II amt given
to teilin' what amt so and I'd Jest as
soon as not take my atfidavy to any
thing l have TO say as if | was on the
witness stand. In fact I'd a mite
ru:hcr. fer no matter how honest a
man is there is always Somebody
around suspicionin' of him. What ]
tell is reliable and could be wrote right
into history. But faint everybody is
wiilin to go on record over a so-help-
me.
Fer Instance, there was Sam Rog-
ers. that used TO be my pardner befors
he got rich and killed himself Twin
too high in Frisco. Sam used to tell
how he was tshin' one day down in
FIoridy. He lad niger Teller with
linn and they pulled out in a saiboat
about quarter of a mile from shore
to iietch mess fer supper. They was
busy tisllin' and didn't notice a squall
comm up till it had 'cm, and before
they knowed what was happenin' they
was beln blOW0d out to sea at the rat.
OF about 20 miles IL minute err So They
tried to git the boat turned round and
go the other way. but the wind bloweol
so they couldn't do a thing but let i,
go ana they give up at last and put
themselves in the hands NV Providence
The wind bloMed a gale till midnight
and wound up by blowing their mast
and sail away. leaving them on the
hosom NV the deep. as Sam used TO say.
at the mercy C the waves They laid
down in the little cabin of the boa:
and give up fer gone coon-slins, bu,
they was aliv" when mornin' come and
clean out of sight OF land, they didn't
Know how fer. They didn't have any
thing to eat either. ncr to drink. not
conntin on long voyage. and when
they got their senses in the mornin
they was hungry and dry.
TO make things wuss, the sun come
out about six o'clock and got hottern
a red-hot stove lid. They drif1ed
around ali day hopin' TO see some yes
sci er other, but they didn't. and when
night come they was in Il powerful bad
fix that was wuss the next mornin'.
Sam said he was going to kill the Mig
ger and eat him. but he never did like
the dark meat. so he held off awhile
and the niger thought mebbe they
might ketch 4 fish. The boat was
1ishIn craft With all kinds of tackle
on board. and the niger rugged big
hook and line and said mebbe he might
catch a tarpon, That's what he done.
foo 1ftp,. lonO Il Ia;
one weiyhin' over Il hundred pound
1t was a Job lundin' him. but Sam said
desperte men could do anything when
they tried and Sam and the niger
didn't let that tarpon git away. There
was little OIL stove in the cabbin and
they Went right at the fish to git
piece OF him as soon as they could.
IN" nlgger held the fish on his back
and Sam ripped him open. and when
he did. by gravy. his knife hit some
thin hard and Sam give it another rip.
when out dropped black bottle"
The listeners were on the point of
making n demonstration.
NO. GENTS said Caleb. holding up
his hand for quiet, 1T wasn't liquor.
1t was a quart bottle. though. tigh'
corked. and Sam had the cork out in
about two winlss of cats eye and il
was full up to the neck with nice min
eral water. 1t was cold. too. as the
inside of a fish, and when Sam and
the niger seen it they forgot all about
the preIuGices of color and actually
Rugged each other. They took Il good
drink apiece. sam and the niger, right
out OF he same bottle. and ct some OF
the fish ;hat they cooked. then they
braced up to their situation, feelin' 4
good deal more clipper. About noon
they took another nip, and that evenin'
when they was about to take their last
one. they sighted vessel that come
along and saved their lives Sam al
ways sal he reckoned that the fish had
picked the bottle up somewhere in his
travels and that it had likely been
drapprd overheard frun some ship or
other sailin' in them waters. fer it
WASH very likely that he'd come and
giN+t out of a barroom."
I'll" listeners applauded.
'Don't do it, gents begged Caleb
'''Tain't the truth. I don't believe. nel
never did. and you oughtn', 10 encour-
age ly!n under no circumstances. Now
my story ain t that kind at all. Its got