Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-01-25

the current, and, making quck sweep
through an eddy behind rock, dipped
UP about dozen fine red-horse min
nows, bright as bit Of rainbow, and
brought them ashore. Here he picked
out three or four, remarkng: "Yeh
want to git these rough-nosed fellers II
yeh want good bait" though saw no
difference In the color or size or any
Characteristic of the minnows until the
bow showed me the heads of two or
three OF them. One was smooth and
slippery az any fish Is, while the other
fish felt as II 1t had a skin of sand
paper, it was so rough. The boy de-
clared that a catfish took the rough
kind "quicker'n hghtnin'," when it
would not notice the smooth kind that
looked just like 1t.
He put the few bats that he had Sc
lected into his hat and then compla-
Gently put the hat back on his head,
saying: They're handy that way, an
yeh can git 'em fresh whenever yeh run
out o. bait"
He strung one on the hook to his
liking and then waded out into the
stream within casting distance OF the
old root he had mentioned. At the
third cast he got large one. Got ole
Balaam, sure!" he shouted. l gave him
directions about handling for a few
moments, but soon saw that he instinct
lively understood the handling of rod
and reel, 80 I stood still and watched
the fight, and a pretty one 1t was, too
In about ten minutes the boy started
back for shore, working the fish slowly
and carefully across the stream, lead
ing him always into the stiffest cur
rents he could. l waded out with the
net and stood ready, and when the
catch came within reach landed him
safe in. the net. Gee! that's uh slick
way to git yer fish, too" said the boy
as he noted the landing-net act. We
walked UP on the island and unlocked
the prize, which tipped the pocket scales
at W pounds, and then Sat In the shade
talking. The boy was enthusiastic
about the working of the rod, though
a nine-pound fish seemed to interest
him only as an adjunct to the sport OF
reeling in snd Keeling out.
Gee! that's uh mighty nice pole
How much d. yeh pay for emp" TOLD
him the run of prices on rods, and ex
planned the POINTS of good one to him
I'm goin' to have one like that" h
said, and I knew he meant 1t by TIT
snap of his square young jaw.
In orr conversation that afternoon
found that the boy knew every foot o
the river for miles up and downstream
and every foot of the surrounding
country besides, for he had shotgun
and rife and hunted In season.
He said he went to school some
times" and always camped out in va
cation. He had his boat and cayuse
too, so he was fixed for all kinds o
outdoor sport. When the sun began
to lengthen the shadows the boy reck
oned he'd "yamoose," but we parte'
firm friends, and with the understand
ing that we would meet again on tn
following Saturday at the dam ant
fish the rifles downstream together.
$50 long," said the boy, as he gath
cred up his long cane pole and his BIZ
fish and silently disappeared into tn
bushes of the island, barefooted an
barelegged, unmindful of the scratch
ing bushes or the sawlike edges OF tn
wiry slough grass.
There is boy that is a character
and is good one to study" thought
1 was right, too; for I saw him gro'
up, hunted, fshed and Travelled wit
him, was at his wedding, and am goo
friends with his fve-year-old, VIII
shows signs of being "chip from tn
old block" already.