The National tribune., 1901-11-14

-
/ tons to fare SumptuOUSly every day on
Sea-baSs, sleepshcads, Sea-trOUt and spots.
| Il deCla-e said Nj, Il supposed that
/ they only raised dried Goldfish in the sea,
I and when they caught one they caught
4 double ration of salt and a bushel of
/ smell with 1t. \ dray-ioad of Goldfish
| would make the whole Wabash River
I taste salty, and perfume the State. We
| always knew when Jabe Huntington got
| a stock OF goldfish The lanyard went
/ out of business until they We're sold. \
/ piece tasted like chawing shaving that'd
I bin dipped in brine. But these are lots
/ tenderer than Spring chickens, and you've
| got to put salt on en-"
I 81, they have to tan the Goldfish be-
I fore they send EN- out to us, SOS they'll
stand the stories they hear told in the
/ country stores" yentured Shorty. These
/ are fresh, innocent fish, that have never
/ known man"
"Yoqze call them good eating" re
| marked Patsy scornfuIly. You've just
| wait tiil You get hold Of 4 shad, and then
| YOU can talk. It's about time Tor the
shad to begin running down here. l see
some men fixing up their twine yester-
day, an gittin' ready"
| ''Shad! What's them?r asked ST. "If
there's anything better than this l want
/ TO lose no time in making its acquaint-
ance.'
Introduce NE, too at once" added
Shorty.
.shad?" snorted Patsy the Kinch.
''Shad? Why dey's Jest de boss fish dat
swims. You've t'iuk desc fish are fine,
but shad beats dem as much as bTiled
| chickens beat fried pork. You've come
wild me an weze'l see II we've can't find
some shad.'
81 and Shorty followed him. He led
them up the river to where 81 had no.
ticed a line of poles running out into the
water for several hundred yards, ending
in a number set around in a square. Ho
had supposed that these were some form
Of harbOr distractions, or connected with
tOrUcdOes.
No, deyze a shad-pound," explained
Patsy, with contempt for 'hayseed" ig-
norance of the common things Of life.
Dat ole geezer dere runs it, an he'll tell
yOuze all about it,
81 and Shorty approached the hump
backed, weather-beaten old fisherman,
who sat mending his Irvine" The pres
ent of Il gOod-sized plGg OF "bright-nayy"
made him friendly and communicative.
No: hain't ketched no shad yit," he
wheeZed, but I'm 'specting 'em every
day. Jake Twiggs found two OF three
in his pound Yesterday, an mebbe thar's
some in mine today. Yo' kin git in the
boat an go out with me, an we'll see"
As they rowed along in the broad-bot-
toned, clumsy ''pOund-boat," 81 and
Shorty saw that there was a seine-like
net attached to the poles, which reached
down to the bottom of the water, form
ing a wall of string.
'YO' See," explained the old fisherman,
the fish come running up in the shalleF
water to spawn, and they run agin the
tWine thar an then they turn, as they
alters do, when meetin' anything that
stops them, an fOller it out to deeper
water to git round in hit Then they comes
to this heart (and he indicated a circuar
lncloSure Of twine), an swims round an
round in hit, until they gifts wore out,
when they find this way into the pound"
They rowed a little farther, and came
to the square inclosure, which they could
see differed from the other in having a
network over the bottom of the water,
1t was large, bOX-shaped creation Of
knOtted twine
Well jest raise the pound an see what
we've got" said the fisherman. You
jest haul on that line when L do on this"
Il see" said 81, when you go seining
tricks" ain "OOu' "nAe'
The pound was raised and its wrig-
Cling, Squirming contents dumped into the
boat. The old fisherman tossed over
board Il number of catfish, surgeons and
other refuse, and found he had at least
l dozen fine, large shad, 10 to 20 inches
packed.
Fine luck" said the old fisherman.
Beats Jake Twiggs's keteh."
''We'il take 'em ALL said 81, prodqc-
nOugh, wont it?'
"a heapin' plenty" answered the old
sherman, after a minutes labOriOus cal
ulation. y useter think that L got
nough selling EN- at 10 cents apiece,
'Onfed.'
Bring deyze right back to camp, an
ne mudder'll show youze how to cook
EN- jest right-plank dem," said Patsy,
ig with the idea of the treat that he was
elping them to.
Patsy's mother was equally eager to
ispIay her skill. She directed them to
plit open the fish and clean them. The
lasses of roe We're taken out and put in
skillet for baking. \ long oak plank
;as found. upon which the fish were
allied. and while the boys were building
hot fire as long as the plank. Patsy's
,other prepared mysterious dip in which
0 haste the fish Anticipating an I'M
Sual feat, Gid Mackall put lot of fine,
uooth- grained, yellow sweet potatoes to
past. and hung on i kettle for coffee.
hey had just received from the bakery
ut into operation in Savannah their frss
sue of soft bread. fresh from the oven,
nd Gid had found somewhere q lot Of
Dung onions.
The plank was set on edge before the
OF fire, and when the delicate flesh be-
IN to scar. Patsy's mother walked along
nd gently anointed it with the dip. Co.
gathered around the fire and watched
with watering mouths.
Warmed by his fine sense of the pres
see of good things to eat, the Adjutant
lme up, pushed III ,r"Ough the crowd
the fire, looked and then asked eagerly:
Boys. can't l come inE'
Certainly, Adjutant,' said 81. Just
Ike your seat at the head of the table
lere, and you shall have the best cuts"
\ long table had been built in the COM
my street, sufficient for everybody. The
djutant took his seat on block of wood
the head, and the Captain and First
lieutenant sat next TO him.
Aunt Minerva Ann, ficrcely jealous of
is inya sion of her realm, stalked around
Id scoy-led at Patsy's mother. who only
liled satisfaction at the opportunity to
ow off.
'Dey's most done" announced Patsy's
other. Cit de rest of the things on de
BILE. au' set down"
Everybody got out his tinplate. knife,
rk, spoon and cup. went to Gid. and
ceiyed from him and his assistants
pful of hot coffee, a large sweet potato
rsting open with its golden richness, a
uple of young onions, and half-loaf OF
aSh bread. He then went back and
Ok his seat at the table. PatSy'S mother
d piece of oak board carefully
armed, upon which she laid the fish as
ey were detached from the plank. and
liking along behind handed each man
generous slice Of the fish. following this
with portion of nicely-browned roe.
The Adjutant took 4 luscious mouth