The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-24
cHUckY A poAcHER.

-i>s-S &lcsE4hs, a&eQ IN the presence or
the aproned butcher OF Marysvale-
No fish today. Mary" chirped the red
headed man Of slaughter, but I've some
nice 9ripe. and
''Tripe is meat. amt it. sir7"
"ell-er-yes. Might call it meat, 1
suppose"
I'm have to ask ma. sir It's Friday
an its pas day on
Hello, Chucky." grinned the butcher,
turning 10 the freckle-faced boy who
stood in the door. what can I do for
your
Three cents dog meat. most bones. =
quoth Chucky. grabbing a handful Of
flies and smiling sheepishly at Mary.
| While the butcher was filing the boy :
basket he growled mannishly at Mary:
Cath lies can't eat no meat Friday,
kin they2i
He had his basketful now and was
walking up the shady street with the
| little brown haired girl
Il Ike fish" said Chucky. an I know
| where kin git one. too.
Ma wants a fish. Chucky, an the
butcher amt got any
IN git her fish boasted the boy.
bet you nickel l git her fish. Want
t. bet?"
Give you a dime r you do. promised
| Mary can you, honest, Chucky?'
you don't give none [ the Schnei-
]
! crab apple between his toes.
We won't cross my heart the girl
\ promised. Shall 1 tell ma you're goin'
70 get Us a fsh2"
Yep and the pretty little Mary ran
| into her house while Chucky. whistling
/ for his dog, ran up the dusty road 10 his
! home. In ten minutes the boy with his
/ can Of worms and his ready tackle was
sneaking through the back fence. Fido
roilicking at his heels and look OF fur
I tive guilt in his eyes.
/ At that particular moment Captain
/ Digby was smoking on the front We
randa OF his house. which looked out
through the trees onto the west pike He
/ WAS an old bachelor, whose close-walled
park was the envy and the despair OF
every boy in Marysvale The village was
! full Of old stories of how he had caned
/ the youngsters of an older generation
1 who had dared to encrOach upon his we'll
/ stocked pond or had siyly knocked
squirrel out of his jealousy guarded
trees. In the winter time, which he spent
/ In the town, he kept q ferccious watch
man on the place, but in summer he lived
alone in the old house. prowling about
his place, avoiding the town except for
weekly call for his mail, and whipping
the shadOwy waters of his fish pond when
the fancy struck him. Now, as he sat
whiting his stubby pipe on his veranda,
nc was oiling his reel for a mornings fly
casting.
"Mornin'. Cap'n Digby," said small
voice coming through the vines. The
captain looked up with a fierce frown
and saw q tOusly, yellow head with two
squirting eyes looking at him.
What in the devil dc you want?" he
reared
Please, cap'n." quavered the scared
youngster, twiddling his straw hat be-
tween his dirty hands. "theys a boy.
Chueky CockrelI, gone fishin' in yer pond.
He's
BE off. you rascally tattler'' beloved
the captain, raising his rod while the
discounted Schneider boy dashed through
he gates and down the road in fear OF
his life. But Captain Digby didn't for
get the information. He took a stout
rattan with him when he started for the
pond. and, in spite of his hatred for in
formers, meant TO use Il on any and every
trespasser he might come across. He
strolled down through the will that
led to the margin Of his wood grit pond
and lOitered listening TO the wood birds
notes. the whirr of the insects and the
murmur Of the tapping waters. Wading
through the shadows. under low-reaching,
umbrous branches, he came TO bare
space on the bank. clear of overhanging
boUghs and directly opposite some moss
grown and sunken rocks. Here ne began
to cast across into the shadows. till 4
hesitating rise put the thrill of interest
into his work. But the shy fighters soon
forsOok his shining lures, ard though he
tried a. dozen new and gaudy feathers.
no strike rewarded him. He determined
t. try a live bait, and crawled along the
margin of a little estuary that led off
from the main lagoon. looking among
the weeds for a small frog or snail Sud
denly he heard sharp whirr, and glanc-
impaled in his dripping mouth, the line
taut and straining. leap into the sunlight
not five feet away.
Aha a poacher" snarled the cap
tain, and in a second he had seized the
line, reached for his dipnet, and had the
black blustsrer fioundering on the shore.
Now for the trespasser," he growIed
and with the line in his hand, sure that
the offender was at the other end Of IL.
he crept through the tangled underbrush
till he came 20 the STOPPING tree into
which the line led.
Come down" he roared at the pair Of
ty-inkling eyes that watched him from the
branches. come down here. I'll teach
you to poach in my place.
And as the crestfallen Chucky dropped
on the grass the captain seized him by
the collar. Jerked him round and raised
his hand as If 20 slap him. What are
YOU doing on my place." growied Cap
tain Digby. shaking him.
You seen what l was DOM" muttered
the boy Juggling ar his frightened neck +
band.
I'm going to lam you within an inch
on your hfe,' threatened the man.
II amt askeered o. YOU quoth Chucky, (
his face red with rage and his fists ciiuch- +
ed hclplessiy.
The captain was astonished. and show
eC IT, "Oh. YOU re n0t7 You're not
scared Of n thrashings We'll. then, Ill
have YOU arrested. What's your name?'
Here indeed. was q terrible predicamenf.
The boy could have endured a whipping
without whimper, hut he dreaded the
disgrace Of Imprisonment lie knew his
mother would cry and that cowed him.
humbled him even IN anticipation. Il
won't tell my name. You kin Lick ne 4
you want Co." he sulked, digging his toes
into the mud.
See here. Chucky." said Captain Dig
~, releasing The boy. you see ! know
your name Tell me one thing. The
surprised lad looked at IFS captor sgs-
riciouslr Tell ne ono yhing. and III
wei III give YOU q running start
What growled Chucky. CAD OF 4
possible truce
What did you bait that bass with
The captains face resumed some measure
Of feroc.ty as be continued he truth
ard TIL give YOU two minutes 70 get over
She fence" he pulled out his watch-
Worms" quoth the boy, bat didn't
move an inch
Vow run for il" roarcd Dsgty. rais-
Ing his cane. But Chucky only dug his
toes into the mud and glsTed back az the
Ran why dozt you r1sn- you Tascal
yelled the captain. rsnaciEsiT,
II want nay fish The boy face ioos-