Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-08-21
The Squirc's
Fish Story *
I'M OW," said the man from the
Knob country ssif there was one

49,,
OW," said the man from the
y Knob country, IF there was one
thing the squire Dragged on more than
right from the shoulder, and jest made
percedents as he wanted 'em. So l
thought maybe the squire had been
dealin' out little jestice to Ellis Sam,
and as like as not maxim a new per-
cedent, and that Ellis Sam had thunk
up yarn about the squire, and was
peddlin' it for spite. When he come
in and sort O. begun to interdoce it to
me, was all took back, and Isays:
SAM I says, you don't mean to
say SOL
pretty nigh the last O. the bari, but it
had wintered we'll and was parti'lar
nice and snappy, and Ellis Sam had
come in and looked so pleadin' to'rd
the pitcher that told him to soothe
himself with little of what was in
it, and he did.
''Then he says to me that ne s'posed
I'd heerd about the squire.
The squire?' I says.
ellis Sam says to me: Yes, the
squire
II says to him I hadn't heerd nothin'
about the squire. Whatwas there about
him?' I says, and Ellis Sam says:
'''He's been a-fshin'!'
"'Not the squirrel says. 80
"'Yes, the SQUIRE says Ellis Sam.
'And a-huntin', tool he says.
II was so took back that Ellis Sam
had most emptied the pitcher O. cider
fore come to. .. ..-...1
eyes, I do mean to say sou says
Ellis Sam, and he went on and told
me some o. the most amazin' dom S
that ever was done in the Knob coun-
try, and the squire the doer of 'em,
at that.
"'Cordin' to the way it come to me
from Ellis Sam, the squire got up from
breakfast and says to his wife:
prudence he says, I'm goin'
a-fishin'.'
prudence was jest turnin' a pam
cake on the griddle, bakin' it for the
hired man, and she stood there, holdin'
it in, the air on the turner, she was so
surprised, and she says: "
"'A-fshin'? Why, what fer? she
says.
Fer fish, says the squire. That's
what folks goes a-6shin' fer, so I've
heerd,' says he.
''There warn't no more said. The
squire's wife went on with her pam
cake bakin'. The squire went over to
the river a-fishin'.
Gle fshed and he fished, but nothin'
came along that way to bite at his
bait. The squire began to git consid-
cradle worked up, and he was on the
pint O. takin' himself into custody,
goin' back and openin' court, and
finin' himself mebbe ten shillin', when
he got bite and hooked a fish. It
was big club. ......
"The club got loose as the squire
was raisin' 1t from the water, and it
dropped back in.
''The squire spit on his hook and
throwed in ag'in, because, from what
he had heerd about them durn fool
clubs, so Ellis Sam was tellin' me,
that un would more than likely grab
right holt of the hoog ag'in, and the
squire would yank him out sure next
time. The bait hadn't hardly sunk
down when the squire got another
slammin' good bite. He yanked and
socked the hook way into the bitter.
"'Any inconsider't' club that fools
with my hook twice. says he, lis lest
as good as sizzlin' in my fryin' pant
says he.
And then he yanked the fish out o.
the water.
"'He yanked it out, Danl,' SAYS
Ellis Sam, tellin' me about it, and
he seen to wunst that it want the
club. The squire had ketched two
pound eel
"Then, 'cordin' to Ellis Sam, the
squire sot his heart ag'in clubs, and
he says:
"That's the way to fsh!' he says.
You don't ketch me- he says, 'foolin'
my time away on no leather-snooted
clubs when I kin set and haul out
eels!' he says.
"Then the squire pulled in the
wrigglin' and squirmin' eel, and lift
in it out O. the water, made a grab
fer its neck. He ketched it Jest be-
hind the ears, but before he could
exac'ly fgger out how it was done.
the eel had clum up his arm and
made twist or two around his neck,
and then went slidin' down his leg,
round and round it.
1T only stopped long enough to
sock couple O. teeth into the
squire's thumb as he made another
grab fer it, and then wiggled back
into the river, tal<in' half O. the
squire's line along with him, the
half that had the hook onto it.
"The squire sot and pondered a
spell, and wrapped his han'kercher
round his thumb, which was hurtin'
like Sam Hill. He was het up consid-
er'ble, and after ponderin' awhile he
got up and started home, dead sot
on openin' court and comm to iedg-
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