The Jennings daily record., 1902-11-14
THE CATFISH
| AND THE CAT
or POCHUCK

Wv t0oV 0M 1eUsSSSsSSV - Oes
ward Pochuck came this time he
seemed laboring under an emotion
which he was endsavoring 70 osuppress.
'Tt's news from Pochuck," said he,
dropping into his chair and mopping
his face on his sleeve. TITS news from
Pochuck, end It's great. But wouldn't
a. believed II. No, sir, wouldn't .
believed It,"
"And / won't!" said Badly, the land
lord, quickly and positively.
"But seen it," said the alleged 70
chuck citizen, reproachfully.
Yet doubt stood revealed on tho
landlord's face plainer than the warts
ON . crook-neck squash.
"You believe there's holler stumps,
don't your asked the man.
The existence Of hollow stumps
couldn't BE denied, even BY Bsldy, the
landlord.
And % 20 yaller cats," the man
went on. ''There amt NO doubt about
ysllsr eats, II there? And yaller cats
has kittens. don't they7" said the wan
deref from over toward Pochuck.
'.Not II their name 10 Tom. they
don't" said De witt Green, Of Jolly
Farm. who 10 bound to have things kept
straight or know the reason why.
The Pochuck citizen having settled
that point to the satisfaction OF oil, 1t
vas admitted that there could be no
doubt that yellow cats had kittens.
"And there's catfish, ain't there :"
the man asked.
"You'd think there was" said Bsldy,
the landlord. III you'd be here some
time when I've been fishing tor EN-!
Some folks would have wondered why
nobody said anything after that for
quite Q spell, and why even the man
from Pochuck grinned; but the land
lord didn't seem TO notice this behavior.
"Aud % 70 families of young cat
FISH," said the man. sfter svvhile.
"ssch things has bssn hssrd OF,
hsin't thsy7"
OF course they had. Certainly
"Catfish and their young lives IN
wster, don't they7" asked the bearer
Of news from Pochu;k, intent on SET
ting himself straigis.
No one had any record OF catfish
living more than . day or 80 on
land.
"And nobody that has read about
Noah and the flood has any doubt
that water eits high, now and then"
asked the man.
The fact was we'll known.
"Well, then," said the Pochuck cit
izen, with look of triumph at
Beldy, the landlord. II seen 'em all"
"When did you see the water?"
asked Baldy, the landlord. malicious
". and Farmer Bill Leonard. who
lives opposite Goose Pond Noun
tain. said: "Shams!" and Farmer
Green said: ''Tut, tut, Beldy!"
Tho man who stakes his word on
his homes being over toward Po-
chuck cracked the thumb on his
riaht hand and three fingers on his
loft. % II defantly, and said:
"Them's the news I've brung over
this time, and I wouldn't "a believed
'efn. First place, I'd been down to
a Sprout Hill stone frolic. If you've
never been to Sprout Hill stone
frolic It's a leetle hard to give you
all the p'ints . sprout Hill stone
frolic has.
"when got home from the frolic
In the evsnin'. uncie David looked
me over and I see he was kind o.
bsgrudgin' me.
"'1 see 1t WAS hummer says he.
~ said It WAS and went to bed
and forgot to milk the cows. Next
morning / thought I'd walk over to
| tar f,nH foil
much, cause it had been uncom-
promisin' high. see that it had fell
consider'ble, 'causc q big holler
stump that had been all covered with
water was showin' above It for more
than two foot, but the holler in the
stump was full o. water yit.
II sot down to rest a spell, and as
I sot there whst should see but a
catfish raise up IN the water inside
that holler stump and peek down
over the edge o. the stump. I never
seen q bigger catfish than that one
and I've seen some all gozzlin' big
ones In them Drownded Lands wa.
tsrs.
"When the catfish seen how fal
below the top o. that stump the rive,
had got, 1t looked scared. tell 70"
and It dropped back into the holIer
"'That catfish has been hatchin
it, young ones in that stump, not
thinkin' about the high water, IL
bet hoss.' says, and It has beer
ketched there unbeknownst to IT,
II hadn't more than said it, wheI
up to the top came the catfish
J again, and she had her mouth full
o. young catfish. She give a flop
: and out o. the stump to the waite,
she went. She released her mouth
full o. young ones, gethered hersel
: together. and sprung back into tina
stump. In less than ten seconds ou
she jumped ag'in with anothe
mouthful o. young ones. released zen
and back into the stump.
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