The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-04
HE DRAWS TOO. SOON:
Kelly Loses a Monster Muskie When
the Fish Is Almost in the =
K s: Boat. 2

GranQIaIner OI AL Ine Lake E1sA
Again Is Victor in Campaign
With Anglers. i
Wen a muskie hooks hisself, n Wen he don't
hook hisself, he don't git hooked-dont YOU
holler ''I've got lin. I've got i'm 1'aint got
Inn tell he's in the boat N dead. N then.
chances is. putty, we'll even he's got you Wen
he strikes. Philosophy Of Mr.. Wheaton,.
ss, knew that as we'll as Mr.. Wheaton did,
but when the monarch struck did 'hol-
ler.'' y And I did worse The day was
one of those couldn't t. e-better- If made
to-order kind, and hopes were high when
Jack Bernie and I left Voight's dock and
headed across the lake, bent on picking
up Louie Orge, and going after grand
father. Grandfather, be it known, is the
name bestowed by Louis on a monster
maskalonge who owns the north shore
of Deer Lake; makes q kind of kings
highway Of a couple of miles Of its waters;
benevolently a.similates everything swal--
lowable that swims in that circuit; con-
ducts himself in a royal fashion .gener-'
ally; and has been hunted in
every fair and foul fashion known to
at large. :
He Is reputed to be of various, sizes
from that Of a sawlog down, and proba bly,
saw the launching of the ark. He has
carried off enough hooks, spoons and the
like to stock any ordinary hardware store,
and If he keeps up his lick" is likely to
be doing business at the old stand when
Gabriel blows the last fanfare. When I
add that my height is the accepted stand
ard of comparison for grandfather's
length-apd 7 stand six feet in stock
ings you can understand why we hunger
and thirst for the ancient fish as the Arab
th1rsts for the oasis or the orthodox
colonel for the bourbon. If you can't un-
derstand you are to be pitied; there is
that omitted from your makeup that all
the gold that was ever minted cannot buy.
Well, as said before, the morning was
all that could be, asked; the wind was
just strong enough to raise sea that hid
! the passing Of the boat from the keen
| eyes of the ambushed shark we were af-
ter; there was a. beautiful Scotch mist
blowing; Louie knew every port of call
| that grandfather used, and: the chances
| were as good as they ever are In the mus
! kie chase; that is to say, two to one
! against the rod.
| We travelled a mile or more, Jack TAX
ing in two or three minor pass, a Ten
| pound pickerel, and little muskie, OF live
or six pounds falling to my share, and
! then things happened. I had a pure white
! silk line pf abnormal strength, a White
| gimp leader, and No. ~ Skinner spoon,
| and had just remarked to Louie that the
| fish didn't know a good thing when they
| saw it if they left so tempting lure alone,
when the hooks fouled on a sunken log.
That is what they always apparently do
when a big muskie strikes, and we'll
knew the log was alive, even II 1t hadn't
Jumped three feet clear Of the water,
and displayed the glorious form OF grand
! fathers eldest son. At. least tnat Is
~ a
every fish in the lake by his Christian
name. =,
knew better than 10 "holler" "Pve got
him" when the big fish jumped, brt ashol-
ler' T did I also knew better thans to
but never mind what, you'll see later on
If the fish attached to my spoon was
grandfather's eldest the foxy. elder had
spent lots of time on his education, and
the Young one had learned every lesson
we'll, and improved, it might be, on many
i of them For of all the combats I've had
with his hard-fghting tribe, l remember
none fiercer than the one that fellow put
up. A. good half mile Of lake shore we
into every tangle Of rushes, projecting
snag. and 'deadhead'' the whole way.
I managed to keep him out Of every one
at imminent risk of heart failure a dozer
times, and at last he began to weaken
and then I went at him hammer ane
tongs, hoping to play him out, and ge
him into gaff-reach before he managed
to catch his second wind. And I almos
did it, and would have f-alas .wha
mischief that potential if came into tn
= world to do. I would have gotten hin
: sure, II hadn't reached for my gun to
d / soon Now where l. was. educated, a.
/ educational establishments from Sunda
I; schools up, and down, include the draw
in their curricula, and teach that any oil
d kind of shooting will answer if you onl
, draw quickly enough, SO I natural
p thought I could do So, and so I. am con
> WINGED could have if it had been q mar
e. or any other kind Of thing except tn
animated quicksilver mass that wa
p drawing on. AS it was, l was fractio
! of a. second too slow Muskie got a
= inch Of slack, 1T was as good as a mile
and there was nothing else to do but rec
in, and play that Fate would put Jack an
| Louie UP against something as bad whe
IT, I should be there to see.
% % I may hear the last Of that fool trio
"a before debut If I do am convince
o. Til have to leave this country for tn
81 purpose.
q We'll; was like our boys at Bull Ru
SS after that. did not take much intere!
in the fight and was ready to go hon
at once. But before we finished a la
n ,,' despairing circuit of grandfather's dt
s 8 main, we saw him, or at least a porto
re- deadly work. AS we passed outside
y. long, shallow bay encircled by rushes, q
ne Industrious nuskrat which was bust
81; gathering material for winter quarter
ssh was heading for shore with his mouth fl
of grass or weeds. .,..: :! l. ),
,. Suddenly out of the deep water a wal
like unto that of the Oregon going in
action, shot after him, there was a SUI
a den CLEAN Of great, snaky jaws, a flash
es cruel fangs in the watery sunlight, al
ne the rat vanished. But we wasted no tin
"a in futile efforts to beguile the ancieT
X We had a good mess Of fish; it was ge
ting along towards time to start for hon
les and was never a hog after muski
en anyhow So we went, but if / live, al
'i III : it is in mans power to. get grandfath
~ before the freeze-up, why, I hope som
body will get him. anyhow, I'm going
try it. &C. g. Kelly.
t.: BOWLING ~ ;
ind - e. @: -