The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-30
he was, and we eat him all, an I do be-
ieve could have eat him all by myself,
II / had been willin' to be hog.

"A Teller never goes out with Old Reli-
able but he learns somethin' new told
him that once and he said, Old Reliable
did, that honors was easy bout that Said
he always learned something new and
| startling from me, and generally when he
! wasn't looking for it. either. He's funny
talking at times. Old Reliable is, but he's
bully company, all samee, and there amt
nothin in this country beats him.
well, after eating we fished a lot more,
but the trout wouldn't bite at all, and the
wind died down till the lake was like
glass. Then Old Reliable and Bob they
vent off to look at some mining out in
the woods, anyway they'd heard it was.
an told me to fish round there, and they'd
be back in bout an hour. So went out
and fshed a lot, but didn't ketch nothing.
and after q while the wind began to come
up, and first thing knew 1T was blowing
hard, and I was agoin' right back to
Ryberg's, where we got the boat and
feft the team.
something awful big grabbed my spoon,
and forgot about everything else; any
body would. That fish fought like sin,
an couldn't get him up to the boat at
all. BY and by he come up top, and then
like to tainted. He was a pickerel as
long as l am, and he had the hooks way
! down in his throat SOS he couldn't git
away nohow. BY then the rain come
down like sixty, and the wind blew a
storm, an l couldn't do thing but lust
let the boat go. Sides. I'd let both oars
slide overheard while I was fightin' the
pick, an they was out Of sight, SO 1 let
her drift and tow the big fish along,
It was five miles down to Ryberg's, but
fore Il got there two fellers in a boat
come up. an took me in tow. One had
one of them Marble gaffs, an they took
In the big fish. But time we got 1t done
We was 50 near Rybergs, we went ashore
Then one of the fellers says: That's a.
fine maskalonge, kid, you know most
city men think a big picks always a
musky, tho I'd think they'd be ashamed
to be so ignorant. I see his eyes shine,
an when he offered me dollar for him,
I didn't tell him what 1t was, but hit
him for five. an got 1T, too, when prom
ised, cross my heart, wouln't tell nobody
they didn't ketch him. An they gimme
the money right there, an then we went
ashore.
Then Ryberg said I'd better go home
with them two fellers, an he'd take the
boat and look after Reliable an Bob.
soon's the rain let up. He said they
couldn't get to. his place ashore 'thout
walking ten miles round a big spring bog
an couldn't git to Eastwoods on the other
side the lake, 'thout goin' five more miles
| round another one.
80 I went with the city fellers an
when they got to the EPokegaIna, Dan
Gum he had his chore boy pack up the
big fish, % pounds 1t was, in ice. and
take 1t over to the depot, fore anybody
round the hotel saw it, an give the whole
thing away. Dan he's a dead game sport
and don't spoil nobody's joke by buttin'
| in when he oughter not Reliable an Bob
| tried to walk round both boys, and final
~ got round the short one, got to East
woods, an got a boat an crossed to Ry-
berg's- They got there in the middle OF
the night, an the old bull dog like to
eat 'em up fore they could get the team.
Bull dogs amt got any scent, and don't
know nobody in the dark. It was nearly
mornin' fore they got here. and I amt
seen either since. -@i7
| aBut1ts my father Tn leery Of He
paid ten dollars to that swede put the
buckshot into last fall, and let 1t 60
cause got the big buck. But this time
amt got nothing to fall back on, and
I'm up against the real thing sure
&C. c. Kelly.