The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-10-18

- OWN under the newly formed ice
OF the lake the goggle-eyes
- wandered. They kept close to
the muddy bottom and. I'm spite of the
zero weather overhead were quite com
Portable. But only quite, for hunger was
making them very savage, and their
tempers needed pruning. as well as their
fins. For these goggle-eyes were select
family of sunfishes, who had become 50
numerous during the warm weather pre-
ceding as to overstOCk the lake. The
bottom fairly swarmed with them. That
fact pleased their savage foes, the
country lads, who lived on shore and
used their wits in devising many new
and curious forms Of catching the Cog
gle-eyes. Heretofore. however. the ice
had always proven a barrier 70 their op-
erations. as it was generally so thick
as TO prevent the formation of air holes.
Now. the boys were the cause of the
sunfishes spending a pleasant summer
the year before, as they had fshed out
Of the lake all the pike in IT, thus re-
moving an enemy even more dangerous
and bloodthirsty than themselves. But
alas. the goggle-eyes did not realize
this. being very narrow and hasty In
their ways.
The fact was that. being used TO jump
at every object their great eyes saw, or
their fins touched It came natural to
them TO jump at conclusions. They con-
cluded, among other things, that they
were the true cause Of their enemy. the
pike. being exterminated. And as their
relatives, the strawberry bass. agreed
with them, the matter was settled. They
had. by dint of great agility and clever
ness. fairly starved the pike out
SO matters stood at the bottom Of the
lake, when one fine day a strange round
hole appeared I'm the ice overhead AN
air hole" decided the goggle-eyes. In
spite OF the fact that the ice was a
foot thick and perfectly solid.
Down at the further end of the lake.
I'm the shallower part. among the roots
OF the water lilies. there were gather
ed together great many fishes or dlt-
feTent families. in sort OF congress OF
all nations. There were no less than
seventeen different nations there repre-
resented, among them the European
tench. the German carp, the japanese
roach, and solitary English chub'
Among the more humble native hshes
there were perch. catfish, suckers. red
horses. bass. Dream, pickerel, minnOWs.
and many smaller fry.
Still further beyond in deep hole, -
where the brook entered the lake. and
directly beneath the bridge at the ice
houses there were punched a large
number of strange looking fishes, which
at first glance one would call perch.
Another look would decide us in favor
of their being pickerel, but they were
neither the one nor the other. Very
cold and miserable they looked. their
fms barely moving to keep them up
right. and their eyes-great staring
eyes-gaZing at nothing. In fact. most
Of them were so numbed with cold as
not t. feel at all. They were wall
eyed
into the lake that fall Just In time to
white. there.
To return TO the aristocratic google
eyes. When the air hole over their
heads appeared they took little notice.
save 10 swim up and have a look at it.
but when small object wriGging down
through the water was seen there was
general rush of young gCggle-eycs.