The Holly chieftain., 1904-05-13

| to the cap, now whirling in an eddy.
! Prince soon reached the cap. and,
holding it well above the water.
turned for the bank. The sides were
steep and slippery, but the boy took
firm hold of the dogs collar. and after
a struggle hauled him to solid ground.
Prince dropped the cap. filling the air
with spray as he shook himself,
| wagged his tail, and lolled his tongue
| in canine self-satisfaction.
Here is your cap" said the boy, as
he held a much bedraggled piece OF
millinery gingerly at arms length.
Thank you, boy!" said Jessie.
smiling through tears which were
yelling in her eyes. With a little
sigh of relief she noted that the gov
erness was not in sight. Jessie patted
| the dog on the head, and with ro-
guish glance addressed her unknown
companion.
What is your name?" she asked,
years
MY name is Burt-John Burt"
MY name is Jessie Garden" said
the young lady as she crawled through
the fence unassisted by her new &C
| Quaintance. The courtesy expected
| by a miss of twelve is the same as
that extended by lad OF seventeen
so neither suffered in the others es-
| timation.
| What were you trying to do with
that pole?" asked John as they
reached the bridge.
| 81 was trying to stir up those spi
derry things down there in the water
replied Jessie, again grasping the
pole, which had remained erect, fast
in the sticky bottom of the creek
| "Oh, how l wish ! could catch one!"
That's easy" said John Burt. as
he climbed into the wagon. wait
until ! hitch this horse and I'll show
you how. Want some anyhow; you
can watch me"
John Burt speedily returned with
some scraps of meat and a mysteri.
Gus implement which consisted of a
pole with a stout dip net at the end
of it. Jessie regarded the prepara.
tions with keen interest. The boy
took a piece of string from his pocket
and securely fastened piece of tough
raw beef to it; then he lowered the
meat into the water. In his left hand
he held the pole, with the meshes of
the dip net but few inches above the
surface. Jessie watched with bated
breath and wide opened eyes.
Slowly and carefully John raised
the string. At last the meat showed
red in the murly water of the creek.
AS it came to the surface John thrust
the net below. Out of the swirl OF
water it emerged, laden with the meat
and struggling. writhing crab.
Got HIM" said John, as he lifted
the dripping collection over the side
of the bridge.
isn't he ugly. Look at his legs!
One, two, three. four, i've, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten, eleven-no. ten-I
bite?" Jessie hovered over the. net
and stretched her fingers towards the
floundering crab. The little beady
eyes gittered. the claws clashed help
lessly.
You bet he can bite! You get
near enough and he'll nip you good
and hard" said John as he un.
snarled the crab from the twine and
meat. Run over to the wagon and
get the basket. / forgot it."
Delighted to be of assistance in so
famous an undertaking. Jessie ran
swiftly to the wagon and returned
with large wicker basket. John had
already dropped the bait in the water
and the crab was crawling along the
bridge. Reaching down. he deftly
grabbed the crab and dropped him
into the basket.
For an instant Jessie was speech
less with wonder and admiration at
such bravery.
Boy, let me catch and you poke,
she ventured in plaintive note. Il
never caught crab. Won't you
please-John Burt?"
why, certainly" said John. "l'll
show you how"
Jessie left the squirming mass OF
crabs and sprang to Johns side.
Reach down as far as you can, y
John directed. That's right. When
you feel something pull or jerk, pull
np-slowly, though, or you'll scare
him. Do you feel anything?"
"'The line kind of Witches" whis'
pered Jessie.
Raise it up slow. Be careful.
There's one on. sure Now jam the
net under him!"
Jessie made a swing with the net,
hut dinned too low A huge crab