The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-13


| Billy showed him how to bait his
! hook. meanwhile explaining TO him
| the theory of proper batting. Then
/ he busted himself with his own line.
| ''Oh, Billy"
That was all. But it told volumes
| were stretching out further, further.
Billy looked around. The hickory fish
| pole was bent, the line stretched taut
md fiinging off a little spray of water
IN the sunshine, and the boys arms
were stretching out further. further.
Wade in. Wade in. | tell YOU.
He'll break the line if you don't wade
| in. Wade up creek"
II the command had been to wade
through fire the boy would have obey
| ed Nnhesitatingly. In he Waded.
That's right! Hold your pole side
ways, so he'll take the spring of the
pole! Good boy. Now do it again, and
keep doing it every time he turns
| You'll make a fisherman YETI
Back and forth the boy played the
| fish. until it showed signs of firing.
Now draw him in-gently. Hold
| your pole sideways. If he makes
rush with the pole held straight he'll
| break the line! Lift him out-still
Sideways! I'll declare. if he isn't IN
| inch longer than mine!"
Tommy Haskins looked joyouslS' on
| the dark stripes of the bass as it i;.l
plating by turns. He could think o.
nothing better to say then:
Il caught aim ali by myself, didr't
|? | wish my pa could have been
here to see met
When the bass had ceased biting
| they had five beauties, three to the,
| credit of Tommy Haskins. Billy put
them in the fish basket and anchored
them in the running wa-er at the lip
pie. The boy now yielded To his social
| inclinatiOns.
Whereabouts do you live. Billy?"
"Oh. | stay up at the County Seat.
My boy home was back East-in In
diana.
'Indiana Whv. there's where my
pa and ma came from! They talk
about back there sometimes"
"Say." said Billy, struck with a sl.d-
den thought, 'I'll tell you what. Tom.
my Haskins. You take these fish
! down to the house and give 'em to
your ma, and ask her to cook 'em for
supper And tell her you have a par
| ticular friend fishing with you to-day
and that you j like to have him down
! for supper. And tell her he's from
| Indiana! And tell her | want YOU TO
/ come back and eat dinner with me.
| Oh, I've got plenty along, L always
| do take plenty when | go fishing.
| | never know how long / might want
to stay, And say! You've got some
bacon at the house? Well, bring up
abost half a dozen slices and I'll -coo;-
something good.'
When Tommy Haskins got back BIZ
! ~ had fire going. He had also taken
the laprobe for table cloth and had
spread a dinner that looked very
tempting TO the country boy. There
were ham sandwiches and a bottle o.
stuffed olives, and cheese. and COOK
les. and oranges, and bananas, and
tin box of sardines. Billy explained:
Il always take some fish with m"
when / go fishing. Then. if / don't
catch any. why, | have fish anyhow.
Then Billy cut a couple of small
hickory sprouts. and. sharpening ali
end of each. gave one to Tommy Hask-
ms and said. Nov, you do just what
you see me do. I'm going to show you
how to cook Then he took three
of the slices of bacon, inhaled them.
and held them over the bed of Goals
to broil. Tommy Haskins did like
wise with the other three slices. Soon
a tantalizingly appetizing odor came
from the bacon as the grease sDut-
tered down on the hot Goals, and the
raw sides of the strips took on del
icate brown.
"U-m-m, didn't know bacon could
smell 50 good. 1t fairly makes my
mouth wateri"
at tastes as good as it smells too.
on a picnic like this responded Billy.
1t was a glorious dinner. Tommy
Haskins said as much, and Billy heart
! lily agreed with him. 1t was the first
time Tommy Haskins had ever tasted
sardines. He said they were lawful
good Billy did not care for any.
He said so. That is why Tommy Has
kins ate them all. Real French saI-
dimes are good. Billy said he had his
mouth fixed for bass for supper and
he didn't propose to spoil his appe-
tite by filling up on sardlnes. Tommy
HaskinS was sure it would not affect
his appetite. He did not like the
stuffed olives, however, and said SO
frankly. Billy liked stuffed olives and
ate them ALL He explained that
stuffed olives always gave him an APP
petite for bass; and then each of them
ate three slices of the broiled bacon
and wished for more. When the last
crumb of the dinner had disappeared
they looked at each other and smiled.
Then it was that Tommy Haskins
said. "Billy, did you ever hear tell of
folks eatin frogs?"
Eyes"
well; but do lou believe it,"
''Why. yes! In fact I've eaten them
| many time myself"
"Gee!"
Gee"
Iney re SOOu! bellef tIldH Spi HE
chicken whole lot bettern'
"Gee-mi-nee Crickets!"
''They are. You Just take the hin6
| legs skin them, roll them in cracker
dust, fry them in butter, and they're
just-honkey!"
Say, I know where there's a whole
million of EN- But We haven't no
gun nor nOthin' to shoot 'em with.
"You do? Then Wei have a few
now how IN 'pOl -
Billy cut n bit of red cloth from the
corner of the laprobe ana proceeded
to wrap the hooks.
Anything red makes a bullfroa
angry. It's like shaking red rag at
| 4 bull. You want to pick out your
frog. hold the hook out in front OF
him. and ten chances to one he'll make
| 4 jump for it and get caught. Well
have more fun this afternoon than we
can shake a stick at"
They fshed for frogs with fair sue
cess until late in the afternoon; then
they started back to where they had
left the horse and buggy. They lott
cred by the way, and built a little dam
of stones across shallow rifle. They
Copt dat nahbIpc clxinnipo IN tba cI,v-