The St. Mary banner., 1906-07-14

|
Sara. ''JeIy," She viii continue
amt you afeerd of de BAD place
Jeny?"
"Tooby shore is his ready ans
wer. "Tooby shore | is 'feerd. De,
say at water is skace in Torment
an | cuddent never go a fishin' thar"
For fishing is the old mans weak,
ness, and he knows every hole" in
the creek.
But last June Uncle Jeffy had what
he calls an "especrunce" Some one
IN keowee had given him new
recipe for bait-a bait which he was
| firmly assured would "suttinly fetch
them suckers The bait itself was
a malodorous compound OF dough,
cotton batting and Cried beef's liver,
but, notwithstanding this, on the first
/ likely day the old man set off for
| the stream to try its effect, followed
according to time-honored custom by
! RoWdy, well-tried and true.
So familiar is Uncle Jeffy with those
fishing holes that he has given to
each one name. There is the
''minner-hole' and the "cat-hole' and
the "brier-hole." The ''minner-hole"
lies just below the bridge One IS
able TO smoke in comfort there, and
may hold converse with the passers-
by as he waits for the fish to bite:
while the "cat-hole'' affords great
sport whenever the stream is up"
But notwithstanding the fact that the
day was fine, the sun lying warm on
the long brown burrows of the hill
side fields, the south wind just stir
ring in the leave, and the water
laughing musically as it slid round
the grassy bends, none of these places
just now attracted Uncle Jeffy-not
even the ''Water-hole, where will
low offers its shade, and where the
rush and hurry OF foaming little
fall strikes pleasantly on the ear. A
half mile further down, however, and
just at the spot where the horse
branch" pays its toll to the creek,
there is broad, still pool, which is
deep at its upper end, but which
shelves rapidly until it featheredges
in shoal against white sand-bar
below. Above this spot are cotton
wood trees, and at their roots fallen
log offers one pleasant resting
place; moreover, there is brushwood |
close by, where a dog may amuse
himself, and if he is diligeM he may |
perhaps find gray rabbit there. In |
view of these advantages the place |
attracted Uncle Jeffy, and it was here
that he halted
After the bait had been adjusted !
and the old man had seated himself
and RoWdy had gone away to nose
through the bushes, the silence grew
soft and somnolent. Away off down
the creek a bull-frog was croakins
hoarsely back in the long stretch of
The road an empty wagon came rat
ling down the hill, and up among
he leaves Of the cottonwoods the
leavy-winged bees were circling
lrowsily
'H-r-r-ump! h-r-r-ump. h-r-r-umph:"
,hanted the frog, and it's tones re-
minded Uncle Jeffy of the preaching
# Brother Tom Larkin of Lower
Betharbry" church Presently he
losed his eyes in order to heighten |
he effect.
H-r-r-umph! h-r-r-umph." The line
aid slowly out from the rod, the cork
obbed inshore, and the hook, f1oated
pward by the light cotton which the
ait contained, drifted downstream
ITO the shallow.
"H-r-r-umph!" The preacher bv
lis time was well launched into his
iscourse, and Uncle Jeffy snored
emily as his head dropped and
ested lovingly against the trunk of a
le tree
The afternoon wore along. The
anting sunlight crept under the II
aves and rested on the old mans
rehead, the wind caressed his gray &
cks, and the curving branches
emed to stoop toward his weather D
eaten face, but all unheeding, he a.
canned on and on and on. In his y
umbers he had grown young again, n.
ID the preacher was rebuking his u
rs. His pole lay lax in his fingers, d
d the hook and the bait rested
htly against bank of sand III
In the meantime Rowdy had grown '"
ed. The one rabbit which he had su
lrted had behaved reprehensibly, q
d had led him a long chase around le
brow of quilted hill, then it had 70
lded him altogether. Ready to liz
mach refreshment let it's kind be pr
at it might. the dog came painting IN
the waters edge. Tapped hastily, in
fled the inviting bait and then WI
Gee whiz! Hits a gollywhopper. vi
startled almost into alright at the po
IN faadA IL L.: IL: