Orange County observer., 1907-12-12

she-gan,' which translated means
Magic Bass He is said to be much |
like other black bass in appearance. |
But his peculiar attributes are these:
'"He must be caught by casting, |
with surface bait, SO that you can
see hims rise to it. He may be taken
| in running water where the clear cur
| rent foams over messy powders, and
through gurgling, sunlit shadows;
| or in the silent pools where the forest
hangs darkly over the stream He may
| be taken at some still lakes grassy
marge where the water lilies build
| him a green and white and golden
canopy; or in the open places when
the west winds magic turns the
CLASSY surface into silver.
"But wherever you find him you
will see that Nature rules supreme.
And whether in brawling stream or
quiet pool, in some peaceful lilied bay
or just beneath the rippled broad ex-
panse, where the wild beauty of the
spot makes your heart beat faster,
there may you find the Magic Bass.
"And this is his magic: That when
| you have fought him inch by inch,
and have looked upon him as he lay
. exhausted in your landing net, you
are his forever. For wherever you go
and whatever you do there will come
to you ever and often a dream OF his
first leap into the air, of the tugging
4 line and of his body at your feet, and
:. indistinct behind it all will lie the
sparkling water, and the forest and
: the blue sky
: : In the dead of winter you will of a
sudden hear the soft. splash of the
bass rising to. your fly; you will lee
the sudden tautness~ of the line, and
the snow outside your window viii
\ melt into summer landscape. Wher
\ YOU are busiest there will come to yor
: the song of the reel and the smell. O
pine and fir and balsam. That is th'
magic of the Media Mon-nuh-she-gan
had meant to laugh. But as | fol
lowed without conscious volitiol
= Jacks outburst of imagery, som
= elemental emotion, long forgotten
Of stirred within me and I seemed to Sc
le as he saw and feel when he felt.
a "And how will you recognize tn
Magic Bass when you have caugE
d, him, if he SO greatly resembles othe
ce bass?' asked respectfully, even ca.
erly.
IL "You will know" answered JAG
slowly, because he will seem to yo
re- to be the most beautiful object ye
ga have ever seen"
~. 'I am not a fisherman" sa
1T, gravely and without scorn. But
know something of men, and the
ess fluence must be strong that will mo-
ng a large man so easily. / am tempt
on to go with you.
Jack stuck out his hand.
ing 'Tt's promise, DOCTOR" was all
my said.
ok, There are many men who are bo
to with the magic of Nature in tn
not hearts, who grow up from childho
red unconsciously believing that Heav
val is a place of lakes and brooks, of hi
to and forests, There are others
tile gradually or suddenly attain to II
is sense after years~>of narrow flte a
the cramped ideals I was Of the latt
ools What marvellous summer 1t w;
the Onward we padded, through lake
stream and lake again; through tos
lit ing rapids where the trees hung da
ling ly over, and through smiling rlv
you, where the sun shone brightly on
a meadowy shore. Through pleas
summer heat that once seemed un
hen durable, exu1ting in the storm I
, ar once seemed awful-ever onward,
well suing the Magic Bass. And when
he last we were home again with
color of Indians and hearts OF g
5 in content, said to Jack:
YOU "Well, old fellow, we didn't get
,oint Magic Bass, after all. The ones
we're did get were so beautiful that ain
store forgot. to look for him. But
,yer- spring we will go again and / u
s of we will find him. Here's to the
' I ter! May it pass speedily.
Jack was silent for long 7
store Then with smile:
and ruh=she-gan, doctor" he said
usly. Outing Magazine.
mind ------ -
4