The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-12-05
gB-8-@-@-@-8-@
The Silver Kline.
By FISHER ANES, JR.
|@-D- Go.

SAID. How are you-pretty quick
Oh your pins?"
What, sir?" asked Bert.
Good with your legs? Can you
use EN-? Make 'em move faster than
a darkys? want an errand done at
the village, and l want it done quick :"
Il reckon I'm quick, sir" said Bert,
as plan darted into his mind
Lean and wiry from outdoor work.
he made the trip to the village and
back in less than half an hour, sur
prising Mr.. Simpson exceedingly.
What, back SO quick" he ex-
claimed. You're all right I'll have
| to use you again"
He held out bright quarter. but
Bert, flushing, put his hands behind
his back.
for you, sir" he said, breathlessly,
ANY time, sir. But l don't want
money. II you'd let me have-if
you'd"
| If Id WHAT"
IF you'd lend me an old rod, I'd
l
| Mr.. Simpson slowly pocketed the
quarter. you think fifty dollars in
the lagoon are better than a quarter
in the hand. Ell! Well, l don't know"
He eyed the boy meditatively. Ever
| used a rodo'
Lots of times. I've caught sea-
trout and cavally and kingfish and
tarpon. too. But they were small
ones" Bert added, truthfully
Il don't know" unused Simpson.
We'll, all Fight. I'll let you have a
rod and FILINGS if you'll promise to do
more 'errands. A rod costs good
| money
"Ill promise" said Bert.
After a man is tired of trout, and
has come to be a match for the skilful
| salmon, he is likely, if he is con-
sistent angler, to turn to Southern
! waters for new conquests. There he
| will find among the hordes of strange
fish eager to take his bait a giant
herring, that for weight. agility and
cunning is the king of all game-fishes,
| with the possible exception of the
huge leaping tuna. Men who have
found salmon-fshing an easy sport
! have had their pride lowered when
they came to cast tarpon line in
some placid lagoon. Here there are
no running waters or eddy-encircled
rocks to complicate the battle; moth
ing but the big fish himself to fight,
but the chances are that he will beat
you.
Bert had his own logy bateau and
his particular friend and admirer,
Wash Lee, who stood ready to do
mental labor for him at any moment.
1t never entered the youthful auto
Gratis head to ask favor of Lee. If
| he planned a fishing expedition. he
merely mentioned the fact within
! Lees, hearing, and a. was then under
stood that the darky was to do the
| rowing.
The idea Of fishing for tarpon like
"de gen men from de Moth" inflated
Lee with an unusual sense of i'm
portance. At the appointed sine he
appeared at the landing with brand
new rag round his perennially sore
toe, and the left hind foot of a rabbit
in his trousers pocket.
She'll shore bring us luck, too, he
confided. "She's de same what Yaller
Jack bruck de las dry spell with"
Bert shifted. He had not much
faith in such charms, at least, when
it came to fishing. He put pop
eyed, slippery. one-pound mullet on
the hook and swung it overheard.
The velvet cluck of the big reel was
inspiriting music. He had never held
such a perfect rod in his hands be-
fore, and his pulse stirred bravely.
There was not ripple on the sur
face of the dead blue lagoon. The
scattered boats from the hotel lay of
to the north, as motionless as If glued
there. Bert had chosen new ground
near the narrow inlet, where the tide
runs in from the sea in long, pulsat-
ing jets, like blood in an artery.
He had dropped anchor there at
slack water, but the iridescent film
that gathers on the surface at such
times was now beginning to break up
into lines and darkening feathers
that glided slowly toward the head of
the lagoon. Soon it was all gone.
Then the first clean gush of sea-
water came, lifting the boat little,
and letting it sink gently as it rolled
on.
With this green water came pyeda-
tory fish. Few of them were visible,
but now and then porpoise showed
slice of fat. muddy back. or a pir-
atically slanted fin ripped the surface.
In the lagoon there was plenty of
Oont1o nrov