Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-11-11
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he Silver King.
by FISHER AYEs, JR !
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by FISHER ANgs, JR.

/, He eyed the boy meditatively:: Ever
used rod?"
Lots of times. I've caught sea-
trout and cavally and kinghsh and
tarpon, too. But they were small
ones," Bert added, truthfully.
II don't know" mused Simpson.
We'll, all right. I'll let you have a
rod and fxings il you'll promise to do
more errands. A rod costs good
money"
I'll PROMISE said Bert.
After a man is tired of trout, and
has come to be a match for the skilfnl
salmon, he is likely, if he is a con-
sistent angler, to turn TO Southern
waters for new conquesis. There he
, will AID among the hordes OF strange
fs. eager TO take his bait giant
herring, that for weight, agility and
cunning is the King of all same-fshes,
with the possible exception Of the
huge leaping tuna. Men who have
found salmon-ishing an easy sport
hayS 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
menial labor for him at any moment.
1t never entered the youthful auto
Gratis head to ask favor Of Lee. If
he planned fishing expedition. he
merely mentioned the fact within
Lees hearing, and IL was then under
stood that the darky was to do the
rowing.
The idea OF fishing for tarpon like
'"de gen 'msn from de Moth" inflated
Lee with an unusual sense of inn
1ortarce. At the appointed sine he
appeared at the landing with a brand
new rag round his perennially sore
toe, and the left hind foot OF rabbit
in mis- trousers pocket.
She'll shore, bring us luck, too," he
confdsd. She's de same what Yaller
Jack bruck de las dry spell with"
Eert sniffed. 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
irspiriting music. He had never held
such perfect rod in his hands be-
fore. and his pulse stirred bravely.
There was not a ripple on the sur
face of the dead blue lagoon. The
scattered boats from the hotel lay eff
to the north, as motiorless 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 a little.
and lett emily ass itsrolled,
On y \
ith this graen pre- as
tory fsh Few ot item were sisilSIe,i
but now and then a porpoise showed
a slice of fat, muddy back, or a pir-
atically slanted fin ripped the surface.
In the lagoon there was plenty of
gentle prey.
When the tarpon came, it was
descent of Norsemen. Boring their
way up the inlet, their bright backs
rising and falling, they came in rush
ing fleets-eager to be the first on the
feeding grounds. They STRETCHED
from shore to shore like the metal
plates Of a steel corslet, racing so
close to the boat that they cast spray
into it, but not one noticed the
hooked mullet. He was too insignif-
cant all by himself. They wanted
school to charge and devour, worry
and scatter. In a few minutes they
were gone with the inflow that had
brought them.
ives too far down." walled Lee,
in despair. "Dey's gone up to de
boats, and Sid'llccatch our fish, cure.
Pull up de anchor, Mister Bert. Pull
MIN up"
Pull up nothing" said Bert,
sturdily, although he was somewhat
pale, He had never seen SO many Of
the great fish before. I've watched
this place, and if you can't catch one
here, you can't anywhere
He drew in his line and put on a
vigorous mullet from the bucket. The
bait" scooted here and there, feeling
the danger. In every way it did its
best to draw that danger down upon
it's defenseless head; but the sun
passed the zenith and sank slowly
toward the west, and the reel hung
silent on the rod.
The fish "were not biting" as the
anglers say. They were there and at
work. Patches of shadow and patches
of foam nothing the blue of the
i lagoon showed that the mullet and
small fry were being harried, but no
) silk line tautened. Anglers are pa
tient folk, but they have their super
stitions, and. one Of them is that when