The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-03-20
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: Qbe Re0 Bot. :
@p 8. f. STRONG .

!. STRONG.

| Aoie III the vicinity. several small
chunks of salmon egg were scattered
on top Of the crib.
The boy wound up the line, and
DATED the hook with one of the
chunks. He fixed the length that he
! needed, and in small loop about
eight inches in diameter rolled the
several extra feet of line round his
wrist
Then he slipped to the edge of the
structure, next to the club hole. and
gently dropped his bait, the eggs.
into the water below. Before it sank
Tar the current caught and carried the
nook and line fifteen or twenty feet
from the boy, near to where the small
current joined the main stream.
lie stood on the edge, barely bal
ancing in his interest. There was a
quick flash in the current from where
1t joined the larger flood of the river.
Jon nnle felt an overpowering pull.
AZ he fell toward the water. he
grasped the red box with his left
hand
Inc cold water made him SILVER
ana gasp, but when he came to the
surface he kicked out instinctively to
keep himself af1oat He ATTEMPTED to |
draw back his right arm so as to |
make a stroke. He could not. The !
nsnllne which he had wound round
Ills "rlst was drawn taut. He was
moving. moving faster than the cur
rent, toward the main river. The lad
kicked and struggled, but the current
ana pull OF the line were too strong
1or his efforts. Before MANY seconds
ne knew that he was in the main cur
rent OF the swift river, being lowed
and swept along slightly faster than
Inc current. The rate of movement
kept him on top of the water, but the
waves and spashes were constantly
striking him in the face, making
breathing difficult.
AS ne was swept over the first bad
life of the long series from the dam
o the bend, he tried to reach his
wrist with his left hand. The red
'ox was still in his hand. i;
The effort failed, for the arm was |
lrawn too tight by whatever was ,
'uillng the wriggling ninety pounds t
Il boy' AS the lad gained his pres !
nee OF mind he screamed, and kicked '
lmself toward the shore. He made
ONE Roadway, the fish at the other S
nd Of the line continuing to draw '
i'm faster than the current.
The river is spotted here and there t
y rocky reefs, which show their Q
eads above the surface. On one of S
hese, short distance ahead, there Fl
rev a clump of river willows which t
vernung the edge of the main cur t
snt. Seeing them, Johnnie struggled t
18th his whole might toward the S
1ore. He did not succeed in getting a
lose, but yet near enough so that, as e
1oated along, he could reach out
18th his left hand to the two.or three G
'ngest branches and could touch Il
lem e.
IN his hand was the red box. He b
'emed to realize it for the first time. 81
lstinctively clutchiDg it tighter, and it
the same time missing his chance 81
grasp the willows. a
The big salmon, for such proved to il
the fish that had caught the bow W
18th his own line, seemed to have felt :
lie effort the boy had made to reach S
e willows, and as the fish does when
'ought almost within reach of the
III, made more vigorous effort to
lin its freedom, and pulled all the b,
arder and faster down the current a,
Before many seconds the lad, half fc