The Democratic advocate., 1909-12-24
A Pike.County Fish story.

notion to steal big ptckerels on the
anglers hook. The tale IL slightly
reminiscent of the hunting adventures
of one baron Mum Afen, but 1t is
told by the fishelI himself, Mr.
Warren K. Ridgwat sns.fki OF Pike
County Pa. He saysW
/ was fighting pickerel on Goose
Pond end hooked the siX-pound picker
ell that a big fish-hawk grabbed while
| was pulling the fish in. l had known
that hawk for more than twenty years.
At least it had lived in the mountain
around Goose Pond for twenty years
or more and shared with me and 9TH
ers the good fishing there was in that
water in those days, and there had
never been a word between us, so /
was not a little surprised at its
swoobing down that way and fastening
to a pickerel ! had hooked.
The pickerel was az the end of fifty
feet Of my line when the hawk, which
| had noticed sailing around over the
pond for an hour or so, took hold of
it, AS the big bird rose from the
water with the fish in its talons it
quickly whizzed the rest of the line off
of the reel, something over one hun
dred and fifty-five feet.
/ braced myself and hung on to my
pole, which was a long, stiff bamboo,
and when the line was all run out, the
hook being deep and firm in the pick
erel's bony jaw, the hawk was brought
to a standstill The line held. After
the hawk had given few flaps of his
big wings as he was held stationary in
the air, the boat began to move and the
hawk was soon towing 1t across the
pond as clung to the pole. OF course
| could have got out OF the trouble at
once by cutting the line and letting the
hawk sail away with II and my big
fish; but no sir ! That was my fish,
and didn't calculate to sit there and
let any highway robbing fowl of the
air fly away with It,
| had a six-shooting pistol in my
pocket, and | smiled as | took II out
and prepared to load that hawk with
lead and bring him down.
Il hate to plug a familiar acquaint-
ance full of lead" said /, but when he
goes to Juggling off a six-pound picker
ell of mine friendship ceases"
| peppered away at the hawk. but
my wind-gage or range-finder or some
thing like that must have been out of
kilter, for five of those chunks of lead
went shy and the sixth one only found
one of the hawks legs. That was
enough to spoil the BIRDS hold on the
pickerel, tho, and down the big fish
tumbled into the pond
We'll | only wanted my pickerel
back, anyhow" said |, "and I'm kind
O. glad now that ] didn't plug the hawk
full of lead"
But wasn't glad long The hawk
he dropt the pickerel. but Immediately
started to take hold OF me. II pounced
on me In the boat, and | soon found
that altho ! had known the hawk for
twenty years, | hadn't begun to get
acquainted with him yet at all. He
clawed and picked and swatted me
around In the boat so | had to let
loose of my hsh-pole and batter and
bang the savage old bird with my pis-
tolbutt, trying TO crack his skull or
break wing or knock him in the pond
and drown him. Maybe I'd have done
some OF these things, II not all three
of EN-, II had kept on battering and
banging, but ] thought ! saw a better
way. and | dropt my pistol and grabb-
ed him with both hands tight around
his neck
There isn't any doubt but that I'd
have choked the bird TO death after q
while II the boat hadn't upset just as II
did and pitched me and the hawk
headlong into the water | either had
to let go OF the hawks windpipe ther
or find watery grave. and | concluded
to let go of the windpipe. Supposing
of course. that Mr. Hawks duckinl
would cool the sassy bird of and knock
all the fight out Of II. ] struck out foI
the upturned boat But instead of be
ing cooled off by the ducking the hawl
seemed to De all the more het up by II
and the hawk jumped on me again ant
grabbed me by the hair, ! had goOt
thick head of hair in those days ant
the blasted bird found n good hold ot
It, If II bad been an lnjun getting N,
ready for his scalpng knife he couldn'
have tugged and tugged at that topkno
Of mine more powerful.
The only thing that was left for m,
to do was 10 drive, and If any one ha,
told me the hawk wouldn't let 20 Of M
hair the instant he felt himself goiu'
under ia have thought they dida'
know half as much about hawks as
did, and I had even then disCOyerel
that ! didn't know q ding thing abOu
'em Expecting that IL would let 81
and feeling that It would return 70 tn
surface and wait for me until I cam
.Mup, ! reached up and grabbed II by
to hold il down, but do you know
trary bird never relaxed It.
i " hair 1t just held on an
18th its death clutch in M
NAMED dangerous stu
The dead weigh
Il3np me under an
M stay under a grea
rpect ever TO be candidat
49, office again except the coro
80 j office; 80 | got my knife out {
my pocket and cut off the locks Of hal
the hawk was hanging on to and "
both popped to the surface togcthel
The subsequent proceedings interest
ed the hawk no more. Of course bu
they were OF some Importance 20 M,
and ! got 20 the boat climbed on j
and sat there to get my wind. Will
sitting there putting some and gettin
IN a few words Of opinion about hawk
between tines discovered my fish
pole moving away pretty fast on til
pond, hundred yards or so away.
From The way it was travelling
knew that pickerel was alive yet an
still hanging to my hook, which dldn
surprise me any, for besides being tn
yoraciousest the pickerel is a little th
tenaciouse5t fish that swims. ! pesle
of my clothes, swam out and got til
dead hawk and loaded it on the boa
and then pulled for the fish-pole an
started in to land that pickerel
It wasn't q particularly handy ma
%,,s 20 T.t f,t.y RV,I .fgls ffrFh