The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1909-10-07
FISH STORY
SOMETHING ALTOGETHER OUT OF
THE ORDINARY.
Flnny Specimen Taken with Bare
Hands, Was Double Prize In That
He Had Swallowed Girls
Engagement Ring.

Tell us the best fish story you
know" said the man sitting opposite.
The man to whom things happen lit
a fresh cigar.
Fish stories are so common n
easy that they are hardly worth
while" he replied. However, | must
confess that | have been fishing a few
times in my life"
And the fish never weighed less
than four pounds ~apiece?"
Those that got away never did
But the biggest fsh | ever landed
weighed just three pounds and six
ounces. That's very moderate, you
know, and the story would not be
worth telling except for the remark
able way in which ! caught him. The
fact is / landed him without either
net, hook or bait"
"He just jumped into your boat vol
unfairly, | suppose"
mo; I reached down into the water,
slipped my fingers into his gills and
hauled him in"
That's a good opener"
"Yet you will agree that the thing
was very simple when | tell you
about 1t. You see, / was u rowing
for the mere pleasure OF stretching
my muscles and of being talked to by
the belle Of the resort. | had fished
the lake for three days without catch.
ing anything worth taking home and
had given up IN the belief that there
were no fish in those waters. So when
/ invited the belle to go for an after.
noon row / did not take the trouble
to throw in a line. And, of course, as
we were crossing a particularly clear
and shallow spot we spied a splendid
pike lying on the bottom. Girl-like,
she dangled her fingers in the water.
And then she screamed. No; the fish
had not come up and bitten her fingers.
Her diamond ring-an engagement
ring, she assured me-had slipped into
the water. You see 1t had been doing
duty as a summer resort engagement
ring for two seasons and it was a lit
tie large for this girl.
Il was gallant and told her I'd dive
for 1t. ] thought that would be better
than to offer to give her another oil
my own account. But Just as | was
about to jump in that big fish sided
lazily u pto it, opened his mouth and
swallowed it with the most self-satis-
fled smile / ever saw on the face of a
fish. ! told her I was glad 10 learn
what kind of bait the fish in that lake
wanted and would come back next day
fully prepared. But she began to cry.
She said l was cruel and why didn't
dive n bring up fish and all? / had
to set my wits at work then. She
wore a watch and so did !. I took
out the crystals and by putting them
together made a sun glass. With that
! caught a sun ray and turned 1t into
the water right above where the fish
was lying. He saw il and began to
investigate. Evidently, he thought it
was a larger and better diamond thar
the one he had just captured.
played 1t over him in the most tantal.
izing way | could and he became so
interested that he forgot all about us.
| brought him close beside the boat,
and while he lay just below the sur.
esA
face, motionless, fascinated by the
brilliant u ray, I reached over with
my free hand, slipped my finger into
his gills and yanked him into the
boat"
And you got back the diamond?"
Yes; but | noticed next day she
was not wearing it and asked her why
She blushed and answered:
Wei, 1t was an engagement ring
Just as ! told you, but it was Surette's,
not mine. i borrowed it for the oc.
casion.'
But ! v could get her to tell
me why she wanted to borrow another
girls engagement ring when she was
going for a row with me-"
And o never suspected that she
lost 1t on purpose in the expectation
that you would offer her another {"
asked the la sitting opposite.
Have another cigar" answered tbe
man to whom things happen. with a
smile.