The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20
GOOSE PONDS VICIOUS HAWK
THE Ex-SHERIFF NARRATES A
FISHING INCIDENT

FISHING INCIDENT
To illustrate His C~onteatien That Wa
You Arc After Plck~d Tou shsuld
Always Get Pickerea-Alss Th,r,,
. Pslnt where Rrfendship Esds
MATAhoRAs, Pa, June III nsvs,
pretended to be much Of . fisherman a,
anything Of q hunter worth speakin,
about said Warren X. Ehsvay, ar.
Sheriff. ~ex-Treasurer. eI-Register, az
Recorder, ex-Clerk Of Pike county. p.
but whenever ] went after fab I stuok
by 'em until ! got 'em, and Il II was necs.
sary to bag game at any time and It I'd
to me to do the baEging I simply s4 10
and bagged It.
For instance. the time l was fshins
for piokerel on Goose Pond and HOOKED
the six pound pickerel that q ibig fshhswt
bounced down on Is ! was reeline Ii,
fish In. I had known that hawk for mors
than twenty years. At least It had lived
in the mountains around Goose Pond for
twenty years or more and shared with
me and others the good fishing there Wa
In that water in those days. and thsrs
had never been q word between u, 10 \
was not q little surprised at It's swoopins
down that way and fastening to q p!d.
erel ! had hooked.
sThe pickerel was at the end Of Hfty
feet Of my line when the hawk, which !
had noticed sailing around over the pond
for an hour or 30, took hold Of it. As the
big bird rose from the water with tho 6sh
in its talons it quickly whizzed tho ress
of the line of Of the reel. something over
125 feet.
Il braoed myself and hung on to nv
| pole, which was a long stn bamboo, and
when the line was all run out. the hook
being deep and firm in the piokersl's
bony Jaw, the hawk was brought to .
standstill. The line held. After the hawk
had given q few flaps Of his big wing q
he was held stationary in the air the
boat began to move and the hawk wu
soon towing it across the pond as ! chung
to the pole. or course / could have got
out Of the trouble at once by cutting TIE
line and letting the hawk sail away with
it and my big fish; but no., sir! That was
nv fish, and ! didn't calculate to sit there
and let any highway robbing fowl Of the
air fly away with it
Il had q six shooting pistol In my
pocket. and l smiled as l took 1t out and
prepared TO load that hawk with lead and
bring him down.
81 hate to plug a familiar acquaintance
full Of lead said !. but when be Eoes 70
Juggling of a six pound pickerel Of Minis
| friendship ceases
IL peppered away at the hawk. but my
wind gauge or range finder or some
! thing like that must have been out Of
killer, for five OF those chunks OF lead
went shy. and the sixth pellet only found
one of the hawks legs. That was enough
to spoil tho birds hold on the pickersly
though, and down the big fish tumblsd
into the pond,
well, / ONLY wanted my pickerel back,
anyhow said 1, and I'm kind o glad nov
that / didn't plug the hawk full OF Lead
Il wasn't glad long. The hawk h
! dropped the pickerel. but Immediately
started in to tako hold OF me. He pounosd
on me in the boat, and l soon found that
although / had known that hawk Tor
twenty years | hadn't begun TO get 90.
Guainted with him yet at all. He claSed
and picked and swatted me around in tho
boat. 40 | had to let loose OF my fshpole
and batter and bang b savage Old bdrd
with my pistol butt. trying to crack MS
skull or break n wing or knock him IN the
pond and drown him. Maybe ia nave
of 'em, IL I had kept on battering ana
angling, but | thought ] saw a better way.
and | dropped my pistol and grabbed nun
with both hands tight around his neck,
There isn't any doubt that ia have
choked the big bird TO death atef
a while IL the boat hadn't upset 'ust a.
did and pitched me and the hawk heaa'
go of the hawks windpipe then or hnns
watery grave, and ! concluded TO let go
of the windpipe. Surprising OF course
that Mr.. Hawks ducking would cool the
sassy bird OF and knock all the night Out
OF il, ! struck out for h upturned boat;
but instead Of being cooled on Dv the
duckipg the hawk seemed TO be al tne
again and grabbed me by the hair. !
had a good thick head Of hair in thoee days
and the blasted bird found u good hold
in il. II he had been an lniun getting me
ready for his scalping knife ne couinnt
have tigged and tugged at that topRhot
OF miRe more powerful.
.The only thing that was let f9r ne
to do was to dive, and IL any one had toio
me the hawk wouldn't let 60 OF my nalr
the instant he felt himself going unosr
I'd have thought they didn't know nal
as much about hawks as did: n aa
even then discovered that didn't knova
| ding thing about EN-. EXPECTING M
he would let 20 and feeling that % Nou,u
return to the surface and wait for me
until I came up. I reached up and sIaooe,
him bv a leg to hold IL down, but 40 yCu
know that contrary bird never LAKE, ny
hold on my hair. He just held on ~
drowned with his death clutch In my am.
this wal a blame dangerous siMau Il
for me now. The dead weight :, Va.
hawk wns holding me under. n snsJJ
I couldn't stay under . great wnlls y.
expect ever to be a candidate toi sn!
office again except the Coroners onU.
80 I got my knife out OF my pocket sna Ss
on the locks Of hair the hawk was han5,ns
on to and we both popped to the so w.
together. Tho subsequent procceornSe
interested the hawk no more, OF ocSum.
but they were of some importance 70 ~.
and I got to the boat. climbed on snds
there to get my wind. While sittanG IN
putting some and getting in We
words Of opinion about hav s.wSSsa
times I discovered my fN. moS~5
away pretty fast on the pom, nuh""
sFrom the LAY It was travelling ~
that the pickerel was alive ana nesasI;S
yet and still hanging to my, hook. Sspuiss
didn't surprise me any, for besides pp.ts
the voraoiousest the .piokerel Is NV"