The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-01-21
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Is? 8. e.


Johnnie, please take that squash
ON the Kitchen table over to Mrs.
Rastis right away. told her yester-
daE morning that 1 would send it over
by you" Mrs Walker said to her
tWelye<Year-oh son, one pleasant
spring forenoon.
NAY I stop and p1ay2" the boy
asked
WhB yes, for Al hour" the moth
answered
The Walkers lived on the south
side Of the North Fork of the Umpqua
River, . mile from the Rasts, who
lived half u mile up the river on the
other side OF the stream The Ump-
QGathoWs through the little com
munity OF Winchester. in Western
9reg0Ds . large mountain stream,
famed throughout that region for the
salmon and trout fishing of its eddies
ana rapids
cSo wide is tie stream that the cniy
means OF crossing is by boat or a rail-
road or wagon bridge three or four
hundred yards below the Rast house.
Hardly a hundred yards below the
bridge is the power station for the
Rlectrie light and water works, which
supplies Roseburg, a town of four
thousand inhabitants, five miles dis
tant- The power is generated by mo-
tors. the water for which is held back
by a.tWelFe-fOot dam On the power
station end OF the dam a big "crib
stands TO- project the motors and
other machinery
As Johnnie walked by on his err
rand. he looked with longing eyes to
this crib which was an especially
good place for fishing. no one was
there.
Mrs Rast was glad to get the
squash, but Eer SON Charlie had gone
up the river with his father. John
&C drst Was disappointed, but he
thought he could spend the hour fish
ing just as well. and so said he did
net care mneA-
Wait q minute, JohnI" Mrs. Rast
exclaimed, as he turned to go back.
Your sister Annie wanted something.
Wait until i get it
She brought back a small, dark
red box for the sister and a piece of
pie for the lad
@NoWD don't lose that" she said.
4You carry this in your hand all the
way. Your sister wants it more than
anything In the world"
All right, ma'am," Johnnie an
eWered dutffuIly
Nov, dDn't you lose that. If you
Ho, eyour sister viii be the maddest
girl you ever saw" she repeated, as
the boy passed through the gate.
Johnny looked at the red box care
fully. On the back wasa tumble OF
names, suggesting some kind-of medi-
cine, as nearly as he could tell.
Must be for sisters throat" he
thought
From the bridge, with the three
spans of nearly a hundred feet each
and one approach equally long, the
river looked most enticing. The por,
lion above the dam was CLASSY, the
bottom revealing every pebble ant
stone, except IN the deeper parts. Be
dow the dam the stream ran like t;
mflf-raee as far as the lad could see
beyond theSrailroad bridge, down t.
<the bend under a froyning noun
tain.
My, but / thought I saw a salmon
.9umT just below the dan!"he muset
TO hfmse1E- Then he hurried or.
When he came to the power hous
she hesitated, then determined to e,
out ON the1cFib to see who was fish
fng.-qNoa0ne was there He Cooke,
round. A piece of fshline was tie
to an from bolt. He stuck the red bo
with its precious contents into his lief
pocket s 49,
The boy had only two, and bot.
were in the front fof his trousers
opening. upward, not like the usua
side pockets. The right one had
hole In It, and the left had been sewe
up SO near to the mouth that tn
box, when he stuck it in, barrel
slipped down half its length. Whe
he had pushed It a little farther dow1
he.pu1led the hshIIne up.
1t was of unusual quality, Their
being on the end an undated doubl
gut No, s hook On the other side G
the crib, where the water came on
from the motors, was the best "chu
hole in the vicinity Several sma
chunks of salmon egg were scattere
on top of the crib
The boy wound up the line, an
batted the hook with one of tn
chunks. He fixed the length that q
needed, and in a small loop abou
eight inches i'm diameter rolled til
several extra. feet Of line round h.
wrist.
Then he slipped to the edge of tn
structure, next to the club hole, an
gently dropped his bait. the egg.
. into the water below. Before it san
far the current caught and carried tn
hook and line fifteen or twenty fee
from the boy, near to where the sma
current Joined the main stream.
He stood ON the edge, barely ba
ancing in his interest There was
quick fash In the current from wher
It Joined the larger Hood Of the rive
Johnnie felt an oFerpowering pull
A: ha fell toward the water, b
grasped the red box with his lie.
hand.
The cold water made him shive
and gasp, but when he came to tn
surface he kicked ont instinctiyely I
keep himself aGoat He attempted 1