Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-07-15

1t is a terrible thing to have a life
long enemy-so my Uncle Ashdod
Clute of Betzville says-and we who
have none should be thankful. Last
Thursday Uncle Ashdod nearly per-
ished through an enmity that culmi-
mated on that day.
When Uncle Ashdod was a boy of
II he began fishing in Mud creek, and
the very first time he threw in his
hook he caught a pike, but when he
pulled it out it was such a thin,
small, miserable little skimp of a fish
that he was as mad as hops, and he
stood right up and told the pike what
he thought Of it and then slammed
it back into the creek, and thought
no more about 1t. But that pike did.
A pike is the most vindictive kind of
fish; terribly vindictive; and never
forgets an injury. Year after year
that pike lay low and nursed it's an
ger and planned revenge, and poor
Uncle Ashdod knew nothing about it.
He never suspected it in the least, he
says. He would have treated that pike
the same as he would have treated
any other fish, If he had met it, he
says.
Things went along that way for 81
years, with Uncle Ashdod Clute think
ing nothing at all, and the pike gnaw-
ing its cankerous heart out for a
chance of revenge, and last Thursday
it thought it saw its chance.
There was Uncle Ashdod sitting IN
the bank of the creek with his pole
stuck in the mud beside him, when
suddenly there came a cloud-burst a
mile or so up the creek and almost
instantly the creek began to rise by
leaps and bounds. Before Uncle Ash
dod, who isn't as spry as he used to
be, could get to his feet the creek
was up to his knees, and there in
the water was the monstrous big pike
dashing and slashing at him with its
Jaws wide open, and leaping out Of
the water in a frenzied attempt to
catch Uncle Ashdod by the neck and
drag him down to death.
Any pike can leap like a deer, but
this pike was a wonderful leaper, and
Uncle Ashdod saw there was only
one chance for his life, and that was
to climb a tree. So he made a dash
for a big pine and jumped for the
lower limbs, and all the time the
water wal rising, and nc matter how
fast he climbed the tree the water
rose as fast and there was the big
pike right facing him and gnashing
its teeth. Every moment the pike
would make a leap, and before 1t
could fall back into the water the
water would overtake 1t. In that way
Uncle Ashdod climbed the tree, with
the creek and the pike never three
feet behind him, until 1t began to look
as if he would run out of tree before
the creek began to go down, and The
knew that If he reached the top OF
the pine and the water kept on rising
the pike would swim in and complete
the deed it had set its heart on.
But Just as he reached the top the
water began to fall as rapidly as II
had risen, and the pike gave one cry
Of futile anger and made a last enor
nous leap and grabbed Uncle Ashdod
by his long gray whiskers which were
blowing out over the topmost limb
and at that moment Uncle Ashdod
tainted and dropped. II it hadn't beer
for the pike Uncle Ashdod would have
been dashed to death, but once 3
pike gets hold it is like a bulldog; II
never let's go. So there they hung by
his whiskers, one on one side Of the
limb and one on the other, like a pail
Of saddle bags, until Uncle Ashdod re
covered from his faint.
Then there was a terrible battle
Uncle Ashdod put up his hands ant
took a good hold Of the limb, and be
gan to kick the lower end Of the pike
and the pike frightened its grip OF
Uncle Ashdod's whiskers and begar
to slash at his legs with Its cruel bony
tail. 1t looked like about an ever
fight, for II Uncle Ashdod had boots
on, the pike had tough scales, ant
there they fought, face to face. I'm
aa Aahdod said he never in his lifs