Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-19
SAVED ey BASS.
An Act Of Charity That Found Its Re-
ward At Last.

l was fishing for small-mouthed
black bass in the Susquehanna River"
said the man who writes all the nice
things about the contiguous country
in the summer book of a certain rail-
road and whose truthtulness therefore
is unimpeachable. "On CHANGING in the
water | noticed q rather large bass try
ing to assimilate the little brown cat
fish with which my hook was baited.
1t would aim straight at my bait and
then make bee liue at it. but each
time it would come off to one side of
the catfish without grabbing it.
after a few unsuccessful tries TO
get his mouth on the bait my prize
drew away under the rock to think the
matter over Presently it drew off to
the right of my hook. Then it made
quick dash. This time he was sue
cessful, getting the catfish right pack
of the horns, also getting the nook.
After "A little maneuvering l landed
him on the bottom of the boat. Pro-
Ceeling to separate him from the
hook | was astoniShed to note as
grabbed him back Of the fins that the
poor fish was cross-eycd. That eX-
planned why ne couldn't hit the baif.
right on the trade mark and why he
moved little to the sideWise. Well.
now am in 4 quandary Every fish
ermdn knows it's bad luck to keep a
fish with short -circuited bulbs. Then
the fish had such pitifuI look that
determined to toss him back. Besides,
there was a bare possibility that he
wouldn't stand eight inches in his
f.,o ~ A
any rate / tossed him back.
"Somc two years after this received
a letter from a friend of mine at VIVA
lusinS, saying that the next Week
would he old home week for rock bass
up in that section. there being many
reunions of the alumni OF the various
schools of rock bass scheduled for that
vicinity. His advice to me was to go
to It and | went
My friend and | had great luck the
| first two days. On the third day my
pal found it impossible to accompany
me. so | rowed the boat out line. Luck
was rather against me the first part OF
| the morning. but along toward noon |
succeeded in breaking through the
| hauteur of the lass and ! commenced
| to pull them in right and left.
$50 engaged was | in the sport that
I allowed the boat to wander wither. it
| listed. The first thing 7 knew the row
| boat began to gather a choppy head
way. As ] glanced up at the river
bank [ saw d sign reading Dangerous
| falls below. Keep out of the eddies.
1.-THE best | could do i'll the rapidly
| moving current was to retard the
| progress of the boat toward the dan
gerous edge of the falls, | worked and
| tugge(t at the oars. but III vain. Sud
denly we brought UP with jerk. My
bamboo rod. which + had fastened in
| the seat Of the boat with the line troll
| ling over the gUnwhaIe while / tugged
at the oars, almost bent double. Evil
IDENTIFY ] had hooked an enormous bite.
pulling toward upstream.
STEADILY and almost imperceptibly
at first the fish ] had hooked was aid
ing lie in working the boat out of its
dangerous position.
Bending at the oars with renewed
vigor and with my forty-horse- power
| bass motor engine pulling on the line |
! finally worked away from my perilouS
position in the treacherous cddies.
Then l. turned my attention to the
| landing of the fish
of course / was not so ungrateful
as to want to rdd him to my already
generous &c tCh. | juSi wanted to shake
| his fin. Well, sir, he let me draw him
right up the edge of the boat 50 | could
get look at him. Then he Warily spit
| out the Lait and with few friendly
whislls of his tail sank back into the
river But even in that brief moment
| saw that the bass who had aided me
| in my hour of dire reed was cross
eyed, ard | recognized him as the very
| fish | restored to liberty owing to his
affection two years before. This only
goes to show what a peculiar thine
| truth is when handled by the proper
persons philadelphia North Ameri-
can.