Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-09-24
A BASKET OF FISH.

! resi- and tender, the light of the
mild spring afternoon caressed the
little abandoned clearing in the wilder
ness. AT the back OF the clearing, be-
meath solitary white birch tree just
bursting into green, stood a squatters
log cabin, long deserted, its door and
window gone, ifs roof OF poles and bark
half fallen in. Past the foot OF the clear
ing, with dancing sparkle and crisp,
musical Glamour, ran shallow stream
some dozen yards in width. its clear wa
ers amber-ta -tawny from the far off cedar
swamps in which il took its rise. Along
one side came the deeply rutted back
woods road, skirting the clearing, and
making its precarious way across the
stream by rude bridge not lightly TO be
ventured after dark. Over all the faces
of the lonely backwoodS world was
washed the high, thin green of the New
Brunswick Maytime, under sky Of crys-
| tai cobalt dotted with dense white fleeces.
Before the ruined cabin stood light
wagon, its wheels and polished body
bespattered with mud. In the open back
of the wagon, thrust we'll under the seat
TO be in shade, lay large wicker fish
ing basket, with tuft OF grass sticking
out through the square hole in The cover.
Some ten or dozen PAGES distant, teth-
cred beneath the birch tree, sorrel horse
munched the last remnants OF bundle
of hay, and whisked his long tail TO keep
off the flies.
From behind corner CT the ruined
cabin peered crattily red fox. He eyed
the wagon, he eyed the horse beneath
the birch tree, he scrutiniZed the whole
clearing, the road and The open stretch
of the stream. Then his narrowed,
searching gaze returned to the wagon,
and TO the fat basket in the back of The
wagon. At length he stepped forth, min
cingly, into full view, trotted up and
shifted inquisitively. As if in doubt, he
raised himself on his hind legs, with his
forepaws on the tire of the nearest
wheel, and took long, satisfying sniff.
Yes, undoubtedly there were fish in the
basket, fresh fiSh-trout, in fact.
He wanted those fish exceedingly. 1t
seemed easy enough TO get them. He
shifted his forepaws TO the back of the
wagon, and studied the situation. Why
should he not climb up and help himself?
The sonel horse, catching Whit OF his
pungent scent, looked around at him sud-
denly, and snorted. But what did he
care for the diSapproval OF the Sorrel
horse? All horses, submissive and en-
slaved, he held in profoundest scorn. He
would have those trout, whether the horse
liked it or not. And anyhow, he saw
that the horse was tethered TO the tree.
He settled himself back upon his launches
to spring into the wagon.
Then new idea flashed into his cum
ming red head. No one who valued fresh
caught trout at their full worth would
leave them thus unguarded, unless for a
sinister purpose. They were surely left
there as trap. The fox wrinkled his
nose with mingled regret and diSdain.
He knew something Of traps. He had
once been nipped. He was not TO be
caught again, not he. What fools these
men were, after all His satisfaction at
having seen through their schemes almost
compensated him for the loss OF the eX-
pected meal. He drew back, sat down
on his tail, and eyed the wagon minutelY
for while. Then he trotted away into
the forest again TO hunt wood-mice.
But it was just here that the red prowl-
er's cunning overreached itself. The bas-
ket in the wagon was full OF trout. And
there was no trap TO be feared. He might
have feaSted to his hearts content, and
incurred no penalty more serious than
the disapproval OF the tethered horse,
had he not been quite so amazingly clever
For even among the wild kindredS the
prize is not always TO him OF nimbe wit.
The trout were there in the basket simp-
ly because the fishing had been so good. |
The two fishermen who had driven out
from town, in the grey Of dawn, over
those fifteen miles OF bad backwoods |
road, had fiShed the stream upwards from |
the bridge throughout the morning. At |
this season the trout fine vivid fish, of |
good pan size,-were lying in the open,
dancing runs and about the tails OF the |
rapids; and they were rising freely TO al
most any bright fly, though with a prefer
ence for a red hackle. Toward noon the
fishermen had returned 10 the clearing TO
lunch beneath the birch-tree and to feed |
and water the horse. They had empted |
all their catch into one basket, slowed |
the basket under the wagoH-seat, then
started off again to fish the finer reaches
OF the stream, with its wide poles and |
long sunlit rapids, below the bridge. |
Good fishermen, but not expert woods
men, they had no idea that, here in the
solitude, they ran any risk OF being rob-
bed, the mornings spoils.
Soon after the departure OF the over
crafty fox, baCkwoods tramp came by
with ragged little bundle slung from the
stick on his shoulder His eyes lighted
up at sight OF the unguarded wagon from
town, and he understood the situation at
a glance. In the front OF the wagon,
by the dashboard, he found a lunch
baSket,-still half-full, as the fishermen
had provided themselves for another
substantial meal. He hurriedly devoured
about hall the contents OF the lunch-has-
ket, transferred the rest to his dirty
bundle, and with huge conten. lighted
half-burned cigar which one Of the fish
had taff Iyiu IOn Navf ha |