Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-06

ing 1t open, stepped inside the roola-
He paused to listen, tried the door
gently and found 1t locked
lie smiled
Deity end quickls he searched .
through the clothes IN the closet,
through the luggage Nothing, escaped
his marvellous fingers, and when he
stood up 1t would have taken an eye
more than mortal 10 have discovered
anything amiss.
Again he listened.
After a minute or so he went out
of the window and walked ieisureIy
around to the north side. He was just
IN time to see Cranfords boat sweep
out Of the basin. with twist or two
of blue rapor trailing i'll its wake.
What a fair world it was-cioudIesS,
rain washed. vistaed,
Long island stood out against the
pale sky Of early morning, crisp, mar
yelousiy distinct
You could see the cracks In the
rotting lodges. the sun lances breaking
against the sharp angles Of rosy. gran
tie, the delicate lacing Of pine and ma
pie. AS for the water, it was fat and
FURNISHED as Cleopatra's mirror.
Far, far above him Crawford espied
motionless speck, an eagle, and here
and there the silly gulls rode and bob
bed upon the rivers placid bosom, as
unloyeIy at close view as decoy ducks,
but of beauty unutterable when flying
in the face Of u gale
Even the nidges. doubtless born that
sunrise, Interested him, He settled
back in his comfortable chair seat
pulled his gray felt hat down over his
eyes and drew contentedly at his pipe
He was very near 10 happiness, as
near as he had any right to expect
Old shoes, run down at the heel, hope
less trousers. Il coat which would have
shocked the rarely shockab.e Warren
and a gray flannel shirt.
The coat he hf 4 left with Uncle Bill
IL two years be. %, and he was wear
ing it for luck The comfort Of it!
Not another stiff collar for thirty days,
excepting Sundays. when ne intended
TO loaf or take long walks into the
country. Besides, to skip q day added
zest to the next days sport
Lester sat on 4 little oaken. boxHke
cover which protected the engine Oh
windy days from the vigorous on
slaughts Of the waves.
lie held the ttlIer rope in his left
hand and with his right scientifically
thrust from time to time n battered tin
dipper into the wafer and drihbled the
contents into the bait pail, a slender
rubber tube thrown over the side sery-
ing as a drain.
Crawford had fshed north, east,
south and west; in virgin countries
where it took ten days portage to
reach railroad; but there was no
place equal to this.
Il say. Lester, suppose we take
whack just outside of Bare pointf Bill
Tvs ont at Pidgin. and I don't want
to swoop down on him before he gets
/ started.
= "All right sir,
! Bare point is on the Canadian line.
/ Lester put on fat, lively club, and
/ Crawford made a capital cast. At heart
/ he was as eager and as excited as he
had been twenty years ago when his
/ father had explained the intricacies
and mysteries of casting a line without
having the reel hack draw.
"Har'
Crawford gave line. watched the tip
/ OF his rod and struck
He reeled In two or three feet Of line.
then turned and looked at Lester, who
was grinning amiably.
Can you guess what I've got3"
Goo goo eye"
Compliments Of the season; vel
come back"
Crawford laughed and reeled In, and
the desplsed rock bass came up exact
| ly like tin pie plate. round and round,
wabbly.
shall I put him in the box. sirT
asked Lester as he extracted the hook.
II is a superstition upheld by the ma
Jority Of fishermen that If you throw
! away the first fish. whatever breed.
you throw away your luck. Beware OF
thirteen. Of leaving your watch under
the pillow, Of seeing the new moon
over the wrong shoulder whichever
that isl, of singing before breakfast
all presages of evil to the fisherman.
But Crawford had 10 superstitions.
Lester, If you crack another Joke
like that II! skin you. I'll try one
more bait" He cast again. And
don't tell Billy"
Il won't tell anybody" replied Les
ter as he took up the oars again.
You see. bet Billy box Of cigar,
that we'd beat him out on the days
catch. But he ought not to take 6
Young woman out 10 Pidgin this time
Of the year"
rs he taking woman out there
Well, she must want TO fish there then
Bills married; som /, for that matter
When a woman says she wants 70 e
somewhere she oughtn't to. hustle hei
10 1t. She may change her mind ant
turn back
This bit Of philosophy amused Cran
ford There came sharp tug ant
strain.
Hooked himself exclaimed Gran
ford.
He Strengthened the rod and waites
for the ''break.9 but the break did no
come, Tng-tge. at an angle os forty
five degrees. A mingts went hy. Their,