American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1920-12-11
COPTRIGFiT 81 TKE RoBBs- rERRIIL coHpAN,c

was to put the cams In warts ana N,
low them to die there and rot. This
muck was afterward carefully "han-
died" for whatever pearls II might con-
tain.
The ordinary jack light is simply an
oil burner-in early days candle, or |
fire Of pine knots-arranged with re- |
fiector-on the bow of the boat In such |
a way as to throw the full brilliancy |
Of the light down upon the water.
leaving the fisherman himself In dark
ness. Such light, II the night be
dark and the water quiet and clear.
renders objects beneath the surface
perfectly plain to considerable depth.
While the Boss was fastening the
jack light to the bow Of the boat the
Pearlhunter stepped ashore to blacken
the points Of the freshly sharpened
spear In the blaze Of the campfire, for
all fishermen know II Is never advis-
able to strike with a spear that gilt
tiers. lie knew every man Of them
around the fire. But a toss Of his
hand, a toss Of five hands In response.
was all that passed between them
men that would have carried a COM
rade for miles at need; that would
share the last bite with him. that
would knife him Just as readily at a
fancipd grievance. Such were the
river men: q law unto themselves--a
simple code. warped fantastically-
with knife and pistol for Judge and
Jury . leftover product Of other days
when ciansmen followed their chief
and asked no questions; q bi-prOduct
Of the border who found II hard to
d!sarm when civilization came In.
The Boss slipped an oar into the
water and laid the boat more toward
the south shore. over the deepest part
Of the bar. Hardly had he done %
when the Pearlhunter lowered the
point Of his spear. The outline OF an
Immense black bass tool. shape under
the g,are Of the jack light, half hidden
among the swaying verdure. ~ u y.
ing In walt for his prey. which IN Ill
ukslihood he was. Q scaly tiger Of the
stream In ambush. The spear slid Into
the water and stole toward him. All
unaiarmed he lay. his ans IDLY tanning
the fern.lIke moss In which he lurked.
little suspecting the hve-pronged death
creeping upon him. The points were
within three feet Of the CLOSING scales
: when the Pearlhunter struck. There
followed q moment OF fierce furry
I among the waving ferns: little
shower OF spray broke the surface Of
the water, and all was over. A fish
! does not struggle long when the spear
I goes home.
"Six- FOUNDER. II he's an ounce, I"
chuckied the Boss when the fish lay In
the bottom Of the boat. The Pearl.
I hunter rested his spear upon the gun
vale and bent above the jack light.
The boat drifted on.
II was perhaps half an hour later
when. In the ieisurcly manner Of men
| returning from a season Of successful
sport. the two fishermen, with the pick
Of all they had noated over In the
: bottom Of the boat. r0wed up the
Q stream. The glare Of the campfire
D was beginning 10 slither upon the drip
? ping oar blades and the ripples they
raised when the Boss laid the boat
nearer the south shore with the re
4 mark:
3| "Here's where we're expectin' {
q hist tn sinners tOmorrow--all alOnt
here. Jist look ut tn tracks. Make .
right smart track, don't they, fer
beast without no feetr'
The Pearlhunter made no answer
CrOuched down by the Jack light wei
toward the bow OF the boat, he hat
ii been for some time watching the un
7 usually thick tangle Of winding mark
upon the Shiny bottom, plowed Their
r, by the mussels or clans while feed
q Ing, dozens and hundreds OF the CREEP
"A Ing bivalves. hnlf buried In the ooz'
n at that very moment dotting the rive
y bed.
The Ross was In the very act Q
N turning the boat across the river
II the cnmp when he was stnrtled by n
M excited exclamation from his c0mpaI
II ion. who had suddenly leant low an
y dangerously far out over the waite
. lie was up on the instant and ha
flashed the Jack light around the boa
| III MS uTipHiWg UHH1 'hcie was M 80
mcnse river mussel.
q The old Ross had no sooner caugl
- the blush. purple glitter shedding fro
= the hinge knobs Of the giant bival'
y than he uttered a shout that wake
the echoes up and down the riv'
shore. and brought the Ave men ut Il
camp running down to the water
n, edge.
"a Blue Moon I" he yelled. by Il
gods. a Blue Moon"
n. lie snatched Il from the hand Of h
!" companion and held Il under the n
A glare OF the jack light Next nome
m he had handed u back and was drl
re ing the boat to shore. where the tir
ed glance al the peculiar markings OF q
I'd mussei Instantly threw the who
camp into the widest excitement.
ye They spread down by the light
NJ the fire the whitest cloth the camp Q
I'd forded. and the Boss cut the muss