The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1923-12-27

tns Unexpectedly as war claims the
best men and leaves the defective
and the fisherman seined on.
Several hauls had been made. none
Of them quite so profitable as the frst.
and the sun was fast mounting toward
mid-sky when. as wind-up. they pre-
pared to drag the famous Alpine hole
that lay along the south edge OF the
narrow sandbar jutting far down
stream from the lower end OF the Is
land.
This hyur's hard hole Z fsh." ob-
served Counterrnan. handing the near
orail TO the preacher and taking his
place at the oars with Jack. but
they're thar. II We can git 'em."
Banks purity steep" called Uncle
Nick from his place In the stern. Bet
ter not try Z wade out none"
The preacher nodded and the Other
stopped TO his task at the seine
But when the usual circuit was com
pleted and they began TO haul In on the
seine, II was noticed that IL did not
bow out In the wide curve a spread
seine should. Instead. as the men
pulled. the sides drew In toward each
other until the floating corks stretched
out into the river in nearly parallel
lines.
Hung up, by thunder" growled
Counterman. scraping the sweat from
his grimy forehead with grlmler fore
finger. "Snag r somethln' about forty
.x~Ha ha hAf
toms out. too. as the Teller says"
Jack walked NJ the bank short
distance 10 where the boat Was
beached
Stripped 10 the skin. a figure that
might have been model for those
master sculptors who conferred Inn
mortality upon the gods OF classic
Greece. he was just slipping into the
water when Uncle Nick came up the
bar.
you'll find the lead line fast on
sometbin'-a snag more'n likely" he
directed. "Jist hist Il OF. 'Tain't no
trick-but we've lost our FISH"
warhope glanced back over his
shoulder and nodded. The next mo-
ment he was blowing through the
stream with strokes so powerful II
seemed his great shoulders fairly
scorned the water and spurned II out
Of the way. But the task ahead proved
harder fhan the light remark OF his
old friend had Indicated. II was only
after he had three times dived to the
bottom OF Alpine hole that he was able
10 locate the snag and release the
seine.
When he swan ashore. following the
seine as Uncle Nick and Counterman
hauled Il In, the preacher. who had
come up the bar, was seated on the
forward gunwale OF the boat. feeling
over his clothes stacked In the bow. ms
n eager 10 assure himself that they
had not come 10 harm.
The woodsman was putting his wad-
ing clothes on again when a slight
thud. as OF some heavy object striking
the bottom OF the boat, caught his
quick ear. without turning his bead
he happened 10 be just then squeezing
the water out Of bis hair before put
ting his shirt on-he was able 10 catch
a glimpse OF the ivory butt OF six
gun protruding from pocket OF the
bla~k rock coat as II wns being tucked
back In the pile with the tall hat and
shiny boots
Nor was that all--wifh a deftDess
that would hardly have been expected
in one Of his profession. the slim I'm
~. .nfHn~
stacks Of clothes AZ II making sure
that the six-gun he had just tucked
away was the only one IN the crowd.
silil. probably such an intention was
farthesf from bis fho1ght. Sir-gun and
ell. Il was likely merely another Of the
many eccenfrfcities Of man who had
the double drawback Of being q profes-
SCR as well as fenderfoot--ln the
eyes % the woodsmsn. combination
about as bad as could be made
Uncle Nick and Counterman had
Just finished hauling IN the seine when
Jack warhope. followed by the preach
or. came down the bar and rejolned
them. But the old mans prediction
about losing the FISH proved correct.
The hsui produced no; a thing except
very surprised. highly indignant
swapping turtle. coun'Srrnan kicked
the turtle back into the wafer and
stirred ruefuily nt the empty seine.
Them nsh has 9 be made up--he
glanced up the river--sn' thar's list
one shore place e Do IT,
Mud haul Cncle Nick finished
~ExzscIy. HIts sich a nasty plnce
Z FISH thst n aint hardly ever nshed
but they're thar
The preacher had turned quick
lock % the river. an expression Of 20 /
lite dispieasure ciond~d bis face-ar
expression which the others busy
with the seine. failed 70 notice. A.
matter Of fact. his part IN the morn
inK's sport had been next 70 negligible.
After the mild and momeDtsry ercie
menf over the FIRST haul. his Interest /
had obviously waned.