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TJie American Angler 



could drop a line at almost any time in 

 Davis' pool, near the house, and catch a 

 mess of bass, rather thought that Harry 

 could not fish, and they were not timid 

 in introducing their beliefs at ever op- 

 portunity, taking advantage of Harry's 

 good nature. 



The next morning, at sunrise, Harry 

 ■was at the Stone Quarry pool, a mile 

 above the village, and carefully fished 

 every inviting crevice, lunching under 

 Rushtaboos Rock. In the afternoon, 

 although Dodd's hole and the Pool of 

 Paradise received his closest attention, 

 but few strikes only favored his efforts. 

 He again returned to the doctor's, but 

 to be the laughing mark of the boys. 

 The next day it rained and he did not 

 go beyond Ballou's Reef. The fifth 

 day proved to be the most aggravating 

 of his rapids fishing, as the bass were 

 feeding and Harry had many good 

 strikes, but the fish could not be hooked; 

 they did not take the bait as if they 

 meant business. Another day was lost. 

 To add to his misfortunes, the doctor's 

 two boys, after an hour's fishing below 

 the bridge, brought home a dozen fine 

 bass, and some of the villagers, a few of 

 Harry's newly made acquaintances, 

 reported excellent luck down the river. 

 Brown and Geddes, two worm fishers, 

 caught a fine string below Cobb's dam. 

 These were little thorns that would 

 worry some anglers, but Harry was 

 made of different material ; he had the 

 necessary courage and patience to keep 

 at it, and while the morning of the 

 sixth did not appear to him as being an 

 ideal fishing day, still the boys advised 

 him to go to the Hanford pool. 



Before he left the doctor's home he 

 ■declared the boys would have no occa- 

 sion to laugh at him on his return in the 

 evening ; he vowed he would bring 

 home fish, if he was compelled to fish 

 for bullheads in the canal. The boys 



said, as this was Saturday, they would 

 bet that they could beat Harry fishing, 

 and would not go beyond the town 

 limits to do it. 



" I must beat these boys," said Harry 

 to Mrs. Swandown, " if I have to walk 

 to Toledo to buy the fish." 



It was about eight o'clock when he 

 left the house and started down the river 

 road. "When near the bluffs, over-' 

 shadowing the Hanford pool, he crossed 

 the fields of clover, to the river, where 

 he met two country boys, each carrying 

 a small string of black bass, none of 

 them weighing more than half a pound 

 each. " I'll beat the doctor's boys now," 

 thought Harry, and straight way began 

 negotiations with the boys for the 

 purchase of the fish. It did not take 

 long to transact the business, as the 

 boys were as willing to part with their 

 fish as Harry was to get them. The 

 bass were delivered to Harry and no 

 questions asked. The boys waded 

 across the river and wended their wa)' 

 home over the hills. It was true the 

 fi.sh were small, but Harry felt that it 

 was compulsion, not so much to beat 

 the Doctor's boys, but, as the doctor was 

 expected home that evening, he mi:st 

 make a showing of some kind, if not in 

 size, in numbers. Harry did not think_ 

 that the question, as to where he caught 

 them, what time and with what bait, 

 would ever be thought of ; possession 

 was sufficient, and as the boys of whom 

 he had bought the fish lived "over 

 the hills and far away," he had nothing 

 to fear. Harry hesitated about trying 

 the pool, but the day was one of the 

 best since his appearance on the Mau- 

 mee, and as he did not desire to return 

 until evening, he concluded to while the 

 time away experimenting about the 

 different pools. 



At the Hanford pool he was slow in 

 jointing his rod, noisy in getting his 



