24 FOUETH OR MILTIMORE LAKE. 



"Been fishing, Mr. Johnson?" he asked. "Had any 

 luck?" 



"Well," I said, "I hardly know. I have got a fish in 

 this bag, but what it is or if it is good to eat I cannot 

 tell." 



A look of covetous surprise went around the group 

 when I exhibited rny fish, and the foreman, after 

 recovering from his astonishment at the sight of so 

 big a fish, remarked, indifferently: 



"Well, I guess you had better bury that fish right 

 away." 



"Bury it!" I exclaimed, "why, isn't it good to eat?" 



"Good to eat!" he answered. "Good for nothing! 

 Why it's a catfish, and deadly poison!" 



I was sadly disappointed at this intelligence and 

 was turning dejectedly away, when the foreman hailed 

 me, saying: 



"Here, Johnson, I tell you what I'll do; that fish 

 has got an uncommon fine head, and would look well 

 mounted, I'll give you a dime for it!" 



"Here's the fish," I said, "I don't want your dime; 

 I'm glad you saved me the trouble of carrying it two 

 miles farther in the hot sun!" 



It was two days after that when I heard what a 

 scrumptious fish supper the gang had eaten at my 

 expense, and for the next few days I could never pass 

 the gang of section hands without a broad grin dis- 

 playing itself upon the features of the Swedes, and 

 hearing a bantering inquiry from the foreman as to 

 whether I was going fishing or had another catfish 

 to sell. 



However, 1 made up my mind to get a catfish, and 

 one morning rigged up with a strong pole and suit- 

 able tackle found me again at the same pool. I fished 

 hard all day and was about giving up in disgust when, 

 sure enough, I had a good strong bite, but nothing to 

 compare with my previous one. After about ten min- 

 utes' fight I landed him and this time it was a long, 

 snaky looking fish with small wicked eyes, weighing 



