52 OLD BLACK BASS 



caused by the quick darting away of the 

 supple Swift. 



Swift led at the start, slipping through 

 the soft water like an arrow shot through 

 the air. Spot saw her go and leaped in 

 pursuit like the bounding bounce of a rab- 

 bit. Clumsy and Red-eye, Old Black Bass, 

 Leaper and Gloria, Wall-eye and Gap the 

 school was a fleeting shadow. 



Rocks flashed by, a broken birch was 

 skirted so swiftly that the rearward ones 

 scarce knew the cause of the swerving ; and 

 leading the way was Swift. 



Swift of the flying waters, pectoral and 

 ventral flat against her body, anal and rays 

 of dorsal flared into a rudder, body whip- 

 ping and straightening too rapidly for the 

 eye! The wide caudal fin, like the leaves of 

 a propeller, caught the water and flinging 

 it back increased the velocity. 



She was enjoying it. Cool, energizing 

 water touched her sides after the comatose 

 winter and washed her clean. Impurities 

 slipped away as carbon is blown from a 

 valve. 



But close behind was Leaper, body a fly- 

 ing arrow. Like a wing-footed racer put- 



