THE DESPOILERS 65 



Sober, after a day of strange restlessness, 

 followed them. 



Some of the school remained unmoved 

 by the pervasive call; for some bass spawn 

 not till the second year. These looked upon 

 the restlessness of their fellows and compre- 

 hended it not. 



Old Black Bass had preened in his awk- 

 ward way for the eye of Gloria, while Swift 

 more than once nosed Leaper and frisked 

 for shoreward waters. But he followed not, 

 nor did Gloria have eye for Old Black Bass. 

 When she swam off with Leaper, Old Black 

 Bass went rapidly to Swift and with her 

 went away. 



Back and to over the yard-wide bed went 

 Swift and her companion, fanning clean 

 the stones. With his sturdy nose Old Black 

 Bass moved to one side the stones too large 

 for the bed. The work was tedious and 

 tiring, yet it was accomplished without 

 injury to either. While the trout usually 

 wears caudal fin and tail to the bone in mak- 

 ing its nest, the bass accomplishes the same 

 task without blood. 



The eggs were deposited on the stones, 

 ten thousand in number. Old Black Bass 



