144 WOODLAND IDYLS. 



fisherman to hook a large bass. If 1 can catch 

 six goggle-eyes to his one bass I am. that much 

 ahead in thrills. 



Understand me, I do not object to bass, but 

 being much fewer in number they usually bite 

 too slowly. For an hour after I caught the one 

 I did not have a nibble of any kind, then a big 

 wriggling worm begot a strong bite; a long, 

 slender fish was jerked high in air and went so 

 fast and far I could not tell just what it was. 

 It fell on the edge of the clover patch close to 

 the brink of the bank. Running thither I was 

 delighted to find a second bass of about a 

 pound's weight. Two bass in as many hours 

 and not especially angling for them! Luck 

 again was with me. Luck is ever with the fish- 

 erman who tries all the holes, has a varied as- 

 sortment of bait and plenty of patience, pro- 

 vided, of course, the fish are present. 



While at this pool a large soft-shelled turtle 

 came drifting down stream, his white belly, 

 broadside on, facing up stream against the cur- 

 rent. He was near the surface and seeing me 

 dived, but soon came up again to let the current 

 send him on. A half hour later I saw him in 

 a pool forty rods below, still progressing by the 

 same tactics. How far down he was traveling 

 I know not. Perchance he had heard of a hand- 

 some widow turtle a mile or two below and was 



