The Old Fishing Hole. 



Tramping up a stream in northern Iowa one day last sum- 

 mer with my camera, I surprised a little barefoot urchin, stand- 

 ing on a rock with a big fish pole in his hand. So interested in 

 the sport was he that he did not hear my approach, until I 

 pressed the button of the camera and secured a picture that 

 carried me back to one bright September morning, many 

 years ago. 



It was Saturday. I had risen early ; cut my wood for over 

 Sunday; put a lunch in my pocket; and, shouldering the little 

 single-barrel, struck out for the river timber after squirrels and 

 ducks. I hunted through the half-mile of oaks that bordered 

 the river without seeing a sign of game. Standing on the bank 

 of the old Maquoketa, I deliberated for some time whether to 

 go up the river or cross over and go to Coffin's Creek. Less 

 than a mile above me was Rohrick's Bend, and at this point 

 the stream was very wide, with a low marshy flat running out 

 from the west shore furnishing a good feeding and preening 

 ground for the little blue-winged teal, and many a one had I 

 bagged there on former hunts. After deliberating some time 

 I finally decided to try my old ground again. Reaching the 

 thick brush that bordered the bank at Rohrick's Bend, I crept 

 carefully along the edge, peeping through here and there ; but 

 the glassy surface of the water was smooth and undisturbed by 

 the wake of a solitary duck ; nor did the long strip of sluggish 

 water reaching away to Burrington Ford show a sign of duck 

 life. Somewhat disappointed, I turned away from the river 

 and cut across through Acre's Grove hoping to pick up a 

 stray pigeon or pheasant and strike the river higher up. Boy- 

 like, I entered the heavy oak timber with my thoughts more on 

 the duck prospects ahead than on the game I was looking for. 

 Suddenly, a large bird sailed down through the trees and 

 alighted in the old woods road a few rods ahead. I could 

 scarcely believe my eyes, and, by the time I was fully awake 



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