384 



Black Bass Fishing. 



" Mars' Nash, will you please, sah, gib me one ob dem sproach 

 hooks I heerd you all talkin' 'bout las' night ; mebbe so I'll hang a 

 big chan'l cat w'ile you're gone." 



Ignatius, who was fastening the strap of a small, oblong, four- 

 quart minnow- bucket to his belt, gave him several large-sized sproat 

 hooks, saying : 



"There, Luke, you will not fail to hook him with one of these, 

 and the Professor will guarantee it to hold any fish in the river." 



"Right," affirmed he ; "the sproat is the hook beyond compare, 

 the ne plus ultra, the perfection of fish-hooks in shank, bend, barb, 

 and point." 



