Sucker Days. 81 



ready to grab, the sucker darted out be- 

 tween the boy's feet and fluttered and 

 splashed over the ripples into another hole 

 farther down stream. 



Any fish is to a boy something worthy 

 of his entire attention, and it did n't mat- 

 ter if the water in the hole where the big 

 sucker had gone was rather deep, for who 

 cared about getting in over the tops of 

 his boots when such a fish was within 

 reach ! I don't remember exactly how 

 old the boy was, but probably he had not 

 heard the first jingling of the peep-frogs 

 more than eight times, and it was hard 

 for such small ears to notice the bell that 

 announced the ending of recess time, or 

 the calls of Ned Ellis and Joe Carroll as 

 they ran back to school. 



The boy knew precisely under which 

 stone the big sucker had gone, and care- 

 fully reaching one hand beneath it he 

 could feel the cool, smooth sides of the 

 fish as it crowded a little farther in away 

 from him. Then, putting the other hand 

 in position to head off attempts at escape, 

 he suddenly held the struggling, gasping 



6 



