132 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



daytimes. If I ask about it they make fun of me. Now 

 you've had a good education and I want to know what 

 you think about this thing, and if you don't know how it is 

 don't tell that I asked about it; for there's a lot o' fools 

 that don't know the first thing about this business, and 

 don't care, that are always ready to make fun of a fellow 

 who does want to know." 



This was the longest speech that I had ever heard 

 Garry make up to that time. I explained the rotation of 

 the earth as well as I understood it, and afterward gave 

 him what literature bearing on the subject I could find, 

 and his reserve was thrown off. He was a different man 

 to me, and I soon liked his simple, honest ways, his stu- 

 dious mode of looking into things and his philosophical 

 conclusions. Every man's mind is a study, a curiosity, 

 if you will, if you have time and inclination to look into 

 it. It is curious because it differs from yours. 



After his long speech, delivered between puffs on his 

 pipe, and my explanations, there was a period of silence. 

 Then he asked: "Did you ever trap any rabbits?" 



"No; I've shot a few, but never trapped any. Why?" 



"What time do your folks have breakfast?" 



Without seeing any intimate connection between the 



trapping of rabbits and the hour when our family broke 



their fast, I replied: "In summer at seven and in winter 



at eight. What's that got to do with catching rabbits?" 



"I was thinking that you'd have time to tend the traps 



if you could get up about six o'clock. Then you'd be 



back in time to get breakfast and go to school. There's 



lots o' rabbits up in the woods back o' the rye field, and 



I've got six box traps in the old barn there. If you'll 



see to 'em every morning we'll go over there now 



and set the traps before we go home. What d' you 



say?" 



