310 Fish Stories 



supported me upon its back until I was rescue'd. Why this 

 fish acted thus was a puzzle, but it suddenly occurred to me 

 to look at the yellowtail's'jaw; there was my hook, the fish 

 had remembered my kindness, and at the first opportunity 

 had saved my life. It is a strong temptation to tell this 

 story in this way, but I refrain, and as long as truth holds 

 out, and fact is stranger than fiction, there is no necessity 

 for such digression. 



This act of companionship might be considered to display 

 friendship or something of the kind, but what was really 

 passing in that yellowtail's mind I leave the reader to judge. 



I once raised a common fresh^water sunfish, which was so 

 tame and ugly that it would follow me around the tank, and 

 when I inserted my hand in the water would dash at it, and 

 try to bite it. I teased the fish in this way until it became 

 extremely sensitive, and I mention it to show that a fish can 

 become so angry as to forget fear. One day a cat leaped 

 upon the edge of the tank, and balancing herself, began to 

 drink. The fish doubtless thought that the red tongue was 

 my finger, and in a moment he had it, and the cat, amazed, 

 frightened, uttered a frightful caterwaul, lost her balance 

 and fell in. 



In the melee of a few seconds I had visions of the tame 

 fish dashing to the attack, game to the end, and then, a much 

 demoralized cat rose from the water, scrambled out and 

 ran for her life. 



One might here give way to the illusive spell which seizes 

 upon some nature writers and say that the cat, weighing 

 eight pounds, was seized by the tongue and bodily jerked 

 into the water by the fish which weighed four ounces ; the 

 gentle reader would not believe that ; but it is extraordinary 

 what some readers will believe, and how easy it is to make 

 them accept it. I was once called upon in a rural com- 

 munity where catfish grew and prospered, to tell a fish story. 

 I had been fishing all day and catfish were there by millions ; 

 they got most of my shrimp bait before the channel-bass for 



