AN ANGLING EXPERIENCE. 



II. F. HERSHEY. 



One morning in August I started for a 

 day's fishing in the dump, a body of water 

 about 4 miles from my home. My com- 

 panions were "Dad" and Milt. 



A pleasant walk took us to the water. 

 As a party of illegal fishermen had pre- 

 viously made several visits to the pond 

 with nets, we found it useless to attempt 

 to catch any bass, and had to content 

 ourselves angling for the large sunfish that 

 abounded in the water. We used small 

 hooks and baited with worms — the ideal 

 bait of the negro. Being compelled to fish 

 from the shore we caught but few fish 

 and during 2 hours of patient angling we 

 were rewarded with only an occasional 

 strike. Finally Milt disappeared through 

 the rushes which bordered the path along 

 the water's edge. Soon we heard a trium- 

 phant shout aad in a few moments he ap- 

 peared, seated in a skiff which he had 

 found on the bank, and making good 

 headway toward our stand with a board 

 which filled the place of a paddle. Dad 

 declined to join him in the boat, saying, 



''Guess things will liven up a bit along 

 here purty soon." 



I gladly consented, however, to accom- 

 pany Milt on a prospecting voyage. Our 

 craft was a round bottomed concern, 

 which rocked violently at each movement 

 of the occupants and leaked badly. This 

 we were forced to counteract by frequent 

 baling. The pond was almost covered 

 with moss, but we found one spot where 

 a clear, circular pool, about 10 feet across, 

 looked inviting, and there we threw our 

 lines. Our bait was struck instantly and 

 the race was on. We substituted flies for 

 our bait hooks and they seemed even 



more enticing to the fish. In a short time 

 we had 25 large sunfish flopping in the 

 bottom of the boat, where 2 inches of 

 water had been allowed to remain. 



It would have been well for us had we 

 then been satisfied and returned to the 

 shore with our spoils; but we were 

 wrought up by success and greed over- 

 came prudence. We prepared to hoist 

 anchor and move a short distance. I laid 

 my rod in the bottom of the boat and 

 was moving toward my seat when my 

 feet slipped and I collided with Milt. 



The boat lurched and took in water 

 over the gunwale. Before a lightning cal- 

 culator could count 10 we were both in 

 the water and the boat was floating bot- 

 tom up. 



I struck out for the shore, and on 

 reaching it looked back, to see what had 

 became of Milt. He was perched on 

 the inverted boat, with dismay pictured 

 on his countenance. 



"Why don't you come in out of the 

 wet?" 



"Can't swim a stroke with all these 

 clothes on." 



Here was a predicament, indeed! I 

 converted myself into a life-saving crew, 

 and, after several vain attempts, succeed- 

 ed in towing the entire wreck, including 

 the crew., into port. 



Our ardor quenched and our clothes 

 drenched, we found that Dad had desert- 

 ed in order to reach home and tell our 

 friends befoie we should arrive. They 

 have made it pleasant for us, on occa- 

 sions, ever since. 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY MRS. L. R. VAN HOUTEN. 



DISCOURAGED. 



