THE ASSOCIATED PIRATES, 



433 



I have to keep Father Rainbow penned 

 off by himself. He is an ugly fellow, and 

 seems to have a particular grudge against 

 Mrs. Rainbow. They would fight fiercely, 

 and keep the water continually roily. Not 

 only would he fight her, but any of them, 

 or all. No wonder it is claimed that these 

 rainbow trout will drive other fish from the 

 streams. The rainbow takes his food like 

 the crack of the whip-lash, and the moment 

 the food is struck, returns to where he 

 started from; the whole movement being 

 almost too quick for the eye to follow. To 

 be sure, the brook trout is quick, and a 

 fighter, but the rainbow discounts him on 

 both scores. 



My poor sunfish are always obliged to 

 eat at the second table. Never can they 

 get a morsel until the trout have their fill. 

 It is surprising how much quicker they are 

 since their association with^ the trout. 

 They are getting so they occasionally make 

 a rise that would be a credit to a trout ; far 



different from their former custom of a 

 slow, careful advance until within an inch 

 of the food, then a grab and suction that is 

 wonderfully quick. It is only recently 

 that they would take their food on the 

 sprint. 



Although the sunfish are handsome, still 

 in company with the trout they are seldom 

 noticed. Even the rainbow, with their 

 brilliant stripes, have to be contented with 

 second place, as nearly every visitor is 

 taken with the beauty and graceful move- 

 ments of the brook trout. 



Take one more look at them as I see 

 them now : all in a bunch, heads just 

 where the bubbles rise from the swift jet, 

 slowly and gracefully swaying tails and 

 fins — every movement causing their pris- 

 matic colors to glisten — drinking in the 

 pure water with its abundance of oxygen. 

 With full stomachs, they seem to say, 

 " Life is worth living, even in an aqua- 

 rium." 



THE ASSOCIATED PIRATES. 



E. T. KEYSER. 



IV. 



"Now will you be good?" yelled the 

 Microbe as Paresis Rafferty shot past him 

 with the Latona's sails wing-and-wing. 



They were just below Piermont and the 

 wind was blowing stiffly from the South 

 while the tide rushing down the river was 

 piling up the white-caps in a way that prom- 

 ised a free bath should either canoe jibe. 



The Microbe was lying at full length as 

 low down in the Flirt as he could get, while 

 that amiable craft rolled from side to side 

 and occasionally ran her nose into a comber. 



Paresis lighted his pipe with a wind match 

 and wished the Microbe would strike his 

 mainsail first; while the Microbe swore 

 at his waterproof match box, which resem- 

 bled a miniature aquarium and waited for 

 Paresis to reef. 



The wind freshened and the rows of shad 

 stakes shot past like trolley cars. 



More and more water washed over the 

 low gunwales of the Flirt while Paresis 

 could hear the Hudson slopping around in 

 the Latona's water tight stowage where it 

 had no right to be. 



Then a wave came along and sat in the 

 Microbe's lap and he wilted. 



"Say! Paresis, going to reef?" 



"Hay, Microbe! let's drop mainsails." 

 And they scudded under dandies, and grad- 

 ually sidled close enough together for a 

 little conversation. 



" Well, Microbe, is your keel hot? " 



: ' Too much water aboard for that," said 

 the Microbe, thinking of a dry pair of knick- 

 ers forward and regretting the time which 

 must elapse before he could wear them. 



The long dock was passed, the sun went 

 down, and the breeze dropped. 



Paresis also took a drop, and as he 

 screwed on the lid of the prescription de- 

 partment pointed to the lights of Nyack 

 and remarked, " Behind those gleams, me- 

 thinks lies a supper." 



The Microbe said nothing but took in 2 

 holes of his belt and hoped they would 

 make it soon. 



As the canoes ran alongside the Nyack 

 boat club's float, some of the members came 

 down and helped haul out the craft. Then 

 the Microbe, going up to the Flirt's bow, 

 lifted a canvas shooting coat, and said, 

 " Hop out, Baby," and out jumped his 

 Irish setter to the amusement and admira- 

 tion of a select audience. 



Not knowing what the local sentiment 

 might be regarding canines, the Microbe 

 sent Paresis in advance into the first restau- 

 rant. Finding the. coast clear, he gave the 

 word and the Microbe and Nell followed. 



With a charming modesty, contracted 

 through many years' companionship with 

 the Microbe, Nell took an, unostentatious 

 seat where the table cloth shielded her from 

 casual observation. 



" That dear doggie grows more and more 



