JOE'S DOUBLE CATCH 



4$ 



boiled over rocks above, and lay deep 

 and quiet in the pool — a rippin' place 

 for big trout. 



"One day that spring, I was fishin' 

 down the stream, usin' my old iron- 

 wood pole and my only hook baited with 

 'night-walkers.' I sneaked up to that 

 pool careful, 'cause I knew from the 

 fact there was seemingly no trout in 

 that hole that there was a whalin' bisr 

 an' old grouty fish hid under that elm. 

 As I say, I crawled up and dropped 

 the bait into the rift very keerful. I 

 saw the big 'walker' go twistin r down 

 through the clear water into the pool. 

 Suddenly it vanished, and my line cut 

 the water toward the elm. I gave a 

 slight yank ; and say, Sonny, if ye live 

 a hundred years ye won't feel a big- 

 ger trout yank than I did the next 

 minute. Nearly snatched the pole from 

 my hands. I jumped into the water 

 to my waist, calculatin' to give him the 

 tussel of my life, but the line was too old 

 and weak, and it broke close to the hook 

 when I butted him. I caught just one 

 glimpse of the fish before she broke, 

 and my eyes fairly fell out. I was all 

 of a tremble when I waded to shore, 

 and had to set down and pull myself 

 together. I had seen some pretty big 

 trout before, but never no fish like that. 



"For a week I fairly haunted that 

 place. Early in the mornin' and late 

 at night I dangled every imaginable 

 trout delicacy into that pool without 

 even a nibble, until gradually I got 

 kinder disgusted, and quit goin'. 



"I got up real early one day, just 

 before the regular June rise, calculatin' 

 to drive to Oneonta. The mornin' was 

 perfect for fishin', and that big trout 

 had been on my mind all night. The 

 air was soft and rainy, and the sky 

 gray with clouds. The south wind 

 blew ever so gentle. I couldn't resist 

 the temptation ; so I took a fork and 

 went out behind the barn and dug some 

 bait. Somehow, I felt in my bones that 

 before the day ended I would see the 

 big trout floppin' his last in the grass. 



"By the time I had the bait dug and 

 the chores done it was getting late for 



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early fishin', so I didn't fish down the 

 creek, but walked straight across the 

 pasture and through the woods to the 

 pool. 



"I was almost to the place, walkin' 

 keerful and keepin' well away from the 

 water, when I heard a splash and then 

 a little womanish scream. I stopped 

 pretty sudden. It was almost too early 

 for anyone to be in swimmin', but my 

 bashful heart jumped into my throat at 

 the thought. Another splash and the 

 voice said 'Oh.' My courage came par- 

 tially back, and I pushed my way quiet- 

 ly through the alders so I could see the 

 pool. 



"An' there stood a strange girl up to 

 her ankles in the water, firmly graspin' 

 a circlin' iron-wood pole and some 

 monster was tuggin' an' strainin' at the 

 end of the taut line, tryin' its best to 

 get under the roots of the elm tree. I 

 had no doubt but the girl had my big- 

 trout firmly hooked, and the odds were 

 two to one he would get away. The 

 fish made a sudden rush for his favor- 

 ite refuge and only missed the first 



