Deceitber, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAJ^I 
655 
ard could regain his feet Matt Vv'as 
through the door with his basket, pipiug 
back to the wheelwright; "Charge ine 
glue to his father.” 
When he entered the gate at his home 
his aunt knew by a glance at his flushed 
appearance that something was on foot, 
but she said nothing, knowing that the 
story would come out in good time, what- 
ever its nature. He gave her the balance 
of his money, amounting all told to but 
little more than one dollar. Small as the 
sum was it helped out by just that much 
in providing table necessities. He took 
down his hoe and rake and went to the 
garden where he worked until noon, 
‘ dressin’ the garden,” as he called it, 
meanwhile gathering a can of w'orms for 
making the bobs. , 
During the dinner Matt said in his 
quiet droll way: ‘‘.Seems ‘ough Ned 
Southard's gittin’ mighty stuck up lately, 
seen him in the wheelwright shop this 
mornin’ an — ” “I should think he wmuld 
feel proud of last night’s work,” broke in 
the aunt, “I know he done it most as if 
I’d seen him.” “I know' it too now',” Matt 
rejoined. Then he related how' he heard 
Southard telling the wheelwright how he 
had slipped from the bank and the sub- 
sequent wetting. ‘Td a faced him right 
there with his ’bomnible lie,” said Aunt 
Mary with an unusual degree of warmth. 
“I did,” said Matt, “ 'Xen I upsot his 
bench an’ sloshed his hair ful o’ hot glue. 
Gosh; but I’d like to see him com’in’ it 
out.” Again Aunt _Mary laid her knife 
and fork down anfl sat with one elbow 
resting on the table looking at him In 
mute astonishment. ‘‘He’ll never get it 
out ’till the cra(*k o’ doom,” she said, 
when she could find words. "The crack o’ 
doom wont help him none,” said Matt, as 
he shoved back from the table. "He’ll 
have to have his head shaved,” and the boy 
chuckled as tb4 picture returned to him. 
M r. 'V\’'00DHULL w’as around as 
agreed at three o’clock, anxious 
as a school boy to be initiated in 
the secrets of eel bobbing. Matt had two 
large sewing needies and a supply of linen 
thread ready and was waiting his friend’s 
coming. Threading the needle with a six- 
foot length he doubled it and tied a knot 
in the end. He next proeeeded to string 
the w'orms on, using the eye end of the 
needle as it would follow the channel 
through 1,he worm and not pierce 
through so readily as the point, then pass- 
ing the worm on down to the knot in the 
end of the thread. Each worm was 
treated in the same manner and just 
touched the end of the preceding one. He 
continued until the thread w'as full, then, 
knotting another thread to the first the 
process w'as continued until a string of 
fully twelve feet was made. Mr. Wood- 
hull was a most interested spectator until 
he caught the idea then he set about mak- 
ing a second string and while not so 
handy at the job as Matt, he w'as soon 
v.'orking it well. 
"Did you take any cold from your wet- 
ting last night,” he asked as with their 
heads close together they threaded the 
worms. “Have you any idea as to who 
it was who would play so dangerous a 
trick?” “No, don’t seem to have got any 
cold, but I sure felt chilly like goin’ home, 
’sides ’twasn’t any trick at all, ’twas clear 
spite.” The boy related the egg episode 
which amused his companion greatly and 
then added: "’Sides I told him this 
mornin’ I knowed who done it an’ I hot- 
glued his hair for him.” On hearing the 
adventure of the morning Mr. Woodhull 
lay over on the grass convulsed with 
laughter. "I am much afraid though,” he 
said, “he will do you some great injury.” 
"Not if I see him first he won’t, he’s big- 
gern’ me an’ stronger but he can’t eaten 
me in a foot race,” replied Matt, smiling. 
Before it was time to start for the 
lower mill basin where Matt said their 
chances were best for getting good eels, 
their friend of their former trips stopped 
at the gate. He had been away on a busi- 
ness trip and had just gotten back. He, 
like Mr. Woodhull, was much Interested 
in the construction of a bob, which after 
being strung was looped back and forth 
until it was not more than four inches in 
length and making a bunch of consider- 
able thickness. This was wound with 
thread quite loosely so as to not cut the 
worms too much. Matt remarking: “The 
more thread you get on the better you 
get the eels.” “How do yon fasten the 
hooks in this mess of worms?” Mr. Adams 
asked as the bobs w'ere pronounced done. 
“We don’t use no hooks,” replied the boy, 
“eels has got a row of fine teeth along 
their mouth edge an’ when they take holt 
an’ pull w'e just yank ’em out on the 
ground” Both men seemed incredulous 
but as Matt had made good with so many 
things he had told them of in relation to 
the ways and kinds of fish in the neigh- 
borhood they did not openly dispute his 
assertions about eels getting the thread 
fast in their teeth. Mr. Adams was not 
prepared to go with them that evening 
but had come over to have a talk about a 
trip extending over a w'eek or more down 
the river later in the season. Aunt Mary 
W'as called in consultation and the plan 
talked over. Mr. Adams would furnish a 
shelter tent and provision, then they 
would take a boat from below the lower 
dam on the river and go down to salt wa- 
ter, getting such fish as were to be had 
on the route. Matt of course was all en- 
thusiasm, but Aunt Mary, with her usugi 
diplomacy, reserved her decision. 
(To be continued) 
IPie gifiherman fares forth to 
