128 
Forest and Stream 
For years many anglers tried to catch 
this bass without success. All the 
known bass bait had been offered to 
him. Angle worms had been given him; 
one large worm dropped in, then an¬ 
other, then one on a hook, then one 
above the one on a hook. He would 
take the first two, skip the one with the 
hook and take the one above the one 
with the hook and line. 
The Boss bass became so afraid of 
being caught that he appointed a body¬ 
guard. The bodyguard would swim 
just above and back of the large bass, 
and when the large bass would stop the 
little one would go ahead to investigate. 
The fish that did accompany him was 
small, undersize, not legal to catch. It 
was the duty of the small fish to try the 
bait that was offered first. If he were 
caught he would be returned to the 
water. This line of defense was per¬ 
fect. It is possible that the Chinese got 
their idea of making the cook try the 
food first, from a bass. Let that be as 
it may, it cannot be denied that the 
monstrous bass was shrewd. If the 
small fish were caught, the old fellow 
would not bother his head about the 
bait. The small fish was his menial. 
In fact, the big bass was never seen 
without his bodyguard until a few 
months before he died, when it was dis¬ 
covered that the bodyguard was ab¬ 
sent. (We assume he had tried out so 
many different kinds of bait for his 
master that he had to go to the hos¬ 
pital for treatment; or, perhaps in a 
moment of desperation, while suffering 
from the acute pangs of hunger, the 
master had eaten him.) 
If our assumption is correct and the 
big bass ate his bodyguard, it was prob¬ 
ably his last meal, for as time went on 
he became so suspicious and afraid to 
eat that he grew thin and weak and 
finally starved to death. 
An old lady who lives on this beauti¬ 
ful island, saw him flapping in the 
water, and slipping a net under him, 
brought him to land—dead. He was a 
mighty fish in length and breadth, but 
emaciated in flesh. 
How much better if he had let me 
catch him after a mighty fight! I know 
he could have put up the best scrap of 
his race! His build would have made 
the best fisherman take long breaths! 
He would now be mounted and hanging- 
in the Hall of Fish Fame—a study for 
all good disciples of Isaak Walton— 
receiving the well-merited praise of all 
who had the luck to view him. 
A. J. Fox, New York. 
BLACKFEET INDIANS 
STARVING 
Dear Forest and Stream : 
VY7HILE visiting the Glacier National 
’’ Park last summer, I devoted some 
of my time in examining quite a num¬ 
ber of children and adults of the Black- 
foot tribe, whose reservation lies at the 
foot of the eastern part of the Rocky 
Mountains. 
I found that practically all children 
were undernourished, anaemic and 
showed clinical manifestations of active 
tuberculosis. The medical survey seemed 
to be entirely inadequate and neglected. 
The two weekly rations which are sup¬ 
plied to the Indians do not contain 
enough caloric values to sustain them. 
The memoranda of my findings and 
suggestions for improvements were sub¬ 
mitted as per request to the Indian 
Bureau at Washington, but no action has 
been taken as yet. 
The Glacier Park, “the happy play¬ 
ground of the Blackfeet Indians,” as one 
of our big railroads in its summer folder 
so proudly advertises, will be turned into 
a cemetery of the Blackfeet tribe before 
long. So the Redman has turned to the 
benevolent and generous tourist for help 
in his fight for justice for the many 
wrongs that have been handed to him 
since 1855. 
Hunger and disease knock again at 
the Blackfeet Indian's teepee. I appeal 
to brother sportsmen for material help. 
Money contributions should be sent to 
the Blackfeet Indian Relief Fund, Na¬ 
tional Bank, Browning, Montana. Mr. 
James Willard Schultz, of Los Angeles, 
Cal., well known author of Blackfeet 
folk lore, has charge of this fund and 
will distribute the money to the most 
needy. 
Act quickly and generously before the 
last of the trihe is gone. 
Dr. Hans Nachtigall, 
2742 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Ill. 
WINTER VISITORS IN 
FLORIDA 
Dear Forest and Stream : 
FA URING the years of the Great War 
the road of the winter tourist did 
not lead to Europe. Because of unsettled 
conditions abroad the road of all winter 
tourists does not lead to Europe now, 
but in 1914 it did and it does still, lead 
to Florida. 
Every autumn since 1914 the current 
of travel has been towards the south 
and there is no substantial change in 
sight this year. By railroad, by steam¬ 
ship, by motor boat, my motor car, from 
all walks of life, from all sections of the 
United States, from Canada, even from 
countries across the ocean, travel moves 
steadily towards Florida to enjoy the 
genial climate of that peninsula. More 
than a million people, possibly, visit 
Florida each winter. 
Ocean, gulf and inland resorts have 
been developed to such an extent that 
Florida affords more varied attractive 
accommodations during the winter 
months, probably, than any other state 
in this country, and California is not 
excepted. 
There are all manner and types of 
hotels, from the most palatial to the 
Blackfoot camp in Glacier National Park 
Ill the April Number 
Latly Spring 7 rout Fishing, by Eugene V. Connett 3rd, author of “Wing Shooting and Angling,” a book which 
has attracted a good deal of interest among sportsmen. Afloat and Afoot in Alaska, by Edward F. Ball —a story 
of adventuie on the mighty \ ukon which will recall early pioneer days in our Northern Territory. The Fire on 
Albany Mountain, by Paul Brandreth —a reminiscence of Adirondack days. How to Use a Compass, by Elon 
Jessup Bass in Strange Waters, by Robert P. Lowry. W. Livingston Lamed, continues his Adventures in 
Comradeship, and Raymond Thompson adds another chapter on Trapping the Three River Zone. 
