sold any more/’ I rejoined, winking at 
the old man. 
“Gord!” he exclaimed; “yu speakin’ 
uv likker. Now I knowed a man—Lem 
Perkei, uv Dingmans—he lived in rock 
country where rattlers was so thick th’ 
only safe way ter get about was on 
stilts. An’ there come a street circus 
fer a week—seettin’ up its tents at Mat- 
amoras. Leem Perker caught a dozen 
snakes an’ was exhibitin’ them at th 
circus, whackin’ up with th’ show folks. 
He’d twis’ ’em aroun’ his hands an 
neck at so much a twis’. 
“But Lem was a close bargainer. He 
had it in his contract that th’ show 
chap had ter supply him with snake 
cure, in case he got bit. An’ it was 
whiskay! Well, fer th’ fust two days 
Lem didn’t git bit. He took chances 
an’ pleaded with them snakes ter acci¬ 
dental-like bite him, but they wasn’t 
feelin’ in th’ mood. He knewed th’ cir¬ 
cus was there only fer a week an’ time 
was passin’ quick! I might say that 
Perker sure loved his likker. 
“When th’ third day come an’ no 
bites, Lem takes his box uv snakes back 
uv one of th’ tents and teases ’em an’ 
pokes ’em with sticks, an’ insults ’em 
with swear-words, until one rep-tile 
couldn’t stand it no longer, whut with 
his natural pride an’ his fangs bein’ 
left in, an’ he nips Lem on th’ wrist. 
Sure enuff, Lem got his bottle uv snake- 
cure. 
“Durin’ th’ rest uv th’ time th’ circus 
was in Matamoras, Lem teased them 
snakes so much, fer«ter git his daily 
bite, that he wore ’em out an’ mos’ uv 
’em died—so th’ circus broke th’ con 
tract. All th’ likker had done give 
out, anyhow. Well—I’ll be goin’ now, 
friends — see yu at four — have yer 
tackle ready.” 
And down the winding, shrubbery- 
grown lane Mister Chip drove in his 
rickety phaeton. 
Chip’s indisposed dog, “Rusty” by 
name, decided to remain behind. I 
rather fancy that his first sight of 
Sonnyboy had aroused the ancient and 
irresistable affection which is spontane¬ 
ous where boy and dog are concerned. 
The two soon became inseparable, 
and Rusty recovered from his wood¬ 
chuck orgie sufficiently to go on long 
walks through the woods with his new¬ 
found affinity. There were cool worlds 
of prim white birch, carpeted with the 
green mystery of interminable swamp- 
berries. There were shrines beneath 
venerable pine and firs, hushed, holy, 
steeped in shadow, where boy and dog 
stood, fixed, immovable, listening for 
some unexpected sound in the caverns 
of trees beyond. And then, from my 
seat on the porch of the old farmhouse, 
I could catch Rusty’s tumultuous bark 
°f joy as the two set off together once 
more, waist-deep in fragrant fern. 
Is Fish 
Ft Brain FoodI 
HE HUMAN BRAIN 
contains phosphorus. 
Phosphorus is pres¬ 
ent in fish. Therefore, many 
people think Fish is a Brain 
Food. 
Be that as it may— the Tantalizing 
Trout, the Flavorful Flounder, the 
Battling Bass or the Magnificent 
Mackerel fried in Mazola, pound for 
pound, provide the same energy and 
building power as lean meat. 
Be sure to include a can of 
Mazola in your camping outfit. 
3P 
Page UU9 
In writing to Advertisers 
mention Forest and Stream. It win identify you. 
