Mark Twain Goes Fishing

We trara traveling m ground we had no righton. The only excuse was like thatof a military oeoessity - it was for bctter uhIiitiK through tlie farms, where the trout had been preservad, thu in the open lots whero all could fish. It was early in the morning. We had risen at three, ridden ten miles and struck the creek as the trout were ready tor breakliist. Ixioking carefuUy for a sheltered place to hiteh our horse, we slyly orapt on buliiud tunees, ele., till wu reached the part of the stream not penerally iished. A farm-house stood not a quarter of a niile away. We aaw tlie inorning snioko ourling f rom a stovcpipu ; saw a man and two boys come out to do ohores ; saw a woman busy about the door, and a ferocious bullduK wandering about the yard. If ever we fishod close it was then. Nut a whfopeí to disturb the birds or the owners of the land. We crawled through the graas and dodged beliind cluuips of elders, lifting largo speckled beauties out uf the water until our baskets were full. Thil was the time to liayogone; butthe trout were po large and bit so readily that we decided to string and hide what we had and take anotucr basketful. So at it we went. No sooner would the hook touch the water than it had a trout. We forgot the house, tho man, the boys, the dog. Suddenly there was a rushing through an oatfield as it a mad buil was coming, We looked toward the house, and saw thu farmer and nis two boys m a fence, the wouian in the door and the dog bounding toward us. We saw it all - we had been discovered ! The well trained dog had been Bent to hunt us out, and as the matter appearcd, it was safe to bet that he was doing that right lively. To outrun the dog was not to be thought of. There was no time to lose. He cleared the fence and carne for us, just as we reached a tree, and with great activity took a front scat on a limb abovc his reach. Ilere was a precious go ! A vicious bulldog under the tree, and the farmer had two boys ready to move down upon our works. It wan fight, foot race or fangs. The farmer yolled to his dog, "Watch him Tige!" Tige proposed doing that little thing, and kceping his eye on us, seated himseli under the tree. Then epoke this ugly farmer man : "Just hold on thar, stranger, till we get breakfast ; then we will come out and see you ! If you are in a hurry, however, you can go now! Watch him, Tige." We surmised trouble; quite too niuch, for thrice had that bold man of buil dogs and agriculture clegantly walloped innocent tourists for beiug seen on his suburban premises. His reputation a a peace man was not good, and there aróse a large heart toward our throat. Time is tho essence of contraets, and the saving of ordinance of thoso in trouble. Wc had a trout line in our pooket, and a large hook intended for rock bass, if we failed to take trout. And as good lurk would have it, we had got a uice sandwich and a piece of boilcd corn beef in our othor pocket. We called the dog pet names but it was no go ! Then we tried to move down, when he moved up ! At last we trebled our bass line, fastened the limerick to it, baitcd it with the corn beef, tied the end of the line to a limb and angled for a dog. Tige was in appetite. He swallowod it, and sat with his eyes on us for more ; but with no friendly look beaming froui his countenance. Not any ! Then he pulled gently on the line- it was fastl Tige yanked and pulled, but 'twas no uso t Wc quickly slid down the tree- almost blistering our back doing it - and ncized our pole, and straightway went t henee somewhat lively. We found our t-tring of üsh, and reached the buggy and a commanding spot in tho road in time to pee the sturdy yeoman move forth. Wc saw him and his cohorts, male and fcmale, movo slowly, as if in no basto. Wo saw then look up the tree. We saw an anxious crowd engaged about the dog. We came quiekly home and kindly lelt tlie baai line and hook to the farmer.