A Cat Fights With Fish

Cats, as a rule, don't like water, but an Hallan flsherman named Mlchael has a large Maltese named Joe that loves water as much as other cats love a rug In front oí a grate flre. Michael has one of those lattern-rlgged boats, and goes fishing in the usual way, except that he takes Joe along. He likes to have Joe, and Joe likes to go. While the boat Is on the way to the fishing grounds Joe lies still and don't mlnd how wet he gets or how much the little craft pitches about. But when the seine, wlth lts load of wriggling fish, Ís hauled in, Joe's fun commences. He Ís most anxlous to get hold of the largest, and wlll often jump into the net before It is landed. When a blg rock cod Ís thrown on to the deck the cat Is In lts glory. He will run around and attempt to shake lt as he wculd a mouse. The fish spreads out ts flns and opens lts mouth, and Joe glves it a twist by the tail that causes it to turn a dozen somersaults. Then the pair will roll over and over together, and the fishermen nearly kill themselves laughing at the sight. The cat gets wet and covered with peales, and possibly gets pricked severa I times wlth the spines of the fish, but lt seems to thoroughly enjoy the sport. When the fish is almost dead from being out of the water Joe seems to think it is all his doings, and that he has really killed it in a pitched battle. He then waits for another fish fresh from the deep, and repeats the performance. The cat seems to have no other Idea in playing with the fish except sport, for it never attempts to eat the larger ones. but lives almost entirely on the small fish that are used for balt. No other fisherman on the bay is known to own a cat, and Michael is as proud of Joe as if he were the only cat in the world.