Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1870 — Angling for a Dog. [ARTICLE]

Angling for a Dog.

We were traveling on ground we had no right on. The only excuse was like that of a-military necessity—it was far better fishing through the farms where the trout hqd been preserved, than in open lots where 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 for breakfast. Looking carefully for a sheltered place so hitch our horses, we slyly crept on behind fences, etc, till we reach* ed the part of the stream not generally fished. A farm house stood not a quarter of a mile away. We saw the morning smoke curling lightly from a stove pipe; saw a man and two boys come out to do chores; saw a woman busy about the door, and a ferocious bull dog wandering about the yard. If ever we fished elose it was then. Not a whisper to disturb the birds or the owners of the land. We crawled through the grass and dodged behind clumps of Alders, lifting large speckled beauties out of the water until' our baskets were full. This’was the time to have gone; but the trdlit were so large and bit so readily that we decided to string and hide what we had, and take another basketful. So at it we went. No sooner would the hook touch the water than it had a trout. We forgot the house, the man, the boys and the dqg. Suddenly there was a rushing through an oat-field as if a mad bull was coming. We looked toward the house, ind saw the farmer and his two boys on a fence, the woman in the door, anil thjudqg Bounding towards us. We saw it, jiP—we had been discovered! The well-tridncd dog had been sent to hunt us out, aiid, asth<i. matter appeared, It was safe tikbqt that he was doing that thing right lively. To bfitrnn’ the dog was not to be thought .of. There was no time to lose. He cleared a fence and came for us, just

as we reached a tree, and bjgrgreatacti vi ty took a front seat on a limb above _ his reach. .Here was a precious go! A vicious bu|l-deg under the tree, and the farmer am) two big boys ready to move down upon bur Works. It was fight, foot-race, or fangs. The farmer yelled to his dog, “Watch him, Tige!” Tige/proposed to dothat little thing, and keeping his eyes upon us, seated himsen under the tree. Then spoke this ugly farmer man: “Just-hold on than, stranger, till we get breakfiuip'then we will come and see you! If you are in a hurry, however, you can go now I Watch him, Tige !” Wfwmised trouble; quite too much, for tirjeo had that bold man of bull-dogs and agriculture elegantly walloped innocent ipunsts for being seen on his suburban premises. Bis reputation as a peace man was not good, ana there arose a large heaijt'ttward our throat. Time is the essence of contracts, and the saying .ordinance of those in trouble. We had a stout line in our pocket, and a large hook intended for rock bass, if we failed to take trout. And as good luck woukWiave it we had got a nice sandwich and a piece of boiled corn beef In our other 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, baited it with the corn beef, tied the end of the line to a limb, and angled for a dtfg I Tige waa in appetite. He swallowed it, and sat .with his eyes on us for more ; but with nd friendly look beaming from his countenance. Not any I Then he pulled gently on the line—it was ffttl Tige yanked and pulled, but ’twaspfno use! We quickly slid down the tree—almost blistering our back doing it—seized our pole, and straightway went thence somewhat lively. We, found our string of fish, and reached thebuggy and a.commanding spot in the road in time to see the sturdy yeoman moye forth. Wte saw him and his cohorts, male and female, triove slowly, as if in no haste. We saw them look up the tree. We saw an anxious crowd engaged about the dog. We came quickly home and kindly left the bass line and hook to the farmer.