| Show FISH WAS BADLY FOOLED uncle eph was ready for business though his eyes were snut saut uncle ephraim had fished in the little river from boyhood in his old age the habit overmastered him and he fished on dally daily notwithstanding there were by popular consent no more fish lett left in the stream eph would bait his hook and throw it in attend to the business in hand for a little while and then go to sleep he would sleep hours at a time and sometimes all day holding on to his fishing pole from mere force of muscular habit one day while he was sitting thus perfectly unconscious of what was impending a big catfish swam down the stream from some mysterious hid ing place grabbed the hook with enous vigor 1 and nd started to sweep on down with the whole outfit but the jerk the swish the commotion aroused eph a muscles to a kind of automatic action before he awak ened from his slumber the muscles gave a great jerk and landed the bilu rold way back twenty five or thirty feet from the bank eph boke looked around saw it struggling and flopping toward the river got up rubbed his eyes in sleepy bewilderment grabbed the fish and whilo securing him by slipping a little willow through his gills gave gle him a bit of salutary advice look heah you ole varmint you mussen find dis yeah s allus asleep et ef you does come and fin im wid is eyes shet abet tight |
