POISONOUS PLANTS
Colonel Ashley still stood, holding his now useless rod and line, gazing first at that, then at Shag and, anon, at the little swirl of the waters, marking where the big fish had disappeared from view.
"Shag!" exclaimed the colonel in an ominously, quiet voice."Yes, sah!""Do you know what that was?" "No, sab, Colonel, I don't.""Well, that was a spirit manifestation of Izaak Walton.It was jealous of my success and took that revenge.It was the spirit of the old fisherman himself.""Good land ob massy!" gasped Shag."Does yo' - does yo' mean a - ghost?""You might call it that, Shag.Yes, a ghost."The colored man looked frightened for a moment, and then a broad grin spread over his face.
"Well, sah, Colonel," he began, deferentially,"maybe yo' kin call it dat, but hit looks t' me mo' laik one ob dem li'l white balls de gen'mens an' ladies done knock aroun' wif iron-headed clubs.Dat's whut it looks laik t' me, sah, Colonel," and Shag picked up a golf ball from the water, where it floated.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the fisherman."If it was that - "His indignant protest was interrupted by the appearance, breaking through the underbrush on the edge of the stream, of two men, each one carrying a bag of golf clubs.
"Did you - " began one, and then, as he caught sight of Shag holding up in his black fingers the white ball, there was added:
"I see you did! Thank you.You were right, Tom.I did go into the water.I sliced worse than I thought."Then the two men seemed, for the first time, to have caught sight of Colonel Ashley.They noticed his attitude, the dangling line and hisdisappointed look.
"I beg pardon," said the one who had already spoken, "but did we interfere with your fishing?""Did you interfere with it?" stormed the colonel."You just naturally knocked it all to the devil, sir! That's what you did!" And then, as he saw a curious look on the faces of the two men, he added:
"I beg your pardon.I shouldn't have said that.I'm an interloper, I realize - a trespasser.It's my own fault for fishing so near the golf course.But 1 - ""Excuse me," broke in the other man."But you are Colonel Ashley, aren't you?""I am."
"My name is Sharwell - Tom Sharwell, and this is Bruce Garrigan.I thought I had seen you at the club.Pray excuse our interruption of your sport.We had no idea any one was fishing here.""It's entirely my fault," declared the colonel, as he removed his cap and bowed, a courtesy the two golfers, after a moment of hesitation, returned."I was taking chances when I threw in here.""And did we scare the fish?" asked Garrigan."I suppose so.Never was much of a fisherman myself.All I know about them is seventeen million, four hundred and eighty-eight thousand nine hundred and twenty one boxes of sardines were imported into the United States last year.I read it in the paper so it must be true.I know I ate the one box.""Be quiet, Bruce," said Sharwell in a low voice, but the colonel smiled.There was no affront to his dignity, as the golfer had feared.
"I had on a most beautiful catch," said the colonel, "and then what I thought, at first, was the embodied spirit of Izaak Walton suddenly came zipping into the water just as Shag was about to land the beauty, and knocked it off the hook.Since then I have been informed by my servant that it was no spirit, but a golf ball.""It was mine," confessed Garrigan."I'm all kinds of sorry about it.Never had the least notion any one was here.Never saw any one fish here before; did we,Tom ?""Well, I thought there were fish here, and events proved I was right,"said the colonel."I hope the water isn't posted?" he inquired anxiously, for he was a stickler for the rights of others.
"Oh, no, nothing like that!" Garrigan hastened to add."You're welcome to fish here as long and as often as you like.Only, as this water hazard is often played from the fifth hole, it would be advisable to post a sign just outside the trees, or station your man there to give notice.""I'll do it after this," said the colonel, as he reeled in.
"You're not going to quit just because I was so unfortunate as to spoil your first catch, are you?" asked Garrigan.
"I think I'd better," the colonel said."I don't believe I could land anything after what happened.The fish must have thought it was a thunderbolt, from the way that ball landed.""I did drive rather hard," admitted Garrigan."But we can cut this out of our game, take a stroke apiece and go on with the play.That is, I'm willing.I don't feel very keen for the game to-day.How about you, Tom?""I'm ready to quit, and I think the least we can do, considering that we have spoiled Colonel Ashley's day, is to ask him if he won't share with usthe bottle I won from you on the water hazard.""Done!" exclaimed Garrigan."There were eleven million, four hundred and ten thousand six hundred and six dollars' worth of soya beans imported into the United States in 1917," he added, "which, of course, has nothing to do with the number of cold bottles of champagne the steward, at the nineteenth hole, has on the ice for us.So I suggest that we adjourn and - ""I will, on one condition," said Sharwell."What is it ?" asked his companion.
"That you kindly refrain from telling us how many spools of thread were sent to the cannibals of the Friendly Islands for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884.""Done!" cried Garrigan with a laugh."I'll never hint of it.Colonel, will you accept our hospitality? I believe you are already put up at the club?""Yes, Miss Carwell was kind enough to secure a visitor's card for me.""Then let's forget our sorrows; drown them in the bubbling glasses with hollow stems!" cried Garrigan, gayly.
"Here, Shag," called the colonel, as he gave his rod to his colored servant."I don't know when I'll be back.""Well said!" exclaimed Sharwell.
Then they adjourned to the nineteenth hole.
