"No! haven't thought of them since."
"Well, I broke mine, and I'll have to depend on you for one."
"I can easily give you a dozen. We cut at least twenty-four, and half of them belong to you. They are well seasoned, too—been hanging in the barn for six months. I'll bring two along to-morrow, and you can get the others the next time our wagon passes by your house."
The reeds referred to grew in patches along the Beech Fork. The boys generally cut them in the fall to have them dry and seasoned for the spring fishing.
"I must hurry on home and fix the minnow net," said Owen, starting off.
"Good-bye."
"I'll meet you at the creek."
Old Hickory trotted off with Owen and the sack of meal.
Uncle Pius had taught Owen and Martin how to fish for the black-bass (or black-perch, as they are called in that section of the country) when the boys were quite small. Under his direction they had become expert fishermen. They knew nothing of the various contrivances described by Irving in "The Angler," nor were they equipped like our modern fisherman during his summer vacation—rods of split bamboo, patent reels and landing nets would have appeared useless to them.
When first accompanying Uncle Pius on his fishing expeditions they were surprised to find that he caught a perch every time he had a bite, while they lost minnow after minnow.