CHAPTER IVA COMPACT BETWEEN FISHERMENEveryone was fairly holding his breath. Tad Coon and Doctor Muskrat, who both fish for themselves, were mighty interested to see how Tommy was going to catch that bass. Doctor Muskrat was in the shadow of a cattail where he could see it. Tad was sitting up on his hind legs like Chatter Squirrel, trying to see without letting the fish see him. Watch didn’t even wag his tail and Nibble was trying to remember not to thump his feet or let his ears fly up, the way he always does when he’s excited. My, but his tickly nose was twitching! Even Stripes Skunk, hidden in the bushes, had his ears pricked, listening for what was going to happen.“What’s he doing now?” breathed Nibble. “What’s he doing?”“Hssh! He’s looking,” said Doctor Muskrat, putting up a paddle-paw to keep Nibble quiet. “The least little wiggle will scare him. He’s turning; he’s coming; he’s bit—Ow-w-w! Wonderful! Hold on! Hold on!” For that big bass nearly yanked Tommy Peele out of the tree when he found Tommy had caught him.And then the noise did burst out. Everybody was bouncing and thumping and barking and squealing, getting into everybody’s way, trying to keep out of Tommy’s. And Tommy was trying to hold on to that fish line while he scrambled back to the ground where he could do some strong hauling. And the great big bass was jerking and jabbing and pulling and fighting, trying to get away from him.And not a single one of them succeeded. Tad Coon got under Watch’s dancy paws; and Watch tripped Tommy Peele; and Tommy Peele went splash right into the pond; and that great big bass jumped, splash, right out of it. But he didn’t get away! Not with all those fellows after him!For just as Tommy fell he threw up his hand to keep his fish line from being tangled. And that was just when the fish was jumping. You’d better believe he made a great big jump that time. He jumped in a great big half-circle right up into the bushes where Stripes Skunk was hiding. And then he began flouncing and bouncing to get back into the water again. And of course Stripes Skunk, who fishes a bit his own self, went to stop him.Then there was a battle! The big bass snapped and flapped and put up all his pickery spines on his back fin. And Stripes Skunk slawed him and pawed him, trying to spear his toenails into those slippery, slidy scales to hold him. And Doctor Muskrat slapped his tail and fairly barked with excitement. “Bite him behind the eyes, Stripes! Bite him behind the eyes!” And at last Stripes got his teeth on the big roach of neck that begins just behind a fish’s eyes and bit. The bass gave one tremendous flap that sent the dust and sand and dead grass flying, and lay still.But you ought to have seen Tommy Peele. He didn’t know what to do about it. Here was a strange beast he didn’t know at all, a small black beast that looked something like a pussy cat, only it had the most beautiful long, dark fur, with a wide white stripe parted behind its ears and running all the way down to the round white tip of its wonderful plumy tail. “Better let go that fish,” Tommy advised. “You certainly are a good fighter, but if you try to eat it you’ll get a fishhook in your own mouth, and there certainly will be trouble.”Stripes battles with a big fishNow of course Stripes didn’t know what Tommy meant. But he knew it was Tommy’s fish in the first place, and besides, Watch the Dog was just trembling on the tips of his toes because he wanted to snatch it back for Tommy. Only he didn’t have to. For Stripes was glad enough to put it down and stretch his tired neck and get the cramp out of his jaws that were stiff from gripping it. And when he yawned Tommy could see his pink throat and his pointy tongue—and some little hurty, bleedy spots where that pickery back-fin had stuck into him.And there was Doctor Muskrat waddling up beside him to sniff the bass and say: “Well bitten, Stripes—very well bitten, indeed!” and Tad Coon was sort of chuckling in his throat: “By Tadpoles, Stripes, I’m glad you never tried to fight with me,” and Nibble was fairly purring, “I’m proud of you, Stripes. This is one more joke on Tad Coon. He said you didn’t know what teeth were for.” Even Watch wasn’t quite sure that he oughtn’t to be ashamed of himself for growling. He looked to see what Tommy Peele was going to do.Tommy pulled in his line and took the hook out of the fish’s mouth—and then maybe you think they weren’t curious about it! “Aha!” said the wise old muskrat. “I thought it wasn’t just like the wire that caught you, Nibble. A fish is so slippy I couldn’t see how that would hold him. This is cold and smelly, like the cold jaws that caught me. Better not get too close to it.” And that’s just about what Tommy said when Tad Coon wanted to take the shiny thing in his handy-paws to look at it. And when Stripes Skunk saw that none of the others was afraid, he came closer, too, and crinkled up his nose at it.That made Tommy laugh. “He’s friends,” shouted Nibble. “A man always makes friends when he laughs at you.” And Watch knew that, because it’s how the first dog made friends with the man and his wife and his baby in the First-Off Beginning.Tommy looked at the bass and then he looked at Stripes Skunk again. He tossed it right beneath Stripes’ crinkly nose and said: “I believe you want this. Well, you can have it. There are lots more fish in Doctor Muskrat’s pond, and I just love fishing.” So Stripes knew Nibble Rabbit was right.I guess you’d have liked to go fishing that sunny afternoon down by Doctor Muskrat’s pond your own self—I just believe you would! Tommy perched on the trunk of the tree again and did the fishing. Doctor Muskrat was cuddled down under the bulrushes most interested to see how Tommy did it. Nibble was nipping the tops of clovers, with an ear cocked so he wouldn’t miss any of the excitement when Tommy caught one—not that he cared for fish, but some other fellows did.Tad and Stripes had eaten the great big bass, and now Tad was dozing, flat on his back in the sun, with his handy-paws folded over his fat tummy, and Stripes was curled up as tight as his fullness would let him, with his wavy tail over his shiny black nose, to keep the flies off it.Even Watch was contented. He was napping, too. Sometimes he squirmed and growled to himself because he didn’t approve one little bit of having Tommy make friends with a bad Thing-from-Under-the-Earth like Stripes Skunk. It was plenty bad enough to have him make friends with mischievous Tad Coon! But Watch was happy all the same.Pretty soon Stripes opened his shiny black eyes; he stretched himself and yawned. A leaf blew past and he pounced on it like a kitten. Then a grasshopper clicked up and he chased it. Next he took to playing with some leaves that were dancing in the wind, and then he took after his own plumy tail, whirling round and round in a mad little dance of his own, humming a little tune that was a happy, not a whiny, one.Watch pricked up his ears because he was so surprised to think Stripes could sing—Bad Ones can’t, you know. And his own tail began to beat in time to Stripes’ patty little feet. So Stripes slyly pounced on it. Well, you know what happened then! Watch began to chase him. Only he couldn’t chase very fast because Stripes does look so funny when he’s running. His fur fluffs up and his hind feet are pigeon-toed, and his draggy, wavy tail goes flourishing in and out between them.First Stripes got scared, but pretty soon he saw even Watch was laughing. And Watch tipped him right over on his back and snooted him in the ribs like he does the kittens. “You silly old thing,” he chuckled. “I won’t make any better compact with you than I did with Tad Coon, but I won’t hurt you while you behave yourself.”“I’ll show you how I’ll behave,” said Stripes, and he deliberately boxed Watch’s big ear, just to show that he wasn’t afraid of him. And Tommy Peele ’most fell into the pond all over again, he was laughing so hard at them. They all made so much noise that the spotty blue kingfisher came over to cock his crest and see what they were doing. He and Doctor Muskrat gave Tommy a lot of good advice, only of course he didn’t understand it. But he did know they were very friendly, and that was the main thing.
Everyone was fairly holding his breath. Tad Coon and Doctor Muskrat, who both fish for themselves, were mighty interested to see how Tommy was going to catch that bass. Doctor Muskrat was in the shadow of a cattail where he could see it. Tad was sitting up on his hind legs like Chatter Squirrel, trying to see without letting the fish see him. Watch didn’t even wag his tail and Nibble was trying to remember not to thump his feet or let his ears fly up, the way he always does when he’s excited. My, but his tickly nose was twitching! Even Stripes Skunk, hidden in the bushes, had his ears pricked, listening for what was going to happen.
“What’s he doing now?” breathed Nibble. “What’s he doing?”
“Hssh! He’s looking,” said Doctor Muskrat, putting up a paddle-paw to keep Nibble quiet. “The least little wiggle will scare him. He’s turning; he’s coming; he’s bit—Ow-w-w! Wonderful! Hold on! Hold on!” For that big bass nearly yanked Tommy Peele out of the tree when he found Tommy had caught him.
And then the noise did burst out. Everybody was bouncing and thumping and barking and squealing, getting into everybody’s way, trying to keep out of Tommy’s. And Tommy was trying to hold on to that fish line while he scrambled back to the ground where he could do some strong hauling. And the great big bass was jerking and jabbing and pulling and fighting, trying to get away from him.
And not a single one of them succeeded. Tad Coon got under Watch’s dancy paws; and Watch tripped Tommy Peele; and Tommy Peele went splash right into the pond; and that great big bass jumped, splash, right out of it. But he didn’t get away! Not with all those fellows after him!
For just as Tommy fell he threw up his hand to keep his fish line from being tangled. And that was just when the fish was jumping. You’d better believe he made a great big jump that time. He jumped in a great big half-circle right up into the bushes where Stripes Skunk was hiding. And then he began flouncing and bouncing to get back into the water again. And of course Stripes Skunk, who fishes a bit his own self, went to stop him.
Then there was a battle! The big bass snapped and flapped and put up all his pickery spines on his back fin. And Stripes Skunk slawed him and pawed him, trying to spear his toenails into those slippery, slidy scales to hold him. And Doctor Muskrat slapped his tail and fairly barked with excitement. “Bite him behind the eyes, Stripes! Bite him behind the eyes!” And at last Stripes got his teeth on the big roach of neck that begins just behind a fish’s eyes and bit. The bass gave one tremendous flap that sent the dust and sand and dead grass flying, and lay still.
But you ought to have seen Tommy Peele. He didn’t know what to do about it. Here was a strange beast he didn’t know at all, a small black beast that looked something like a pussy cat, only it had the most beautiful long, dark fur, with a wide white stripe parted behind its ears and running all the way down to the round white tip of its wonderful plumy tail. “Better let go that fish,” Tommy advised. “You certainly are a good fighter, but if you try to eat it you’ll get a fishhook in your own mouth, and there certainly will be trouble.”
Stripes battles with a big fish
Stripes battles with a big fish
Now of course Stripes didn’t know what Tommy meant. But he knew it was Tommy’s fish in the first place, and besides, Watch the Dog was just trembling on the tips of his toes because he wanted to snatch it back for Tommy. Only he didn’t have to. For Stripes was glad enough to put it down and stretch his tired neck and get the cramp out of his jaws that were stiff from gripping it. And when he yawned Tommy could see his pink throat and his pointy tongue—and some little hurty, bleedy spots where that pickery back-fin had stuck into him.
And there was Doctor Muskrat waddling up beside him to sniff the bass and say: “Well bitten, Stripes—very well bitten, indeed!” and Tad Coon was sort of chuckling in his throat: “By Tadpoles, Stripes, I’m glad you never tried to fight with me,” and Nibble was fairly purring, “I’m proud of you, Stripes. This is one more joke on Tad Coon. He said you didn’t know what teeth were for.” Even Watch wasn’t quite sure that he oughtn’t to be ashamed of himself for growling. He looked to see what Tommy Peele was going to do.
Tommy pulled in his line and took the hook out of the fish’s mouth—and then maybe you think they weren’t curious about it! “Aha!” said the wise old muskrat. “I thought it wasn’t just like the wire that caught you, Nibble. A fish is so slippy I couldn’t see how that would hold him. This is cold and smelly, like the cold jaws that caught me. Better not get too close to it.” And that’s just about what Tommy said when Tad Coon wanted to take the shiny thing in his handy-paws to look at it. And when Stripes Skunk saw that none of the others was afraid, he came closer, too, and crinkled up his nose at it.
That made Tommy laugh. “He’s friends,” shouted Nibble. “A man always makes friends when he laughs at you.” And Watch knew that, because it’s how the first dog made friends with the man and his wife and his baby in the First-Off Beginning.
Tommy looked at the bass and then he looked at Stripes Skunk again. He tossed it right beneath Stripes’ crinkly nose and said: “I believe you want this. Well, you can have it. There are lots more fish in Doctor Muskrat’s pond, and I just love fishing.” So Stripes knew Nibble Rabbit was right.
I guess you’d have liked to go fishing that sunny afternoon down by Doctor Muskrat’s pond your own self—I just believe you would! Tommy perched on the trunk of the tree again and did the fishing. Doctor Muskrat was cuddled down under the bulrushes most interested to see how Tommy did it. Nibble was nipping the tops of clovers, with an ear cocked so he wouldn’t miss any of the excitement when Tommy caught one—not that he cared for fish, but some other fellows did.
Tad and Stripes had eaten the great big bass, and now Tad was dozing, flat on his back in the sun, with his handy-paws folded over his fat tummy, and Stripes was curled up as tight as his fullness would let him, with his wavy tail over his shiny black nose, to keep the flies off it.
Even Watch was contented. He was napping, too. Sometimes he squirmed and growled to himself because he didn’t approve one little bit of having Tommy make friends with a bad Thing-from-Under-the-Earth like Stripes Skunk. It was plenty bad enough to have him make friends with mischievous Tad Coon! But Watch was happy all the same.
Pretty soon Stripes opened his shiny black eyes; he stretched himself and yawned. A leaf blew past and he pounced on it like a kitten. Then a grasshopper clicked up and he chased it. Next he took to playing with some leaves that were dancing in the wind, and then he took after his own plumy tail, whirling round and round in a mad little dance of his own, humming a little tune that was a happy, not a whiny, one.
Watch pricked up his ears because he was so surprised to think Stripes could sing—Bad Ones can’t, you know. And his own tail began to beat in time to Stripes’ patty little feet. So Stripes slyly pounced on it. Well, you know what happened then! Watch began to chase him. Only he couldn’t chase very fast because Stripes does look so funny when he’s running. His fur fluffs up and his hind feet are pigeon-toed, and his draggy, wavy tail goes flourishing in and out between them.
First Stripes got scared, but pretty soon he saw even Watch was laughing. And Watch tipped him right over on his back and snooted him in the ribs like he does the kittens. “You silly old thing,” he chuckled. “I won’t make any better compact with you than I did with Tad Coon, but I won’t hurt you while you behave yourself.”
“I’ll show you how I’ll behave,” said Stripes, and he deliberately boxed Watch’s big ear, just to show that he wasn’t afraid of him. And Tommy Peele ’most fell into the pond all over again, he was laughing so hard at them. They all made so much noise that the spotty blue kingfisher came over to cock his crest and see what they were doing. He and Doctor Muskrat gave Tommy a lot of good advice, only of course he didn’t understand it. But he did know they were very friendly, and that was the main thing.