Sleeping with the Fishes by C.B. Jones

Author:C.B. Jones [Jones, C. B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 978-1-4965-4055-3; Bog Bottom Boys; Adventure stories; American South; Animals; State Parks; fiction stories; chapter books; kids adventure stories; adventure novels; middle grade adventure; early young adult adventure; turkey vultures; buzzards; cats; fish; snakes
Publisher: Capstone
Published: 2020-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

“Y’all killin’ my babies?” Mr. Manley yelled, shaking the headless fish. “We just stocked these babies a week ago, and y’all are out here fishin’ them already?”

One of the twins said something back Austin couldn’t make out.

But he could hear Mr. Manley yelling. Mr. Manley’s low raspy voice boomed like a bullhorn from the dock. “And just how do you two geniuses think we get a pond stocked full of trophy bass? You think it’s by feedin’ ’em all to these two furballs?”

Whatever Hobie and Hunter were giving for excuses, Mr. Manley wasn’t having it. He chucked the fish carcass into the pond.

“Y’all have got just one week,” he yelled as he turned back toward the house. “Find me some more babies to replace all the fishies y’all been feedin’ to these beasts.”

“You gotta be kidding me,” Austin said under his breath. Is it obvious only to me that the Manleys are poaching fish? Austin thought. There’s got to be some way to prove it.

Hunter and Hobie bickered and reeled in their lures. On their way to the dock, the boat kept drifting toward Hobie’s side. Hunter reached over and pulled up a small stringer of three baby fish Hobie had hidden under his feet.

“Are you an idiot?” Hunter said, holding up the tiny fishlings. “Daddy’s gonna drown the both of us if we pull any more babies out of here. You’re supposed to be throwin’ the little ones back!”

Hobie’s back was turned when he said whatever he said back to Hunter. But whatever it was, it made Hunter lunge to punch his brother in the shoulder.

The boat didn’t stand a chance when Hunter’s weight came down on Hobie’s. The boat dumped both Manleys into the pond.

Hunter yelled at Hobie to help him flip the boat back over.

Hobie’s voice cracked as he yelled back: “I can’t, Hunter. I think something ate my shorts when I went under.”

“Maybe a mudfish got ’em,” Hunter said with a snicker.

“It’s not funny,” Hobie said. “I can’t find my shorts anywhere. I’m naked!”

Austin crept back toward home. He had more than enough to worry about without being blinded by a full Manley moon.

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