Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-07


Let the line go. What are ye doing,
lassie ?" lie cried
The fact was that in her sudden alarm
she had grasped both line aud rod more
firmly than ever and in another half-sec-
ond the fish must inevitably have broken
something. But this exclamation of. his
recalled her to her senses she let the line
90 free, got up the rod, and then waited
events, with her heart in her mouth. She
had not long to wait 1t very soon APP
reared to her as if she had hooked an in
carnate flash of lightning for there was
nothing this beast did not attempt to do,
now rushing down the narrow channel so
close to the bank that single out iutting
twig must have cut the line, now lashing
on the edge of the shadows. twice jerking
himself into the air, and then settling
down into the deep pool not to sulk, but
to twist and tug at the line in series Of
angry snaps. And always ii was, Oh
Ronald, what shall do now ?' or, Ron
aid, what will he do next ~
you're doing well enough said he,
placidly. But it will be long fight; and
We must not let him too far down the
stream, or he'll take We below the foot
follow him. rather
She was Immediately called on to act on
this advice for with one determined,
vicious rush, away went the salmon down
the stream, she after him rs well as her
woman's skirts would allow, and always
and vigorously she was keeping u tight
strain on the plant rod. Alas all OF "A
sudden her foot caught in tuft of heath
err down she went, prone, her arms
thrown forward so that nothing could save
her. But did she let 90 the rod Not II
bit She chung to it with the one hand
and when Ronald helped her to her feet
again she had no thought of herself at all:
all her brcathless interest was Centered on
the salmon Fortunately that creature
had now taken to sulking in pool further
down, and She followed him, getting in the
line the while.
but I'm afraid you're hurt" said he.
"No, no.
! Something was tickling the side of her
| face She shifted the grip of the rod, and
passed the back of her right hand across
| her ear a brief glance showed her that
| her knuckles were stained with blood
| But she took no further heed. for she had
/ to get both hands on the rod again.
"She has pluck, that one, Ronald said
/ to himself but he said nothing aloud he
wanted her to remain rs self-possessed as
possible.
bridge Ronald ?" she said presently.
But We must not let him..
"But if he will 60 "
"Then ye'll give me the rod and I'll take
it under the bridge
The fish lay there as heavy and dead as
a stone nothing they could do could stir
him an inch.
1.-The beast has been at this work be-
fore" Ronald said. THAT tagging to get
the hook cut is the trick of an old hand.
But this sulking will never do at all
He left her and went further up the
stream to the place where the river ran
over the wide bed of shingle There he
deliberately walked into the water, pick
ing up II few pebbles as he went, and,
with a running leap, crossed the channel
and gained the opposite bank. Then he
quickly walked down TO within Il yard or
two of the spot where the dour' salmon
lay.
She thought this was very foolish child's
play that lie should 90 and fling little
stones at fish he could not see, But
presently she perceived that he was trying
all he could to get the pebbles to drop YER
tically and parallel with the line; and then
the obect of this device was apparent.
The salmon moved heavily forward, some
few inches only. Another pebble was
dropped This time the fish made vio-
lent rush up stream that caused Miss
Carry's reel to shrek, and off she set after
him (but with more circumspeotion this
time as regards her footing), getting in
the line as rapidly as possible as she went.
Ronald now came over and Joined her,
and this was comforting To- her nerves.
Well long before she had ed that fish
she had discovered the difference between
loch-tishng and river-tishing but she did
kill him in the end and nightly pleased
, she was when she saw him lying on the
sere wntry grass. Ronald would have
had her try again but she had had
enough. 1t was past lunch-time, and she
was hungry moreover, she was tired
, and then again, she did not wish that he
. should waste the whole day. 80 when sh5
had sat down for n while, and watched
him tie the salmon head and tail, they sci
out for the village again, very well con
: tent: while as for the slight wound she
! had received by her ear catching on twiG
of heather, when she fell, that was quite
, forgotten now.
"And We are to have the fish, said he
. 81 told his lordship this morning yor
were going to try your hand at the cast
ing and he said if you got one, you would
be proud of it no doubt, and ye were t.
keep it of course.
well that is very kind: ! suppose
must thank him if see him ~
And she was very curious to know al
about Lord Ailine,. and why h
should come to lnver Mudal merely 70
, these few hours, and what kind of peopl
' he brought with him in the autumn. ii
\ answered her as we'll as he could, an
. then they went on to other things, al
in very gay and merry mood, for h
= was as proud as she was over this achieve
ment.
e At the same moment Meenie Dougla
was in her own little room, engaged on
), work of art of not very ambitious kint
=. She had lying before her on the table
l pencil sketch in outline OF such features {
: IHe luHuSCdDt us COult nc SctH llOlll VI
window-the loch, the wooded promont'
ries, Ben Clebrig, and the little clump {
trees that sheltered the inn; and she wa
engaged in making a smaller copy of tn
Z drawing, on pen and ink, on paper-cutt'
d of brown wood She was not much OF a
II artist, perhaps, but surely these simp
+ outlines were recognizable and If the
were to be entitled A Souvenir" al
carried away to the south as a little par
ing present, might they not, in son
idle moment of the future, recall son
brief memory of these northern wilds
So she was at work on this task-aI
very careful that the lines should be clei
and precise-when she heard the sound
voices without-or rather one voice, whit
presently she recognized to be Ronald
She could not easily mistake it. And
she were to go to the window and get hi
to stop for a minute ut the gate, and sho
him the sketch that she had Just about ii
ished, perhaps he would be pleased.
|, She went to the window, but instant
:, drew back She had just caught a glimps
il was the American young lady he W
walking with-at time when he w