Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-10-15
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water renews his courage. Dick $
course down stream is arrested by big
rock; his line is run out to the last yard.
This prince of fishes will es4lpe after
| all! Dick looks upon the swirling water
and sets his teeth. There is last
chance. but a risky one. r,5r- =
Don't, Dick; you would bedrowned
to a. certainty" we shout in chorus.
Ethel imp'ores him with tears in her
eyes not to risk it. He looks gratefully
| at her, but shakes his head. IT flashes
across me that if the expression of her
face at this moment does not give him
heart to ask her q certain interesting
| question on the way home, why, ne
doesn't deserve her.
Nothing short of cart ropes would
stop Dick now his blood is up; he steps
| into the hurrying water and is taken off
his legs in moment and washed
against rock; now he regains his foot
ing and staggers on yard or two. now
loses 1t once more.
mo fish in the world is worth such
! dangerous work as this. What reck-
less chap it il" thus Captain Croft
anxiously
While making short detour round
the rocks we lose sight of the angler for
moment; then, rushing breathlessly
down to the water again, find him lying
upon the bank. much shaken, bruised
and exhausted, but holding on to his
rod doggedly.
1.-The fish is sulking in the lower
pool" he explains, emptying the water
from his pockets. "When I've had a
rest you must come and rouse him up
with stones"
This respite is brief. That game fish
J is soon careering round the second
pool, but the effort is a final one. Very
soon lie is lying in the shallow water,
almost passive.
We have no gaff with us. and Captain
Croft's big landing net would not even
hint at inclosing such leviathan rs
this
Dick leads the fish steadily shoreward
until it is almost aground then Captain
Croft, warily circling around it. scoops
it up in both arms, and, behold, the
great salmon is glittering among the
ling and heather!
A loud cheer arises from the whole
party, and little Bella, in paroxysm
of triumph, kneels beside the silver
monster and kisses its slippery side.
Thirty pounds at least" we cry.
'.No, twenty-five, perhaps say the
gentlemen. And grand fish in per-
feet condition.
The excitement of the sport has COM
pletely driven all thoughts of Dick
coming departure from my mind, but
they now return with force. ''He
shall have chance" declare to my
self. and ponder little while the others
are STEPPED in fish worship.
'.Dick," | eXclaim. authoritatively,
''you must 60 home at once, instead of
lettering about here. dripping like a
Newfoundland dog. Ethel and l will
walk back with YOU .
Catching Dicks eye. 1 see that he
understands me. Come along" he
says. :.r a..
Ethel takes my arm on the side re-
mote from Dick. She is remarkably
silent and shows tendency to blush
about nothing. fearing possibly that her
anxiety about Dicks dangerous es-
capade just now may have betrayed
her. Dick, feeling that he is now, as
he would himself phrase it, '.in for it,
maintains no less impenetrable
dumbness. Never have two such leaden
companions fallen to my lot before or
since.
1t is a relief that the beauty of the
winding moorland path, stretching away
behing us. compelS me to stop and take
out my sketch-book.
'I'll stay with YOU says Ethel,
neryously.
''What. and leave poor old Dick to
jog home alone?'
comical terror '.Don't let me drag
her with me if she wants to stay"
Nonsense; 90 away, Ethel. can't
have you tidgeting about me while l
am drawing"
Their assinuous good nature in pre-
par,ng my water color box and block
for action knows no bounds; neither
fulsome hints nor cross requests will in
duce them to depart. At length. when
l am busy with my first wash, and re-
fuse with sulky steadfastneSs to answer
any more questions, or to offer any
| further preteXt for their moving hand
or foot on my behalf, they stroll shyly
off together. Ethe's eyes on the
ground, Dick's on the distant horizon.
Craning round upon my camp STOOL,
/ watch them down the long slope of
brake-fern and heather, straining my
eyes as they grow indist.nct after cross
ing the stream, and finally disappear.
| to leave me none the wiser for all my
gazing.
Anxiety prevents my sitting still for
ten minutes together My sketch is a
curiosity-a phenomenal specimen of
the kind of daub produc Bile by the con-
| vulsive dashes of hand totally unas-
sisted by mind, which is too agitated
| to do its duty.
My eyes yearn to pierce the small
knoll behind which the twain have dis
appeared. Are those two heads any
nearer to each other than when saw
them last?
For years we have looked upon Dick
as a brother; tomorrow night. when he
has departed, many tears will be shed
which he will know. nothing of. His
going to India. too. is a mere freak.
decision reversible. really believe, by
single word from Ethel. Again. Dick
| iS his own master rnhamnored nv that