The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-02-21
THE DOUBLE CAPTURE.

AN speak of IL now but with bated
breath and a tendency TO retell this story.
Several of our friends think II time to 60 the
moment that grand fish thrusts its nose into
he con ersation. Lord Duffer even departed
N huff yesterday afternoon because we
persisted in u final gossip upon the subject
but he is devoid of all sense of either ro'
nance or sport, without which incongruous
ingredients our salmon cannot be dished up
Tor conversational purposes or, perhaps
rs pause the others accept the hypothesis
with many voiced acolamations-7he was In
love with Ethel himself She who ought to
know best denies this, but her good nature
In sheltering rejected lovers from ridicule is
in the family.
1t is perhaps the most perfect hour OF the
year, viz, 6 o'clock on July evening, and
perfect because we are just going
to have tea, an event which attains excep'
tional Importance owing to the fact that
luncheon at the sitting hour of was farce.
We have been out since early morning, a
state of things which has obtained since our
arrival in Wales ten days ago. and are
in picturesque attitudes, such as
girls naturally adopt when in momentary
of the return of the gentleman,
round the head Of a rocky pool some miles
up the river.
This spot has, after an exhaustive exami-
nation OF the entire neighborhood, been pro-
nounced by the family the beau ideal of 70.
mantle perfection. The murmur of the fall
soothes our ears Capt. Croft calls such
music "ceaseless din," but men OF his
stamp have no business outside London in
fact, his adverse verdict alone would be
enough to decide lis in having afternoon tea
here. 1t is pleasant to lie on the rocks star.
ing down into the glittering blackness of the
deep pool, while the presence of the heavy
salmon which live at its lower end, aud CO.
casionally startle us with loud splash, is
fraught with ceaseless excitement.
Dick and Capt. Croft have often tried him
with everything from flock Scott" to a
'Silver Doctor" without getting ghost of
an offer from His Majesty. They will soon
return, surely, after the bootless fatigue of
long waiting, and, if VIZ know anything of a
fsherman's nature, try him yet again.
Meantime we light fire of dry sticks and
arrange everything ina way calculated to
cheer the eyes Of disappointed anglers.
We are disguised to sea Capt. Crof. return.
ing, and more still to see Ethel with him, for
Dick has long bsen her slave, and we did
hope to find that he and Ethel wonld be to-
gether and that something would oocnr to
morning. 1t this afternoon turns out blank
we give up hope, tor Dick is due in India in
Oc' ober, and will not get another chance
with Ethel.
This morning Capt. Croft killed twoswein,
and Ethel was the only one of us civil enough
to congratulate him. Dick appeared at
lunch with an empty crael, bronzed and
tired but, as usual, cheerful. This cheer.
fulness of his, added 10 a curious habit
very curious, even unique, considering his
sex-of thinking of every one else before
himself, have helped TO make us worship
Dick as an elder brother.
81 wish some of you ocould be a shade less
sisterly,i | heard him mutter the other
night when Ethel said, with a guileless smile
eve all look upon yOu quite AZ brother
you know. Dick
Capt. Croft and Ethel, whom we receive
with dignifed stiffness, throw ont strong
hints upon the subject Of tea, but wereques
them not to be greedy, which is unclvil, and
declare that the kettle is not yet boiling
which is untrue. Possibly we rather aston
ished Capt. Croft with our rudeness, but We
are sore about Dick, and our enemy has
often enough disavowed all surprise at thu
vagaries of our sex.
After our painstaking preparations tea /!
not to he dismissed in moment. Our con
tenplative enjoyment of it, however, !;
broken in upon by loud shout from four
en-year-old Bella. "Look, the salmon =
and she points to the curving eddies which
mark the spot where the big fish has risen
SPY gum," says Dick, jumping up il
haste. otis a regular sockdologer. Take m.
rod, Croft, and try for it,"
"No, no, it's your turn. had the last.
fnvr u, 81 h. .,I s,,N,
his friends hand and drags of his own ha
to examine the flies in It.
Our long-tongued entreaties are to him al
the idle wind but a gentle, low-voiced re
quest from Ethel veers him around in nc
msnt. He takes the rod, and glides eau
tiously down to the waters edge. Crouche
bshind rocks and with beating hearts W
watch every movement of Dicks fingers.
al shall show him big dark fly first
his words scarcely reach us through the nois
Of the fall--"I should never land such
'whoppsr' ON small hook"
He seems an age afixing that fly aud the
wetting it. As he heightened his line out
yard or more each cast, and the black wing
| and silver body float nearer and nearer
the spot where the great fish rose, our ex
| oitement reaches almost to bursting point
| and little Bella has to be held down by force
There, 1t must have been right over hi
nose that time | almost wonder that Die
has the courage to go on working his fly q
all. But no ripple breaks the surface. HI
Majesty gazes unmoved upon the black an
silver. Two or three more throws aud Die
reels up his line.
| "Try him with n small Jock Scott now,
Capt. Croft, caught by the prevailing excit'
msnt, speaks in solemn whisper.
| San right. Throw me one over
Again the wetting process has to be gOn
through, and again seems more endless tina
before.
At last the brilliant-hued "Jock Scott"
almost over the big fish, Dick balances hin
self for the next cast. The rod curves bacl
swings forward, and the fly, delivere
straight and freely, drops gently on to IL
water couple of yards above the salmon
Hardly has ths line sunk an inch below I'll
surface before there is a heaving boil au
swirl OF water as the great fish bounds to Il
surface. There is not one OF us girls wi
would not at this juncture have thrown Il
rod down with a shrek.
In a moment Dick has struck. His rod
hoop the line flashes through the waite
the whirling reel makes music in our ear
down TO the bottom of the pool, and dri
him back II he makes for the rapid" "
obey Dick liks children, except Ethel, wi
stands beside him and views the struggle,
to say, from the grand stand.
The first rush is straight toward the da
gerous rapid, hut strenuous splashil
from us drives the fish back in time.
"By Jove that was near shaw
though,' and Dick wipes his torches
hastily.
Both Dick and Capt. Croft afterward d
clared that they had never seen fish She
such sport as this one did
One grand rush after another seems
leave him as fresh as ever. He is across I
pool, down the pool, under the white wat
at the top, and almost under Dicks feet
Ill in moment. Again and again he hui
himself into the air, and his great silve
side almost daazles our eyes with its glitt,
Little Bella positively cries with excl
/ ment, aud one or two I MS would fain
likewise.
j, have that strange feeling anglers ha
1 often described to me, which, makes
, burning reality OF the moment blot out I
past and future. The fate of the unive
. seems to hang on this one fish ii he is OF
= landed feel that the struggle of life v
be over.
/. For thlrty-eight minutes does that 4
: keep up palpitating round that pool, III
he begins TO tire. HIS PUSHES are shor
and shorter. Dick Is getting him in hand