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

makes. In spite Of shower Of stones from
us, and the strain put upon him by sixteen
feet of green-heart, that gallant Ash strug-
giles into the head of the rapid.
Dick comes running down the bank, los
ing Hre even then, for the current OF the
narrows Is furious.
Through the neck at the bottom OF the pool
flashes the salmon like lightning. The sight
OF boulders and broken water renews his
courage. Dicks course down stream ia ar
rested by big rock his line is run out to
the last yard. This prince Of fishes will
escape, after all. Dick looks upon the
swirlng water and sets his teeth. There is
last chance, but a risky one.
"Don't Dick, you would be drowned TO a
certainty" we shout in chorus. Ethel i'm
plores him with tears in her eyes not to risk
IL. He looks gratefully at her, but shakes
his head. II flashes across me that If the
expression Of her face at this moment does
not give him heart TO ask her a certain in
teresting question OIL the way home, why he
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 footing and staggers on a
yard or two, now loses II once more.
ono fish in the world is worth such dan
gerous work as this. What reckless chap
he is" said Capt. Croft anxiously.
While making this short detour around
the rock we lose sight of the angler for
moment then running breathlessly down
to the water again, we find him lying upon
the bank much shaken, bruised, and ex-
hausted, but holding on to his rod doggedly
"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 is
soon careering around the second pool, but
the effort is a final one. Very soon he is
lying in shallow water almost passive.
We have no gaff with us, and Capt. Croft's
big landing net would not even hint at in.
closing such a leviathan as this.
Dick leads the fish steadily shoreward,
until IL is almost aground, then Capt. Croft,
warily ciroing around It, scoops it up in both
arms, and, behold, the great salmon is gilt.
tering among the ling and heather.
A loud cheer arises from the whole party,
and little Bella, in a paroxysm Of triumph,
kneels beside the silver monster and kisses
its slippery sides.
Thirty pounds at least" we cry.
"No, twenty-five pounds, perhaps" say
II
feet condition"
The excitement of tho sport has completely
driven all thoughts of Dicks coming depar-
ture from my mind, but they now return with
force. " He shall have chance" declare to
myself, and ponder a little while the others
are stepped in h-worship.
"Dick, l exclaim au!horitatively, "you
must 60 home at once instead Of lettering
about here, dripping like Newfoundland
dog. Ethel and will walk back with you
Catching Dicks eye, 1 sea that he under.
stands me. "Come along" he says.
Ethel takes my arm on the side remote
from Dick. She is remarkably silent. and
shows a tendency to blush about nothing
fearing possibly that her anxiety about Dicks
dangerous escapade just now may have be
trayed her. Dick, feeling that he is now, a,
he would himself phraseit, sin for 1t, main
tains no less impenetrable dumbness
Never have two such leaden companions fall
en- to my lot before or since.
| 1t is relief that the beauty of tn,
winding moorland path, stretching away be-
hind us, oompels me to stop aud take ou
my sketch. book.
tIll stay with you" said Ethel nervously
"Wbat, and leave poor Dick to jog home
alone?"
sch ?" says Dick, looking at me will
comical terror. "Don't let me drag her will
me il she wants to stay"
"Nonsense; go away, Ethel. cam
have you fdgetiug abont me while l On
drawing"
Their assiduous good nature in preparing
my water box and block for actor
knows no bounds: neither fulsome hints no
cross requests will induce them to depart
At length, when 1 am busy with my frs
wash, and refuse with sulky steadfastness I
answer any more questions, or to offer an
further pretext for their moving hand or foo
in my behalf, they stroll shyly off together
Ethrl's eyes on the ground, Dicks on tn
distant horizon.
CRAVING round upon my camp stool watc
them down the long slope of brakefern an
distinct after crossing the stream. and finall
disappear. to leave me none of the wiser fo
all my gazing.
Anxiety prevents my sitting still for te
minutes together. My sketch is curiosit
"a phenomenal specimen of the kind {
daub producible by the convulsive dashes
hand totally unassisted by mind whic
is too agitated to do its duty.
My eyes yearn to pierce the small knol
behind which the twain have disappeared
Are those two heads any nearer each othe
than when saw them last
For years we have looked upon Dick as
brother tomorrow night, when he has d,
parted, many tears will be shed which Il
will know nothing of. His going to Indi,
too, is mere freak, a decision reversible,
really believe, by single word from Ethe
Again, Dick ia his own master, unhampere
by that lack of gold which quenchss tn
hopes of SO many young fellows. Well,
l., la
clear hour with their fate in their ow
hands, may as we'll collect my paraphernali
and follow them.
AS pace homeward and gaze over IL
swelling hills, the sun setting beyond the
utmost purple RIM saddens me. Solitut
and the gloom Of eventide, melancholy rs
; long-drawn sign of nature, settle upon N
soul by the time have reached the bridl
to be crossed the castles which have hui
} concerning Dick and Ethel have crumbls
one by one.
Suddenly l stumbled upon them amor
the rocks, and my hopes rush to the surfa
once more the glow of happiness upc
those two faces admits of but one explain
ton.
"You old BRICK" begins Dick, claspir
. my two hands with fsrvor which trust
will never repeat. "Ifit hadn't been 4
: you BnOulu never nave done IL
. "And, Lucy" adds Ethel in thrillir
a voice, with her arms around my nec
you're dear old thing; if it hadn't BET
, for the salmon and Dicks going in after
4 he would never have"
) "Dons this" intepolates Dick, kissing Ii
0 again and again, with good Indifference
my presence. which battles her face wit
crimson. "But We haven't the courage
}. go in without you," he adds, when he h
5 quite done his whispers in her ear.
{ "You'll have to, though, Master Dick, v
I reply, dashipg onward and into the midst
8 the astonished group in the inn parlor.
j SITS twenty pounds ten ounces" shou
k Bella, by way Of greeting.
"Come outside, girls | exclaim breat
lessly, "and I'll show you something wor
J. a hundred salmon
As we emerge from the door the soft tv
light shows the prsttiest picture We ha
. ever looked upon and the happiness viii
n underlies the shyness of the one face and I
sparkle and triumph of the other wakes
s answering chord in our hearts as we mt
l. muir; "Weloome, brother. "--London Socie
:,
d The Dead Sea OF the West.
o The famous Dead Sea of the West, Mo
!. Lake, situated in Mono County, Californ
"a / 10. had hxy In,