Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-05-04
VOL. XVI.

you CaTeu lOr OuG-uOOr Sports. MOSl
girls don't"
"Most city girls do, alntie, begging
your pardon. Well, now, let me see.
Is there a saddle horse, or even side
saddle, connected with the establish
ment?'
ooh, dear, mol None of the women
here ever ride horseback"
'"There-I have it !" exclaimed Gearge
irrelevantly, clapping her hands. 81
saw a fishing rod and line out in the
barn yesterday. Whose is it2'
'John's, l suppose. He occasionally
brings in a mess of fish. But you
wouldn't go fishing, childw
THAT would, auntie, and will, too
Where is John2"
''He went to Weybridge this morning
to get the horses shod."
''Well, then, I'll go alonel" was
Georges determined answer. Aunt
Mary did all she could to dissuade her
niece from such "hoydenish" proceed
ing, but the vivacious girl would not
listen. "Oh, I've been fishing many
times before" she cried. 'Every year
when we go to the mountains take my
rod with me and fish for trout. Now,
don't you worry. Pll Just step over to
the lake and fish from the bank, and pll
be home to supper with string of fish
Just as sure as my name is Geo. Paine.
So there!n
George ran out to the barn, captured
the rod and line, and started oil. She
crossed the field behind the church and
was just entering the lane that ran down
through the meadow when she suddenly
stopped and caught her breath with a
whimsical look of dismay.
No bait! Worms-she wouldn' touch
the dirty things, anyway. Even if she
had them who would bait her hook 2
Grasshoppers-ugh the great ugly,
scratchy, syrupy things! Well, what
then? Perhaps there would be a little
boy at the lake whom she could bribe to
put one of his worms ON her hook.
Happy thought! George trudged mer-
rily on again, and in due time arrived
at her destination.
There she found boat-a real pretty
little boat, too, with one of those nova
BILE sails folded and lying under the
thwarts-but no boy in sight anywhere,
no specimen of the genus homo mascu-
line gender of any description. Well,
she could take boat ride, any way.
She would hire the boat.
Walking up to the little cottage above
the cove George knocked at the door.
No response. She knocked again and
louder. Still no answer. Then she
tried the door. 1t was locked. Impelled
by curiosity, she stole around and looked
in at one of the windows. Her first
mental comment was: "Some man lives
here alone-an old bachelor, I'll wager"
Everything in the room which she was
inspecting was in order, but not in fem
mime order. A big jar, with two pipes
sticking out of it, stood on the table; a
gun lay across some pegs on the wall; a
large pair OF slippers occupied promi-
nent place on the rug in front of the
empty fireplace.
"Well, 1 suppose l ought not to be
peeking," sighed George, after she had
surveyed the room with its entire con-
tents and thoroughly satisfied her curl
osity. 81 guess I'll borrow the mans
boat, any way, and pay him when he
comes home" So saying she hurried
down to the beach again, and pushing
the little boat off from shore--for it was
not fastened in any way-she jumped
aboard and drifted out into the clear
waters of the lake. The oars lay across
the thwarts, and George picked them
up, fitted them to the tholepins, and
rowed out of the cove and around the
point. 81 wonder if l could fish with
out baitG" she queried. Just then her
eye fell upon something bright and gilt
tering that lay under the stern seat of
the boat. She pulled it out and there
was trolling spoon with hundred feet
or more of line. "Eureka!" cried the
young lady. "Now can fish,"
She rowed the boat rapidly for a short
distance to give it headway and then
paid out her line until she had about
fifty feet of it in the water. Then she
took the line in her teeth, in old fisher
man fashion, and rowed on up the shore
Suddenly there was tug that came near
loosening some of the fair fsherwoman's
pearly teeth. She dropped the oars and
seized the line with both hands in a
hurry.
''Dear mep it must be q dreadful
big one" she gasped, as the boat whired
around with the desperate efforts of the
fish to escape. George hung on bravely,
however, and presently the fish became
more qlSet so that she was able to draw
it slowly toward the boat. The excite
ment increased as the distance between
the boat and the fish diminished. Every
Il 4hoy thn ,o1,
dart to right or left and the line would
fairly ring through the water, while
George clung to it with pale determine.
tion which would have made her laugh
if she could have seen it. Now the
victim was almost in sight. George
knew it was monster by the way il
tugged, and, anxious to obtain glimpse
of her prize, and also thinking she could
manage it better thus, she stood up in
the boat. This action frightened the
fish. 1t plunged desperately downward.
The boat rocked and swung half around
George lost her balance, and, with a
piercing scream, fell headlong into the
water.
The next thing she knew she was living
in the boat and man was rowing her
rapidly toward the shore. She had not
been in the water a great while, but she
plainly remembered the choking sensa-
tion when she first went down. As soon
as the man who was rowing saw her
open her eyes he held the oars suspended
for amomcnt and look of intense relief
and satisfaction came into his face. ooh,
sirl" cried George family; sit is to you
owe my life. How can ever repay
you"
sIt is reward enough Just to see YOU