The Coolidge examiner., 1934-03-09
CHAPTER vi

DAYS before, Steve Drake had
IL taken the chance that LaFane
had known. rather than simply
guessed about the Laird.
Thrice he had lain In the bush
and watched the old man angle for
the great trout. studying the white.
haired recluse 10 action ag bis IA.
v0rite pastime. Steve had dlscoT.
cred that ln the second bend above.
oaly a fsw rods distant. iired stiIl
another great veteran of the strram.
The I.alrd's trout was = wonder nsh.
and 20 mistake. but this other Junk.
sr was % a sire fl 10 scare a man.
when he broke the surface In bis
feediug forays lie was q pioneer.
an ancestor. the patriarch OF them
all
Macdonald had believed the
stretch of ~ateF barren. had hshcd
II but little and. 10 consequence. was
Ignorant of the trouts presence.
This afternoon. leaving McSally
~ headquarters. Drake padded
doNn the river alone. lie had the
tackle wlfh him and a goodly asSort-
mefa u was. too. The rod was Eng.
llsh. hand made. of the fnesi split
bamboo. Steve had tried II on sire
able ash ln the las, ten 6aTa. but he
weli knew that x. nor indeed. few
others Of iis weight. had ever tooled
a sp~cklrd tFog; as big SIS the one
that lived alone above the Lalrds
personal quarry.
lie arrived NJ the bend = fuli hour
before sundown. Pulling his canoe
out be set the rod Then. wadlng
out inio the shallow water below
the pool. he began to caKt. No ~
was attached TO his leader. The cut
took the water without a rifle.
Again be shot II forward and stu
again. and as II struck the third
time the great ash rose. swirling
almost against the strand 10 selEe n
Goaiing insect.
That's tha,'" be muslered In sat.
isfacslon knowing that though bis
leader was coarse enough 10 stand
any pull which the rod could stand.
II did not throw sufficient shadow 10
alarm the trout.
Steve SET the iy travelling ln great
arcs above his head. Then he les IL
fall or the water al the head % the
pool II was = good ry ais cast was
splendid
A doren times The ~ rode the pool
wlthou: reward but then the nsh
struck
For aa instant thereafter the pool
was serene except Tor the y.shaprd
rifls shere the leader penetrated
The trout did not even sound. lie
seemed TO hang right there. no more
than an srm's length beneath the
surfaC~. surprised. amazed. perhaps
hewlldered.
And then n long. curling 90 Of wa.
ter was laid back as the singing
leader slasbed In toward the FAR
bank. Across and Up the current
went the lunker. boring into the
depths. charging for the snag or
rock which had been his private
sanctuary and Steve let him 60.
Never had be felt such weight on
rod
Then. Of a sudden. bis rod was
straight. his llne floating In loops
on the surface. lie took slack des-
perA,ely and faced about. guessing
what had happened
Well that be was turned down
stream. because an instant later q
great surge ~ pressure came on
the rod. the line snapped taut from
its trailing and Steve began TO run.
He stripped more line desperately
az the Ash stormed on ahead OF
him. fleeing this menace which had
Invaded bis pool.
Ills only chance was 10 follow
that frantic flight. 10 30 with the
nsh as long as he could keep his
feet. lie gave thirty feet OF line
forty: he rounded one bend. then
another. Tie was below the Lalrd's
favorite spot. and the fish had not
80 much as paused 20 seek a snag
or rock on which to entangle that
leader. Far below him, then. the
trout began 10 zigzag across the cur
rent and then Steve commenced 10
retrieve yielded line.
Sheer strength would count. now
He could feel the old fellow worry
Ing the hook. moving to and fro.
stralnlng 10 work In against a snag.
The movement OF the fish became
more agitated. He nosed TO and fro.
he turned and clrcled briefly. lie
rolled over. ninginS his tail into the
air and bringing II down with a
smash as II 10 break the slender
strand which held him. Then he
turned and darted upstream.
Drake followed the fish and let
out some line. but be did not run.