Part 46 (2/2)

”It is such a delightful change from ham and bacon. I am not sure,” she averred, laughingly, ”that I shall not eat the head and fins, even.”

”I wish _I_ was in such favour,” Mrs. Budlong declared, enviously.

”Never mind, Honey Dumplin',” said Mr. Budlong, ”I shall go out after supper and catch your breakfast.”

”You ought to get a boatload,” Hicks added quickly, ”if you find the right place.”

”I saw them jumping by the million where I was walking before supper.”

Mr. Appel volunteered to conduct Mr. Budlong to the spot as soon as they were finished eating.

Everyone who had fis.h.i.+ng-tackle decided to avail himself of this wonderful opportunity, and they all followed Mr. Appel except Mr. and Mrs. Stott, who preferred to fish by themselves from the bridge over the Yellowstone river.

They were the last to leave but returned in not more than twenty minutes, Mr. Stott supporting his wife in what seemed to be a fainting condition.

Wallie hastened forward to lend his a.s.sistance if necessary.

”Is she ill?” he inquired, solicitously.

”Ill! She is sick at her stomach and no wonder!” He was plainly angry and appeared to direct his wrath at Wallie.

While Wallie wondered, it did not seem a propitious moment to ask questions, and he would have turned away had Mr. Stott not said peremptorily:

”Wait a minute. I want to speak to you.”

Having laid Mrs. Stott, who was shuddering, on her blankets and administered a few drops of aromatic spirits of ammonia, he dropped the flap of her teepee and beckoned Wallie curtly:

”You come with me.”

Wallie could not do else than follow him, his wonder growing as he led the way to the camp kitchen where Mr. Hicks was engaged at the moment in the task which he referred to as ”pearl-diving.”

He did not appear surprised to see them in his domain, on the contrary he seemed rather to be expecting them, for immediately he took his hands out of the dish-water, wiped them on the corner of his ap.r.o.n, and reaching for a convenient stick of stove-wood laid it on the corner of the table with a certain significance in the action.

”Make yourself to home, gents,” he said, hospitably, indicating the wagon-tongue and a cracker-box for seats, respectively. ”Anything in particular I can do for you?” He looked at Mr. Stott guilelessly.

”You can answer me a few questions.” Mr. Stott fixed a sternly accusing eye upon him. ”Hicks, was, or was not, that trout you gave my wife, wormy?”

Mr. Hicks, who seemed to relish the situation, pursed his lips and considered. Finally he asked in a tone which showed that he had pride in his legal knowledge:

”Will I or will I not incriminate myself by answering?”

”You probably will if I'm correct in my suspicions. I want the truth.”

”Then,” replied Mr. Hicks, while his hand slipped carelessly to the stick of stove-wood, ”if you force the issue, I will say that I've seen a good many wormy trout come out of the Yellowstone but that was the worst I ever met up with.”

Mr. Stott advanced belligerently.

”And you dare boast of it!”

”I'm not boasting--I'm just telling you,” replied Mr. Hicks, calmly. ”An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, that's my motto, and your wife thought I wasn't good enough to eat at the table with her.”

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