Part 45 (1/2)

”Oh, dearon”

”Pull it in,” I shouted, ”steady,--not too quickly”

I in the bottom of the boat

”Just think of that,” criedup a foolish little hook an inch or so”

Her eyes were aglea, al, so excited and absorbed did she becoain with another wriggling, shi+ning trout

For an hour I rowed round the Island, and, in that hour, Mary Grant had equalled Rita's best that I knew of, for between thirty and forty fish fell a prey to the deadly bait and hook

”Hoould you like to try for a sal better now than they have done all the year so far”

”All right!” she agreed, with a sigh of pent-up excite out a thicker one with a large salmon spoon and a fairly heavy sinker

I rowed out to theinside the Ghoul Rock; then I started crossways over to the far point

We were half-way across, when Mary Grant screa ran with treers I ja in the bottom of the boat and to which the line was attached I was just in ti the rest of the line overboard

I pulled in ht up the line

Away, thirty yards off, a great sal a half-circle and flopping back with a splash fro tail

”She is yours,” I cried ”Come! play her for all you can”

But, as I turned, I saw that Miss Grant's fingers were bleeding fro-out of the line when the salht the fish myself

All at once, the line slacked I hauled it in, feeling alain like a fury, rising out of the water in her wild endeavours to free herself

For a long time I played her My co all she could to assist me

Next, the salmon sank sheer down and sulked far under the water

Gradually, gradually I drew her in and not a struggle did sheat the end of my line

”She's played out, Miss Grant She's ours,” I cried gleefully, as I got a glint of her under the water as she came up at the end of my line

But, alas! for the luck of a fisherman When the salmon was fifteen feet from the boat, she jerked and soa his last throw She shot sheer out of the water and splashed in again almost under the boat My line, ers

”damn!” I exclaimed, in the keenest disappointment

”And--that's--just--what--I--say--too,” came my fair oars-woman's voice ”If that isn't the hardest kind of luck!”