it out again.
If you ask whether I expected a hit in that unlikely piece of riffle, the answer is yes. I figured that a guy who went to that much trouble to put on an act for the wives of two big men who had snubbed him deserved some co-operation from a mature male trout, and if he deserved it why shouldn't he get it'I might have, too, if Junior hadn't come along and spoiled it. About the twentieth cast my eyes caught a tiny flash and my fingers felt the take, and there I was with Junior on. I gave him the air immediately, hoping he would flop off, but he had it good. If it had been Daddy I could have tired him out, swung him in to me, and taken him off the hook with a dry hand, since he would soon be on the menu, but that little cuss had to be put back with a wet hand. So I had to leave the chair, to dip a hand in the creek before I touched him, which ruined the act.
As I put him back where he belonged, having taught him a lesson, I was considering my position. To return to the chair and carry on as if nothing had happened was out of the question. That damn minnow had made a monkey of me. I might back up in the clearing and do some serious practice casting ' but then the sound of steps came, and a voice. 'I didn't know you could fish like that from a chair! Where is it?' She said 'feesh.'
'Good morning, Mrs. Kelefy. I put it back. Too small.'
'Oh!' She had reached me. 'Let me.' She put out a hand. 'I'm going to catch one.' She looked fully as portable in the strong daylight as she had at night, and the dark eyes just as sleepy. When a woman has eyes like that, a man with any scientific instinct at all wants to find out what it takes to light them up. But a glance at my wrist told me I would be shoving off in eighteen minutes, not time enough to get acquainted and start on research, especially with Sally Leeson sitting there on the veranda gazing, apparently now at us.
I shook my head. 'It would be fun to see you catch a fish,' I told her, 'but I can't give you this rod because it isn't mine. Mr. Bragan lent it to me, and I'm sure he'll lend you one. I'm sorry. To show you how sorry I am, would you care to know one thing I thought as I looked at you last evening at the dinner table?'
'I want to catch a fish. I never saw a fish caught before.' She actually reached to close her fingers on the rod.
I held on. 'Mr. Bragan will be here any minute.'
'If you give it to me I'll let you tell me what you thought last evening.'
I shrugged. 'I'm not sure I remember it anyhow. Skip it.'
No spark in the eyes. But her hand left the rod and her voice changed a little, person to person. 'Of course you remember. What was it?'
'Let's see, how did it go'Oh yes. That big green thing in the ring on your husband's left hand ' is it an emerald?'
'Certainly.'
'I thought it might be. So I was thinking your husband should display his assets more effectively. With those two assets, the emerald and you, he should have combined them. The best way would be an earring on your right ear, with nothing on the left ear. I had a notion to suggest it to him.'
She shook her head. 'I wouldn't like it. I like pearls.' She reached again for a hold on the rod. 'Now I'll catch a fish.'
It looked as if we were headed for a tussle, with a good chance of breaking the Walton Special, but an arrival broke it up. James Arthur Ferris, his lanky length fully accoutered, stepped into the clearing and approached, speaking. 'Good morning, Mrs. Kelefy! A glorious day, glorious!'
Snubbed again. But I understood; I had beaten him 100 to 46 at the billiard table.
'I want to catch a fish,' Mrs. Kelefy told him, 'and this man won't give me his rod. I'll take yours.'
'Of course,' he gushed. 'With great pleasure. I have a Blue Dun on, but if you'd rather try something else -'
I was on my way.
The general run of the creek ' all right, river, then ' was to the north, but of course it did a lot of twisting and dodging, as shown on a big wall map at the lodge. The three
If you ask whether I expected a hit in that unlikely piece of riffle, the answer is yes. I figured that a guy who went to that much trouble to put on an act for the wives of two big men who had snubbed him deserved some co-operation from a mature male trout, and if he deserved it why shouldn't he get it'I might have, too, if Junior hadn't come along and spoiled it. About the twentieth cast my eyes caught a tiny flash and my fingers felt the take, and there I was with Junior on. I gave him the air immediately, hoping he would flop off, but he had it good. If it had been Daddy I could have tired him out, swung him in to me, and taken him off the hook with a dry hand, since he would soon be on the menu, but that little cuss had to be put back with a wet hand. So I had to leave the chair, to dip a hand in the creek before I touched him, which ruined the act.
As I put him back where he belonged, having taught him a lesson, I was considering my position. To return to the chair and carry on as if nothing had happened was out of the question. That damn minnow had made a monkey of me. I might back up in the clearing and do some serious practice casting ' but then the sound of steps came, and a voice. 'I didn't know you could fish like that from a chair! Where is it?' She said 'feesh.'
'Good morning, Mrs. Kelefy. I put it back. Too small.'
'Oh!' She had reached me. 'Let me.' She put out a hand. 'I'm going to catch one.' She looked fully as portable in the strong daylight as she had at night, and the dark eyes just as sleepy. When a woman has eyes like that, a man with any scientific instinct at all wants to find out what it takes to light them up. But a glance at my wrist told me I would be shoving off in eighteen minutes, not time enough to get acquainted and start on research, especially with Sally Leeson sitting there on the veranda gazing, apparently now at us.
I shook my head. 'It would be fun to see you catch a fish,' I told her, 'but I can't give you this rod because it isn't mine. Mr. Bragan lent it to me, and I'm sure he'll lend you one. I'm sorry. To show you how sorry I am, would you care to know one thing I thought as I looked at you last evening at the dinner table?'
'I want to catch a fish. I never saw a fish caught before.' She actually reached to close her fingers on the rod.
I held on. 'Mr. Bragan will be here any minute.'
'If you give it to me I'll let you tell me what you thought last evening.'
I shrugged. 'I'm not sure I remember it anyhow. Skip it.'
No spark in the eyes. But her hand left the rod and her voice changed a little, person to person. 'Of course you remember. What was it?'
'Let's see, how did it go'Oh yes. That big green thing in the ring on your husband's left hand ' is it an emerald?'
'Certainly.'
'I thought it might be. So I was thinking your husband should display his assets more effectively. With those two assets, the emerald and you, he should have combined them. The best way would be an earring on your right ear, with nothing on the left ear. I had a notion to suggest it to him.'
She shook her head. 'I wouldn't like it. I like pearls.' She reached again for a hold on the rod. 'Now I'll catch a fish.'
It looked as if we were headed for a tussle, with a good chance of breaking the Walton Special, but an arrival broke it up. James Arthur Ferris, his lanky length fully accoutered, stepped into the clearing and approached, speaking. 'Good morning, Mrs. Kelefy! A glorious day, glorious!'
Snubbed again. But I understood; I had beaten him 100 to 46 at the billiard table.
'I want to catch a fish,' Mrs. Kelefy told him, 'and this man won't give me his rod. I'll take yours.'
'Of course,' he gushed. 'With great pleasure. I have a Blue Dun on, but if you'd rather try something else -'
I was on my way.
The general run of the creek ' all right, river, then ' was to the north, but of course it did a lot of twisting and dodging, as shown on a big wall map at the lodge. The three
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