“My brother-in-law has created a beautiful little romance. But we don’t talk that way in the woods. The fact is that, after one or two meals, we get saturated with trout. Then, when we have guests, we give them their trout first and alone. We don’t even go to the table until that course is served. If you don’t believe me, when you get a chance, watch Mackworth while he’s fishing. He don’t want to catch the trout—unless it’s a whale. He’s fly casting. He’s only thinking about his skill with the rod and the fly. When he can’t help hooking fish he sends them away at once to his friends.”
While all were laughing over this, Mr. Mackworth alone excepted, Mr. Graham continued:
“Why I once heard an old fisherman say that two meals of brook trout were great. After that he preferred, of all fish, a nice stew of salt cod with plenty of potatoes.”
In such manner the dinner in the Teton proceeded. At its conclusion there was an hour or more of leave taking between the boys and their parents and, sometime after ten o’clock, Mr. and Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Ewing withdrew. Mr. Mackworth and his guests prepared for a last smoke of the evening and after filing some telegrams for Mr. Mackworth, Frank and Phil retired to their stateroom. They were not sleepy and for some time the two boys rattled along in talk of the great events to come. At last they heard their elders withdraw to their staterooms.
“I’m not goin’ to bed till we start,” announced Frank sleepily.
“We can go out and sit in the observation end after a bit,” suggested Phil. But, each being in his pajamas and in bed, when Frank looked at his watch later he was astounded to see that it was three o’clock. The car was in motion. It had been attached to the midnight train and was on its way to Chicago.
When Phil awoke his surprise was even greater, for it was after six o’clock and the heavy Teton was hammering along over the hundreds of railway intersections in the suburbs of Chicago. The two boys tumbled out at once. But they were not the first to arise. The berths in the dining room were made up; the rear observation room and platform had been dusted and swept and Jake and Nelse were busy with dust rags on the windows and woodwork.
“Can’t we do something?” began Frank, eager to be of service.
“Here, give me a rag,” added Phil.