“Oh, yes, sure enough,” she laughed.
“Now take these fish as part pay, won’t you?”
“I didn’t do it for pay, but I’ll take the gift because you really want me to—and because I need them to win a bet.”
“Bet! How’s that?”
“Oh, Uncle and I made a wager to-day that I shouldn’t get a trout. It’s my first attempt at fishing, you see. Now I’ll have some fun and win his dollar. May I pretend I caught these? It wouldn’t be such an awful fib, would it?”
“Why you did catch them,” Fred put in helpfully—“with a lasso, didn’t you?” They laughed merrily at the suggestion.
“But say,” added he, “I have a better plan to square things with your conscience. You can land a trout for sure. I’ll show you how—if you’ll let me.”
“Let you! Won’t I though?” She slipped off Eagle’s back in eagerness to try.
“Well, take my rod and let’s steal around this bend to another pool. They won’t bite here, because we’ve scared them. Anyway, Old Solomon wouldn’t bite whether he’s scared or not.”
“Old Solomon? I don’t understand you.”