Seated upon the beautiful roan pony, Miss Asquith, followed by Cal, went to the meadow Friday afternoon, while the others lolled in hammocks around the hotel. The sky was just the least bit clouded and a warm south wind blew lazily across the park. A few fingerlings had been lifted from the riffles when Miss Asquith headed her pony into deep water up stream at a big bend where the river was sixty feet wide. Cal was busy whipping the eddies farther down. As her pony was well trained to the angling pastime, he knew almost as well as his rider what was wanted. Stepping slowly along until the water reached his belly the pony stopped, Miss Asquith's flies flashed behind, then she gracefully dropped the leader far over the stream to the other shore.
"Oh, dear," she exclaimed, "they have gone too far and caught in the grass. How—how will I ever—"
Just then the tail fly dangled down to the surface of the water, held back by the droppers, which were caught in the grass ever so lightly. The top of something darted from under the bank and seized the fly. Miss Asquith thought it was a muskrat, it was so big. Down went the line deeper and deeper. She instinctively turned her hand and wrist in order to free the hooks from the grass, and thus set the fly good and deep into whatever was cavorting around, making her reel sing as she never had heard it before.
"Oh, Cal, quick! quick! come and get me," she called, little thinking what she was saying, at the same time pressing her knee against the side of the pony, who recognized the signal and turned toward the shore. Miss Asquith allowed her rod to hold steady until she could dismount. By that time Cal was at her side.
"You've got a beauty, sure as gun's made of iron," said he.
As she reeled in a little of the line the tension ceased and an immense trout broke from the water. "Oh! Oh! what shall I do?"
Cal spoke sternly, "Watch your line and don't be foolish."
With that she settled down to her work and in a few moments had the pleasure of floating the fish into the landing net, Cal wading out to intercept it. As it went into the net she stood on the bank just above him, a little beach giving him opportunity to make the capture. As he stood there holding on to the staff of his landing net with one hand and the line with the other, he said, "This trout is yours on one condition—the fish, the horse and the man all go together. Say yes, and the fish comes ashore, say no, and I turn him loose."
"Yes, yes, y-e-s. Hurry up with the fish," she exclaimed, adding excitedly, as Cal came to the bank, "I'll just kiss you right here for the sake of the fish," and, suiting the action to the word, she planted a good smack on his upturned mouth.
"Now we will see what he weighs. But first here is your reward," slipping a big solitaire off his finger and holding up his hand, "tie it on if necessary."