Swish—h—h! Swish—h—h! She slowly spun out forty feet, glancing back at Gethryn with a little laugh. Suddenly there was a tremendous splash, just beyond the dropper, answered by a turn of the white wrist, and then the reel fairly shrieked as the line melted away like a thread of smoke. Gethryn’s eyes glittered with excitement, and the colonel took his cigar out of his mouth. But they didn’t shout, “You have him! Go easy on him! Want any help!” They kept quiet.
Cautiously, and by degrees, Ruth laced her little gloved fingers over the flying line, and presently a quiver of the rod showed that the fish was checked. She reeled in, slowly and steadily for a moment, and then, whiz—z—z! off he dashed again. At seventy feet the rod trembled and the trout was still. Again and again she urged him toward the shore, meeting his furious dashes with perfect coolness and leading him dexterously away from rocks and roots. When he sulked she gave him the butt, and soon the full pressure sent him flying, only to end in a furious full length leap out of water, and another sulk.
The colonel’s cigar went out.
At last she spoke, very quietly, without looking back.
“Rex, there is no good place to beach him here; will you net him, please?” Rex was only waiting for this; he had his landing net already unslung and he waded to her side.
“Now!” she whispered. The fiery side of a fish glittered just beneath the surface. With a skillful dip, a splash, and a spatter the trout lay quivering on the bank.
Gethryn quickly ended his life and held him up to view.
“Beautiful!” cried the colonel. “Good girl, Daisy! but don’t spoil your frock!” And picking up his own rod he relighted his cigar and essayed some conscientious casting on his own account. But he soon wearied of the paths of virtue and presently went in search of a grasshopper, with evil intent.
Meanwhile Ruth was blushing to the tips of her ears at Gethryn’s praises.
“I never saw a prettier sight!” he cried. “You’re—you’re splendid, Ruth! Nerve, judgment, skill—my dear girl, you have everything!”