32 DAYS IN THE OPEN 



son hastened to the shore and offered to take the 

 rod and finish the contest, but the old man refused. 

 A half-hour passed, and then the tired fish began to 

 show signs of yielding and the fisherman already 

 saw himself the proud captor of a six-pound trout, 

 when it was all over. Was there a flaw in the 

 line? Had the aged sportsman inadvertently 

 dropped the tip of his rod until the fish had a 

 straight-away pull upon the reel ? No matter what 

 the cause, the line had parted under the last surge 

 of the fish, and he was lost. For a moment the old 

 face worked strangely, and then down went the 

 white head, face in his hands, and we saw the shak- 

 ing body as he sobbed out his disappointment. 

 Then the son laid his hand upon the senior's 

 shoulder and we heard him say, " Never mind, 

 father, you'll catch another just as good." Ten 

 and eighty are not far apart when we go fishing. 



