BILLY'S AMBITION 153 



being conveyed in a glance, I blurted out, *' Well, 

 I'd rather like to catch a fox, shoot a grouse, and 

 land a salmon in one day on my own place." 



" Ho ! ho ! not so terribly immodest, and tolerably 

 certain as regards the first two ; but the combination 

 is rather hyperambitious and touches on the extremely 

 doubtful," laughed Billy. 



*' But he kas done the two once," said Joanna, with 

 an amount of pride she rarely displayed in her partner, 

 again going on as if he was not present ; " and he had 

 a try for the third, and came home very much elated 

 about it, though it was unsuccessful." 



*' Well done, my own uncle," said Miss Flo, who 

 had been an interested listener ; ^' go on and win. I 

 know which is the hardest feat of the three, and I'll 

 tell you how I'll help you. On some selected October 

 morning when you are cubbing, I shall get old Geordie 

 Mathieson as gillie, and I shall thrash the water all 

 day till I hook a fish. If I can't hook him legiti- 

 mately, I shall rake and sniggle until I do get him, 

 and we'll have him ready for you to land after you 

 have killed your cub and shot your grouse." 



*' Capital ! " exclaimed Billy, who had been gazing 

 at her with rapt admiration during all the time the 

 girl was speaking ; '^ that would almost make a cer- 

 tainty of it ; and I don't mind coming with you ; 

 but to ' mak siccar,' when we hook him we'll just 

 land him, and then put a line through his gills and 

 hitch him up to a tree till the great man comes to 

 land him, eh ? " 



*^And this is the hero who only last night dis- 

 puted the sentiment that all was fair in love and 

 sport, and held that all sport should be played 



