A Little Miss and a Big Fish 



of her hands standing out as though they would come 

 through the flesh. Her thumb was locked around the 

 reel-handle so that the only force able to move it 

 would be a charge of dynamite. There was a great 

 splash. The rod bent and bent, and bent, and then 

 came back with a snap, while the line hung limp. Laura 

 looked at her line dazedly, as though she had just 

 awakened from a deep sleep, and blinked her eyes. 

 Daddy's face was a picture of disappointment and 

 wrath. He put down the gaff, and picked up his oars. 

 Let us pass over what was said. 



We now knew there were fish running that day, 

 so we kept pulling our lines anxiously and holding 

 the rods instead of putting them in their holders as 

 they had been previously. Daddy swept back and 

 forth, time and time again, over the spot where we 

 had come across Laura's fish. The forenoon was 

 rapidly passing away, and my brother, who would be 

 home for the afternoon, would take our place in the 

 boat with Daddy. 



Finally Daddy said it was time to go home. I think 

 my face must have mirrored my dejection, for he 

 stopped and looked at me, and then kindly said we 

 would go up to the head of the island and down its side 

 once more. I brightened immediately and started to 

 sing my war song to the tune of " Floating Down the 

 Old Green River " and had just reached the last two 

 lines, " and I had to drink the whole Willamette dry 



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