Then they cut open two nice trout, and Rob scraped them clean with his knife; and, as soon as the stone was cool enough, they laid them on the hot stone. Oh, how good they smelled as soon as they began to cook, and the fat began to ooze out! When the under side was nice and brown, Rob turned them over with two sticks carefully; and, in a few minutes more, they were done. Then he stuck a pointed stick through the biggest one, and handed it very politely to Nelly, saying:-- "Won't you be helped to some fish, Miss Nelly March?" Nelly held out two pointed sticks to take it; and then she ran round and round with it, for a minute, to cool it; and then she took it by the tail and ate it up in less time than it has taken to write this page. Rob ate his more slowly. "Oh, I wish we had cooked four," said Nelly. Rob looked at his basket. It was not much more than half full. "I can't fish any more," he said: "my fingers hurt so. Don't let's eat up any more. We can have a good supper when we get home. Let's keep all these to sell." "Of course we will, Rob," said Nelly, quite ashamed: "I was a pig." "Pigs don't eat trout, I guess," said Rob laughing. "No," said Nelly; "but they always want more. I was a real pig. Now let's hurry home. I'm afraid we're a long way off." "Well, they know we're fishing," said Rob: "they won't worry. It's good mamma's got over worrying about my falling into the creek." CHAPTER X ROB AND NELLY GO INTO BUSINESS They were indeed a long way from home; much farther than they dreamed. It was past four o'clock when they reached the house, and Mrs. March had begun to be a little anxious about them. She was much pleased when she saw the basket of trout. "Oh, what a nice supper we will have!" she exclaimed. Rob and Nelly looked at each other and at her. "Oh, mamma!" Nelly began, but checked herself at once, and looked again at Rob. "Why, what is the matter, children?" said Mrs. March. "Nothing. You can have them if you want them," said Rob, rather forlornly. "Why, child, what else did you get them for?" exclaimed their mother, who had forgotten all about Rob's plan of selling trout. "To sell," said Rob. "There's as many as four pounds there, I guess: that's most two dollars; but you can have them. I don't care. I'll go get some more to-morrow, if my hand's well." "Oh!" said Mrs. March, "I had forgotten about it. So you mean to be a little fish-merchant, do you?" "Yes. Nelly's an egg-merchant, an egg and butter merchant; and I'm going to be a fish and fruit merchant; and we're going to take care of you and papa that way," said Rob, in an excited tone. "And I was going to begin to-morrow; but I can begin next day, just as well: let's have these for supper; they're splendid; we've cooked two already." The tears came into Mrs. March's eyes.