Well, she was reeling in as hard as her small and delicate wrist was able to do—and in truth she was too bewildered to feel excited; and above all other earthly things was she anxious that she shouldn’t show herself a fool, or scream, or let the thing go—when all at once the handle of the reel seemed to be whipped from her grasp; there was a long whirring shriek of the line; she could hear somewhere a mighty splash (though she dared not look at anything but what was in her hands), and at the same moment she fancied Ronald said, with a quiet laugh— ’We’ve beat them this time—a clean fish!’ ’Do you think we’ll get him?’ she said breathlessly. ’We’ll hold on to him as long as he holds on to us,’ Ronald said; and she heard him add to himself, ’I would rather than five shillings we got the first fish!’ ’But this thing is so heavy!’ she pleaded. ’Never mind—that’s right—that’s right—keep a good strain on him—we’ll soon bring him to his senses.’ Again there was a sudden slackening of the line; and this time she actually saw the animal as it sprang into the air—a white gleaming curved thing—but instantly her attention was on the reel. ’That’s it—you’re doing fine,’ he said, with an intentional quietude of tone, so that she might not get over-nervous and make a mistake. Then he made her stand up, and fortunately the coble was rocking but little; and he moved her left hand a little higher up the rod, so that she should have better leverage; and she did all that she was bid mutely and meekly, though her arm was already beginning to feel the heavy strain. She vowed to herself that so long as she could draw a breath she would not give in. The other boat was passing—but of course at a respectful distance. ’Hold on to him, Carry!’ her father called. She paid no heed. She dared not even look in his direction. The fish seemed to be following up the coble now, and it was all that the slender wrist could do to get in the line so as to keep the prescribed curve on the rod. And then she had to give way again; for the salmon went steadily and slowly down—boring and sulking—and they pulled the boat away a bit, lest he should suddenly come to the surface and be after some dangerous cantrip. She took advantage of this period of quiet to pass the rod from her left hand to her right; and that relieved her arm a little; and she even ventured to say— ’How long is he going on like this?’ ’We’ll give him his own time, Miss,’ Ronald said. ’Don’t call me Miss,’ she said, with a little vexation. ’I—I beg your pardon—what then?’ ’Oh, anything you like. Mind you catch me if I fall into the water.’