Page 47 - A Little Bush Maid

"Tt’s not often they don’t bite here," Jim said.

"Well, it looks a good enough place for anything--if we can’t catch fish
here, we won’t be up to much as anglers," Harry said.

"You’ve been here before, haven’t you, Norah?" Wally asked.

"Oh, yes; ever so many times."

"Father and Norah have great fishing excursions on their own," said Jim.
"They take a tent and camp out for two or three days with Billy as general
flunkey. T don’t know how many whales they haven’t caught at this place.

They know the Bend as well as any one."

"Well, T guess we’d better take off the saddles and get to work," said Norah,
slipping off Bobs and patting his neck before undoing the girth. The boys
followed her example and soon the saddles were safely stowed in the shade.

Then Jim turned with a laugh.

"Well, we are duffers," he said. "Can’t do a thing till Billy turns up. He’s got
all the hooks and lines, all the bait, all the hobbles, all the everything!"

"Whew-w!" whistled the boys.

"Well, it doesn’t matter," Norah said cheerfully. "There’s lots to do. We can
hang up the ponies while we hunt for rods. You boys have got your strong
knives, haven’t you?"

They had, and immediately scattered to work. The ponies having been tied

securely under a grove of saplings, the search for rods began, and soon four
long straight sticks were obtained with the necessary amount of
"springiness." Then they hunted for a suitable camping-ground, where

lunch might be eaten without too much disturbance from flies and
mosquitoes, and gathered a good supply of dry sticks for a fire.

"Billy ought to bless us, anyhow," Jim grinned.