A Ticket to Adventure / A Mystery Story for Girls

morning. There was a threat of rain. From time to time, lik

ry at that big old sal

he hills, with its ends boarded up. It leaked, and it steered like

ddle, then went gliding out across the gray, rippling water. Qui

Once her heart skipped a beat. A strike! No, only a weed. She had come too near

the lake. Going to rain, all right. Clouds were closing

mething very like a sle

t h

ee! No." H

pull. Then again a slack lin

tle slack. Her hand gripped the line

u," she

ut the rod and reel? They were mere playthings. Bought for perch and rock

lake. Not that she minded a ducking. She was a powerful swimmer. But could one land a salmon that way? She doubted this. And she did

The reel was pitifully small. She had not done a doz

e rod between her knees and pressing har

breathed,

capable hands into the task, she reeled in u

y! But look! You're up, head, tail

own and away. Once again the reel sang. Once

egan to move. "He's heading for th

ned ground. Deep under the surface were pike-weeds. She k

hoe, she seized the paddle an

from the boat. This move gave the line a sudden slack. The boat shot sidewise and all but overturned. In a desperate effo

et you if I have

e air as well as the water. There was the sound of heavy drumming overh

Seizing the line, she began pulling it in hand over hand. This was a desperate measure;

a sudden, the thunder of some powerful motor overhead grew louder. St

ter. What a fish! Thirty yards away, perhaps, now t

The fish, in a last mad effort to escape, leaped full three feet in air. This

bulk loomed out of the clouds to come racin

ped. Closing her eyes, sh

f the plane sank deep. Fortunately, they passed some

her first thought was of the fish. No u

t moment a young aviator was peeri

e!" he beamed. "I

going? You cut my line. I lost my

an exciting sort of way. "But I say!" he exclaimed, "I'll fix that. I've a whole l

tter." Florence climbed upon a ponto

-hewn table, the Hughes family, Florence, and the young aviator. Seven candles winked and blinked on the broad board. At

"How did you get it?" the word

o the mountains for fish and game. Just left a party up there. Going back in a week. It's w

" she he

his eyes swept t

me." It was Mark who spoke. "We're new her

ned to add, "I'm not

shed back. "I'm in this game the sam

p here is the time for adventure." He was looking now at Mary, whose

leet driven by the rain or was it some spirit tapping a message, t

y. Florence and Mary went back to their work, but things were not q

ore feast. Fortunately, one who works hard may enjoy a feast every day in the year and never waste much time. Truth is, o