Yet, as I say, he does occasionally speak of fish and
fishing, and amongst other matters, concerning live frogs as bait,
after describing the properest method of impaling one upon the hook,
he ends with this injunction:
Treat it as though you loved it, that it may live the longer!
Up till now the frog had preserved his polite attentiveness in a
manner highly creditable to his upbringing, but this proved too
much; his over-charged feelings burst from him in a hoarse croak,
and he disappeared into the river with a splash.
"Good-afternoon, Uncle Dick!" said a voice at my elbow, and looking
round, I beheld Dorothy. Beneath one arm she carried the fluffy
kitten, and in the other hand a scrap of paper.
"I promised Reginald to give you this," she continued, "and - oh
yes - I was to say 'Hist!' first."
"Really! And why were you to say 'Hist' ?"
"Oh, because all Indians always say 'Hist!' you know."
"To be sure they do," I answered; "but am I to understand that you
are an Indian?"
"Not ta-day," replied Dorothy, shaking her head. "Last time
Reginald painted me Auntie was awfull' angry - it took her and nurse
ages to get it all off - the war-paint, I mean - so I'm afraid I
can't be an Indian again!"
"That's very unfortunate!" I said.
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