, unbuckled the reins and made him fast to a stout
birch. He bent his head and began to pull big mouthfuls of the rich
grass. He, too, was evidently glad to accept my invitation.

When I returned to my camping ground I found the basket unpacked and the
young lady arranging the eatables.

"You shouldn't have done that," I said. "I am the host here."

She did not look up. "Don't bother the table maid," she observed,
briskly. "That fire is not kindled yet."

I lit the fire and, going over to the bushes, selected two of the fish,
a bass and a pickerel. I carried them down to the shore of the pond and
began cleaning them, using my jacknife and a flat stone. I was nearing
the end of the operation when she came over to watch.

"Why are you doing that?" she asked. "You are not going to cook
them--now--are you?"

"I am going to try," I replied.

"But how? You haven't anything to cook them in."

"I don't need it. You don't appreciate the conveniences of this hotel,
Miss Colton. There! now we're ready."

I rose, washed my hands in the pond, and picked up two other flat
stones, large ones, which I had previously put aside. These I carried
to the fire and, raking aside the burning logs with a stick, laid the
stones in a bed of hot coals.

"Those are our frying pans," I informed her. "When they are hot enough
they will cook the fish. At least, I hope they will. Now for the
coffee."

But she waved me aside. "The coffee is my affair," she said. "I insist
upon making the coffee. Oh, you need not look at me like that. I am not
altogether useless. I studied Domestic Science--a little--in my prep
school course. As much as I studied anything else," laughingly.

"But--"

"Mr. Paine, I am not on horseback now and you can't hold my bridle as
you did Don's. If you will fill the coffee pot and put it on to boil.
Thank you. I am glad to see that even you obey orders, sometimes."

I had cooked fish in out-of-door fashion often before, but I am quite
sure I never took such pains as I did with these. They were not culinary
triumphs, even at that, but my guest was kind enough to pronounce them
delicious. The lunch basket contained two plates, but only one knife
and fork. These I insisted upon her using and I got on very well
with sharpened sticks and a spoon. The coffee was--well, it had one
qualification, strength.

We conversed but little during the meal. The young lady said she was too
hungry to talk and I was so confounded with