soft silk neckerchief, knotted with care.

"Do not let us ever go away from here!" she cried, and ran to him as he
came. They sat long together at breakfast, breathing the morning breath
of the earth that was fragrant with woodland moisture and with the
pines. After the meal he could not prevent her helping him make
everything clean. Then, by all customs of mountain journeys, it was time
they should break camp and be moving before the heat of the day. But
first, they delayed for no reason, save that in these hours they so
loved to do nothing. And next, when with some energy he got upon his
feet and declared he must go and drive the horses in, she asked, Why?
Would it not be well for him to fish here, that they might be sure of
trout at their nooning? And though he knew that where they should stop
for noon, trout would be as sure as here, he took this chance for more
delay.

She went with him to his fishing rock, and sat watching him. The rock
was tall, higher than his head when he stood. It jutted out halfway
across the stream, and the water flowed round it in quick foam, and fell
into a pool. He caught several fish; but the sun was getting high, and
after a time it was plain the fish had ceased to rise.

Yet still he stood casting in silence, while she sat by and watched him.
Across the stream, the horses wandered or lay down in their pasture. At
length he said with half a sigh that perhaps they ought to go.

"Ought?" she repeated softly.

"If we are to get anywhere to-day," he answered.

"Need we get anywhere?" she asked.

Her question sent delight through him like a flood. "Then you do not
want to move camp to-day?" said he.

She shook her head.

At this he laid down his rod and came and sat by her. "I am very glad we
shall not go till to-morrow," he murmured.

"Not to-morrow," she said. "Nor next day. Nor any day until we must."
And she stretched her hands out to the island and the stream exclaiming,
"Nothing can surpass this!"

He took her in his arms. "You feel about it the way I do," he almost
whispered. "I could not have hoped there'd be two of us to care so
much."

Presently, while they remained without speaking by the pool, came a
little wild animal swimming round the rock from above. It had not seen
them, nor suspected their presence. They held themselves still, watching
its alert head cross through the waves quickly and come down through
the pool, and so swim to the other side. There it came o