o hide her anxiety from her companions the next morning
when plans were made for a fishing trip. All but Mercy joined in this
outing. They went on snowshoes to the far end of the island, keeping on
the beach under the huge cliffs, to a little cove where they would be
sheltered and where the fishing was supposed to be good.

Preston, the foreman, went with them. He and the boys dragged a bobsled
well laden with the paraphernalia considered necessary for fishing through
the ice.

First the holes were cut--thirteen of them. Then, near each hole, and on
the windward side, two stakes were set about four feet apart and a square
of canvas lashed between them for a wind-break. A folding campstool had
been brought for each fisherman and "fishergirl," and there were a lot of
old sacks for the latter, especially, to put under their feet as they
watched the "bobbers" in the little pool of water before which they sat.

After Preston saw them well started, he went back to the house. The crowd
intended to remain until evening, and planned to make their dinner on the
shore of the cove, frying some of the fish they expected to catch, and
making coffee in a battered camp pot that had been brought along.

The fish were there, as the foreman had assured them. Each member of the
party watched and baited two lines. At first some of the girls had
considerable trouble with the bait, and the boys had to show them how to
put it on the hook; but it was fun, and soon all were interested in
pulling out the flopping fish, vying with each other in the catch,
calling back and forth about their luck, and having a splendid time.

It was so cold that the fish froze almost as soon as they were thrown upon
the ice. Had they been catching for shipment, the fish could have been
boxed and sent some distance by express without being iced.

But the young folk did not mind the cold much, nor the fact that the sun
did not shine and the clouds grew thicker as the day advanced.

"I'm going to beat you all!" declared The Fox, after a great run of luck,
in which she could scarcely bait rapidly enough to satisfy the ravenous
fish. "Might as well award me the laurel wreath right now."

"Don't you be too sure," drawled Heavy. "You know, 'He laughs best who
laughs last.'"

"Wrong!" returned Mary Cox. "The true quotation should be, 'He laughs best
whose laugh lasts.' And mine is going to last--oh-he! here comes another!"

Tom and Ruth got the dinner. There was pl