freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 205
PETER
ASH GEDEN
LUCK
working on?” asked Pete. “ N ah ,” s ai d B i l l. “ N o t h i n g i n t h e re
a nyway.” “Nothing in there ! Yo u m us t b e jo ki n g , o f c o u r s e ,” s a i d
Pe te. “Only this afternoon wh i le re p a i r i n g t h e ro o f o f t h e o l d
h o use, I could clearly see g re at fa t b lu e- b a cke d s h a p e s m ov i n g
u p and down the cen tre of t h e la ke , an d eve ry s o o f te n a g re a t
f i s h would leap, landing ba c k wi t h a t hu n d e ro u s s p la s h .”
By now, Bill’s ears had pr i c ke d u p , a n d h i s p u p i l s h a d d i l ate d
l i ke a five- year-old’s o n si gh ti n g h i s f i r s t i ce c re a m. “ I t h o u gh t
t h at old lake had drained a n d d r i ed u p ye ar s a g o , l e t a l o n e s t i l l
h a d fish in it ,” said B ill. “Wh a t so r t o f f i s h wo u ld yo u s ay t h ey
were then?” asked Pete. “Fro m wh at yo u te ll m e , Pe te , I ’ d s ay
t h ey were blooming great ca r p ,” re p li e d B i ll , l i c k i n g h i s l i p s
a t the sudden thought of a c ha n c e to s t i ck a n u m b e r s i x h o o k
i n to one of their mouths. “A ny c ha n c e o f a l o oks e e to m o rrow ? ”
a s ked Bill. “Yeah, why no t ? ” s ai d Pe te . “ Co m e to th e h o u s e
a t one; it’s my lunch break t he n , yo u s ee .” “ Wo n’ t t h e ow n e r
m i nd?” asked Bill. “Nah, no b o dy l ive s t he re a ny m o re – to o
ex pensive to heat in winte r, s o t hey m ove d to a s m a l l er h o u s e
i n town; there’s no need to wo r ry o n t h at s co re ,” re p l i e d Pe te .
“ O key dokey then, I’ll take yo u up o n t h at o f fe r, Pe te . I m u s t
l e ave you now, or I’ll have to a n swe r to t he m i s s u s. I ’ l l s e e yo u
to morrow at one then,” sa i d B i ll a s he p u t o n h i s j a c ke t . Pe te
s t ayed and ordered anothe r p i n t a f te r s ay i ng g o o d bye to B i l l .
Bill awoke the following m o r n i n g e a rl i er t h a n u s u a l a f te r
what had been a fitful sle ep dre am i n g o f t h e g re a t f i s h h e
m i ght see later in the day. H e lo o ke d a t t he c l o c k , s aw t h at i t
was eight o’clock and then gl an c e d a t t h e e m p t y s p a c e b e s i d e
h i m. Suddenly he rememb e re d t ha t t he m i ss u s h a d to ld h i m
ye sterday that she was goi n g i n to tow n e arly to g e t t h e b e s t o f
t h e goods at a closin g dow n s a le a t o n e o f th e b i g s to re s . G o o d ,
FR E ELINE 75
