Fairview boys on a ranch, or, Riding with the cowboys - Tim And Angi

86 FAIRVIEW BOYS ON A RANCH
They thanked her and gaily made their preparations. They
had not brought reels or rods with them from home, but it
was easy enough to rig up a sufficient number of lines and
hooks. They dug up a big can of bait and after a hearty
breakfast mounted their horses and rode off.
They raced their horses, laughed and shouted, and acted
The five miles were
altogether like a party of young maniacs.
covered almost before they knew it, and they found themselves
on the border of the little river they sought.
It was a small stream not more than thirty feet wide at any
place and narrowing sometimes to ten. It ranged in depth
from two feet to five. The almost impossibility of being
drowned in it was one of the reasons that had led Mrs. Claxton
to let them go so readily.
''I wonder what the name of this river is," said Frank, as
they leaped from their horses' backs and led them to near-by
trees to tie
them.
*'Bill said it didn't have any regular name," replied Bob.
"In that case we'll name it ourselves," grinned George.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," suggested Sammy. "The one
that catches the first fish will have the right to name the
river."
"That's a go," agreed Bob, "and I'm going to be the one."
"Don't crow too soon," warned Frank. "I don't see any
medals on you as a fisherman."
"If you fellows don't stop your chinning, you'll
scare the
fish away and none of us will be able to catch anything,"
warned George.
"And then the poor old river will have to go without a name
a little longer," mocked the irrepressible Sammy.
George tried to squelch him with a look but with no success.