The Young Alaskans
ndly. When at length Rob awoke he saw that the sun was shining brightly down through the
fast, John," sa
"at least, nothing but more crackers an
pushing it open. "I say, it's a fine day! You can see the mountains all ar
exclaimed John, joining him at the
surface of the lagoon, which lay but a few yards distant from the front
ish," said John. "T
ing to the edge of the water. "Salmon!" he cri
e hut. All along the creek crows and ravens were flying in great flocks. From the heavy grove of cotton-wood beyond the creek there arose several great birds, soaring majestically across-eagles-also interested in the comin
," said John, ruefully. "But no
ines with big hooks under the back seat. Must have belonged to t
very well that the Alaska salmon will not take any sort of a bait or lure when they are ascending a stream; and these were the r
h a piece of cod-line the three large hooks at the end so that they made a gang or gaff. Taking
e asked of the others,
ere's a school comi
e. Presently, as he looked into the water directly at his feet, he could see scores of large, ghostly looking creatures, pale green or silvery, passing slowly by him, some of them so close as almost to touch his legs as he stood motionless. Once or twice he struck with his gaff,this way-throw in some
of a mass of confused fish. A quick jerk, and he had a fine, fat fish fast, and the next
Rob. "They may not
he bush, and thus in a few minutes he
"What do you think of the chanc
already had a couple of
tch a lot of these fat ones and split them open the way the Indians d
ish when we have the chance, because no one
ng till after breakfast
t's build a little fire and, since we have no frying-pan as
missed the salt to which they were accustomed, they made a good breakfast from sal
matches, and we must not waste one if we can help it. We'll look around after awhile and see if we can sca
ed and contented. "Suppose we walk down
low sea-wall which has earlier been mentioned. The creek here turned in sharply toward the foot of the mountain, and across from where the boys stood a sheer rock wall rose several hundred feet. This shut off the view
At the last angle of the stream, where it turned against the rock wall, there was a pool perhaps fifty feet across and twenty feet in depth, and as the boys looked down into t
want any," said Rob. "We can catch th
so badly off here for a whi
along close above them, to join its kind in the great flocks that circled around above the salmo
e, and every nest with two eggs, and a good many of them good to eat. Do you see
here," said John, p
there, and maybe cross the next creek beyond, and so get out to those rocks on the point below. Or we can lau
creek?" asked Jesse. "We wouldn't have to row more than
We'll do that this very day. Supp
eek again. Suddenly Rob stooped down and parted th
ob?" asked Joh
ooked down eagerly. Rob rose to his knee
at the track of an elephant or a mastodon or som
be an elephant
track of a bear! What Uncle Dick said is true. Loo
quick as we can," said Jesse, anxiousl