more
crackers and tomatoes, and not very much of that."

"I'll have a look outside first," said Rob, crawling over to the door
and pushing it open. "I say, it's a fine day! You can see the mountains
all around as clear as you please. Wherever we are, it's a big country
at least."

"What was that I heard just now?" exclaimed John, joining him at the
door; "it sounded like a splash."

They both crawled out of the door and stood up where they could see the
surface of the lagoon, which lay but a few yards distant from the front
of the hut. Sure enough, a series of spreading wrinkles marked the
water.

"Must have been a fish," said John. "There he goes again!"

Even as he spoke Rob had left him and was running to the edge of the
water. "Salmon!" he cried. "Salmon! I thought so. Now we're all right!"

These were Alaska boys, and a run of salmon was nothing new to them,
although it is something never failing of interest no matter how
often one sees it. The three now gathered at the shallow water a short
distance below the 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 coming of the fish. Suddenly one
of these made a swift dart from its poise high in the air, straight as
an arrow, and flinging the water in every direction as it struck.
Struggling, it rose again with a great fish in its talons.

"He's got _his_ breakfast, anyhow," said John, ruefully. "But now how
are we going to get ours?"

"Run to the boat, John," said Rob. "I remember seeing some cod-lines
with big hooks under the back seat. Must have belonged to those natives.
You bring me those hooks while I hunt for a pole."

Excitedly they all now began to see what might be done toward making a
salmon-gaff such as Indians use; for all these boys knew 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 red salmon, fish of about eight
or ten pounds in weight, which in that part of the world are never known
to take any kind of lure.

In a few minutes Rob, having found a longish pole in the grass near by,
had hurriedly bound with a piece of cod-line the three large hooks at
the end so that they made a gang or gaff. Taking this, and rolling up
his trousers high as he could, he waded into the shallow, ice-cold
water.

"Whe