he
creek.

For some distance they did not need to conceal themselves; then their
leader took them along the edge of the creek, where their heads would
not show above the grass. Thus following down the stream, and carefully
peering over the banks at each bend, they worked along until they were
perhaps three or four hundred yards above the big salmon pool and near
to a flat piece of water which extended above it. Rob raised a warning
finger.

"Listen!" he hissed.

They could hear it now distinctly--heavy splashing in the water, broken
with low, grumbling whines in a deep, throaty voice, something like what
one may hear in a circus at feeding-time. Once in a while a squeak or a
bawl came from one of the cubs. Rob laughed. From his position near the
top of the bank he could now see the picture before him.

The old mother was sitting on her haunches out in the middle of the
stream, with a cub on either side of her. She was trying to teach them
to fish. Once in a while she would make a sudden, cat-like stroke with
her long forearm, and almost always would throw out a fine salmon on the
bank. Toward this the cubs would start in their hunger, but the old
lady, reproving them for their eagerness, would then cuff them soundly
on the head, knocking them sprawling over in the water, to their very
great disgust. Once in a while one of them, his ears tight to his head,
would sit down in the water, lift up his nose and complain bitterly at
this hard treatment. Then again he would make a half-hearted stroke at
some of the fish which he could see swimming about him; but his short
claws would not hold like the long, curved ones of his mother, and no
fish rewarded the efforts of either of the cubs. The boys lost all sense
of fear in watching this amusing scene, which they studied for some
minutes. They really lost their best opportunity for stalking their
game, because presently the old grizzly changed her mind and led the way
out to the bank where several fish were lying flapping. Upon these they
all fell eagerly, grunting and grumbling, and now and again fighting
among themselves.

Rob turned toward his friends. "Quick now!" he whispered, sternly, and
led the way, crawling into the high grass which would afford them cover
for a closer approach to their game. The hearts of all of them now were
throbbing wildly, and probably each one doubted his ability to do good
shooting. Something, however, led them on, and although Rob saw two p