d his face, and went on: "Of course we will get out of here
before long, someway," he said. "Meanwhile, we will have to make the
best living here we can. If we ever get this man to a white settlement,
where we can find out who and what he is, why, then, we can pay him for
his time, if it should prove that he is only an innocent native hunting
away from his village. On the other hand, if he turns out to be a
criminal of any kind, then we've had a right to arrest him, and can't
get into any trouble over it."

"It's a pretty rough joke on him," said John, "if he hasn't done
anything wrong. He acts as though he had been here before. For all we
can tell, he may own this house that we've taken over for ourselves. The
only thing sure is that he's a better hand in camp than we are, the way
things stand now. I'm for keeping him and letting him work. My folks'll
pay him whatever is right, if it comes to that; and you never saw an
Aleut who wasn't glad to get hold of a little money, I'll warrant that."

"Well," said Rob, "we'll let it stand that way. And now, as the night
seems to be about half done, suppose you and Jess keep watch together
and let me take a little nap. If one of you gets sleepy the other can
waken him. I suppose there's no use tying that man again, for he's got
teeth like a beaver."

The Aleut made no further disturbance during the long hours of waiting,
which seemed endless to the two young watchers. At last, however, the
light grew stronger in the dark interior of the barabbara. John
announced his entire willingness to eat breakfast, and, pushing open the
door, motioned for the Aleut to go and get some wood. Without any
resistance the man did as he was bid, shaking the remaining thong off
his wrist with a grin. They finished their breakfast of bear meat and
tea, the prisoner seeming immensely to enjoy the biscuits which the boys
offered him as pay in return for his contribution of tea.

"Now, what's on the programme for to-day?" asked John, finally. "It
certainly looks as though we ought to take care of all that meat."

"Yes," assented Rob. "We'll see if we can't dry some of it, at least.
Suppose you go on down the creek, John, and keep the crows and eagles
away from the meat, while the rest of us bring the boat down the beach
and into the mouth of the creek. That'll give us plenty of boat room to
bring up quite a cargo of meat to the camp here."

"There's another thing we ought to do," said John, "and tha