"as I can testify, but
boats don't grow in the Rocky Mountains this high up. You'll have to
try it from the shore."

"But could we not make a raft? I see some pretty good cedar timber
lying along here. And I've got some hay-wire in my war-bag--I never
travel without it." Rob was eager.

"And a very good thing it is to have in camp, too. Well, try your raft
if you like, but be careful."

All three of the young Alaskans, more experienced than most boys of
their age in outdoor work, now fell at the task of making themselves a
raft or float. Soon they had half a dozen cedar logs lying side by
side in the shallow water, their limbs trimmed off closely with the
axes. Under Rob's instructions they now lashed two crosspieces on top
of the logs, using the wire to bind them fast to each. So in the
course of half an hour they had quite a substantial raft ready for
use. Securing a couple of long poles to use as push-poles, they set
boldly out into the shallow bay that lay before them. They took only
one rod along, assigning to John the task of doing the angling while
the others endeavored to keep the raft steady.

"This is as far as we can go," said Rob after a while. "Fifteen feet
of water, and my pole won't touch any longer."

"Well, it looks fishy," said John. "Hold on, fellows, and I'll begin
to cast."

He did so, standing as best he could on the uncertain footing under
which the green water, clear as glass, showed the sandy bottom plainly
below them. Ordinarily it would have been impossible to catch trout in
water so clear, but the trout of the Yellowhead Lake at that time were
hungry and unskilled. Therefore John had hardly cast a dozen times
before he saw a great splash and felt a heavy tug at his line. As a
matter of fact, a four-pound rainbow had taken the fly.

"My, he's a whopper!" said John, as he struck, and endeavored to stop
the first rush of the big fish.

But he scarcely finished his last words, for as he stepped back in his
excitement, his foot slipped on the wet bark of one of the logs, and
over he went backward into the deep green water underneath!

It happened so quickly that neither Rob nor Jesse for the moment could
understand it. They could see their companion clearly in the water,
struggling and twisting as he went down, and surrounded on all sides
by a mass of white bubbles, which almost obscured him from view.

"Look out, there!" cried Uncle Dick, from shore, who had seen it all
perfectly. At