ing, and he knew that a fine fish had been landed. Presently a
second thump came to his ear, and, glancing through the bushes, he saw
Tom taking the fish off the hook, a look of intense satisfaction on his
face. Then the silent fisherman threw in the line again and leaned back
luxuriously against the trunk of a tree, while he waited for his third
bite. Paul smiled. He knew that Silent Tom was happy, happy because he
had prepared for and was achieving a necessary task.

Paul went on in a circuit about the fisherman, crossing the creek lower
down, where it was narrower, on a fallen log, and discovered no sign of
a foe, though he did come to a bed of wild flowers, the delicate pale
blue of which pleased him so much that he broke off two blossoms and
thrust them into his deerskin tunic. Then he came back to Silent Tom, to
find that he had caught four fine large fish, and, having thrown away
his pole, was winding up his line.

"'Nuff," said the silent one.

"I think so, too," said Paul, "and now we'll hurry back with 'em."

"Look like a flower garden, you!"

"If I do I'm glad of it."

"Like it myself."

"I know you do, Tom. I know that however you may appear, and that
however fierce and warlike you may be at times, your character rests
upon a solid bedrock of poetry."

Tom stared and then smiled, and by this time the two had returned with
their spoils to a little valley in which a little fire was burning, with
the blaze smothered already, but a fine bed of coals left. The fish were
cleaned with amazing quickness, and then Long Jim broiled them in a
manner fit for kings. The five ate hungrily, but with due regard for
manners.

"You're a good fisherman, Tom Ross," said Shif'less Sol, "but it ought
to be my job."

"Why?"

"'Cause it's the job o' a lazy man. I reckon that all fishermen,
leastways them that fish in creeks an' rivers, are lazy, nothin' to do
but set still an' doze till a fish comes along an' hooks hisself on to
your bait. Then you jest hev to heave him in an' put the hook back in
the water ag'in."

"There's enough of the fish left for another meal," said Henry, "and I
think we'd better put it in our packs and be off."

"You still favor a retreat into the north?" said Paul.

"Yes, and toward the northeast, too. We'll go in the direction of Piqua
and Chillicothe, their big towns. As we've concluded over and over
again, the offensive is the best defensive, and we'll push it to the
utmost. What's yo