market
for fish, except that there was nothing to pay for them. As fast as a
line could be thrown, and its little silvery trap set a whirling, the
hook was seized by some trout or other, large or small. Some of them
were so heavy as to test the toughness of the upper joints of the rods,
and now Two Arrows made a discovery. He had watched Sile work his reel
until he had caught the secret of it, and could let a strong fish run a
little before he drew him in. It was an idea that suited him exactly,
and it made the fun more exciting.

"I say," exclaimed Sile, before a great while, "they're awful eaters,
but they can't use up all we've got now. Let's just string 'em, and ride
back to camp."

The movements of his hands, along with his words, explained his meaning,
and Two Arrows pulled in his last fish with an "Ugh! good," for answer.
He was doing one thing more rapidly than anybody had an idea of. He was
a born "linguist," as many Indians are, and he was gathering words of
English at a great rate. He was not sure he could yet utter correctly
quite a number that he fully understood on hearing them, and his pride
forbade him to make blunders. His trouble was with his tongue and not
with his ears, as many an older fellow has found when he undertook to
make a speech before critical people.

The camp was all astir when they rode in, and the coffee-pot was already
upon the fire.

"That's the checker, my boy," said Yellow Pine, when he saw the fish.
"We sha'n't do any starving. Let your horse feed a while, and then you
and he go for some fresh meat. Look at _them!"_

There was a great grin upon his face as he pointed at Judge Parks and
the miners. The judge had taken up a heavy hammer and was busily
breaking masses of quartz to examine their quality, and the men had
again gone at their building.

"Nary one of 'em's eaten a mouthful," said Pine, just as a chopper
rested from his work to shout,

"We'll have enough shingles rived for the roof by the time them fellers
gits their wall up;" and another said,

"Pine, that there clay-bank by the spring's the very best kind. It's
most as good as mortar."

"'Tis if you temper it well," said Pine. "Call 'em to breakfast.
There'll be fish br'iled and ready in no time."

Ha-ha-pah-no and Na-tee-kah each had a frying-pan, and the fish were put
in as fast as they were cleaned, but some of the men could not wait for
that. They insisted upon cleaning and cooking for themselves, for, as