this may be, and--ah, stoopid! Missed him!" cried Joses,
after making a tremendous stab at a salmon.

"Well, Joses?"

Well! no, it wasn't well. He thought he must have a good swim, and so
he took off his clothes, laid his rifle up against the trunk of a big
pine-tree, and in he went, and began splashing about in the beautiful
cool clear water, which seemed to soften his skin, and melt off quite a
nasty salt crust that had made him itchy and almost mad for days.

Well, this was so good that he swam farther and farther, till he swam
right across to where the stream ran fast right under the steep rock,
not so big as this, but still so big and steep that a man could not have
climbed up it at the best of times, and--"Got him, my lad?" he
exclaimed, as he saw Bart make a vigorous thrust with his spear.

"Yes, I have him," cried Bart, excitedly, as he struggled with the
vigorous fish, a large one of fourteen or fifteen pounds' weight, one
which he successfully drew upon the rocks, and after gloating over its
silvery beauty, carried to the shore, returning just in time to see
Joses strike down his fish-spear, and drag out a fish a little larger
than the first one caught.

"That's a fine one, Master Bart," growled Joses, as he set off to step
from stone to stone to the bank, while Bart, eager and excited, stood
with poised spear, gazing intently down into the clear depths for the
next beauty that should come within his reach.

Just then one came up stream, saw the danger impending, and went off
like a flash through the water, turning slightly on his side and showing
his great silvery scales.

"Too late for him, Joses," cried Bart.

"Ah, you must be sharp with them, my lad, I can tell you," cried his
companion. "Well, as I was telling of you, the rock on the opposite
side of the river rose up like a wall, and there was just a shelf of
stone big enough for a man to land on before he tried to swim back.
Those stones, too, were right in the sunshine, and the wall behind them
was just the same, and they'd be nice and warm."

"How do you know, Joses?"

"How do I know? because I've swum across that river often, and it's very
cold--so cold that you're glad to get out and have a good warm on the
rocks before you try to swim back. Got him again?"

"Yes," replied Bart, who had made a successful thrust. "Only a small
one though."

"Not so bad, my lad; not so bad. He's a good eight or nine pounds.
Well, as I was telling