ore, and they were disappointed in the
prospect presented by the steep walls of barren cliff and the sunless
gloom.

"Seems ter me we may as well leave our traps in the canoe," said Rube.
"There ain't much chance of findin' any game where there's no bush for
the wild critters ter hide, an' no herbage for the little 'uns ter feed
on."

"It's the kind of place where our guns'll be of more use than the
traps," Kiddie added. "I c'n make out a beaten track winding down
among the rocks there. 'Tain't a human footpath, I reckon. Guess it
was made by mountain goats, antelopes, deer, foxes, wolves, an' even
buffalo, comin' down t' th' water for their evenin' drink. Have a
close look, an' see if you can distinguish any footprints."

Rube examined the ground at various points, particularly near the
water, where it was moist.

"Quite right, Kiddie," he reported. "It's sure a water trail. I made
out the tracks of a bear and a lynx; an' thar's heaps of others that
might be any of the critters you've named."

"There's birds as well," said Kiddie, "eagles, hawks, wild turkeys,
grouse."

"I've never seen a eagle close at hand," Rube regretted. "I want to,
badly. Did y' ever shoot one, Kiddie?"

"No, I've no use f'r a dead eagle. Caught one in a fox-trap once, in
Lost Man's Gulch. Hadn't visited that trap for several days. When I
went to it, there was a fine male eagle in it, an' all round about were
the remains of rabbits an' birds. Couldn't make out at first just how
that trapped eagle had gotten so much food. The rabbits an' lambs an'
grouse didn't sure go up an' ask him ter kill an' eat them, and thar
wasn't any humans near to take pity on him. Well, I watched from a
distance, an' after a while I see the eagle's mate fly down an' give
him a cub fox. That's how it had been all the time."

"Say, what did you do then, Kiddie?" Rube asked.

"Went an' opened the trap an' came away with two fine tail feathers and
a nasty scratch on the arm," Kiddie answered, turning from the canoe to
search for a suitable pitch for the camp.

He found a good place on a stretch of sloping ground between two high
rocks at the edge of the lake, and in a very little time the teepee was
erected, a fire well kindled, and the camp in order.

Their store of food had been almost exhausted on the island, where they
had not set their traps and had caught only fish. They still had
abundance of flour, however, as well as tea, sugar, tinned