"Maybe 'twould be a good plan," David agreed.

"Yes," continued Indian Jake, "and then you'll have it all together."

"'Twill make a fine showin' when we has un all together," enthused David.

"Yes," said Indian Jake, "and we can go over it together and see what it's worth."

"We'll fetch un all down here next trip," agreed David. "I'd like t'

see un all laid out together."

"And every trip you'd better bring down what you catch," suggested Indian Jake. "It's better to keep all your fur in one place."

"Aye," said David, "I'm thinkin' 'tis better."

"And will you be bringin' all your fur here too?" asked Andy.

"No," answered Indian Jake, "it's better to keep 'em separate. If I had mine here we might be gettin' 'em mixed, and we wouldn't know which was which. I'll keep mine up to my first tilt."

"I'm thinkin' we'd know all _our_ fur," persisted Andy. "I don't see how we'd be like t' get un mixed."

"There's no tellin' but we would, though," persisted Indian Jake.

"Davy and I knows _our_ fur," insisted Andy. "We've looked at un so many times, and counted out th' price they'll be like t' bring, we'd know un anywhere."

"We'll be gettin' more fur," David explained, "and we may not be able t' tell all til' new fur like we do that we got now."

"No," said Indian Jake, "n.o.body can remember all the fur he gets. I can't tell all mine so I'd know 'em, if they were with others."

"Davy and I could tell ours," again insisted Andy; "th' new uns just like th' old uns, no matter how many we gets."

"We won't mix 'em," and Indian Jake spoke with finality. "I'll leave mine up at my first tilt."

"Aye, that will be best, Andy," said David. "Jake's right about un.

Then we'll just have ours here, and we'll know all we has here is ours, and Jake'll have his separate, and know all he has is his."

Thus the argument ended. No further reference was made to the matter until several weeks later, when David and Andy recalled it vividly, and the earnestness with which Indian Jake had urged his point.

This was in mid-December, and in accordance with the suggestion the boys brought the furs to the Narrows tilt the following Friday. Indian Jake examined them with eagerness. He was interested for their sake in their success, the boys were sure, and this pleased them. In spite of his periods of sullenness, and his reticence, the boys liked him and had faith in him.

"It is a _fine_ catch of fur," declared Indian Jake, when he had carefully inspected each pelt. "Your father'll be proud of you! With what more you'll get before we strike up th' traps in th' spring, there'll be plenty to pay for th' little lad's cure."

"Do you think so, now?" asked David eagerly.

"I'm sure of it," declared Indian Jake. "You lads have made a fine hunt. 'Twould be a fine hunt for any man, and an old hunter, too."

"And we're like t' get as many more, _what_ever, ain't we?" asked Andy enthusiastically.

"Yes," said Indian Jake, "and they'll be prime for some time yet, and bring th' top price."

The boys were made happy indeed by Indian Jake's commendation and valuation of their furs. Indian Jake had a keen eye for furs. He was an acknowledged judge, and his valuation could be relied upon. They never questioned this. It imbued them with new fervor and ambition for their work. It made the toil of it appear less formidable. Thus it is always in life. A word of praise and commendation will often lighten another's burden beyond measure. And success breeds desire for greater success. The higher one climbs, the higher one wishes to climb.

The survey of the pelts placed Indian Jake in a most amiable mood that evening. It was one of the occasions when he threw off his too frequent att.i.tude of sullen silence. He chatted with the boys and told them tales of personal adventure and experiences, while he smoked.

Indeed he had never been so companionable.

"Well, lads," said he at length, "it's time t' turn in. I'm thinkin'

I'll try for some fish tomorrow. I'm gettin' hungry for fish, and they's plenty of 'em in th' lake. We may's well have some."

"Can we get un through th' ice?" asked David eagerly.

"We can make a try for it," said Indian Jake, knocking the ashes from his pipe and filling the stove with wood, preparatory to "turning in."

Accordingly, the following morning after they had eaten breakfast, Indian Jake produced some fish hooks and a cod line from his personal kit, and while David and Andy washed dishes he cut the cod line into three lengths of about thirty feet. To each of these he attached a hook, and just above the hook a leaden snicker. Then, winding the lines separately and neatly upon sticks, he detached several small strips of rind from a piece of pork and baited the hooks. The additional strips of rind he wrapped in a piece of cloth, and thrust them into his pocket.

"There's the fishing outfit all ready; one for each of us," he announced, laying them aside. "There's no use goin', though, till light. They's plenty of time."

"Will we get trout?" asked David.

"No," said Indian Jake. "Whitefish, maybe. Namaycush, maybe. Maybe nothin' but pike. And maybe nothin' at all."

"Oh!" exclaimed Andy expectantly. "I've heard Pop tell about gettin'

wonderful big namaycush out'n th' lakes!"

"I've seen 'em," said Indian Jake, "that would go upwards of forty pound. And I've heard of 'em running close to sixty pound."

"Did you ever get any in Seal Lake like that?" asked David excitedly.

"No; not in Seal Lake," admitted Indian Jake. "But they're here, and we're like t' get 'em. I've been thinkin' that tomorrow week will be Christmas, and if we could get some fish 'twould make a fine change for Christmas dinner from pa'tridges and rabbits."

"'Twould that!" enthused David. "I'm wonderful hungry for fish, too.

But I was forgettin' about Christmas. Up here on th' trails I never thinks of un at all."

"We'll have t' fix up a good feed for Christmas," declared Indian Jake, "and we'll make it out somehow. Even if 'tis only fish."

As soon as it was light, and long before sunrise, the three with their improvised fishing tackle, and each carrying his ax, set forth upon Seal Lake. Indian Jake led the way to a point a half mile from the tilt, and directly above the Narrows.

"We'll cut our holes here," he announced. "Spread out a little and don't cut 'em too near together."

It was no small task. A coating of hard-packed snow was first removed.

Then came the ice, which was now over three feet in thickness. The holes when finished were three feet in diameter at the top, tapering down to a foot and a half at the bottom like a funnel.

"Now," said Indian Jake when all was ready, "we'll see whether we're goin't' get any fish."

David's baited hook had hardly sunk below the surface of the water when he felt a tug, and an instant later he drew out a whitefish that he was quite sure weighed four pounds at the very least. A little later Indian Jake drew out another, and almost at the same moment Andy gave a shout as he landed still another.

"Looks like we're goin' t' get whitefish, _what_ever," said Indian Jake.

Standing still upon the open ice soon became cold and disagreeable work. The lines quickly became encrusted with a thick coating of ice, and it was necessary to keep them moving up and down in the hole, else the water would freeze at once. Even then they must clear away the acc.u.mulated ice frequently.