“What do you suppose those fellows will do when we stop?” Rex asked anxiously.
“I reckon they’ll stop too,” Jack1 replied dryly.
“I don’t like it at all,” Bob shook his head.
“Him heap bad,” Kernertok agreed.
“Well, we might as well land as soon as we come to a good place,” Bob declared. “They evidently intend to keep it up.”
“Don’t you think the four of us could handle them in a rough and tumble?” Rex asked, as they paddled slowly along close to the shore.
“That all depends,” Bob replied slowly. “So far as brute2 strength is concerned any one of them could probably handle two of us, but as a rule they don’t know much about either boxing or wrestling.”
“And it’s a mighty3 good thing they don’t,” Jack broke in. “If some of those fellows were properly trained they’d be world beaters.”
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Just as Jack spoke4 Bob saw a good place to land, and a moment later the canoe was pulled up on the bank. When they landed the other canoe was about a hundred feet behind them, and they all waited anxiously to see what the half-breeds would do. They were not left long in doubt, for no sooner did the men see their intention than they headed for the same place, and, a few minutes later, landed only a little distance below.
“Let me do the talking,” Bob said a moment later, as he saw that they were coming toward them. “And don’t let them see that we have revolvers, unless I give the word.”
The man who had done all the talking before was in the lead, and as soon as he came near enough for the boys to see his face clearly, it was evident that his temper had not improved.
“You no go back, non?” he snapped.
“It would be useless to deny it,” Bob answered with a smile, which seemed to madden the man still more.
“You know me, oui?” he asked.
Bob looked at the man closely for a full minute before speaking.
“No. I don’t remember that I ever saw you before to-day.”
“My name Jacques Harbaugh.”
“Well?”
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“You know mine broder, Pierre, oui.”
It was a statement rather than a question.
“I have met him, yes.”
“And you send heem to jail, you an’ dat oder kid dar.”
“Not guilty. He went to prison because he was smuggling5 whiskey.”
“But you catch heem.”
“I don’t deny that we were instrumental in having him arrested,” Bob replied firmly.
“An’ you beeg sneak6.”
“As you please about that. We all have a right to our opinion.”
“Me Jacques Harbaugh. Me beeg fighter. No mans ever leek7 me.”
“Interesting, if true,” Bob smiled.
“Me geeve you one beeg licking, oui.”
“That’s as may be,” Bob shrugged8 his shoulders.
“Me show you ver’ queek.”
“One moment,” Bob held up his hand and the man stopped. “We are all armed and know how to protect ourselves. But we don’t want any more trouble than is absolutely necessary. So if you must have a fight I’ll fight you on the condition that the others keep hands off. How about it?”
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The big half-breed looked at Bob, as Jack afterward9 declared, in much the same way that Goliath must have looked at David when the latter came out with his little sling10. He stepped back and spoke with his companions for a moment and Bob could see that they were laughing as though at a huge joke.
“All right. We fight. Them no touch.”
“Will they keep their word?” Rex whispered to Jack.
“No telling.”
“Can Bob handle that big brute?”
“I’ve seen him handle as big a proposition and get away with it, but you never can tell. If this guy happens to know much about boxing, it’ll go hard, but, as he said, not many of them do.”
Meanwhile Bob and the half-breed had been stripping off their coats.
“Me spoil dat face in one leetle minute,” Jacques taunted11, as he stepped forward.
“Well, it’s all ready for the spoiling,” Bob laughed in a way that seemed to exasperate12 the half-breed, for he suddenly sprang forward and aimed a vicious blow at Bob’s face.
So sudden was the movement that it all but caught the boy off his guard and he felt the wind as the man’s fist shot by within an inch of his nose. The man recovered his balance before Bob had time to get in a blow.
“Nearly got me the first time,” he declared with a smile.
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“For goodness sake be careful,” Jack cautioned.
He, as well as Bob, knew that should one of those sledge-hammer blows land where it was aimed the fight would stop automatically. The continuance depended on Bob’s ability to dodge13 them.
But he was on his guard now and Jack knew that he would not be caught napping a second time. The man rushed again, almost at once and, from the way he handled himself, Jack saw that he possessed14 little if any knowledge of scientific boxing.
“Bob can handle him all right, barring an accident,” he whispered to Rex.
This time the man had struck with even more force than at first, and the momentum15 carried him off his balance. Before he could recover, Bob’s right fist had landed just back of his right ear. A loud grunt16, more of astonishment17 than of pain, followed the blow. The bully18 stepped back a pace and glanced at his followers19 as if to ask what it was all about.
“Go on an’ beat heem up,” cried one of them. “Heem’s only a kid.”
As if ashamed of his indecision the man rushed back to the attack, and for a time Bob had all he could to do to protect himself from the avalanche20 of blows which were showered at him. The man’s two arms were working like piston21 rods, and so rapidly that the boy had no time to even attempt to get in a blow.
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“Hope he won’t be able to keep that up very long,” Jack whispered. “In that kind of fighting there’s always a possibility of a blow landing and one of those punches, if it is struck fair, would pretty near stop a train of cars.”
“Him not got heap much wind,” Kernertok declared, as he caught the sound of the man’s quick breathing.
“Why you no heet heem?” one of the other breeds shouted.
The man paused an instant.
“Why you no stand still an’ fight?” he sneered22.
“This suits me,” Bob laughed. “Remember this is your fight.”
Again the man rushed and once more he had his hands full to protect himself. But he knew that the harder the man worked the sooner would come the time when he could force the fighting. “Safety first,” he thought, as he dodged23 about.
“Bob’s tiring him out,” Jack whispered, as he listened to the heavy breathing.
But the next second he gave a gasp24 of fear. In backing away from a vicious rush Bob’s heel had struck a root, and before he could recover his balance, a blow had caught him on the chin and over he went.
A shout of encouragement came from the two half-breeds.
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“Bon boy, Jacques! Jump on heem queek. You got heem.”
But fortunately Bob’s chin had been too far away to catch more than a small fraction of the force of the blow, and he was not even dazed. However, the breed was quick to take advantage of his opportunity, and before Bob could scramble25 to his feet he was upon him.
Bob knew that his only chance now depended on his ability to prevent the man from getting a hold. It required quick work, for the breed proved to be better at wrestling than at boxing. Throwing himself upon the boy he wrapped his arms about him in a hold that Bob had all he could do to break. It was fortunate indeed for him that he knew nearly all the important holds. Once the man got a grip on his neck, but it was quickly broken and, exerting all his strength and skill, Bob managed to roll the man over until he was on top. In another second he was on his feet.
“Good boy, Bob!” Jack shouted, jumping about in his excitement.
“Heap some boy,” Kernertok grunted26.
“I’ll say he is,” Rex agreed.
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The breed, angered anew at the failure of his attempt, got more slowly to his feet, and for a moment stood scowling27 at Bob. He was breathing hard, and it was evident to the boy that he was not in the best of physical condition. The easy life of the summer had softened28 his muscles, and twenty or more pounds of surplus fat had shortened his wind.
“Me geet you this time,” he shouted, as he started toward him.
Evidently realizing that he was not in Bob’s class when it came to boxing, he had decided29 to change his tactics and made a lunge at him with outstretched arms. Bob had little difficulty in eluding30 the grasp, and succeeded in placing a stiff punch on his nose. The breed started back with a grunt of pain and surprise, as the red blood gushed31 from his nostrils32.
“First blood for Bob!” Jack shouted.
“Me keel you for dat,” the man shouted, now maddened beyond control.
“Look out for his foot!” Jack shouted.
But Bob was on the watch for just that move, and as the breed kicked, he stepped back and caught the foot as it was at its highest point. The man fell on his back, the wind knocked entirely33 out of his body.
At that moment one of the other breeds stepped forward.
“You keep out of this,” Jack said sternly, as he drew his automatic from his pocket.
On seeing the gun the breed stepped quickly back.
“This was to be a fair fight with no interference,” Jack told him.
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For a minute or two the fighter lay writhing34 on the ground in an effort to regain35 his breath. As he struggled to his feet a look of astonishment mingled36 with one of fear was on his face. He could not understand why Bob had not finished him when he had him helpless.
“Had enough?” Bob asked pleasantly.
The man glanced at his companions and then at the automatic in Jack’s hand.
“I’ll put the gun back,” Jack said quickly, as he caught the glance. “There will be no use made of it so long as your friends play fair.”
“How about it?” Bob asked again.
The man still hesitated.
“Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”
But the fall had knocked the fight as well as the wind out of the bully, and muttering something which the boys failed to catch, he slouched off toward his canoe, followed by the other two.
“Did he hurt you any?” Jack asked anxiously, as soon as they were out of hearing.
“Nary a scratch,” Bob laughed, as he drew on his coat.
“Well, you’ve got about the biggest nerve I ever saw,” Rex declared, as he held out his hand.
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“It’s not so much nerve as you think,” Bob explained. “You see, these fellows don’t know how to use their strength when it comes to fighting along scientific lines. Most all of them rely entirely on their strength, and a fellow who knows the rules can handle them easily enough.”
“It listens good the way you say it,” Rex declared, shaking his head, “but excuse me, and I know a little about boxing myself.”
“You could handle one of them,” Bob assured him, but Rex again shook his head.
“Just the same I hope we’ve seen the last of them,” he said, as he watched the three men shove off their canoe and paddle slowly away up the river.
“That is a consummation devoutly37 to be desired,” Bob said slowly, “but I’m very much afraid that—”
“That the consummation won’t be consummated,” Jack interrupted.
“Don’t you know that it is very impolite for small boys to interrupt their elders,” Bob turned to his brother with a look of mock severity on his face. “How many times have I told you that children should be seen and not heard?”
“You mean you think they’ll come back?” Rex asked anxiously.
“Mebby,” Bob nodded.
“To-night?”
“Quien Sabe?”
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“Seems to me there are several loose ends to this problem,” Jack declared some time later, as supper, having been finished, they sat around the camp fire.
“Meaning?” Rex asked.
“Well, in the first place we’re not at all sure that the guy we’re after is within a thousand miles of here. Then there’s that funny business of the big tracks, the likes of which no mortal man ever saw before, and the stealing of the rifle. And now those breeds are to be reckoned with. The big question is whether they just happened to meet us or had been after us.”
“Is that all?” Bob smiled.
“I should think that was enough.”
“Mebby.”
“Mebby what?” Jack asked.
“Oh, just mebby,” Bob laughed.
“Well, it seems that eternal vigilance is the price of safety up here on this trip, so I suppose it means that we keep watch again to-night, eh?” Rex asked, as he threw more wood on the fire.
“Right you are, son,” Bob replied.
But the night passed without incident, so far as they were aware. Again they watched by twos, but in spite of all their care the now familiar tracks were once more to be seen on the bank of the river in the morning.
“What-do-you-know-about-that?” Jack asked, as he gazed at the imprints38. “I’d take my oath that nothing moved round here while I was on watch.”
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“How’s Sicum?” Bob turned to the Indian as he asked the question.
“Sicum, him big fool dog yet.”
“But he’s getting better, isn’t he?”
“Some, but heap slow.”
“Suppose he’d track that thing?”
Kernertok shook his head: “We try um. Here, Sicum, you smell um track.”
But the dog only whined40, and with his tail between his legs, slunk away from the tracks.
“Never mind, old fellow. We understand that it isn’t your fault,” and Bob, kneeling down, took the dog’s head between his hands and looked into his eyes.
The dog whined and eagerly licked his hand, as if fully41 appreciating the sympathy.
“He’ll come around in time,” Bob assured them. “Remember, he saved our lives once,” he added with a glance toward Jack.
“And he deserves our thanks and care if he never does another thing so long as he lives,” Jack declared, but Kernertok only shook his head sadly.
It was midafternoon when Rex, who at the time, was paddling in the bow, lifted his paddle and asked:
“What’s that roaring noise?”
“Him heap big falls,” Kernertok replied.
“Can we shoot them?”
“No. Have mak’ carry.”
161
The boys noticed that for some time the current had been growing swifter as the river narrowed. The banks on either side were very steep and from ten to thirty feet high.
“We land right round this curve,” Kernertok told them, as they approached a sharp bend in the river. “No other place before falls.”
“Which side?” Rex shouted.
“Right.”
As the canoe swept around the bend it was traveling at a speed of some fifteen miles or more an hour. The roar of the falls could now be plainly heard. Rex caught sight of the landing place, a narrow strip of sand between two large rocks, and dug his paddle into the water to turn the bow toward it. How it happened, he could never tell, but the paddle slipped from his hands just as he had the canoe headed for the shore. He made a frantic42 effort to recover it, nearly upsetting the boat, but the swift water whirled it away.
So quickly did it happen that the canoe swung around parallel with the shore before Jack, who was in the stern, realized what had happened.
“Dig into her, Jack boy,” Bob shouted.
But even as he spoke they all heard a loud snap above the rush of the water. Bob turned his head, his heart in his throat. Jack’s face was as white as chalk, as he held up the end of the broken paddle.
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“God help us!” Bob groaned43.
The canoe was nearly in the middle of the stream, which at this point is about sixty feet wide, and now was rushing with the speed of a race horse toward the falls, not more than a hundred rods away.
“Shall we try to swim it?” Rex shouted in a voice which was strangely calm.
“No can do,” Kernertok shouted back.
The boys realized the truth of the statement, as they glanced down at the swirling44 water.
“I wonder if this is the end,” Bob thought, as he gripped the sides of the canoe.
“Do we have a chance, Kernertok?” Jack shouted.
“God know,” the old Indian answered, so low that only Bob caught the words.
“Cling on tight,” Bob shouted, as the bow seemed to pause on the very brink45 of the falls where the water fell to the pool some twelve feet below.
163
So rapidly were they moving that the canoe seemed fairly to shoot off the top of the falls before it fell. Then down it dropped like a stone. As the canoe hit the water, Bob, who was sitting in the middle, tried to keep it on an even keel, but the weight carried it beneath the surface. As the water closed over his head he kicked himself free and struck out. But some unseen force seemed to be pulling him down. Struggle as he might, it seemed impossible to shake off the grip of the whirlpool. But with dogged determination he fought and finally, just as it seemed as though his lungs seemed on the point of bursting, his head emerged from the water. Shaking the water from his eyes he glanced about him. He was only a few feet from the rocky shore, and in another minute his feet touched bottom. He was safe, but where were the others?
He stood waist deep in the water gazing over the surface of the pool. Was that a head over there close under the falls? As he watched the object moved slowly and soon the form of the Indian rose from the water.
“Me on heap big rock,” he shouted as he caught sight of Bob.
“Where’s Jack and Rex?” Bob shouted back.
“Me no see um.”
“I’m all right,” a voice shouted from the opposite side.
It was Rex, and he waved his arms as he caught sight of Bob.
“Seen Jack?” Bob shouted at the top of his voice.
“No; haven’t you?”
Before Bob could answer Kernertok pointed46 down the stream. Bob followed his gesture and saw, some twenty feet from where he was standing47, a small object moving slowly through the water.
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“It’s Sicum,” he shouted.
“Him got something in him mouth,” Kernertok cried, still pointing.
Bob could see that the dog was tugging48 at something, and he quickly waded50 down to meet him.
“He’s got Jack,” he gasped51 as he reached the struggling dog.
Bob saw at once that his brother was unconscious, and fear that he might be dead gripped his heart as he laid him tenderly down on the sand. Blood was oozing52 from a cut at the back of the head, and Bob shuddered53 as he knelt and placed his ear over the heart.
“Don’t tell me that he’s dead,” Rex, who had crossed over some rocks a short distance below the falls, cried as he came running up.
“I—I can’t feel his heart beat,” Bob groaned, as he turned the boy over onto his stomach.
“Him hurt heap bad?” Kernertok panted, as he joined them.
“I’m afraid so,” Bob replied, as he placed his hands beneath Jack’s body and slowly raised him up.
A quantity of water ran from the boy’s mouth, and Bob repeated the movement as long as there was any result. Then turning him onto his back he said, “Now we’ll have to try artificial respiration54. If we only had a pulmotor.”
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Slowly he raised and lowered his arms, but the boy lay as dead. Rex and Kernertok stood with bowed heads, watching for the first sign of returning life.
“Come, Jack boy, you must come,” Bob repeated over and over again, as he continued the movement.
His heart began to grow faint when fully half an hour had passed, and still the boy gave no sign of life.
“I won’t give up,” Bob declared over and over, as he redoubled his efforts. “God won’t let him die.”
Rex had several times tried to make Bob let him relieve him, but he steadily55 refused and he could only kneel by his side and watch his face and pray.
“He’s coming, Bob,” he whispered suddenly, as he noticed a faint tinge56 of color in the boy’s cheeks. “Easy now.”
Rex placed his ear on Jack’s breast.
“He’s breathing,” he announced, as he raised his head.
“Thank God,” Bob cried, as he began the movements again. “Where’s Kernertok?”
“I don’t know. Haven’t seen him for some time, but I didn’t notice it.”
“It’s funny where he’s gone.”
The color in Jack’s cheeks slowly increased, and his breathing became deeper and more regular. Soon his eyes opened and he groaned.
166
“Jack boy,” Bob cried.
“Bob.”
The whisper was so faint that Bob hardly heard it, but never had any sound seemed sweeter.
At that moment Kernertok emerged from the deep woods behind them. He was rubbing something in his hands as he ran towards them.
“Him heap better?”
“Yes, thank God, he’s come to,” Bob replied.
“Heap good,” the Indian bowed his head and the boys saw his lips move.
Soon Jack again opened his eyes and smiled as he glanced about him.
“White boy chew,” Kernertok ordered, as he knelt beside him and forced something between his teeth. “Injun had heap big hunt before find it,” he said, looking up at Bob.
At first Jack’s jaws57 moved but slowly, but as his strength began to return, he chewed faster.
“That heap good,” the Indian declared, as he put more of the crushed leaves in the boy’s mouth.
Rex was astonished at the rapidity of Jack’s recovery, but Bob, who knew something of the medicine which Kernertok had found, took it more as a matter of course. It was not long before Jack was able to sit up.
“How’d I get out?” he asked.
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“If it hadn’t been for Sicum—” Bob began, but Rex interrupted him.
“Look at the dog,” he cried.
Sicum stood a few feet away wagging his tail violently, a thing he had not done since he had been beaten. It was the first time Bob had thought of the dog, and now he sprang toward him, and taking his shaggy head in his arms, he hugged him to his breast. Sicum accepted the caress58 with a low whine39.
“Good old boy,” Bob whispered. “If it hadn’t been for you Jack would have been a goner for sure that time.”
Sicum wagged his tail as much as to say he understood.
Jack’s recovery was rapid, and they found that the cut on his head was slight, although it bled freely for a time.
“I remember feeling a bang on the back of my head just after I went under, and that was the last I knew until I saw you bending over me,” Jack told them. “But who pulled me out?”
“Your rescuer is standing there wagging his tail,” Bob told him, pointing to the dog.
“You mean he pulled me out?”
“Just that.”
“And in saving your life, I really believe he has gotten back his old self again,” Rex added.
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“Jimminy crickets, but I’ll bet you’re right,” Jack declared. “Just look at him.”
It was a fact that the dog had lost all sign of his recent behavior, and as Jack spoke to him he bounded to him and nearly knocked him over in his eagerness.
“Good old fellow,” Jack said, as he patted his head. “Perhaps I’ll be able to return the compliment some day.”
“Wonder what’s become of the canoe,” Rex said.
“That’s so; first I’ve thought of it,” Bob added.
They all looked about the pool beneath the falls, but no canoe in sight.
“Would it stay down?” Rex asked.
“Not likely,” Bob replied.
“Her no stay down, no get caught on rock,” Kernertok confirmed Bob’s opinion.
“What’s that sticking up just around that point?” Rex asked, pointing to a place a little below them, where a point of land jutted59 out into the stream.
“Wait a minute and I’ll see,” Bob said, as he started toward the point.
“Here she is—what is left of her,” he shouted a moment later.
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All except Jack, who was still too weak to move around much, hurried to the place. It was evident that the canoe, having risen to the surface, had been carried down until, caught in the little eddy60, it had been whirled onto a sharp pointed rock, which had pierced the bottom near the bow. It was out several feet from the shore.
“Just a minute and I’ll have her in,” Bob said, as he waded out into the stream.
“I don’t think she’s damaged so much after all,” he said, as he pulled it up onto the shore. “But every bit of our stuff is gone.”
“That heap bad,” Kernertok shook his head sadly.
“I’ll say it is,” Bob agreed. “Here we are, miles from nowhere and nothing to eat. Oh, we won’t starve,” he added quickly, as he saw the look of alarm on Rex’s face.
“Suppose we look around and see if we can’t find some of the stuff,” the latter proposed.
“Afraid it’s not much use, but we’ll try.”
But although they hunted for some distance down the stream on both banks, they found nothing.
“That whirlpool at the foot of the falls has probably held it down as I thought,” Bob said ruefully. “I suppose it was knocked out of the canoe when it struck. If it hadn’t been it might have held the canoe down too.”
“No loss without some gain,” Rex declared, trying to speak cheerfully.
They lifted the canoe from the water and carried it back to where they had left Jack.
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“Guess you’ll get a taste of real roughing it,” Bob said to Rex, as they placed the canoe on the ground bottom up.
“Reckon I can stand it if the rest of you can,” Rex smiled.
“You’re game all right,” Bob assured him.
“Let’s take an account of stock and see what we’ve got,” Jack proposed.
“That heap good,” Kernertok nodded his head. “Mebby we got much, mebby not.”
“I’m afraid the mebby not has it,” Bob said a moment later, after they had all searched through their pockets. “Still it might be worse.”
Each of them had a jack knife and Kernertok a small hatchet61, which he usually carried strapped62 in his belt. The boys had their automatics, but all the ammunition63 save what was in the guns was lost. Bob had a water-proof match-safe containing a dozen matches and Jack found a short fish line and three hooks. That was all that they felt would be of any help to them.
“Well, if Jack Knowles could live six weeks in the Maine woods with absolutely nothing but his bare hands to depend on, I reckon we’ll make out,” Bob declared optimistically.
“It’s a cinch,” Jack agreed.
“Whatever you say goes here,” Rex added.
It was decided that Kernertok should set to work at once repairing the canoe.
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“How about paddles?” Rex asked.
“Injun make um,” Kernertok assured him.
“It looks as though there might be some raspberries over there on the other side,” Bob pointed to a small clump64 of bushes a short distance back from the edge of the river. “If you’ll make a birch bark basket and see if you can find any I’ll see what I can do with this fish line.”
“Righto.”
“And what am I to do?” Jack asked.
“You lay right where you are for the present,” Bob commanded.
In spite of his protests that he was all right, neither Bob or Rex would hear to his attempting to do any work, and after some argument he agreed to wait till he was stronger.
“It’s all bosh though,” he growled65, as he leaned back against a tree and threw his arms about Sicum.
Rex went off in search of a birch tree and Bob after cutting a stout66 alder67 pole and fastening the line to it, began to dig under a stone, which he turned over, for angle worms. He had nothing but a stick with which to dig and the worms were, as he told himself, scarcer than hens’ teeth. But after nearly a half hour of persistent68 work he succeeded in getting six small worms.
“Be careful of that line,” Jack cautioned him. “A whole lot depends on it.”
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“Don’t I know it,” he grinned, as he started off down the river.
He soon reached a promising69 looking place and, scrambling70 on to a large rock, he carefully lowered the hook into the water.
“Hope I don’t hook onto one of Jack’s whales,” he thought. “I’m afraid it would be good-bye line.”
Just then a sharp tug49 informed him that he had hooked onto something, and he pulled out a trout71 weighing a little over a pound. Each of the six worms served as well as the first, and in a few minutes he started back with six fish, all about the same size.
“We won’t go to bed hungry to-night at any rate,” he told Jack, as he held up the trout for his inspection72. “Although,” he added, “our bill of fare will be pretty limited.”
“Reckon we can stand it,” Jack assured him.
Neither of the others had returned and Bob started to clean the fish. Kernertok returned just as he had finished, carrying birch bark and pitch, and a little later Rex came with nearly two quarts of large raspberries.
“Glad you didn’t get lost, old man,” Bob told him.
“You bet, I kept my eye on that tall tree there,” Rex laughed. “I see you got some fish.”
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“Fish and raspberries for supper to-night,” Bob said.
“And enough is as good as a feast,” Rex laughed.
“We’ve got to be mighty sparing of these matches,” Bob said, as he gathered some dry leaves for a fire.
“How are you going to cook without anything to cook with?” Rex asked, after Bob had the fire going.
“If all our problems were as easy as that, I wouldn’t worry a bit,” he replied, piling on more wood. “One thing we aren’t short of and that’s wood.”
Bob found a place near the falls where there was a small amount of clay, and he soon had enough for his purpose.
“Going to make mud pies?” Rex laughed, as he saw him mixing the clay with water.
“Just that,” Bob laughed, as he smeared73 the clay over the fish until each one was incased in the mud. “We’re going to have trout served a la mud,” he declared.
Waiting until the fire had burned to a good bed of coals he dug a hole in the very center of them and buried the fish in it.
“I’m afraid they won’t be very good though without salt,” Bob said ruefully, as he raked away the coals a little later.
“Injun got salt.”
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“You have?”
“Injun never go way in big woods no salt,” and he took from his pocket a small water-tight box. “Get long no have most anything, no get long no salt.”
“You’re right there,” Rex agreed. “Most things taste pretty flat without salt.”
By the time supper was ready Kernertok had the hole in the canoe repaired.
“Your mud pies are a great success, Bob,” Rex declared, after he had taken his first taste of the trout. “I never tasted anything quite so good as these.”
“Hope you won’t get sick of them before we get out of the woods.”
As soon as he had eaten Kernertok announced that he was going to find material out of which he could make paddles.
“There’s no great loss without some gain,” Bob declared, after the Indian had gone.
“What’s the gain?” Jack asked.
“Bet I can guess,” Rex laughed.
“Give you two guesses.”
“Only need one. There are no dishes to wash.”
“Right the first time.”
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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3
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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4
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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5
smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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leek
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| n.韭葱 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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9
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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12
exasperate
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| v.激怒，使（疾病）加剧，使恶化 | |
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dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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piston
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| n.活塞 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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eluding
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的现在分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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gushed
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| v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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imprints
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| n.压印( imprint的名词复数 )；痕迹；持久影响 | |
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whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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jutted
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| v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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71
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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