d
dug for roots and bulbs.

"Well, now, what's Jimmy going to do this time?" asked Jesse,
interested.

The Aleut, talking to himself in some unknown words, was down on his
hands and knees, himself digging in the holes among the alders.

"_Karosha!_" said he, at length, holding up several long, white bulbs
about as thick as his finger; and he made a motion as though to eat
them.

"Ah, ha!" said Rob. "This is an Aleut potato-patch, it seems. All right,
we'll just gather some of these and use them for vegetables. They'll
help out the meat and fish, perhaps."

As Jimmy dug the bulbs they put them into the folds of their jackets and
sweaters until they had a good supply. After this they made their way
down the mountain, splashed through the creek again, and threw down
their new discoveries beside the meat scaffold. Jimmy indulged in a
broad smile.

"Plenty soup!" said he, suddenly.

"The beggar!" said Rob. "I shouldn't wonder if he understood English as
well as we do!"

They could not, however, induce him to use any further words than this,
which is common among the Aleuts as the meaning of "food" or "plenty to
eat," they having got this word from their association with
English-speaking persons. The Aleut language now is a mongrel, made up
largely of Russian, with many native words and a few of English.

Jimmy proceeded to show that he meant to use in his "soup" some of these
bulbs which they had brought down, for now he began to strip them down
to the clean white inner portion and half filled their water-can with
them, presently setting it on the fire to stew. The boys never knew the
name of this bulb, but they found it not unpleasant to eat--rather
sweetish and insipid without salt, however.

They were all very tired that night; but they felt it necessary to keep
some watch upon their Aleut prisoner, obliging as he had proved himself
throughout the day. Again Rob stood the first watch, until he grew so
sleepy that he was obliged to waken the others. Thus the long and
uncomfortable night wore away, the prisoner being the only one who slept
undisturbed.

XIV

THE SURPRISE

As daylight began to shine more clearly in the interior of the
barabbara, John, who was standing the last watch, suddenly reached out
an arm and wakened his companion. "Listen!" he whispered. "I hear
something outside."

As they all sat up on the blankets they were surprised to see their
prisoner also waken and lift himself hal