se, however, bent over him as he
whimpered with the pain, and did what they could to make amends for the
disaster.

"Hot water is best for a cut," said Rob, taking their tea-vessel from
the fire and looking about for a piece of rag. Thus, in short, by the
free use of hot water, he did at length stop the flow of blood in part,
at least.

"John," said he, at last, "you came mighty near spoiling your beauty.
Your nose is turned up, anyhow, and now you have nearly cut off a half
inch more of it. Lucky for you the cartilage was tough, or you would
have looked more like an Ethiopian than an American. I guess it will
grow fast again, although you will have to wear a handkerchief tied
around your face and head for some time."

"I don't care," mumbled John. "I wanted to see how they did it."

"Well, you know now," Rob assured him, in a matter-of-fact way. "But I
would suggest that you eat in the ordinary civilized fashion after this,
because you haven't any more nose than you need, and your mother might
not like you to come home with a part of it missing."

It was some days before the smart of this wound was entirely gone, but
it may be said that in time it healed and left but a slight scar at the
lower end of the nose, although John for some days went about with a
handkerchief tied about his face. This did not prevent his taking part
in future goose-hunts, which came to be a regular part of their
programme.

Before the geese had become too wise they succeeded in killing several
dozen with the thongs, each of them taking his turn and throwing them,
which they found not so difficult an art to master, after all. Skookie
showed them how to smoke the breasts of these wild-fowl so that they
would keep, and thus they made a valuable addition to their stores.

XXII

SPORT WITH THE SALMON

"_Natu_ salmon," said Skookie one morning, poking his head in at the
door of the barabbara, where the others still sat, washing up the
breakfast dishes.

"What's that he says, John?" asked Rob, who seemed less ready than the
younger boy to pick up the native speech.

"_Natu_ means _nothing_ or _no_ or _not_," interpreted John. "What's the
matter with the salmon, Skookie?"

They all crawled out of the low-hung door and followed the Aleut to the
spot where they had left their fish concealed. They found nothing but
stripped bones. Around the spot hung a crowd of great ravens and crows,
protesting at being disturbed at this easy me