ifle and shoot him, as the boy seemed more
disposed to do. He knew that these natives soon forget their
animosities.

Thus at length they started down the mountain along the trail, which
Jimmy pointed out, hobbling along in advance. In a couple of hours they
were at the top of the high rock face above the mouth of the creek. Here
Jimmy paused and anxiously scanned the entire expanse of the adjacent
cove and the long line of the beach beyond. He seemed overjoyed that
there was no longer any sign of the hostile party which had come in
pursuit of him. At least the boys guessed that was what he felt, and
guessed also that he had been coming down to the stream at night and not
in the daytime, perhaps thus sustaining the fall which had hurt his leg.

They were hungry that night as they cooked their evening meal in the
smoky barabbara.

"No watch to-night, boys!" said Rob. "These two friends can watch each
other, if they feel like it, but I think we may sleep without anxiety."

"For a prisoner, it looks to me that Jimmy was very glad to be caught,"
remarked John.

XXVIII

A HUNT FOR SEA-OTTER

Two or three days more passed in this strange situation, but nothing
took place which even to Rob's watchful eye seemed to indicate any
danger from either of their Aleut companions. In the wilderness the most
practical thing is accepted as it appears, without much argument, if
only it seems necessary; so now this somewhat strangely assorted company
settled down peaceably into the usual life of the place, until an event
happened which brought them all still more closely together.

They were going over to the beach to see that their flag-staff was still
in proper position, when Jesse's keen eyes noted at the edge of the
beach a small, dark object which had been cast up by the waves. A
moment's examination proved to them that this was nothing less than a
sea-otter cub, a small animal not much larger than a wood-chuck, but
with a long, pointed tail, and covered with short, soft fur. All these
boys had lived in Alaska long enough to know the great value of the fur
of the sea-otter, which even at this time was worth more than a thousand
dollars a skin. They reasoned that since this cub had come ashore there
might be older otters about. The cause of the death of the cub they
never knew; nor, indeed, do even the native hunters always know what
kills the otters which they find sometimes cast up by the waves on the
beaches. Some