long all right, even though mosquitoes have been known to
kill a bear."

"Pwhat's thot?" gurgled Barney. "Kill a bear? Oh, Frankie, me b'y, Oi
nivver thought that av you!"

"It's true," affirmed Professor Scotch. "Sometimes bears, lured by
hunger, will come down into the lowlands, where mosquitoes will attack
them. They will stand up on their hind legs and strike at the little
pests with their forward paws. Sometimes a bear will do this till he is
exhausted and falls. Then the mosquitoes finish him."

"Thot's a harrud yarn to belave, profissor; but it goes av you soay so,"
said Barney, thinking it best to smooth over the late unpleasantness.

"Up there," said Frank, "the Indians smear their faces and hands with
some kind of sticky stuff that keeps the mosquitoes from reaching their
flesh. In that way they get along very well."

But they had something to talk about besides the Indians of Alaska, for
the surprises around them furnished topics for conversation.

Exploring the place, they found it well stocked with provisions, which
caused them all to feel delighted.

"I'm actually glad we came!" laughed Frank. "This is fun galore."

"It will be all right if we are able to get out of the scrape," said
Scotch.

Barney built a fire, while Frank prepared to make bread and cook supper,
having found everything necessary for the accomplishment of the task.

The professor stripped off his outer garments, wrung the water out of
them, and hung them up before the fire to dry.

His example was followed by the Irish boy.

They made themselves as comfortable as possible, and night came on,
finding them in a much better frame of mind than they had expected to
be.

Frank succeeded in baking some bread in the stone oven. He found
coffee, and a pot bubbled on the coals, sending out an odor that made
the trio feel ravenous.

There were candles in abundance, and two of them were lighted. Then,
when everything was ready, they sat down to the table and enjoyed a
supper that put them in the best of moods.

The door of the hut was left open, and the light shone out upon the
overturned canoe and the dark water beyond.

After supper they cleaned and dried the rifles and shotgun.

"By jingoes!" laughed Frank; "this is a regular picnic! I'm glad we took
the wrong course, and came here!"

"You may change your tune before we get out," said the professor, whose
trousers were dry, and who was now feeling of his coat to see how that