the surface by floats, the
lower edge sunk by means of leaden weights.

This arrangement keeps the net upright in the current and effectually
prevents all but the smaller fish from ascending the river. The
salmon, swimming near the surface, as is their custom, run their heads
through these meshes, and are prevented from going on through by their
larger girth of body, and from going back because of their gills,
which catch in the mesh. It requires two fishermen to set such a
net,--one to row the boat, while the other, standing in the stern,
carefully pays out the net. When it is all out, stretching directly
across the stream, the men make their boat fast to one end of the net
and drift along with it.

As we came upon the fleet of law-breaking fishermen, each boat two or
three hundred yards from its neighbors, and boats and nets dotting the
river as far as we could see, Charley said:

"I've only one regret, lad, and that is that I haven't a thousand arms
so as to be able to catch them all. As it is, we'll only be able to
catch one boat, for while we are tackling that one it will be up nets
and away with the rest."

As we drew closer, we observed none of the usual flurry and
excitement which our appearance invariably produced. Instead, each
boat lay quietly by its net, while the fishermen favored us with not
the slightest attention.

"It's curious," Charley muttered. "Can it be they don't recognize us?"

I said that it was impossible, and Charley agreed; yet there was a
whole fleet, manned by men who knew us only too well, and who took no
more notice of us than if we were a hay scow or a pleasure yacht.

This did not continue to be the case, however, for as we bore down
upon the nearest net, the men to whom it belonged detached their boat
and rowed slowly toward the shore. The rest of the boats showed no
sign of uneasiness.

"That's funny," was Charley's remark. "But we can confiscate the net,
at any rate."

We lowered sail, picked up one end of the net, and began to heave it
into the boat. But at the first heave we heard a bullet zip-zipping
past us on the water, followed by the faint report of a rifle. The men
who had rowed ashore were shooting at us. At the next heave a second
bullet went zipping past, perilously near. Charley took a turn around
a pin and sat down. There were no more shots. But as soon as he began
to heave in, the shooting recommenced.

"That settles it," he said, flinging the end of the n