n didn't force the boy
to translate the despatch for his benefit."

"And provided, also," Sandy cut in, "that the code despatch doesn't give
away the whole snap to the miner. If he sees the machine plans referred
to in any way, he'll think we want to get them away from him, because
they are the stolen plans, and then it will be all off for us!"

"And so, when you come to round up on the proposition," Will argued, "we
are not much further along than we were when we left Chicago, except
that we have found the cabin."

"Who said anything about getting dinner?" asked Sandy, after a short
pause. "I remember having a little snack about twelve o'clock, but that
wasn't to be considered as a full meal, I hope."

"What have we got to eat?" asked Will.

"Nothing but a lot of canned stuff!" declared Sandy.

"Well, then, go out and get a deer, or half a dozen rabbits, or go back
here to the little creek that runs into Copper river and see if you can
get a mess of fish. There ought to be plenty of fish in Alaska!"

"What kind of fish can you get?" asked Sandy.

"Salmon!" answered Will.

"How far is it to the creek?" was the next question.

"Something over a mile, I should say," replied Will.

"It can't be any further than that," George cut in. "The glacier this
cabin is built on supplies most of the water for it."

"All right, then," Sandy replied. "I'll get myself up a little lunch
consisting of a couple of slices of bacon and three or four eggs, and go
out and catch a ten-pound salmon for dinner. Want to go with me,
George?" he added. "No need of all three staying here."

"Let Will go," replied George. "I'm tired, and there's a particularly
interesting book I'd like to finish this afternoon."

Will went pawing among the fishing tackle, and finally called out to
George who was just crawling into a bunk with his book:

"What do they catch fish with in Alaska?"

"Hooks!" replied George.

"Hooks and eyes?" asked Will, with a chuckle.

"Sure! Hooks and eyes! You see 'em with the eyes, and grab 'em with the
hooks!"

"Aw, never mind that gink!" laughed Sandy. "He doesn't know any more
about fishing in Alaska than a hog knows about Sunday! Bring along all
the flies we've got and some red flannel, and some pieces of dirty
bacon, and we'll manage to get fish. If one bait won't answer, another
will."

"Do we have to cut a hole through the ice?" asked Will.

"Cut a hole through the ice!" repeated George. "Eighty or ni