had laid out thirty or forty feet of line when there came a silvery
flash from below, followed by a second one, as two fine trout fastened
at his two flies.

"I can hardly hold them, Jess," said he, "but my! don't they look fine
down in that clear water? Rainbows, both of them, and about a pound
each, I think."

It was some time before John could control his two hard-fighting fish;
but after a time, with Jesse assisting, he got them out on the hard
gravel beach.

"Now you try out there, Jess," said he. "Cast out there where the
bottom looks black--that's where they lie."

"All right," said Jesse; and, to be sure, he had fished but a few
moments before a splash and a tug told him that he too had hooked a
fine trout.

"This is great, John, isn't it?" exclaimed he. "And how they do fight!
We never had any trout up in Alaska that fought this hard. Even the
salmon we caught on Kadiak Island didn't pull much harder."

When finally they had landed Jesse's trout they stood at the beach
and, holding up their prizes, gave a shout, which was answered by Rob
from the other side of the lake. He also held up something in his hand
which was white and glistening.

"They're having good luck, too," said he. "Well, now let's settle down
and get a mess of trout, for I am like Moise, tired of eating bacon
all the time."

They did settle down, and, each finding a good casting-place on the
rocky point, they so skilfully plied their rods that in a short time
they had a dozen fine trout between them. As their companions seemed
to have stopped fishing by this time, they also reeled up their lines
and started back across the marsh.

"Pretty good luck, eh?" said Uncle Dick, as they admiringly held up
their string of fish. "Well, Rob and I have got about as many here."

"Didn't they fight hard, though?" asked Rob. "I never saw fish of
their size make such trouble."

"The water is very cold," said Uncle Dick, "and that makes the fish
very firm and active. I don't know just what they eat, but I suppose
there must be some little minnows in the lake. Then there are some
insects on warm days; and perhaps they get some kind of ground feed
once in a while."

"They're all rainbows, aren't they?" said Rob. "As near as I can tell,
they look like the rainbows on the Pacific slope. How did they get
over here?"

"How did they get into any of the streams in the United States east of
the Rocky summit?" asked Uncle Dick. "Nobody can answer that.