ght remaining, Alick and I cut down four thin
saplings for spear-handles, while our two friends were working away at
the deer-horns, which they shaped into barbs.

"We shall not have time to manufacture more than two," said Martin; "and
those are as many as we can use, for two must paddle, while the others
strike the fish."

"How are we to get the fish to stop and be struck at?" I asked.

"We must try fishing by night," answered Martin.

"Still less likely we shall be to see them," I observed.

"Not if we have a light on board, and I have been thinking about that,"
he answered. "We must fill our pot with resinous wood, and by placing
it on the bows we shall have the means of attracting the fish. When
they come up we must spear them. I have seen the Indians on the upper
lakes catch fish in this way, and I know that they are caught in the
same manner in many other countries."

From Martin's description we all became eager to try to catch fish in
the way he spoke of. We soon found the wood he mentioned, a species of
fir which contained a large amount of resin, and split up into small
pieces it emitted a bright light.

While seated on the bank we had observed a number of fish leaping in the
river, which here formed a bay with little or no current; and we agreed
that as soon as the spears were ready we would go out and try our luck
that night.

As the deer-horns were hard, it took a long time to fashion even two
spearheads, so that it must have been past ten o'clock when they were
ready, though we all worked away diligently by the light of the fire.
Alick proposed lying down and waiting till the following night; but we
were all so eager to set out that we persuaded him to start at once,
that we might try the sport for an hour or so, and then land again with
our fish ready to cook for breakfast in the morning.

We should have time enough for sleep, as, having to sit in the canoe all
day, we could do very well with less than usual. All things being ready
we started. We still had our two swans, which Alick observed might be
useful should our spears not answer as well as we hoped. Martin and I
undertook to use the spears while Alick and Robin paddled.

As soon as we had got a short distance from the shore we lighted our
fire, which as it blazed up cast a lurid glare over the waters. Though
we looked eagerly for the fish none could we see. They had either swum
away or were not to be attracted by the bright li