ting out the fish as he landed them, and the big ones, somehow or
other, all found their way into Ike's yaffles. Ike also discovered that
it was good economy constantly to change the location of such things as
the tobacco box, butter tub, and molasses jar, for it often meant that
the good-natured Emile went without.

The cold weather set in early, and though the contract was not up,
Ike's hereditary instinct that hardship was bad for his constitution
made him decide to stop if he could. But Emile went steadily on,
having learned from Karlek that there were occasional leakages from
the fish pile. He ventured to remonstrate with his partner, but as
fish were plentiful, he refused to cancel the contract before the
proper date.

It was Ike who finally forced the issue. Emile being bowman, it was
their custom always to come in to the ladder leading to the stage
platform head on, when Emile, grabbing the cross-bars with one hand
and holding the painter in the other, climbed up and "made her fast."
Projecting from the stage head is a long pole used for preventing
boats that are made fast from bumping against the stage. Coming in a
day or so later, Ike drove the punt in parallel with the stage head,
and the pole coming into Emile's hands deceived him into thinking that
the stage was above him as usual. He promptly stepped off the boat,
and naturally fell into the water. Naturally also, it shook Emile up a
good deal, for he was in the water quite a while. After the incident
Ike's tender heart had made him absolutely refuse the responsibility
of a blind man in a small boat in fall weather. As we walked up the
wharf together Emile told me many more such details of the
transactions of our only "triple alliance." All he wanted me to do was
to add up his own tally of the fish he had caught, multiplying it by a
reasonable average fish, and for the sake of the family help him to
get from his ally a return for his labour which would enable him to
buy food for the winter for Jeanie and the little girl.

Fortunately it proved to be not too late. You cannot "get the breeks
off a Highlander," and after a week or two not a cod tail or a cent
would have been available from Ike. As it was, my coming to the
assistance of my poor friend happened to save the "entente" from being
a tragedy, and enabled us to relegate the whole incident to our comedy
group.

A peremptory order to Ike to wait for me at midday at the room we call
the court-house