o quick and fast that when they got up to the
shallows they shoved one another out on to the sides high and dry, and
all you'd got to do was to catch 'em and eat 'em."

"Let's see, that's what the Doctor calls a traveller's tale, Joses."

"Yes; this traveller's tale," said Bart's companion gruffly. "You
needn't believe it without you like, but it's true all the same."

"Well, I'll try and believe it," said Bart, laughing, "but I didn't know
salmon were so stupid as that."

"Stupid! they aren't stupid, my lad," replied Joses sharply. "Suppose
you and millions of people behind you were walking along a narrow bit o'
land with a river on each side of you, and everybody was pushing on from
behind to get up to the end of the bit of land, where there wasn't room
for you all, and suppose you and hundreds more got pushed into the water
on one side or on the other, that wouldn't be because you were so very
stupid, would it?"

"No," said Bart, "that would be because I couldn't help it."

"Well, it's just the same with the salmon, my lad. Millions of 'em come
up from out of the sea at spawning time, and they swim up and up till
the rivers get narrower and shallower, and all those behind keep pushing
the first ones on till thousands die on the banks, and get eaten by the
wolves and _coyotes_ that come down then to the banks along with eagles
and hawks and birds like them."

"I beg your pardon, Joses, for not believing you," said Bart, earnestly.
"I see now."

"Oh, it's all right enough," said the rough fellow bluntly. "I
shouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it, and of course it's only
up the little shallow streams that shoot off from the others."

This conversation took place some days after they had been in the
mountains, gradually climbing higher, and getting glorious views at
times, of hill and distant plain. Bart and Joses were out "after the
pot," as the latter called it, and on this occasion they had been very
unfortunate.

"I tell you what it is," said Joses at last, "we shall have to go lower
down. The master won't never find no gold and silver up here, and
food'll get scarcer and scarcer, unless we can come upon a flock of
sheep."

"A flock of sheep up here!" said Bart incredulously.

"I didn't say salmon, I said sheep," grunted Joses. "Now, say you don't
believe there is sheep up here."

"You tell me there are sheep up here," said Bart, "and I will believe
you."

"I don't say there are; I on