100 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. CHAP. vi. 







paddle, stands in the bow of the canoe, glancing eagerly 

 from side to side. Suddenly he pushes his spear in a 

 slanting direction, and quickly draws it back, lifting a 

 salmon into the canoe ; a second push, and another 

 victim. Now he attaches a thin line of sinew to the end 

 of his spear, and twists it round his arm. Like an arrow 

 he darts his spear it is whirled away with a sudden 

 jerk, and trembles in the stream. Gently but steadily he 

 draws it towards him with the line of sinew, and grasping 

 it when within reach, lifts his quarry into the canoe. 

 Look over the side .of the little craft. The salmon are 

 coming to the light ; they gaze for a moment, and glide 

 away like spectres into the black waters. Some of them 

 swim round the canoe, and come to look again and again, 

 pausing but for a moment to speculate on its brightness, 

 and the next lie quivering at the bottom of the canoe. 



Both Indians at the same moment see a fish of unusual 

 size approach the light gaze without stopping, and 

 quickly move off hover about at some little distance, 

 suspicious and mistrustful, but still attracted by the lure. 

 Gently and noiselessly the canoe is urged towards it by 

 the Indian in the stern. No words pass between him 

 and his companion ; both saw the fish at the same moment, 

 and both know that they will take it. But look at the 

 Indian with the spear ; look at his face, lit by the red 

 flare of the burning torch. His mouth is half open with 

 suspense, but he does not breathe through it ; his dilated 

 eyes are flashing intent he stands so motionless, with 

 uplifted spear ready to strike, that he looks like a statue 

 of bronze. But there is life in that expanding and con- 

 tracting nostril life in the two thin streams of vapour 



