SPEARING SALMON 203 



landed at least a pair of sock-eye salmon, brilliant of 

 color, agile as squirrels, but alas ! poor in flesh and ut- 

 terly devoid of flavor. 



After lunch, the four of us, actuated by the same 

 motive of obtaining sleep and rest from the grueling 

 trip over the Bear Lake trail of the day before, found 

 our way to a big circular tent, and there we slept 

 soundly for a couple of hours. Kibbee, our guide and 

 host, suggested to me that he and I should go down the 

 river for three or four miles, and see if there were any 

 bear signs, and then we also could see the spawning 

 grounds of the salmon, which were strung out for 

 over a mile on the gravelly bottom of the river. 



We saw a few signs of black bear on the sandy points 

 at the sharp curves of the river as we went down. 

 The signs did not appeal to me at all, for I was in the 

 presence of one of the most tragical illustrations of the 

 truth that nature's first consideration is imperatively 

 the reproduction of the species. 



Here we saw thousands upon thousands of spring 

 salmon, the males averaging nearly thirty pounds each 

 in weight, plunging, diving and " side-stepping " each 

 other in their savage efforts to protect the precious 

 spawn. 



Every one who has seen the plunging of porpoises on 

 the seacoast can have a faint idea of the scene which 

 we witnessed if he will multiply the few porpoises thus 

 seen by a hundred or more. Remember, too, that the 



