124 CKUISIXGS IN THE CASCADES. 



prepared, and the savory odors it emitted would 

 have tempted the palate of an epicure. I took out 

 my hunting knife, and making a suggestive gesture 

 toward the smoking fish, asked John if I should cut 

 off a piece; for not withstanding my consuming hun- 

 ger, my native modesty still remained with me, and 

 I thus iiinted for an invitation to help myself. 

 ' ' Yes, ' ' he said. "Cut off how much you can eat. ' ' 

 You can rest assured I cut off a ration that would 

 have frightened a tramp. Good digestion waited on 

 appetite, and health on both. I ate with the hunger 

 born of the day's fatigue and the mountain atmos- 

 phere, and the Indians followed suit, or rather led, and 

 in half an hour only the head and spine of that fifteen- 

 pound salmon remained, and they were not yet in an 

 edible condition. Near bedtime, however, they were 

 both spitted before the fire, and in the silent watches 

 of the night, as I awoke and looked out of my downy 

 bed, I saw those two simple-minded children of the 

 forest, sitting there picking the last remaining 

 morsels of flesh from those two pieces of what, in 

 any civilized camp or household, would have been 

 considered offal. But when a Siwash quits eating fish 

 it is generally because there is no more fish to eat. 

 After such a supper, charmed by such weird, novel 

 surroundings, lulled by the music of the rushing 

 waters, and warmed by a glowing camp-fire, I slept 

 that night with naught else to wish for, at peace with 

 all mankind. Even " mine enemy's dog, though he 

 had bit me, should have stood that night against my 

 fire " 



