SPINNING YARNS 201 



the sled had to be procured to carry mine to 

 the island, so we went off to the blind. 

 " Great Scot ! " was the first salute. Harry 

 Weasel followed it : " You've fooled us nicely ! " 

 S. said, " I thought you were fooling us all 

 the time. I felt those shot brought you more 

 game than you admitted. Never mind, boys, 

 we'll get even with him yet." The ice was 

 melting fast and breaking up, and another 

 storm was at hand. We were all tired when 

 the game was lying on the platform at the 

 house, and cook said, " You are just in time. 

 The goose and duck are done, and all get 

 ready for dinner." He did not have to say 

 that twice, nor coax us to be seated at the 

 table. We even allowed him, in our thought- 

 fulness, to do the carving, while we attempted 

 to overtake our growing appetites, and hold 

 them in chec'k for the plum-pudding that was 

 to follow. We whiled away the time that 

 afternoon cleaning the guns, loading cartridges, 

 spinning yarns, and playing forty-fives. The 

 next morning ushered in a big wind and rain 

 storm, which brought into the open basin large 

 quantities of drift ice, or broken ice out of the 

 strait, amongst which were heavy clampers 



