The winter passed slowly ; a current of 

 fresh water passed continually over the hid- 

 den treasures; and when the ice broke up 

 in the spring there was a general breaking 

 up down among the eggs in the gravel nest. 

 Something stirred vigorously within an egg 

 lodged between two white pebbles ; the cov- 

 ering broke and out glided Kopseep, a tiny 

 male salmon. Beginning his life with hun- 

 ger, he had first eaten all that was left in the 

 egg besides himself, and was nibbling at the 

 shell when it broke and let him out. In an 

 instant, following his instinct, he had settled 

 in the tiny eddy behind one of the pebbles 

 that had sheltered him. As the egg covering 

 wavered on his tail he whirled like a wink 

 and swallowed it. Then he settled behind 

 his pebble again and took his first look at 

 the world. 



All around him the tiny salmon were 

 making their way out of the nest. As they 

 emerged the current seemed to sweep them 

 away like mist ; but in reality each one 

 darted for the nearest stone or cover, and 

 vanished as if the bed of the river had opei 



349 



77}€ Story 

 of Kopseep 



