Part 17 (1/2)

”Well, I , but from the look of his face, I should say that Tad Butler knows so he did it, but I reckon he knows the man who did,” observed Stacy

”Tad Butler, did you do that?” demanded Ned

”Stacy seeto whale the felloho did it,” reed my h”

”No tientleh of this I am amazed at you, Tad,” rebuked Professor Zepplin

”Tell the his head

”Maybe I was to blame, after all I reckon Tad was after me, not Ned,”

admitted Stacy

”What had you done?” questioned the Professor with a poor atte to the provision line You know Tad had a line tied to it with one end around his wrist so that he would know if an intruder began to interfere with the provisions?”

”Yes Go on”

”Well, as I told you, I tied another string to the rope After Tad got to sleep I pulled the rope He went out to see what had done it I guess he didn't find it, for he went out several times after that Oh, I made him dance a merry dance,” chuckled Stacy ”By and by I went to sleep

That was the last I knew until I foundout of the tent onthe story was too much for them

”So that was the way of it, eh?” questioned Ned

”So Stacy says,” nodded Butler

”And you didn't ingfoot,” replied Butler

”Then I forgive you I would endure alet the worst of it”

”Well, I like that!” shouted the fat boy ”I'ot some of the worst of it Why didn't you tie the rope around his neck while you were about it, Tad, and h job of it?”

Nevertheless, Stacy was set upon having his revenge on Tad, even though he was himself to blame for the trick that had been played on him The sun shone over the cah hike was again taken up It was theexperience when the boys first caught sight of Yakutat Bay Huge cakes of floating ice were being thrown up into the air by the strong gale that swept in fro contrast with the black sands of the beach

Towering above it all, nearly fivein thestreah deep gorges cut into the rocks through perhaps thousands of years of wear It was a tre the boys had ever looked upon

At their feet lay the wreck of the rude cabins of the early Thlinkit Indians There was no sign of any other village The masts of a few small schooners were visible on the southern side of the bay It was in this part of the waters that shi+ps came to anchor Here they were not exposed to the heavy swell fro sheltered by islands on the southern side