[Illustration: Dug-out boat]
"They are going fishing in the dug-outs," said Periwinkle. "Come on, we will go with them."
The boys ran down to the shore and jumped into a boat that the men had pushed out into the water. Then the men also jumped in, and paddled out with sticks.
"Why do you call these dug-outs?" asked Thorn, rubbing his hand along the side of the boat.
"Because they are dug-outs," laughed Periwinkle. "You will see them made some day."
"Well, why do they not turn over?" Thorn asked next.
"Because they are flat on the bottom."
The dug-outs kept together and went a little way out to sea. One man had a bone spear. He saw a fish lying on the bottom and speared it.
"Oh, it is a flounder," said Periwinkle. "See, it is white on one side. It lies on that side. It is gray on the top side, and both the eyes are there."
Other men had long strings and bone hooks. They caught cod and herring.
When the boats were well filled with fish, the men began to paddle home. But before they reached the shore, the sky turned gray, and the sea grew rough, for the wind blew hard.
"This is nothing," said Periwinkle, laughing, as he saw the whites of Thorn's eyes. "You should see it sometimes. The waves are as high as a hill! Then we do not go fishing, and we live on foxes or rabbits or bears or ducks, or anything that we can kill. When we get nothing by hunting, we kill the dogs."
"Do the big waves ever turn the dug-outs over?" Thorn asked, with white lips.
"Yes, but we all swim."
When the boats reached shore, the women stood waiting. They were glad when they saw the fish, and quickly took them out. Then they began to cook them.
