Then to the delight of the boys the trapper drew a small tin pail out of his pack-sack, together with some cornbread and a big piece of bacon for each one.
“There, lads,” he said, “you warm the cornbread and fry the bacon while I make tea.”
It took some time before enough snow was melted for tea, for even on a big fire snow and ice melt very slowly.
“I forgot to dip water out of one of our net-holes,” the trapper remarked, “but we have plenty of time to melt snow and ice.”
The boys cut some green maple twigs, and on these as an improvised grate they heated the bread and fried the bacon.
“I’m glad you brought something to eat, Mr. Barker,” Tim remarked thankfully. “I was getting very hungry. You called us so early this morning.”
“I did,” replied Barker, “because the fish run most during the warm part of the day.”
“Do they know when the air is warm!” asked Bill. “How can they know down in the water?”
“Can’t tell, lads,” Barker smiled. “You lads ask a lot of hard questions. I reckon they can tell whether it is storming or whether the sun is shining.”
After the meal, Tatanka smoked in silence, with a far-away look on his face.