If he had realized what it meant to get a hole through the ice it is doubtful if Jack would have proposed fish for supper, but once started he was resolved not to give up. But it was all of an hour and a half from the time he started before he was ready to drop in his line. However he felt amply repaid when he carried six good sized salmon back to camp.
"You got 'em," Bob greeted him.
"Sure did, but I thought I'd hit the bottom of the river before I struck water," Jack told him.
"How thick is the ice?"
"Must be nearly three feet and there's about four feet of snow on top of that."
"Well, you ought to have a medal."
The fish proved a very welcome addition to their rations and they had a good, if a rather late, supper.
"Do we go up or down from here?" Bob asked a little later.
"Up," Lucky replied.
"But have you any idea how far from here they are?"