“Discovery.” Ah, yes, to Vivian, the younger and more active of the two sisters, this was one grand word. On this unusual island she had made many a discovery.
“This,” she was saying to Jeanne with the air of one about to display rich treasures, “is our curiosity shop. Not everyone who comes to Chippewa Harbor gets a peek in here.”
After removing a heavy padlock she swung wide a massive door of varnished logs.
“You see,” she explained as Jeanne’s eyes wandered from one article to another displayed on the shelves of the narrow room, “each article here has something to do with the history of Isle Royale.”
“Only look!” Jeanne exclaimed. “Arrowheads and spear points of copper! A gun—such an old looking one! A pistol, too, and a brass cannon. Some very queer axes! Did you find them all by yourself?” she asked in surprise.
“Oh, my, no!” Vivian laughed. “They come from all over the island. Fishermen are constantly finding things. Some were found where long lost villages have been, or around deserted mines. Then, too, some were taken up in nets.”
“In nets?” Jeanne’s voice showed astonishment.
“You’d be surprised!” Vivian’s face glowed. She had something truly interesting to tell.
“We set our nets close to the lake bottom. Sometimes the water is deep, sometimes shallow, but always the net is on the bottom. Storms come and bring things rolling in. The waves work heavy objects over our nets. If a net is strong enough, when it is lifted, up they come.
“And not so easily either!” she amended. “Sometimes it takes a lot of pulling and hauling. Not so fine when it’s freezing on shore and snow is blowing in your eyes. If you get a log in your net, all water soaked, and so long you never see both ends of it if you work for an hour, then the net slips from your half-frozen fingers, and it’s just too bad! The net is gone forever.