The next few moments were very anxious ones. The fisherman was
studying us sharply, while we were gliding up on him every second.

"You keep off if you know what's good for you!" he called out
suddenly, as though he had made up his mind as to who and what we
were. "If you don't, I'll fix you!"

He brought a rifle to his shoulder and trained it on me.

"Now will you keep off?" he demanded.

I could hear Charley groan with disappointment. "Keep off," he
whispered; "it's all up for this time."

I put up the tiller and eased the sheet, and the salmon boat ran
off five or six points. Big Alec watched us till we were out of
range, when he returned to his work.

"You'd better leave Big Alec alone," Carmintel said, rather sourly,
to Charley that night.

"So he's been complaining to you, has he?" Charley said
significantly.

Carmintel flushed painfully. "You'd better leave him alone, I tell
you," he repeated. "He's a dangerous man, and it won't pay to fool
with him."

"Yes," Charley answered softly; "I've heard that it pays better to