She got the words out first! Then she took another bite of
meat.
"Have you got your lines ready, and anything for bait?" asked
their father.
By this time Menie had swallowed his mouthful too. He said, "We
can take a piece of bear's meat for bait. The lines and hooks are
ready."
Kesshoo looked at the lines. The rods were very short. They were
made of driftwood with a piece of bone bound to the end by tough
thongs.
There was a hole in the end of the bone, and through this hole
the line was threaded. The line was made of braided reindeer
thongs. On the end of the line was a hook carved out of bone.
"Your lines are all right," said Kesshoo. "Come along."
He led the way down to the beach. The twins came tumbling after
him, and I am sorry to tell you they gobbled their meat all the
way! After the twins came Nip and Tup. The ice was very thick.
Kesshoo and the twins and the pups walked out on it quite a
distance from the shore.
Kesshoo cut two round holes in the ice. One was for Menie and one
for Monnie. The holes were not big enough for them to fall into.
By this time the twins had eaten all their meat except some small
pieces which they saved for bait. They each put a piece of meat
on the hook. Then they squatted down on their heels and dropped
the hooks into the holes.
Kesshoo went back to the village, and left them there. "Don't
stay out too long," he called back to them.
IV.
The twins sat perfectly still for a long time.
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