"Kooletchika."[7]

[Footnote 7: "Dangerous channel."]

The day before a big canoe had come to the camp, the paddlers bearing
messages for the Tyee, and he had had a long conversation with Mr.
Strong. The result was astonishing to Teddy, for his father told him that
he was to go for a month to the island with Kalitan. This delighted him
greatly, but he was a little frightened when he found that his father
was to stay behind.

"It's just this way, son," Mr. Strong explained to him. "I'm here in
government employ, taking government pay to do government work. I must do
it and do it well in the shortest time possible. You will have a far
better time on the island with Kalitan than you could possibly have
loafing around the camp here. You couldn't go to many places where I am
going, and, if my mind is easy about you, I can take Chetwoof and do my
work in half the time. I'll come to the island in three or four weeks,
and we'll take a week's vacation together, and then we'll hit the trail
for the gold-fields. Are you satisfied with this arrangement?"

"Yes, sir." Ted's tone was dubious, but his face soon cleared up. "A
month won't be very long, father."

"No, I'll wager you'll be sorry to leave when I come for you. Try and not
make any trouble. Of course Indian ways are not ours, but you'll get
used to it all and enjoy it. It's a chance most boys would be crazy over,
and you'll have tales to tell when you get home to make your playmates
envy you. I'm glad I have a son I can trust to keep straight when he is
out of my sight," and he laid his hand affectionately on the boy's