They were following down the salmon creek, with the intention of taking a few fish at the pool near the mouth, when all at once the young Aleut, whose keen eyes were ever searching the country both far and near, paused and gave a low exclamation as he pointed to the mud near the banks. "Bad mans come!" he said. They peered where he pointed. Sure enough, there was the mark of a man's foot, evidently that of a man wearing _mukluks_, or seal boots. The boys looked at one another. "Him come," said Skookie, making signs of catching salmon. He made other signs of going to sleep, putting his hands against his cheek and closing his eyes, and then pointing up the hills. He pointed from the hills to the creek. Thus the boys knew what he meant, what they at once suspected to be the truth--that their late prisoner Jimmy was hiding out in the mountains, and coming down like a wild animal to make his living on the salmon run. This was a situation which at once seemed to them very grave. "He has not left, after all," said Rob, moodily. "I wish we had him under lock and key again. The question is, are we going to catch him again, or is he going to catch us first? That's what I want to know." "What do you mean?" asked John. "He's free, and we don't know where he is. Surely you don't mean that we ought to go and hunt him up?" "I feel just this way," answered Rob, "as I always have about anything of the sort--if there's going to be trouble, let us have it over and done with. For one, I don't relish lying awake night after night wondering if our camp is going to be surprised; and neither do I like to walk these shores wondering if this fellow is going to slip an arrow into one of us from the grass." "Wouldn't we be safe in the house?" asked Jesse. "We can't stay in the house all the time, and we would not be safe even there. No, it looks as though we ought to go out and hunt this fellow up and see what he is doing and intends to do." Without further words they turned back toward the house, followed by the Aleut boy, who looked from one to the other as if wondering what their words signified. This he discovered a few moments later, when Rob and John both emerged, each with a loaded rifle under his arm. "Come on," said Rob, and led the way, splashing through the shallow water at the foot of the lagoon which separated them from the mountain-side beyond.