took a great fancy to Mike. "Ah, I do wish all your countrymen
were like you," he observed, smiling benignantly on him; "but they are
generally very different, especially when they get the grog on board:
then they often lose their lives,--and all their own fault, too.

"I had come down the Ottawa with several rafts, some two hundred miles
or more. My own raft was manned by Canadians,--steady boys, who stuck
to our laws, whatever they do to those of other people, and kept sober
till they brought their raft safe into dock. Another raft was manned
chiefly by Irishmen,--who, although I warned them, would indulge in
strong drink. We were nearing the Chaudiere Falls, and I had brought my
raft safe to shore, where it was taken to pieces, so that the logs might
be sent down the slide. I had gone on to a point where I could watch
this being done, when I heard loud cries; and on looking up the river I
saw that part of another raft, with four men on it, had got adrift, and,
to my horror, was hurrying towards the most dangerous part of the
rapids. I saw at once that in a few moments it must be dashed to
pieces, and, as I thought, the fate of the four unfortunates on it was
surely sealed.

"On it hurried, whirling round and round amid the foaming waters. The
next instant dashing against the rocks, it separated into as many
fragments as there were timbers, each of which was whirled down towards
the falls. Three of the poor wretches soon disappeared among the
tossing waves; but the fourth clung to the end of a piece of timber with
the grasp of despair--to that end which reached nearly to the edge of
the cataract. A fearful position! Still, the Irishman held on. I was
almost sure that the next moment would be his last; but just then the
current turned the log, so that the opposite end pointed to the fall.
On it went, with even greater rapidity than at first; then balancing for
an instant on the brink, the end to which he held was lifted up high in
the air, and he was sent from it as from a catapult, far out into the
calm water below the caldron! I never expected again to see him, but he
rose uninjured to the surface; and being a good swimmer, struck out
boldly till he was picked up by one of several canoes which put off
instantly to his assistance. Tim Nolan, I have a notion, was the first
man who ever came over those terrific falls and lived; and I would not
advise any of you young fellows to try the experiment, for, in m