d,
arrows hissed past the canoe, which they might have punctured and sunk.
Determined to learn the way westward from these Indians, Mackenzie
tried strategy. He ordered his men to float some distance from the
savages. Then he landed alone on the shore opposite the hostiles,
having sent one of his interpreters by a detour through the woods to
lie in ambush with fusee ready for instant action. Throwing aside
weapons, Mackenzie displayed tempting trinkets. The warriors
conferred, hesitated, jumped in the canoes, and came, backing stern
foremost, toward Mackenzie. He threw out presents. They came ashore
and were presently sitting by his side.

From them he learned the river he was following ran for "many moons"
through the "shining mountains" before it reached the "midday sun." It
was barred by fearful rapids; but by retracing the way back up the
river, the white men could leave the canoe at a carrying place and go
overland to the salt water in eleven days. From other tribes down the
same river, Mackenzie gathered similar facts. He knew that the stream
was misleading him; but a retrograde movement up such a current would
discourage his men. He had only one month's provisions left. His
ammunition had dwindled to one hundred and fifty bullets and thirty
pounds of shot. Instead of folding his hands in despondency, Mackenzie
resolved to set the future at defiance and go on. From the Indians he
obtained promise of a man to guide him back. Then he frankly laid all
the difficulties before his followers, declaring that he was going on
alone and they need not continue unless they voluntarily decided to do
so. His dogged courage was contagious. The speech was received with
huzzas, and the canoe was headed upstream.

The Indian guide was to join Mackenzie higher upstream; but the
reappearance of the white men when they had said they would not be back
for "many moons" roused the suspicions of the savages. The shores were
lined with warriors who would receive no explanation that Mackenzie
tried to give in sign language. The canoe began to leak so badly that
the boatmen had to spend half the time bailing out water; and the
_voyageurs_ dared not venture ashore for resin. Along the river cliff
was a little three-cornered hut of thatched clay. Here Mackenzie took
refuge, awaiting the return of the savage who had promised to act as
guide. The three walls protected the rear, but the front of the hut
was exposed to the w