spring, ere the great floating ice-fields had disappeared,
and through tortuous open channels we carefully paddled our way, often
exposed to great danger.

On one of these early trips we came to a place where for many miles the
moving ice fields stretched out before us. One narrow channel of open
water only was before us. Anxious to get on, we dashed into it, and
rapidly paddled ourselves along. I had two experienced Indians, and so
had no fear, but expected some novel adventures--and had them with
interest.

Our hopes were that the wind would widen the channel, and thus let us
into open water. But, to our disappointment, when we had got along a
mile or so in this narrow open space, we found the ice was quietly but
surely closing in upon us. As it was from four to six feet thick, and
of vast extent, there was power enough in it to crush a good-sized ship;
so it seemed that our frail birch-bark canoe would have but a poor
chance.

I saw there was a reasonable possibility that when the crash came we
could spring on to the floating ice. But what should we do then? was
the question, with canoe destroyed and us on floating ice far from land.

However, as my Indians kept perfectly cool, I said nothing, but paddled
away and watched for the development of events. Nearer and nearer came
the ice; soon our channel was not fifty feet wide. Already behind us
the floes had met, and we could hear the ice grinding and breaking as
the enormous masses met in opposite directions. Now it was only about
twenty feet from side to side. Still the men paddled on, and I kept
paddling in unison with them. When the ice was so close that we could
easily touch it on either side with our paddles, one of the Indians
quietly said, "Missionary, will you please give me your paddle?" I
quickly handed it to him, when he immediately thrust it with his own
into the water, holding down the ends of them so low horizontally under
the canoe that the blade end was out of water on the other side of the
boat. The other Indian held his paddle in the same position, although
from the other side of the canoe. Almost immediately after the ice
crowded in upon us. But as the points of the paddles were higher than
the ice, of course they rested upon it for an instant. This was what my
cool-headed, clever men wanted. They had a fulcrum for their paddles,
and so they pulled carefully on the handle ends of them, and, the canoe
sliding up as the ice closed