possible out of opportunity. But never had I asked myself
to attempt such a task as this. I had only one day the start of
Cadillac, and in that time I must collect an army. But if success were
within human reach I was well armored to secure it, for I carried a
desperate heart.

So if I say we went swiftly, it conveys no meaning of what we really
accomplished. We paddled as long as our arms would obey us, slept
sparingly, and paddled again. Singing Arrow was worth two men. She
paddled for us, cooked for us, and packed the bales when our hands
blundered with weariness. She was tireless.

And watching her I saw something lived before me day by day that I had
tried to forget was in the world. There was love between this Indian
woman and my peasant Pierre. They had found the real love, the love
that is wine and meat. It was very strange. Pierre was quiet, and he
was wont to be boisterous, but he looked into the girl's eyes, and I
saw that both of them forgot that the hours of work were long. I have
not seen this miracle many times, though I have seen many marriages.
What had Pierre done that he should find it?

Well, the west called me. And if a man whines under his luck, that
proves that he deserves all that has happened.

And so we reached the Pottawatamie Islands.

We were so cramped and exhausted that we staggered as we tried to walk
from the canoe, yet we remained at the islands but an hour. And in
that hour I talked to Onanguisse and the old men, and perfected our
plans. When we embarked again we had two large canoes with
strong-armed Pottawatamies at the paddles. We were on our way to the
Malhominis, and I slept most of the distance, for nature was in revolt.
Yet through all my heavy slumber droned the voice of Onanguisse, and
always he repeated what he had said when we parted.

"I called her the turtle dove. But at heart she was an eagle. Did you
ask her to peck and twitter like a tame robin? I could have told you
that she would fly away."

We reached the mouth of the Wild Rice River at evening, and pushed up
through the reeds in the darkness. I knew if Pemaou was lying in
ambush for me this would be the place for him. But we reached the
village safely, so I said to myself that the Huron had grown
slow-witted.

In other times, in times before the broth of life had lost its salt, I
should have enjoyed that moment of entry into the Malhominis camp. The
cry that met me was of relief and w