guyed with tump-lines, and leaning away
from each other in order to spread the improvised sail. Two canoes so
rigged cannot only make good headway, but can with safety run before a
very strong wind. While Oo-koo-hoo's canoe was kept free, he
nevertheless counted on having it towed, as it could then be cast off
without a moment's delay in case of our coming unexpectedly upon
tempting game.

Supper was no sooner over than we were lying lazily in our canoes and,
to the music of babbling water and foaming wakes, rushing toward the
setting sun. Soon twilight overtook us, and wrapping shadows about us,
accompanied us for a while. Next starlight appeared and with myriads
of twinkling lanterns showed us our way among the now silhouetted
islands. Then the moon uprose and pushed a shiny head through the
upper branches of the eastern trees. At first it merely peeped as
though to make sure we were not afraid; then it came out boldly in
glory and quickly turning our wake into a path of molten gold, began to
soar above the forest.

For a while I could hear the childish prattle of the children and the
crooning of Naudin as she hushed, with swaying body, her baby to her
breast.

Then even those gentle sounds died away as the little forms snuggled
down beneath the blankets among the dogs and bales. Occasionally a
loon called to us, or an owl swooped, ghost-like, overhead, and as we
passed among pine-crested isles, those weather-beaten old monarchs just
stood there, and whispering to one another, shook their heads as we
swept by.

Then for a few moments a mother moose with her two calves stood knee
deep in a water-lily bay, and watched us on our way. But Oo-koo-hoo
was now too drowsy to think of anything but sleep. So hour after hour
went by while the moon rose higher and higher, and circling round to
the westward, began to descend in front of us.

POLING UP RAPIDS

Out of the east came dawn with a sweep of radiant splendour. Still we
sailed westward, ever westward, until the sun rose and through the
rising mist showed us that the mouth of Caribou River opened right
before us; then, happily, we landed on a little island to breakfast,
and to drowse away a couple of hours on mossy beds beneath the shade of
wind-blown pines.

Besides shooting a few ducks and a beaver, and seeing a distant moose,
nothing happened that was eventful enough to deflect my interest from
the endless variety of charming scenery that came into