did it very well. After a few
trips of this kind, you will qualify as an expert canoeist."

"That's very kind of you to say so," replied Bob. "I know though that if
I had hit that water with Pud or Bill that we would have been swimming
long before now."

"Well, it does help to have an old stager like me in the back end of the
canoe," said Mr. Waterman with quiet satisfaction. "To tell the truth,
that is really an easy stretch of water. If you ever go through some of
the rapids on the Shipshaw River or some of the larger rivers of this
country, you will know what fast water really means. I went down the
Shipshaw three years ago with Pierre and there were times when the
slightest mistake would have meant death almost surely."

"I'd like to try that sometime," said Bob.

"You may think so, but really it is a foolhardy proposition unless you
have very clever guides with you," replied Mr. Waterman.

"That's some sport," said Bill, as his canoe came abreast of theirs.

"I had my troubles," said Jack. "This young baby elephant up in the bow
is too heavy and makes the canoe very hard to steer."

"That's right," said Mr. Waterman. "Suppose, before we reach the next
rapids, that you get out a moment, shift some of the load up into the
bow and have Pud sit back of the first thwart. That will balance the
canoe better."

"That's a good idea," said Jack. "I'll do it."

"Why so quiet?" asked Bob of Pud as he looked across.

"Now don't kid me," said Pud. "I really thought three or four times that
I'd be swimming down those rapids a mile a minute, but Jack brought me
through all right. I'll give him all the credit."

"Don't you believe it," said Jack. "He did fine. He obeyed orders, but
his weight in the bow made it very hard and I wouldn't want to try it
over again."

A little later, Pud and Jack went ashore and fixed the cargo so that the
canoe would not be down at the bow. Then they were off again. Once more
they shot down through foam and spray, just missing rocks by a fraction
of an inch. It proved the greatest sport that the boys had ever tried.
They grew enthusiastic.

"Now, it's all right to like fast water," said Jack, "but don't let that
make you careless. You can never afford to be careless even in rather
easy water. If you do, you'll come a cropper sure."

They paddled on and went down three or four more easy rapids. By this
time the boys commenced to think that they knew quite a little about how
to take fas