amped; the weather looked ugly; if the wind
should rise, the cranky launch would not be a safe cradle for the night.
Damon and I preferred the canoes, for they at least would float if they
were capsized. So we stepped into the frail, buoyant shells of bark once
more, and danced over the big waves toward the shore. We made a camp on
a wind-swept point of sand, and felt like shipwrecked mariners. But it
was a gilt-edged shipwreck. For our larder was still full, and as if to
provide us with the luxuries as well as the necessities of life, Nature
had spread an inexhaustible dessert of the largest and most luscious
blueberries around our tents.

After supper, strolling along the beach, we debated the best way of
escape; whether to send one of our canoes around the eastern shore of
the lake that night, to meet the steamer at the Island House and bring
it to our rescue; or to set out the next morning, and paddle both canoes
around the western end of the lake, thirty miles, to the Hotel Roberval.
While we were talking, we came to a dry old birch-tree, with ragged,
curling bark. "Here is a torch," cried Damon, "to throw light upon the
situation." He touched a match to it, and the flames flashed up the tall
trunk until it was transformed into a pillar of fire. But the sudden
illumination burned out, and our counsels were wrapt again in darkness
and uncertainty, when there came a great uproar of steam-whistles from
the lake. They must be signalling for us. What could it mean?

We fired our guns, leaped into a canoe, leaving two of the guides to
break camp, and paddled out swiftly into the night. It seemed an endless
distance before we found the feeble light where the crippled launch
was tossing at anchor. The captain shouted something about a larger
steamboat and a raft of logs, out in the lake, a mile or two beyond.
Presently we saw the lights, and the orange glow of the cabin windows.
Was she coming, or going, or standing still? We paddled on as fast as
we could, shouting and firing off a revolver until we had no more
cartridges. We were resolved not to let that mysterious vessel escape
us, and threw ourselves with energy into the novel excitement of chasing
a steamboat in the dark.

Then the lights began to swing around; the throbbing of paddle-wheels
grew louder and louder; she was evidently coming straight toward us. At
that moment it flashed upon us that, while she had plenty of lights,
we had none! We were lying, invisibl