s moccasins and spread them
on the thwart of the boat before he stepped lightly in to take his
place at the stern of the _Jaybird_. The boys noticed that when he
stepped aboard he hardly caused the boat to dip to one side or the
other. This he managed by placing his paddle on the farther side of
the boat from him and putting part of his weight on it, as it rested
on the bottom at the other side of the boat. All the boys, observing
the methods of this skilled canoeman, sought to imitate his example.
Presently they were all aboard, Rob in the bow of the _Mary Ann_, John
taking that place for the _Jaybird_, with Jesse cuddled up amidships.

"Well," said Alex, "here's where we start. For me, I don't care
whether we go to the Pacific or the Arctic!"

"Nor me no more," added Moise. "Only I'll rather go downheel as
upheel, me--always I'll rather ron the rapeed than track the boat up
the rapeed on the bank. Well, _en roulant_, eh, M'sieu Alex?"

"_Roulant!_" answered Alex, briefly. Moise, setting his paddle into
the water with a great sweep, began once more the old canoe song.

"Le fils du roi s'en va chassant
_En roulant, ma boule!_
Avec son grand fusil d'argent
_En roulant, ma boule!_"

So they fared on merrily, the strong arms of the two skilled boatmen
pushing the light canoes rapidly through the rippling water. Moise, a
strong and skilful paddler, was more disposed to sudden bursts of
energy than was the soberer and quieter Alex, who, none the less, came
along not far in the rear with slow and easy strokes which seemed to
require little exertion on his part, although they drove the boat
straight and true as an arrow. The boys at the bow paddles felt the
light craft spring under them, but each did his best to work his own
passage, and this much to the approval of the older men, who gave them
instructions in the art of paddling.

"You'll see, M'sieu Rob," said Moise, "these paddle she'll be all same
like fin of those feesh. You'll pull square with heem till she'll get
behind you, then she'll turn on her edge just a little bit--so. That
way, you paddle all time on one side. The paddle when she'll come out
of water, she'll keep the boat running straight."

The distance from their point of embarkation to the eastern edge of
the little lake could not have been more than a couple of miles, for
the entire distance from the western to the eastern edge was not over
three miles. In what seemed no mo