ad, anyhow, as the Fraser or the
Columbia, because the traders must have used it for a regular route
long ago."

"I was reading," said John, "in Simon Fraser's travels, about how they
did in the rapids of the Fraser River. Why, it was a wonder they ever
got through at all. But they didn't seem to make much fuss about it.
Those men didn't know where they were going, either--they just got in
their boat and turned loose, not knowing what there was on ahead!
That's what I call nerve. Pshaw! Jess, we're only tenderfeet compared
to those chaps!"

"That's the talk!" commented Alex, once more lighting his pipe and
smiling. "We'll go through like a bird, I'm pretty sure."

"Yes," said Moise, "we'll show those boy how the _voyageur_ ron the
rapeed."

"One thing I want to say to you young gentlemen," resumed Alex, "not
to alarm you, but to teach you how to travel. If by any accident the
boat should upset, hang to the boat and don't try to swim. The current
will be very apt to sweep you on through to some place where you can
get a footing. But all these mountain waters are very strong and very
cold. Whatever you do, hang to the boat!"

"Yes!" said Rob, "'don't give up the ship,' as Lawrence said. Sir
Alexander tells how he got wrecked on the Bad River with his whole
crew. But they hung to the canoe and got her out at the foot of the
rapids, after all, and not one of them was hurt."

"He didn't lose a man on the whole trip, for that matter," John added.

"Well, now, let's see about the rapids," said Rob again, spreading out
his map and opening one of his books which he always kept close at
hand. "Simon Fraser tells as day by day what he did when he was going
west. They got into that lake we've just left, about noon. They must
have poked up the creek some time, and very early that same morning.
That was June thirtieth, and on the same day they passed another river
coming in from the west side--which must be between here and the
outlet from McLeod Lake."

"What does the map say about the other side of the stream?" asked
John, peering over Rob's shoulder.

"Well, on the twenty-eighth, as they were coming up they passed two
rivers coming in from the east. That can't be very far below here, and
the first stream on the west side must be pretty close, from all I can
learn. Below there, on the twenty-seventh, there was another river
which they passed coming in from the east, and Simon says near its
mouth there was a rapid. He do