esn't seem to mention any rapids between
there and here--probably it had to be a pretty big one for him to take
any notice of it. That's two or three days down-stream, according to
his journal, and, as Alex says, it was high water, and they made slow
time coming up--not as fast as Sir Alexander did, in fact."

"Plenty good water," said Moise, looking out over the rapid little
stream with professional approval. "She's easy river."

"Then we ought to make some sort of voyage," said Rob. "You see, Sir
Alexander took thirty-four days coming up to this point from the
place where he started, far east of the Rockies, but going downhill it
only took him six days."

"That was going some," nodded John, emphatically, if not elegantly.

"But not faster than we'll be going," answered Rob. "You see, it took
him a sixth of the time to go east which it needed to come west. Then,
what they did in three days coming up, we ought to run in a half-day
or less going down."

Alex nodded approvingly. "I think it would figure out something like
that way," said he.

"So if we started now, or a little after noon," resumed Rob, "and ran
a full half-day we ought to pass all these rivers which Simon
mentions, and get down to the first big rapid of which he speaks. They
were good and tired coming up-stream, but we won't have to work at all
going down."

"Well, don't we eat any place at all?" began John again, amid general
laughter.

"Sure," said Moise, "we'll stop at the first little beach and make
boil the kettle. I'm hongree, too, me."

They did as Moise said, and spent perhaps an hour, discussing, from
time to time, the features of the country and the probable time it
would take them to make the trip.

"The boat goes very fast on a stream like this," said Alex. "We could
make fifty or sixty miles a day without the least trouble, if we did
not have to portage. I should think the current was four to six miles
an hour, at least, and you know we could add to that speed if we cared
to paddle."

"Well, we don't want to go too fast," said Jesse. "We have all summer
for this trip."

This remark from the youngest of the party caused the old _voyageur_
to look at him approvingly. "That's right," said he, "we'll not
hurry."

Moise was by this time examining the load of the _Mary Ann_, arranging
the packs so that she would trim just to suit his notion when Rob was
in place at the bow. Alex paid similar care to the _Jaybird_. The
boats now r