upon his performance of
yesterday, and kept his position slightly in the rear of the other
canoe, whose owner, as a matter of course, timed his speed to that of
his pupil.

When the Irishman was tired he passed the paddle to Howard, who had been
carefully studying the "style" of Shasta, and whose efforts were modeled
after his. Practice alone can make perfect, no matter if the theory in
absolutely so. The mind may hold the exact idea, and may send the
precise message through the nerves to the muscles, but the latter must
make a good many trials before they can carry out orders with exactness.

And so the boy, although, as he believed, he imitated exactly the manner
of their dusky friend, was not long in finding that the paddle was by no
means as obedient. The reason was that the delicate play of the iron
muscles of the Pah Utah could not be seen. They had done this thing so
often that it became a matter of course with them.

But having started upon right principles, by the time the boy was so
exhausted that he could not move his arms, he could see that he had
improved, or as the sovereign people say, "he was getting the knack of
it." It was now Elwood's turn, and he caught the paddle with all the
enthusiasm which might be expected in a youngster who had been
impatiently waiting to take part in some game.

By the time Elwood needed rest, Tim O'Rooney was ready, and so the
paddle did unceasing work, each member having all the time necessary for
rest, until after they had been to work some hours, the boys found their
arms remained tired, and a longer cessation needed.

Shasta seemed to look upon these essays of his friends with no little
pleasure. He watched their movements all the time, and a horrible
suspicion once entered the head of Tim O'Rooney that he saw him come
very near smiling. Whether there were any grounds for this suspicion
probably will never be known, unless the Pah Utah takes it into his head
to write and tell us.

Shasta remained a few feet in advance, his back being placed toward the
prow of his own boat. This relative position--and our "pale faced"
friends, it may be said, labored savagely--was kept by him without any
effort. Now and then he touched the point of his paddle, but there was
scarcely a ripple. It was as a fish is sometimes seen to move through
the water with the slightest quiver of its fins.

When all three of our friends were used up, red in the face, panting and
sighing for a chan