surely the
strangest sight my eyes had ever looked upon. Andre brought forth
a small folding-table, and the priest, still in his rusty soutane,
recited the holy office of the mass to the kneeling savages under
the shade of the great pines, and only the ripple of the water
broke the pauses in the service. To my astonishment, the Indians
recited the Venite, but this was the extent of their knowledge,
apart from the Pater-Noster, the Confiteor, and some of the responses.

[Illustration: "The priest recited the holy office of the mass."]

When the service was ended we breakfasted heartily, and, as soon
as the priest's preparations were made, we embarked with, oh, such
different hearts from yesterday!

Now that our anxiety was at rest, I had time to observe the priest
more closely. Though his figure was slight, it moved to the dip of
his paddle like that of a man vigorous in all exercise; his long,
thin hands were full of strength; and his face, though worn, and
burned to almost as dark a colour as that of an Indian, was that
of a man who must have been handsome in his youth. At his age I
could not even guess, beyond that he looked old with his scanty
beard and long white hair, which fell almost to his shoulders. We
sat face to face as he paddled in the stern of the canoe, and I
marvelled at the wild grandeur of the river and forest, which I
had barely marked before.

"It is beautiful--yes, very beautiful," he said, presently, noticing
my admiration; "but it wears another face in winter; then it is
even terrible."

"Have you been long among these people, mon pere?"

"So long, that I know their tongue like our own; I know their faults
and virtues, which are also like our own, but more simple, more
direct; so long, that sometimes I forget I ever knew anything
different. But come, my daughter, I can tell my story at any time,
while you cannot have a better opportunity than the present to tell
me yours, which I must know if I am to be of service to you. The
man behind you cannot understand a word of French, so you may speak
freely."

Though I foresaw some explanation on my part would be necessary,
I had so far hardly looked upon the man before me as other than
our rescuer, one of our own blood and habit and tongue; but now it
was the priest, and, more than that, my equal, for he invited my
confidence not by right of his office but by right of his equality,
for gentle I divined him to be; and at his demand I was sore