This was the wilderness indeed with only the
crystal river and the beautiful skies to make it glad. Only? Or
was there more? Or was it glad? Perhaps, yes surely, somewhere
within it there was gladness; but everywhere it was beautiful with
the beauty which alone, to some hearts, can carry the "still small
voice." If only it would never say, "What dost thou here?" One
must wish to stay and listen to it always.
Through the stillness came up the sound of the rapids below our
camp. Above, fish jumped in the quiet waters where the after-glow
in the sky was given back enriched and deepened. Then came night
and the stars--bright northern lights--bright moon--shadows on the
tent--dreams.
A ptarmigan whirred up, from the corner of my tent and I awoke to
find the sun shining and everything outside sparkling with frost.
The men had already begun portaging, for below camp the rapids were
too heavy to take the outfit down; but when breakfast was over and
the last load had been taken forward over the half-mile portage,
the canoes were run down the river.
A short distance below, the river drops rapidly round many little
islands of pink and white rock by a succession of picturesque falls
and rapids and chutes extending for more than a mile and here a
number of short portages were made.
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