It was the first and only time we had been caught in this
way. Again came the question, "Will they never end?"
The rapids stretched on before us turbulent and noisy, as before,
first west then swinging abruptly to the north. Joe and Gilbert
decided to portage across the point, but George and Job after much
consideration prepared to run down in the canoe while I walked
across to the little bay below.
As they were starting off I said to George, "When you get out
beyond those points you should be able to see the island opposite
the post."
"All right, I'll watch for it," he replied with a smile, and they
started.
Pushing off, they worked the canoe cautiously out to where they
meant to take the rapid. It was something more of a feat then they
had looked for, and suddenly after strenuous but ineffectual
efforts to make the canoe do what they wanted, they dropped into
the bottom, and to my amazement I saw it shoot forward stern
foremost into the rapid. The men had been quick as the water
though, and in dropping to their places had turned about, so that
they were not quite helpless. I stood watching them, hardly daring
to breathe.
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