THE OTTER SLIDE 121 



the Wood or had been. So the family went 

 among the Poplars to have a bite of bread ; and 

 just as we were felling a tree whom should I 

 see but Fran9ois drifting down the river in his 

 canoe ; we kept pretty close, you had better 

 believe.&quot; 



&quot;Didn t call out to him, Umisk, eh? &quot; asked 

 Jay &quot;didn t clap each other on the back with 

 your tails and say, c Here comes a Chum/ 



Umisk proceeded, paying no attention to the 

 flippant Bird. &quot; When the Breed came opposite 

 our Road he stopped his canoe, let it drift gently 

 up to the bank, pulled out a Trap and set it 

 in muddy water just at the foot of the path. 

 He was clever enough not to touch the land 

 even with his paddle, so there was no scent 

 nothing to warn a poor Beaver of the danger. 

 Then he floated on down. If I had not seen 

 the whole thing this depraved taker of our lives 

 would have caught me sure ; for you know how 

 we go into the water, Nekik, just as you do 

 head and hands first. 



&quot; That s an old trick of Fran9ois s,&quot; exclaimed 

 Carcajou ; &quot; and you 11 find that is just what he 

 has done here. If Mister Nekik will feel cau 

 tiously at the foot of his Slide he will find some 

 thing hard and smooth, not at all like a stick or 

 a stone.&quot; 



