134 Trails to Woods and Waters 



There were only two occupants of the light 

 canoe that felt the slightest stroke of the 

 paddle so quickly. That day, two was com- 

 pany, and I am afraid that three would have 

 been a crowd. The guide merely watched 

 the current and the nose of the canoe, occa- 

 sionally dipping the paddle into the water 

 to steady her, or to change her course, In 

 long stretches of quiet, deep water, he was 

 obliged to paddle, but for most of the way, 

 Nature was working for us, and that mystic 

 something that was calling to the waters was 

 speeding our canoe swiftly downstream. 



There were plenty of sights and sounds in 

 this Maine wilderness to keep one watching 

 and guessing. Little birds peeped curiously 

 at us from the thickets, and many an empty 

 nest, that had been cunningly hidden months 

 before, now showed plainly as the green 

 mantle that had shielded it became more 

 transparent. The great fish-hawk occasion- 

 ally soared majestically by, or stooped to the 

 stream and picked up a chub, almost under 

 our noses. The kingfisher rattled and chat- 



