86 CANADIAN WILDS. 



to move the canoe ahead the motion of paddling 

 made by throwing the opening hand inboard; 

 to alter the course of the canoe is done by sign- 

 ing with the hand either to the right or to the 

 left, as desired; to stop the canoe's headway 

 when getting too close to the game is done by 

 gentle downward patting of the hand, etc. 



Being already versed in this dumb language, 

 we shoved away and took up a position near the 

 lodge, but to the leeward of it, and waited. The 

 sun having already gone down behind the for- 

 est, on the other side of the lake, we had not 

 long to wait until a beaver broke water and 

 swam away in a direction from us. Wa-sa-Kejic 

 shook his head, as much as to say, "We will go 

 after that fellow later on." The first was fol- 

 lowed quickly by a second, a third and a fourth ! 

 Then, after waiting for fully fifteen minutes and 

 no other appearing, Wa-sa-Kejic made signs to 

 go ahead; this we did slowly, without taking 

 the sharp-bladded paddle from the water. 



Presently we heard a noise as if a pig were 

 supping up from a trough. This was one of the 

 beavers crunching up young twigs in the water. 

 The canoe was edged slowly toward the land, 

 with Wa-sa-Kejic on the alert, both dogheads 

 full-cocked and ready for action. Presently the 

 downward motion of the hand was given, the 

 gun brought deliberately up to the shoulder, and 



