LIFE AND LOVE RETURN 283 



way of shooting white-water. One morning we landed at the 

 head of a portage, and, as the rapid was not a dangerous one, 

 Oo-koo-hoo and Amik determined to run it, but first went 

 ashore to examine the channel. On their return Oo-koo-hoo 

 instructed the others to follow his lead about four canoe-lengths 

 apart, so that in case of mishap they could help each other. 

 Down the canoes plunged one after the other. The children 

 wielded their little paddles, screaming with delight as they 

 swiftly glided through the foaming spray past shores stiU lined 

 here and there with walls of ice. 



As the canoes rounded a sharp bend in the rapid Oo-koo-hoo 

 descried a black bear walking on the ice that overhung the 

 eastern bank. The animal seemed as much surprised as any 

 of us, and, instead of making off, rose upon its haunches and 

 gazed in amazement at the passing canoes. Rut as we swept 

 by there was no thought of firing guns. The sight of the bear 

 reminded Oo-koo-hoo of an experience some friends of his once 

 had with a black bear; and when we reached slack water he told 

 it to me. 



The friends in question were a mother and her daughter, 

 and late one afternoon they were retmriing from berry pick- 

 ing. As they rounded a bend in the river the daughter in the 

 bow suddenly stopped paddhng, and — without turning her 

 face toward her mother in the stern — excitedly whispered: 

 ''Muskwa! Muskwar 



Then as the older woman caught sight of a dark object fifty 

 paces away, she uttered a few hurried conmiands. Roth fell 

 to paddhng with all their might. With straining backs, stiff- 

 ened arms, and bending blades, they fairly hfted the canoe at 

 every stroke; and the waters gave a tearing sound as the slash- 

 ing blades sent little whirlpools far behind. Their hearts 

 were fired with the spirit of the chase, and — though their only 

 weapons were their skinning knives — they felt no fear. On 

 they raced to head the bear, who was swimming desperately 



