N 



under it for long. It lay just behind him 

 — a bark that held five men with a moun- 

 tain of baggage. To put it up by slow 

 stages — aiding the arms with knee shoulder 

 and back^required both knack and 

 strength. Everyone of us welcomed a bit of 

 friendly help when the great canoe fell to 



his lot. The men took to chaffing : — 'N 



grows old. Not what once he was. // 

 devient faible/ As the tormenting went on, 

 N — — 's Je porte mon canot lost its jocular- 

 ity, the smile left his face. At length the 

 taunting was too much for him. Eyes snap- 

 ping with anger, he loosed off a huge O 

 Sapristi! sprang to his feet, caught the slen- 

 der middle thwart of the great canoe with 

 his left hand, and in one superb motion 

 swung it above his head — the right hand 

 never leaving his side. For ten seconds, man 

 and canoe were a statue lit by the ruddy 

 flame — before us, all amazed and silent. 

 When he put it down with the same light- 

 ness and ease, cheers and bravos set the 

 woods ringing. A hint of a smile told that 

 the ruffled temper was smooth again. 

 Quietly he said Essayez done ca, reached 

 for his pipe, and became a spectator once 

 more. Of course everyone had known from 



the beginning that N could beat him at 



205 



