80 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



barely covered. My boat, with only myself in it, 

 needed but some two inches of water to float in, 

 and would pass safely over where the other boats 

 would touch or refuse to go at all. It required 

 great care on the part of the guides to let theirs 

 over gently, as their bottoms are but little thicker 

 than pasteboard, and held by small copper tacks. 

 At last the shallows were past, and, bringing our 

 boats in line, one behind the other, we made all 

 ready for another rush. The sight from this point 

 was grand. Our boats were poised as on the 

 ridge-board of a house, while below, for some 

 twenty rods, the water went tearing down ; now 

 gliding over a smooth shelving ledge, with the 

 quick, tremulous motion of a serpent, and now 

 torn to shreds by jagged rocks at the bottom, and 

 again beat back by huge boulders which lifted 

 themselves in mid-current, presenting to the 

 eye one continuous stretch of mad turmoil and 

 riot. At the foot of the reach the eye could just 

 discern the smooth, glassy rim of a fall, we knew 

 not how high, while far down the river, shut from 

 view by a sharp curve, the rush and roar of other 

 falls rose sullenly up through the heavy pines and 

 overhanging hemlocks, which almost arched the 

 current from side to side. At a word from John, 

 who, leading the van, sat as a warrior might sit 

 his steed, bareheaded and erect, the oars were 

 lifted, and the freed boats, as though eager for 



