IN SEARCH OF THE CANOE. 83 



cautiously descended to the bottom ; and his comrades 

 immediately drew up the rope, and having secured to 

 it a pack of skins, lowered it. In this manner as 

 many of the packs were removed as they could con- 

 veniently carry in the canoe, Pierre placing each in a 

 place of safety as it reached him. 



Old Jake and Gaultier next descended; and each 

 shouldering a heavy bundle, they commenced to wade 

 down the stream in search of the canoe. In a short 

 time they arrived without mishap at the spot where 

 they had fastened the boat, but not a trace of it was 

 to be seen! 



Just here there were shelving banks, which sloped 

 gently upwards from the water, and were covered 

 with low brushwood. The height to which the flood 

 had attained was marked on the branches of these, 

 from which depended wrack of various sorts. After 

 an hour's fruitless search they reached the Athabasca, 

 and here also they could perceive no vestige of the 

 canoe. 



" Wagh ! " exclaimed Jake, " this tramping has stiff- 

 ened my old j'ints, an' thur not as limber as they 

 used to be. I reckon we've passed the boat, fellurs," 

 he continued; "an' this coon's gwine to hev a peep 

 behint the brush along the banks o' the crick. It 

 mout be thur." 



Depositing their burdens therefore upon a dry spot, 

 they again ascended the creek, keeping this time by 

 the verge of the line of drift rubbish, which,, plainly 



(786) ' 6 



