THE LOST RAFT. 253 



have gone down stream with the raft. If we are quick 

 we may yet overtake them." 



" Wagh!" exclaimed Jake ; "overtake last year's snow! 

 They hain't pulled up yit, you bet, nor ain't a-gwine to, 

 till they puts a hull day's travellin' atween thur kar- 

 kidges an' old Plumcentre hyur. I reckin we're afoot 

 now, an' no mistake, 'ithout eyther furs or food, seein' 

 as them thievin' vagabonds hev toted off all our lead an' 

 powder, 'ceptin' what we hev about us." 



Old Jake, having given utterance to these opinions 

 in a melancholy tone, advanced towards the tree to 

 which the raft had been tethered, and from the stem of 

 which still depended a portion of the thong. He ex- 

 amined the latter with eagerness for a few moments, 

 and then rising, he exclaimed, 



"Hurrah, boyees ! 'tain't Injuns neyther, arter all. 

 I mout 'a guessed it sooner ef I'd only looked fur meself. 

 See," he continued, as both Pierre and Gaultier re- 

 joined him, "the strip o' hide ur cut clean enuff, I 

 allow; but d'yer see this hyur chawin' ?" pointing to that 

 part of the rope which was hanging loose from the tree 

 stem. " I guess 'twur teeth as done it, wolf at that ! 

 I calc'late, lads, we've wronged the Redskins this time, 

 an' we'll find our raft somewhere down stream." 



This development of the affair was a great relief to 

 the party, and they accordingly lost no time in prose- 

 cuting their search for the missing raft. But mile after 

 mile of river-bank was traversed, and still no traces of 

 it presented themselves. The trappers were much 



