THE RAFT DISCOVERED. 259 



and advanced towards the river. Presently two others 

 followed, and joined him at the water's edge. 



At this instant the moon, which had been wading 

 through fleecy vapours, shone out clearly, and enabled 

 the hunter to observe that a raft lay moored by the 

 bank. The distance which separated the trapper from 

 the party was scarcely one hundred yards, and in the 

 brilliant moonlight he had no difficulty in recognizing 

 the raft, and even the piles of freight with which it 

 was loaded. 



Jake's first impulse was to attack the savages ; but 

 upon second thoughts he decided to postpone hostilities 

 for the present. While uncertain how to act, the 

 Indians, who had been conversing in low tones, stepped 

 upon the raft, and picking up the sweeps, they pushed 

 out into the stream and commenced poling upwards. 



Crouching carefully out of view, the hunter left the 

 beach, and having gained the woods, he kept pace with 

 the raft, which the savages impelled slowly and with 

 difficulty against the current. 



Suddenly Jake found his further advance intercepted 

 by the waters of a small stream or creek which joined 

 the Athabasca. The banks were high and clayey ; and 

 the water, which flowed sluggishly, seemed deep and 

 impassable. 



Much chagrined by this unexpected obstacle, the 

 hunter was about to make a detour in search of a 

 fordable spot, when glancing towards the raft he was 

 surprised to observe that the Indians had pushed it 



(786) 17 



