264 THE RAFT REGAINED. 



it occasioned him some trouble to hold his ammunition 

 and rifle out of the water with one hand while he 

 swam with the other. 



To gain the raft was the trapper's object, and towards 

 this, therefore, he directed himself. Fortunately the 

 distance was trifling, so that within the space of a few 

 minutes from the time he left his ambush he found 

 himself once more in possession of the raft, and sur- 

 rounded by the valuable stock of furs which constituted 

 the freight. 



Jake was well aware that time pressed. At that 

 very moment the savages were crouching stealthily 

 towards the spot he had lately occupied, and discovery 

 would certainly follow if he remained longer in the 

 neighbourhood. He therefore seized one of the long 

 poles with which the Indians had navigated the raft, 

 and with one vigorous push he shot the unwieldy 

 vessel across the creek to the point at which he had 

 seen it emerge a few minutes previously. Here, to his 

 great surprise, he discovered a hidden channel, com- 

 pletely overarched by the underwood and smaller trees 

 which grew thickly among the taller growth. Into 

 this with considerable difficulty he pushed the raft, and 

 once more breathed freely. 



" The varmints thort to sarcumvent old Jake 

 Hawken!" he chuckled; "but they'll find him a 

 rayther uphill customer, I reckon! He, he! they 

 ain't a-gwine to make much out o' this speculation, 

 I guess ! " 



