346 THE ADIRONDACK. 



parallel with us, and finally crossing a clearer space, 

 revealed the dim outlines of a boat. It now emerged 

 from the deeper shadow of the shore, and approached us 

 in an oblique direction. When it came within the re- 

 flection of our light, I discovered that it was a bark 

 canoe, paddled by a gigantic Indian. In order to keep 

 the channel, he had now to come within three oars' 

 length of us. I hailed him, when he made some reply 

 in broken English. After a short pause, he growled 

 out, " Whar shanty?" meaning to ask where our camp 

 was. I told him, to which he replied with a single 

 grunt. I then made some remark, but not finding him 

 inclined to be communicative, I said no more. Side by 

 side, not more than thirty or forty feet apart, we kept 

 silently on — his light boat moving, apparently, without 

 an effort. It was a weird place and hour to meet such 

 a character. It was near midnight, and we were in the 

 heart of a swamp a mile from the river, where very 

 likely not another white man may go for a year. He 

 was undoubtedly just as harmless a person as myself, 

 and possessed of equally good intentions ; still I am not 

 ashamed to confess I much preferred he would talk or 

 leave us and go ahead. I knew it was foolish to have a 

 suspicion of him, and I supposed also that the fact that 



