RUNNING THE RAPIDS. 155 



" Not a bit. But did you ever know a lady to 

 go over this rapid ? " 



" No ; but there's no danger if you only sit 

 quiet." 



" Very well : there's got to be a first one, and 

 we'll try it. Are you agreed, madam?" 



"Yes, if you say so." 



Seating ourselves in the canoe, Joe spreads the 

 rubber clothing over us, and we are ready. It is 

 an anxious moment ; and I begin to wish that a 

 little of our adventurous spirit had been quenched 

 with our breakfast, but we had gone too far to 

 retreat. I knew Joe's heart was in his work ; and, 

 proud of his skill and our pluck, it would have been 

 a feather from his plume and ours had we " paused 

 upon the brink." 



And, besides, a few observant fishermen noticing 

 our movements caught the inspiration of the mo- 

 ment, and, divining our intentions, took positions 

 where they could be observers of our exciting 

 trip. 



I doubt if any adventurer that left his native 

 shore in search of the country whose possessors 

 were Tomah's ancestors e'er felt a greater pride 

 when his foot first touched its soil than did Joe 

 when, all being in readiness, he surveyed his pre- 

 cious freight, and "pushed his shallop from the 

 shore." 



