THE COMMODORE AND CREW. 335 



partly imbedded, lying crosswise of the road, and some pretty 
near the surface ; so near that it is sometimes a rub and hardly 
a go, but the lady pleases to go, then turns short, down 
another road, and the stream is in sight again through the 
trees ; when, dodging a large rock upon one side, a jam of old 
logs upon the other, with next a windfall of green trees, and 
by quick and adroit paddling (for which, thanks to the Com- 
modore,) we shoot out upon the main stream and drift to 
shore over a quiet eddy. Here the crew, feeling much 
relieved, after a long-drawn sigh, is fain to eulogize. But we 
tarry only for a moment, and after a little trimming ship, by 
a trifling shifting of cargo, the lady is again running away 
with us. Slowly at the first, she moves out over the waters 
that are eddying around and up stream; soon she feels the 
stronger current, slides quickly down a little descent, then over 
quicker, stronger water, steadily on, pointing for a very narrow 
passage between rocks where the waters are in haste to draw 
together, and are then crowding madly through, rising higher 
and higher in the passage; and as the lady passes through, in 
one troubled furrow of the waters, the others upon each side 
dash each a bucketful upon the little lady, as they carry us 
downward through a crooked pathway between the boulders, 
where we skip from right to left to avoid them, and then 
straight downward, over fair, free water and swift sailing, to 
the little lake, and we are soon at the carry. 
Starting in good season in the morning, being aided much 
by the favorable breeze coming down the lake, the short cut 
we took advantage of over the old supply road, that had 
become a little river from the rains, and the swift run down 
the rapids, brings us much earlier at the carry than expected, 
so we decide to keep on and make the transfer before luncheon. 
