460 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 26, 1889. 



BROOKLYN, Dec. 20.— One of the oldest scooting organizations 

 in the State, the Falcon Gun Club, held a regular competition 

 shoot to-dav at Louis Miller's Dexter Part, in the presence of a 

 large number of interested spectators. The targets were live 

 birds and clay-pigeons, and as the former wore a strong lot ot fly- 

 ing birds, the sport was very interesting to both the spectators 

 and the wing shots who were facing the traps. Some excellent 

 scores were made, J. Voght doing especially well, as he did not 

 miss a bird, either olav or live, in the 23 targets he shot at, while 

 he resorted to his second barrel but twice to score kills. It. was an 

 excellent bit of shooting, and drew forth deserved applause from 

 the spectators and competitors present. The first event was for 

 the regular gold medaL of the club, at 10 birds per man, 35yds. 

 rise. The three prize winners were J. Vogbt 10, F. Moller 9, H. 

 Miller 7. Voght thus won first money and the club medal, and 

 Moller the second prize and Miller the third. Asweepstakes shoot 

 at 5 live birds followed. Miller and Voght divided the first 

 monev, Moller got third, alt three shooting from the 25yds. line. 

 The score: H. Moller 4, J. Voght 5, F. Miller 5. An extra sweep- 

 stakes shoot at clay bluerocks came next, the score sheet showing 

 Voght the winner of first money, with Moller and H. Krebeh Jr., 

 dividing second. The score showing as follows: J. Vosht. 5, H. 

 Krebel, Jr., 4; F. Moller 4. The second extra sweep at 3 birds per 

 man, 25vds. rise, resulted as follows: J. Voght 3, H. Krebel, Jr. 3, 

 F. Moller 2. By reason of darkness, the two first contestants 

 divided the money, and one of the best day's shoots of the season 

 came to an end. 



WELLINGTON. Mass., Dec. 21.— Several of the crack shots of 

 the Wellington Club attended the regular weekly shoot to-day, 

 and several good scores were made, notwithstanding the strong 

 wind, which greatly increased the flight of the birds. In the sil- 

 ver pitcher match at 7 biueTocks and 8 clay-pigeons Dill won with 

 ascoreof 13. The other scores in this match were: Chase and 

 Perry 12, Schaefer, Bacon, Wheeler and Lee 11, Bradstreet, Por- 

 ter, Roxton. Webster and Warren 10, Comee, Bond and Ward 9, 

 Short and Stone 8, Scott 7, Pushee 6. The winners in the sweep- 

 stakes follow: Ten bluerocks, Wheeler; 5 clay-pigeons, Roxton: 6 

 blcerocks, Comec and Payson; 10 bluerocks. Keystone match, 

 Comee and Wheeler; 5 clav-pigeons, Wheeler; 10 biuerocks,Comee; 

 6 " 

 □ 



and 'perry; 8 'clay -pigeons, Dill; 10 bluerocks, Keystone match, 

 Wheeler: 5 pairs bluerocks, Roxton and Warren; 5 clay- pigeons, 

 Wheeler and Dill; 5 bluerocks Wheeler; 5 bluerocks, Webster. 



RED BANK. N. J., Dec. 20.— The regular monthly live-bird 

 shoot of the Riverside Gun Club took place this afternoon, with 

 the following results: First event, 7 birds, $1 entrance— A. Ivins, 

 E. Cooper and J. Cooper 7, Dr. E. Field ti, Wm. T. Conover, J. B. 

 Berger and F. BeaJe 5, Chas. Littlefield, Jr., A. Whymer and M. 

 Corn well 4, E. Bussell 3, D. Belshaw 2. Ivins won in the shoot-off 

 for first money, and third money was divided. Second event, 3 

 birds, $1 entrance— E. Cooper, CornweU, Ivins, Conover, Little- 

 field and Field 3, Beaie and Bergen 2, E. Throckmorton 0; moneys 

 divided. Third event, ti Keystones, SI entrance— Bergen, E. 

 Cooper and Throckmorton 4, Randolph, Cornwell and E. Crater 3, 

 Bussell and Whymer 2, Dr. W. Whitmore and Belshaw 1. Throck- 

 morton won in shoot-off. for first, Cornwell won second and Why- 

 mer third. On Christmas Day the club will shoot at both live 

 and clay birds. The shooting will begin at 10 o'clock and last all 

 day. 



TORONTO, Dec. 20.— At Newcastle to-day Riggs, of this city, 

 defeated Wilmot, of that place, in two matches. The first match 

 was for $100 a side, at 50 live pigeons, 26yds. rise; and the second 

 for $50 a side, at 25 birds, same rise. Riggs got 38 in the first 

 match and Wilmot 34. In the second Riggs got 24 and Wilmot 19. 

 The shooters used both barrels, and the scores are not therefore 

 very good. 



The list of officers and directions for joining the A. C. A. and 

 W. C. A. will be found in the first issue of each month. 



A FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILE CRUISE. 



With the new year we will begin the publication 

 of the log of a solitary cruise of 1 ,500 miles, 

 made in a 1 4-foot Adirondack boat, on the Erie 

 Canal, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and 

 other waters. The cruise began at Albany, fin- 

 ishing nearly two months later at Philadelphia, 

 and the narrative includes exciting and danger- 

 ous episodes. The chapters will run through sev- 

 eral issues. Cruisers should not miss this serial. 



THE ADIRONDACKS WITHOUT A GUIDE. 



" rPHAT must be fun," remarked my friend, Harry Vail, as, 

 -L seated in a room of a New York club, he indicated in the 

 paper that he handed me the item which had drawn his attention. 



The paragraph was about canoeing. As I perused it I agreed 

 with Vail, and it suddenly occurred to me that here might be a 

 pleasant and profitable way to spend the short time which I 

 should be able to take from business during the approaching sum- 

 mer. 



Vail was a gentleman of means and leisure; and, though an ard- 

 ent, lover of sport, had always followed it luxuriously, paying 

 subordinates liberally to remove all elements of roughness. I 

 was a common, every-day work horse, who thought a canter out 

 of harness would do him good. 



" What do you say to a week spent that way ? " I asked. 



"I'll go with you!" he exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing 

 my hand. The open air life and exercise would benefit both of 

 us — you because you have worked too hard, and me because I 

 have not worked enough. No guides or helpers of any kind. We 

 want to do it all ourselves and be as nearly like two jolly savages 

 as possible." 



So it happened that on a beautiful morning in August, 1887, we 

 found ourselves at Blue Mountain Lake, the southeastern en- 

 trance to the heart of the Adirondacks. A ltift. cedar Canadian 

 built open canoe, flanked with duffle sufficient for a two weeks' 

 cruise, lay snugly packed in a wagon at our side. 



We were bound for Rock Lake, the headwaters of one of the 

 principal sources of the Hudson, down which latter river we 

 intended to float as far as it suited our convenience, A seven- 

 mile trip by road, and our driver reined up at a place where the 

 woods showed no signs of being less dense. 



" Gents, if you want to get to Rock Lake this is the best I kin 

 do for you. I can't get my wagon through that path nohow, 

 'specially as my hoss is so fond of climbing trees that we dasen't 

 trust him too near them. The panthers in there a bit is m ghty 

 fond of dudes. Aint you afraid ? " 



We had paid this fellow in advance, or he would not have tried 

 to thus harrow our feelings. Vail gave him a stony, head- waiter 

 kind of a glare, but never having been snubbed by that autocratic 

 hotel functionary, the backwoodsman survived and helped to put 

 our duds beside, the dusty road. 



When he had driven off and we were left to our own resources 

 without knowing what was demanded of them, we began to feel 

 somewhat feeble about the knees. The afternoon was on the 

 wane, no one might come that way for we knew not how long, the 

 nearest house was further than we cared io walk even without 

 encumbrance, and the path to our proposed starting point was 

 as uncertain as a country parson's salary. What were we to do ? 



"Here is the poetry of wilderness life," said Vail, emphasizing 

 the remark with a resounding slap at a deer-fly that was absorb- 

 ing nectar from his ear. "Don't let us forget our sink-or-swim 

 compact. 1 have a good imagination and can pretend I know 

 where that trail is or should be." Then lifting one end of the 

 boat, he continued: "I am a pretty carelees fellow and guess I 

 had better trust you to carry this. Besides, they say it weighs 

 only701bs., and, as I am not good at calculating weights, I would 

 very much like your unbiased opinion after walking a mile or so 

 with it on your shoulder." 



I could not resist such delicate flattery. Placing the neck-yoke, 

 specially prepared for the purpose, in position, I got under the 

 apparently unwieldy structure to find that it balanced excellently 

 The bow was slightly elevated in the position in which I held the 

 boat, allowing me to see to a limited degree what lav directlv in 

 front. 



Vail went ahead with one of the meal sacks containing part of 

 the duffle, while I took up our boat and walked in the rear, 

 stumbling and shuffling along. What fun it was! The scarcely 

 distinguishable trail twisted and curved. In trying to avoid a 

 tree in front, the Btem of the canoe would swing around and 

 whack one on the opposite side of the path, This would confuse 



me. and, letting the bow rise up to see where I was getting to any- 

 way, the tail end would see-saw so low as to drag along the 

 ground. Resuming the march, after walking carefully up hill 

 and down for a few hundred yards, out from their leafy bowers 

 would swagger several thousand assorted gnats and mosquitoes, 

 with a few deer flies and black flies to keep them company, and, 

 sauntering under the capsized navy, immediately come to the 

 conclusion that it was a man trap for their special benefit. Act- 

 ing upon this understanding, they would proceed to sample my 

 blood by a liberal application of corkscrews on various exposed 

 parts of my anatomy, not forgetting to get on the under side of 

 my glasses and buzz around in my optics. Unable to take my 

 hands off of the canoe, and annoyed past endurance by their iu- 

 timacy with my eyeballs, I would wink my eves rapidly, partially 

 closing them for some seconds, to be suddenly remiuded of their 

 use by finding my feet siuking into a rich, alluvial, apparently 

 bottomless quagmire in the path. Rocks and roots under foot 

 would offer unexampled inducements for sitting down rapidly, 

 and occasionally a fallen tree lying breast high would bar the 

 way. 



Many halts were made to rest, moan, wail, rub barked shins, 

 and try to induce the other fellow to do all the hard work. Time 

 passed rapidly with these, kid-gloved diversions. The golden sun- 

 shine became copper-colored, thrusting only an occasional bar 

 through the recesses of the still forest. Suddenly a silvery gleam 

 mingled with the brighter ray, and pressing forward a short dis- 

 tance, we found ourselves near the borders of the longed for lake. 

 Before us for a quarter of a mile lay an oozy meadow of tall 

 rushes extending to the water's margin. All round the pond the 

 forest rose dense, black, appalling— a mighty fence of millions of 

 uusawed boards interposed between us and civilization. Taking 

 this in at a glance, we also saw what then interested us more, a 

 small log lumber shanty close at hand. This had in front one 

 opening, tilling the office of door, and another small aperture high 

 up at the side answered the place of window. The ground was 

 strewn with hemlock boughs, and here we determined to pass the 

 night. 



We sat down to rest. We reflected silently. While engaged in 

 chewing our mental cuds, a clashing was heard down the path a 

 short distance. We held our collective and several breaths, 

 politely wishing to avoid wafting our visitor on onion-laden 

 zephyrs, when a shaggy brown ooat disclosed itself through the 

 foliage, we held our breath some more and made a bee line for the 

 shore. The bear crashed and we splashed. When we had waded 

 up to our knees in the mire and discovered that the beast was 

 making still more rapid time in the opposite direction, we recol- 

 lected that we both had revolvers and that bear skins made fine 

 parlor rugs. 



Filled with an unquenchable thirst for blood, we pretended to 

 try to beat each other to as near as we dare go to the spot where 

 we last saw bruin. 



"T think it went in there," I said, in a subdued whisper, ex- 

 citedly pointing a finger toward the woods and unconcio'usly 

 directing with the other hand my cocked weapon as Vail's devoted 

 person. 



"Well, I don't care to go in there," he remonstrated, indicating 

 the ground, "uuless you really wished to kill me, in which case 

 i should feel perfectly safe, 1 would rather take my chances 

 with several bears, than with you when you are trying to hunt 

 one with that young pocket canon you have got in your hand. 

 The law against carrying concealed weapons will never touch 

 you, the statute does not discriminate against Gatling guns." 



We then banged a few times to let the menagerie know we were 

 on deck. Wending our way in the gloaming back to camp, we 

 stacked wood into a pile, and lighting it, put things in shape for 

 the night. 



Perhaps you never camped in the pine woods, nor located near 

 low ground. You do not know what midges are? The theory is, 

 that they are very small gnats, but we claim that they are ani- 

 mated grains of cayenne pepper, having the power to get under 

 the cuticle and lay next to the raw flesh. At any rate they are 

 almost invisible, swarming in millions, smarting, humming and 

 finding a way under any covering. 



With these and other insects we held sweet converse until 

 morning. We had heard that they w r ere averse to smoke; and. 

 building a fire directly in the front opening of the cabin, we made 

 a grand smudge, which floated back into our shelter in great 

 style, compelling us to lie flat and gasp for breath. Only when 

 the fumigation became so bad that our death from suffocation 

 seemed imminent, did the pest show any signs that it appreci- 

 ated our attentions. It was only a question or endurauce between 

 us and the mosquitoes. Vail, who would joke at a funeral, said 

 that the difference between a youthful tobacco user and our- 

 selves was, that one would smoke if he could and the other was 

 smoked in the wood. This blow coming so unexpectedly from 

 my only available friend, produced a partial insensibility that he 

 was heartless enough to call sleep. 



After a hearty breakfast of the simple but well-relished viands 

 which were within our ability to prepare, we set down to discuss 

 our Stoddard's map of the Adirondacks, a very trustworthy and 

 accurate guide, without which we would not have been able to 

 travel. We saw that in carrying out our proposed plan, before 

 we reached a house or a settlement we would be obliged to make 

 a trip of between 75 and 100 miles through the uncombed wilder- 

 ness. Taking the previous night's experience as a sample of life 

 in wayback, it was decided by acclamation to wrestle with our 

 outfit back to the road, and there wait for some wagon to come 

 along to take us 20 miles southeast to where the Hudson, consid- 

 erably enlarged at that point, flowed in by the highway. 



The catch-as-you-can ninety-falls-in-half-a-mile tussle of the 

 foregoing afternoon was repeated with variations. After doubl- 

 ing on our carry several times we at last arrived with all belong- 

 ings at the road. Here we lounged in meditative ease for several 

 hours. Short naps, tobacco, and the concoction of lies to tell 

 our friends made the time pass away very pleasantly. 



"Ha! what have we here? A solitary mounted traveler in 

 charge ot a treasure train approaches. Prepare the ambush for 

 yon unfortunate," tragically exclaimed Vail, as rising from a 

 position where he had been alternately looking up the road and 

 gazing at his feet, elevated at a dizzy altitude far above him, he 

 flourished a 7in. hunting knife. 



The wagon was indeed a treasure wagon, for it was empty, and 

 finally we got our outfit safely stored and climbed aboard. 



Our friend in need, an employee of a Blue Mountain Lake hotel, 

 was going to push afternoon and night right through to the rail- 

 r. ad terminus, North Creek. He was a typical mountain char- 

 acter, huge of frame and limb, rough in form and speech, but not 

 without originality and sturdy independence. He had a flood of 

 information to give us concerning all that we passed. At this 

 point a deer was killed, here a terrific fight with a bear, or, yeais 

 ago, near still another place, lived a band of renegade Indians, or 

 resided a family of lawless whites. We somewhat suspect that 

 he tried to place his own mental panorama before us as actual 

 pictures. However, his lies, if so they were, proved very enter- 

 taining. As we topped a large hill he pointed out a remote forest 

 and mountain environed lake visible in a side valley, and said: 

 There is a place where my brother Sam had quite a little 'spert- 

 ence. 'Spose you might perhaps like to hear it ? Well, Sam was 

 up thet Indian River country there a huntin' one fall all alone by 

 hisself. He went in his canoe one mawnin' just arter he got up, 

 before he had his breakfust, over to take a look at some night 

 lines he fixed the evenin' before. He didn't take no weepon of no 

 kind, and jess as he got well out onter the water he see a big fat 

 buck start to swim across half a mile down the shore. You bet 

 Sam didn't stop to think thet he had nary a shootin' iron nor even 



pocket knife— he just made up his mind mighty sudd en like thet 

 he hankered arter thet buck and mus have it. The beast saw 

 Sam and swam hard, but Sam he paddled faster nor what the 

 deer could go. He came up to it clus to the shore, paddled along 

 side and jumped right out and caught hold of the critter's neck, 

 try in 1 to drown it. Well, Sam be a big feller, but the deer was 

 hefty too, Jus then it got its feet on the bottom, and then they 

 be a peart scrimmage to see who be the master. Once or twice 

 Sam was downed and stepped on by the sharp hoofs, but he never 

 left go his holt on the critter's neck, and waitin' for the best time 

 he tripped it up, and gettin' its head under, hel' it thar until they 

 be no life in the animal." 



The wagon had no springs. Just as the sylvan annal was con- 

 cluded, Vail, who was sitting on the side to give the canoe room, 

 and who had been listening intently, received an electric shock, 

 imparted by the wheels going suddenly and rapidly over a stone 

 in the road, tumbling him neatly off from his perch into the dust. 



The wagon bounced and jumped. We exchanged seats fre- 

 quently and often stood up. Tne twilight, deepened round us. 

 Still and black the shadows climbed the mountains at our back. 

 As we slowly wheeled up the steep ascents and rattled down into 

 the hollows beyond, the stars were one by one thrown into the 

 sky by an invisible hand; and the endless line of forest on both 

 sides seemed to come close together in front, growing toward one 

 another, like silent, magically constructed walls, to bar our pro- 

 gress. 



Stories, songs, and even poetry were copiously administered to 

 drive off the attack ot oppression and weariness. No use, tired 

 nature would assert herself. The road began to wavo and flaunt 

 itself like a flag in a gale; deer jumped from bough to bough; 

 forests became a dense blanket, lifting up from the earth to en- 

 fold and smother us; the horses would then make a mighty effort 



to break out of the Bhaf ts and travel right up toward the stars; 

 and with a lurch we would suddenly start up to find all the same 

 as before we stirred up the real witn the creations of dreamland. 

 The driver was toughened to this, to us novel experience. After 

 watching us for several hours in our semi-comatose, somnambu- 

 listic condition, he remarked not. unkindly: " I believe if you fel- 

 lows had a rope tied onter yer legs and wuz dragged along in the 

 road behind ye would go on sleepin' jus the same. But if ye are 

 tryin 1 to get .to somewhare you had better wake up quick— here 

 he North River." 



A tavern built close to the road, the Hudson bawling loudly 

 across the way, and a man with a lantern standing beside the 

 wagon, made us suddenly realize that all creations existing in the 

 night are not exclusively the product of sleep-steeped brains. 

 Sending our driver on his way rejoicing we turned toward the 

 house, full of rich anticipations of mattresses and spring beds. 

 What, then, was our consternation at being informed that every 

 room in the hotel was occupied ! 



"What's the matter with the hay mow?" asked the undaunted 

 Vail. 



"I guess we can stand it if the horses can," I replied, glancing 

 at our woefully dust-begrimed clothes. "When the boy comes 

 around in the morning to care for the horses I am going to ask 

 him to curry us the first thing he does." 



Our blankets stood us in good stead. With a reckless abandon, 

 disregarding grasshoppers and crickets, we were soon steeped in 

 sleep and hayseed. We now felt tough enough to decimate a 

 chicken roost or rob a train of carE; and next morning, after a 

 thorough wash in the hotel office, we slouched into the dining- 

 room and the presence of civilized tourists, each of us with flan- 

 nel shirt and belt, ornamented with weapons, joyfully oblivious 

 of those conventionalities of dress and appearance which under 

 ordinary conditions neither of us would for a minute have thought 

 of disregarding. 



Breakfast concluded, it was soon understood by every one in 

 the hamlet that we intended to descend the river in; the incom- 

 prehensible little canoe, which none of them could tire of exam- 

 ining and handling. The Hudson here was no insignificant 

 stream; broad and deep it introduced itself to us in a swift half- 

 mile rapid, which all evidently expected us to run. Alas for 

 publicity! We would have very much liked to become initiated 

 by launching in the still water below. The people became im- 

 patient—no one likes to be cheated out of a free show— and so as 

 the easiest way out of the difficulty, putting the diminutive hark 

 in the water at the head of the rapid, after packing in all our 

 outfit and assuming the conventional positions, Vail in the bow 

 and I in the stern, we grasped the paddles, with whose use we 

 were hardly more than theoretically acquainted, and with many 

 misgivings, pushed off. 



"You can run it all right," shouted after us a facetious old lum- 

 berman. "After you once get started it is just as easy as falling 

 out of a fourth story window." This comparison we found only 

 too faithfully described the situation. Wo headed for the middle 

 of the stream. Suddenly the banks began to climb past us with 

 the rapidity of the shifting of stage scenery when the flies depict- 

 ing a quiet pastoral la ndscape are quickly drawn aside to disclose 

 the heavy villain on the point of raising some one's scalp. With 

 a rush and ahiss, a bound and a plunge, we were tossing about in 

 a breath-taking style. What a revelation to our unaccustomed 

 senses! We were going neither faster nor slower than the Water 

 on which we floated; and, consequently, the stationary waves, the 

 rocks and even the banks seemed on a mad, wild rush up bill. 

 Our experience was very much thritof the raw recruit for the 

 first time under lire. To heighten the illustration, all the pro- 

 jecting stones m the river appeared to be singling us out, coming 

 for us like spent cannon balls. To our good genius must be 

 ascribed the credit of getting us safely through. Certain it is 

 that we were almost paralyzed by conflicting emotions. By the 

 time we took a stroke the necessity for the movement had tu- 

 tirely gone by. About all we did was to keep the boat from drift- 

 ing broadside, which on this occasion, on account of the depth of 

 the channel, was fortunately all that was necessary. 



It was all over in a minute. We could no more tell where we 

 had been than a man who had just experienced being tossed in a 

 blanket. We bad a faint recollection of waves, paddles, arms and 

 feet, but that was all. We were now in clover, or its equivalent 

 to canoeists— swift water of uniform depth and current. All our 

 tribulations seemed to have ended. The landscape was per- 

 fection, the sun shone warm, the clear water without obstructions 

 ofanvkind danced anil sparkled. Holding the stern paddle to 

 guide the canoe, invisible hands moved us along to the tinkle and 

 gurgle of the water and the notes of birds. In this earthly flight, 

 this exertionless progress, we continued until, all too quickly, we 

 found ourselves drifting into the village of North River, where 

 we were obliged to stop for mail. 



It was now well along m the afternoon, and we could ill spare 

 the time, butwielders of the paddle, however rugged their mould, 

 are always vulnerable to the wiles of the fairies, whose other 

 name is woman, and certain it is that with regard to a blooming 

 and vivac ons postmistress here we in this particular developed 

 all the characteristics of veteran canoeists. She knew who we 

 were and all about us, through the oft referred to intuition of the 

 sex (or the instruction of postal cards awaiting our arrival); and 

 opening a conversation which we were not cruel enough tooui- 

 K."lves to refuse to sustain; until we were suddenly brought to 

 realize that we must choose between flirtation and North Creek 

 for the night or the river and camp, 



Thougo after five, we had made the journey from our place of 

 embarkation so quickly and easily, that we supposed that River- 

 side, some nine miles below, could be readily reached by night- 

 fall. The highway now left the river. Once more we gazed 

 where nature's green garments were unseamed by roads. The 

 woods crowded the water iu jealous, thick-growing, impenetra- 

 ble barriers of evergreens. The stream which, earlier in the day, 

 had sported with us in kittenish gambols, now showed canine 

 traits. Rapids, in the midst of which were numerous rocks 

 strewn with drifted timber, became frequent. We were now 

 obliged to continue until w r e found a camping ground. 



We had grown reckless. Like the habitual opium eater, whose 

 system will not respond to a less dose than the quantity .suffi- 

 cient to kill several average men, so as rapid after rapid was 

 passed in safety, our whetted appetite for excitement was given 

 expression in my shouti tig, " Let us paddle, as hard as we can down 

 the next one. We have learned how to select the proper channel 

 and there is no use iu losing time on aecout of ruffled water," 



Adeep sustained roar, well calculated to cause more experienced 

 voyagers to investigate carefully before proceeding, now smote 

 our ears, growing louder as we advanced. With the temerity of 

 boys throwing stones at dynamite we continued, oblivious of dan- 

 ger. As round the bend we swung, a foam-crested, rock-studded 

 declivity, boiling, eddying, auimate with fury and passion, chal- 

 lenged a passage, which, now that we were on the first eager 

 undulations of this resistless current, we must inevitably make. 

 The first numbing fear was succeeded by a. desperate nerving of 

 our strength. Onward we dashed. What mattered that the 

 waves washed over the gunwales, wett ing our goods and persons; 

 what mattered that we slid by this rock or shoved past that so 

 close as to feel the wind of our lightning progress; with muscles 

 rigid and eyes bulging, we strove with clear brain and instant 

 stroke to keep our course and avoid total shipwreck. When we 

 had run I'our-fiiths of this gauntlet of water and rook, as we 

 looked below, the channel beyond a certain point ahead had a dis- 

 tant, far away appearance, an interruption evidently occurring, 

 which we were not slow in comprehending was caused by a fall 

 We were in for it n*w— it was useless to attempt to escape. That 

 our boat might have sufficient velocity to shoot over at as slight 

 an angle as possible, we paddled straight for the most promising 

 spot at as great a speed as we could command. The verge of the 

 falls was shallow. The bow went over all right; but the stern, 

 being weighted down, as the boat made the plunge, scraped 

 against a flat rock a few inches below the surface. The effect was 

 immediate, if not sooner. We were both thrown violently for- 

 ward, i being in the stern, caught hold of the gunwales, but Vail, 

 away forward, with nothing before him, lurched over, and, antici- 

 pating the descent of the canoe, took an independent plunge on his 

 own account. The boat swung partly around by the shock and 

 sudden lightning of its load, almost simultaneously with Vail's 

 enterprising performance shot quartcringly over, sending its re- 

 tarded bow well under water, but landing right side up close 

 beside where Vail had disappeared. 



Up bobbed Vail with the canoe in the. lead. It was impossible 

 for me to check my speed, and I was, therefore, much relieved to 

 hear Harry splutteringly shout, "I am all right. I've got hold of 

 a boulder. Go through and then come back and help me out." 



A few more strong, well applied strokes found me in still water 

 at the foot of the rapid. Hastily landing, picking up a long pole 

 as i walked, I was soon opposite where vail took his unannounced 

 and informal swim. On the top of a high rock, with deep water 

 rushing all around, he sat; presenting much the appearance, in 

 his bedraggled state, of a Newfoundland dog that had just come 

 ashore with his master's stick in its mouth. Stepping and jump- 

 ing out on a succession of partly submerged rocks,I got near enough 

 to reacn my friend with the strong green sapling which I carried, 

 lie took hold of the other end of the impropmtu life line, and, let- 

 ting himself gently into the current, through our uuited efforts 

 soon stood beside me. 



"Harry," I remarked, "the next time you become dissatisfied 



