278 
THE MAINE WOODS. 
usual, he went feeling his way by a middle course be¬ 
tween two probable points, from which he could diverge 
either way at last without losing much distance. In ap¬ 
proaching the south shore, as the clouds looked gusty, 
and the waves ran pretty high, we so steered as to get 
partly under the lee of an island, though at a great dis¬ 
tance from it. 
I could not distinguish the outlet till we were almost 
in it, and heard the water falling over the dam there. 
Here was a considerable fall, and a very substantial 
. dam, but no sign of a cabin or camp. The hunter whom 
we met at Telos Lake had told us that there were plenty 
of trout here, but at this hour thev did not rise to the 
bait, only cousin trout, from the very midst of the rush¬ 
ing waters. There are not so many fishes in these rivers 
as in the Concord. 
While we loitered here, Polis took occasion to cut with 
his big knife some of the hair from his moose-hide, and 
so lightened and prepared it for drying. I noticed at 
several old Indian camps in the woods the pile of hair 
which they had cut from their hides. 
Having carried over the dam, he darted down the rap¬ 
ids, leaving us to walk for a mile or more, where for the 
most part there was no path, but very thick and difficult 
travelling near the stream. At length he would call to 
let us know where he was waiting for us with his canoe, 
when, on account of the windings of the stream, we did 
not know where the shore was, but he did not call often 
enough, forgetting that we were not Indians. He seemed 
to be very saving of his breath,-—yet he would be sur¬ 
prised if we went by, or did not strike the right spot. 
This was not because he was unaccommodating, but a 
proof of superior manners. Indians like to get along 
