394 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Long Stretches of Lonely Lakes and an Occasional Four-Footed 
conscience, and seemed to hide or destroy some 
object. He the came down on a point in front of 
the tent and showed that he wanted to talk with 
us. This was a good, fat, brown, greasy Indian, 
very affable. The Peribonka, he said, was a mile 
or two off—already we could see the hills on its 
far bank. He rushed into a description of 
“chutes,” “rapids,” and portages at which we 
nodded gravely and said oui, oui, as occasion de¬ 
manded. He must have been describing the route 
to Lac St. Jean. It sounded like going over 
Niagara Falls and through the Whirlpool Rapids 
all at once. Meanwhile two small boys had come 
down to look at us and taken to wrestling with 
each other. One was plain Indian, the other, 
quite handsome, seemed to have some white blood. 
A fat squaw, red skirted, appeared in the tent 
door and watched the proceedings. 
It was still early afternoon when we reached 
the junction of lake and river. We camped on 
a bluff facing up-stream. The view is sweeping 
and rather majestic; lowland along the river, with 
timbered hills in the near background. About the 
camp was an odor intimately associated with a 
moose or caribou carcass which had been dismem¬ 
bered and carelessly scattered about. We hunted 
up most of the pieces and flung them into the 
water. 
The current came in swift rushes and we hug¬ 
ged the banks to escape its full force. Lunch on 
a point at half past eleven. After starting again 
we went on the wrong side of an island, struck 
a shallow dead water, and had to wade some dis¬ 
tance. The hillsides were now closing down or 
the river. Early in the afternoon we sighted 
rapids—a fine tumbling sweep, of which we could 
see perhaps a third of a mile; the upper end was 
hidden by a curve. We were tired and lazy, so 
camped on a level but sandy spot at the foot of 
the fast water. 
August 2—On the morrow I routed the crowd 
out early—but not bright, for the sky was heav¬ 
ily overcast. As we were making the fire a vio¬ 
lent rain-squall swooped down. Whereat we 
voted the day Sunday and retired for more sleep. 
It really was a calendar Sunday, but no camper 
who has serious notions of travel can count much 
on the calendar. He ought to keep going while 
the weather is clear. Our unwritten rule, how¬ 
ever, empowered the party to declare a whole 
day off on the strength of a single dash of wet. 
On this occasion the sky was clear as a bell by 
eight or nine o’clock. 
After breakfast W- turned in to sleep 
again. J- and I ran a large laundry busi¬ 
ness. Finishing that, we put on what few rags 
we had that were not drying in the sun and 
tried poling the rapids with an empty canoe. 
We had never had a shod pole in our hands, 
but we had read in a book that when two men 
worked at once they both poled on the same 
side of the canoe. The middle of that rapid 
looked rough and deep. Near shore was the 
place for us. Ergo, we would keep her in by 
poling on the outer side. No expert will need 
explanation of what ensued. It was a mad 
whirl of poles mysteriously vanishing under the 
canoe, frantic grabs for paddles, waves taken 
broadside on. We did not tip over, but only 
kind Providence knows why. 
Lunch disposed of, J- and W- tried the 
poling job, while I scrambled along the bank and 
commented. Between us we caugh f the trick— 
push on the inside and keep your canoe at such 
an angle that the current forces it near the 
bank. The fellows went nearly to the head of 
the rapid before they were stumped by a stretch 
full of rocks. This we felt we could pass with 
one man on the tracking line. I got aboard and 
we flew gloriously down-stream to camp. 
J-- produced a genuine rice pudding that 
night—with raisins in it. He baked it between 
the frying pans. We felt like decorating him. 
Before going to bed I noticed on the south¬ 
erly horizon a strange columnar cloud, shot with 
lurid, fiery streaks. We speculated idly about 
the possibilities of forest fires. 
August 3—When we tackled the rapids in the 
morning. J- and W—•—, who had proved 
their mettle, manned the canoe, while I went 
along shore with the tracking rope, which rati 
from stem to stern and was passed through all 
Citizen’s Home. 
the pack straps to prevent loss in case of disas¬ 
ter. My job was to take a firm stand above each 
bit of swift water and haul away like a good 
one whenever I could do so without tipping the 
canoe over. 
At the very start we nearly came to grief. 
Somehow, when I was at the extreme end of my 
rope, the bow swung too far out. If I let go, 
the whole outfit would run its chances broad¬ 
side in a lot of vicious waves; if I hung on— 
and was not pulled in—she might upset. I elected 
to stand pat. The current tugged tremendously; 
the canoe heeled over; for one awful straining 
moment, while J- strove to push the stern 
out, water came in amidships steadily. Just in 
time she swung right. We made the top of the 
first run of rapids without further adventure. 
There I climbed aboard and we paddled to the 
next swift stretch. Somehow W- and I got 
mixed up here, with the result that he landed 
on the bank while I took the stern pole. Much 
to my relief the going was easy. In fact, we 
poled so fast at times that W- had to run 
and sprawl over slippery boulders to keep ahead. 
On arriving at more placid water we had mercy 
and took him aboard. This proved bad policy 
for J- and I made a wrong move of some 
sort. Unaided by the line, we suffered the full 
consequences, and were soon careering toward 
curling breakers. W- did not like the looks 
of things and said so. I had lively misgiv¬ 
ings myself. But J-rose to the occasion and 
brought us safe to the opposite bank, not very 
far down from where we had lost control. 
Starting afresh we went through some pretty 
bad water. At one place rocks near shore com¬ 
pelled us to go so far out that W- could 
not help at all. Three times we tried this pas¬ 
sage and three times were beaten back, but on 
the fourth attempt won through. We had lunch 
at the foot of a long stretch where the current 
was only moderately swift. Here the others 
discovered to their delight that my left trouser 
leg was in tatters. We always had mild rivalry 
as to the relative merits of yvool and khaki. It 
looked as if the drinks were on me. But upon 
