| children, dogs, iad) women, who eyed them curiously while 
they eyed dubiously, the while, the primitive vessel which 
was to take them out on the bounding deep. It was a typical ? 
Indian canoe, some twenty-odd feet long, such as the natives © 4 
use when they make long trips upon the ocean after seals 
or whales, and was fashioned out of a monster fir, high in 
the prow, and spreading like a great gull at the sides. It 
seemed very small and it was with hearts that quaked a 
little, because they were not quite sure of stomachs, that 
they were stowed away on the floor of the boat by Mr. 
Howieattle, the Indian captain, who later gave directions to 
the birdman and two other men of the Quillayute nine as 
to the places they should occupy. 
As the river merged into the sea, they passed a shallow 
sandbar covered with dozens of the small Bonaparte Gulls, 
which were so intent upon their “good hunting” that they © 
searcely lifted their heads for inspection as the canoe 
skimmed by them out upon the swells. The women keeuly | 
appreciated the phrase “bounding billows,” for, at times the 
horizon was a pale green veil of moisture and the next in- 
stant they found they were poised on top of the world about 
to slide down again into a great abyss of swirling water. 
The strong arms and backs of the Indians, assisted by a tiny 
gail, swept them rapidly along toward their goal, which 
seemed to grow higher and higher as they approached its” 
surf-swept sides. 
The men explained that, as it was high tide, it would 
be necessary for the passengers to jump from the boat as 
the canoe dropped into the trough of the sea, and then, that — 
_ they must run as rapidly as they could to a high place on the 
ledge, upon which they were to land, to escape the returning 
~ waves. The sail was furled and a quick turn of the paddles — 
sent the boat into the froth between the islands. When the 
swirling water left the shelf of rock partly bare, the in- 
spector and two Indians jumped, and one passenger followed 
with a flying leap for a higher position, thanking providence 
82 
