other day are
lurking about, or maybe they will take a fancy to our packs of dried
venison and skins, and stop us," observed Mike.

"What put that idea into your head?" I asked.

"Sure, because they are cunning spalpeens; and as they know the way we
must take, they are likely enough to be on the watch for us," he
replied.

"We must be on the watch for them, then," I answered, laughing. "If any
of them appear, and look as if they intended to interfere with us, we
shall have to show them the muzzles of our rifles; although, as I never
have shot a man, I trust that I shall not be obliged to do so."

We paddled on for some time after this, and now and then we caught up
Reuben's canoe and had a talk with him. I told him what Mike had said.

"Oh! I don't think there is much chance of that," he answered, lightly.
"A few rifle-bullets will soon drive the fellows into the woods, if
they show their noses."

We were now entering a part of the stream which ran between broken
cliffs; on one side rocks rose almost perpendicularly from the water,
their summits shaped like the parapets of ruined castles, while on the
other the trees came down to the river's brink. Kakaik reminded us that
we were approaching a series of rapids; and he explained by signs that
he would lead the way, and advised Mike and me to keep exactly in his
course. He and Reuben paddled on, therefore, while we followed at a
little distance. We saw them descend one of the first rapids.
Immediately below this, in a turn of the river, was another, the fall in
which being probably about four or five feet, was not sufficient to
endanger the safety of the canoes if carefully handled.

We were approaching the highest of the rapids, which, as I have said,
the other canoe had just descended, when we saw an Indian dart out from
behind the trunk of a tree growing close to the water, and point his
arrow at the first canoe, aiming at Reuben. The arrow flew from the
bow, but whether my friend was hit or not I could not say, as the canoe,
darting down the rapid, was lost to sight.

We were too near the rapid to paddle back, for in turning round we
should have run the risk of upsetting the canoe, when it would have been
carried down sideways, and probably dashed to pieces. Our only safe
course, therefore, was to dash forward; and we hoped to pass the Indian
before he could perceive us, or have time to fix another arrow in his
bow. Had we been in still water I mig