hore as best he might. Before they could resume their
paddles they struck again; the stem of the canoe was shattered like an
egg-shell and hung only by the gunwales, so that Lawrence, who was
steering, had to quit his place. The violence of the stroke drove them
to the opposite side of the river, where the bow met with the same fate.
At that moment Reuben seized the branches of a small overhanging tree
in a desperate hope of checking the canoe, but the tree proved so
elastic that he was jerked on shore in an instant as if by magic, and
the canoe swept over a cascade, where several holes were broken in her
bottom and nearly all the bars started. At the same moment the wreck
fell flat on the water; all the men jumped out, and Ducette, whose
courage forsook him, shouted, "Save yourselves!"

"Not so! Hold on to the canoe, men," cried Mackenzie sternly. The men
obeyed, and thus prevented the total loss of everything. Yard by yard,
on the verge of destruction they waded down the rapid, and guided the
wreck into shallow water, where some held her fast while the others, who
were quickly joined by Reuben and Swiftarrow, carried the lading safely
ashore. On this occasion several things were lost, the chief of these
being their whole stock of bullets, but they had plenty of shot left
from which ball could be made.

One might have thought this was at last sufficient to have turned them
back--so at least thought most of the men, who began to look
rebellious--but Mackenzie partly compelled, partly encouraged them to
advance. The canoe was dragged ashore and repaired, or rather
reconstructed, and eventually through indescribable difficulties he
reached the navigable stream which forms the head-waters of the Columbia
River. This he descended a considerable distance, and met with many of
the natives, who told him that the country below abounded with game and
the river with fish; but as the course of the latter ran towards the
south, and the distance by it to the sea was described as being
extremely great, he deemed it advisable to retrace his course a short
way and then strike westward overland to the Pacific.

The old canoe being now little better than a wreck, birch-bark was
procured and a new canoe built, after which the stream was ascended
until a spot was reached where the natives were in the habit of starting
overland for the sea coast. Here the canoe was hidden, an Indian guide
procured, and then these indomitable pio