ely to have one to-night, even in this safe cove,"
responded Jacques, kneeling to help, and anxious for supper. "Look now
at me; I know the Indian way to start a blaze by taking two pieces of
wood and boring one into the other, rubbing it thus between my palms.
It is a gift. Not many voyageurs can accomplish that."

"Rub thy two stupid heads together and make a blaze," said another
hungry man, coming with a kettle of lake water. But the fire soon
climbed pinkly through surrounding darkness. They drove down two forked
supports to hold a crosspiece, and hung the kettle to boil their hulled
corn. Then the fish which had been taken by trolling during the day were
dressed and broiled on hot coals.

The May starlight was very keen over their heads in a dark blue sky
which seemed to rise to infinite heights, for the cold northern night
air swept it of every film. Their first delicious meal was blessed and
eaten; and stretched in blankets, with their feet to the camp fire, the
tired explorers rested. They were still on the north shore of what we
now call the state of Michigan, and their course had been due westward
by the compass. A cloud of Indian tobacco smoke rose from the lowly roof
of each canoe, and its odor mingled with the sweet acrid breath of
burning wood. Jolliet and the voyageurs had learned to use this dried
brown weed, which all tribes held in great esteem and carried about with
them in their rovings.

"If true tales be told of the water around the Bay of the Puans," one of
the voyageurs was heard to say as he stretched himself under the canoe
allotted to the men, "we may save our salt when we pass that country."

"Have you ever heard, Father," Jolliet inquired of the missionary, "that
the word Puan meant foul or ill-smelling instead of salty?"

"I know," Marquette answered, "that salt has a vile odor to the Indians.
They do not use it with their food, preferring to season that instead
with the sugar they make from the maple tree. Therefore, the bay into
which we are soon to venture they call the Bay of the Fetid, or
ill-smelling salty country, on account of saline water thereabout."

"Then why do the Winnebago tribe on this bay allow themselves to be
called Puans?"

"That has never been explained by the missionaries sent to that post,
though the name seems to carry no reproach. They are well made and tall
of stature. I find Wild Oats a stranger name--the Menomonies are Wild
Oats Indians. Since the gospel h