the pipe was filled and he would lie down to the
full enjoyment of a most delicious smoke, soon to be lulled into sound
sleep by the melodious gurgle of the swift flowing river. Often during
the night he was awakened by the "honk," "honk" of immense flocks of
wild geese on their way to the southward, or by the whistling of wild
ducks that flew closer to the water. Whenever awakened, he replenished
the fire and consulted the clock. He became possessed with an
unaccountable desire to push ahead and was jealous of every moment that
detained him. This was a feeling he had never before experienced. He
knew that winter was following him closely and the river would soon be
freezing behind him; yet that could scarcely account for the unusual
desire for haste. The moment he heard the whirr of the little alarm
clock, he was up. Hurriedly swallowing breakfast, he slipped into
the river for another thirty-six hours run.

Driving along one afternoon, he thought he saw a man in a tree and
spurted ahead in the hope of obtaining some information as to his
location, to say nothing of the pleasure of hearing A human voice. The
man proved to be a cinnamon bear standing with its face toward the trunk
of the tree, reaching for some kind of nuts or berries. The bear looked
gravely at Paul as he passed; but paid no more attention to him,
though he yelled, blew the bugle and splashed the water. A shot from
the revolver, however, caused the big fellow to skin down the tree in a
hurry.

Whenever the wind blew up stream, which in the northern part of Dakota
was very often, the current turned to a choppy, yellow sea that was
trying. While beating against a head wind of that kind one morning, half
blinded, he saw a covered boat fastened to the shore, from which a man
was emerging, gun in hand. Looking up the river he discovered Paul and
raised the gun to his shoulder. The voyager blew his bugle in a hurry
and waved his hand in sign of amity.

"Wall, stranger," said the man as Paul drew up to the boat, "thet er's a
lucky horn for you. I took yer fur a bar on er log."

Paul was invited in and learned that the man was a hunter and trapper.
He was exceedingly hospitable and insisted on his guest partaking of a
breakfast of beaver tail which is considered a great delicacy, but which
the voyager found rather too fat to agree with his palate. Noticing
that his guest was not particularly fond of the beaver tail, the trap