day more and more a torrent,
full of danger even for experienced men.

XXVII

ON THE RAPIDS

It was cool that night, almost cool enough for frost, and the morning
was chill when they rolled out of their blankets. A heavy mist rose
from over the river, and while this obtained Leo refused to attempt to
go on. So they lost a little time after breakfast before the sun had
broken up the mist enough to make it safe to venture on the river.
They were off at about nine o'clock perhaps, plunging at once into
three or four miles of very fast water.

The boats now kept close together, and at times they landed, so that
their leaders could go ahead and spy out the water around the bend. In
making these landings with heavy boats, as the boys observed, the men
would always let the stern swing around and then paddle up-stream, so
that the landing was made with the bow up-stream. The force of the
river would very likely have capsized the boat if a landing were
attempted with the bow down-stream. "Just like a steamboat-landing,"
said Jesse.

Leo himself was now very alert. He did not say a word to anybody, but
kept his eyes on ahead as though he felt himself to be the responsible
man of the party. Certainly he took every precaution and proved
himself a wonderful riverman. But he seemed puzzled at last as, when
they landed upon a beach, he turned toward Uncle Dick.

"Me no understand!" said he. "Death Eddy up there, but no see 'um!"

"What do you mean, Leo?"

"Well, Death Eddy up there, and we come through, but no see 'um! I
s'pose maybe high water has change'. I go look ahead."

He went down the stream for a little way until he could see into the
next bend, but came back shaking his head.

"No can make that canyon," said he. "Water she's too high--bad, very
bad in there now. Must line down."

"What place did you call this, Leo?" inquired Uncle Dick.

"Call 'um Methodist Canyon. Low water she's all right, now she's bad."

"Out you go, boys," said Uncle Dick. "We've got to line through. How
far, Leo?"

"Maybe-so one mile," rejoined the Indian. "S'pose low water, we paddle
through here all right!"

Uncle Dick sighed. "Well, I hate to take the time, but I suppose
that's what we'll have to do. You boys go on along the shore the best
you can, while we let the boats down."

The boys struggled up now on the side of the shelving beach, which was
nothing but a mass of heavy rock that had rolled down from the
mountains