e was the
wreck of an Indian canoe a mile below here on the Des Plaines, not so
damaged as to be beyond repair, and here is a hatchet which we will
find useful." He stooped and picked it up from under the bench. "One
thing is certain--'tis useless to remain here; they have left the
place as bare as a desert. 'Tis my choice that we make the Des Plaines
before dark."

"And mine also; are you too greatly wearied, Madame?"

"I? Oh, no! to escape this desolate place I will go gladly. Have men
really lived here?"

"Ay, more than once," replied De Artigny. "'Tis said the _engages_ of
Pere Marquette built this hut, and that it sheltered him an entire
winter. Twice I have been here before, once for weeks, waiting the
arrival of the _Griffin_, alone with Sieur de la Salle."

"The _Griffin_?"

"The ship which was to bring us provisions and men. 'Twas a year later
we learned that she went down in the sea, with all aboard. How long
was M. de la Durantaye on station here?" he turned to Barbeau.

"'Tis three months since we came from St. Ignace--a dreary time
enough, and for what purpose I could never guess. In that time all we
have seen has been Indian hunters. I cannot bear to remain even for
another night. Are we ready, Madame? Shall we go?"

The Des Plaines was a narrow stream, flowing quietly through prairie
land, although bordered along its shores by a thin fringe of trees. We
moved down along its eastern bank for perhaps a half league, when we
came to the edge of a swamp and made camp. De Artigny built a fire,
and prepared my tent of boughs, while Barbeau waded out around a point
in search of the wrecked canoe. He came back just at dusk towing it
behind him through the shallow water, and the two men managed to drag
it far enough up the bank to enable the water to drain out. Later,
aided by a flaming torch, we looked it over, and decided the canoe
could be made to float again. It required two days' work, however,
before we ventured to trust ourselves to its safety.

But the dawn of the third day saw us afloat on the sluggish current,
the two men plying improvised paddles to increase our speed, while I
busied myself in keeping the frail craft free from water by constant
use of a tin cup. This oozed in through numerous ill-fitting seams,
but not fast enough to swamp us in midstream, although the amount
gained steadily on me in spite of every effort, and we occasionally
had to make shore to free us of the encumbrance.