ch
happily broke her fall, bounded from mass to mass of the thicker foliage
below, and finally came down on a massive bough which, shunting her
clear of the tree altogether, and clear of the hut as well, sent her
headlong into the water.

With something like frozen blood and marrow, Michel witnessed the fall.
A few seconds more and his canoe went crashing through the leafy screen
that hid the hut. Old Liz was up and floundering about like a black
seal, or mermaid. She could not swim, but, owing to some peculiarity of
her remarkable frame, she could not sink. Her son was at her side in a
moment, seized her, and tried to kiss her. In his eagerness the canoe
overturned, and he fell into her arms and the water at the same time.

It was a joyful though awkward meeting. Much water could not quench the
love wherewith the poor creature strained Michel to her heart.
Winklemann came up in time to rescue both, and dragged them to the
door-step of the floating hut, the door of which he burst open with a
single kick, and sprang in.

Who shall attempt to describe the meeting that followed? We ask the
question because we feel unequal to the task. There issued from the hut
a roll of German gutturals. Winklemann, rushing through two feet of
water, seized his mother's hand and fell on his knees beside her. He
was thus, of course, submerged to the waist; but he recked not--not he!
Michel and old Liz entered, dripping like water-nymphs, and sat down on
the soppy bed. Daddy, impressed with the idea that a good practical
joke was being enacted, smiled benignantly like a guardian angel.

"Now den, zee night draws on. Ve must be gone," said Winklemann,
turning to Rollin; "git zee canoes ready--qveek!"

Both canoes were soon got ready; blankets and pillows were spread in the
centre of each. Mrs Winklemann was lifted carefully into one; Daddy,
as carefully, into the other. Old Liz quietly took her seat in the bow
of Daddy's canoe; her son sat down in the stern, while Herr Winklemann
took charge of that which contained his mother.

"No room to take any of de property to-night, ma mere," said Michel.

"Hoots! niver heed," replied Liz.

"No, I vill not heed. Moreover, Veenklemann and moi ve vill retoorn
demorrow."

As he spoke he chanced to look up and saw the apron which had guided him
to the spot waving gently at the tree-top. In a few seconds he was
beside it. Cutting the staff free, he descended and stuck it in the bow