.
Cap. Shott says it is all right. Are you still of a mind to go, or do
you want to stay here?"

"Not at all, sir!" rejoined Rob, stoutly. "I'll go through, of
course."

So presently they both stepped into the lightly loaded scow which lay
at the head of the island. The men consisted of the steersman,
Francois; a bowman, Pierre; and four oarsmen. They all were stripped
to trousers and shirts. At a word from Francois the boat pushed out,
the men poling it through the maze of rocks at the head of the island
to a certain point at the head of the right-hand channel where the
current steadied down over a wide and rather open piece of water.

The bowman carried in his hand a long lance-like shaft or pole, and
stood with it upon the short bow deck. At the stern of the boat there
was a plank laid across which acted as a bridge for the commodore,
Francois, who walked back and forward across it as he worked his great
steering-oar, which ran out at the back of the scow.

If the men had any anxiety about their undertaking, they did not show
it. Francois smoked calmly. It was to be noted that Cap. Shott did
not go through on the first boat, but remained on the shore. The skill
of his wild calling had been passed down to the next generation.

Francois at last gave a short word or so of command in Cree. The
oarsmen straightened out the boat. Francois motioned now to all the
occupants to keep to the side, so that he would have a clear view
ahead.

Little by little, as the current caught it, the scow began to slip on
faster and faster. By and by waves began to come up alongside, almost
to the gunwale. Rob had the vague impression that this boat was made
of astonishingly thin boards, and that the water made a great noise
upon it. Under the oars it creaked and strained and seemed very frail.

The men were silent now, but eager. Francois, pipe in mouth, was very
calm as he stood at the oar, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

About half-way down the side of the island came the most dangerous
part of the run. Suddenly the bowman sprang erect and cried out
something in Cree, pointing sharply almost at right angles to the
course of the boat. Francois gave a few quick orders and the oarsmen
swung hard upon one side. The head of the scow swung slowly into the
current. The channel here, however, passed between two great
boulders, over the lower one of which the river broke in a high white
wave. It was the duty of the steersman to swing the