ugh waters, where it seemed almost
impossible at times to avoid the dangerous rocks that reared their heads
above the current. By Swiftwater's direction the boys were allowed to take
a hand at the oars at times, beside the Indian oarsman, to accustom them
somewhat to the ticklish navigation of the rivers. While they found the
navigation something new, their previous experience in canoe work had
taught them sufficiently "the feel of the water" to make them fairly
useful.

Pepper, who always threw a good deal of enthusiasm into anything he
attempted to do, was barely saved from going overboard several times, and
when once left alone with the side oar, succeeded in dipping the blade
under a piece of hidden rock and was thrown by the swift motion of the
boat high in the air, alighting somewhat breathless on the mass of
tarpaulined freight in front of him, luckily without serious injury. The
oar, however, went by the board and was lost.

"Wh-wh-what was that?" gasped Pepper, as he got his wind again and began
to caress his ribs where the oar handle had struck him.

"I've only got one guess," laughed Dick, "but I should say it was the
bottom of the river," while Rand sarcastically suggested that it wasn't
part of the business of this expedition to try and clear the channel of
the Lewes.

It was eight o'clock in the evening, and the sun in that high latitude was
still visible when the boats reached the mouth of the stream known as Gold
Creek, which entered the Lewes from the southeast. It was some miles up
this confluent that Colonel Snow's land lay, and by direction of
Swiftwater the Indian boatmen skilfully rounded the batteaus out of the
current of the Lewes into the Creek and into a little backwater formed by
a projecting sandy point between the two streams. Here the water was
fairly deep, and as no trees came down to the water's edge two of the
Indians held the boat up to the bank, while the third sprang ashore with
coils of rope and two long iron stakes which he drove deep into the gravel
and sand, and tied the stern and bow of the boat to the bank. The other
boat was fastened the same way, and Swiftwater, springing ashore and
stretching his long legs, cried: "All ashore; we'll make camp here,
tonight."

CHAPTER VI.

THE BIGGEST BEAR IN THE WORLD.

As soon as the Boy Scouts had set foot on land Swiftwater drew the boys
about him and assigned certain of the camp duties to each, directing the
Indians, howe