avier, you'd soon be all right, for you're a powerful
thinker. The old remedy, you see, is not available, for this side of
the lake is low and swampy. I don't see a single stone anywhere."

"Never mind, get along; we'll come to one soon, I dare say," said the
other, dipping his paddle more briskly over the side.

The point which troubled Archie Sinclair was the difference in weight
between himself and his invalid brother, which, as he occupied the bow,
resulted in the stern of the light craft being raised much too high out
of the water. Of course this could have been remedied by their changing
places, but that would have thrown the heavier work of the bow-paddle on
the invalid, who happened also to be the better steersman of the two. A
large stone placed in the stern would have been a simple and effective
remedy, but, as we have seen, no large stone was procurable just then.

"It didn't much matter in the clumsy wooden things at Red River," said
Archie, "but this egg-shell of Okematan's is very different. Ho!
there's one at last," he continued with animation as they rounded a
point of land, and opened up a small bay, on the margin of which there
were plenty of pebbles, and some large water-worn stones.

One of these having been placed in the stern of the canoe, and the
balance thus rectified, the voyage was continued.

"Don't you think that breakfast on one of these islets would be nice?"
said Billie.

"Just the very thing that was in my mind, Little Bill," answered his
brother.

It was a curious peculiarity in this sturdy youth, that whatever his
invalid brother wished, he immediately wished also. Similarly, when
Billie didn't desire anything, Archie did not desire it. In short
Billie's opinion was Archie's opinion, and Billie's will was Archie's
law. Not that Archie had no will or opinion of his own. On the
contrary, he was quite sufficiently gifted in that way, but his love and
profound pity for the poor and almost helpless invalid were such that in
regard to him he had sunk his own will entirely. As to opinions--well,
he did differ from him occasionally, but he did it mildly, and with an
openness to conviction which was almost enviable. He called him Bill,
Billie, or Little Bill, according to fancy at the moment.

Poor boys! The sudden death of both parents had been a terrible blow to
them, and had intensified the tenderness with which the elder had
constituted himself the guardian of the younger