nd there before him lay the stream, broad and deep
and straight, a clear path for the good canoe that he had made his own.

He did not allow his exultation to steal away his caution, but after the
first few sweeps of the paddle he sent the canoe close to the eastern
bank, under the shadow of vast masses of overhanging willows. Here it
blended with the dusk, and he handled the paddle so smoothly that he
made no splash to betray his presence.

Now he examined his canoe, and he saw that, in truth, it bore supplies
for a band, venison, buffalo meat, wild turkey, and, what he craved most
of all, bread of Indian corn. The supplies were sufficient to last him
two weeks at least, and he felt with all the power of conviction that
the miracle was still working.

He sped down the stream with long, silent strokes, keeping always in the
dusk of the overhanging foliage. The stars came out, and with them a
full, bright moon, which he also worshiped as a sign and an emblem of
the Supreme Will that had saved him. He fell into an intense mood of
exaltation. The powers of earth and air and water had worked together in
a singular manner. Never was his fancy more vivid. The flowing of the
stream sang to him, and the willows over his head sang to him also. The
light from the moon and stars grew. The dusk was shot with a silver
glow. Apprehension, weariness went from him, and he shot down the river,
mile after mile, apparently the only figure in the ancient wilderness.

He did not stop until two or three hours after midnight, when at a low
place in the bank he thrust the canoe into a dense mass of water weeds
and bushes, put the paddle beside him and ate freely of the captured
supplies. The venison and buffalo meat were excellent, and while the
water of the river was not as good as that of a spring, it was
nevertheless cold and refreshing. Fresh warmth and vigor flowed into
his body, and he declared to himself that he had never felt better and
stronger in his life. He looked with satisfaction at his stores, which
would last him so long, and he also saw in the canoe a folded green
blanket, which its owner evidently had left there for future use. He
would use it instead, since the cold was likely to increase and he meant
to be comfortable.

Henry considered the canoe a godsend. It left no trail, and he had been
careful to leave none when he came to the bank for its capture. Perhaps
the Indian would think he had tied it carelessly and the cu