ch. But the vista was empty of what she
sought.

Then she looked around in the other direction at the mainland to the
northwest of Ellen's Isle. As she looked she saw the bushes waving near
the shore and then from the tangle of branches there emerged first a
pair of antlers, then a head and then a pair of front legs, followed by
a dark body, and a large bull moose stood silhouetted against the leafy
background. A moment it stood there, calm and deliberate, and then
turned and disappeared into the forest.

"Oh, where are the folks?" cried Aunt Clara aloud in her excitement.
"What a shame they had to miss it!" She stood a long time looking
intently at the spot where the moose had disappeared, but it did not
show itself again. As she stood there watching she heard a rhythmic
chant coming across the water:

"Strong, brother, strong,
We smoothly glide along,
Our paddles swing as we gaily sing
This merry boating song."

No one was in sight, and yet the voices came clear and true through the
still morning air. It was several minutes before the war canoe came in
sight around a high cliff far up the shore. "How far the sound carries
across the water!" exclaimed Aunt Clara to herself in amazement.

The _Nyoda_ looked no bigger than a caterpillar, crawling over the
water, but she could plainly hear Uncle Teddy's voice giving commands:
"One, two! One, two! Dip! Dip! Longer stroke, Katherine! Left side,
cross rest! Right side, paddle! Both sides, ready, dip!"

Now she could see the paddles flashing out on both sides, and the
caterpillar became a creature with wings. In she came, straight for the
landing, her crew sitting erect as pine saplings, dipping their paddles
in unison.

"Oh, the gallant crew, in this canoe
They live on Ellen's Isle;
They paddle all the livelong day
And sing a song the while.
So dip your paddles deep, my lads,
Into the flying spray,
And sing a cheer as you swiftly steer,
_Nyoda_! YEA! YEA! YEA!"

Up flashed the paddles on the cheer, giving the salute; then down again
in time for the next stroke.

"Ready! Back paddle! One! Two!"

Down went the paddles, held stiffly against the sides of the canoe to
stop her, while the water swished and foamed over the blades; then the
strokes were reversed to back her up.

"Cross rest!"

The paddles lay idly across the gunwales and the _Nyoda_ floated in
to the landing.

"Disembark!"

The girl behind the