h
the distribution of the unfortunate _Mary Ann_, it being his plan
evidently not to float her again, but to reduce her to a portable
package which could be taken away in their other canoe, the dugout,
on the beach below.

"Well, there goes the _Mary Ann_," said John, sadly. "He is evidently
going to make some kindling wood for himself."

"My cousin she'll say this boat must be took up to camp, where womans
can work on heem," explained Moise. "He'll say he'll patch up those
boat fine, for all the ribs she'll be bent all right an' not bust, and
he'll make new keel an' new side rails--oh, you wait! Maybe so nex'
year you'll come here you'll see those boat _Marie H'Ann_ just so fine
like she never was."

Whatever might have been the future plans for the _Mary Ann_, she soon
resembled nothing so little as a Peterborough canoe. The old man
calmly proceeded to separate the framework at bow and stern, so that
he could crush the two sides of the canoe together after removing the
ribs, which also he proceeded to do, one by one. Finally he had a pile
of ribs and some broken splints which he laid carefully on the beach.
Then he doubled back the splintered skin of the canoe, throwing away
very little indeed of the fractured woodwork. At last he grunted some
rapid words to the younger man, who seemed to be his son or a member
of his family.

"My cousin she'll say he can took those boat in dugout all right down
the river," said Moise. "She'll said to me also we'll go on Hudson's
Hope with heem." Moise pointed to Jesse. Alex nodded and explained
further the plan which had roughly been sketched out before that time
by Rob and himself. In a little time the younger Cree had returned and
poled the big dugout around the bend up to the place where they were
now in camp. With some excited talk on the part of both, they now took
the wreck of the _Mary Ann_ and carried it up the bank to await their
return. In different places along the great cottonwood dugout they
added such supplies as Moise thought was right. The other supplies
they then _cached_, and put over all the robe of the big grizzly,
flesh side out, and heavily salted, weighting the edges down with
heavy stones.

The freeboard of the dugout was very slight when Jesse took his place,
but seemed quite enough to satisfy the requirements of these
_voyageurs_. The old man sprang into the stern of the dugout and
motioned to Jesse to find a seat amidships. Meantime Moise was fixing