p our boat to
head straight into it. Where should we go then? Of course, we would
have to get a little to one side of that long, rolling ridge of white
water. But not too far. Sometimes it may be safer to take that big
wave, and all the other waves, right down the white ridge of the
stream, than it is to go to one side."

"I don't see why that would be," said Jesse. "I should think there
would be the most dangerous place for a canoe."

"It is, in one way," said Alex. "Or at least you're surer to ship
water there. But suppose you are in a very heavy stream like the
Fraser or the Columbia. At the foot of the chute there is very apt to
be some deep swells, or rolls, coming up from far down below. Besides
that, there's very apt to be a strong eddy setting up-stream just
below the chute, if the walls are narrow and rocky. Now, that sort of
water is very dangerous. One of those big swells will come up under a
boat, and you'd think a sledge-hammer had hit her. Nothing can stop
the boat from careening a little bit then. Well, suppose the eddy
catches her bow and swings her up-stream. She goes up far enough, in
spite of all, so that her nose gets under some white water coming
down. Well, then, she swamps, and you're gone!"

"I don't like this sort of talk," said Jesse. "If there's any place
where I could walk I'd get out."

"I'm telling you now about bad water," said Alex, "and telling you how
to take care of yourself in case you find yourself there. One thing
you must remember, you must travel a little faster than the current to
get steerageway, and you must never try to go against your current in
a rapid--the water is stronger than all the horses you ever saw. The
main thing is to keep cool, to keep your balance, and sometimes not to
be afraid of taking a little water into the boat. It's the business of
the captain to tell whether it's best to take the ridge of water at
the foot of the chute or to edge off from it to one side. That last is
what he will do when there are no eddies. All rapids differ, and of
course in a big river there may be a dozen different chutes. We always
go ashore and look at a rapid if we think it's dangerous.

"Now, you hear that noise below us," he added, "but don't be alarmed.
Don't you see, Moise and Rob are already past it? I'll show you now
how we take it. Be steady, John, and don't paddle till I tell you. On
your right a little!" he called out an instant later. "That's it! So.
Well, we're th