n them. The wind roared, the
waves came rolling almost up to the canoe. They could scarcely hold it
down. All this time the thunder roared, and the lightning flashed, and
the crashing of falling trees was heard.

"Oh! oh! we are all going to be washed away!" cried Tommy in a fright.

"No fear, Tom," said Tony; "all we've to do is to hold on to the canoe,
and to our baskets of grub, and then, if we are washed away, we shall be
able to turn the canoe over and get into her."

This idea made poor Tommy happier till the wind ceased. When they got
out from under the canoe, they found that the wind had blown down the
trees right through the forest, just as if a broad road had been cut in
it, but it had not touched them either on one side or the other. There
were still some hours of daylight, so they paddled on. They passed many
canoes with Indians in them. They are made of the birch-bark, and sewed
together with thread made from the root of a shrub; the seams are then
covered over with gum and resin; the ribs are very thin, and made of
white cedar. They look very pretty, and are so light that two men can
carry one, which will hold eight or ten persons, a long way over land.
It is in this way that people travel in the wild parts where there are
many rivers. They paddle along the river till they come to the end of
it, and then two of them lift the canoe out of the water, and run along
over the ground--it may be a mile or it may be a dozen--till they come
to another river or lake, into which they launch it; the rest carry the
freight on their backs. In that way they go hundreds of miles across
North America, indeed almost from ocean to ocean.

The lads were going down the river, when they came near some very strong
rapids, with a fall of several feet beyond. When the river in the
spring was very full, this fall could be shot. Rob had got close to the
rapid before he saw how strong the current was running. To get to land
he turned the canoe round, and paddled across the river. There was a
small island just below where the canoe was. Rob wished to cross above
it. A tree with large branches had fallen, and stuck out into the
stream. "Lie down at the bottom of the canoe," said Rob to Tommy, who
looked frightened. "Now, Tony, paddle your best."

Do all they could, the canoe was carried quickly down by the current,
close to the island. At that moment, Tommy, seeing the tree, caught
hold of a branch, and swung him