f it, ef there's a rod."

"The stroke begins to tell on my left side," answered Herbert; "but if
you were sitting where you could see what's coming down upon us as I
can, you would see it wasn't any time for us to take things leisurely."

"Lord, boy," rejoined the trapper, "do ye think I haven't any ears? The
fire's at the fourth bend above us and the pines on the ridge we passed
five minutes ago ought to be blazin' by this time. Ah me, boy, this
isn't the fust time I've run a race with a fire of the devil's own
kindlin', alone and in company, both. And my ears have measured the roar
and the cracklin' ontil I can tell to a rod, eenamost, how fur the red
line be behind me."

"What do you think of our chances?" queried his companion; "shall we
get over the carry in time? for I suppose we are making for the big
pool, are we not?"

"Yis, we be makin' for the pool," replied the trapper, "for it's the
only safe spot on the river; and as for the chances, I sartinly doubt ef
we can fetch the carry in time. Ef the fire isn't there ahead of us, it
will be on us afore we could git to the pool at the other eend."

"Why can't we run the rapids?" asked Herbert promptly.

"The rapids can be run, as you and me know," responded the old man, "for
we have both did it, although they be onusually swift, and there be
spots where good jedgment and a quick paddle is needed."

"Why," exclaimed Herbert, "the last time we went down we never took in a
drop of water."

"It's true, as ye say, boy," responded the trapper; "yis, we sartinly
did as ye say, though few be the men that know the waters that would
believe it."

"Why, then," exclaimed the young man, "can't we do it again?"

"The smoke, boy, the smoke," was the answer. "The smoke will be there
ahead of us. And who can run a stretch of water like the one ahead
yender, with his eyes blinded? No, boy, we must git there ahead of the
fire, for we can't run the rapids in the smoke. Here," he added, "ye be
pullin' a murderin' stroke, and it's best that I spell ye. Down with ye,
pups, down with ye, and lie still as a frozen otter while the boy comes
over ye."

With the celerity of long practice in boating, the two men changed
places, and with such quickness was the change in position effected,
that the onrushing shell scarcely lessened its headway. The trapper
seized the oars on the instant, while Herbert supported him with equal
swiftness with the paddle and the light craft raced along