he food put warmth and life into us. We asked
about Rogers.

"He's at No. 4. His raft was swept over these falls, and he and his men
had a narrow escape. Then he made a new raft and was nearly lost at the
falls below. We'd like to stop longer with you, boys, but can't. We're
carrying food to the fellows up the river."

"You must get there as quick as you can. We left about seventy men up
there, starving and going mad for want of food."

"Some more birches are to follow us in a couple of days, and you'll meet
them on your way down."

They gave us some food and then made the carry, up by the falls, and
left us. We ate and drank some more, and then slept for an hour. When we
woke up, we felt much stronger, and went to work making another raft.
The next day we completed the raft early in the morning; and drifted
down to the waterfall of which they had spoken. We kept our ears and
eyes open, and went ashore in time to avoid it. We had built a fire and
were making a shelter, when three more canoes came up, and we camped
together with the men. We had all that we could eat and it was
delightful to us to meet these clean, healthy, robust men, full of life.

[Sidenote: FORT NO. 4]

In the morning they helped us lower our raft down the fifty feet of
rapids. They gave us some nails, and we added to our raft and made it
stronger, and then poled it out into the river, and drifted down with
the current. We arrived at Fort No. 4 at sunset. It was the 9th of
November. We had spent two months in that dreadful, barren wilderness.
When we came in sight of the fort, and poled our raft to the shore, men
and women in good Christian dress came running down to meet us. Our
hearts rose up in our throats. We could not speak from our happiness.
The tears rolled down our cheeks and we sobbed from joy.

How fine they looked, those men with their clean-shaven faces, and their
hair neatly done up in cues! And how beautiful and kind the women!

Such few clothes as we still had were in rags. Our hair and beards were
long and matted together; our faces and hands black from exposure and
dirt and grime. We felt ashamed of our appearance and would gladly have
sneaked in unseen. But they made of us as if we had been three prodigal
sons. And the flesh-pots, the fatted calf, and the honey were all
offered to us.

Rogers claimed us for a short time, to get news from the camp, and told
us he was going up the next morning.

We had a supper of the best