y the greater part of our baggage on our backs. One half of the
party helped the oxen to draw the boats up to the place where they were
to be put into the water again. We found some of the boats were leaky,
and a great deal of the provisions damaged, which was a matter of
importance, as you will see when I get farther on in my story. We were
seven days in passing round that fall and repairing our boats. During
those seven days, we worked as I had never seen men work before; and,
strangely enough, there were very few grumblers in our party. We joked
and sang lively songs, even during the hardest labor; and I got into a
much better humor than I was in when I started. We had an Irishman,
named Jim O'Brien, in our mess, who was one of the best hearted and
quickest-witted chaps I ever encountered; and we had a friend of his,
named Murtough Johnson, who was as dull and blundering as O'Brien was
keen and ready. So, you see, with O'Brien's jokes and Johnson's blunders
we had something to amuse us. I recollect, at one time, we were pushing
our boat up on the bank clear of the water, and Johnson handled his pole
so clumsily that he fell into the river. O'Brien hauled him out after he
had a severe ducking in rather cold water. The officers worked as hard
as the men. Every sinew and muscle was brought into use. Colonel Arnold
seemed to be ever active, cheering on the men, and often lending his
hand to aid them."

"What sort of a looking man was Arnold at that time?" inquired Hand.

"He was then about thirty-five years old," replied Davenport; "of the
middle size, and rather stout, his face was rather handsome; but there
was an iron look about his mouth that many a man would not like; his
eyes were of a dark grey, and full of fire and restlessness. He seemed
never to be satisfied unless he was moving about and doing something."

"Exactly as I knew him," remarked Kinnison.

"Well," said Davenport, "I'll return to my story. At the end of seven
days we were ready to move on; and we soon arrived at the Carratunc
Falls, where there was another portage. We got round that, however,
without much difficulty. The banks were more level and the road not so
long; but the work afterwards was tough. The stream was so rapid that
the men were compelled to wade and push the batteaux against the
current. There was a little grumbling among us, and quite a number of
the men deserted. Two days after reaching the Carratunc Falls, we came
to the Great C