Part 25 (1/2)

Leo shook his head soberly.

”Two days?”

Leo shook his head.

”Three days?”

”Maybe-so,” said he, at last. ”Plenty bad water below here,” said he.

”Well, I haven't seen any of these awful canons yet that you've been telling about,” said John.

Leo smiled. ”To-morrow see 'um plenty,” said he. ”Pretty soon come Death Eddy, then Death Canon, then Death Rapids, then Priest Rapids.

All them bad places. Maybe-so can't run, water too high.”

”We'll not get out of here any too soon, that's sure,” said Uncle d.i.c.k. ”The best time to run any of these mountain rivers is in the fall, for then the water is lowest. But a day or two more will tell the tale for us. So, Moise, please don't starve us any more than you have to--I could eat a whole porcupine now myself if I had one.”

That night at the fireside Uncle d.i.c.k saw the boys bending over close together, and looked at them curiously, for they seemed to be writing.

”What's up, young men?” said he.

”Well, we're making our wills,” said Rob. ”We haven't got much to give to anybody, of course, but you know, in case of any accident, we thought the folks ought to know about it. Not that we're afraid. I was just thinking that so many people were lost here that never were heard of again.”

Uncle d.i.c.k did not smile at Rob's frank confession, but liked the boys all the more for it.

”Well,” said he, ”that's all right, too. I'm willing to admit that when I ran the Rock Canon above the Boat Encampment last year I did a little writing myself and put it in my pocket, and I tied one leg to the boat with a rope, too. But please don't be too much alarmed over anything we've said, for if the canons should prove too bad we will line down with the boat; and if we can't line down, then we will all take to the woods.”

None the less, the boys were all very quiet that night and slept but little.

”I don't like that water at all,” whispered Jesse to John. ”You can hear it growling and groaning all night long, as though it were gnas.h.i.+ng its teeth--I don't like it at all.”

And, indeed, even on top of their high bank they could hear the strange noises that come up always from the Columbia River when the high water is on. The stream where they were encamped was several hundred yards in width, but now the run-off waters of the mighty snow-sheds were making the river each day more and more a torrent, full of danger even for experienced men.

XXVII

ON THE RAPIDS

It was cool that night, almost cool enough for frost, and the morning was chill when they rolled out of their blankets. A heavy mist rose from over the river, and while this obtained Leo refused to attempt to go on. So they lost a little time after breakfast before the sun had broken up the mist enough to make it safe to venture on the river.

They were off at about nine o'clock perhaps, plunging at once into three or four miles of very fast water.

The boats now kept close together, and at times they landed, so that their leaders could go ahead and spy out the water around the bend. In making these landings with heavy boats, as the boys observed, the men would always let the stern swing around and then paddle up-stream, so that the landing was made with the bow up-stream. The force of the river would very likely have capsized the boat if a landing were attempted with the bow down-stream. ”Just like a steamboat-landing,”

said Jesse.

Leo himself was now very alert. He did not say a word to anybody, but kept his eyes on ahead as though he felt himself to be the responsible man of the party. Certainly he took every precaution and proved himself a wonderful riverman. But he seemed puzzled at last as, when they landed upon a beach, he turned toward Uncle d.i.c.k.

”Me no understand!” said he. ”Death Eddy up there, but no see 'um!”

”What do you mean, Leo?”