Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-21

ing back over the length of the little ship
which had brought him and his comrades
thus far on the widest journey he had ever
undertaken. Six paddlers were for this
great canot du Nord, and steadily enough
they sent the thin-shelled craft along over
the curling blue waves of the great inland
sea. And now their voices in one accord
fell into the cadenceS of an ancient boat
song of New France:
EN- roulant ma boule, roulant
Roulant, rouler, ma boule roulant.'
The ictus Of the measure marked time for
the sweeping paddles, and under the added
impetus the paper shell. reinforced as 1t
was by close-laid splints of cedar, and
braced by the fiber-fastened thwarts, fairly
yielded to the rush Of the waves as the
stalwart paddlers sent it flying forward. A
tiny blur Of white showed above the bows,
and now and again splash OF spray came
inboard, as some little curling white cap
was divided by the rush of the swiftly NOV
Ing PROV.
1--WE shall not arrive too soon my friend"
rejoined the captain of the voyagers, cast
ing an eye back across the great AXE which
lay black and ominous under threatening
sky, the sweep and swirl of its white caps
ever racing hard after the frai craft as
though eager to break through its paper
sides and tear away the human beings who
thus fled on so lightly.
This boat, mysteriously appearing as
though 1t were some spirit craft called from
the ancient deeps, was far from the be-
x
eye might reach. there arose no tieck CT
snowy canvas, nor showed the dark line OF
any similar craft propelled by oar or paddle
They were alone, these travellers. Before
them, at the entrance of the wide arm OF
the great lake Michiganon. lay the point
even at that early day known as the Door
Of the West, the beginning Of the winding
waterway which led on into the interior OF
that west, then so alluring and unknown.
The eyes Of all were fixed on the low,
white fronted bluffs, crowned by dark
forest growth, which guarded the bay at
either hand. This spot. SO wild, so remote
SO sgnificant-it was home for these Voy-
ayers as much as any: as much, too. for
Law and the woman who lay back, pale
faced and wide-eyed, among the bales IN
the great canoe.
In time the graceful craft approac hed the
beach on which the long waves rolled and
curled, now gently, now with imposing
force. with the water yet half-leg deep Du
Mesne and two Of the paddlers sprahs
bodily overheard and held the boat PACK
from the pebbles, SO that It's tenoeI snei
might not be damaged. Law himseiI was
as soon as they in the water, ana ne wauea
back along the gunwale until ne reached
the stern. the water nearly up to his hips.
Reaching out his arms he picked up Mary
Connynpe from her seat and carried her
dry-shod ashore, bending down TO eaten
some whispered word. Not SO gallant was
DIN Mesne. the leader of the voyageurs He
,,ttared a few short words Of semi-command
to the Indian woman who had been seated
on the floor of the canoe, and she, without
protest crawled forward over the thwarts
and the heaped bundles until she reached
the bow, and then went ankle deep into the
Dreaming flood. The great canoe, left empty
and anchored safe from the pebbles of the
beach, tossed light as cork on the incom-
a Little open space was quickly found at