Part 4 (1/2)

They were in themiles from a settleh pathless forests, and over numerous and deep rivers Impassable swamps, and lakes with marshy shores, lay on the route, and barred the direct course, and all this journey would have to be eurs were of that stamp to yield themselves to despair One and all of thereater even than that in which they now stood As soon, therefore, as they became fully satisfied that their little vessel recked, and all its contents scattered, instead of despairing, their first thoughts were how to ht, at least, they were helpless They could not leave the rock It was surrounded by rapids Sharp, jagged points peeped out of the water, and between these the current rushed with i could have crossed to either shore in safety To atteeurs soon came to this conclusion They had no other choice than to re theht

They sat huddled close together They could not lie down--there was not rooht, one or other of the over in a sort of half-sleep, but awaking again after a fewThey talked but little, as the noise of the rushi+ng rapids rendered conversation painful To be heard, they were under the necessity of shouting to one another, like passengers in an omnibus It was cold, too None of the from the canoe; but they had saved neither overcoat, blanket, nor buffalo-robe; and, although it was now late in the spring, the nights near Lake Winnipeg, even at that season, are chilly They were above the latitude of 50; and although in England, which is on that parallel, it is not very cold of a spring night, it must be ree of ists the ”_isothermal line_,”--is of a much lower latitude in Aeurs were chilled to the very bones, and of course glad to see the daylight glirew upon the banks of the river As soon as day broke, they began to consider how they would reach those trees Although swi a river of that width would have been to any of the four a atelle, they saw that it was not to be so easy an affair Had they been upon either bank, they could have crossed to the other without difficulty--as they would have chosen a place where the water was comparatively still On the rock they had no choice, as the rapids extended on both sides above and below it

Between the boulders the current rushed so impetuously, that had they attempted to swim to either bank, they would have been carried doard, and perhaps dashed with violence against one or other of the sharp stones

As soon as it was light, they saw all this; not without feelings of apprehension and uneasiness Their whole attention was now occupied with the one object--how they should get to the bank of the river

The right bank was the e in that direction appeared the easier one The current was not so swift, nor yet did it seeht ford it, and Basil ot beyond his depth; and was obliged, after being carried off his feet, to swiain

Froht bank was about an hundred yards' distance

Here and there, at irregular intervals, sharp, jagged stones rose above the surface, so three feet or ht tombstones Lucien had noticed these, and expressed the opinion that if they only had a rope, theyit fast at the other end, ht pass by that ood one, but where was the rope to come from? All their ropes and cords--lassoes and all--had been swept away in the wreck Not a string remained, except those that fastened their horns, flasks, and other accoutres, and would be of no use for such a purpose It would require a rope strong enough to carry the weight of a ht equal to that of severalhow this was to be obtained Each looked at the other, and scanned the straps and thongs that were around their bodies

They were satisfied at a glance that these would not be sufficient to ive up the hope of being able to obtain one They were all of thee expedients, and a sufficiently strange one now suggested itself

Basil and Norht of it at the same time, for both at once unbuckled their straps, and co-shi+rts The others said nothing, as they knehat they were going to do with the the a rope out of theether Lucien and Francois held the shi+rts taut, while Basil and Norman handled the knives, and in a few minutes the rock was covered with strips of buckskin about two inches wide, by a yard or so in length These were next joined and plaited together in such aAn eye was h this the other end was reeved--so that a running noose was obtained, in the same manner as the Mexicans and Indians make their lassoes The rope was now ready for use, and Basil was the very hand to use it; for Basil kne to fling a lasso as well as either Mexican or Indian He had practised it often, and had lassoed -horned bull upon the prairies of Opelousas and the Attakapas To Basil, therefore, the rope was given

He placed hi first coiled the new-htly over his left arht hand, and co it around his head His companions had laid themselves flat, so as not to be in the way of the noose as it circled about After a few turns the rope was launched forth, and a loud ”hurrah!” from Francois announced that the throas successful

It was so in fact, as the noose was seen settling s full hold upon it A pull from Basil fixed it; and in a few er of its slipping off The other end was then carried round a projecting point of the rock on which they stood, and knotted firmly, so that the rope was quite taut, and stretched in a nearly horizontal direction, about a foot above the surface of the water

The voyageurs now prepared to cross over Their guns, pouches, and flasks were carefully secured, so that the water could not da, and fastened it round his waist, leaving enough to for loop This loop was intended to e it, as they drew themselves forward by their hands

Basil passed over first He was the oldest, and, as he asserted, it was but right he should run the risk in testing the new-fashi+oned bridge, of which he was the architect It worked adht of his body, with the whole force of the current acting upon it

Of course he ept far down, and the rope was stretched to its full tension, but he succeeded in handing hi, until he was able to touch the second rock, and clae across he atched by his companions with emotions of no ordinary character, but as soon as he had reached the opposite end of the rope all three uttered a loud and simultaneous cheer Lucien passed over next, and after hihed loudly all the time he was in the water, while his brothers were not without soo was next attached to the rope, and pulled safely over

Nore, but, like the others, he landed in safety; and the four, with the dog, now stood upon the little isolated boulder where there was just roo

A difficulty now presented itself, which they had not hitherto thought of Another reach of rapid current was to be crossed, before they could safely trust themselves to enter the water This they knew before, but they had also noticed that there was another jutting rock, upon which theytheir rope But the rope itself was now the difficulty

It was fast at both ends, and hoere they to release it from the rock they had left? One of theain and untie it, but hoas he to get back to the others? Here was a dilemma which had not presented itself before, and they no themselves no better off than ever The rapid that reerous as the one they had succeeded in passing There was no hope that they could swiainst the rocks below There was no chance, then, of their going an inch farther--unless by some means sier at their service

For so the matter in his oay How could they free the rope?

”It cannot be done,” said one

”Impossible,” rejoined another ”We must make a second rope Francois's shi+rt still res--we can use theested by Francois and Norman, and Lucien see their leggings, when Basil uttered the ejaculation--

”Stop!”