about six inches of rushing water. I paddled back and asked Smith to observe exactly where my boat entered; and, turning her head, I let her go in "with the swim." It was a delightful little shoot cf about fifty yards, and when I had reached the smooth water, I turned to see my friend coming down. He neared the rapids, not letting his boat drift, but paddling with all his force, and moving at tremendous speed down the swift water. He was not heading for the opening, but was coming straight for the big stone at the right side. No use shouting; the din of the water drowned all other sound. I expected to see him strike and swing round, and probably get upset and rolled over; but instead of that, the bow of his plucky little boat rose at the stone like a steeple-chaser, till I saw half her keel in the air,—and then over she came, without a scratch, and buried her nose in the deep water below the stone, while the canoeist sat straight, laughing with excitement, and dripping with the shower of spray from the plunge.
"How did it feel?" I asked.
"Glorious!" he shouted.
He thought he had come down secundum artem. But before night he knew all about it, for the river was so low that every shallow had an angry brawl. Next day, with a steady hand and cool