While the outfit was being brought up I walked along the shore
watching the rapids. The men did not like to see me go near the
river at all except when in the canoe, and warned me against going
to the rapids. I promised to be careful, but not to keep away
altogether, for they grew more and more fascinating. I wanted to
be near them and watch them all the time. They were so strong, so
irresistible. They rushed on so fast, and nothing could stop them.
They would find a way over or around every obstacle that might be
placed before them. It made one wish that it were possible to join
them and share in their strength. About a mile above camp I
stepped out on a great boulder close to where they were very heavy.
The rock seemed large enough so that I could scarcely fall off if I
tried; but when the men came up George said: Mrs. Hubbard, you must
not do that."
"Why?"
"You will get dizzy and fall in."
"But I do not get dizzy."
"Maybe you think you will not. It is all right when you are
looking at the rapid, but it is when you turn that you will fall.
It is very dangerous. If you are going to do that we will just
turn round and go back to Northwest River."
That settled the matter.
The river here became impracticable, and Job went forward to hunt
out the trail. The sandhills at this point stood back a little
from the river. The low-lying land between was thickly wooded, but
up on the hills the walking was good. So the trail was cut
straight up the bank which was eighty feet high and very steep.
If any one supposes that cutting a trail means making a nice,
smooth little path through the woods, let him revise his ideas.
The hill-side was a network of new growth and windfalls. Now and
again I made the mistake of calling them deadfalls. Certainly all
women, and perhaps a few men, would think the mistake pardonable
could they see the trail which led straight over the tangled heaps
of fallen tree-trunks. I watched the men carrying the canoes and
their heavy loads over these with wonder almost equal to that with
which I had looked at Job's work in the rapids.
The outfit made about four loads each for them, and when it was all
safe on top of the hill, Joe sat down trembling like a leaf.
George looked a bit shaky, and Gilbert very hot and tired.
Joe said: "In a week George and I will be hardened up so that there
won't be any trembling."
Job said: "Always hard."
By noon it had grown very hot.
