Yet we had passed
the full number of lakes given in the map above this water. Even
so I did not believe it could be the big lake I had been looking
forward to reaching so eagerly.
As we paddled on at a rather brisk rate I sat thinking how
beautiful the river, the mountains, and the morning were. I had
not settled myself to watch seriously for the Nascaupee camp, when
suddenly George exclaimed, "There it is."
There it was indeed, a covered wigwam, high up on a sandy hill,
which sloped to the water's edge, and formed the point round which
the river flowed to the lake among the mountains. Soon a second
wigwam came in sight. We could see no one at the camp at first.
Then a figure appeared moving about near one of the wigwams. It
was evident that they were still unconscious of our presence; but
as we paddled slowly along the figure suddenly stopped, a whole
company came running together, and plainly our sudden appearance
was causing great excitement. There was a hurried moving to and
fro and after a time came the sound of two rifle shots. I replied
with my revolver. Again they fired and I replied again. Then more
shots from the hill.
As we drew slowly near, the men ran down towards the landing, but
halted above a narrow belt of trees near the water's edge. There
an animated discussion of the newcomers took place.
We all shouted, "Bo Jou! Bo Jou!" (Bon Jour).
A chorus of Bo Jous came back from the hill.
George called to them in Indian, "We are strangers and are passing
through your country."
The sound of words in their own tongue reassured them and they ran
down to the landing. As we drew near we could hear them talking.
I, of course, could not understand a word of it, but I learned
later from George what they said.
"Who are they?"
"See the man steering looks like an Indian."
"That surely is an Indian."
"Why, there is an English woman."
"Where have they come from?"
As the canoe glided towards the landing, one, who was evidently the
chief, stepped forward while the others remained a little apart.
Putting out his band to catch the canoe as it touched the sand he
said, "Of course you have some tobacco?"
"Only a little," George replied. "We have come far."
Then the hand was given in greeting as we slipped ashore.
It was a striking picture they made that quiet Sabbath morning, as
they stood there at the shore with the dark green woods behind them
and all about them the great wilderness of rock and river and lake.
You did not see it all, but you felt it. They had markedly Indian
faces and those of the older men showed plainly the battle for life
they had been fighting.
