Moise by this time had lighted his pipe, yet he did not laugh, as he usually did, but, on the contrary, shook his head at Alex.
“Maybe so we’ll could fix heem,” was all he would venture.
“Well, one thing certain,” said Rob, “we’ll have to go into camp right here, even if it isn’t late.”
“Did you have any fun in the other rapids above here?” asked John of Rob.
“No,” said Rob; “it was all easy. We’ve run a dozen or twenty a lot worse than this one. Not even the Parle Pas hurt us. Then I come in here, head paddler, and I run my boat on a ‘sweeper’ in a little bit of an easy drop like this. It makes me feel pretty bad, I’ll tell you that!”
They walked about the boat with hands in pockets, looking gloomy, for they were a little bit doubtful, since Moise did not know, whether they could repair the Mary Ann into anything like working shape again.
Alex, as usual, made little comment and took things quietly. They noticed him standing and looking intently down the river across the near-by bend.
“I see it too,” said Rob. “Smoke!”
The old hunter nodded, and presently walked on down the beach to have a look at the country below, leaving Moise to do what he could with the broken boat. The boys joined Alex.