"That's right," said Mr. Waterman. "Suppose, before we reach the next rapids, that you get out a moment, shift some of the load up into the bow and have Pud sit back of the first thwart. That will balance the canoe better."
"That's a good idea," said Jack. "I'll do it."
"Why so quiet?" asked Bob of Pud as he looked across.
"Now don't kid me," said Pud. "I really thought three or four times that I'd be swimming down those rapids a mile a minute, but Jack brought me through all right. I'll give him all the credit."
"Don't you believe it," said Jack. "He did fine. He obeyed orders, but his weight in the bow made it very hard and I wouldn't want to try it over again."
A little later, Pud and Jack went ashore and fixed the cargo so that the canoe would not be down at the bow. Then they were off again. Once more they shot down through foam and spray, just missing rocks by a fraction of an inch. It proved the greatest sport that the boys had ever tried. They grew enthusiastic.
"Now, it's all right to like fast water," said Jack, "but don't let that make you careless. You can never afford to be careless even in rather easy water. If you do, you'll come a cropper sure."
They paddled on and went down three or four more easy rapids. By this time the boys commenced to think that they knew quite a little about how to take fast water. As they went along, Mr. Waterman warned them that they were now coming to a rather hard place but that it was very short. In another moment they were in it. Bob and his teacher went through like a breeze. Under the master hand of Mr. Waterman, the speedy descent of the waters was made without dipping a drop into the canoe. As they came down into the smooth reach at the foot of the rapids, Mr. Waterman turned the canoe around, saying,
"Let's watch the others come down this last bit. It certainly looks exciting but while you're in it you have little time to think of the exciting features."
Just then Mr. Anderson and Jean came into view. They seemed poised almost on the brink of a cascade but the canoe came rushing down like a bird. At times, it seemed buried in the spray but it emerged triumphant at the foot. They also turned around to watch the others. Pud and Jack were next. Jack made it seem so easy that the boys were amazed at the deftness with which he steered the boat. At one spot, by a peculiar wrist motion known only to the initiated, he made the boat move bodily over to the right just in time to miss a big rock that seemed sure to be their Waterloo. It now remained only for Joe and Bill to come safely through. Under the influence of the eddies, Mr. Waterman and Bob had floated up almost to the very foot of the rapids. This was the big factor in what followed.