“‘Oh,’ answered the professor, ‘there’s lots of it floating round Mud Lake and Beardsley Brook.’ He took a lovely cluster of crystals out of his pocket, and laughed to see how the Indians’ eyes stuck out with deluded avarice. I felt angry at his nonsense, for one of our visitors was an out-and-out ruffian.
“In a few moments, after a series of low grunts, which baffled my ear completely, though I was acquainted with the Melicete tongue, the Indians turned to go, saying in explanation of their sudden departure, ‘Sugar Loaf ’fore sundown, mebbe.’ I took the precaution to display, at this juncture, a double-barrelled breech-loader, into which I slipped a couple of buck-shot cartridges; and as I nodded them a bland farewell, I said in Melicete, ‘It’ll be late when you get to Sugar Loaf.’ The start they gave, on hearing me speak their own language, confirmed my suspicions, and they paddled off in haste without more words.
“No sooner were they well out of sight than I made ready with all speed for our own departure; nor did I neglect to upbraid the professor for his rashness. At first he pooh-poohed my apprehension, declaring that it was ‘fun to fool the greedy Hottentots;’ but when I explained my grounds for alarm, he condescended to treat them with some respect. He warmed up, indeed, and made haste, so that we were once more darting along with the racing current before the Indians had been gone above ten minutes; but I could see that he had adopted my suspicions mainly for the sake of an added excitement. The professor’s class-room afforded too little scope for such an adventurous spirit, and he was beginning to crave the relish of a spice of peril. With his dainty rifle just to his hand, he was soon plying a fervent and effective paddle, while his sharp eyes kept a lookout which I knew very little would evade.
“Our design was to press so closely upon the rascals’ heels that any plot they might agree upon should not find time to mature. We knew they would never calculate upon our following them so promptly; still less would they dream of the speed that we were making. In a fair race we flattered ourselves that we could beat most Indians, and we rather counted on overtaking and passing this couple before they could accomplish aught against us. There was one point in the stream, however, which I remembered with misgivings.
“Three or four miles ahead of us were the rapids which, you remember, we had such fun with a few days ago. I suggested to H—— that there, if anywhere, those Indians would lie in wait for us, knowing that our hands would be well occupied in navigating the canoe.
“Those five miles soon slipped by. As we shot down the roaring channel we saw, in the reach beyond the last turmoil, a canoe thrust in among the alders.
“‘Ah-h-h!’ exclaimed the professor, in a tone of deepening conviction; and he shifted his grip upon his rifle. An instant more and we were in the surges.
“Just then I saw the professor start, half raising his rifle to the shoulder; but the canoe was taking all my attention, and I dared not follow his glance to shoreward.
“Our delicate craft seemed to wallow down the roaring trough. The stream was much heavier than we found it the other day, I can tell you. At the foot of the first chute a great thin-crested ripple slapped over us.
“I had understood the professor’s gesture; and, as we plunged down the next leap, I chuckled to myself, ‘Sold this time!’