The Gaunt Gray Wolf: A Tale of Adventure With Ungava Bob

hungry rapids and the dull, thunderous, mo

e final plunge of the resistless torrent--the bank of rainbow-coloured mist hovering in space over a dark abyss--and far below and beyond the mist-bank the murky chasm, where a white s

b were certain beyond a doubt that presently they were to be hurled into this awful ch

ection of an island which he had observed when walking a

ith high polished cliffs rising on its upper end and on ei

eddies. The gravel which formed this point, he had remarked at the time, had been deposited by the ed

already drifted below the portage trail satisfied him that they were still perhaps half a mile above the island, and probably not too far amidst

tern. It was necessary that they turn around and secure a view of the river in order to a

in fatal delay. Therefore, acting upon the moment's instinct, Bob ceased paddling, arose, a

I'll

command. In this position what had previously been the stern of the canoe n

oward the white waters of the rapids. The manoeuvre had not been made a mom

and, close under the cliffs, caught the retarding shore current. A few seconds later the bow of the little craft g

at each other in silence, then Sh

e were watchin' an' guardin' us when we were t

te waters below them. "If you hadn't thought of this island, Bob, we'd b

ing period in the canoe he was cool and brave. He had done his part at the paddle equally as well as Bob. He would have

ed Bob solicitously. "Were th' strain a

foolish. I'm afraid you'l

en you turned over in th' Bay, Shad

I hope I deserv

back toward th' rapid an' I'm seein' no way t' land," said Bob.

rt of hopeless speculation on what was

never goin' home--an' I prays th' Lard t' help us, an' soon's I says 'A

it was your quick wit a

"'twere th' Lard. An', Shad, we

he side of the boulder, the former reverently,

n', Lard, we wants t' thank you. We knows, Lard, if you hadn't been p'intin' she out t' us, we'd be dead in

forward prayer I ever heard offered. Thank you, Bob, for including me. If the Lord hear

." There was a note of conviction in

ing all right now, and I guess I've got my nerve back again. Foolish, wasn't it, to get f

etween it and the island the water ran as swift as a mill race. Some two hundred yards below the point on which they had landed the heavy whit

for a distance of some six or eight yards frost action had caused disintegration of

er the most favourable conditions exceedingly expert canoemen might succeed in making a landing here, but it was plain that the footh

four acres. Its rocky surface sustained a scant growth of gnarled blac

aused their trouble could be seen, and it was evident the

ou think of it,

' burnin' un. Th' Injuns t' th' post tells me they never comes below th' portage. They's afraid o' th' evil

ross, and make a landing down there w

"I knows th' handlin' o' boats. I'm too u

then? We can't stay

me way showin'," promised Bob, "but

thought all the Indians were friendly to white men,

st fall some Mingens comes t' th' last tilt o' th' Big Hill trail an' tells he they'd not let any white trapper hunt above th' Big Hill

e more ready to come, with the prospect of a scrap with Indians in view. If I'd known, though, I'd have had

' their threatenin' t' Douglas in earnest, so I forgets all abou

ushes an' killed us, for they's no knowin' how many they is of un. Then they'd gone back an'

ay o' gettin' out o' here we'll give warnin' t' Ed an' th' others, an' being on th' lookout one of us can

island before the others come to

some cause. Bill Campbell's been hearin' from his father what th' Mingens were

Mingens have to our trapping here. I supposed t

, an' th' Mingens t' th' s'uth'ard, an' all of un comes in hereabouts t' get deer's meat, mostly th' Mingens

plan of escape," suggested Shad. "With the reaction from

' tea with th' kettle an' our cups. I leaves un all in th' tilt, thinkin' we'd get back t'

got to try to make a landing down on th

' landin'. 'Twould be

nd starving? For my part, I'd rather drown a

because He's wantin us t' live, an' He'll be thinkin' if we tries t' make th' landin' knowin' we can't

in favour of making a try for the shore," insisted Shad. "Ho

ob, rising from the rock upon which they had seated themselves, a

ment later Shad, who was dipping a kettle of water for their tea and had not noticed the movement, was startled

aloft for inspection. "I didn't suppose there was hide or hair

e they's one they's like t' be quite a passel of un. They likely crosses over l

about a dozen shells in the canoe," announced Shad, "

ey's other ways t' catch un. I uses that shell t' get our din

od for a fire, "and when we've eaten I