were here with me, Violette!’ Suddenly, and in an altered tone, she cried, ‘Mon Dieu!  My paddle is gone.’  The paddle had no sooner glided out into the rushing, turbulent waters than the canoe followed it, and Marie saw herself drifting on to her doom.  Half a mile below was the fall, and at the side of the fall, went ever and ever around with tremendous violence, the rending fans of the water-mill.  Marie knew full well that any drift boat, or log, or raft, carried down the river at freshet-flow, was always swept into the toils of the inexorable wheels.  Yet, if she were reckless and without heed a few minutes before, I am told that now she was calm.  As she is present, I must refrain from too much eulogy of her behaviour.  Violette gave the alarm that Marie was adrift in the river without a paddle, and in a few seconds, every body living near had turned out, and were running down the shore.  Several brought paddles, but it took hard running to keep up with the canoe, for the flood was racing at a speed of eight miles an hour.  When they did get up in line each one flung out a paddle.  But one fell too far out, and another not far enough.  About fifteen men were about the banks in violent excitement, and every one of them saw nothing but doom for Marie.  As the canoe neared a point about two hundred yards above the fall, a young white man—­all the rest were bois-brules—­rushed out upon the bank, with a paddle in his hand, and, without a word, leaped into the mad waters.  With a few strokes, he was at the side of the canoe, and put the paddle into Marie’s hand.  ‘Here,’ he said, ’Keep away from the mill; that is your only danger, and steer sheer over the fall, getting as close as possible to the left bank.’  The height of the fall, as you are aware, was not more than fifteen or eighteen feet, and there was plenty of water below, and not very much danger from rocks.  ’Go you on shore now, and I will meet my doom, or achieve my safety,’ Marie said; but the young man answered, ’Nay, I will go over the fall too:  I can then be of some service to you.’  So he swam along by the canoe’s side directing my daughter, and shaping the course of the prow on the very brink of the fall.  Then all shot over together.  The canoe and Marie, and the young man were buried far under the terrible mass of water, but they soon came to the surface again, when the heroic stranger saved my daughter, and through the fury of the mad churning waters, landed her safe and unhurt upon the bank.  The young man was Thomas Scott, whom you saw here this morning.  Is it any wonder, think you, that when Marie sees wild turkeys upon the prairie, she keeps the knowledge of it to herself till she gets the ear of her deliverer?  Think you, now, that it is strange he should be looked upon by us as a benefactor?”

“A very brave act, indeed, on the part of this young man,” replied the swarthy M. Riel.  “He has excellent judgment, I perceive, or he would not so readily have calculated that no harm could come to any one who could swim well by being carried over the falls.”