“We may never see him again,” said Paul—­but Paul could not read the future.

Then they set their sail, swung into the middle of the stream and swept forward on their great journey.  But the meeting with the priest had a strong influence upon every one of them.

“He is sure to suffer a violent death some time or other,” said Paul, “and he knows it, but it never mikes him gloomy.  There are other French priests like him, too, boys, going thousands of miles, alone and unarmed, over this vast continent.”

“‘Pears to me that we are wrong when we talk about the French bein’ dancin’ masters an’ sech like,” said Shif’less Sol.  “My father fit in the great French war up thar along the Canady line an’ in Canady, an’ he says the French wuz ez good fighters ez anybody.  Besides, they took naterally to the woods, makin’ fust rate scouts an’ hunters, an’ ef that ain’t proof o’ the stuff that’s in people, nothin’ is.”

This day upon the waters was one of unbroken peace.  The flood, as Henry had predicted, continued to rise, spreading far into the woods and out of sight.  Now and then some portion of the shore, eaten into continually by the powerful stream, would give way and fall with a sticky sigh into the river.  Uprooted trees floated in the current or became wedged in the forest.  But the sunlight remained undimmed and they began to grow familiar with the river.  It was a friend now, bearing them whither they would go.

About noon they saw two deer marooned on an island made by the flood, and they shot one of them for the sake of the fresh meat.

Now ensued a long journey, unbroken by danger, but full of interest.  They came near enough once or twice to ascertain that the Spanish force was just ahead of them, but they saw no chance to secure the precious maps and plans or interfere in any other way with the dangerous project of Alvarez, and they waited patiently.

The flood began to subside, but it was a mighty river yet, and would still be so when all the flood was gone.  They passed the mouths of great rivers to right and to left, but they did not know their names, nor whence they came.  The air grew much warmer and they were very glad indeed now that they had the sail, which, allied with the current, carried them on as fast as they wished.

Shif’less Sol lay lazily under the sail, his limbs relaxed, and his face a picture of content.

“I could float on an’ on forever,” he said sleepily, “an’ I don’t care how long it takes to git to New Or-lee-yuns.  I think I’m goin’ to like that place.  I saw a trapper once who had been thar, an’ he said you could be jest ez lazy an’ sleepy ez you wished an’ nobody would blame you—­they kinder look upon it ez the right thing, an’ that suits me.  He said them Spaniards an’ French had orange trees about.  You could lay in your bed, reach a han’ out o’ the window, pull an orange off the tree, suck it, an’ then go back to sleep without ever havin’ disturbed the cover.  I never seed an orange, but I know it’s nice.”