In the course of a couple of minutes all the canoes
were far enough from the shore to be out of sight of the two
Indians, who, by that time, had got down to the beach to look after
their own craft. The yell these savages raised on finding themselves
too late, not only announced their disappointment, but communicated
the extent of the disaster to their friends, who were still
floundering through the marsh.
The great advantage that the party of the bee-hunter had now
obtained must be very apparent to all. In possession of ALL the
canoes, their enemies were, or would be for some time at least,
confined to the northern side of the river, which was so wide near
its mouth as to present an effectual barrier between them and those
who occupied the opposite bank. The canoes, also, enabled the weaker
party to change their position at will, carrying with them as many
effects as were on board, and which included the whole of the
property of le Bourdon; while their loss deprived their enemies of
all extra means of motion, and would be very likely to induce them
to proceed on their expedition by land. The objects of that
expedition could only be conjectured by the bee-hunter, until he had
questioned the Chippewa; a thing he did not fail to do, so soon as
he believed the party quite safe under the south shore.
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