But their
conclusions were confined to themselves; and they were also
sufficiently enveloped in doubts, to leave those who made them ready
enough to receive new impressions on the same subject.
All this, moreover, le Bourdon both saw and understood; or, if not
absolutely all, so much of it as to let him comprehend the main
conclusions of the savages, as well as the process by which they
were reached. To obtain light, the Indians made a fire near the
charmed spot, which brought themselves and their movements into
plain view from the canoe of the bee-hunter. Curiosity now became
strongly awakened in the latter, and he ventured in nearer to the
shore, in order to get the best possible view of what was going on.
In a manner, he was solving an enigma; and he experienced the sort
of pleasure we all feel at exercising our wits on difficulties of
that nature. The interest he felt rendered the young man careless as
respected the position of his canoe, which drifted down before the
strong breeze, until le Bourdon found himself in the very edge of
the wild rice, which at this point formed but a very narrow belt
along the beach. It was this plant, indeed, that contributed to make
the young man so regardless of his drift, for he looked upon the
belt of rice as a species of landmark to warn him when to turn.
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