--PEABODY.
The interruption came from Dorothy, who, on ascending the little
height, had discovered a canoe coming into the mouth of the river,
and who was running, breathless with haste, to announce the
circumstance to the bee-hunter. The latter immediately repaired to
the eminence, and saw for himself the object that so justly had
alarmed the woman. The canoe was coming in from the lake, after
running before the wind, which now began to abate a little in its
strength, and it evidently had been endeavoring to proceed to the
northward. The reason for its entering the river, was probably
connected with the cookery or food of the party, since the lake was
each minute getting to be safer, and more navigable for so light a
craft. To le Bourdon's great apprehension, he saw the savages on the
north shore making signal to this strange canoe, by means of smoke,
and he foresaw the probability of his enemies obtaining the means of
crossing the stream, should the strangers proceed in the desired
direction. To counteract this design, he ran down to a spot on the
beach where there was no rice-plant, and showing himself to the
strangers, invited them to land on the south side, which was much
the nearest, and in other visible respects quite as convenient as
the opposite bank of the river.
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