On one occasion, indeed, the
escape was so narrow as to be worth recording.
It was at a spot where the stream flowed through a forest denser
than common, that Pigeonswing heard voices on the river, ahead of
him. One Indian was calling to another, asking to be set across the
stream in a canoe. It was too late to retreat, and so much
uncertainty existed as to the nearness, or distance, of the danger,
that the Chippewa deemed it safest to bring all three of his canoes
together, and to let them float past the point suspected, or rather
KNOWN, to be occupied by enemies. This was done, with the utmost
care. The plan succeeded, though not without running a very great
risk. The canoes did float past unseen, though there was a minute of
time when le Bourdon fancied by the sounds that savages were talking
to each other, within a hundred feet of his ears. Additional
security, however, was felt in consequence of the circumstance,
since the pursuers must imagine the river below them to be free from
the pursued.
The halt that morning was made earlier than had been the practice
previously. This was done because the remaining distance was so
small that, in continuing to advance, the party would have incurred
the risk of reaching the mouth of the river by daylight.
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