Jim and I used, in the lake stretches,
to amuse ourselves--and probably the Indians--by paddling in furious
rivalry one against the other. Then Peter would make up his mind he
would like to speak to Jacob. His canoe would shoot up alongside as
though the Old Man of the Lake had laid his hand across its stern.
Would I could catch that trick of easy, tireless speed! I know it lies
somewhat in keeping both elbows always straight and stiff, in a lurch
forward of the shoulders at the end of the stroke. But that, and more!
Perhaps one needs a copper skin and beady black eyes with surface
lights.
Nor need you hope to pole a canoe upstream as do these people.
Tawabinisay uses two short poles, one in either hand, kneels amidships,
and snakes that little old canoe of his upstream so fast that you would
swear the rapids an easy matter--until you tried them yourself. We were
once trailed up a river by an old Woods Indian and his interesting
family. The outfit consisted of canoe Number One--_item_, one old
Injin, one boy of eight years, one dog; canoe Number Two--_item_,
one old Injin squaw, one girl of eighteen or twenty, one dog; canoe
Number Three--_item_, two little girls of ten and twelve, one
dog. We tried desperately for three days to get away from this party.
It did not seem to work hard at all. We did. Even the two little girls
appeared to dip the contemplative paddle from time to time. Water
boiled back of our own blades.
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