“Dis Verbaux,” Le Grand said to Lefèvrier, who rested in the warm light, his back against a log, his feet to the heat. The big voyageur and Jules shook hands. They talked awhile, then slept with the rest.
A mink, drawn by the smell of pemmican, sneaked up from the shore, its wet body glistening in the dying firelight. It scuffled here and there, nosing about the supper remains, then vanished to the lake again with a bit of the dried meat. All night everything was silent, but when the birds began to flutter in the brush and the kingfisher called harshly on the shore, the men awakened and got up, one by one, to the work of another day.
“Toi go veet’ me to loook—see eef dose trap’ aire dere?” Jules asked of Le Grand at breakfast.
“Certainement Ah go, an’ den mus’ go back to la poste,” Le Grand answered, with a swift glance at the others.
“Au r’voir, Verbaux, Le Grand!” the crowd shouted as Jules and the other paddled away while the brigade went on toward the mouth of the stream and the falls above.
“Adieu!” shouted the two, set their faces to the south-east, and paddled fast.
They worked on for an hour, and neither spoke; then Jules stopped paddling and rested his long arms.
“Ve have to go fas’!” he said. “V’en dose oddaires dey comme to la poste—alors!” and he chuckled.
“Allons, den!” grunted his companion, and plied his paddle the faster.
They crossed Lac Terrible and sped on through the dead water of Les Cerfs. It took them two days to reach Les Rapides du Diable on Rivière de l’Échelle [River of Ladders]. When they came to the foaming rapids that lay treacherous before them, white and menacing, Le Grand spoke.
“Dat be good!” Jules answered as he guided the canoe ashore.
They ate a light lunch. “Maintenant,” Jules said when they were ready to start on, “ve go par la rivière an’ les lacs, ou tak’ le canot an’ go ’cross de forêts an’ climb le Mont d’Ours [Bear Mountain]. Vat toi t’ink, Le Grand?”
His companion thought a minute. “Mor’ queeck go h’ovaire Mont d’Ours, mais harrd travaille!” he said.
“Bah! dat notting; Ah have attend so long taime for see Marie, Ah vant go so queeck possible!”
Le Grand smiled. “Eef you had seulement comme avec moi long h’ago h’at Isle la Crosse, den ve have feenesh dat Annaotaha, et puis tu vould have Marie maintenant.”