One morning, just after a night of heavy rain and wind, the two boys went
down to see if the lake was calm enough for trying the raft, which Louis
had finished before the coming on of the bad weather. The water was rough
and crested with mimic waves, and they felt not disposed to launch the
raft on so stormy a surface, but they stood looking out over the lake and
admiring the changing foliage, when Hector pointed out to his cousin a dark
speck dancing on the waters, between the two nearest islands. The wind,
which blew very strong still from the north-east, brought the object nearer
every minute. At first they thought it might be a pine-branch that was
floating on the surface, when as it came bounding over the waves, they
perceived that it was a birch-canoe, but impelled by no visible arm. It was
a strange sight upon that lonely lake to see a vessel of any kind afloat,
and, on first deciding that it was a canoe, the boys were inclined to hide
themselves among the bushes, for fear of the Indians, but curiosity got the
better of their fears.
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