Many bushels of wild rice were thus collected. Nothing could he more
delightful than this sort of work to our young people, and merrily they
worked, and laughed, and sung, as they came home each day with their light
bark, laden with a store of grain that they knew would preserve them from
starving through the long, dreary winter that was coming on.
The canoe was a source of great comfort and pleasure to them; they were now
able to paddle out into the deep water, and fish for masquinonje and black
bass, which they caught in great numbers.
Indiana seemed quite another creature when, armed with a paddle of her own
carving, she knelt at the head of the canoe and sent it flying over the
water; then her dark eyes, often so vacant and glassy, sparkled with
delight, and her teeth gleamed with ivory whiteness as her face broke into
smiles and dimples.
It was delightful then to watch this child of nature, and see how
innocently happy she could be when rejoicing in the excitement of healthy
exercise, and elated by a consciousness of the power she possessed of
excelling her companions in feats of strength and skill which they had yet
to acquire by imitating her.
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