Page:Barbour--Metipoms Hostage.djvu/41

29 The sun was well up by the time he had passed the first turns and entered the lake  above Nonantum which was well over a half-mile in width, although it seemed less because of a large island that lay near its lower  end. There were several deserted wigwams built of poles and bark on the shores of the  island, left by Indians who a few years before  had dwelt there to fish. David used his paddle now, for the current was lost when the river widened, and, keeping close to the  nearer shore, glided from sunlight to shadow,  humming a tune as he went. Once he surprised a young deer drinking where a meadow stretched down to the river, and was within a few rods of him before he took  alarm and went bounding into a coppice. Again the river narrowed and he laid the paddle over the side as a rudder. A clearing running well back from the stream showed a dwelling of logs, and a yellow-and-white dog barked at him from beside the  doorway. Then the tall trees closed in again and the swift water was shadowed and looked  black beneath the banks.

At noon, then well below the settlement at Watertown, David turned toward the  shore and ran the bow of the canoe up on a