youth Jasper, there, who is discoursing with the Sergeant's daughter,
is a different cratur'; for he may be said to breathe the water, as
it might be, like a fish. The Indians and Frenchers of the north
shore call him Eau-douce, on account of his gifts in this particular.
He is better at the oar, and the rope too, than in making fires on
a trail."

"There must be something about these gifts of which you speak, after
all," said Cap. "Now this fire, I will acknowledge, has overlaid
all my seamanship. Arrowhead, there, said the smoke came from a
pale-face's fire, and that is a piece of philosophy which I hold
to be equal to steering in a dark night by the edges of the sand."

"It's no great secret," returned Pathfinder, laughing with great
inward glee, though habitual caution prevented the emission of any
noise. "Nothing is easier to us who pass our time in the great
school of Providence than to larn its lessons. We should be as
useless on a trail, or in carrying tidings through the wilderness,
as so many woodchucks, did we not soon come to a knowledge of these
niceties. Eau-douce, as we call him, is so fond of the water, that
he gathered a damp stick or two for our fire; and wet will bring
dark smoke, as I suppose even you followers of the sea must know.
It's no great secret, though all is mystery to such as doesn't
study the Lord and His mighty ways with humility and thankfulness."

"That must be a keen eye of Arrowhead's to see so slight a difference."

"He would be but a poor Indian if he didn't. No, no; it is war-time,
and no red-skin is outlying without using his senses. Every skin
has its own natur', and every natur' has its own laws, as well as