They now carefully divided evenly among the boats the little stock of flour, so that, in case of disaster, all of it should not be lost at once.

Notwithstanding all the difficulties and the dark outlook, Powell never failed in his wonderful poise of mind and balance of nerve.

But he was anxious, and he sang sometimes as they sailed along till the men, he once told me, he believed thought he had gone crazy.

Of course the singing was more or less a mask for his real feelings.
On the 19th the pioneer boat, running some distance ahead of the others, was again upset by a wave.

As usual the men succeeded in clinging to the upturned craft, the closed compartments always keeping the boat afloat, and were carried down through another rapid.