Here they were upon a now hostile shore without food, fire, shelter, and weapons; their situation was desperate even yet.

Radisson's ingenuity was not quite enough, so Gering solved the problem: there were the Frenchmen's canoes; they must be somewhere on the shore.

Because Radisson was a Frenchman, he might be able to impose upon the watch guarding the canoes.

If not, they still had weapons of a kind-Radisson a knife, and Gering the bar of iron.

They moved swiftly along the shore, fearing an alarm meanwhile.