They held their own boat in the current while they watched him paddle with strong arms up the tributary stream.

He stopped at the first curve, lifted his paddle in a last salute, which they returned with their own lifted oars, and then he passed out of sight.
"We may never see him again," said Paul--but Paul could not read the future.
Then they set their sail, swung into the middle of the stream and swept forward on their great journey.

But the meeting with the priest had a strong influence upon every one of them.
"He is sure to suffer a violent death some time or other," said Paul, "and he knows it, but it never mikes him gloomy.

There are other French priests like him, too, boys, going thousands of miles, alone and unarmed, over this vast continent." "'Pears to me that we are wrong when we talk about the French bein' dancin' masters an' sech like," said Shif'less Sol.

"My father fit in the great French war up thar along the Canady line an' in Canady, an' he says the French wuz ez good fighters ez anybody.