This she told me in a few words, and asked if I knew where the river was.
"Of course I knew no more than she did, and it needed only a few words from me to show her that I was as much in the dark as she was.

I began to question her, however, as to this river, for it struck me that in the present state of affairs a river would not be a bad thing to have near one.

In answer to my question she said that she had come upon this road from the woods on the left, and therefore it was evident that the river lay in that direction.
"I assured her that I would do whatever lay in my power; and with that I walked on in the direction in which I had been going, while she rode by my side.

Some further questions as to the situation of the house where she had been staying showed me that it was on the banks of the river about fifty miles above Ottawa.

By my own calculations I was about that distance away.