The ancient, mummified bodies in the trees had protected them, as if with a circle of steel, and he was grateful to those dead of long ago.
They saw no sign of the Indian canoes, and both Henry and Ross were certain that they were in camp somewhere on the eastern shore.

The little party reached the dense woods on the west without incident whatever, and there they partly sank the canoe in shallow water among dense bushes.

Then they plunged into the forest, and traveled fast.

Shif'less Sol spoke after a while, and apparently his groaning voice was drawn up from the very bottom of his chest.
"Oh, that blessed canoe!" he said.

"I wuz so happy when I wuz a-ridin' in it, an' somebody else wuz a-paddlin'.