my heart seemed to stand still) I suffered from the singular

the Indians, who held the sacred spot in awe. When the work of

taking down the canoes and carrying them to the water began,

expectation was on tiptoe, but, strange as it may seem, not a rat was

to be seen. This unexpected development was mystifying. They had

all disappeared; there was not one in any of the canoes, as

investigation proved, for disappointment instigated a most thorough

search. The Indians said the rats understood Chinook, and that as

they had no wish to accompany the dead across the ocean to the happy