This danger he wished to escape.
He flattered himself that Jeanne saw no signs of his weakening. He
did not know that Jeanne put more and more effort into her paddle,
until her arms and body ached, because she saw the truth.
The Churchill narrowed and its current became swifter as they
progressed. Five portages were made between sunrise and eleven
o'clock. They ate dinner at the fifth, and rested for two hours.
Then the journey was resumed. It was three o'clock when Jeanne
dropped her paddle and turned to Philip. There were deep lines in
his face. He smiled, but there was more of haggard misery than
cheer in the smile. There was an unnatural flush in his cheeks,
and he began to feel a burning pain where the blow had fallen upon
his head before. For a full half-minute Jeanne looked at him
without speaking. "Philip," she said--and it was the first time
she had spoken his name in this way, "I insist upon going ashore
immediately. If you do not land--now--in that opening ahead, I
shall jump out, and you can go on alone."
"As you say--my Captain Jeanne," surrendered Philip, a little
dizzily.
Jeanne guided the canoe to the shore, and was the first to spring
out, while Philip steadied the light craft with his paddle.
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