noon
While this was going on , Bryan stood with his back to the fire , a remarkably short and peculiarly black pipe in his mouth , and his head inclined sagaciously to one side , as if he designed , by dint of a combination of intense mental abstraction , partial closing of his eyes , severe knitting of his brows , and slow but exceedingly voluminous emission of smoke , to come to a conclusion in regard to the unfathomable subject of Indian superstition . La Roche , steeped in unphilosophic indifference on such matters , and keenly alive to the gross cravings of hunger , busied himself in concocting a kettle of soup ; while the rest of the party rambled about the beach or among the bushes in search of eggs . In this latter search Frank and Edith were very successful , and returned with pockets laden with excellent eggs of the eider-duck , which were immediately put into the kettle , and tended not a little to increase the excellence of the soup and the impatience of the men . Meanwhile the tide rose , the power of the current was gradually checked , and towards noon they passed the dangerous narrows in safety . From the view that was now obtained of the interior , it became evident that the worst of their journey yet lay before them . On arriving at the mouth of Deer River , the mountains were seen to rise abruptly and precipitously , while far away inland their faint blue peaks rose into the sky . Indeed from this point the really hard work of the voyage may be said to have commenced ; for scarcely had they proceeded a few miles up the river , when their further progress , at least by water , was effectually interrupted by a rapid which came leaping madly down its rocky bed , as if the streams rejoiced to escape from the chasms and mountain gorges , and find rest at last on the ample bosom of the great deep .