On jumping up, as we have already said, and observing that the door was shut, the dog looked slowly and calmly round the apartment, as if to decide on what was best to be done; for Chimo was a dog of great energy of character, and was never placed in any circumstances in which he did not pursue some decided course of action. On the present occasion there was not a hole, except the key-hole, by which he could hope to make his escape. Yes, by-the-bye, there was a hole in the window, which was made of parchment; but as that was merely the bullet-hole through which the animal that had given his skin for a window had been shot, and was not larger than a shilling, it did not afford much hope. Nevertheless Chimo regarded it with a steady gaze for a minute or two, then he turned to the fire, and having satisfied himself that the chimney was impracticable, being full of flames and smoke, he faced the window once more, and showed his teeth, as if in chagrin.
Whew-ew! Chimo-o-o! came Franks voice, floating faintly from afar. Chimo took aim at the bullet-hole. One vigorous bounda horrible crash, that nearly caused the returning cook to faintand the dog was free.
Ah, here he comes!good dog! cried Frank, as the animal came bounding over intervening obstacles towards the canoes. Chimo made straight for the small canoe, in answer to his masters call; but, like many dogs and not a few men, he owned a higher power than that of a master. The voice of his little mistress sounded sweetly in his ear, like the sound of a silver bell. O Chimo, Chimo! my darling pet! come herehere. It was a soft, tiny voice at the loudest, and was quite drowned amid the talking and laughter of the men, but Chimo heard it. Turning at a sharp angle from his course, he swept past the light canoe, and bounding into that of Mr Stanley, lay down beside Eda and placed his head in her lap, where it was immediately smothered in the caresses of its young mistress.
Mr Stanley smiled and patted his little girl on the shoulder, as he said, Thats right, Eda; the love of a faithful dog is worth having and cherishing. Then turning towards the stern of the canoe, where Massan stood erect, with his steering paddle ready for action, he said to that worthy
Now, Massan, all ready; give the word.
Ho, ho, boys; forward!
The paddles dipped simultaneously in the water with a loud, gurgling sound; the two large canoes shot out into the stream abreast of each other, preceded by the light one, which, urged forward by the powerful arms of Frank and the two Indians, led the way among the floating fields of ice. The people on shore took off their caps and waved a last farewell. Dick Prince, who possessed a deep, loud, sonorous voice, began one of those beautiful and wild yet plaintive songs peculiar to the voyageurs of the wilderness. The men joined, with a full, rich swell, in the chorus, as they darted forward with arrow-like speedand the voyage began.
Chapter Six.
Character partially developedDucks for supperA threatened nipBundled out on the Ice
Fortunately the wind veered round to the south-east soon after the departure of the canoes from Moose Fort, and although there was not enough of it to ruffle the surface of the river, it had the effect of checking the influx of ice from Jamess Bay. The tide, too, began to ebb, so that the progress of the canoes was even more rapid than it appeared to be; and long before the sun set, they were past the point at the mouth of the river, and coasting along the shores of the salt ocean.
Outside of them the sea was covered with hummocks and fields of ice, some of which ever and anon met in the cross currents caused by the river, with a violent shock. Close to the shore, however, the thickness of the ice caused it to strand, leaving a lane of open water, along which the canoes proceeded easily, the depth of water being much more than sufficient for them, as the largest canoe did not draw more than a foot. Sometimes, however, this space was blocked up by smaller fragments, and considerable difficulty was experienced in steering the canoes amongst them. Had the party travelled in boats, they would have easily dashed through many of these checks; but with canoes it is far otherwise. Not only are their bark sides easily broken, but the seams are covered with a kind of pitch which becomes so brittle in ice-cold water that it chips off in large lumps with the slightest touch. For the sea, therefore, boats are best; but when it comes to carrying the craft over waterfalls and up mountain sides, for days and weeks together, canoes are more useful, owing to their lightness.
Take care, Massan, said Mr Stanley, on approaching one of these floes. Dont chip the gum off if you can help it. If we spring a leak, we shant spend our first night on a pleasant camping-ground, for the shore just hereabouts does not look inviting.
No fear, sir, replied Massan. Dick Prince is in the bow, and as long as his mouths shut I keep my mind easy.
You appear to have unlimited confidence in Prince, said Stanley, with a smile. Does he never fail in anything, that you are so sure of him?
Fail! exclaimed the steersman, whose paddle swept constantly in a circle round his head, while he changed it from side to side as the motions of the canoe requiredfail! ay, that does he sometimes. Mortal man must get on the wrong side o luck now and then. Ive seen Dick Prince fail, but I never saw him make a mistake.
Well, Ive no doubt that he deserves your good opinion. Nevertheless, be more than ordinarily careful. If you had a wife and child in the canoe, Massan, you would understand my anxiety better. Stanley smiled as he said this, and the worthy steersman replied in a grave tone,I have the wife and child of my bourgeois under my care.
True, true, Massan, said Stanley, lying back on his couch and conversing with his wife in an undertone.
Tis curious, said he, to observe the confidence that Massan has in Prince; and yet it would be difficult to say wherein consists the superiority of the one over the other.
Perhaps it is the influence of a strong mind over a weaker, suggested his wife.
It may be so. Yet Prince is an utterly uneducated man. True, he shoots a hairs-breadth better than Massan; but he is not a better canoe-man, neither is he more courageous, and he is certainly less powerful: nevertheless Massan looks up to him and speaks of him as if he were greatly his superior. The secret of his power must lie in that steady, never-wavering inflexibility of purpose, that characterises our good bowman in everything he does.
Papa, said Edith, who had been holding a long conversation with Chimo on the wonders of the scene around themif we may call that a conversation where the one party does all the talking and the other all the listeningpapa, where shall we all sleep to-night?
The thought seemed to have struck her for the first time, and she looked up eagerly for an answer, while Chimo gave a deep sigh of indifference, and went to sleep, or pretended to do so, where he was.
In the woods, Eda. How do you think you will like it?
Oh, Im sure I shall like it very much, replied the little one. Ive often wished to live in the woods altogether like the Indians, and do nothing but wander about and pull berries.
Ah, Jessie, said Stanley, what an idle little baggage your daughter is! I fear shes a true chip of the old block!
Which do you consider the old block, retorted Mrs Stanleyyou or me?
Never mind, wife; well leave that an open question.But tell me, Eda, dont you think that wandering about and pulling berries would be a very useless sort of life?
True, true, Massan, said Stanley, lying back on his couch and conversing with his wife in an undertone.
Tis curious, said he, to observe the confidence that Massan has in Prince; and yet it would be difficult to say wherein consists the superiority of the one over the other.
Perhaps it is the influence of a strong mind over a weaker, suggested his wife.
It may be so. Yet Prince is an utterly uneducated man. True, he shoots a hairs-breadth better than Massan; but he is not a better canoe-man, neither is he more courageous, and he is certainly less powerful: nevertheless Massan looks up to him and speaks of him as if he were greatly his superior. The secret of his power must lie in that steady, never-wavering inflexibility of purpose, that characterises our good bowman in everything he does.
Papa, said Edith, who had been holding a long conversation with Chimo on the wonders of the scene around themif we may call that a conversation where the one party does all the talking and the other all the listeningpapa, where shall we all sleep to-night?
The thought seemed to have struck her for the first time, and she looked up eagerly for an answer, while Chimo gave a deep sigh of indifference, and went to sleep, or pretended to do so, where he was.
In the woods, Eda. How do you think you will like it?
Oh, Im sure I shall like it very much, replied the little one. Ive often wished to live in the woods altogether like the Indians, and do nothing but wander about and pull berries.
Ah, Jessie, said Stanley, what an idle little baggage your daughter is! I fear shes a true chip of the old block!
Which do you consider the old block, retorted Mrs Stanleyyou or me?
Never mind, wife; well leave that an open question.But tell me, Eda, dont you think that wandering about and pulling berries would be a very useless sort of life?
No, replied Edith, gravely. Mamma often tells me that God wants me to be happy, and Im quite sure that wandering about all day in the beautiful woods would make me happy.
But, my darling, said Stanley, smiling at the simplicity of this plausible argument in favour of an idle life, dont you know that we ought to try to make others happy too, as well as ourselves?
Oh yes, replied Eda, with a bright smile, I know that, papa; and I would try to make everybody happy by going with them and showing them where the finest flowers and berries were to be found; and so we would all be happy together, and thats what God wants, is it not?
Mr Stanley glanced towards his wife with an arch smile. There, Jessie, what think you of that?
Nay, husband, what think you?
I think, he replied in an undertone, that your sagacious teaching against idleness, and in favour of diligence and attention to duty, and so forth, has not taken very deep root yet.
And I think, said Mrs Stanley, that however wise you men may be in some things, you are all most incomprehensibly stupid in regard to the development of young minds.
Take care now, Jessie; youre verging upon metaphysics. But you have only given me your opinion of men as yet; you have still to say what you think of Edas acknowledged predilection for idleness.
Well, replied Mrs Stanley, I think that my sagacious teaching, as you are pleased to call it, has taken pretty firm root already, and that Edas speech is one of the first bright, beautiful blossoms, from which we may look for much fruit hereafter; for to make ones self and ones fellow-creatures happy, because such is the will of God, seems to me a simple and comprehensive way of stating the whole duty of man.
Stanleys eyes opened a little at this definition. Hum! multum in parvo; it may be so, he said; and casting down his eyes, he was soon lost in a profound reverie, while the canoe continued to progress forward by little impulsive bounds, under the rapid stroke of the paddles. Eda rested her fair cheek on the shaggy brow of Chimo, and accompanied him to the land of nod, until the sun began to sink behind the icebergs on the seaward horizon, where a dark line indicated an approaching breeze.
Massan cast an uneasy glance at this from time to time. At length he called to his friend in the bow, Hello, Prince! will it come stiff; think ye?
No, replied Prince, rising and shading his eyes with his hand; itll be only a puff; but thats enough to drive the ice down on us, an shut up the open water.
Its my pinion, said Massan, that we should hold away for the pint yonder, an camp there.
Dick Prince nodded assent, and resumed his paddle.
As he did so the report of a gun came sharply over the water.
Ha! exclaimed Stanley, looking out ahead; whats that?
Only Mr Frank, said Massan; hes dowsed two birds. I seed them splash into the water.
Thats right, said Stanley; we shall have something fresh for the kettle to-night. And, by the way, well need all we can kill, for we havent much provision to depend on, and part of it must be reserved in case of accidents, so that if Frank does not do his duty, we shall have to live on birch bark, Massan.
That would be rayther tough. Im afeerd, replied the steersman, laughing. Ive tried the tail o a deer-skin coat afore now, an it wasnt much to boast of; but I niver tried a birch-bark steak. I doubt it would need a power o chewin?
By this time the two large canoes had drawn gradually nearer to the leading one. As they approached, Frank ordered his men to cease paddling.
Well, Frank, what success? said Stanley, as they came up.
Theres our supper, cried Frank, tossing a large duck into the canoe; and theres a bite for the men, he added, sending a huge gray goose into the midst of them. I saw a herd of reindeer on the other side of the point; but the ice closed up the passage, and prevented me from getting within range. It will stop our further progress for to-night too; so I waited to advise you to camp here.
There it comes! cried Dick Prince. Jump out on the ice, lads, and unload as fast as you can.
As Dick spoke he sprang on to a field of ice which was attached to the shore, and drawing the canoe alongside, began hastily to remove the cargo. His example was instantly followed by the men, who sprang over the gunwales like cats; and in less than five minutes the cargoes were scattered over the ice. Meanwhile, the breeze which Massan had observed continued to freshen, and the seaward ice bore rapidly down on the shore, gradually narrowing and filling up the lanes of water among which the travellers had been hitherto wending their way. Dick Princes sudden action was caused by his observing a large, solid field, which bore down on them with considerable rapidity. His warning was just in time, for the goods were scarcely landed and the three canoes lifted out of the water, when the ice closed in with a crash that would have ground the frail barks to pieces, and the passage was closed up. So completely was every trace of water obliterated, that it seemed as though there never had been any there before.
Chapter Seven.
Shows how the party made themselves at home in the bushTalk round the camp fireA flash of temperTurning in
The spot where they were thus suddenly arrested in their progress was a small bay, formed by a low point which jutted from the mainland, and shut out the prospect in advance. There was little or no wood on the point, except a few stunted willows, which being green and small would not, as La Roche the cook remarked, make a fire big enough to roast the wing of a mosquito. There was no help for it, however. The spot on which Massan had resolved to encamp for the night was three miles on the other side of the point, and as the way was now solid ice instead of water, there was no possibility of getting there until a change of wind should drive the ice off the shore. Moreover, it was now getting dark, and it behoved them to make their preparations with as much speed as possible. Accordingly, Massan and Prince shouldered one canoe, François and Gaspard carried the other, and the light one was placed on the shoulders of Bryan the blacksmith; La Roche took the provision-basket and cooking utensils under his special charge; while the three Esquimau interpreters and the two Indian guides busied themselves in carrying the miscellaneous goods and baggage into camp. As for Chimo, he seated himself quietly on a lump of ice, and appeared to superintend the entire proceedings; while his young mistress and her mother, accompanied by Frank and Stanley, crossed the ice to the shore, to select a place for their encampment.