CHAPTER XI
A RESCUE IN THE RAPIDS
The same thought seemed to awaken every one the next morning. All wereout early but they found Jack making the fire. He stated that they weregoing to have some very fine biscuits that morning and so he was upearly. No one thought of him in connection with the extra dish ofprunes. The boys were soon on the water though they did not expect toget the first salmon.
"Ye Heavens!" said Pud. "If one of those big salmon got on my line, Iwouldn't know what to do with it anyway. But all the same, I'm going tohave a try."
"Same here," said Bob. "I really would like to hook one because myfather has told me so much about salmon fishing that I'm anxious to seeif I can play one as he told me how to do it. He has caught salmon notone hundred miles from here, you know."
"Yes, it's all very well for them to tell us how to do it," said Bill."I'll bet, though, that we make a botch of it when we get one."
They were soon separated by varying distances. Bob got three trout butno salmon rose to his fly. Pud was down the stream and as Bob floatedby, he said,
"I don't believe there are any salmon here anyway. I've got four troutbut nary a salmon."
As if to rebuke his disbelief in the presence of salmon in that river, abig fish leaped clear of the water and tore away with Pud's line. In amoment, Pud was busy. He got so excited when he saw the wonderful fishmake another flying leap that he forgot that he was on a frail canoeand over he went. Bob hurried to his rescue and Pud was soon in his boatagain. Pud had held on to the rod and when he got in the boat, hestarted to reel in but he was due for a rude awakening, as he was nearlyyanked out of the canoe by a terrific rush from the fish.
"He's still on," yelled Pud.
"Give him line! Give him line! Now, careful. Reel in," yelled Bob.
Pud kept at it and for nearly an hour that fish kept him as busy as abee. At the end of that time, Pud drew the salmon gently towards thecanoe. Bob reached over to get him in the landing net when off he wentagain. It took another good twenty minutes before he was finally landed.Bob and Pud then paddled for the camp and reached there to find that Mr.Waterman and Mr. Anderson were already there each with a fine specimen.
In a little while they all gathered around for breakfast when a bigsurprise awaited them. Jack demurely brought on a fine baked salmon.When this appeared, Mr. Waterman hurried over to the tent, lifted thecovering under which the three salmon he and Mr. Anderson had caught hadbeen placed, and there were still the three salmon.
"You old dog!" said Mr. Waterman. "When did you get that fish? I was uppretty early myself but you must have had it still earlier, for you havehad plenty here to keep you busy since we got up."
Jack did not answer Mr. Waterman's question. Instead, he merely queriedin his quizzical way.
"Do I get them prunes?"
For answer, Mr. Waterman went over to the shelter made for the grub andcame back with a can filled with the succulent prune. Jack took themwith a merry twinkle in his eye.
"I don't think that I ought to take them," said he.
"Sure. Take them. I said that I'd give extra prunes to the man gettingthe first salmon and you did the trick," said Mr. Waterman.
"That's all right, but I don't need them. Let me give them to the firstboy that gets a fish," said Jack.
"All right," said Mr. Waterman. "Then you'll have to give them to Pud,for he was the only boy to land one."
Jack then came over to the table and with grave ceremony, he handed theprunes to Pud. The latter did not want to take them but finally yielded.They had a very merry breakfast and Jack at last told them that he hadgotten up about half past three and had hardly got out into the streambefore he had a fine salmon on his line. He had a merry battle with thegamy fish but finally landed him and, hurrying back, he sneaked intocamp without being seen. After breakfast, the various members of theparty once more set out in quest of salmon, it being agreed that no onewould catch more than two.
When they reassembled at lunch, every one had at least one salmon. Allwere happy as kings, especially the three boys, who had had one of theirambitions realized in catching these wonderful game fish. They wentexploring in the afternoon. Mr. Waterman took the boys back from theriver into a part of the country that had been burned over. They madefor a rather high ridge merely to get the view, with Mr. Watermanleading. As he topped the ridge, he was seen to sink suddenly to theground and then hurry back to them.
"Two fine bears up there," said Mr. Waterman in a whisper when he gotback to them.
"Where? Where?" exclaimed Pud.
"Just over the ridge. They're eating berries," said Mr. Waterman.
"Let's run," said Pud. "None of us has even a revolver."
"That's all right," replied Mr. Anderson. "Bears won't hurt you. Mr.Waterman came back stealthily so that you could have a look at them. Ifthey scent us we shan't get within a mile of them. So be careful."
Pud held back but Bob hurried on with Mr. Waterman and Bill was closebehind. They very quietly got to the top of the ridge and both of theboys had a very good view of the two black bears that were busilyengaged eating the raspberries that grew very luxuriantly there in thebare spots left by the ravages of the fire. Mr. Waterman had just begunto explain to them what very timid creatures they were when Pud came up,and falling over a root crashed down, making a terrific racket. In amoment the bears were gone. They seemed to vanish. They seemedinstinctively to keep in line with big rocks or trees so that even thelynx-eyed Mr. Waterman had great trouble in following their course. Theboys did not see them again.
"You big boob!" said Bill. "What's the matter with you?"
"I didn't mean to do it, honest to goodness," replied Pud. "But werethere really any bear here or were you stringing me as usual?"
"Of course there was a bear here," said Bob. "But a big elephant camealong and scared them away. I don't wonder they took to their heels whenthey heard the noise you made. You'd make a fine Indian scout. You hadbetter walk behind Jean and note how noiselessly he moves along."
"I'm sorry," said Pud.
The party then turned away after looking over the country from theirhigh point of vantage. They could see far and wide and for miles thegreat forest fire had left only blackened stumps and dead trees. Theygot back to camp in time for supper. Joe had had time to get out and ashe had returned with five partridges, they had another great supper.
"They told me when I wanted to come up here," said Bob, "that if Iwanted to live on bacon, prunes, hard dough, and beans all summer thatthis was the place to come."
"Yes, that is what they generally expect to get on such trips as this,but with just a little luck and a good cook like Jack, the least thingto be objected to is the 'eats,'" said Mr. Anderson.
"I should think so," replied Bob. "I don't know that I have ever enjoyedmy meals so much as up here."
"The same here," piped in Pud. "I think we get almost too good grub,that is as far as I am concerned, for I want to reduce and I have aswell chance to do that with partridge and trout, one night, salmon forbreakfast, and salmon, trout, and duck for supper."
"Yes," said Mr. Waterman. "We've been unusually lucky this summer."
After supper, they went for a paddle up the stream, going up for nearlythree miles until they came to another rapid. Bob and Bill were in onecanoe and Pud and Mr. Anderson in another. They went up the rapid as faras they could paddle and then swung around and came racing back. Whenthey came to the quiet part of the river again, Bob said,
"That's great fun. I bet we have some excitement to-morrow when we godown the river to a point opposite Lac Parent."
"I guess we'll enjoy it all right. I pity Pud if he gets in the drink,"said Bill.
The next morning, the guides and their two leaders took the greatestprecautions in binding up the duffle bags and the grub. Everything wasfolded so that even though they might be capsized, there would be littlerisk of their kits and grub.
"You are making preparations as if you expect trouble," sa
id Bob to Mr.Waterman.
"Not especially," was the reply. "It is always best to be ready foranything in fast water. A broken paddle, just a mistake in judgment, mayspell disaster. However, I think you'll enjoy it this morning. The riverhas some fast water all right but it is not very deep and though we mayget wet, there will not be much real danger."
"How are we going to pair off?" asked Bob.
"Jack will take Pud. Joe will pair with Bill, you will come with me andJean and Mr. Anderson will make up the party."
They were soon off, with Mr. Waterman and Bob leading. They had quite astretch of slow water first and the boys were given their directionsthen.
"The main thing about getting through fast water is not to lose yournerve," said Mr. Waterman. "Next you must have confidence in yoursteersman and do what he tells you just as soon as he tells you."
"That's what I'm here for," said Bob, in his position up in the bow.
They soon swung into the rapids and it was exhilarating fun at first.Then Bob's heart came up into his throat for a minute as he looked aheadand could see only a smother of foam. Mr. Waterman steered straight forwhat seemed the worst part of it. In another moment they were in it andBob thought that the canoe would never rise to the wall of water ahead.But it did. In a second, they were shooting down with Bob paddling fordear life trying as best he could to follow the calm directions of Mr.Waterman. The very speedy part of the descent lasted only a few minutes,but it was very exciting. Then they swung once more into the calm watersof the broad reaches of the river.
"Did we cover those two miles that took us over an hour to do the otherday when we were portaging up?" asked Bob.
"That we did," said Mr. Waterman. "We did it very well. After a fewtrips of this kind, you will qualify as an expert canoeist."
"That's very kind of you to say so," replied Bob. "I know though that ifI had hit that water with Pud or Bill that we would have been swimminglong before now."
"Well, it does help to have an old stager like me in the back end of thecanoe," said Mr. Waterman with quiet satisfaction. "To tell the truth,that is really an easy stretch of water. If you ever go through some ofthe rapids on the Shipshaw River or some of the larger rivers of thiscountry, you will know what fast water really means. I went down theShipshaw three years ago with Pierre and there were times when theslightest mistake would have meant death almost surely."
"I'd like to try that sometime," said Bob.
"You may think so, but really it is a foolhardy proposition unless youhave very clever guides with you," replied Mr. Waterman.
"That's some sport," said Bill, as his canoe came abreast of theirs.
"I had my troubles," said Jack. "This young baby elephant up in the bowis too heavy and makes the canoe very hard to steer."
"That's right," said Mr. Waterman. "Suppose, before we reach the nextrapids, that you get out a moment, shift some of the load up into thebow and have Pud sit back of the first thwart. That will balance thecanoe better."
"That's a good idea," said Jack. "I'll do it."
"Why so quiet?" asked Bob of Pud as he looked across.
"Now don't kid me," said Pud. "I really thought three or four times thatI'd be swimming down those rapids a mile a minute, but Jack brought methrough all right. I'll give him all the credit."
"Don't you believe it," said Jack. "He did fine. He obeyed orders, buthis weight in the bow made it very hard and I wouldn't want to try itover again."
A little later, Pud and Jack went ashore and fixed the cargo so that thecanoe would not be down at the bow. Then they were off again. Once morethey shot down through foam and spray, just missing rocks by a fractionof an inch. It proved the greatest sport that the boys had ever tried.They grew enthusiastic.
"Now, it's all right to like fast water," said Jack, "but don't let thatmake you careless. You can never afford to be careless even in rathereasy water. If you do, you'll come a cropper sure."
They paddled on and went down three or four more easy rapids. By thistime the boys commenced to think that they knew quite a little about howto take fast water. As they went along, Mr. Waterman warned them thatthey were now coming to a rather hard place but that it was very short.In another moment they were in it. Bob and his teacher went through likea breeze. Under the master hand of Mr. Waterman, the speedy descent ofthe waters was made without dipping a drop into the canoe. As they camedown into the smooth reach at the foot of the rapids, Mr. Watermanturned the canoe around, saying,
"Let's watch the others come down this last bit. It certainly looksexciting but while you're in it you have little time to think of theexciting features."
Just then Mr. Anderson and Jean came into view. They seemed poisedalmost on the brink of a cascade but the canoe came rushing down like abird. At times, it seemed buried in the spray but it emerged triumphantat the foot. They also turned around to watch the others. Pud and Jackwere next. Jack made it seem so easy that the boys were amazed at thedeftness with which he steered the boat. At one spot, by a peculiarwrist motion known only to the initiated, he made the boat move bodilyover to the right just in time to miss a big rock that seemed sure to betheir Waterloo. It now remained only for Joe and Bill to come safelythrough. Under the influence of the eddies, Mr. Waterman and Bob hadfloated up almost to the very foot of the rapids. This was the bigfactor in what followed.
Jack and Bill hove in sight and down they rushed. Just before theystruck the bad part of the rapids, Bill was seen to hold up his paddlebroken short off at the handle. He turned around to snatch up the extrapaddle but in doing so he was too hasty and in another moment, the canoewas caught by a swell and overturned. Anxiously the party at the foot ofthe rapids watched for the heads of Joe and Bill. Joe came up and wasseen to make frantic efforts to get back to the canoe, but he was swepton. Bill did not appear. Bob was out of his canoe and out on the bankbefore any one even thought of stopping him. In another moment, he wasrunning up the trail that ran alongside the river. A minute later he wasout on the rocks above where the overturned canoe was now seen to bejammed between the rocks. A moment later, he plunged into the foamingrapids and fortunately drifted down right on the canoe. When he camethere he had the greatest difficulty in not being swept over the canoe.Frantically he clung to the canoe, now finding himself helpless to saveBill, who was partly pinned under the canoe and was rapidly drowningright before his eyes.
Bills eyes were turning glassy, Bob thought, as he made a final effortto get the canoe free. He succeeded in doing this, but not as heexpected, for his weight and the weight of the water as it swept alongcrumpled up the canoe and suddenly he found himself rushing down therapids just like a wisp of straw on a miniature stream such as littleboys sometimes make in the gutters. All at once he felt Bill's body bumphim and instinctively he grabbed it and though bruised in a hundredplaces, he finally shot out at the foot of the rapids still clutchingBill's limp form. Bob was himself practically unconscious, but struggledto keep himself and Bill afloat as if under some superpower.
A moment later, the others were there and they soon had Bob and Bill outon the bank. Bill was far gone, as he not only had been half drownedwhen pinned under the canoe but he had knocked his head against therocks in the latter part of his descent. First aid was given to himfirst. He was stretched out over a log and then his arms were worked toget the air back into his lungs. In about five minutes, Bill opened hiseyes and with a big sigh closed them again. A few minutes later he wassitting up, still in rather a dazed condition, but fast recovering. Bobhad received quite a cut on his head, but he had not actually lostconsciousness and he fast recuperated. He was up and about in a littlewhile, apparently none the worse for his strenuous exertions.
"That was a close call," said Mr. Waterman.
"I should think so," said Pud. "When I saw Bob plunge into those rapids,I thought he was a fool, for I could not see how he could do anything."
"He saved my life all right," said Bill. "I was pinned under that canoeand was nearly drowned when Bob got ther
e. I didn't get get this bump onthe head until afterwards. I saw Bob come, but I was so nearly all inthat I could only struggle faintly to get a breath of air now and then.When the canoe suddenly broke in two, I shot down and I must have hit arock for I knew nothing more until I woke up on the bank."
"You deserve a great deal of credit, Bob," said Mr. Anderson, "not onlyfor your heroism but for the quick presence of mind you showed in doingthe only thing that had a chance of saving Bill's life."
"You beat me to it all right," said Mr. Waterman. "The way you got outof that canoe and up that trail would have made me look like a snail soI stayed at the foot hoping to be of use there. I thought that Billmight appear any moment at the foot of the rapids as I could not seethat he was pinned down by the canoe."
"I'm certainly glad you were there," said Bob, "for I would never havegotten Bill ashore by myself. I certainly was all in. I was notunconscious but I had big black spots before my eyes and I guess I wasjust about ready to pass out."
"Well, it's all over and we're very lucky," said Mr. Waterman. "We'llcamp right here for the night and go on our way to-morrow morning. Wecan get back to camp all right even if a little later than we hadplanned."
In the meantime, Joe had come down the rapids unhurt and crawled intoJean's boat as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. While theothers were bringing Bob and Bill back to the world, he and Jean set outafter the broken canoe and captured it. Owing to the great care withwhich their duffle bags had been made up that morning, nothing wasreally injured. Bill and Bob did not have much appetite for supper thatevening as both were suffering more from shock than they recognized. Inthe morning, Mr. Waterman let them sleep until the last call forbreakfast. After a swim, they were both just about as good as ever.
"How are we going to get everything into the canoes this morning?" askedPud.
"What's that?" asked Mr. Waterman in turn.
"We had the canoes pretty well filled yesterday," said Pud. "With oneless canoe, we'll have to shift things around, won't we?"
"Who said that we had one less canoe?" asked Mr. Waterman quietly. Pudlooked to the bank of the stream and sure enough, there were four canoesthere.
"Where did we get the extra canoe?" asked Pud puzzled.
"We didn't get it any place," replied Mr. Anderson. "Joe and Jean wereup real early this morning and they fixed the one that seemed such awreck last evening."
Pud went over to the canoes and sure enough, he saw where the canoe hadbeen patched up.
"This isn't a very good job," said Mr. Waterman. "When we get back tocamp, they will take out those broken ribs and replace them entirelyinstead of splicing them up as they have done. It will do all rightuntil we get home but when Joe really gets through with that canoe,there won't be a sign of that smash-up."
"He's certainly clever," said Bill.
"Yes, he is in one sense, though in another he is just using theknowledge that he has acquired in years in the woods," said Mr.Anderson.
"Pierre, Jean, Joe or Jack can all build a very good canoe as they haveoften done so," said Mr. Waterman.
"Can Pierre make a birch bark canoe just like the Indians used to have?"asked Bob.
"Nothing easier," replied Mr. Anderson.
"I'll get him to make me one ofter camp is over and send it down to mein Virginia," said Bob.
"He'll be very glad to do it," said Mr. Waterman.
After a good breakfast, they were on their way. It was a credit to thereal courage of Bob and Bill that though they had to go down threerapids before they came to the ford near Lac Parent, that neither ofthem showed any sign of the white feather. Both boys seemed to enjoy theexciting sport just as much as before the almost fatal accident of theprevious day. On arrival at the ford, they found Pierre there.
Two hours later, they were back at their home camp and settled in theirshelter tents. That night around the camp fire they went over the eventsof the week and concluded that they had had more fun and excitementcrowded into that week than they had had in any other similar space oftime during their lives. They all went to bed glad to-morrow was theSabbath and that they could just laze around and enjoy the comparativecomforts of their home camp.