CHAPTER IV.
DOWN THE SWIFT RAPIDS.
"Sounds pretty wild ahead there!" bawled Jimmy, a couple of hours later.
He happened to be in the leading canoe at the time, along with the CreeIndian guide, Tamasjo, and also Frank Shaw. Ned and Jack paddled thesecond boat, and did it splendidly, too, for they had had considerablepractice at this sort of thing, so that as Ned expressed it, both had"caught the hang of it." In the rear were the other two, Francois, andTeddy Green, the ambitious explorer of unknown lands.
All this time they had seen nothing in any quarter to indicate thatthere was a living human being in all that far-off country. Now and thenthey had glimpsed herds of caribou peacefully feeding where the grassgrew most luxuriantly, or else like the reindeer of Lapland browsing offthe Arctic moss that clung to the rocks in myriads of places, andcontained the nourishment required. Birds were scarce, though in someplaces they had come upon countless numbers of ducks, geese and swanthat seek these distant regions in summer to breed.
The others had possibly noticed that increasing murmur in the neardistance, indicating the presence of a roaring cataract, even if theyhad not called attention to the same.
The Indian, seeing that the scouts would very likely want to hold aconference, dallied with his paddle, and Frank, who sat in the bow ofthe boat, followed suit. He did not altogether like the sound of that asyet unseen rough place in the river that flowed northward toward HudsonBay; and felt that before trusting themselves in its clutch they shouldtalk it over, getting what pointers they could from the two guides.
Accordingly the three canoes drifted along on the rather swift current,while those in them talked. From time to time the paddlers would delaytheir progress by well known means, so that they might not be carried onat too fast a pace, and find themselves in the surge of the rapidsbefore their plans were fully matured.
"I bet you that one beats any we've struck yet, if sound goes for much!"Jimmy gave as his opinion.
"No question about that," added Jack.
"It sure makes a heap of noise," Teddy declared.
"And I can imagine the whitecaps jumping like crazy things as thecurrent hits up against the sharp-pointed snags and rocks that stick uplike horns all over!" Frank went on to say.
"Still, there are few rapids that don't have a safe channel through theworst places," Ned told them; "anyway, I've never seen one that didn't.How about that, Francois; you've been through here, you say, and in acanoe?"
"Twice, sare," came the answer.
"And didn't meet with an accident either time, I warrant," Jack avowed,confidently.
"Nevaire!" replied the guide, positively.
"And like as not, when you took the first plunge you had never seen therapids before, Francois?" continued Ned, striving to reach a point hewanted to make.
"It was the first time I haf ever set eyes on ze same, as you say,sare."
"You just used your gumption, and tackled the job as you would any otherrapids, depending on your quick eye, a firm wrist with the paddle, andgeneral good sense, wasn't that it, Francois?" Ned asked him.
"I get through easy, but zere was a warm time of it," the otheranswered, shaking his head at the remembrance of difficulties overcome.
"Well, if you could pass through safely without ever having seen therapids before it was much easier the second time, eh?" ventured thepatrol leader.
"Oh! mooch easier, that time," the guide assured him.
"And now it's likely to become a habit with you," Ned remarked,smilingly. "Guess we needn't bother any great shakes, boys. Francoiswill take the lead, and Jack and myself bring up the rear."
"That leaves me in the middle, don't it?" asked Jimmy.
"Just what it does," Ned told him.
"You wouldn't think for a minute we'd allow you to lead, or much lesscome trailing along as the wind-up of the crowd," jeered Jack. "Chancesare you'll be up to your old tricks again, and tumbling overboard. I'vegot the boathook ready to lay hold of you if that happens."
"For goodness sake, Jimmy, make up your mind to sit still and getthrough one of these husky rapids with a dry jacket," pleaded Teddy.
"Yes," added Frank, who, it may be remembered, was in the same boat withJimmy; "you might upset us all if you get to wiggling around, or tryingany of your silly pranks while we're in the middle of the push. Andthink of what we'd lose if an accident like that happened."
"You've got all the self-raising flour in your tub, Jimmy," Teddycontinued, as a clinching argument; "and if that goes, good-bye to anymore flapjacks while we're up around the Hudson Bay country."
"Hadn't you better transfer that stuff to one of the other boats, andgive us something that won't spoil if it gets wet?" Jimmy had theimpudence to suggest; at which Ned shook his finger at him, and, lookingas severe as he could, went on to lay down the law, as he had a perfectright to do, being Jimmy's superior in the patrol; and besides, usingthe other as an assistant in his work for the Government.
"Unless you give me your solemn promise to reform, and sit as still asanything in that canoe, I'm going to have a halt called, and tie you inso you can't move. The only trouble is that if the boat does go overafter all, you'd surely drown like a musk rat in a trap. Do you get thatstraight, Jimmy?"
Apparently the lively scout realized that his chums would not put upwith any further pranks, especially when danger menaced them, as italways did at times when cataracts had to be negotiated. He threw upboth hands in token of absolute surrender.
"I promise you on my word of honor as a true scout, Ned, not to budgean inch as long as the bally old boat stays on its keel. 'Course ifTamasjo pitches me out you'll let me swim for it, and get hold of yourgunnel, won't you?"
"That's what we would expect you to do," Ned told him. "On the whole, asthis rapid is much worse than anything we've tackled up to now, I reckonwe'd better run into shore for a short stay, while we overhaul ourcargoes, and make sure everything is tied fast to the supports of thecanoes."
"Good idea," grunted Frank. "I believe in locking the door while you'vestill got the horse. Lots of folks wait till the animal has been stolen,and then wake up to the necessity of putting up the bars."
Accordingly, they landed near by on a promising point. Here they busiedthemselves for some time minutely examining the way in which guns,provisions, blankets, tents, cooking utensils, and all other thingsgoing to make up the cargo of the three canoes was secured.
Of course they hardly anticipated an upset, but did this only as a sortof insurance, just as a man takes out a fire risk on his house, thoughnever fancying for a single minute that it is going to go up in flamesand smoke.
After that the start was made. Francois paddled along in the lead, withTeddy holding a position in the bow, for Teddy had learned to swing apaddle fairly well on this trip. Of course, the one who sat in the sternmanipulated things as he wished, being the controlling power. Teddy'sduties would for the most part be to fend off from threatening rocks.
It was intended that the other boats should follow close enough to givetheir pilots a chance to profit by the knowledge Francois had of thecurrents and most dangerous places. At the same time, they must not comewithin a certain distance lest they foul each other.
Faster and faster did the swift current bear them on its bosom. Theycould now see it surging on toward the abrupt bend, around which thedangerous rapid lay.
Every fellow shut his teeth hard together. Sleeves had been rolled up,so that nothing might interfere with the heavy work ahead of them.
Jimmy was the soul watcher, he alone having no part in making thatperilous passage of the cataract. Gripping the two sides of the canoe,as he squatted amidships, Jimmy stared with bulging eyes as the bend wasturned, and he could see that foamy track ahead. All of the way acrossthe river the ugly jagged rocks thrust their sharp points above thesurface of the swift water, and for a distance of nearly a quarter of amile it seemed as though only by a miracle could a frail canoe safelypass among these evil genii of the
rapids.
But a careful and practiced eye could pick out an avenue ofcomparatively smooth water that ran from top to bottom of the rapid. Itoften curved sharply, so that it made a very irregular line. Quickaction would be necessary in many instances, so as to avoid contact withsome snag that lay in wait for a victim.
Francois went boldly in. He sat there like a carved statue, only thatthe upper part of his body was in constant action, as he drove hismagical blade deeply into the water, and caused the canoe to obey hisdominant will as he pleased.
After him came the bronzed Cree Indian guide, copying every movement ofthe other, much as Japanese workman would a design given into his handsto duplicate even to the minutest detail.
It was a glorious dash, and one the scouts would certainly never forget.Their blood leaped madly in their veins as they saw the tumbling,boiling water all about them, acting as though fairly wild to get themin its power.
Several times Ned and Jack found themselves put to their best efforts inorder to stem the tide, and keep from meeting with shipwreck.Fortunately, their muscles were sound, and their heads clear, so that inevery instance they recovered the advantage almost lost. When the footof the cataract was reached nothing of a serious nature had happened,though all of the boys who had taken part in the labor of fighting theerratic current of the river were breathing heavily.
"Hurrah! that's the time we did it!" shouted Jimmy, apparently as proudas if he had handled a paddle himself; nor did any of the othersbegrudge him that slight satisfaction, since the glory was big enough togo around.
Ned gave the signal for a halt here.
"We want to rest up a bit," he explained; "and besides, didn't you hearFrancois say that there were some dandy trout and grayling hanging abouthere at the foot of the rapids? Seems to me I'd like a mess for dinnerto-day. Any objections?"
Not a single contrary word was heard, and apparently all of them were ofthe same mind. So they put in toward the shore again, Francois leadingthe way, since he had been here before, and "knew the ropes."
Tackle was soon made ready. Ned had even fetched a jointed rod along,for he liked to fish in a thoroughly sportsmanlike way, when the gamewas as royal in its nature as these big trout of the Canadian rivers.Grayling he had never caught, though told that they even exceed trout indesperate fighting tactics.
The fun soon became fast and furious, for there were plenty of fish, andthe conditions seemed just right for them to jump at every sort of lure,from an artificial fly to a copy of an insect, or a phantom minnow suchas Jimmy usually patronized, he not being equal to handling a fly rodwith dexterity.
They soon had all the fish they could use. Ned continued the sport,because he was using his fly rod, and really did not injure the captureshe made, so that he could toss them back after having had the fun ofplaying them, and seeing the desperate efforts the captives made tobreak away.
In the end, Ned had the luck to strike a good-sized grayling, that,making for a smaller rapid just below, gave the young sportsman all theexcitement he could hope for before allowing itself to be netted. Theyall admired its build, and, as it was the only one of its kind takenjust then, they decided to keep it, so as to say they had eatengrayling.
The interrupted voyage was thereupon resumed, and a while later theylanded once more to cook a meal; for somehow all declared themselveshungry for trout, and Francois had admitted that one of the best campingplaces along the lower river invited them.
Jimmy, having had nothing else to do while they navigated the stream hadamused himself preparing the catch for the frying pan. Nobody objectedin the least; for although every scout dearly loved to eat trout, noneof them ever seemed particularly anxious to clean the fish. Consequentlythat duty generally devolved upon good-natured Jimmy, who could beeasily duped into believing that it was a high honor they were accordinghim in allowing this privilege.
Ned, after halting by his canoe to attend to some little thing thathappened to catch his attention, and which needed fixing, sauntered upthe bank to find a fire had already been started by the guides.
"How is this, Francois, that you chose a place to make your fire thatlooks as if it might be second-best? According to my notion, over yonderis an ideal site for cooking fire."
When Ned said this the French-Canadian voyageur looked up and nodded.
"Eet is surely as you say heem be, but when I deescover zat zere hafbeen a pig party stop here mebbe last night, I tink you might vant me tolook closer, and see vat ze signs say."
From his manner Ned understood that somehow Francois scented dangerbecause of the presence of these men in this region. They might ofcourse only prove to be miners sent up here by the syndicate that hadobtained the right to the new mining region said to exceed in richnessthe famous Mesauba country. On the other hand, it was possible that theywere minions of unscrupulous capitalists, sent here to block any efforton the part of the scouts to learn the truth with regard to the natureof the great fraud, if the claim put up to Mr. Bosworth proved to besuch.
And Ned knew that the guide had acted wisely in leaving the cold ashesalone.