CHAPTER XX.
THE START FOR THE RAPIDS.
There was a moment of intense excitement on the yacht and then came ashrill scream as the brave little craft righted itself and came outinto the still waters once more. As soon as it was perceived that noone was injured, the reaction came, and shouts of laughter succeededthe cries of alarm.
It was speedily found that no one had entirely escaped the sweep ofthe great wave, but Ben had fared worst of all. Seated high in the bowas he had been, he had received the full force of the water and wasdrenched from head to foot. Some of the others had not fared so badly,but now that all danger was past, they were disposed to make light ofthe mishap and to look at it in the light of a joke.
"The next time we'd better leave Ben at the camp," suggested Bob."He's a regular Jonah. If he can't fall into the river, he manages tohave the river fall on us. The only safe plan will be to leave himout."
"I don't think you need complain," replied Ben, as he ruefullysurveyed his dripping garments. "I was a regular breakwater for youall. I got the most of the water myself."
"We shan't complain," said Mr. Clarke, quickly. "It was a foolishventure at best. The waves were coming too swiftly for the boat toadjust herself. She took the first two of the breakers all right, butbefore she could rise for the third it was upon us and there was noescape."
The engineer and pilot had not spoken during the conversation, but thebroad smiles upon their faces were indicative of their quiet enjoymentof the mishap, and soon they brought the little yacht alongside thedock in front of the camp. The good nights were then spoken, the boysleaped ashore, and as their visitors departed, they discharged thelittle brass cannon as a parting salute. The shrill whistle of theyacht responded, and soon the fleet boat had disappeared in thedarkness, and all was quiet in the camp on Pine Tree Island.
The days which followed were filled with their own experiences,interesting, if not novel. Every morning Ben rose before his friends,and when they came forth from the tent for breakfast they wouldusually see him returning from the river in his canoe. His mishaps hadonly served to increase his determination to succeed, and though hewas careful not to boast of his success in the presence of hisfriends, nevertheless his own progress was satisfactory, to himself atleast.
Nor was he the only one to use the canoes. Sometimes with the bat-wingsails, and at other times with only a paddle, the boys set forth fromthe camp, and perhaps their lack of skill in no wise detracted fromthe zest of their enjoyment.
There were trips among the islands on the excursion steamers, visitsmade to Kingston, Gananoque, and various other points on the Canadianshore, and occasionally the boys donned their evening dress andrepaired to the parlors of the hotels at Alexandria Bay. On Sunday Mr.Clarke had stopped for them with his yacht and they had gone up toThousand Island Park to attend service there in the huge tabernacle.Indeed, the days were all filled with their own interestingexperiences, and not one of the boys had found a moment of the timedragging or uneventful.
The nearest approach to that experience had occurred when one rainyday had come and compelled them to remain most of the time withintheir tents. Bob had improved the opportunity by perusing a book whichhe refused to let his companions examine, and thereby greatlyincreased their curiosity as to its contents; but he had declared theywould know what he was doing in due time, and must rest content untilhe should be willing to explain it all.
A decided break in the camp life came one day when Ethan said: "I'vebeen makin' arrangements for you boys to go down the Longue Seaut. Ishan't go with ye; but you won't need me, for I've got word from twoo' the boatmen down there, and they can do more for ye than I could,'cause they know every foot o' the ground."
"Down the Longue Seaut?" exclaimed Jock. "I'd like to go, but I don'tknow what my father would say to it. I promised him when we came awaywe wouldn't take any chances."
"I wrote him," replied Ethan, quietly, "an' he says it's all right."
"Right it is, then," exclaimed Jock, delightedly. "I've been throughthe rapids there on a steamer when I went to Montreal, and it's agreat experience, I can tell you, fellows. The water is tossing andboiling all around you, and the boat just shuts off all steam and letsher go it. You feel the boat go bump! bump! and all the time it seemsas if the water was just dropping out from under you all. Do we reallygo through the rapids in skiffs, Ethan?"
"Yes, that's jest what ye do, only ye take what they call the LittleSeaut instead o' the Big Seaut. All the difference the' is, is thatone is on one side o' the island an' the other the other. An' theLittle Seaut isn't quite so big as the Big Seaut, though there isn't asight o' difference between them."
"You think it will be safe for us, do you?" inquired Bob, quietly.
"Safe? Yes, or I wouldn't let ye go. 'Twouldn't be safe for ye to tryit alone, but in the hands o' the men I'm goin' to trust ye to, ye'llbe all right enough. An' ye'll find some fishin' there what isfishin', I'm tellin' ye."
"I'm sorry you and Tom are not to go," said Jock.
"So be I; but I've got some work to do on my place, an' Tom here isgoin' to practise his Hamlick. They're to have the show next week,ain't they, Tom?"
"Yes," replied Tom. "I'd like to go with you, boys, but I can't thistrip. Perhaps you'll get a muscallonge or a sturgeon, and that willpay you well."
"Yes," said Ethan, "it's 'bout time for muscallonge to begin to run.If ye git one o' them fellows, you'll never forget it all yer borndays. They're fish what is fish! An', besides, everything isn't fishedout down there. Up here the lines is so thick that it's like runnin'through the meshes of a seine for a sizable fish to get up the river."
The interest of the boys was keen enough now to satisfy even the oldboatman, and in response to Jock's request he explained the plans hehad made for them.
"Now yer best way will be to take the steamboat down to Ogdensburghto-morrow mornin', and there ye change to a little boat that'll takeye down to Masseny, or rather it'll take you to the Landin'. Then yecan drive over to the Springs [Massena Springs, Ethan meant] an'there's some big taverns there. City folks come up to drink the water,though for my part I'd about as soon drink dish-water or pisin' tea."
"Do they have 'pi's 'n things' there too?" inquired Bert, soberly.
"You'll find eout all 'bout that," responded Ethan. "Then the nextmornin', afore it's fairly light, ye'll have to be drove back to theriver,--it isn't more'n three or four mile,--an' yer boatman will bethere by the Landin', all ready and waitin' for ye. Then they'll takeye in their boats down through the rapids, and send the team along theshore, so't ye can ride back; an' they'll have a rig to bring back theboats too."
"Why don't they sail or row back?" inquired Ben.
"Why don't they row back? Well, I guess ye won't be askin' no sechquestion as that after ye git there. Ye'll know more'n ye do now. Oh,there's another thing," he added; "ye don't want to take yerfish-poles along."
"Why not?" inquired Jock, quickly. "I thought you said there was finefishing there. I should think we'd want to take our rods with us."
"No, ye don't want yer _rods_," said Ethan, sharply. "Ye might jist aswell have pipestems as them poles o' yours. They'll have all therods ye want. I've got that all fixed for ye."
Ethan soon afterward departed from the camp, and left the boys tothemselves. For a time they talked over the exciting prospect, and atlast Bob said: "It grieves me, fellows, to see you wasting your timelike this. Now I feel it my duty to enlighten you as to the thirdexpedition which Cartier made--"
But Bob got no further. With a shout his companions rose from theground, and ran swiftly to the tent, where they at once prepared toretire. Bob soon followed, first piling the logs high upon thecamp-fire, and then he too forgot all about Cartier's third voyage ofexploration.
The camp was astir early on the following morning, and as the boyswere to go to Alexandria Bay to take a steamer at an hour which wasearly even for the early-rising Ethan, they hastily ate thebreakfast of "pi's 'n things" which the boat
man had prepared beforehis departure on the preceding night.
As soon as this had been eaten they closed the tents, which Ethan andTom had promised to visit daily in the absence of the boys, and randown to the dock, where the skiff was in readiness.
"That's too big a load," said Ben, as he stopped before the boat inwhich his companions were already seated. "I'll not go in that craft."
"Oh, come on, Ben!" shouted Bert. "You won't have to do any of therowing."
"I'm not afraid of that."
"Well, what are you afraid of, then? Come along."
"I'm afraid of you. I'll go over to the bay in my 'light canoe.'"
As he still refused to listen to the boys, Jock said: "Let him come inthe canoe, fellows. He'd only tip us over if we took him in theskiff."
"I'm learning to paddle my own canoe," called Ben, as his friendsstarted. "I'm like the little busy bee, which improves each shininghour--"
"Come on, Ben," called Bob. "You'll be late, and we'll lose thesteamer."
Ben smiled as he took his place in the canoe, and, grasping hispaddle, sent his craft swiftly over the water. Soon he had overtakenhis companions, and despite the efforts of Jock, who was rowing, tokeep up with him, speedily passed the skiff, and arrived at the baylong before they did. The boys discovered him seated on the edge ofthe dock, swinging his long legs over the water, and gazing with anair of abstraction about him.
"Why, hello, fellows! Where'd you come from?" he exclaimed, as theskiff approached.
"That's what you've been doing mornings, when you were up so longbefore us, was it?" said Jock, as the boys landed. "I must say youhave improved, Ben, in your 'canoemanship.' What are you thinking of?"
Whatever the thoughts in Ben's mind may have been he did not give themutterance, and after the boys had left the boat in charge of a man atthe bay, they all returned and joined him on the dock.
It was not long afterward when the steamer arrived, and they werereceived on board. Taking their seats together on the deck beneaththe canopy, they gazed with interest about them as the boat passeddown the river. The camps and cottages were stirring now, and againour boys felt the exhilaration of a ride in the early morning on thegreat river. When they approached "The Rocks" they could see thepeople on the piazza, and waved their handkerchiefs as a morningsalute. A returning salute was given, but whether they had beenrecognized or not they could not determine.
The ride to Ogdensburgh was enjoyed all the way, and when they arrivedthere they had their dinner, and soon after embarked on the littlesteamer which was to carry them to Massena.
The increasing novelty of the scene kept them interested in spite ofthe time which had been consumed since they had departed from theircamp. The current was much swifter, they perceived, as they went downthe river. In places it seemed to rush with a speed that made theefforts of the little boat almost useless. There were great whirlingeddies, too; and as the boys gazed at them they were wondering whatthe Longue Seaut Rapids must be if the place where they were wasthought to be comparatively smooth and safe.
Late in the afternoon they arrived at the "Landing," and although theydiscovered there that they might have made plans different from thosewhich Ethan had made for them, they were not inclined to complain whenthey were seated in the wagon which was to convey them to MassenaSprings.
The road led through a prosperous farming country, and thoughevidently it was somewhat new, as far as the abode of the people whodwelt there was concerned, it still left upon the boys the impressionof great age. Occasionally, in the distance behind them, they couldobtain glimpses of the mighty St. Lawrence rushing onward as ifalready it had heard the call of the rapids. Dairy farms, orchards,cheese factories, and various other interesting sights were passed,all of interest to the eager lads. There was almost no time for themto tire, for a ride of a few miles brought them into the littlevillage of Massena.
Then up the long street they rode to Massena Springs, distant about amile from the main village, and there their driver stopped before amodest brick hotel.
This, then, must be the "tavern" of which Ethan had spoken; and gladto have arrived at the end of their journey, the boys leaped out, andat once entered the building.