CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
THE SCENE CHANGES--BACHELOR'S HALL--A PRACTICAL JOKE AND ITSCONSEQUENCES--A SNOW-SHOE WALK AT NIGHT IN THE FOREST.
Leaving Charley to pursue his adventurous career among the Indians, wewill introduce our reader to a new scene, and follow for a time thefortunes of our friend Harry Somerville. It will be remembered that weleft him labouring under severe disappointment at the idea of having tospend a year, it might be many years, at the depot, and being condemnedto the desk, instead of realising his fond dreams of bear-hunting anddeer-stalking in the woods and prairies.
It was now the autumn of Harry's second year at York Fort. This periodof the year happens to be the busiest at the depot, in consequence ofthe preparation of the annual accounts for transmission to England, inthe solitary ship which visits this lonely spot once a year; so thatHarry was tied to his desk all day and the greater part of the nighttoo, till his spirits fell infinitely below zero, and he began to lookon himself as the most miserable of mortals. His spirits rose, however,with amazing rapidity after the ship went away, and the "younggentlemen," as the clerks were styled _en masse_, were permitted to runwild in the swamps and woods for the three weeks succeeding that event.During this glimpse of sunshine they recruited their exhausted frames bypaddling about all day in Indian canoes, or wandering through themarshes, sleeping at nights in tents or under the pine trees, andspreading dismay among the feathered tribes, of which there were immensenumbers of all kinds. After this they returned to their regular work atthe desk; but as this was not so severe as in summer, and was furtherlightened by Wednesdays and Saturdays being devoted entirely torecreation, Harry began to look on things in a less gloomy aspect, andat length regained his wonted cheerful spirits.
Autumn passed away. The ducks and geese took their departure to moregenial climes. The swamps froze up and became solid. Snow fell ingreat abundance, covering every vestige of vegetable nature, except thedark fir trees, that only helped to render the scenery more dreary, andwinter settled down upon the land. Within the pickets of York Fort, thethirty or forty souls who lived there were actively employed in cuttingtheir firewood, putting in double window-frames to keep out the severecold, cutting tracks in the snow from one house to another, andotherwise preparing for a winter of eight months duration, as cold asthat of Nova Zembla, and in the course of which the only new faces theyhad any chance of seeing were those of the two men who conveyed theannual winter packet of letters from the next station. Outside of thefort all was a wide, waste wilderness for _thousands_ of miles around.Deathlike stillness and solitude reigned everywhere, except when a coveyof ptarmigan whirred like large snowflakes athwart the sky, or an arcticfox prowled stealthily through the woods in search of prey.
As if in opposition to the gloom and stillness and solitude outside, theinterior of the clerks' house presented a striking contrast of ruddywarmth, cheerful sounds, and bustling activity.
It was evening; but although the sun had set, there was still sufficientdaylight to render candles unnecessary, though not enough to prevent abright glare from the stove in the centre of the hall taking full effectin the darkening chamber, and making it glow with fiery red. HarrySomerville sat in front, and full in the blaze of this stove, restingafter the labours of the day; his arms crossed on his breast, his head alittle to one side, as if in deep contemplation, as he gazed earnestlyinto the fire, and his chair tilted on its hind legs so as to balancewith such nicety that a feather's weight additional outside its centreof gravity would have upset it. He had divested himself of his coat--apractice that prevailed among the young gentlemen when _at home_, asbeing free-and-easy as well as convenient. The doctor, a tall,broad-shouldered man, with red hair and whiskers, paced the roomsedately, with a long pipe depending from his lips, which he removedoccasionally to address a few remarks to the accountant, a stout, heavyman of about thirty, with a voice like a Stentor, eyes sharp and activeas those of a ferret, and a tongue that moved with twice the ordinaryamount of lingual rapidity. The doctor's remarks seemed to beparticularly humorous, if one might judge from the peals of laughterwith which they were received by the accountant, who stood with his backto the stove in such a position that, while it warmed him from his heelsto his waist, he enjoyed the additional benefit of the pipe or chimney,which rose upwards, parallel with his spine, and, taking a sudden bendnear the roof, passed over his head--thus producing a genial and equablewarmth from top to toe.
"Yes," said the doctor, "I left him hotly following up a rabbit-track,in the firm belief that it was that of a silver fox."
"And did you not undeceive the greenhorn?" cried the accountant, withanother shout of laughter.
"Not I," replied the doctor. "I merely recommended him to keep his eyeon the sun, lest he should lose his way, and hastened home; for it justoccurred to me that I had forgotten to visit Louis Blanc, who cut hisfoot with an axe yesterday, and whose wound required redressing, so Ileft the poor youth to learn from experience."
"Pray, who did you leave to that delightful fate?" asked Mr Wilson,issuing from his bedroom and approaching the stove.
Mr Wilson was a middle-aged, good-humoured, active man, who filled theonerous offices of superintendent of the men, trader of furs, seller ofgoods to the Indians, and general factotum.
"Our friend Hamilton," answered the doctor, in reply to his question."I think he is, without exception, the most egregious nincompoop I eversaw. Just as I passed the long swamp on my way home, I met him crashingthrough the bushes in hot pursuit of a rabbit, the track of which hemistook for a fox. Poor fellow! he had been out since breakfast, andonly shot a brace of ptarmigan, although they are as thick as bees andquite tame. `But then, do you see,' said he, in excuse, `I'm so veryshort-sighted! Would you believe it, I've blown fifteen lumps of snowto atoms, in the belief that they were ptarmigan!' and then he rushedoff again."
"No doubt," said Mr Wilson, smiling, "the lad is very green, but he's agood fellow for all that."
"I'll answer for that," said the accountant; "I found him over at themen's houses this morning doing _your_ work for you, doctor."
"How so?" inquired the disciple of Aesculapius.
"Attending to your wounded man, Louis Blanc, to be sure; and he seemedto speak to him as wisely as if he had walked the hospitals, andregularly passed for an M.D."
"Indeed!" said the doctor, with a mischievous grin. "Then I must payhim off for interfering with my patients."
"Ah, doctor, you're too fond of practical jokes. You never let slip anopportunity of `paying off' your friends for something or other. It's abad habit. Practical jokes are very bad things--shockingly bad," saidMr Wilson, as he put on his fur cap, and wound a thick shawl round histhroat, preparatory to leaving the room.
As Mr Wilson gave utterance to this opinion, he passed HarrySomerville, who was still staring at the fire in deep mentalabstraction, and, as he did so, gave his tilted chair a very slight pushbackwards with his finger--an action which caused Harry to toss up hislegs, grasp convulsively with both hands at empty air, and fall with aloud noise and an angry yell to the ground, while his persecutorvanished from the scene.
"O you outrageous villain!" cried Harry, shaking his fist at the door,as he slowly gathered himself up: "I might have expected that."
"Quite so," said the doctor; "you might. It was very neatly done,undoubtedly. Wilson deserves credit for the way in which it wasexecuted."
"He deserves to be executed for doing it at all," replied Harry, rubbinghis elbow as he resumed his seat.
"Any bark knocked off?" inquired the accountant, as he took a piece ofglowing charcoal from the stove wherewith to light his pipe. "Try awhiff, Harry. It's good for such things. Bruises, sores, contusions,sprains, rheumatic affections of the back and loins, carbuncles, andearache--there's nothing that smoking won't cure; eh, doctor?"
"Certainly. If applied inwardly, there's nothing so good for digestionwhen one doesn't require tonics.--Try it, Harry; it will do you good, Iassure you."
"No, thank you," replied Harry; "I'll leave that to you and the chimney.I don't wish to make a soot-bag of my mouth. But tell me, doctor, whatdo you mean to do with that lump of snow there?"
Harry pointed to a mass of snow, of about two feet square, which lay onthe floor beside the door. It had been placed there by the doctor sometime previously.
"Do with it? Have patience, my friend, and you shall see. It is alittle surprise I have in store for Hamilton."
As he spoke, the door opened, and a short, square-built man rushed intothe room, with a pistol in one hand and a bright little bullet in theother.
"Hullo, skipper!" cried Harry, "what's the row?"
"All right," cried the skipper; "here it is at last, solid as the flukeof an anchor. Toss me the powder-flask, Harry; look sharp, else it'llmelt."
A powder-flask was immediately produced, from which the skipper hastilycharged the pistol, and rammed down the shining bullet.
"Now then," said he, "look out for squalls. Clear the decks there."
And rushing to the door, he flung it open, took a steady aim atsomething outside, and fired.
"Is the man mad?" said the accountant, as with a look of amazement hebeheld the skipper spring through the doorway, and immediately return,bearing in his arms a large piece of fir plank.
"Not quite mad yet," he said, in reply, "but I've sent a ball ofquicksilver through an inch plank, and that's not a thing to be doneevery day--even _here_, although it _is_ cold enough sometimes to freezeup one's very ideas."
"Dear me," interrupted Harry Somerville, looking as if a new thought hadstruck him, "that must be it! I've no doubt that poor Hamilton's ideasare _frozen_, which accounts for the total absence of any indication ofhis possessing such things."
"I observed," continued the skipper, not noticing the interruption,"that the glass was down at 45 degrees below zero this morning, and putout a bullet-mould full of mercury, and you see the result." As hespoke he held up the perforated plank in triumph.
The skipper was a strange mixture of qualities. To a wild, offhand,sailor-like hilarity of disposition in hours of leisure, he united agrave, stern energy of character while employed in the performance ofhis duties. Duty was always paramount with him. A smile could scarcelybe extracted from him while it was in the course of performance. Butthe instant his work was done a new spirit seemed to take possession ofthe man. Fun, mischief of any kind, no matter how childish, he enteredinto with the greatest delight and enthusiasm. Among otherpeculiarities, he had become deeply imbued with a thirst for scientificknowledge, ever since he had acquired, with infinite labour, the smallmodicum of science necessary to navigation; and his doings in pursuit ofstatistical information relative to the weather, and the phenomena ofnature generally, were very peculiar, and in some cases outrageous. Histransaction with the quicksilver was in consequence of an eager desireto see that metal frozen (an effect which takes place when thespirit-of-wine thermometer falls to 39 degrees below zero ofFahrenheit), and a wish to be able to boast of having actually fired amercurial bullet through an inch plank. Having made a careful note ofthe fact, with all the relative circumstances attending it, in a verymuch blotted book, which he denominated his scientific log, the worthyskipper threw off his coat, drew a chair to the stove, and prepared toregale himself with a pipe. As he glanced slowly round the room whilethus engaged, his eye fell on the mass of snow before alluded to. Onbeing informed by the doctor for what it was intended, he laid down hispipe and rose hastily from his chair.
"You've not a moment to lose," said he. "As I came in at the gate justnow, I saw Hamilton coming down the river on the ice, and he must bealmost arrived now."
"Up with it then," cried the doctor, seizing the snow, and lifting it tothe top of the door. "Hand me those bits of stick, Harry; quick, man,stir your stumps.--Now then, skipper, fix them in so, while I hold thisup."
The skipper lent willing and effective aid, so that in a few minutes thesnow was placed in such a position that upon the opening of the door itmust inevitably fall on the head of the first person who should enterthe room.
"So," said the skipper; "that's rigged up in what I call a ship-shapefashion."
"True," remarked the doctor, eyeing the arrangement with a look ofapproval; "it will do, I think, admirably."
"Don't you think, skipper," said Harry Somerville gravely, as he resumedhis seat in front of the fire, "that it would be worth while to make acareful and minute entry in your private log of the manner in which itwas put up, to be afterwards followed by an account of its effect? Youmight write an essay on it now, and call it the extraordinary effects ofa fall of snow in latitude so and so, eh? What think you of it?"
The skipper vouchsafed no reply, but made a significant gesture with hisfist, which caused Harry to put himself in a posture of defence.
At this moment footsteps were heard on the wooden platform in front ofthe building.
Instantly all became silence and expectation in the hall as the resultof the practical joke was about to be realised. Just then another stepwas heard on the platform, and it became evident that two persons wereapproaching the door.
"Hope it'll be the right man," said the skipper, with a look savouringslightly of anxiety.
As he spoke the door opened, and a foot crossed the threshold; the nextinstant the miniature avalanche descended on the head and shoulders of aman, who reeled forward from the weight of the blow, and, covered fromhead to foot with snow, fell to the ground amid shouts of laughter.
With a convulsive stamp and shake, the prostrate figure sprang up andconfronted the party. Had the cast-iron stove suddenly burst into atomsand blown the roof off the house, it could scarcely have created greaterconsternation than that which filled the merry jesters when they beheldthe visage of Mr Rogan, the superintendent of the fort, red withpassion and fringed with snow.
"So," said he, stamping violently with his foot, partly from anger, andpartly with the view of shaking off the unexpected covering, which stuckall over his dress in little patches, producing a somewhat piebaldeffect,--"so you are pleased to jest, gentlemen. Pray, who placed thatpiece of snow over the door?" Mr Rogan glared fiercely round upon theculprits, who stood speechless before him.
For a moment he stood silent, as if uncertain how to act; then turningshort on his heel, he strode quickly out of the room, nearly overturningMr Hamilton, who at the same instant entered it, carrying his gun andsnow-shoes under his arm.
"Dear me, what has happened?" he exclaimed, in a peculiarly gentle toneof voice, at the same time regarding the snow and the horror-strickencircle with a look of intense surprise.
"You _see_ what has happened," replied Harry Somerville, who was thefirst to recover his composure; "I presume you intended to ask, `Whathas _caused_ it to happen?' Perhaps the skipper will explain; it'sbeyond me, quite."
Thus appealed to, that worthy cleared his throat, and said:--
"Why, you see, Mr Hamilton, a great phenomenon of meteorology hashappened. We were all standing, you must know, at the open door, takinga squint at the weather, when our attention was attracted by a curiousobject that appeared in the sky, and seemed to be coming down at therate of ten knots an hour, right end-on for the house. I had just timeto cry, `Clear out, lads,' when it came slap in through the doorway, andsmashed to shivers there, where you see the fragments. In fact, it's awonderful aerolite, and Mr Rogan has just gone out with a lot of thebits in his pocket, to make a careful examination of them, and draw up areport for the Geological Society in London. I shouldn't wonder if hewere to send off an express to-night; and maybe you will have to conveythe news to headquarters, so you'd better go and see him about it soon."
_Soft_ although Mr Hamilton was supposed to be, he was not quiteprepared to give credit to this explanation; but being of a peacefuldisposition, and altogether unaccustomed to retort, he merely smiled hisdisbelief, as he proceeded to lay aside his fowling-piece, and divesthimself of the voluminous out-of-door trappings
with which he was clad.Mr Hamilton was a tall, slender youth, of about nineteen. He had comeout by the ship in autumn, and was spending his first winter at YorkFort. Up to the period of his entering the Hudson's Bay Company'sservice, he had never been more than twenty miles from home, and havingmingled little with the world, was somewhat unsophisticated, besidesbeing by nature gentle and unassuming.
Soon after this the man who acted as cook, waiter, and butler to themess, entered, and said that Mr Rogan desired to see the accountantimmediately.
"Who am I to say did it?" inquired that gentleman, as he rose to obeythe summons.
"Wouldn't it be a disinterested piece of kindness if you were to say itwas yourself?" suggested the doctor.
"Perhaps it would, but I won't," replied the accountant, as he made hisexit.
In about half an hour Mr Rogan and the accountant re-entered theapartment. The former had quite regained his composure. He wasnaturally amiable; which happy disposition was indicated by a habituallycheerful look and smile.
"Now, gentlemen," said he, "I find that this practical joke was notintended for me, and therefore look upon it as an unlucky accident; butI cannot too strongly express my dislike to practical jokes of allkinds. I have seen great evil, and some bloodshed, result frompractical jokes; and I think that, being a sufferer in consequence ofyour fondness for them, I have a right to beg that you will abstain fromsuch doings in future--at least from such jokes as involve risk to thosewho do not choose to enter into them."
Having given vent to this speech, Mr Rogan left his volatile friends todigest it at their leisure.
"Serves us right," said the skipper, pacing up and down the room in arepentant frame of mind, with his thumbs hooked into the arm-holes ofhis vest.
The doctor said nothing, but breathed hard and smoked vigorously.
While we admit most thoroughly with Mr Rogan that practical jokes areexceedingly bad, and productive frequently of far more evil than fun, wefeel it our duty, as a faithful delineator of manners, customs, andcharacter in these regions, to urge in palliation of the offencecommitted by the young gentlemen at York Fort, that they had reallyabout as few amusements and sources of excitement as fall to the lot ofany class of men. They were entirely dependent on their own unaidedexertions, during eight or nine months of the year, for amusement orrecreation of any kind. Their books were few in number, and soon readthrough. The desolate wilderness around afforded no incidents to formsubjects of conversation further than the events of a day's shooting,which, being nearly similar every day, soon lost all interest. Nonewspapers came to tell of the doings of the busy world from which theywere shut out, and nothing occurred to vary the dull routine of theirlife; so that it is not matter for wonder that they were driven to seekfor relaxation and excitement occasionally in most outrageous andunnatural ways, and to indulge now and then in the perpetration of apractical joke.
For some time after the rebuke administered by Mr Rogan, silencereigned in _Bachelor's Hall_, as the clerks' house was termed. But atlength symptoms of _ennui_ began to be displayed. The doctor yawned,and lay down on his bed to enjoy an American newspaper about twelvemonths old. Harry Somerville sat down to re-read a volume of Franklin'stravels in the polar regions, which he had perused twice already. MrHamilton busied himself in cleaning his fowling-piece; while the skipperconversed with Mr Wilson, who was engaged in his room in adjusting anivory head to a walking-stick. Mr Wilson was a jack-of-all-trades, whocould make shift, one way or other, to do _anything_. The accountantpaced the uncarpeted floor in deep contemplation.
At length he paused, and looked at Harry Somerville for some time.
"What say you to a walk through the woods to North River, Harry?"
"Ready," cried Harry, tossing down the book with a look ofcontempt--"ready for anything."
"Will _you_ come, Hamilton?" added the accountant. Hamilton looked upin surprise.
"You don't mean, surely, to take so long a walk in the dark, do you? Itis snowing, too, very heavily, and I think you said that North River wasfive miles off, did you not?"
"Of course I mean to walk in the dark," replied the accountant, "unlessyou can extemporise an artificial light for the occasion, or prevail onthe moon to come out for my special benefit. As to snowing, and a shorttramp of five miles, why, the sooner you get to think of such things as_trifles_ the better, if you hope to be fit for anything in thiscountry."
"I _don't_ think much of them," replied Hamilton, softly, and with aslight smile; "I only meant that such a walk was not very _attractive_so late in the evening."
"Attractive!" shouted Harry Somerville from his bedroom, where he wasequipping himself for the walk; "what can be more attractive than asharp run of ten miles through the woods on a cool night to visit yourtraps, with the prospect of a silver fox or a wolf at the end of it, andan extra sound sleep as the result? Come, man, don't be soft; getready, and go along with us."
"Besides," added the accountant, "I don't mean to come back to-night.To-morrow, you know, is a holiday, so we can camp out in the snow aftervisiting the traps, have our supper, and start early in the morning tosearch for ptarmigan."
"Well, I will go," said Hamilton, after this account of the pleasuresthat were to be expected; "I am exceedingly anxious to learn to shootbirds on the wing."
"Bless me! have you not learned that yet?" asked the doctor, in affectedsurprise, as he sauntered out of his bedroom to relight his pipe.
The various bedrooms in the clerks' house were ranged round the hall,having doors that opened directly into it, so that conversation carriedon in a loud voice was heard in all the rooms at once, and was notunfrequently sustained in elevated tones from different apartments, whenthe occupants were lounging, as they often did of an evening, in theirbeds.
"No," said Hamilton, in reply to the doctor's question, "I have notlearned yet, although there were a great many grouse in the part ofScotland where I was brought up. But my aunt, with whom I lived, was sofearful of my shooting either myself or some one else, and had such anaversion to firearms, that I determined to make her mind easy, bypromising that I would never use them so long as I remained under herroof."
"Quite right; very dutiful and proper," said the doctor, with a grave,patronising air.
"Perhaps you'll fall in with more _fox_ tracks of the same sort as theone you gave chase to this morning," shouted the skipper, from Wilson'sroom.
"Oh! there's hundreds of them out there," said the accountant; "so let'soff at once."
The trio now proceeded to equip themselves for the walk. Their costumeswere peculiar, and merit description. As they were similar in the chiefpoints, it will suffice to describe that of our friend Harry.
On his head he wore a fur cap made of otter-skin, with a flap on eachside to cover the ears, the frost being so intense in these climatesthat without some such protection they would inevitably freeze and falloff.
As the nose is constantly in use for the purposes of respiration, it isalways left uncovered to fight with the cold as it best can; but it is ahard battle, and there is no doubt that, if it were possible, a nasalcovering would be extremely pleasant. Indeed, several desperate efforts_have_ been made to construct some sort of nose-bag, but hithertowithout success, owing to the uncomfortable fact that the breath issuingfrom that organ immediately freezes, and converts the covering into abag of snow or ice, which is not agreeable. Round his neck Harry wounda thick shawl of such portentous dimensions that it entirely envelopedthe neck and lower part of the face; thus the entire head was, as itwere, eclipsed--the eyes, the nose, and the cheek-bones alone beingvisible. He then threw on a coat made of deer-skin, so prepared that itbore a slight resemblance to excessively coarse chamois leather. It wassomewhat in the form of a long, wide sur-tout, overlapping very much infront, and confined closely to the figure by means of a scarlet worstedbelt instead of buttons, and was ornamented round the foot by a numberof cuts, which produced a fringe of little tails. Being lined withthick flannel, this porti
on of attire was rather heavy, but extremelynecessary. A pair of blue cloth leggings having a loose flap on theoutside, were next drawn over the trousers, as an additional protectionto the knees. The feet, besides being portions of the body that arepeculiarly susceptible of cold, had further to contend against thechafing of the lines which attach them to the snow-shoes, so thatspecial care in their preparation for duty was necessary. First wereput on a pair of blanketing or duffel socks, which were merely oblong inform, without sewing or making-up of any kind. These were wrapped roundthe feet, which were next thrust into a pair of made-up socks, of thesame material, having ankle-pieces; above these were put _another_ pair,_without_ flaps for the ankles. Over all was drawn a pair of moccasinsmade of stout deer-skin, similar to that of the coat. Of course, theelegance of Harry's feet was entirely destroyed, and had he been met inthis guise by any of his friends in the "old country," they wouldinfallibly have come to the conclusion that he was afflicted with gout.Over his shoulders he slung a powder-horn and shot-pouch, the lattertastefully embroidered with dyed quill-work. A pair of deerskinmittens, having a little bag for the thumb and a large bag for thefingers, completed his costume.
While the three were making ready, with a running accompaniment ofgrunts and groans at refractory pieces of apparel, the night withoutbecame darker, and the snow fell thicker, so that when they issuedsuddenly out of their warm abode, and emerged into the sharp, frostyair, which blew the snow-drift into their eyes, they felt a momentarydesire to give up the project and return to their comfortable quarters.
"What a dismal-looking night it is!" said the accountant, as he led theway along the wooden platform towards the gate of the fort.
"Very!" replied Hamilton, with an involuntary shudder.
"Keep up your heart," said Harry, in a cheerful voice; "you've no notionhow your mind will change on that point when you have walked a mile orso and got into a comfortable heat. I must confess, however, that alittle moonshine would be an improvement," he added, on stumbling, forthe third time, off the platform into the deep snow.
"It is full moon just now," said the accountant, "and I think the cloudslook as if they would break soon. At any rate, I've been at North Riverso often that I believe I could walk out there blindfold."
As he spoke they passed the gate, and diverging to the right, proceeded,as well as the imperfect light permitted, along the footpath that led tothe forest.