CHAPTER NINETEEN.
SHOWS HOW THE ACCOUNTANT AND HARRY SET THEIR TRAPS AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
The moon was still up, and the sky less overcast, when our amateurtrappers quitted the encampment, and descending to the mouth of thelittle brook, took their way over North River in the direction of theaccountant's traps. Being somewhat fatigued both in mind and body bythe unusual exertions of the night, neither of them spoke for some time,but continued to walk in silence, contemplatively gazing at their longshadows.
"Did you ever trap a fox, Harry?" said the accountant at length.
"Yes; I used to set traps at Red River. But the foxes there are notnumerous, and are so closely watched by the dogs that they have becomesuspicious. I caught but few."
"Then you know how to _set_ a trap?"
"Oh yes; I've set both steel and snow traps often. You've heard of oldLabonte, who used to carry one of the winter packets from Red Riveruntil within a few years back?"
"Yes, I've heard of him; his name is in my ledger--at least if you meanPierre Labonte, who came down last fall with the brigade."
"The same. Well, he was a great friend of mine. His little cabin layabout two miles from Fort Garry, and after work was over in the office Iused to go down to sit and chat with him by the fire; and many a time Ihave sat up half the night listening to him as he recounted hisadventures. The old man never tired of relating them, and of smokingtwist tobacco. Among other things, he set my mind upon trapping, bygiving me an account of an expedition he made, when quite a youth, tothe Rocky Mountains; so I got him to go into the woods and teach me howto set traps and snares, and I flatter myself he found me an apt pupil."
"Humph!" ejaculated the accountant; "I have no doubt you do _flatter_yourself. But here we are. The traps are just beyond that mound; solook out, and don't stick your feet into them."
"Hist!" exclaimed Harry, laying his hand suddenly on his companion'sarm. "Do you see _that_?" pointing towards the place where the trapswere said to be.
"You have sharp eyes, younker. I _do_ see it, now that you point itout. It's a fox, and caught, too, as I'm a scrivener."
"You're in luck to-night," exclaimed Harry eagerly. "It's a _silver_fox. I see the white tip on its tail."
"Nonsense," cried the accountant, hastening forward; "but we'll soonsettle the point."
Harry proved to be right. On reaching the spot they found a beautifulblack fox, caught by the fore leg in a steel trap, and gazing at themwith a look of terror.
The skin of the silver fox--so called from a slight sprinkling of purewhite hairs covering its otherwise jet-black body--is the most valuablefur obtained by the fur-traders, and fetches an enormous price in theBritish market, so much as thirty pounds sterling being frequentlyobtained for a single skin. The foxes vary in colour from jet black,which is the most valuable, to a light silvery hue, and are hailed asgreat prizes by the Indians and trappers when they are so fortunate asto catch them. They are not numerous, however, and being exceedinglywary and suspicious, are difficult to catch. It may be supposed,therefore, that our friend the accountant ran to secure his prize withsome eagerness.
"Now, then, my beauty, don't shrink," he said, as the poor fox backed athis approach as far as the chain, which fastened the trap to a log ofwood, would permit, and then, standing at bay, showed a formidable rowof teeth. That grin was its last; another moment, and the handle of theaccountant's axe stretched it lifeless on the snow.
"Isn't it a beauty!" cried he, surveying the animal with a look oftriumphant pleasure; and then feeling as if he had compromised hisdignity a little by betraying so much glee, he added, "But come now,Harry; we must see to the other traps. It's getting late."
The others were soon visited; but no more foxes were caught. However,the accountant set them both off to see that all was right; and thenre-adjusting one himself, told Harry to set the other, in order to clearhimself of the charge of boasting.
Harry, nothing loath, went down on his knees to do so.
The steel trap used for catching foxes is of exactly the same form asthe ordinary rat-trap, with this difference, that it has two springsinstead of one, is considerably larger, and has no teeth, as theselatter would only tend to spoil the skin. Owing to the strength of thesprings, a pretty strong effort is required to set the trap, and clumsyfellows frequently catch the tails of their coats or the ends of theirbelts, and not unfrequently the ends of their fingers, in their awkwardattempts. Having set it without any of the above untoward accidentsoccurring, Harry placed it gently on a hole which he had previouslyscraped--placing it in such a manner that the jaws and plate, ortrigger, were a hairbreadth below the level of the snow. After this hespread over it a very thin sheet of paper, observing as he did so thathay or grass was preferable; but as there was none at hand, paper woulddo. Over this he sprinkled snow very lightly, until every vestige ofthe trap was concealed from view, and the whole was made quite levelwith the surrounding plain, so that even the accountant himself, afterhe had once removed his eyes from it, could not tell where it lay. Somechips of a frozen ptarmigan were then scattered around the spot, and apiece of wood left to mark its whereabouts. The bait is alwaysscattered _round_ and not _on_ the trap, as the fox, in running from onepiece to another, is almost certain to set his foot on it, and so getcaught by the leg; whereas, were the bait placed _upon_ the trap, thefox would be apt to get caught, while in the act of eating, by thesnout, which, being wedge-like in form, is easily dragged out of itsgripe.
"Now, then, what say you to going farther out on the river, and making asnow trap for white foxes?" said the accountant. "We shall still havetime to do so before the moon sets."
"Agreed," cried Harry. "Come along."
Without further parley they left the spot and stretched out towards thesea.
The snow on the river was quite hard on its surface, so that snow-shoesbeing unnecessary, they carried them over their shoulders, and advancedmuch more rapidly. It is true that their road was a good deal broken,and jagged pieces of ice protruded their sharp corners so as to render alittle attention necessary in walking; but one or two severe bumps ontheir toes made our friends sensitively alive to these minor dangers ofthe way.
"There goes a pack of them!" exclaimed Harry, as a troop of white foxesscampered past, gambolling as they went, and coming suddenly to a haltat a short distance, wheeled about and sat down on their haunches,apparently resolved to have a good look at the strangers who dared toventure into their wild domain.
"Oh, they are the most stupid brutes alive," said the accountant, as heregarded the pack with a look of contempt. "I've seen one of them sitdown and look at me while I set a trap right before his eyes; and I hadnot got a hundred yards from the spot when a yell informed me that thegentleman's curiosity had led him to put his foot right into it."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Harry. "I had no idea that they were so tame.Certainly no other kind of fox would do that."
"No, that's certain. But these fellows have done it to me again andagain. I shouldn't wonder if we got one to-night in the very same way.I'm sure, by the look of these rascals, that they would do anything of areckless, stupid nature just now."
"Had we not better make our trap here, then? There is a point, notfifty yards off, with trees on it large enough for our purpose."
"Yes; it will do very well here. Now, then, to work. Go to the wood,Harry, and fetch a log or two, while I cut out the slabs." So saying,the accountant drew the axe which he always carried in his belt; andwhile Harry entered the wood and began to hew off the branch of a tree,he proceeded, as he had said, to "cut out the slabs." With the point ofhis knife he first of all marked out an oblong in the snow, then cutdown three or four inches with the axe, and putting the handle under thecut, after the manner of a lever, detached a thick, solid slab of aboutthree inches thick, which, although not so hard as ice, was quite hardenough for the purpose for which it was intended. He then cut twosimilar slabs and a smaller one, the same in thi
ckness and breadth, butonly half the length. Having accomplished this, he raised himself torest a little, and observed that Harry approached, staggering under aload of wood, and that the foxes were still sitting on their haunches,gazing at him with a look of deep interest.
"If I only had my gun here!" thought he. But not having it, he merelyshook his fist at them, stooped down again, and resumed his work. WithHarry's assistance the slabs were placed in such a way as to form a sortof box or house, having one end of it open. This was further plasteredwith soft snow at the joinings, and banked up in such a way that noanimal could break into it easily--at least such an attempt would be sodifficult as to make an entrance into the interior by the open side muchmore probable. When this was finished, they took the logs that Harryhad cut and carried with so much difficulty from the wood, and began tolop off the smaller branches and twigs. One large log was placed acrossthe opening of the trap, while the others were piled on one end of it soas to press it down with their weight. Three small pieces of stick werenow prepared--two of them being about half a foot long, and the otherabout a foot. On the long piece of stick the breast of a ptarmigan wasfixed as a bait, and two notches cut, the one at the end of it, theother about four or five inches further down. All was now ready to setthe trap.
"Raise the log now while I place the trigger," said Harry, kneeling downin front of the door; while the accountant, as directed, lifted up thelog on which the others lay so as to allow his companion to introducethe bait-stick, in such a manner as to support it, while the slightestpull on the bait would set the stick with the notches free, and thuspermit the log to fall on the back of the fox, whose effort to reach thebait would necessarily place him under it.
While Harry was thus engaged, the accountant stood up and looked towardsthe foxes. They had approached so near in their curiosity that he wasinduced to throw his axe frantically at the foremost of the pack. Thisset them galloping off, but they soon halted, and sat down as before.
"What aggravating brutes they are, to be sure!" said Harry, with alaugh, as his companion returned with the hatchet.
"Humph! yes, but we'll be upsides with them yet. Come along into thewood, and I wager that in ten minutes we shall have one."
They immediately hurried towards the wood, but had not walked fiftypaces when they were startled by a loud yell behind them.
"Dear me!" exclaimed the accountant, while he and Harry turned roundwith a start. "It cannot surely be possible that they have gone inalready." A loud howl followed the remark, and the whole pack fled overthe plain like snow-drift, and disappeared.
"Ah, that's a pity! something must have scared them to make them takewing like that. However, we'll get one to-morrow for certain; so comealong, lad, let us make for the camp."
"Not so fast," replied the other: "if you hadn't pored over the bigledger till you were blind, you would see that there is _one_ prisoneralready."
This proved to be the case. On returning to the spot they found anarctic fox in his last gasp, lying flat on the snow, with the heavy logacross his back, which seemed to be broken. A slight tap on the snoutwith the accountant's deadly axe-handle completed his destruction.
"We're in luck to-night," cried Harry, as he kneeled again to reset thetrap. "But, after all, these white brutes are worth very little; Ifancy a hundred of their skins would not be worth the black one you gotfirst."
"Be quick, Harry; the moon is almost down, and poor Hamilton will thinkthat the polar bears have got hold of us."
"All right! Now, then, step out;" and glancing once more at the trap tosee that all was properly arranged, the two friends once more turnedtheir faces homewards, and travelled over the snow with rapid strides.
The moon had just set, leaving the desolate scene in deep gloom, so thatthey could scarcely find their way to the forest; and when they did atlast reach its shelter, the night became so intensely dark that they hadalmost to grope their way, and would certainly have lost it altogetherwere it not for the accountant's thorough knowledge of the locality. Toadd to their discomfort, as they stumbled on snow began to fall, and erelong a pretty steady breeze of wind drove it sharply in their faces.However, this mattered but little, as they penetrated deeper in amongthe trees, which proved a complete shelter both from wind and snow. Anhour's march brought them to the mouth of the brook, although half thattime would have been sufficient had it been daylight, and a few minuteslater they had the satisfaction of hearing Hamilton's voice hailing themas they pushed aside the bushes and sprang into the cheerful light oftheir encampment.
"Hurrah!" shouted Harry, as he leaped into the space before the fire,and flung the two foxes at Hamilton's feet. "What do you think of_that_, old fellow? How are the heels? Rather sore, eh? Now for thekettle. `Polly, put the kettle on; we'll all have--' My eye! where'sthe kettle, Hamilton? have you eaten it?"
"If you compose yourself a little, Harry, and look at the fire, you'llsee it boiling there."
"Man, what a chap you are for making unnecessary speeches! Couldn't youtell me to look at the fire, without the preliminary piece of advice to_compose_ myself! Besides, you talk nonsense, for I'm composed already,of blood, bones, flesh, sinews, fat, and--"
"Humbug!" interrupted the accountant. "Lend a hand to get supper, youyoung goose!"
"And so," continued Harry, not noticing the interruption, "I cannot beexpected, nor is it necessary, to _compose_ myself over again. But tobe serious," he added, "it was very kind and considerate of you, Hammy,to put on the kettle, when your heels were in a manner uppermost."
"Oh, it was nothing at all; my heels are much better, thank you, and itkept me from wearying."
"Poor fellow!" said the accountant, while he busied himself in preparingtheir evening meal, "you must be quite ravenous by this time--at least_I_ am, which is the same thing."
Supper was soon ready. It consisted of a large kettle of tea, a lump ofpemmican, a handful of broken biscuit, and three ptarmigan,--all ofwhich were produced from the small wooden box which the accountant waswont to call his camp-larder. The ptarmigan had been shot two weeksbefore, and carefully laid up for future use; the intense frost being asufficient guarantee for their preservation for many months, had thatbeen desired.
It would have done you good, reader (supposing you to be possessed ofsympathetic feelings), to have witnessed those three nor'-westersenjoying their supper in the snowy camp. The fire had been replenishedwith logs, till it roared and crackled again, as if it were endued witha vicious spirit, and wished to set the very snow in flames. The wallsshone like alabaster studded with diamonds, while the green boughsoverhead and the stems around were of a deep red colour in the light ofthe fierce blaze. The tea-kettle hissed, fumed, and boiled over intothe fire. A mass of pemmican simmered in the lid in front of it. Threepannikins of tea reposed on the green branches, their refreshingcontents sending up little clouds of steam, while the ptarmigan, nowsplit up, skewered, and roasted, were being heartily devoured by ourthree hungry friends.
The pleasures that fall to the lot of man are transient. Doubtless theyare numerous and oft recurring; still they are transient, and so--suppercame to an end.
"Now for a pipe," said the accountant, disposing his limbs at fulllength on a green blanket. "O thou precious weed, what should we dowithout thee!"
"Smoke _tea_, to be sure," answered Harry.
"Ah! true, it _is_ possible to exist on a pipe of tea-leaves for a time,but _only_ for a time. I tried it myself once, in desperation, when Iran short of tobacco on a journey, and found it execrable, but betterthan nothing."
"Pity we can't join you in that," remarked Harry.
"True; but perhaps since you cannot pipe, it might prove an agreeablediversification to dance."
"Thank you, I'd rather not," said Harry; "and as for Hamilton, I'mconvinced that _his_ mind is made up on the subject.--How go the heelsnow?"
"Thank you, pretty well," he replied, reclining his head on the pinebranches, and extending his smitten mem
bers towards the fire. "I thinkthey will be quite well in the morning."
"It is a curious thing," remarked the accountant, in a soliloquisingtone, "that _soft_ fellows _never_ smoke!"
"I beg your pardon," said Harry, "I've often seen hot loaves smoke, andthey're soft enough fellows, in all conscience!"
"Ah!" sighed the accountant, "that reminds me of poor Peterkin, who was_so_ soft that he went by the name of `Butter.' Did you ever hear ofwhat he did the summer before last with an Indian's head?"
"No, never; what was it?"
"I'll tell you the story," replied the accountant, drawing a fewvigorous whiffs of smoke, to prevent his pipe going out while he spoke.
As the story in question, however, depicts a new phase of society in thewoods, it deserves a chapter to itself.