X
ON CARIBOU LAKE
From sundown until daybreak, the ki-yi-ing and the beating of thestick-kettle on the shore desecrated the stillness of the night withscarcely any intermission. Shortly after daybreak, the wind havinggone down, Hooliam sent word to Garth that he would like to start.
They were ready in a few minutes. At the sight of Charley's bundlewith the others, Hooliam scowled and muttered in Cree.
"Says he can't take me," said Charley.
Garth flushed angrily. "This was all it needed," he burst out. "Whatreason does he give?"
"No reason," said Charley coolly. "Just talks foolish."
Hooliam added something with a great show of plausibility.
"Says he hasn't got room," said Charley with a laugh.
"Rubbish!" said Garth. "You tell him he takes the three of us or none!Give it to him strong!"
Upon receipt of this ultimatum, Hooliam, shrugging, turned away; and thethree of them boarded the _Loseis_.
Running out two pairs of clumsy sweeps, which were no more thangood-sized trees a little flattened at one end, they laboriously pulledout of the river. Before them the lake stretched to the horizon assmooth and colourless as a lightly frosted pane. Loons, herons anda little kind of gull; ducks in pairs and squadrons; flocks of browngeese and shining white swans, wheeled, sailed and swam about themin countless numbers.
When they had rowed upward of a mile into the lake a mighty discussionsuddenly arose amongst the crew. The oarsmen ceased their labours totake part in it. Eight wetted brown forefingers were held aloft.
"They're scrapping about whether there is any wind," Charley explained.
To a white man's senses there was no sign of wind; nevertheless theoars were run in, the cargo shifted, and the heavy mast, with infinitelabour, stepped amidships and guyed. Hooliam looked on indifferentlyfrom the stern, idly swinging his great sweep back and forth. Finallya dirty square sail was raised. It declined to belly or flap in theslightest degree; but the breeds, satisfied with what they had done, layaround the boat, preparing to enjoy themselves in luxurious ease. Theyamused themselves by tempting the water-fowl close with imitations oftheir cries; and popping at them ineffectively with their twenty-two"trade-guns."
Garth stood it as long as he could.
"Look here!" he said at length to Charley. "Ask him how long this isgoing to last."
Charley translated. Hooliam looked sagely astern, spat, and answered inCree.
"He says there'll be a breeze by and by," said Charley.
The scarcely veiled insolence of this reply caused Garth inwardly tofume. However, reflecting that, after all, Hooliam ought to know moreabout navigation than he, he possessed his soul in patience for anotherhalf-hour. There was still no sign of wind; and it was growing very hotin the sun. Garth, setting his jaw, drew out his watch.
"Tell him I'll give him just fifteen minutes longer," he said quietly."If we're not under way by that time, there's going to be trouble."
Hooliam received the message with apparent indifference. Garth held hiswatch in his hand. Three minutes before the expiration of the time, hehad Charley convey a final warning to the breed. Hooliam suddenly becamevoluble and expostulatory.
"He says the boys won't work when there's a breeze coming up," saidCharley.
"You tell him, then, that I will take command of this boat, and run hermyself," said Garth.
At the last moment the orders were hastily given. The mast wasreluctantly taken down, and hung over the side; the cargo was shiftedback, and the sweeps run out. The breeds rowed half-heartedly, withfurtive scowls for the _moon-i-yas_ who made them work.
After a couple of hours during which they covered a scant three miles,a breeze _did_ spring up from astern; whereupon the whole businessof raising the mast was gone through with again. Little by little itfreshened, and the _Loseis_ began to forge ahead, making a pleasantlittle murmur under her forefoot. The hearts of the three passengersrose in unison.
But they had not sailed two miles more, when the exasperated Garthdiscovered that Hooliam was slyly edging his craft inside a point of theshore. At first the breed unblushingly denied any intention of stopping;but when it became apparent that he could not round the point withouthauling down the sail, he coolly admitted that he was going to land.
"What for?" Garth demanded.
"They're going ashore to spell--to cook and eat," Charley explained."Hooliam says there is no other place to land in fifteen miles."
Garth was obliged to be content.
With the characteristic prodigality of the breeds, an enormous firewas built on the shore, over which their tea was furiously boiled in aniron pail, and their dried moose meat stewed a little less tough thanmoccasins. At a little distance the three passengers made their ownpreparations for lunch.
Natalie, serenely trusting in Garth, put aside all anxiety about theoutcome of their journey; and was frankly interested and amused.
"Mercy!" she exclaimed. "They'll all die of tannic poisoning! And lookwhat they eat! The bacon is as green as arsenic!"
She proved to be using her eyes and ears to good advantage on the way.
"The tall boy," she said, "the one that looks like an actor; he's thehumourist of the party. He keeps them in fits of laughter by giving_moon-i-yas_ imitations. He mimics us to our very faces. Their idea ofus is too funny! The good-looking little one is his inseparable friend;they hold hands when they're not working. The one with the whitey-blueeyes is called by a very blasphemous name. I watched him turning overthe pages of some stove catalogues that dropped out of a crate, with_such_ a serious air. And they were all exactly alike, but he didn'tknow it, because he held some of them upside down! What do you supposehe made of a picture of a self-feeder standing on its head?"
To Garth it seemed as if they took an interminable time to prepare andeat their simple meal; and afterward there could no longer be any doubt,from the way they loafed about, that they were soldiering, as a resultof Hooliam's low-voiced encouragement. They grinned with childishimpudence at the scowling _moon-i-yas_. At last Hooliam produced apack of cards and a game of "jack-pot" was started on the shore.This constituted frank defiance; and Garth took instant action.
"Put up those cards!" he commanded.
The boys laughed and looked at Hooliam.
"Get on board the boat," Garth ordered, through Charley.
Hooliam's eyes bolted; but he made no move. With the sheer perversityof a child or a savage, he insisted there was no wind, even while theripples were washing the stones at his feet.
Garth, thoroughly exasperated, picked up his rifle. His eyes glinteddangerously. "There's something behind this nonsense!" he cried. "AndI'm going to stop it! You let him understand that if he opposes me anyfurther I have eleven cartridges in the magazine of this rifle, and Iwould think as little of bringing him down as that wavy up there!"
A wild swan, most difficult of marks, was sailing high overhead. Garth,as he spoke, took aim and fired; and the great bird dropped like aplummet in the shallow water off shore.
Loud exclamations of admiration broke from the boys. Three of themdashed enthusiastically into the water to contend for the honour ofbringing back the prize. Garth builded better than he knew. The boyswhile scarcely understanding the threat, were instantly impressed withthe successful shot; and with it Garth established himself once andfor all in their eyes. They instinctively began to carry the thingson board as he had ordered; and in the end the scowling Hooliam wasobliged to follow them on board, or be left behind.
As they were getting under way again, Garth observed Hooliam busy withthe sail. When it was hoisted, it appeared he had taken a reef in it.
"Shake it out!" Garth commanded.
Hooliam shrugged and protested.
"He says the mast is not strong," Charley translated. "This heavy windwill carry it away," he says.
"Just now he said there was no wind," Garth said. "Let her go; and ifanything breaks we'll mend it."
Hooli
am in a long harangue, demanded to know through Charley, if Garthwould pay for the damage.
For answer Garth merely picked up his rifle; and the reef was let out ina hurry.
In all this there was something more than mere savage perversity;Hooliam, it was clear, had an urgent private reason for wishing to delaythe journey. He had not sufficient command of his features to hide hischagrin at the failure of his several attempts. He sulked all afternoon.Garth sat with his weapon across his knees; and his steady gaze neverwandered far from the steersman. Willy-nilly, Hooliam was compelled tohold the _Loseis_ to her course; and by four o'clock, the wind holdinglight and steady, they had covered about thirty miles of their journey.
About this time the mast of another boat was discovered sticking abovethe bank of a creek on shore. The usual excited discussion arose--thistime as to the identity of the craft. Finally the _Loseis's_ prow wasturned toward the shore. Garth demanded an explanation. Hooliam, moreobsequious now, said that it was Phillippe's boat on the way out; and hehad messages to deliver him from their common employers at the Landing.Garth suspected another excuse; but he was very reluctant to interferewith the real business of the North; and since it was almost time tospell for another meal, he decided to make no objections.
With true half-breed impetuosity they chose the worst place in miles onwhich to beach the _Loseis_. Her forefoot was run on a bar fully twohundred yards off shore; and communications were carried on by means oflaborious wading, waist-deep, to and fro. The moment she touched, theentire crew and the skipper, dropping everything, dashed pell mell forthe beach and across the intervening sand to the camp of the otherboatmen on the shore of the creek. The passengers ferried themselvesashore in the _Flat-iron_, which had been stowed, much against Hooliam'swill, on board the _Loseis_.
After supper, as time passed and there was no sign of the returningcrew, Garth sent Charley after Hooliam with a peremptory message.Hooliam returned, cap in hand, his whole attitude changed. He expresseda willingness to start immediately; but deprecatingly pointed out thata storm threatened; and apologized for the unseaworthy condition of the_Loseis_. This time he had reason on his side; for angry clouds wereheaped about the setting sun; and the orb itself was peering luridlybetween parted curtains of crimson rain. Garth, still suspecting him,was yet taken at a disadvantage. He thought of Natalie on board theshelterless _Loseis_ in a rainstorm; and finally announced his wishto remain where they were for the night. Hooliam smirked demurely,in ill-concealed satisfaction.
All returned to the _Loseis_ for what was needed during the night. Thepreparations to secure the York boat against the threatening storm werehighly characteristic of her hit-or-miss crew. A stake was driven in thesand of the lake bottom, at either side the stern, and the rudder-postlashed between. This flimsy apparatus was designed to keep the boatfrom being driven broadside on the bar. The practical Garth frownedimpatiently at its utter insufficiency; but the breeds could scarcelycontain their impatience to resume their gambling with the other crew;and presently they dashed off, leaving the _Loseis_ to her fate.
Garth pitched his camp under the shelter of a line of willows, markingthe edge of higher ground along the wide waste of sand. The two crewswith their ceaseless tom-tom on the shore of the creek, were upward ofhalf a mile away. Natalie was made comfortable in her tent; and Garthand Charley, collecting a pile of firewood, covered it with a tarpaulin,against the coming rain. Charley, who had slept during the afternoon,was to watch until two o'clock; and Garth, covering himself with apiece of sail-cloth, lay down at the door of the tent.
It seemed to him he had no more than fallen asleep, when Charley shookhis shoulder to awaken him.
"It's one o'clock," the boy said. "I think something has happened in thecamp over there. They quieted down; but now they have started up again,and have built up their fire. Looks to me as if somebody had arrived.Thought I'd better wake you, while I sneaked over and took a look."
Charley was gone more than an hour. Returning, as soon as he had enteredthe circle of the firelight, Garth saw by his face that somethingimportant was in the wind.
"I was right," the boy said. "Nick Grylls has come. He arrived in acanoe with a breed; and sent him back. Nick and Hooliam went outside thecamp, and talked by themselves. I listened from behind a willow bush.Nick Grylls knows a lot more Cree than I do, and I couldn't understandeverything; but I got the gist of it. Nick was giving Hooliam hell allaround--first for making him paddle all night--it seems Hooliam oughtto have waited for him at that point where we spelled this morning--andthen for bringing me. That was the sorest touch; for Nick knows Iunderstand Cree. He said it upset all his plans."
"It was a mighty good thing for Natalie and me, that we had you to-day!"Garth put in.
The boy blushed with pleasure.
"Go on," Garth said.
"Grylls was pretty mum about these plans of his," Charley continued. "Iguess he only lets Hooliam know part. I caught just a word or two. Onething was clear; you are his mark. I made out there was to have been arow at the point, and you were to have been put out of business, so youcouldn't keep on with this journey. Then Nick was to happen along as ifby accident; you were to be sent to the half-breeds at Swan river tobe taken care of, and Nick was going to do the friendly act, and helpNatalie on her way. I bet she never would have got there! In some wayNick has learned all about Natalie; for he seems to know where she'sgoing; and what for. Anyway, you put his scheme to the bad by winningover the boys; and he is hot.
"He acted queer, too," Charley went on. "The first thing he askedwas, if Natalie was well; and his voice sounded crying-like. Say,he's changed altogether from the hearty old sport, that used to travelthrough the country like a lord, handing out cigars. He's losingflesh. I think he's a bit touched."
When the boy finished, Garth took a turn, breathing deeply; and finallyreturning to the fire, sought that trusty counsellor, his pipe. "I'mglad he's turned up," he said coolly. "This is more like fighting in theopen. And thanks to you, I'm well warned."
He smoked a while in silence. "I suspect I'll have my work cut out forme to-morrow," he resumed reflectively. Presently he gripped Charley'sshoulder, and searched the boy's face. "I'll be damn thankful to haveyou along, old fellow," he said. "But I don't think I have any rightto let you in for this. This man is very powerful in the country; andhe can spoil all your chances. You had better go back with Phillippe.Neither Natalie nor I would ever blame you."
The boy turned away his head. "I--I can't talk about it," he faltered."If you go on that way you'll have me crying like a girl! You could talkall night, and it wouldn't do any good! What do you think I am? I'm notgoing to miss the fun!"
Garth laughed. "Turn in," he said briefly. "You'll need all the sleepyou can get."