BRINGING HOME THE DOGS--THE THIN ICE--METHOD OF CROSSING DANGEROUS
PLACES--THE DOGS' SUMMER HOME--THE RETURN TRIP--THE UNEXPECTED GOOSE
HUNT--THE SAUCY FOX--KINESASIS'S QUESTION, "WHY DO THE GEESE GO TO THE
SOUTH LAND?"
Long before daylight the next morning the lamps were brightly burning in
Sagasta-weekee. As it was fully twenty miles to the island where
Kinesasis had kept the dogs, and Mr Ross was anxious that they should
return home that night, it was absolutely necessary that every hour of
the daylight should be utilised. Thus it was that all were stirring
long before daybreak. A good warm breakfast was eaten and all final
preparations made.
As Kinesasis had brought back with him twelve dogs, they were thus able
to rig out three trains for the trip. Extra sleds and harness were
taken along, as well as food and blankets, in case any serious accident
or delay should happen to them. In such a land it is always best to be
prepared for any emergency.
The boys were very proud and happy in their new mooseskin costumes and
snow-white blankets, only relieved by the black stripes on the sleeves
and skirts. Kinesasis, who had been on the lookout, at length reported
the morning star, just visible as the harbinger of dawn. This was good
news, and so the start was soon made.
Mr Ross up to a late hour the previous evening had not thought of
going, but now, at the sight of the dogs and the preparations for the
journey, he seemed to catch the enthusiasm of the boys, as well as the
fire of earlier days, and resolved to accompany them. Three Indian dog-
drivers had been secured, while Kinesasis, old as he was, was proud to
act the part of guide for the whole party.
Sam shared a large cariole with Mr Ross, while Frank and Alec occupied
another. To each cariole was assigned a careful driver. The third
Indian made up his load of several dog-sleds piled on each other. All
were well-loaded with supplies. Kinesasis armed himself with a stout
pole about ten feet long, which he carried as an Alpine climber would
his alpenstock, although it weighed as much as a dozen of them. The
boys were surprised at seeing him thus encumber himself with a pole so
heavy. They were also perplexed, when it grew lighter, to see a similar
one tied on to the sled of the third driver. However, before the
journey was finished they saw the wisdom of his forethought.
At first some of the dogs seemed to resent the restraint of the harness,
and acted as though they would still have preferred the liberty which
had been theirs all through the summer months. Others, however, seemed
to be delighted to hear the music of the little open bells, with which
the collars of their harness were decorated, and joyously barked and
jumped about as though, in glad sport, they were dancing to the music
they themselves were making.
The trail selected at once led them out along Jack River, and then
southwest into Playgreen Lake. Kinesasis's alert eye was on the ice
continually. Now he was glancing at the long stretches before him, and
then quickly deciding the best route to follow. When this was selected
he seemed to critically examine every yard of the ice, over which, on
his moccasined feet, he so lightly and yet so rapidly glided. His
constant alertness was absolutely necessary; for while the ice was
apparently strong enough to be safe, yet when ice freezes up thus
rapidly air holes frequently abound, which may be so thinly coated over
that none but an experienced eye can detect them. They are very
treacherous, as the ice, which to any ordinary observer may appear safe,
may not be a quarter of an inch in thickness, and so the unfortunate
person stepping on one may suddenly drop out of sight.
The rate at which Kinesasis led the party was about five miles an hour.
To do this he kept up a swinging jog trot, and was ever on the alert for
danger. Mr Ross, whose cariole immediately followed the guide, well
knowing that there was a certain spice of danger associated with a trip
like this so soon after the ice had formed, also kept constantly on the
alert, as his long years in such kind of travelling made him almost
equal to an Indian in this respect. After travelling for ten miles they
reached a spot where one of the great currents of the mighty Nelson
River, from Lake Winnipeg, had kept the ice from forming as solidly as
where the water was not so rapid in motion. By its ominous bending and
cracking under him Kinesasis saw the danger and suddenly brought the
whole party to a halt. As the weakness in the ice apparently extended a
long way in each direction, it was evident that the party must get
across in some way or else return home. The latter idea was not for a
moment to be entertained, and so arrangements were at once made for
crossing the dangerous place. This novel plan was witnessed by the boys
with a great deal of interest. At first they wished to jump from the
warm fur robes in their carioles, but this Mr Ross would not hear of.
They could be of no service and would only get thoroughly chilled.
The crossing over the dangerous place was accomplished in the following
manner: Kinesasis first untied the other heavy pole from the dog-sled,
and then, advancing to the place where the weak ice began, he carefully
laid one of the poles on the poor ice, and using the other as a
ropewalker would his balancing pole, he carefully walked out on the one
on the ice. Then carefully placing the one in his hand down on the ice,
in a straight line before him, he stepped on it, and cautiously lifted
up the one over which he had just walked. Using this as he had handled
the other one, as a balancing pole, he thus went on and on, using his
poles alternately, until he reached the strong ice on the other side.
Then he returned in the same way and reported to Mr Ross his opinion,
which was that by doubling the under surface of the carioles they could
pass over in safety.
This was quickly done by taking the sleds, which the third Indian driver
had in charge, and securely lashing them to the sides of the carioles,
in such a way that the area of surface on the ice would be doubled, and
thus the pressure would be only half. As an extra precaution a long
rope was tied to the rear of each cariole. Then Kinesasis once more
crossed over with his poles to the firm ice. The dogs were put to the
gallop, and being urged by those behind, as well as by Kinesasis's well-
known voice in front, the dangerous place was passed in safety.
"Now I see," said Alec, "the solution of what was bothering me. I
wondered how Kinesasis was able to get along over the weak places in the
ice yesterday, but with those poles to help him it is now plain enough."
"It must require a great deal of practice to do it safely," said Frank.
And so in after days he found it out when he made the attempt himself,
and in trying to transfer himself from one to the other ignominiously
fell off, with such force that he broke through the thin ice.
Fortunately he had presence of mind enough to seize hold of one of the
poles, which was in such a position that each end rested on the unbroken
ice. His frightened shouts soon brought help, and he was quickly
rescued.
Nothing else occurred to cause delay on the route, and so before noon
the dogs, excited by the near approach to the spot where they had spent
their happy summer, sprang into a gallop and fairly flew over the good
ice that was found for the last few miles. Kinesasis and the Indian
drivers had all they could do to keep up with them.
With great delight did the boys spring out of their carioles, and then
and there declared that dog travelling was the most exhilarating of
sports and the very poetry of motion. Some time later they changed
their views. Immediately on their landing they were surrounded by a
crowd of dogs of all ages, and doglike they acted. The old fellows that
had done good work in other years and were now only kept for drawing
wood for the fires, or hay from the distant beaver meadows for the
cattle, were dignified and sedate, and yet manifested the greatest
affection for their old master, who was kind and gentle to all the
animals in his possession. This kindness was well repaid by the
intelligent obedience they all gave him. Eagerly the boys scanned the
young dogs, for from among them were to be selected the promised trains
which they were to call their own.
While the boys were discussing the dogs and indicating their
preferences, old Kinesasis had rekindled the fire in the large wigwam,
in which he had passed the summer, and, aided by the other Indians of
the party, busied himself in preparing the dinner out of the supplies
which had been brought along. Never did a dinner seem to taste better
than did that one in that leather tent to those boys, who had so enjoyed
the exhilarating twenty-mile trip.
After Mr Ross, Frank, Sam, and Alec had dined. Kinesasis and the
Indian dog-drivers soon had a hearty dinner, and then, after the
inevitable pipes, the work of preparation for the return trip speedily
began. It was the desire of all to reach home before dark. To
accomplish this would be no easy matter, as there were so many untrained
dogs. At first it was decided to harness up a number of these, as
harness had been brought for the purpose, but after some consultation
with Kinesasis about the thin ice Mr Ross decided against it, thus
leaving the young dogs to follow. Only the old dogs were harnessed.
This added a couple more trains to the party. The sleds of these were
loaded down with the tent, nets, and other things which had made up
Kinesasis's outfit during the summer.
At length everything was loaded up, and the return trip began. There
was some trouble in getting a number of the younger dogs to take to the
ice and keep up with the trains; numbers would persist in turning round
and hurrying back.
"We cannot blame them," Sam said afterward, and his Irish oratory burst
forth as he described what had been their happy condition. "Just
think," he said, "on that beautiful island in the pleasant springtime
they were born. There they have had a happy, careless puppyhood life.
There they have spent the pleasant summer time with plenty to eat and
nothing to do. On the sandy beaches and over the smooth rocks they have
gamboled together, and in the warm, rippling waters they have splashed
and battled. Now the cold weather has suddenly come and the snow has
covered their favourite romping grounds, and even their great bathing
places are hard with slippery ice."
There was, however, but little sentiment in the minds of Mr Ross and
the Indians. On the contrary, they were very much annoyed at the delay
the refractory young dogs were causing, and so had to adopt prompt
measures, or they well knew that the night would be upon them ere home
was reached. The younger puppies were packed in the carioles around our
travellers, and some of the more obstinate older ones were led by ropes
fastened to their collars and tied to the sleds, while the great
majority, coaxed by little pieces of meat occasionally dropped on the
ice, kept well up to the trains. Thus on they pushed until they reached
the rapid current in the lake where the thin ice had given them so much
trouble in the morning. Fortunately the additional hours of bitter cold
had so strengthened it that no serious difficulty was anticipated in
crossing over, even if the loads were much heavier.
But another event occurred, quite unexpected, indeed, and which, while
it did much to impede their progress, created a good deal of excitement
and interest. The first intimation of its coming was the sudden cry of
wild geese not very far away. Their "Honk! honk!" was very distinct,
and not only excited the boys, but also the dogs. The loose dogs, in
spite of all the calls of the Indians, at once dashed off in the
direction from which the loud calls were coming, while the sleigh dogs
were almost unmanageable. Prompt and quick were the men to act. The
excited dog-trains were bunched and tied together and left in charge of
a couple of Indians, while Mr Ross and the boys and a couple of Indians
went forward to investigate.
To the right, a couple of hundred yards away, was a rocky island, on one
side of which was a reedy marsh. From among the reeds and rushes the
loud calls of the geese were coming. Into these plunged the dogs, while
the men and boys climbed up on the rocks where they could overlook the
whole spot, which was only of a few acres in extent. The experienced
eyes of the Indians took in the whole situation at a glance. The young
geese had not been strong enough to fly away to the sunny South Land
when the call to go had come, and so the old geese had left them behind
to perish. And so now here they were, over twenty of them. A novel
goose hunt was organised, and, while the boys looked on, the Indians,
with the dogs' help, soon secured quite a number. Some of them were
easily killed, as they were securely frozen to the icy reeds. Others
rushed about in a vain attempt to escape, but they were so chilled by
the cold that they were easily captured. The sleds were piled up with
this additional load of geese, and the journey was resumed.
Later on in the evening the boys heard from Kinesasis more about those
young geese and why they were there. They also learned some truths from
nature that abode with them for many a day.
Without much difficulty the dangerous places in Playgreen Lake were
passed, and the return run down Jack River was begun. The loose young
dogs were pretty well wearied by the long trip and required some
coaxing, and even the occasional crack of the whip was necessary to urge
them to keep up. It is amazing what a latent amount of strength and
speed there is in a tired dog. Here was a striking example of it.
While the trains were jogging along, and the young dogs with tongues out
and tails down were wearily following after and looking as though they
were deeply bemoaning their lot, suddenly a splendid cross-fox sprang
out from the dense forest on one side of the river and deliberately
dashed across before the dogs on the frozen ice toward the other shore.
All evidence of weariness at once disappeared. With a hue and cry that
would have done credit to a first-class pack of hounds they were all
off, sleigh dogs as well as loose ones.
The ice was so slippery that it required quite an effort on the part of
the drivers of the carioles to control their dogs and get them in line.
If the truth must be told, the boys richly enjoyed the short burst of
speed and the exciting chase, which ended almost as soon as it began,
for Reynard was too much for the young dogs and soon reached the shelter
of the wooded shore.
The beautiful evening stars were shining in the western sky ere the
welcome lights in the windows of Sagasta-weekee were seen. A hearty
welcome was given to the returning party by Mrs Ross and the children.
All were anxious to hear about the first day's winter outing, and each
boy had to give his own version of the day's excitements and pleasures.
The commodious kennels were soon taken possession of by the tired dogs.
Indian servants had abundance of fish ready for them, and a watchful
oversight was kept upon them that the stronger ones should not rob the
weaker or younger ones, a trick, we are sorry to say, of which some dogs
are guilty.
After the hearty supper and prayers were over in the dining room, and
the younger children had retired to rest, Mr and Mrs Ross and the boys
went out into the capacious kitchen to hear old Kinesasis give his
version of the goose hunt. To please the old man, Mr Ross filled a
beautiful calumet and presented it to him as a gift in addition to his
wages, for his thoughtful care of the dogs while under his charge at the
island. For some minutes he smoked his new pipe in silence. Indians
are the least demonstrative people in the world, and Kinesasis was one
of them. He was never known to say "Thank you" in his life, and yet
none could be more grateful or pleased than he to have his faithful
services thus recognised. Mr Ross thoroughly understood him, and the
grateful look in his expressive eyes as he received the pipe from Mr
Ross's hand was all that was expected or that would be received.
Without one word of reference to the pipe, Kinesasis began about the
wild geese. Here is his story, which was a sort of monologue. He said:
"I have been much thinking about it, and I feel that it is my fault that
the young geese could not go south with the old ones when the call came
in the voice of the North Wind that it was time to go. I well remember
that last spring, when in the big boat I carried the dogs out to the
island, we saw some geese flying around that island where we caught the
young ones to-day. We could not get a shot at the old geese then, they
were so wary, but we pulled ashore, and there among the rushes we found
some nests full of eggs. Of course, we took the eggs and ate them. No
doubt those old geese when they returned, after we had gone, were very
angry at our taking the eggs, but they were not discouraged, and so they
went to work and filled up their nests with another setting of eggs and
hatched them out. But they had lost a full month of time, and there was
not enough warm weather left for these broods of young geese to grow
strong to rise up in the air when the call came to fly away to the South
Land."
For a few minutes he puffed away vigorously at his calumet, and then
continuing his story said: "Wild geese are strange things. I have hid
myself from them and watched them years ago, when they were more
plentiful and hatched their young at many places around our lakes and
rivers here. Then we had only bows and arrows, and so did not kill as
many as we do now. Their greatest enemies were the foxes, but no fox
would dare attack a goose on her nest or a brood of young ones if the
old gander were around. One blow of his powerful wing would kill any
fox. I have found dead foxes that have thus been killed."
Then, looking up, the old Indian said, in a voice that showed he was
deeply impressed by what he was uttering: "There was always some strange
mystery about their call to go south and their leaving. To-day they
would be acting as though they would be intending to stay with us all
the time. They were all very quiet and only busy in getting their food,
while the old ones were alert against their enemies, and would even risk
their lives to defend their young ones. Then to-morrow would come, and
there was such a change in them. They were all so excited and noisy;
their cries filled the air. The old ones would stretch their wings and
circle round and round in the air about their young ones and encourage
them to follow. Soon all of them would rise up and up, and, starting
away for the South Land, we would see them no more that year. And yet
not all, for sometimes there were late broods, like the one we found to-
day. They came too late to be strong enough to fly. They could not go,
and here is the mystery to me. Why was it that the parent geese, that
yesterday would risk their lives in fighting against wild animals to
save their young, would to-day, when the call came to go, leave their
young broods behind them to perish? They all did it. Never was an old
goose known to stay behind when the call came. That voice was louder
and stronger than was even the love for their offspring. Can any of you
tell old Kinesasis why it is so?"