HOME AMUSEMENTS AND STUDIES--HAPPY DAYS AT SAGASTA-WEEKEE--STORIES OF
THE EARLY HUNTERS--METHODS OF HUNTING BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF
FIREARMS--WOLVES MORE DREADED THEN--STORY OF TWO OF KINESASIS'S
CHILDREN--KILLED BY WOLVES--SHAKOONA'S SORROW--SAVED BY THE CARESSES OF
LITTLE CHILDREN.
Sagasta-Weekee was at all times a cozy, homelike place, but never did it
seem more inviting and comfortable than when blizzard storms roared
round it, or when fierce snowstorms seemed to make their mightiest
efforts to see if they could not bury it in their enormous drifts of
whitest snow. These terrific wintry gales sometimes made the house
tremble on its foundations, and occasionally so shook the building that
pictures hung on the wall would swing, and spoons in a tumbler on the
mantelpiece would perceptibly jingle. But, in spite of the war of the
elements outside, all was brightness and bliss within. There were
endless resources of innocent amusement or work for all. A splendid,
useful course of readings had been marked out for the boys, and Mr Ross
saw that this, as well as the books prescribed by their teachers at
home, were faithfully read and studied. Then the rest of the time was
devoted to recreation and work. A capital workshop, well supplied with
tools, including a complete turning lathe, as well as fine saws for
delicate fretwork, was always open to them, and in it many a pleasant
and useful hour was spent.
Frank excelled as the mechanical genius of the trio, and so generally to
him was assigned the work of making any difficult repairs needed on the
dog-sleds or harness, for it was a point of honour among the boys to
keep their own outfits in perfect condition themselves.
Sam excelled, as might have been expected from his nationality, as a
reader and reciter, and during the long evenings added much to the
profit and diversion of the household.
Alec had a sweet, well-cultivated voice for one so young, and
particularly excelled in singing the sweet songs and ballads of old
Scotland. Often amidst the hush of a still, quiet night, or even in the
lulls between the roar of the blizzard or tempest, might have been heard
the sweet notes of "Auld Lang Syne," "Annie Laurie," "Comin' Through the
Rye," "John Anderson, My Jo," and many others that brought up happy
memories of home, and touched for good all listening hearts. Another
source of interest to the boys was for Mr Ross to invite in some
intelligent old Indian, like Memotas, Big Tom, Mustagan, Kinesasis, or
Paulette, to tell some remarkable incident of his life, either as a
hunter or traveller. Then, as there were living at the village not far
away a number of Indians who had gone out with great Arctic adventurers
or explorers, and had been gone for years, some of them had very
remarkable stories to tell.
As Kinesasis had had charge of the dogs during the summer, and was still
much employed by Mr Ross on various jobs about the place, the boys
became very well acquainted with him. He was a thorough Indian in his
actions and modes of thought, and only saw things from his own stand-
point. He was very observant, and had been quietly studying these three
young "palefaces," whom his master, the Ookemou, Mr Ross, had brought
across the great sea. At first their active, demonstrative ways, so
different from the quiet and taciturn manners of young Indians, tried
him considerably. Yet he soon became accustomed to them. Then their
grit and courage and perseverance under difficulties soon won his
admiration. They had their mishaps, and, of course, in their endless
sports and adventures they had to take their share of knocks, but under
them all they were so good-natured and resourceful, as well as resolute
and fearless, that the old Indian talked much about them among his own
people, and said: "It was no wonder that the palefaces succeeded, if all
their boys were like these three." But what completely made him their
friend was Alec's terrible adventure with the wolves, and his signal
triumph over their instinct and cunning by his resourceful tact and
splendid endurance. Poor Kinesasis had reason to rejoice over every
victory obtained over these fierce northern wolves. Some years before
this they had during his absence broken into his wigwam and devoured two
of his children. Some time later Mr Ross told the story to the boys as
he had heard it from Kinesasis himself. It was as follows:
"It was long ago, before the white traders had sold many guns to the
Indians. Then the game was very much more plentiful than it is now in
the forests. The wild animals were then also very much tamer. The bows
and arrows of the hunters made but little noise in comparison with the
loud report of the gunpowder. The result was that the animals were much
more easily approached."
"Is it true, then," asked Sam, "that the young animals now, that have
not as yet heard the firing of a gun, are wilder than the young ones
were before gunpowder came into use?"
"Certainly," replied Mr Ross. "It is well-known by those who have
studied it that all wild animals, and even birds, very soon become
wilder and more alert and watchful after the introduction of gunpowder,
and, what is stranger, they seem to be able to impart to their progeny
this same spirit of fear and caution."
"I have often wondered," said Frank, "how it was that the Indians were
able to kill sufficient game to keep themselves alive before they began
to purchase gunpowder."
"What I have said in reply to Sam's question partly answers yours,"
answered Mr Ross. "When a boy I often talked with old hunters who for
many years hunted ere they fired a gun. They killed partridges with
clubs, or with a noose on the end of a pole, as some of them can do yet,
as has already been seen. Then they had no difficulty in crawling up to
within a few feet of the deer or beavers."
"What about the more savage animals, such as the bears and wolves?"
asked Alec.
"As regards the bears, as the hides of the old fellows were hard to
pierce with arrows sufficient to give a mortal wound, the Indians
depended mostly on the hand-to-hand conflict with the knife or tomahawk.
With the wolves it was different. Before the guns were introduced the
Indians dreaded the encounters with the wolves more than any other
animals. It is true that they feared the fire as much then as now, but
the Indians suffered from many disadvantages. Steel axes were but few,
and very expensive. Now, armed with guns, behind a good fire, hunters
are comparatively safe. Then, the wolves patiently waited until the
limited wood supply was exhausted, and then closed in for the final
struggle. It was then teeth against tomahawks, and the chances were
more in favour of the wolves than now. Solitary hunters or single
families caught by a pack were frequently overpowered and devoured.
Climbing up into the trees afforded a temporary respite, as wolves
cannot, like bears, there follow their victims. But the wolves were
persistent besiegers, and woe to the unfortunate hunter who was thus
treed by them unless help was near. For days they would keep watch, day
and night, until the unfortunate one, chilled and benumbed by the bitter
cold, fell into their midst and was speedily devoured. In those days
the wolves were much more numerous than they are now, and more
courageous in their attacks on the wigwams or even small settlements of
the Indians. When distempers cut off the rabbits, or the deer were
scarce, the wolves were very audacious in their attacks.
"It was one winter when the cold was terrible and the snow unusually
deep that the sad tragedy came to the wigwam of Kinesasis. The reindeer
had not come down from the barren plains as usual that winter, and the
other animals generally hunted by the wolves were few and far between.
Some of the Indian hunters had had some very narrow escapes, and the
result was that very seldom did anyone venture far alone into his
hunting grounds. Kinesasis was always a man of great courage and
strength. He laughed at the caution of the others, and boldly pushed on
to his distant hunting grounds whenever he saw a prospect of success.
His wigwam, in which he left Shakoona and the two little ones during his
absence, was made as warm and comfortable as such a habitation can be.
It was arranged with the best of birch bark, and around outside, up to
within a few feet of the top, Kinesasis piled the dry moss of that
country, which grows there so plentifully. He cut abundance of wood,
and left plenty of frozen meat and fish on the high staging outside.
The only drawback was that the wigwam was situated on the outskirts of
the village, close to the dark forest. Once a day, when the ice would
be cut by the men of the village, Shakoona would take her buckets, made
of the skin of the sturgeon, and go to the lake for her supply of water.
It did not take her very long to make the trip, and she loitered not on
the way, as she generally had to leave her two little ones alone.
However, as the little girl was eight years of age and her brother only
two years younger, the mother knew they were quite able to take care of
themselves under ordinary circumstances during her brief absence from
them.
"One day, however, when she returned she was horrified beyond all
expression to find that a couple of great wolves had noiselessly crawled
in from the forest, and were greedily devouring her children. With a
scream, but not with a faint, she threw one of the leather buckets of
water on the smouldering fire which burned on the ground in the centre
of the wigwam. Then she instantly seized an axe, which fortunately was
near the door by which she had entered. The clouds of steam which
filled the wigwam quite disconcerted the wolves. When she had entered
they had at once begun to growl more savagely, and seemed as though they
would spring at her. The clouds of hot steam at once stopped their
snarling, as well as their tearing at the bodies of the children, and,
before they could do any further injury, Shakoona with one blow cut
through the backbone of one, severing the spinal cord, thus rendering
him powerless to move. The other one sprang at her ere she could
disengage the axe for another blow. The wolf's object had been to catch
her by the throat, but she had quickly thrown up her arm as a guard, and
into it the cruel brute sank his great yellow fangs.
"Shakoona was in a terrible position now but her presence of mind did
not desert her, and so she quickly backed around the fire in such a way
that before the wolf realised his position his hind feet were in the
still red-hot embers of the fire. With a howl of pain he let go his
grip on her arm and made for the door, which was of mooseskin, and which
like a curtain had dropped back into place.
"In the meantime Shakoona's screams had been heard, and Indians from
other wigwams speedily rushed to her help. Little did they realise, as
they were coming, her sad bereavement. The first one to attempt to
enter was an Indian woman. Just as she was entering the wolf with
scorched feet was rushing out. The collision, as they met, knocked the
woman over, and so delayed the wolf for a second or two that the next
comer, who happened to be a stalwart hunter, was able to draw his
tomahawk, and with one strong blow drove the keen edge of his weapon
into the animal's brain. When these two Indians, and others who had
quickly joined them, had entered the wigwam they saw a terrible sight--
two children half devoured and a mother so overwhelmed with sorrow that
not a tear would come from those great sad eyes. Then there was the
wolf with severed spine, but still alive and looking more fiendish than
ever. Very soon was the savage brute dispatched and his body thrown out
of the wigwam.
"Loving hands quickly arranged and covered up what was left of the two
children, and efforts were made to comfort the poor mother in her
terrible sorrow. Swift runners were sent away to Kinesasis, to tell him
of his great loss and to bring him home, as many feared if his wife did
not soon begin to weep she would die. When Kinesasis heard the news he
too was nearly heart-broken, but when he reached his wigwam and beheld
Shakoona he crushed down his own sorrow to try and comfort her, who had,
on account of the way the great bereavement had come to her, suffered
much more than he. For days and days Shakoona was as one in a dream.
She was gentle as usual, but those great eyes, so sad and dry, seemed to
haunt all who visited her. All said she soon would die unless she got
relief. They tried many ways, but all in vain, until at length a kindly
Indian woman went out, and brought in the boys and girls, with whom her
little ones used to play. At first Shakoona seemed pained by their
presence, but as they looked into those sad eyes they began weeping,
and, childlike, they threw their arms around her and wept. Passively at
first she received these fondlings, but soon the children's caresses
broke down the barriers, and the hot tears began to flow; and the woman
was saved from death or insanity. But her hair turned white shortly
afterward, and she has ever since been that sad little woman that you
have seen her. Kinesasis has never been cruel to her, as, alas! too
many of the pagan Indian husbands are to their wives."