A BREAK IN THE CHAIN.
About the middle of the afternoon Cuthbert's eye caught a situation on
the shore that seemed to appeal particularly to him as a place where he
would like to spend a night in camp.
He was subject to these little freaks, and hated to pass an ideal
camping spot after a certain hour of the day; indeed, Eli could recall
many experiences along this order.
Nor was the Virginia lad loth to explain the reason wherefore.
It seemed that in cruising down some river in the States on a certain
winter, with a single companion, he was playing Scullion to the Cook of
his more experienced comrade; and consequently what the other said
generally went.
The Cook was of a most ambitious disposition, and desirous of making
just as much time each day as though their lives depended on reaching a
certain city in the Southland by a settled date--and yet they had the
whole winter before them, with time to kill.
Many a time and oft, as Cuthbert reminiscently remarked, they had come
upon a delightful looking spot for a camp an hour or less before dark,
and he found the inclination strong within him to go ashore, rest up,
get the tent pitched, and be ready for a night's campaign before the
curtains were drawn shut.
But that sort of thing did not fit in with what the boss of the
expedition considered proper; and consequently they must utilize the
hour of daylight that remained in pushing forward.
As a result, when darkness actually compelled their going ashore they
frequently had to put up with mean accommodations and suffer for hours.
The lessons that are brought home to us by bitter experience are the
ones that remain the longest; and Cuthbert had never forgotten the
bitterness of spirit that haunted him on that cruise.
He had learned his lesson thoroughly, and two things stood out above all
others as the right and proper course for an intelligent cruiser to
do--never pass a fine site for a camp when the afternoon sun was more
than half way down its course; and upon starting out in the morning
always manage to get a good breakfast, as there could be no telling when
another meal would come along.
Eli was willing to go ashore, as usual, and Owen made no comment.
So the boats were drawn up on the shingle, and the little party
disembarked.
Cuthbert had made no mistake about the location, for it was a charming
spot, and the view out on the river absolutely unique; since with little
effort one could see both up and down for a long distance.
And others had in times gone by utilized this same ground as a stopping
place; for there was to be seen a fireplace made of stone in just the
proper spot, where the prevailing wind would fan the blaze as the meal
cooked.
In camping there are scores of little wrinkles which come perfectly
natural to the experienced hand, but are totally unknown to the novice;
the only way to learn is to ask questions just as boldly as though
claiming Missouri for one's native State.
Cuthbert had one particularly favorite dish, which every now and then he
insisted upon foisting upon his comrades; and from the way Eli's eyes
glistened whenever he saw the Virginia canoeist starting to make
preparations looking toward this compound it might be surmised that the
infliction was not unbearable and could be endured about every day in
the week.
He called it the Homeric kabab, and claimed that it had been handed down
from the days of the old Grecian writer and philosopher; which, if true,
proved that Homer knew a delicious thing when he tasted it.
It surely was a thing to conjure with.
Having made ready a glowing bed of coals, he set up two notched sticks
at either end, and across this hung a strong withe of willow or some
other wood, strung with inch pieces of meat, whether lamb, beef, venison
or rabbit it mattered not, since the state of the larder must decide
that matter; but it was of the utmost importance that alternating with
each bit of meat there should come a strip of eggplant or onion, or
both, if so fortunate as to have them.
This withe was to be kept turning, spit-fashion, until its weight of
provender was deliciously browned and sending forth an aroma that would
make the mouth of a wood nymph water. After that all that was needed was
to give thanks and partake.
When Owen has his first taste of this favorite canoeist's dish his eyes
told of the keenest enjoyment.
Plain fare had been his portion most of his life, and it was a question
of quantity more than quality with his folks; appetite made up for a
lack of delicacies, and doubtless with that as a background even common
corn pone may assume the properties of a Delmonico planked steak.
Eli had seemed to be as hungry as usual when they landed; but having
finished his task of erecting the tent he had picked up Cuthbert's
splendid repeating Marlin and said something about taking a little
stroll, with a hope that perchance he might sight game worthy of a shot.
Cuthbert had made no remark, for he knew that it was a weakness on the
part of his comrade to get off now and then with that gun, just for the
sake of handling it, and feeling for a short period that he owned the
whole world.
It afforded the Virginia lad great pleasure to know that he had it in
his power to bring joy to honest Eli's heart; and while he valued the
gun, even its loss would not have caused a single cloud to cross his
brow.
He was gifted with a splendid nature, and never so happy as when
conferring pleasure upon some one else.
By the time supper was all ready Cuthbert remembered that the boy from
Michigan had not yet turned up.
"Do you remember having heard a shot some time back?" he asked Owen.
"Yes, but it was pretty far away, further than Eli could have gone, I
think; though now that you speak of it the report did come from up the
wind, and that was the direction he took on starting out. Are you
anxious about him?" replied the other, turning around from the job that
had been occupying his attention, and which was connected with placing
hemlock browse under the blanket he meant to use when the time to lie
down arrived, as well as alongside the sleeping bags of his two
companions.
"Why, no, I don't think there's any reason for that. Eli had been
accustomed to roaming the woods all his life, for he was brought up in
the lumber camps; and it would be funny if he went and lost himself up
here, where the forest is so open. I was just thinking how fond he is of
my pet dish, and what a disappointment it would be to him if you and I
developed such ferocious appetites as to lick the platter clean before
he showed up. But I reckon there's plenty all around, and we'll try and
keep his share warm. Pull up here on this log, Owen, and try that
platter. The coffee is ready too, ditto the hard-tack."
And with keen appetites the two certainly did ample justice to the meal.
By hard-tack Cuthbert really meant the regular ship biscuit used on all
sailing vessels along the seashore and the lakes--there are two brands;
one a bit more tasty than the other, and this is supposed to be for the
officers' mess; but in a pinch both fill the bill admirably, as myriads
of canoeists are willing to testify with upraised hand.
When supper had been finished, and both lads were ready to cry out
enough, it was dark.
And still no Eli.
Even then Cuthbert did not worry, for he had the utmost confidence in
the woodsman qualities of his stocky chum, and could not believe that
anything serious had happened to him.
Perhaps he had wandered far afield, and chancing upon a deer a mile or
more from camp had secured his venison; under such conditions it would
require some time to cut the animal up, and then "tote" what he wanted
of the meat over the intervening territory.
Nevertheless, he looked around at every sound as if hoping to see Eli
stalking into camp, with a proud look on his homely phiz, and a burden
of fresh meat upon his shoulder.
Now it was a playful and venturesome 'coon that prowled around in the
vicinity of the camp, hoping to pick up some titbits from the supper of
the strange bipeds who periodically occupied this favorite site; then
again it might be a mink come up from the river to investigate what all
this illumination meant; but as the minutes passed Eli remained only
conspicuous by his absence.
Owen had occupied himself in rubbing up several steel traps which the
boys had brought along, thinking they might prove useful in some way;
but which, having been neglected, were inclined to be very rusty.
This was a familiar thing in the hands of the Canadian lad, for many a
time in the days long gone by he 'tended a line of traps in the country
where fur grows longest and best, and mink, otter, muskrat, fisher,
marten, skunk and even raccoon and opossum skins bring a good price.
Cuthbert never lost an opportunity to acquire information, when he could
obtain it at first hand, and hence as they sat beside the fire, watching
the rosy flames dance and play at tag, he put many more questions to the
backwoods boy concerning the secrets of the profession, and learned
various new things that up to this time he had never dreamed existed.
So it is that in knocking about one may discover how limited a
vocabulary has been their portion; and observation with a traveler means
a widening of the horizon that broadens the mind.
Owen was free to explain the numerous methods of capturing the wary wild
animals of his native land; and it gave him the keenest pleasure to
satisfy this desire for knowledge on the part of the new chum who had
been so good to him.
He told of the astonishing care that was needed in order to circumvent
the wise and sharp-scented mink; how the traps were so arranged, as
Cuthbert had seen, that the animal upon being caught would jump into the
water, where the weight of the trap would drown the captive; otherwise
the little fellow in desperation might gnaw his foot off and escape, to
be a cripple the rest of his days, like the one whose foot they had
handled that morning; what bait was used to attract him to the vicinity
of the trap, for an artificial scent has been found marvellously
effective in arousing the mating instinct of the animal and causing him
to venture in places which otherwise he might avoid--all these and many
other things did Owen talk about as he handled the rusty traps; and
Cuthbert sat there entranced, drinking in the mysterious knowledge that
trappers have learned through succeeding generations, and handed down to
their successors.
So the time passed, and yet there was no sign of Eli.
Cuthbert finally sat up straight, and a look of growing concern could be
seen upon his fine manly face as he said:
"There's no use talking, my boy, I'm really afraid something has
happened to Eli Perkins. He couldn't get lost if he tried, and the fact
that he's not here makes me think he's tumbled into trouble with a big
T. Now, the question is what can we do about it?"