THE ISLAND IN MOOSE LAKE
The fact that their evening meal had consisted largely of trout did not
deter the boys from having the same kind of a breakfast, especially as
the "breakfast" was even then swimming in the lake and just asking to
be caught and eaten.
So, after a dip in the cool water, Injun again took the canoe from its
hiding-place and sent it out into the lake in the light of the early
morning. In a few moments, Whitey had a fine string of trout trailing
from the boat, and decided that one more would be sufficient. The "one
more," however, proved to be a Tartar, and such was the fight that he
put up that, in the excitement, the canoe was over-turned and both
boys were dumped into the water. This made no particular difference
to them, and they were inclined to regard the matter as a joke, until
suddenly Injun said, "Where him rifle?" Whitey remembered that the
rifle had been in the canoe, and must now be posing at the bottom of
the lake! Indeed, so clear was the water, that it could be seen resting
on the bottom, some twenty-five feet below.
"That's a pretty good dive," said Whitey, "more than twenty feet, I
should say, though it looks much less. Do you think we can make it?"
Injun's answer was to duck under the water and force himself down with
powerful strokes; but although he went down a long way, he could not
come within many feet of it. Every motion that he made could be clearly
seen, and Whitey watched him with considerable anxiety. At last he was
forced to return to the surface. Then Whitey went down, but he fared
no better; and after two or three more attempts, the boys came to the
conclusion that it would be impossible to recover the rifle in that
way.
"I have a scheme!" said Whitey. "We'll mark the spot carefully, then
swim ashore with the boat, right it and come back and fish for it with
a hook and line."
This sounded all right in theory, but although they "fished" for more
than half an hour, they did nothing more than move the rifle, as it
seemed impossible to get it hooked securely. It looked pretty dubious,
and the boys relaxed their efforts for a time and sat in the canoe
thinking.
"I've read somewhere of a trick the pearl-divers have," said Whitey,
"and it is at least worth trying. Paddle back to the shore, Injun."
Injun sent the canoe to the rocky shore with a few strokes of his
paddle, and Whitey landed. He selected a large, heavy stone and placed
it in the canoe, and Injun paddled back over the gun. Whitey let
himself over the side of the canoe and Injun handed him the stone.
Whitey took a long breath, and holding the stone in his arms, went
straight down to the gun. Seizing it, he let go his hold of the stone,
and rose rapidly to the top, but heard a terrific ringing in his ears,
and his heart beating like a trip-hammer. His chest seemed caving in
and he was completely exhausted and hardly able to hang onto the canoe.
Injun took the rifle, and paddled back to the shore; and for several
minutes, Whitey lay upon the bank until he had recovered his breath.
Injun saw that he was coming around all right, and then he carefully
wiped and cleaned the rifle.
"Pearl-diving may be all right, for those that like it; but I never saw
a pearl I'd go down that far after!" said Whitey, as he rose to his
feet, a little unsteady at first, and made his way to the cabin.
Injun cooked the breakfast, and Whitey was as good as ever, under the
influence of trout, bacon, and coffee, and eager to carry out the plans
they had made for the day.
There was a large island at the other end of the lake that Injun said
abounded in berries and various water-fowl; and as either of these
would make a welcome addition to the menu, besides gratifying a taste
for exploration, the boys determined to visit it.
Whitey tried his hand at paddling; and, under Injun's tutelage, he
quickly got "the hang of it"--at least, so that he could keep the canoe
in a fairly straight line. But to be able to send it swiftly through
the water without a sound and scarcely a ripple, requires long practice.
After paddling for a couple of miles, it was evident, however, that it
would take about all day for them to arrive at the island, if Whitey
continued to furnish the motive power, and laughingly suggested that
he was perfectly willing to let Injun do the paddling and suggested
that they change seats. He rose in the canoe to effect this, but Injun
vetoed this emphatically. He reached for the paddle, which Whitey
handed to him, and Injun simply turned the canoe around, and thus sat
in the stern, the canoe being shaped similarly at both ends. Whitey
smiled: "There are more ways than one of skinning a cat!" he remarked,
chagrined at having failed to notice such a simple and evident thing.
"I guess, Injun," he said, "I'm a good deal like the man who cut two
holes in the barn door--a big one for the big cat, and a little one for
the little cat! He and I would make a good team of managers!"
Under the powerful and skillful strokes of Injun's paddle--Whitey took
the other paddle and tried to help, but finally put it away as he felt
that he wasn't of a great deal of assistance--the canoe soon scraped
on the gravelly beach of the island. Injun lifted the canoe out of the
water and placed it high and dry on the bank; and, taking their rifles,
the boys struck out into the dense woods that covered the island.