WINTER SHELTER AND HARD WORK
“Paul,” said Dan, after the half-breed cook who brought them the tea
had returned to his preparation of supper, “you’re wonderful brave.
I’m thinkin’ now you would have hit th’ master if I hadn’t been
interferin’.”
“I’m afraid I would, and then he’d have pitched us both out,” admitted
Paul. “It wasn’t because I was brave, though, but I was mad all
through when he called us thieves. Think of it!”
“’T were brave o’ you. I’m thinkin’ you’d fight anything if ’t were
called for. But when we gets on th’ ice pan, first off, I were
misjudgin’ you; you seemed scared and I were thinkin’ you timid.
You’re a rare lot braver ’n me.”
“No, I’m not, Dan.”
“Yes you is. See th’ way you fit th’ lynx, an’ killed un, too. An’
th’ way you stands up t’ that man is sure wonderful.”
“I had to fight the lynx; it made me. And that man’s a big coward.
What do you suppose he’s going to do with us? Turn us out in the snow
to starve or freeze to death? I feel as though I’d like to punch him
now!” And Paul clenched his fists. “Called us thieves! Why, Dan, I
never had any reason to steal, and you wouldn’t take a pin that didn’t
belong to you.”
“Neither of us would steal, an’ I’m thinkin’ he knows un well enough.”
“What shall we do if he turns us out?”
“’Tis hard t’ say. I’m thinkin’ we’ll be goin’ back in th’ bush, an’
stop t’ hunt when we finds a good place.”
The wind had risen to a tempest, and it shrieked and howled around the
building now in a way that made the boys appreciate the snug warmth of
the shelter, and led Dan to remark:
“We needs clothes. We’ll be sure freezin’ t’ death without un, an’ th’
cold weather comin’ on.”
Somewhere outside a bell clanged several strokes. Presently the door
opened, and three men, shaking snow from their caps and stamping it
from their feet, entered.
“’Tis a wild nicht,” said one, a big, grizzly bearded fellow, after
they had formally greeted Paul and Dan. “Ye arrived just in time,
laddies. Are ye up from York Factory?”
“No,” answered Paul, “we came from the north.”
“And how, now, could that be? The ship’s away this lang time.”
Paul explained briefly how they had gone adrift, and their subsequent
adventures, up to the time of meeting Factor MacTavish.
“My name,” he added, “is Paul Densmore, and my friend is Dan Rudd.”
“I’m glad t’ meet ye lads. My name is Tammas Ferguson, and this is
Sam’l Hogart, and this Amos Tupper,” introducing his companions.
During this conversation and ceremony the men were washing and
preparing for supper, and as they sat down Amos invited:
“Set in to the tyble, and ’ave a bite to heat.”
“Thank you, we’ve eaten,” answered Paul.
“Coom, laddies, and have a bite mair,” urged Tammas. “’T will do ye no
harm this cowld nicht.”
Chuck, the half-breed cook, at this juncture placed a plate piled high
with bread upon the table, and this offered a temptation too great to
resist. They were longing for bread above all things in the world, and
with a “Thank you” they took the seats assigned them without further
objection.
“Ye’ll be bidin’ wi’ us the winter, and ye must no be backward,”
encouraged Tammas.
They were not in the least backward. They ate a great deal of Chuck’s
indifferent, soggy bread, sopped in black molasses, and thought it
delicious, and each drank at least three cups of strong tea.
“And did ye see the master?” asked Tammas when supper was over and all
were seated about the hot stove.
“Yes,” answered Paul, “and he told us we could stay only tonight.”
“Did he say that now?”
“’E needs men. ’E’s short’anded, and ’e needs more men,” broke in
Amos. “Tomorrow ’e’ll be hengaging you.”
“There’s no doot o’ that. So don’t worry, lads, aboot the morrow,”
encouraged Tammas.
The men filled their pipes with tobacco cut from black plugs, and
chatted with each other and the boys, whom they drew hospitably into
their group. Dan played several airs upon his harmonica, to their
great delight, and Paul described the wonders of New York, which Amos
always endeavored to discount with descriptions of what he considered
the greater wonders of London.
When bedtime finally came, Tammas stepped out of doors for “a look at
the weather.”
“’Tis an awfu’ nicht,” he announced upon his return. “’Tis fortunate
you lads made post as ye did. Ye’d ha’ perished in the cowld and snow
of this nicht.”
Paul and Dan spread their blankets on the floor, and very thankful
they were for the shelter. Outside the wind howled dismally, and
dashed the snow against the windows.
Morning brought no abatement of the storm. If possible the snow fell
more thickly and the wind blew more fiercely. The office building, ten
yards from the door of the men’s house, could scarcely be made out,
and the boys rejoiced anew at their safety.
Breakfast was eaten by lamplight. Tammas insisted that the lads join
in the meal, and when the bell clanged to call the men to work, he
admonished:
“If the master is hard, and says ye canna’ remain, coom to me at the
smithy. I’ll ne’er be seein’ ye turned out in this awfu’ storm, an’
neither will Sam’l or Amos. If there’s no ither way, we’ll pay for
your keep.”
“Aye, that we will,” assented both Amos and Samuel.
“Thank you,” said Paul. “If you do, my father will pay you back.”
“The master’s apt to be ’ard, but stand up to ’im. ’E likes men with
grit to stand up and face ’im,” advised Amos, as the three went out to
their work.
“Well, those are men with hearts, and true friends, and even if they
are rough looking, they’re gentlemen,” remarked Paul, as the door
closed.
“’T ain’t clothes or money as makes a man,” said Dan. “Dad says ’tis
th’ heart under th’ shirt.”
They dreaded the meeting with David MacTavish, the factor, and for
half an hour they hesitated to face the ordeal.
“But they ain’t no use puttin’ un off,” suggested Dan, finally, after
they had discussed at some length the probable outcome of the coming
interview. “What we has t’ do, we has t’ do, an’ th’ sooner ’tis done
th’ sooner ’tis over. An’ you knows wonderful well, Paul, how t’ talk
t’ he.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” declared Paul, working up his courage. “Let’s
go now and see if he’s in the office.”
Factor MacTavish was in his office, busy with accounts, when they
entered, but for full ten minutes he ignored their presence. Finally
looking up he said, in a much pleasanter tone than that of the
previous evening:
“Come here, boys.”
They stepped up to his desk.
“How did you pass the night?” he asked.
“Very comfortably, thank you,” answered Paul.
“I’ve been thinking about you fellows, and I’ve decided to let you
remain at the post and work for your living. We’re shorthanded, and
it’s mighty lucky for you that we are, for we can’t keep hangers-on
and idlers around here. You--what is your name?”
“Paul Densmore.”
“You go over to the blacksmith’s shop, and help Thomas Ferguson, and
do whatever he wants you to do. And you other fellow, what’s your
name?”
“Dan’l Rudd, sir.”
“You can help Amos Tupper in the cooper shop.”
“Yes, sir.”
“When they haven’t anything for you to do, there’s plenty of wood to
saw and split, and enough to keep you busy. Now get out.”
Then Paul and Dan turned to go.
“Hold on! You’ll stay in the men’s house with the others. Are those
the only clothes you have?”
“All except some underclothes,” answered Paul.
“Well, they’ll not be enough for winter. James,” to the chief clerk,
“have adikeys made for these fellows, and some duffel socks and
deerskin moccasins, and a pair of mittens for each. Now if you fellows
prove yourselves useful you can stay here for the winter, and if you
don’t I’ll kick you both out of the post. You may go.”
It was an effort for Paul to restrain himself from making a defiant
reply, but he realized in time that this might get them into trouble.
He felt incensed that his word had not been taken, when he promised
that his father would pay his own and Dan’s expenses. He was on the
whole very glad, however, that even this arrangement had been made,
for the storm had brought him a realization of the fruitlessness of
any attempt to live in the open with their insufficient equipment,
together with the uncertainty of killing sufficient game to sustain
them.
And so Paul Densmore, the only son of a king of finance, a youth who
would one day be a multi-millionaire in his own right, was glad
enough to earn his living as a common laborer.