It was now April, and for some days Malachi and John had been very busy,
assisted by the Strawberry; for the time had come for tapping the
maple-trees, to make the maple-sugar, and Mrs Campbell had expressed a
wish that she could be so supplied with an article of such general
consumption, and which they could not obtain but by the _bateaux_ which
went to Montreal. In the evening, when Malachi and John were, as usual,
employed in cutting small trays out of the soft wood of the balsam-fir,
and of which they had already prepared a large quantity, Mrs Campbell
asked Malachi how the sugar was procured.
"Very easily, ma'am; we tap the trees."
"Yes, so you said before; but how do you do it? Explain the whole
affair to me."
"Why, ma'am, we pick out the maple-trees which are about a foot wide at
the bottom of the trunk, as they yield most sugar. We then bore a hole
in the trunk of the tree, about two feet above the ground, and into that
hole we put a hollow reed, just the same as you would put a spigot in a
cask. The liquor runs out into one of these trays that we have been
digging out."
"Well, and then what do you do?"
"We collect all the liquor every morning till we have enough to fill the
coppers, and then we boil it down."
"What coppers will you use, then?"
"There are two large coppers in the store-room, not yet put up, which
will answer our purpose very well, ma'am. They hold about a hogshead
each. We shall take them into the woods with us, and pour the liquor
into them, and boil them down as soon as they are ready. You must come
and see us on the boiling-day, and we can have a frolic in the woods."
"With all my heart," replied Mrs Campbell. "How much liquor do you get
from one tree?"
"A matter of two or three gallons," replied Malachi; "sometimes more and
sometimes less. After we have tapped the trees and set our trays, we
shall have nothing more to do for a fortnight. The Strawberry can
attend to them all, and will let us know when she is ready."
"Do you tap the trees every year?"
"Yes, ma'am, and a good tree will bear it for fifteen or twenty years;
but it kills them at last."
"So I should suppose, for you take away so much of the sap of the tree."
"Exactly, ma'am; but there's no want of sugar-maples in these woods."
"You promised us some honey, Malachi," said Emma, "but we have not seen
it yet. Can you get us some?"
"We had no time to get it last autumn, miss, but we will try this autumn
what we can do. When John and I are out in the woods, we shall very
probably find a honey-tree, without going very far. I did intend to
have looked out for some, if you had not mentioned it."
"I know one," said Martin; "I marked it a fortnight ago, but I quite
forgot all about it. Since the mill has been in hand, I have had little
time for anything else. The fact is, we have all plenty to do just
now."
"That we certainly have," replied Henry, laughing; "I wish I could see
the end of my work in the barn; I doubt if I shall be able to get out
with my rifle this winter."
"No, sir, you must leave the woods to John and me," replied Malachi.
"Never mind, you shan't want for venison. Do you require the sledge
to-morrow, Mr Alfred?"
Malachi referred to a small sledge which they had made in the winter,
and which was now very useful, as they could, with one horse, transport
things from place to place. It was used by Alfred for bringing down to
the store-house the sacks of flour as fast as they were ground in the
mill.
"I can do without it for a day. What do you want it for?"
"To bring all the honey home," said Emma, laughing.
"No, miss, to take the coppers out into the woods," replied Malachi,
"that they may be ready for the liquor. As soon as we have tapped the
trees we will look for the honey."
"Did you send your skins down to Montreal by the _bateaux_?" inquired
Mr Campbell.
"Yes, father," replied Alfred; "Mr Emmerson took charge of them, and
promised to deliver them to the agent; but we have not so many this year
as we had last. John has the largest package of all of us."
"Yes, he beats me this year," said Malachi; "he always contrives to get
the first shot. I knew that I should make a hunter of the boy. He
might go out by himself now, and do just as well as I do."
The next morning Malachi went out into the woods, taking with him the
coppers and all the trays on the sledge; during that day he was busy
boring the trees and fitting the reed-pipes to the holes. Strawberry
and John accompanied him, and by sunset their work was complete.
The next morning, when they went out, only Malachi and John took their
axes with them, for John could use his very well for so young a lad.
They first went to the tree which Martin had discovered; he had given a
description where to find it. They cut it down, but did not attempt to
take the honey till the night, when they lighted a fire, and drove away
the bees by throwing leaves on it, and making a great smoke; they then
opened the tree, and gained about two pails full of honey, which they
brought in just as the family were about to go to bed. When they went
out the next morning they found a bear very busy at the remains of the
comb, but the animal made off before they could get a shot at him.
Every morning the Strawberry collected all the sap which had run out of
the trees, and poured it into the coppers which had been fixed up by
Malachi, ready for a fire to be lighted under them. They continued
their search and found three more hives of bees, which they marked and
allowed to remain till later in the season, when they could take them at
their leisure. In a fortnight they had collected sufficient liquor from
the trees to fill both the coppers to the brim, besides several pails.
The fires were therefore lighted under the coppers, and due notice given
to Mrs Campbell and the girls that the next day they must go out into
the woods and see the operation, as the liquor would, towards the
afternoon, be turned into the coolers, which were some of the large
washing-tubs then in use, and which had been thoroughly cleansed for the
purpose.
As this was to be a holiday in the woods, they prepared a cold dinner in
a large basket, and gave it in charge of Henry. Mr Campbell joined the
party, and they all set off to the spot, which was about two miles
distant. On their arrival, they examined the trees and the trays into
which the juice first ran, the boilers in which the liquor was now
simmering over the fire, and asked questions of Malachi, so that they
might, if necessary, be able to make the sugar themselves; after which
the first cooler was filled with the boiling liquor, that they might see
how the sugar crystallised as the liquor became cold. They then sat
down under a large tree and dined. The tree was at some distance from
the boilers, as there was no shade in the open spot where Malachi had
placed them, and the afternoon was passed very agreeably in listening to
Malachi's and Martin's stories of their adventures in the woods. While
they were still at dinner, Oscar and the other dogs which had
accompanied them, had strayed to about a hundred yards distant, and were
soon very busy scraping and barking at a large hole.
"What are the dogs after?" said Alfred.
"Just what the Strawberry wants, and told me to get for her," replied
Malachi; "we will dig him out to-morrow."
"What is it, Strawberry?" said Mary.
The Strawberry pointed to her mocassins, and then put her finger on the
porcupine-quills with which they were embroidered.
"I don't know the English name," said she, softly.
"A porcupine you mean," said Mary; "the animal those quills come from."
"Yes," replied the Strawberry.
"Is there a porcupine there, Malachi?" said Mrs Campbell.
"Yes, ma'am, that is certain; the dogs know that well enough, or they
would not make such a noise. If you like, we will go for the shovels
and dig him out."
"Do, pray; I should like to see him caught," said Emma; "it shall be our
evening's amusement."
Martin got up, and went for the shovels; during his absence, the dinner
was cleared away, and the articles replaced in the basket; they then all
adjourned to where the dogs were still barking and scratching.
It was more than an hour before they could dig out the animal, and when,
at last, it burst away from the hole, they could not help laughing as
they witnessed the way in which one or two of the dogs were pricked with
the quills of the animal, who needed no other defence; the dogs ran
back, pawed their noses, and then went on again. Oscar was too knowing
to attack it in that way; he attempted to turn it over, so that he might
get at its stomach, when he would soon have killed it, but Martin
dispatched the poor beast with a blow on the nose, and the dogs then
rushed in upon it. They amused themselves selecting all the best of the
quills for the Strawberry, and then they went back again to the coolers,
to see the sugar which had been made.
As they neared the spot, Emma cried out, "There is a bear at the cooler;
look at him."
Malachi and John had their rifles ready immediately. Mrs Campbell and
Mary were much alarmed, as the animal was not one hundred yards from
them.
"Do not be afraid, ma'am," said Malachi; "the animal is only after the
sugar. He likes sugar just as well as honey."
"I don't doubt but he's the same beast that you saw at the honeycomb the
other day," said Martin. "Let us stay where we are, and watch him. We
may lose a few pounds of sugar, but I expect he will make you laugh."
"I really see nothing laughable in such a terrific brute," said Mrs
Campbell.
"You are quite safe, ma'am," said Martin, "Malachi and Mr John have
both their rifles."
"Well, then, I will trust to them," said Mrs Campbell; "but I should
prefer being at home, nevertheless. What a great brute it is."
"Yes, ma'am; it is a very large animal, that's certain; but they are not
very fat at this time of the year. See how he's smelling at the liquor,
now he's licking the top of it with his tongue: He won't be satisfied
with that, now that he has once tasted it. I told you so."
The eyes of the whole party, some frightened and some not, were now
fixed upon the bear, who, approving of what he had tasted as a sample,
now proceeded to help himself more liberally.
He therefore placed his paw down into the contents of the cooler, but,
although the surface of the liquor was cool, the lower part was still
scalding hot, and he had not put his paw in for a moment, when he
withdrew it with a loud roar, rearing up and sitting upon his hind legs,
and throwing his burnt paw in the air.
"I said so," observed Malachi, chuckling; "he has found it hotter than
he expected."
John, Alfred, and Martin burst out laughing at the sight; and even Mrs
Campbell and the two girls could not help being amused.
"He'll try it again," said Martin.
"Yes, that he will," replied Malachi. "John, be all ready with your
rifle, for the brute has seen us."
"Why, he won't come this way, will he?" exclaimed Mrs Campbell.
"Yes, ma'am, that he most likely will when he is angry; but you need not
fear."
"But I'm afraid, Malachi," said Mary.
"Then perhaps you had better go about fifty yards back with Mr
Campbell, where you will see the whole without danger. There he goes to
it again; I knew he would."
Martin, who had got all the dogs collected together and fast by a piece
of deer's-hide, as soon as they had discovered the bear, went back with
Mr and Mrs Campbell and the girls.
"You need have no fear, ma'am," said Martin; "the rifles won't miss
their mark, and, if they did, I have the dogs to let loose upon him; and
I think Oscar, with the help of the others, would master him. Down--
silence, Oscar--down, dogs, down. Look at the Strawberry, ma'am, she's
not afraid, she's laughing like a silver bell."
During this interval the bear again applied to the cooler, and burnt
himself as before; and this time, being more angry, he now gave another
roar, and, as if considering that the joke had been played upon him by
the party who were looking on, he made directly for them at a quick run.
"Now, John," said Malachi, "get your bead well on him, right between his
eyes."
John kneeled down in front of Malachi, who had his rifle all ready.
Much to the horror of Mrs Campbell, John permitted the bear to come
within twenty yards of him. He then fired, and the animal fell dead
without a struggle.
"A good shot, and well put in," said Malachi, going up to the bear.
"Let the dogs loose, Martin, that they may worry the carcase; it will do
them good."
Martin did so; the dogs were permitted to pull and tear at the dead
animal for a few minutes, and then taken off; in the mean time, Mr
Campbell and the ladies had come up to where the animal lay.
"Well, ma'am, isn't John a cool shoot?" said Malachi. "Could the oldest
hunter have done better?"
"My dear John, you quite frightened me," said Mrs Campbell; "why did
you allow the beast to come so near to you?"
"Because I wanted to kill him dead, and not wound him," replied John.
"To be sure," replied Malachi; "to wound a bear is worse than leaving
him alone."
"Well, Malachi, you certainly have made a hunter of John," said Mr
Campbell. "I could not have supposed such courage and presence of mind
in one so young."
John was very much praised, as he deserved to be, by the whole party;
and then Malachi said, "The skin belongs to John, that of course."
"Is the bear good eating now?" said Mrs Campbell.
"Not very, ma'am," replied Malachi, "for he has consumed all his fat
during the winter; but we will cut off the legs for hams, and when they
are salted and smoked with the other meat, you will acknowledge that a
bear's ham is, at all events, a dish that anyone may say is good. Come,
John, where's your knife? Martin, give us a hand here, while Mr
Campbell and the ladies go home."