DEEP IN THE WILDERNESS WE FIND OUR HOME WHICH IS SHARED WITH THE WILD
BEAST, THE WILD BIRD, AND THE SAVAGE.
Availing myself now of that wonderful power which we possess of
projecting the mind instantaneously through space and time, I will leave
our adventurous fur-traders, and, conveying my reader still deeper into
the heart of the great wilderness, set him down on the margin of one of
those lesser sheets of water which lie some distance in a south-westerly
direction from that mighty fresh-water ocean called Athabasca.
This lake, although small when compared with the vast reservoirs which
stud those northern wilds, is, nevertheless, of goodly dimensions, being
about six miles in diameter, and studded here and there with numerous
islets, some of which are almost bare rocks of a few yards in extent,
while others are not less than a quarter of a mile in circumference, and
thickly wooded to the edge.
It is a somewhat peculiar lake. It does not lie, as many lakes do, in
the bottom of a valley, from which the spectator lifts his eye to
surrounding heights, but rests in a little hollow on a height of land,
from many points of which the eye looks down on the surrounding low
country. It is true, that in one direction, westward, a line of distant
blue hills is seen, which are obviously higher than our lake, for the
land rises gently towards them; but when you ascend a wooded knoll close
by, the summit of which is free from underwood, it is seen at a glance
that on all other sides the land is below you, and your eye takes in at
one grand sweep all round the compass a view of woodland and plain,
mound and morass, lake, river, and rivulet, such as is probably
unequalled--certainly unsurpassed--in any other part of the known world.
Solitude profound--as far as men and their works are concerned--marked
this lovely region at the time of our arrival, though there was the most
telling evidence of exuberant animal life everywhere, to the ear as well
as to the eye; for the air was vocal with the plaintive cries and
whistling wings of wild-fowl which sported about in blissful enjoyment
of their existence, while occasional breaks in the glassy surface of the
water, and numerous widening circles, told that fish were not less
jovial in the realms below. This was at last the longed-for Lake
Wichikagan.
Man, however, was not altogether absent, though less obviously present,
at that time. At the extreme western end of the lake, where the view of
the regions beyond was most extensive as well as most beautiful, there
was a bright green patch of land, free from underwood as well as trees--
a sort of natural lawn--which extended with a gentle slope towards the
lake; ending in a pebbly beach on which the waters rested so calm and
pure that it was difficult to distinguish the line where dry land and
water met.
A little to the right of this beautiful spot there grew a small clump of
bushes, and in the midst of these there crouched two Indians. One was
middle-aged, the other was entering on the period of early manhood, and
a strongly marked resemblance in feature and form indicated plainly that
they stood to each other in the relation of father and son. Both were
clothed in leather, with the usual ornamentation of beads, scalp-locks,
and feathers. Their faces, however, were not disfigured with
war-paint--a sign that at that time they were at peace with all mankind.
It might have struck an observer, however, that for men of peace they
were in suspiciously warlike attitudes. The elder savage stooped low to
conceal himself behind the foliage, and held a long single-barrelled gun
in readiness for instant action, while the youth, also stooping low,
held an arrow ready fitted to his short bow. The eyes of both glared
with expressions that might have been indicative of joy, hope, hate,
revenge, expectation, or anything else you please--for a glare is
unquestionably an ambiguous expression at the best, needing a context to
expound it.
"Let two die," muttered the elder redskin--of course in his own tongue.
(I had the details from his own lips afterwards, and translate them as
literally as may be.)
"Ho!" replied the son, without moving his glare from the direction from
which the two doomed ones were expected to emerge.
Presently a flock of grey wild-geese came majestically along, close to
the margin of the lake--flying low, as well as slow, and following the
curvings of the shore as if in search of a suitable feeding-place at
which to alight. The green of the natural lawn had evidently attracted
these birds, for they skimmed over the bushes behind which our Indians
crouched almost within pistol-shot.
Like statues the red-men stood until the geese were over them; then an
arrow from the son's bow quivered in the heart of one bird, and brought
it fluttering heavily to the ground. At the same instant the echoes
around answered to the father's gun, and another goose lay dead upon the
sward.
"Waugh!" exclaimed both Indians as they stepped forth and picked up
their game.
These sons of the wilderness were not, however, very communicative, for
they spake never a word more. Perhaps they were hungry, and it is
well-known that hungry men are not sociable. At all events they
maintained a profound silence while they cut down a small decayed tree,
made a good fire, and prepared dinner, or--as the sun was beginning to
decline at the time--I may call it supper.
The mode of preparation was simple. Of course they plucked the geese;
an operation which revealed the fact that both birds were plump and fat.
Next they split them open with their scalping-knives, and, going down
to the lake, cleaned them out with the same weapons. Then, transfixing
them on two pieces of stick, after the manner of red-men, they stuck
them up before the fire to roast. The roasting did not take long, for
they were either partial to underdone food or impatient, and began at
once upon such portions of the birds as were first ready, by cutting
them off and chewing away without removing the remainder of the roasts
from the fire. By degrees the solid parts were devoured. Then the
drumsticks and other extremities were picked; after that the
merry-thoughts and smaller bones were cleaned, and not until every
fragment of edible matter was consumed did father or son cease his toil
or utter a word.
"Waugh!" exclaimed the father at last, regarding the skeleton of his
meal with a sad look, as if grieved that all was over.
"Hough!" responded the son with a sigh of satisfaction, as he wiped his
fingers on the grass and sheathed his scalping-knife. Then, searching
in their little pouches, which contained flint steel, tinder, etcetera,
they drew forth two little stone pipes with wooden stems, which they
filled and began to smoke.
The first whiff seemed to break the magic spell which had hitherto kept
them silent. With another emphatic "Waugh!" the elder savage declared
that the goose was good; that it distended him pleasantly, and that it
warmed the cockles of his heart--or words to that effect. To which the
son replied with a not less emphatic "Hough!" that he was entirely of
the same opinion. Thus, whiffing gently, letting the smoke slowly out
of their mouths and trickling it through their nostrils, so as to get
the full benefit--or or damage!--of the tobacco, those sons of the
wilderness continued for some time to enjoy themselves, while the sun
sank slowly towards the western horizon, converting every lake and pond,
and every river and streamlet, into a sheet, or band, or thread of
burnished gold. At last the elder savage removed his pipe and sent a
final shot of smoke towards the sky with some vigour as he said, rather
abruptly,--"Mozwa, my brother must be dead!"
"I hope not, father," returned the youth, whose name, Mozwa, signifies
in the Cree language "moose-deer," and had been given to the lad because
he possessed an unusual power of running great distances, and for long
periods, at a sort of swinging trot that left all competitors of his
tribe far behind.
"I also hope not," said his father, whose name was Maqua, or "bear,"
"but I am forced to think so, for when Big Otter promises he is sure to
perform. He said to Waboose that he would be home before the berries
were ripe. The berries are ripe and he is not home. Without doubt he
is now chasing the deer in the happy hunting-grounds with his fathers."
Waboose, to whom this promise had been made, was a favourite niece of
Big Otter, and had been named Waboose, or "rabbit," because she was
pretty innocent, soft, and tender.
"My father," said Mozwa, rather solemnly, "Big Otter has not broken his
word, for _all_ the berries are not yet ripe."
He plucked a berry which chanced to be growing near his hand, as he
spoke, and held it up to view.
"Waugh!" exclaimed the elder savage.
"Hough!" returned the younger.
What more might have been said at that time no one can tell, for the
conversation was cut short by a sound which caused both Indians to
listen with intense earnestness. Their eyes glittered like the eyes of
serpents, and their nostrils dilated like those of the wild-horse, while
each man gently moved his right hand towards his weapon.
And if the too inquisitive reader should ask me how I could possibly
come to know all this, seeing that I was not there at the time, I reply
that the whole matter was related to me with minute and dramatic power
by young Mozwa himself not long afterwards.
There was indeed ground for the excitement and earnest attention of
those red-men, for the sweet and distant notes of a Canadian canoe-song
had at that moment, for the first time, awakened the echoes of that part
of the Great Nor'-west.
The two men were not indeed ignorant of the fact that such songs were
sung by Canadian voyageurs--Maqua had even heard some of them hummed
once by the men of Muskrat House, when, a good while before, he had paid
a visit to that remote trading-post--but never before had father or son
listened to the songs sung in full chorus as they now heard them.
Spell-bound they waited until the sound of oars mingled with the
gradually strengthening song. Then their fingers closed convulsively
upon their weapons and they sprang up.
"What does my son think?"
"He thinks that the white man may be on the war-path, and it behoves the
red-man like the serpent to creep into the grass and lie still."
The elder savage shook his head.
"No, Mozwa. The white man never goes on the war-path, except to track
down murderers. When he goes through the land he travels as the
red-man's friend. Nevertheless, it is well to be on our guard."
As he spoke, the song, which had been increasing in strength every
moment, suddenly burst forth with great power in consequence of the boat
which bore the singers rounding a rocky point and coming into full view.
To sink into the grass, imitate the serpent and vanish from the scene,
was the work of a few seconds on the part of Maqua and his son.
Meanwhile the boat, which I need scarcely say was ours, came sweeping
grandly on, for the fineness of the evening, the calmness of the lake,
the splendour of the scene, and the prospect of a good supper, to be
followed by a good night's rest lent fresh vigour to the arms as well as
to the voices of our men.
"Hold on a bit, boys," cried Jack Lumley, standing up in the stern and
looking shoreward, "this seems a pretty good place to camp."
"There is a better place a few yards further on," said Big Otter, who
pulled the stroke oar. "I know every foot of the country here. It is a
soft--"
"What does Big Otter see?" asked Lumley, for the Indian had come to a
sudden stop, and was gazing earnestly ahead.
"He sees the smoke of a fire."
"Is it likely to be the fire of an enemy?"
"No--more like to be the camp of some of my people, but their wigwams
are two days beyond this lake. Perhaps hunters are out in this
direction."
"We shall soon see--give way, lads!" said Lumley, sitting down.
In a few minutes the boat was on the beach. We sprang ashore, and
hastened to the spot where a thin wreath of smoke indicated the remains
of a camp-fire.
Of course we carried our arms, not knowing whom we should meet with.
After examining the spot carefully, Big Otter stood up and was about to
speak to our chief, when a slight peculiar chirp was heard in the
bushes. It is probable that we should have deemed it that of some small
bird and paid no attention to it if our Indian had not suddenly bent his
head on one side as if to listen. At the same time he replied to the
chirp. Again the sound was heard, and Big Otter, turning round quickly,
without uttering a word, entered the bushes and disappeared.
"Stand ready, lads!" said Lumley in a quiet voice, bringing forward the
muzzle of his gun, "there's no saying what may come of this."
Scarcely had he spoken when a rustling was heard in the bushes. Next
moment they were thrust aside and Big Otter reissued from them, followed
by two Indians, whom he introduced to us as his brother and nephew. At
the same time he gave us the gratifying information that his tribe had
moved up from the region in which they usually dwelt for the purpose of
hunting and fishing in the neighbourhood of the lake, and that the camp
was not more than six or seven miles distant, from the spot on which we
stood.
To this Lumley replied by expressing his gratification at the news, and
shaking hands with the two Indians, who, however, received the shake
with some distrust and much surprise, until Big Otter explained the
nature and meaning of the white man's salutation. He also explained the
meaning of "What cheer." On hearing which Maqua, not to be outdone in
politeness, extended his hand for another shake, and exclaimed
"Watchee!" with profound gravity. Mozwa, with some hesitation, imitated
his father's example.
While we were thus pleasantly engaged, a sonorous trumpet sound was
heard behind the clump of small trees near us. A moment later and two
magnificent wild swans sailed over the tree-tops and above our heads.
They made a tumultuously wild swoop to one side on discovering the near
proximity of their enemy man but were too late. Almost before any of
the party had time to move a muscle, two sharp cracks were heard, and
both swans fell stone dead, with a heavy splash, at the margin of the
lake.
It was our chief, Jack Lumley, who had brought them down with his
double-barrelled fowling-piece. I have omitted to mention that Lumley
was one of the noted crack-shots of the country at that time--noted not
only for the deadly precision, but also for the lightning-like rapidity
of his aim.
The Indians, albeit themselves pretty fair marksmen, were deeply
impressed with this evidence of skill, and it went far to strengthen the
influence which our chief's manly proportions and genial countenance had
already begun to exercise.
"That's a good beginning, Lumley," said I, "for it not only impresses
our new friends favourably, but provides excellent fresh meat for
supper."
"Yonder comes better meat for supper," he replied, pointing towards a
neighbouring height, where we could see the forms of two men
approaching, with the carcase of a deer between them.
It was Donald Bane and James Dougall who had been thus successful.
These sons of the Scottish Highlands, being ardent sportsmen as well as
good marksmen, had been appointed to the post of hunters to our party,
and were frequently sent ashore to procure fresh meat.
"The country is swarmin' wi' game, Muster Lumley," said Bane, as they
came up, and flung down the deer. "Not only teer an' rabbits, but tucks
an' geese, an' all sorts o' pirds. Moreover, Tougall, she got into a
bog after wan o' the peasts, an' I thought I wass goin' to lose him
altogither. `Shames Tougall,' says I, `don't you go anither step till I
come to you, or you're a lost man,' but Shames went on--he was always an
obstinate loon--"
"Dat is true," remarked Salamander.
"Hold yer noise!" said Bane. "Well, sur, Tougall went on, an' sure
enough the very next step down he went up to the neck--"
"No, Tonald," interrupted Dougall, "it wass not up to the neck; it wass
only to the waist. The nixt after that it wass up to the neck, but
_then_ I wass soomin'."
"Ye would hey bin soomin' yet, Shames, if I had not pulled ye oot," said
his friend.
"Oo ay, Tonald Pane. That iss true, but--"
"Well, Dougall," interrupted Lumley at this point, "it will be better to
dry your garments than discuss the question just now. We will encamp
here, so go to work, boys."
There was no need for more. During our long journey into these far-off
wilds each man had fallen into his allotted place and work, and the
force of habit had made us so like machines that I think if we had
suddenly become a party of somnambulists we would have gone through the
same actions each evening on landing.
Accordingly, Lumley and I gathered small branches and rekindled the
Indians' fire, which had by that time almost gone out. Marcelle Dumont
being professionally a forger of axes, and Henri Coppet, being an
artificer in wood, went off to cut down trees for firewood; and Donald
Bane with his friend set about cutting up and preparing the venison,
while Blondin superintended and assisted Salamander and the others in
landing the cargo, and hauling up the boat.
"Max," said Lumley to me that evening during an interval in our devotion
to steaks and marrow-bones, "look around for a moment if you can tear
your gross mind from the contemplation of food, and tell me what you
see?"
He made a sweep with his arm to indicate the surrounding scenery, which
was at the moment irradiated by the after-glow of the setting sun, as
well as the brightening beams of the full moon.
"I see," said I, looking up, "a lovely lake, dotted with islets of
varied shape and size, with the pale moon reflected almost unbroken in
its glassy waters."
"What else do you see?" asked Lumley.
"I see around and beyond a prospect of boundless woodland, of plain,
mound, hill, lake, and river, extending with a grand sweep that suggests
ideas which can only be defined by the word Immensity. I see altogether
a scene the like of which I never looked upon before--a scene of beauty,
peacefulness, and grandeur which gladdens the eye to behold and fills
the heart with gratitude to its Maker."
"You say well, Max," returned my friend, "and it seems to me that we may
regard this Lake Wichikagan which we now look upon as our inheritance in
the wilderness, and that the spot on which we now sit shall be, for some
time at least, our future home."