Produced by Al Haines
[Frontispiece: "THE HEAVY ANIMAL TURNED TO FACE RAOUL." _p_. 22.]
IN PATHS OF PERIL
A Boy's Adventures in Nova Scotia
BY
J. MACDONALD OXLEY
AUTHOR OF
'DONALBLANE OF DARIEN,' 'A BOY OF THE BANKS,'
'NORMAN'S NUGGET,' ETC.
_WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS_
TORONTO
THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY LIMITED
1903
CONTENTS
IN PATHS OF PERIL
CHAP.
I. FROM THE OLD WORLD TO THE NEW
II. THE GREAT BEAR HUNT
III. SETTING A BAD EXAMPLE
IV. OFF TO THE WOODS
V. THE MOOSE HUNT
VI. IN THE NICK OF TIME
VII. AT CLOSE QUARTERS
VIII. A PERILOUS ENTERPRISE
IX. THE STOPPING OF THE SUPPLY SHIP
X. ADVENTURE IN BOSTON
XI. TRAITORS IN THE CAMP
XII. A GLORIOUS VICTORY
BEFRIENDED BY BRUIN
ILLUSTRATIONS
"THE HEAVY ANIMAL TURNED TO FACE RAOUL." . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
"THE PARTY SET FORTH."
"SUDDENLY, RAOUL RAISED HIMSELF UPON HIS KNEES."
"JOE LED THE WAY."
"RISING TO HIS FULL HEIGHT, JOE SWUNG THE PADDLE ABOVE HIS HEAD."
"SHE POINTED THE FIRST CANNON WITH HER OWN HANDS."
IN PATHS OF PERIL
CHAPTER I
FROM THE OLD WORLD TO THE NEW
The defence of the city of La Rochelle by the Huguenots, when for more
than a year they defied the whole power of France under the leadership
of Cardinal Richelieu, must ever remain one of the most heroic and
soul-stirring chapters in history.
For the sake of their faith these noble people endured the pangs of
hunger, the perils of battle, and the blight of pestilence, until at
last, their fighting men being reduced to a mere handful, with broken
hearts they were compelled to surrender. It was a terrible time for
the weak and the young. Nearly one-half of the population of the city
died during the siege, and those who survived formed a gaunt, haggard,
miserable band, more like scarecrows than human beings.
Among them were a maiden of twenty and a boy of twelve years of age,
whose fortunes we shall follow in these pages. She was Constance de
Bernon, the only daughter of one of the most important families, and
he, Raoul de Bernon, her nephew, now an orphan, both his parents having
perished in the dreadful days of the siege.
Not all the horrors she had witnessed, nor the sufferings she had
borne, in the least degree shook Constance's fidelity to her faith.
She was of the stuff which makes martyrs, and would have died at the
stake rather than renounce her religion. Right glad, therefore, was
she when her parents succeeded in effecting their escape from old
France, where only persecution awaited Protestants, and making their
way across the Atlantic Ocean to the new France, where it was possible
to be true to one's belief without having to suffer for it.
The de Bernons settled in what was then known as Acadia, now the
Province of Nova Scotia, and began life again amid the wildness of the
land which the Micmac and Melecite Indians had hitherto held as their
hunting-ground. Raoul accompanied them. Since the loss of his parents
his whole heart had gone out to Constance. Never was aunt more beloved
by nephew. It might indeed with truth be said that he fairly
worshipped her, and found in her companionship the chief solace for his
great bereavement.
While to the older people the change from the comfort and security of
their former life at La Rochelle to the crude and hard conditions of
their new home could not help being a very trying one, Raoul, on the
contrary, was rather pleased with it. There was no going to school,
nor learning of lessons, except when his aunt could now and then spare
an hour to spend with him over the few books they had been able to
bring. He lived out-of-doors for the most part, and had no difficulty
in finding plenty to occupy his time.
He was a sturdy lad, with a bright, strong countenance, which gave good
promise for the future if only he kept in the right path; and he made
many friends, not only among the settlers, but also among the Indians,
some of whose camps were always near at hand.
"It seems to me you do not miss La Rochelle very much, Raoul," said
Constance to him as they sat at the door of the house in the quiet of
the evening, when all the work of the day was over. "You are quite
happy here, are you not?"
The colour came into the boy's face at his aunt's words, for although
she did not so mean it, her question seemed to imply that he was
forgetting his former home and the dear ones he had lost.
"I do like it here," he replied, lifting his big brown eyes to hers.
"It is very different from La Rochelle, I know, but----" and here he
hesitated so long that Constance with a smile took up the sentence.
"But you'd rather live in the woods than in the city--that's it, isn't
it, Raoul? I quite understand, and I don't blame you in the least.
You're fond of adventure, and you're glad to be where there's apt to be
plenty of it. How would you like to go with me to Cape Sable?"
"I'm ready to go with you anywhere, Aunt Constance!" was the prompt and
hearty response. "But why are you going to Cape Sable?"
It was now Constance's turn to blush, and very charming she looked as
she answered in a low tone with her face turned away:
"I am to be married soon, Raoul, to Monsieur La Tour, and he is going
to take me to Cape Sable, where he has his fort."
Raoul sprang to his feet excitedly. The idea of his beloved aunt
belonging to somebody else hurt him cruelly. It filled his heart with
jealousy, and he exclaimed in a tone of passion:
"You're going to be married, Aunt Constance, and to leave us all! What
is that for? Why couldn't you stay with us? We are so happy here."
Constance smiled with pleasure at the vigour of his speech, and putting
her arm about his neck affectionately, said:
"You surely would not have me live and die an old maid, would you,
Raoul? And Monsieur La Tour will make such a good husband for me!"
Raoul sighed as he warmly returned his aunt's caress. His protest was
foolish, of course, and, after all, if she was going to take him with
her to her new home, what would be the difference?
"Oh, yes, I suppose so," he answered. "But I didn't know. Please tell
me all about it."
So Constance went into particulars, Raoul listening with profound
interest.
Charles de la Tour, who was also a Huguenot, had now been for a number
of years in Acadia, carrying on an extensive business in fishing and
fur-trading, and had just built a strong fort at Cape Sable, which he
called Fort St. Louis. Of this establishment he had invited Constance
to become the mistress, and she had given her consent. Yet, although
she loved de la Tour, who was a handsome, genial, daring man such as
easily win a woman's heart, she did not want to part with her nephew,
and de la Tour made no objection to his accompanying her, especially as
he himself must needs be often absent from the fort on business
expeditions for months at a time, and Raoul would then be good company
for his wife.
So in due time it all came about as was arranged, and Raoul found
himself settled at Fort St. Louis with his new uncle, whom he greatly
admired and respected. This fort, placed at the extreme south-east
point of what is now Nova Scotia, looked out over the restless waters
of the Atlantic, and kept an eye upon the ships passing by to the Bay
of Fundy or to the New England ports. It was very strongly built of
stone, and mounted many cannon which Raoul longed to see in use. A
snug harbour lay to the east, where de la Tour's vessels could anchor
in safety from any storm, and inland stretched vast forests, which
fairly swarmed with game, from the lively rabbit to the gigantic moose.
What with fishing, trapping and hunting, rowing, sailing and swimming
to his heart's content, Raoul was in no danger of finding the time hang
heavy on his hands.