THE COBBLER NATURALIST OF BURRARD INLET
As soon as the moving object appeared Mr. James had dipped his paddle
into the water and given a hasty stroke. The Indian did not move, but
in a low voice said to Mr. James in the Chinook jargon: "What is that
there in the water?"
"The deer," said Mr. James; "paddle!"
"No," said Squawitch, "it is not the deer, it is the monster. Yes, it
is a true monster. We must go to the shore at once, or we shall all
be killed." And he dipped his paddle into the water as if to turn the
canoe to the shore.
"Keep still," said Mr. James. "I tell you it is the deer." And then,
the moving object having by this time turned well out into the lake,
he added: "_Mam-mook_" (pull). Giving a powerful stroke with his
paddle, the canoe shot forward toward the mysterious thing. Jack was
listening to what was said, but did not understand the spoken words.
He could see, however, that there was a difference of opinion between
his companions as to what should be done. He thought he noticed, too,
that the first few strokes given by the Indian were weak and did little
to force the canoe forward; but if they were not strong they were at
least noiseless. Meantime, with all his eyes, Jack was watching the
mysterious object; and as the canoe advanced toward it the mystery
explained itself in a very simple way, and the Indian's fears were
calmed. They could soon make out a fine buck swimming slowly through
the water, and could see that about his horns were twined some long
sprays of fern, which overshadowed his head, and, falling down behind
the horns, trailed through the water. The reflection cast by this mass
of green, and the ripple of the water behind and on each side of the
swimming animal, made the object vague and indefinite, and the whole
was further blurred by the reflection of the trees near the margin of
the lake. So, until they had come close to it, it was hard to tell
what it was, and its mysterious appearance was, naturally enough, very
alarming to one who was prepared to see something supernatural. The
Indian believed thoroughly in the existence of the selallicum in this
lake, and, seeing in the water something unlike anything that he had
ever beheld before, at once concluded that the monster had appeared.
The slender canoe flew swiftly over the water and rapidly drew near
the deer, which had not yet seen them, but was swimming quietly along,
no doubt tired by its long run. Jack, not burdened with a paddle, and
having nothing to do but hold his rifle, studied the creature as they
drew near, and saw that it bore a fine pair of horns, still in the
velvet.
The canoe was within twenty yards of the deer before the animal saw
them. When he did so, he at once turned toward the shore, and swam
rapidly--almost as fast as the canoe went. Just before he reached the
land, Mr. James said to Jack: "Now be ready, and kill him as he leaves
the water."
Jack rose carefully to his knees, put a cartridge in his rifle and, as
the deer bounded up the bank, fired. The shot broke the deer's neck,
and it fell on the bank just at the edge of the water.
When he saw it fall Jack felt sorry that he had shot. Though there was
sweet music in the bay of the hounds as they ran, interest in watching
for the deer, hope as the cry of the dogs grew louder, anxiety lest
the quarry had turned aside and gone away as the baying grew fainter,
and some excitement in paddling after the animal, yet he did not like
this method of hunting. After the deer had taken to the water and the
boat had approached it, it seemed as if the animal had no chance, and
Jack lost pleasure in the shot, because he had too much time to think
about it. The struggle that the deer made to reach the shore excited
his sympathies, and now he regretted the shot that he had fired. On the
other hand, it was easy to see, as Mr. James had pointed out, that in
such a land as this still-hunting was impossible.
The deer having been secured, the task of transporting it to town was
left to the Indian, who would drag or carry it out to the road and wait
there for the stage which would come in during the morning.
Mr. James and Jack started on foot for New Westminster, and when they
had nearly reached there they overtook Hugh, who had had his walk and
was now going back to breakfast. But little was said as to the killing
of the deer, beyond the fact that one had been secured; and just
before they reached Mr. James's house the latter said to them: "Now,
gentlemen, if you feel like it, let us take the stage this afternoon
and go over to Burrard Inlet, where you can make Fannin's acquaintance
and see what you can do with him. I am anxious to have you meet him,
for he is one of the salt of the earth. No man in the Province knows
so much about its birds and mammals as he, and no man can show you and
tell you so many interesting things about them. He is an untrained
naturalist, but a most keen observer. Then, too, he is a great hunter,
and one of the finest shots in the Province. I will not say that he
never misses, but he misses very seldom. Now, can you be ready to start
on the stage at two o'clock? It will pick us up at my house after
dinner; and it might be well for you to leave word at the hotel that we
want three seats this afternoon. It's not likely that the stage will
be crowded, but it's no trouble to order the seats in advance. We will
go over to the inlet and spend twenty-four hours there, and you will,
no doubt, see a good many interesting things, and can then make up your
minds about your plans for the future." Before there was time given to
reply, Mr. James asked: "Have either of you ever seen white goats?"
"Hugh has, Mr. James," replied Jack, "but I never have. I have been in
the mountains quite near them, but I have never seen one, much less had
a shot."
"Well," said Mr. James, "there are plenty in the mountains of Burrard
Inlet, and if all goes well you may see some before you are a week
older. You will find hunting the goats very different from paddling up
to a deer in the water and killing him just as he climbs the bank to
get to shore."
Hugh and Jack now left Mr. James, agreeing to be at his house about
noon for dinner. They had only made a few steps after saying good-bye
when Jack turned around and ran back to ask Mr. James what they should
take with them to Burrard Inlet: would they need their blankets? "No,"
said Mr. James, "if you stop at the little settlement of Hastings where
Fannin lives you will not need anything except your guns, as there is
quite a good plain hotel there; but if you should go off to camp in the
mountains, of course it would be well to have your beds with you. I
think perhaps I would leave word to have them strapped on to the stage
when it starts, and then you will be safe whatever happens."
Hugh and Jack hurried back to town, but were too late to get any
breakfast at the hotel. However, they got a bite at a restaurant,
and then walked about the streets to see whatever sights there were
until it was time to go to Mr. James's home. They ordered the seats
in the stage, and saw that their beds and bags were put aboard. Then
down at the water's edge they looked at the wharves and at the salmon
canneries, and thus whiled away the morning.
Shortly before midday they returned to Mr. James's house, where they
had a delightful dinner, and a little while afterward took the stage.
To pass swiftly along over the level yellow road that they had
traversed on foot in the morning was very delightful. The drive was
not a long one, only nine miles, and the stage drew in to Hastings in
the middle of the afternoon. Here Mr. Fannin was found in the little
cobbler-shop, where he spent his bachelor existence, surrounded by old
shoes and new, rolls of leather, the tools of his trade, bear and wolf
skins, stuffed birds, and a multitude of natural history specimens.
Jack thought it one of the most interesting places that he had ever
been in. Mr. Fannin was kindness itself, and was much interested in
the talk of the proposed canoe trip. But before that had been long
discussed, Jack was asking questions about the skins of many birds that
he had never before seen, but about most of which he had read and knew
of by pictures. There were specimens of the beautiful little harlequin
duck, whose varied plumage gives it its name; of the black oyster
catcher; of several species of gulls; of guillemots; of a number of
shore birds, which were new to him, and many birds' eggs which he had
never seen before.
Mr. Fannin was a great talker and a man with a keen sense of humor. If
in any incident there was anything funny, his fancy was likely to seize
upon it.
As the four sat on the grass on the high bank overlooking the inlet,
Mr. Fannin pointed across the water to some low unpainted houses
standing among the timber and said: "There is an Indian village over
there, and I must send somebody over to get Seammux to come across
to-morrow morning to go with us to the head of the North Arm. I want
to have you see the country up there, and it is possible that from the
river you may be able to see some white goats on top of the hills. If
you have never seen these animals you will see them now, for you will
never have a better chance."
As they sat there Jack saw, not far off and up the Arm, a fish-hawk
dropping through the air to seize a fish. He touched Mr. Fannin and
pointed. They both watched the beautiful bird until it struck the water
with a splash that sent the spray high in the air about it.
"Now watch," said Mr. Fannin, "and you may see an eagle rob that
osprey. That's a common sight here; it is always a beautiful one; but
perhaps you have seen it in other places?"
"No," said Jack, "I never have, although I have read about it often. By
Jove," he added, "there is the eagle now!" and they saw a white-headed
eagle flying low and swiftly up the inlet. The osprey had already risen
to a considerable height with his fish, and had started to fly off with
it over the woods. But as soon as he caught sight of the eagle he began
to rise in spiral flight higher and higher, while the eagle followed
him in wider circles. Soon it was seen that the eagle was rapidly
gaining upon the fish-hawk, and at last had risen above it and had made
one or two darts at it. The fish-hawk seemed to avoid these attacks
easily, but perhaps they made it nervous, and presently it dropped its
prey. Shining like a bar of silver, the fish fell, and was carried off
by the wind diagonally to one side in a long slant. But as soon as it
fell the eagle half closed its wings, fell after it, overtook it before
it had fallen half way to the water, grasped the fish in its own great
talons, and, spreading its wings, bore the prey off to a tall tree on
the mountain side.
"That was a wonderful sight," said Jack. "I would not have missed it
for anything. I feel as if I should remember that for a very long time."
"Yes," said Mr. Fannin, "I believe you will; it is something worth
remembering."
"So it is," said Hugh; "it's one of the finest sights I ever saw. Who
would have thought that that eagle could drop as fast as the fish
did, that he could direct himself so as to catch his prey, and that,
after falling like that, he could stop. There's a whole lot of mighty
wonderful things to be seen out here. It beats my time altogether."
"Is there any chance of our getting a shot at anything to-morrow
morning, when we go up the North Arm, Mr. Fannin?" asked Jack.
"Of course I can't tell about that," said he, "but I should certainly
take my gun along, if I were you. I always take mine whenever I go out.
On the islands up there in the inlet there are plenty of deer; and it's
possible that you might get a shot at a deer any time, while there's a
bare chance that a goat might come down to the valley and you might get
a shot at him. Have you shot much with the rifle?"
"Well," said Jack, "I have shot a little. I have killed the prairie
game back on the plains, and a few mountain sheep; and I have run
buffalo and killed two or three bears."
"Then you've had quite a little experience, and I suppose you're a
pretty good shot."
"No," said Jack, "I don't think I am much of a shot, but I am pretty
patient about waiting around and trying to get the shot I want."
"Ha!" said Mr. Fannin, "that sounds as if you had learned to hunt with
the Indians, or at all events with some good hunter."
"Well," said Jack, "I have hunted some with Indians; but the man who
taught me whatever I know about hunting is sitting with us now--and
that is Hugh."
"Well," said Hugh, "you took to it mighty natural, son. There are lots
of people that have had a heap more experience than you have and can't
come near you for a hunter."
"Well," said Fannin, "I crossed the plains from Canada in 1861, and
of course I did some hunting on the way; but ever since that time
I've lived here in the Province, where there's plenty of rough, thick
timber, and where much of the hunting is done at short range. There's
a great deal of game here, though not of many sorts,--mostly deer and
bear, and, high up in the mountains, goats. Farther inland there are
sheep, and still beyond that, elk; and then there are elk on Vancouver
Island, but I have never seen any of them.
"The bears are plenty, and they make themselves very much at home. It's
only a few days since that one of them came out of the woods just back
of the hotel and went to the hog-pen and took a pig and walked off with
it into the forest. The bear got his pig and nobody ever got him.
"A year or two ago something of that kind happened, and with it one
of the funniest things I ever saw. A bear came out and took a pig and
went off with it, and an Irishman, working on the place, saw it go. He
picked up an axe and ran down to call me. I grabbed my rifle and we
both started running into the timber where the bear had disappeared. We
could still hear the squealing of the pig. We hadn't got far into the
woods before we came upon an immense tree-trunk lying on the ground,
which we had to climb over. It was six or eight feet high, and the
Irishman got there a little bit ahead of me. Having nothing to carry
but his axe, he climbed over first and jumped down on the other side. I
was slower in getting up, and when I got on top of the trunk and was
just about to jump down, I saw in front of me and walking toward me on
its hind legs a big bear. The Irishman was standing under me, backed
up against the tree trunk, his hands at his sides and his axe lying
at his feet, while the bear was stepping up to him as if he wanted to
shake hands. The Irishman was too frightened to yell or do anything.
He just backed up against the tree hard. Of course I saw all this at a
glance, and I began to laugh so that I could hardly get my gun to my
shoulder. But, by the time that the bear was within five or six steps
of the Irishman, I realized that something had to be done; and I fired
and killed the bear.
"It took that Irishman about an hour to recover from his scare, and it
seemed to me that he didn't get his color back for three or four days."
After a little while the party went into the hotel and had their supper
and then returned to Fannin's shop. Here, before it grew dark, they saw
approaching a tall, oldish, stoop-shouldered man, who walked with a
slight halt in his gait. Said Fannin: "Oh! here comes old Meigs. I am
glad you are going to meet him. He is an American, an old prospector,
who has spent all of his life mining down in Arizona. He got a slight
stroke of paralysis three or four years ago. He came up here and is
living in a little cabin just below. He is a good fellow and has
seen a great deal of western life." As Meigs joined the group Fannin
introduced the strangers, and they were soon all talking together.
"I am glad Meigs came," said Fannin, "because he reminds me of
something that happened last year that I want to tell you about. Two
years ago a man who lived about here thought that he would raise some
sheep. He didn't have money enough to get many, but he got half a
dozen ewes and a ram, and turned them out to pick up their living
along the shore and in the timber. They did very well for a while. But
presently, when the man started to look them up, he found that there
was one missing, and then another, and then the old ram disappeared.
We never knew just what got them, but we suspected bears and wolves;
and one day, going through the timber, I found the skeleton of a sheep,
and another day the skeleton of another. About a year ago I took my
rifle and went out for a little walk in the timber. I went a mile or
two and didn't see anything, and then came back nearly to the road
here. I climbed up on a stump and sat there for a while, listening to
the birds and watching them. Presently, in a trail that passed close
to that stump, I saw the three sheep going along towards the road. I
paid no particular attention to them, but after they had passed I got
down from the stump, walked out to the trail, and started for the road
myself. I could see the sheep not very far ahead of me, and, as they
were feeding along and I was walking briskly, I got pretty close to
them before they reached the road. They had almost got to it, and I was
not far behind them, when suddenly a bear charged out of the timber,
into the trail, and tried to grab one of the sheep. They rushed around
a little crook in the trail, and the bear after them, before I could
cock my rifle and put it to my shoulder. I started after them as hard
as I could go, thinking that if the bear followed the sheep into the
road I would surely get a good shot at him and would probably kill him.
I rushed out into the road, and almost into the arms of Meigs here,
who had been walking away from the inlet; but the sheep and the bear
had disappeared. I said to Meigs: 'Hello, Meigs! What are you doing
here?' He raised his hand to keep me from speaking, took a step or two
forward, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked up the trail by
which I had just come out from the timber. I could not understand what
was the matter with him, and presently I said in a low voice: 'What is
the matter with you; what do you see?'
"'I am just trying to see' he answered, 'what in thunder is the next
thing that will come along that trail.'
"He had been taking a little walk along the road and got just opposite
the trail, you see, when suddenly the sheep rushed out, and then the
bear, and then I came--all going as hard as we could go. It must have
been a funny sight."
"It was," said Meigs, "and for a minute I thought I was crazy and
seeing things that did not exist."
"Tell them about the morning that the wolf chased you," said Fannin.
"Well," said Meigs, as he pushed down the tobacco in his pipe and
pulled on it two or three times, to get it going well, "that was quite
a scare for me. Of course I knew that the wolves were not dangerous
in the country I came from, but I didn't know about them here. Winter
before last a wolf came down to the inlet and stopped right near here.
We used to hear him howling often, and I always believed that he killed
that old ram that Fannin has been talking about. I set a trap for him
two or three times, but he would not go near it. One morning, just at
daylight, I heard him howling close above the cabin. I jumped out of
my blankets, grabbed my gun, and stepped out to see if I could get a
shot. I could not see him from the door, and I hurried up the trail,
about thirty steps from the door of the cabin, to where the trail made
a little bend. My rifle was an old-fashioned Spencer carbine. I don't
know whether any of you men ever saw one?" and he looked around the
circle inquiringly.
"Go ahead," said Hugh, "I know them. They miss fire half the time, and
the other half they are just as likely to shoot around the corner as
they are to shoot straight ahead."
"Yes," said Meigs, "you have used one, I guess."
"Well," he continued, "when I got to the bend in that trail and looked
around, there was the wolf a short hundred yards off, with his fore
feet on a log, and his head toward me, just beginning to howl. I
dropped down on one knee and drew a bead on his breast and pulled the
trigger. The cartridge exploded, and if you'll believe me, when the
smoke drifted away I could see that ball from that old Spencer carbine
corkscrewing toward the wolf as though it was never going to get there.
In the meantime the wolf had jumped from the log on which it was
standing and started toward me. I turned round and ran for the cabin.
When I was ten or fifteen feet from the door the string of my drawers
broke, and they fell down around my ankles and shackled me, so that I
couldn't run. I had to come down on my hands and knees and scramble the
rest of the way on all fours. When I got inside the cabin and slammed
the door and looked back through a crack, of course the wolf was out of
sight.
"Fannin thinks that this is a pretty good joke on me, and maybe it is."
When Hugh and Jack had finished laughing over Meigs's adventure, Jack
began to ask Fannin about the Indians that lived along the inlet.
"Like most of the Siwashes about here," said Fannin, "they are
fish-eating people; though, of course, they kill a good many deer and
some few white goats. Their main dependence, however, is the salmon,
of which, at the proper season of the year, they catch and dry great
numbers."
"I suppose," said Jack, "that they have lost a good many of their
primitive ways, have they not?"
"Yes," said Fannin, "they are changing rapidly, yet within a short
time I have seen them use the fire-sticks to kindle a fire. That does
not look as if they were changing rapidly, does it?"
"No," said Jack, "I should say not. I should think they would use
matches, or if not matches, at least flint and steel."
"So they do," said Fannin, "for many purposes, but for some others
they use the fire-sticks. And that reminds me," he continued, "of Dick
Griffin's joke about fire-sticks. He had been chopping logs at quite a
distance from camp, and one day had to leave his job to come down to
the main camp to get some grub. He started rather late, and when he had
got half way it came on to rain and blow and get dark. He landed and
spent the night in the timber, with nothing to eat, and with no fire,
for he had left his matches behind, or they got wet or something. It
was still raining when he got to the camp the next morning, and two
or three men were standing around the fire. Dick paddled in, took his
canoe out of the water, walked up to the fire, and after the men had
exchanged a few words with him, he said abruptly: 'Boys, have you ever
seen the Indians make a fire by rubbing two sticks together?' They all
said 'Yes.' 'Well,' said Dick, 'I would like to know how long it takes
them to do it. I know it can't be done in one night, for I spent all
last night in trying to make a fire in just that way.'"
The rest of the evening was spent in pleasant conversation, and many a
story was told. Before they parted for the night Fannin said that he
had arranged to have a little steamer take them up the inlet the next
morning to the mouth of the river flowing into the North Arm, from
which they would have a good view of the surrounding mountains.