Three Boys in the Wild North Land Part 25

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

FRANK'S ADVENTURES--THE REINDEER FOLLOWED--UNWELCOME INTERLOPERS-- COWARDLY WOLVES STALKING THE FAWNS--REPELLED BY THE GALLANT BUCKS--CLOSE QUARTERS--SUCCESSFUL SHOTS--DIFFERENT GAME THAN REINDEER--VISIONS OF SPLENDOUR.

Frank's experience was a very different one from that of Alec. He and his companion had started out in a westerly direction until they sighted the herd of deer a few miles away. They followed them up until they came so near as to have been able to have shot some, but, like other hunters, they were anxious to kill the leader, so as to throw the herd in confusion. With this object in view they carefully skulked along, hiding behind the clumps of bushes and rocky ridges that were quite numerous.

All at once they heard a snorting and a sound of rus.h.i.+ng hither and thither among the deer, and so they carefully climbed up some rocks and cautiously looked over to try and find out what was the cause of the commotion. At first they could not make out what was the matter, but after a while they saw that the herd had other hunters than themselves after them. These were a pack of wolves.

They were at the front of the herd, and so Frank and the Indian quickly drew back from the rock, and hurried on to see the battle. Fortunately for them, the reindeer were so excited by the presence of the wolves that our two hunters were able to get among some large jagged rocks that rose up fifty or sixty feet, not very distant from them. Here they had a capital view of the valley in which were the deer and the wolves.

There seemed to be about a dozen wolves in the pack, and perhaps two hundred reindeer in the herd, including about thirty young ones that seemed about five or six months old.

The object of the wolves seemed to be to evade the great antlers of the bucks and to capture those very pretty young fawns. It was very interesting to watch the skill and courage, with which the great antlered bucks would close up, like a company of cavalry, and charge the wolves when they ventured too close to the herd. The wolves never waited to receive the charge, but ignominiously turned tail and ran for their lives. They, however, soon returned when no longer pursued.

There seemed to be a thorough understanding among the deer as to the position each should take while menaced by the wolves. The large antlered ones formed the outside circle. Next inside were the hornless males and the does, while in a compact body in the centre were the fawns.

Thus on they slowly moved, while the wolves attempted at various parts to break through, but always quickly retreated when a company of the bucks gallantly charged them.

This strange conflict was watched by Frank and his companion for some time with intense interest, until it had an abrupt ending. It came about this way. In one of the determined charges made upon the wolves by, perhaps, thirty reindeer, they drove their cowardly enemies right up among the rocks just beyond where Frank and his companion had hid themselves. The close proximity of the wolves so excited Frank that he whispered to the Indian:

"Let us fire at the wolves and never mind the deer."

The fact was that Frank's sympathies had so gone out for the deer, as he watched the incessant schemings of the wolves to get at the beautiful fawns and the gallant efforts of the older ones to defend them, that he had no heart to fire into the herd. He could well see that their firing into the herd would so terrify and disorganise them that the wolves would easily destroy the little ones.

From where they were hid the two hunters noticed that the wolves, now no longer chased by the reindeer, were again cl.u.s.tering near the rocks, utterly unconscious of the fact that between them and the herd were some more dreaded foes than even the antlered deer.

"All right," said the Indian, in answer to Frank's request, "but be sure and kill two with your bullet."

Simultaneously there rang out the double report, and four wolves fell dead, while the others, terrified by this attack, so unexpected and so close, fled away toward the distant forest.

After seeing that the wolves did not stop in their flight, it did not take Frank and his Indian companion long to reach a position where the herd of deer could again be seen. Frank was delighted to observe that, although they seemed to be somewhat startled by the distant report of the guns, they had not broken their formation, but were more quickly hurrying away. To skin the four wolves and return with their pelts to the camp was all the sport they had, or wanted, for that day.

At first Alec was inclined to boast of a more successful day in reindeer hunting, but when he heard the whole story he was willing to admit that perhaps, after all, Frank's had been the n.o.bler experience.

Sam's characteristic comments were:

"Man, but I would have liked to have had a crack at that great leader!

But, after all, I think I would have preferred to have had the satisfaction of knocking over a couple more of those dirty, thievish, murdering wolves."

One more great excursion was arranged ere they returned, and that was to a large lake to which watchers had been sent some days before.

A couple of days after Frank and Alec had had the adventures with reindeer, these watchers returned with word that the deer were numerous on the sh.o.r.es of the lake, and were often seen swimming out in its water. The two days' rest in the camp had been much needed and enjoyed.

Now all were fresh and eager to be off again.

Very little time is lost in breaking up a camp when once it is decided to move, and so in a short time the canoes, propelled by the paddles in the hands of the stalwart Indians, were dancing over the sunlit waves to their next destination, some twenty miles away. Here they found the Indians who had been sent as scouts or watchers had already returned and prepared a cozy camp for their reception. A dinner of venison, bear's meat, and ducks was ready for them, and after the score of miles of paddling--for the boys always insisted on each doing his share--they were all, with good appet.i.tes, ready to do ample justice to the hunter's fare.

As the antic.i.p.ated sport would be exciting, and was generally considered to be more successful in the forenoons, it was decided to keep quiet that afternoon and evening. So the guns were all cleaned and oiled and many pipes of tobacco were smoked by the Indians, while the boys wandered along the sh.o.r.es and enjoyed the sights of that picturesque land. Just a little before sunset they had a display of colour such as is seldom given to mortals to see upon this earth of ours. In the west there floated a cloud that seemed to hang in the sky like a great prism.

Beyond it the sun in his splendour was slowly settling down toward the horizon. Through this prism-like cloud there were reflected and settled upon the waters all the colours of the rainbow. Every dancing wave seemed at times to be of the deepest crimson, then they all seemed like molten gold, then they were quickly transformed into some other gorgeous hue, until the whole lake seemed literally ablaze with dazzling colours.

The boys were awed and silenced amid these glories, and sat down on a rock entranced and almost overwhelmed. By-and-by the prism-like cloud that had hung for perhaps half an hour in that position slowly drifted away, and the sun again shone out in undimmed splendour and the glorious vision ended.

Then the spell that had so long entranced the boys was broken, and in silence for a time they looked at each other. Frank was the first to speak, and his quiet words were:

"I have seen the 'sea of gla.s.s mingled with fire' that John saw in Patmos."

"And I," said Alec, "thought of the city of mansions where the streets are of gold, and the walls jasper, and the gates pearl."

"And I," said Sam, "thought, 'If that is a glimpse of heaven I can understand why one has said, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which G.o.d hath prepared for them that love him."'"

With quiet actions, and yet with happy hearts, they returned to the camp from the long stroll.

Three Boys in the Wild North Land--by Egerton Ryerson Young

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

BOYS' ADVENTURE WITH REINDEER IN THE LAKE--GADFLIES AND OTHER DEER PESTS--PECULIAR WEAPONS--DANGEROUS ANTAGONISTS--HOOFS AND HORNS--FRANK'S SUCCESS--ATTACK ON THE LEADER--CANOE SMASHED--ALEC AND THE INDIANS IN THE WATER--SAM'S STRATAGEM--SUCCESS AT LAST--THE RETURN TRIP-- SIGNIFICANT SIGNS--DUCKS AND GEESE HEADING SOUTHWARD--INDIANS UNEASY-- JOURNEY HASTENED--SAGASTA-WEEKEE REACHED--SUMMER ENDED--WINTER BEGUN.

Refreshed and invigorated by the much needed rest, the boys with their appointed Indian companions started off early the next morning for the lake, which seemed to have become the reindeer's favourite bathing resort.

So early did they arrive at the lake that they had to wait for some hours ere a deer was to be seen. The princ.i.p.al reason why the deer spend so much time in the water seems to be to get rid of a number of troublesome flies that very much annoy them. Some species of gadfly have the power not only to sting them, but to insert their eggs under the skin, which soon develops into a large grub. Some of the skins of the reindeer are so perforated by these pests that they are absolutely worthless to the Indians.

Another reason why the deer were late in coming out into the lake was the fact that, as the summer was nearly gone, the nights were now long and cool; and the gadflies being only troublesome in the warm hours of bright suns.h.i.+ne, it was nearly noon ere they came out from their forest retreats and plunged into the lake.

A herd of reindeer swimming in the water is a very pretty sight. Having large lungs, and thus being very buoyant, they swim high in the water, and being good swimmers they make, when a number of them are disporting themselves undisturbed, a very beautiful picture.

While our party of hunters were waiting in their shady retreat, secluded from observation, the Indians with as little noise as possible cut down and smoothly trimmed for use some poles. When fully prepared they were between ten and twelve feet long and from one to two inches in diameter.

To the larger ends of each were securely lashed with deerskin thongs long, sharp, double-edged knives.

It was about eleven o'clock ere the Indian scouts, sent out to watch the movements of the deer, returned with the report that the greater portion of the herd had taken to the water. In order to be sure of success in the hunt it was decided to carefully carry the canoes through the woods, and embark as near as possible to the spot where the deer had plunged into the lake. This would place the hunters in the rear of their game, and thus give them a very decided advantage.

As the Indians were anxious to get as many reindeer as possible for the sake of the meat, a large portion of which they decided to make into pemmican, they decided to send out six canoes on this day's expedition.

Our three boys were each a.s.signed a canoe with some Indian hunters who were supposed to be well versed in this exciting sport. Each canoe was furnished with one of these newly improvised spears, while each boy and hunter had his gun and axe.

The whole six canoes were very noiselessly placed in the water at a spot where some great overhanging branches reached down to the water's edge.

All were thus enabled to embark without attracting attention, or in the slightest degree alarming the deer that were now swimming about in the lake. Pus.h.i.+ng aside the bushes, they all shot out as nearly as possible together, and, vigorously plying their paddles, began the attack.

The deer, startled and alarmed by the suddenness of the appearance of the canoes, at first attempted to escape by returning to the sh.o.r.e.

Finding, however, that their retreat was cut off, all there was left for them to do was to boldly strike out from the land and get, if possible, beyond the reach of their pursuers. As the lake was, however, a very large one there was no possibility of their being able to swim across.

The Indians well knew they would not attempt it; but after endeavouring to shake off pursuit by swimming out from land, if unsuccessful they would return and give battle in the water, if there was no other course open to them.

The three canoes, in each of which was one of the boys, started out side by side, and there was a good deal of excitement and rivalry, as to whom should fall the honour of bagging the first reindeer.

Fast as the reindeer can swim, Indian canoemen can paddle their canoes much faster, and so it was not long ere the deer were overtaken.

"Kill none but those in prime condition," were the orders received by all; "and let no canoe kill more than four."

As on some former occasions in similar hunting adventures, the boys were each a.s.signed the post of honour, which was the position in the very front of the canoe, so that they could be the first to attack the deer when they came within striking distance.