The Big Otter - Robert Michael Ballantyne (most difficult books to read TXT) 📗

an' wonderin' if they wass goot fush."

"Big Otter says they are good," returned our chief, "and I think we may rely on his opinion. There's a little stretch of rock over there, jutting out from the shore, which could be made into a capital pier for our boats and canoes without much labour. What say you, Henri Coppet; could not a few trees and some planks be easily fitted to these rocks?"

"Oui, monsieur--yes, sir--very easily," answered the carpenter, in French.

"Ay, an' wan or two big stones on the other pint o' rocks there," observed Donald Bane, "would make a goot breakwater, an' a fine harbour, whatever."

"And I'm sure nothing could be finer than the view," said I, with feelings of enthusiasm.

"Well, then, since we all seem agreed on that point--here shall our house be raised," rejoined Lumley, driving the point of a stick he carried into the ground. "Come now, boys, go to work. Max, you will superintend the placing of the goods in a secure position and cover them with tarpaulin in the meantime. We'll soon have a hut ready. Dumont, set up your forge under yon pine-tree and get your tools ready. Overhaul your nets, Blondin, and take Salamander to help you--especially the seine-net; I'll try a sweep this afternoon or to-morrow. Come here, Max, I want to speak with you."

"Now, Max," he said, when we had gone aside some distance, "see that you arrange the goods so that they may be easily guarded, and don't let the redskins come too near. They may be honest enough, but we won't throw temptation in their way. We shall want one of them, by the bye, to keep house for us. What say you to hiring Waboose?"

"Out of the question," said I, quickly.

"Why so, Max?"

"Why, because--don't you see--she's far above that sort o' thing, she's quite a kind of princess in the tribe. Haven't you noticed how respectful they all are to her? And, besides, she is so--what one might almost call ladylike. I am convinced that her father must have been a gentleman."

"Perhaps so," returned Lumley, with a quiet laugh; "well, we won't insult her by asking her to fill such a position. Away to work now. I will sketch out the plan of our establishment. When the goods are all safe, send your men to fell heavy timber for the houses, and let them also cut some firewood. Off you go."

In a few minutes we were all at work, busy as bees--carrying, hauling, cutting, hammering and chopping; while some of the Indians looked on, intensely interested, others assisted under the direction of Big Otter, and the woods resounded with the noise of the new-born activity.

Soon Blondin had a net down, and before evening we had caught enough of that splendid staple of the North American lakes, the whitefish, to supply us with a good meal and leave something over for our red friends.

I observed during these operations that, after planning, sketching, and measuring, our chief took his axe into the wood and felled a tall pine, from which he proceeded to remove the branches and bark. Towards evening he took a spade, and dug a deep hole in the ground on the most prominent part of the lawn, in front of what was to be our future home.

"Come now, four of you," he said, "and help me to set up our flag-staff."

I ran with three others to assist, and in another minute or two the end of the tall taper stick was dropped into the hole and fixed there. A hole had been already bored in the top and a rope rove through it, to which Lumley soon attached the corners of a small red bundle.

"Ho! lads," he shouted, when all was ready, in a voice that rang out full and strong, "Fall in!"

We had previously been trained to obey this order with the utmost alacrity, by running towards our leader, carrying our loaded guns with us, and forming into line, so as to be ready for any emergency. It was a fancy of Lumley to drill us thus, and we fell in with his humour, most of us counting it a piece of fun, to break off from what we chanced to be doing at the moment the order was given, and trying who should be first to reach the spot where he stood. As our guns were always loaded and primed, we never had to lose time in charging them.

On the occasion of which I write, we amazed and somewhat alarmed the Indians by our prompt action, for we stood together in a silent row in less than half a minute after the summons was shouted.

"I have called you up, lads," said Lumley, "to take part in a little ceremony. Through the goodness of the Almighty we have been brought in safety and health to our new home. It is already part of the Queen of England's dominions, and I now take possession of it in the name of the Hudson's Bay Company. May God prosper and bless us while we stay here!"

He hoisted, as he spoke, the small red bundle, which when shaken out proved to be a flag on which were the letters HBC in white.

"Now, boys, send a volley at the new moon up there. Ready--present-- fire! Hoorah!"

The crash of the united volley and the wild huzza which followed caused many a redskin's heart to leap, and would doubtless have caused many a foot to run, but for the fact that their own redskin brother--Big Otter--was one of the firing party, and, perhaps, the wildest cheerer of the band!

The ceremony ended, orders were given to knock off work for the day, and set about the preparation oh supper.

The food was sweet that night, sweeter than usual, for we were very hungry; the stars were bright that night, brighter than usual, for we were very happy at the auspicious commencement of our sojourn; and our sleep was unusually sound, for we felt safer than ever under the guidance of a chief who had proved himself so capable of turning threatened war into peace. This being the condition of things, it was not surprising that we indulged in a longer rest than usual, and continued to slumber long after the sun had risen and converted Lake Wichikagan into a glorious sheet of silver.

It is true that our guide, with that sense of responsibility which seems to weigh heavy on guides even when asleep, had awakened at the usual hour of starting--daybreak--and, from the mere force of habit, had given forth his accustomed and sonorous "Leve! leve!"--rise, rise. From the mere force of habit, too, we all turned round to have a few seconds repose on our other sides before obeying the order, but suddenly light flashed into our minds, and various growls in varied keys saluted our guide.

"Go to sleep, men," said our chief, with a half laugh, which ended in a sigh of contentment.

French growls of doubtful meaning issued from the lips of Dumont and Coppet, but Blondin condescended on no remark at all, unless "Pooh!" may be considered such.

"Hoots! man--heigh-ho!" remonstrated Donald Bane, while his comrade Dougall merely said, "Wow!" and followed it with a prolonged snore.

For myself, I felt inclined to laugh, but, being much too lazy to do so, turned over, and was instantly lost again in oblivion. The whole camp was immediately in the same condition, and thus, as I have said, we remained till the sun was high.

Soon after daybreak, however, the Indians began to stir in their camp-- which lay a little apart from ours--and, ascending a slight eminence, whence they could look down on our slumbering forms at their leisure, squatted there and continued to gaze--perhaps to wonder how long we meant to rest. They were soon joined by others--men, women, and children--from the neighbouring camp. Self-restraint, at least in some matters, is a characteristic of the red-men, and they remained very patiently and silently there; even the children spoke in whispers, and gazed in solemn earnestness at our slumbering camp.

When we rose and began active preparations for breakfast, the little ones melted away--influenced either by fear or by the orders of their parents. They returned, however, in greater force than ever when we began the labours of the day. Being all more or less naked, they resembled a band of brown monkeys without tails, whose great eyes were capable of expressing only one powerful sentiment--that of surprise!

Thus, watched with deep interest by a large portion of the tribe, we proceeded to the erection of the first house.

"The Hall will stand here, Max," said Lumley to me, as I approached him, bearing one end of a long squared log on my shoulder, the other end of which was carried by Big Otter, while Bane and one of the Canadians supported the centre of it. "Set it down there, lads--a little more this way--so."

We laid the timber on the green sward facing the lake, in such a way that it corresponded with the front line of a large square which had been traced on the turf by Lumley.

"Stay with me, Max, I want your help and advice." The men went back to the bush, from which, at the same moment, four others of our party issued, bearing a similar log.

It was laid at the other side of the square, parallel to the first one. In a few minutes the two end logs were carried up and deposited in their places. These logs had all been cut, squared, mortised at their ends, and fitted together in the woods before being brought to the lawn.

"Now, the question is," said Lumley, as he stood with coat off, shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and pencil and plan in hand, "shall we turn the front of the house a little more to the south or a little more to the east? We must decide that now, before fixing the framework together."

"We should get more of the rising sun," said I, "if we turned it more towards the east. And you know we shall not have too much of its beams in winter to gladden our hearts and eyes."

"Right, Max, but then we might have too much of the east winds to trouble our toes and noses."

"Still the view eastward," said I, "is so extensive and varied--so full of sublimity."

"While that to the southward," urged Lumley, "is so soft and beautiful-- so full of poetry and romance."

"Come, Jack, don't laugh at me. You know that I am not jesting; I mean what I say."

"I know it, Max, but though I may seem to be half jesting, is it not possible that I, too, may thoroughly mean what I say?"

He pointed as he spoke to the southward, where certain combinations of light and shade thrown on the numerous islets as well as on the clouds-- all of which were reflected in the clear water--presented a scene which it is easier to imagine than describe.

I at once admitted the justice of his remark, and it was finally settled that the house should face due south.

"Fix the frame together now, Coppet," said Lumley to our carpenter, who came forward with a load of small