Bob Hunt in Canada

by George W. Orton

"I don't need any one, but I'll be glad to have you if you want to come. That stands for all of you," added Mr. Waterman, as the other boys looked up.

The next morning they were up very early. The three boys, Mr. Waterman and Jean were going into the village. Joe, Jack and Pierre were going along part of the way to bring back the canoes, for they were going to portage through two lakes on the way. As they were coming back by the road, they would not be able to get the canoes back themselves. After a hurried breakfast they got in their canoes. Much to the surprise of the boys, Mr. Waterman led them down the lake, around the bend and then into a cove on the same side of the lake from which they had started. They got out at what was evidently a very old trail. This led up very steeply. Fast time was made, as Pierre and Mr. Waterman carried the canoes and the others were going light. Up they went, and came to a lake that must have been at least one hundred feet higher than their own lake.

"It would be easy to drain that lake into ours," said Bob, when he saw the new stretch of water.

"Yes," said Mr. Anderson. "The lake is just like a big reservoir on a hill. It could easily be drained into Lac Parent, but it is so high up that no water would be left. Let's leave it as it is, for it will serve us well this morning."

They set off across the lake with Mr. Waterman, Bob and Jean in the first canoe. On they went with strong strokes, so that Pierre and Mr. Anderson, with four in their canoe, had to work hard to keep them in sight. The lake was not very long, and soon they were on the trail again. This time the portage was at least a mile long, and it led down a gradual slope. So far there was no trouble following the trail and the party went ahead without a stop. Once more the canoes were launched, and this time they paddled through two lakes connected by a small stream. At the far end of the second lake the canoes were beached and the party landed. Here they separated. At first they had no trouble following the trail, which led along a brook that evidently drained the two lakes over which they had just come. Straight ahead they went, with Mr. Waterman leading.

After they had gone steadily a little over a mile, Jean called to Mr. Waterman and a halt was made. Jean jointed off into the woods and after a consultation Mr. Waterman concluded that the young Indian was right, and they turned off. The trail soon became very hard to distinguish, but each time that Mr. Waterman hesitated, the Indian went by him, leading the way without a halt. As they were passing through some thick undergrowth Mr. Waterman halted and pointed to a partridge seated on a limb on a nearby tree, only twelve or fifteen feet from the trail. The bird, evidently trusting to its protective coloring, sat on the limb without moving a muscle. Mr. Waterman had just begun to explain to the boys that the bird was undoubtedly trusting to its instinct in remaining in quiet when, with a flutter of the wings, down fell the partridge from the tree to be grabbed almost instantly by the Indian.

Jean had noted the bird just as quickly as Mr. Waterman, but he had followed his natural bent by swiftly dodging off the trail, cutting a stout little club from a hardwood tree, rushing back to the trail and with unerring aim knocking over the partridge with his improvised weapon. The boys could see that Mr. Waterman was put out, but he evidently knew that the Indian would not be able to see his point of view, so he said nothing. The Indian, with a gleam in his eye, walked ahead, having tied the bird to his belt. The boys were all sorry that the partridge had met such an untimely end, but they could not help admiring the woodcraft shown by the young Indian.

The only other excitement they had on the way was furnished by Pud. About half way to the village they came to a little stream that was rather deep. They looked about and at last found a big tree that had fallen across the stream. All of the party except Pud walked across the log without any trouble. He got about half way across when he lost his balance. He felt himself going, so he threw himself on the log and encircled it with his arms and legs. His weight proved too much for the bark, which had been loosened by the water, and it began to come off. It moved around the trunk in a body and Pud followed it. In spite of his efforts, he gradually disappeared in the dark water. He tried in vain to get up on the log, but he could not make it and finally had to pull his body along in the water until he got to the other side. Pud's acrobatic performance had brought peals of laughter from Bob and Bill. Even the Indian had a smile on his face as Pud got out of the water.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Pud, as he got ashore, evidently sore at the joke on him.

"Oh, nothing," said Bob. "Only you reminded me of a fat monkey on a stick."