“Breakfast be ready ver’ soon,” said Ladoc, “monsieur vill eat first, p’r’aps?”
“No, we will breakfast at the upper station. Ho, Rollo! here, I want you.”
Rollo, who issued from the hut at the moment, with a view to examine the weather and light his pipe, came forward.
“I am going with Ladoc to the upper station,” said Jack; “you will take his place here until we return.”
“Very well, sir,” replied Rollo, fixing his eyes upon Ladoc. At the same moment Ladoc fixed his eyes on Rollo. The two men seemed to read each other’s character in a single glance, and then and there hurled silent defiance in each other’s teeth through their eyes! Ladoc was annoyed at having been silently found fault with and superseded; Rollo was aggrieved at being left behind; both men were therefore enraged—for it is wonderful how small a matter is sufficient to enrage a bully—but Jack ordered Ladoc to lead the way, so the rivals, or enemies, parted company with another glance of defiance.
That day, Jack Robinson had a somewhat rough and remarkable experience of life.
He began by overhauling the nets at the mouth of the river, and these were so prolific that the small flat-bottomed boat used by the fishermen was soon half filled with glittering salmon, varying from ten to fifteen pounds in weight. In order to avoid having his mocassins and nether garments soiled, Jack, who pulled the sculls, sat with bare feet and tucked-up trousers. In less than an hour he rowed back to the landing-place, literally up to the knees in salmon! Among these were a few young seals that had got entangled in the nets, while in pursuit of the fish, and been drowned. These last were filled with water to such an extent, that they resembled inflated bladders!
“Breakfast is ready, sir,” said one of the men, as the boat-party leaped ashore.
“Very good,” replied Jack; turning to Ladoc, “now, my man, are you ready to start for the upper fishery?”
“Eh? ah—oui, monsieur.”