..^^^'^ V^7^a5^- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // t< ^ i/j (/. 1.0 I.I i:;|28 1.25 i 1.4 — 6" iM 1.6 ^ "^ c?/i Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (7)6)872-4503 ^o seemed to be hav C a most enjoyable ti.ne, and whom many of the readers of the like and Forest Series will recogmze :w friends It may readily be inferred that this "r J esome oC tlJmembers of the Lake and For- Lt^ciub starting out on their " fourth pilgrimage to Maine," as Claude Emerson expressed it. To he great gratification of the party, two of the ori inal members, by a happy combinatior of — stages !-d been enabled to participate m the present lu and the readers of "Eastward Ho!" ^ easily : :;rber Wimam Foster and George Robb.ns. he first having come from California, and the latter .» Florida, to join in the " Summer's Outing. Just noi the. young gentlemen were mdulgmg in pleasant rer.iniscences of^ Uieir other trips, and peal 14 Up the No, :h Brc.ucli. ii 'III upon peal of laughter rolled through the car as incident after incident was related, each setting forth some ludicrous happening that had befallen one or another of the friendly group. Although the Lake and Forest Club had grown and prospered as well as its best friends could wish, Claude Emerson, the projector, had only been able to get tvogether a party of nine, two of whom, Foster and Robbins, were honorary members, and David Wood a new member; while among the old members were Charles VVingate, Andrew St, Clair, Frank Maynard, Thomas Le Roy,' and Robert Drake, who first figures in the series in "Down the West Branch." Many other members of the club would have been delighted to be with the party, but the length of time planned for the excursion was more than they could spare. Philip De Ruyter, of Brooklyn, N. Y., who had met some of the members of the club on their first trio, and who had accompanied them on their second and third tours, was abroad with his family, who were to spend the summer in Europe. Phil had written Claude that he would have pre- ferred to have accompanied his friends on their fourth trip to the Maine woods, but that his father had in- sisted upon his joining the family in their foreign tour. He expressed deep regret at not being able to meet Foster and Robbins, and wished to be kindly r^:ep> bered to them. Both of the honorary members of the club were also disappointed in not meeting Phil, as they had surely expected he would be one of the party. Three new boats, longer by some two feet than the Behind the Iron Horse. 15 « old ones, had been bought for the present excursion, and had been named, respectively, the Petrel, the Swallow, and the Daisy, and these, with the baggage of the young fellows, took up such a space in the baggage car that" the head " smasher i' had to be liberally •' tipped " in order to have the boats accompany the partv. "it sti ikes me, the flies will be rather plenty," re- marked Robbins, " and I wouldn't wonder if we had a lively time during the next four weeks." " Of course we shall find a few," returned Claude, with a laugh and a wink at Foster. " But we are well prepared for them this trip, having invested in a liberal quantity of every kind of ' fly medicine ' that is on the market." •' Do you remember the night the midges went for us on our first trip to the lakes, and how they made Robbins dance ? " queried Foster, laughing heartily at the remembrance. " I do," said Wingate, before Claude could answer, " and, if I remember rightly, all of us did a little dan- cing that night — eh, George ? " giving Robbins, who sat near him, a slap on the thigh. " I should say so. ! don't think I complained any worse than the rest of you." Foster's question started a train of thought in the minds of those who had been on the first trip, and incident after incident was related by one and another, which seemed to keep the whole party in a jolly mood, until the train rolled into the depot at Portsmouth. "Te.. minutes for refreshments," sang out the I up the North Branch. U ill \ 10 _ to the occupants. ^ ,< t "That's me," declared Wingate. J"™P'"f "P; had an early breakfast this t,.orn,ng, and 1 tcel as could cat a whole moose." ^ " You'll have a chanee to try some da>, saul Le .«y, .after" e strike the North Branch," and he arose wth ""Adams was the champio. feeder," remarked cJe, as they left the car ;"Se could eat more grub tor his si« than any fellow 1 ever knew. _ "Then it's a good th.ng he ts not wUh us answered Maynard, laugbing, "for «' "->' "«' '"^ visions pretty scarce before we get to the end of th,s trin " ^" 4^ «nrQP we can live on mosquito " If worse comes to worse, we can un^ n cnnn " su"-2ested St. Clair. "VgTeates. objectionl should make t. th.t, ,f I „as starving," replied Claude, ''would be tha. tt -ould take too many for a meal. „ " Not if they were as large as they are m Jersej, Hu-hed Wood. " I was down there once, at some beach ' forrt the name of it now, and the mosqu.loes t" simply monsters. Many of -.em were as large as "" rm'something of a liar myself," cried Drake, as tlie par-y went sailing into the lunch room. The ten minutes seemed quickly over to our young friends, and they returned to the car just as the tram bean to i.iove out of the depot. between Portsmouth and Kittery the tram crosses Behind the Iron Horse. 17 the Piscalaqua River, on a bridge, and adjoinuig it on t'^e north side is another bridge for public travel, the two being practically one structure. When the tram reached the middle of the bridge, it overtook a team, containing a man and woman, that was going ni the same direction, and the horse became frightened and ran away. Just be^ ond the end of tho bridge, the team collided with a yol.e of oxen hauling a V)ad of manure, and the glimpse the boys h;.d of the collision, as they shot past it, showed the oxen down, and the horse on top of them, and the man and the woman f^ymg through the air in two different directions, and the driver of the oxen running for dear life. "Well, that was quite a circus," remarked Wingate, when the party had resumed their seats. *' Yes," answered Claude. " I iiope those people in the wagon escaped injury." " So do I," said Wingate, "but I'll risk the fellow that drove the oxen : he was making himself scarce with a celerity that did credit to his understanding." ''Say that ogain, Charlie," quizzed Maynard, " and put hyphens between the words ; I can't swallow it all at one mouthful." The other members of the party laughed. " Well, lie ran like the old scratch, then. Does that suit sou any better? " "More to the point, if not so elegant," asserted Frank. " Do you suppose the railroad company will have to p?y the damages ? " queried Drake, as if inviting a» argument. fw up the North Branch. -i t I 18 - - — 1"^ -11 " returned Claude. " Railroads .. Of course they wdlret.^rned ^^^^^^ .^^ ^,^ are bled worse than any other c ^^^ . .^ market. If a sawmi ^ ^ ^,,,^ ,„ mile from a railroad track the o v ; ^^^ prove that the fire caugl.t from the sparks ""Anything r„ore.'" questioned Drake, «ith a laugh, ^•'fve^ttre't U^fe": 'o'c ^ -- ma. Uvin. • . sTantV bv the railroad Iras twins, the ccnpany ;: itnS for l.fe with the support of the e.tra '"one Ion. loud shout went «p at this remark, and Une lon„, ' ; conductor, who the laugh was jonied m b> liie ,, ,.,,„ti„.s clos- had entered the car just in tnne to catch Llaudc '"^. YoTwtld make a good corporation counsel, young man/"erarked the conductor, as he began pundnng "^^■D'olrget to Portland the same tinte the train doe ' ' " asked Foster, as he winked at hrs Ir.ends "j'hat depends upon whether you stick to the tram, -P«ed the rnan with the ticket P- " Has you there, bdl, chucklea =t. "Might know he would," put .n ^.aynard. \ou never can get ahead of a cotrductor, foster. "Why so?" •^ Behind the Iron Horse. 10 Because he travels as fast as you do," and the con- ductor ioined in the laugh. " ' Do you go beyond Portland, conductor ? inquired "^^''No. You have another man from Portland to Bangor. How far are you going ? " "To Skehowgan by rail." "Skowhegan, you mean," laughed the collector of '""Yes that's the fellow," returned Claude. " And from th^re we go to the Forks and Moose River by stac^e and then across to Moosehead Lake, and way bev'l^nd there. I don't think we know just where we are going, but we shall bring up somewhere, for we are off for a ' Summers Outing.' " " I hope vou will enjoy yourselves, and you seem capable of doing it," replied the conductor, as he eft them, and pulled the bell cord for the engineer to slow down at an approaching station. The party had chartered the car to carry them throu-h to Skowhegan, and while they were waiting for the Maine Central train the porter set the tables, and thev had their dinner from the buffet. Beyond Portland, the country was all new to them, and they enjoyed the ride to Waterville, via Brunswick and the Kennebec towns, very much, with the excep- tion of half an hour's wait, which they were compelled to take, much against their will, between Vassalbovo and Winslow. About midway between these two places the train suddenly stopped. _ "What's the mat:er now, I wonder!" exclaimed Wood, jmnping to his feet. " investigate and find out," ad.kd • '•S"PPo^'= "^ " uL .ar door, followed by his Chude, starting for llie rear u '"""''■■ „ „ r.r thcv found flame and smoke pouring out fr.un one of lie »'«^* , ^^.„, ,,,,ri„us ar.i- ,„em, and two or three ^'^"^'"2, tbout the wheel. " l-«<»^^-'7 "'" „V:, "1 ,„e men were at work. ''•'lTlrot:^'o:"':V:rned Wingate. "VVeshaU •^^Wattr^hrfLn the tender and the bo^w.s cooled off sufficiently for the men to shde otf tn. co^e , the la.. P-^-'?";'>',;;- j;^,, i„„ horse began his opened the throttle ve. ^id ^^.^^^^^^^ journey once more Waa u e __^ ^^^^.^^^ ^^^^ ;r;::t.en ^;r:'lv:.Ung ..s detached from Ts fellows and shifted to the Skowhegan tra.n. ,^ fif" n minutes they were under way agam, on the , V, nnd Which followed the Kennebec quit^ closely branch road whtch to j,,,, before entering the the entire distance, crossin, "J . vilh<.e The engine on the branch wa» not as hea%v V tliose used on the main line, and. having the ex. a weight of the I'ullnian to haul, had no. been able to i>l Behind the Iron Horse. •21 j^^^^-;;— ;;;7;;^^^ drew up beside the little depot half an hour late. , .^ ^^^, » Whit hotel do we go to, Claude, queucu What noiei b ^j^^.^ belongings, bins, as the party ^^«'"^ ^^ " ^^^^r who could size up ^vill be outside, as I wrote him to meet us r^n^«rc Qtenned outside the cars, When the young fellows steppea o thev found a "sidewalk committee all '^^^"^ ^^ 'l fe e tren. and, by the way they were I'tared a 1 y concluded that .shing panics ...U^ Pullman cars were rather a .io\ciiy vw looktd Ibou. him. .ot at all relishing the scrutiny he ^''.- -mnsifname," replied a brish.-Iooking young "r;CrC:;rietoronhe Turner House r " y w^oie'you about rooms. Did you get my letter !" " Yes. sir, and have saved you five good rooms. Will ■ ou ride or wall; to the house ? " . . j • " Walk if it isVot too far, after I see our boats and ba"-'^a the North Branch. "What have you lo them all before leaving the car. haul the boats in ? " •' Nothing here. I will come over for them after we take the baggage to the house." *'That will do, but they must not stay on this plat- form to-night." " Certainly not, sir. I will have them at the house in an hour. If they were left here, every boy in town would be in them before morning." "That is what I supposed," returned Claude, dryly. When the boats had been tak^^n from the cars, the owners examined them carefully, ind found, much to their satisfaction, that they had c .me through in good shape. Satisfied of this, they walked over to the hotel, and went to their rooms for a wash before supper. The evening was passed in conversation with the driver with whom they were to ride the next day, in gaining some idea of the road to the Forks ; and they found him pleasant and loquacious, and capable of spinning some pretty tough yarns. to CHAPTER 11. fl EH ROUTE FOR MOOSE RIVER. The party had a good night's rest, and were up bright and early Tuesday morning; after breakfast, Wingp.te, who was treasurer for the trip, paid the bill, and the young fellows went out to superintend the load- ing of their baggage, so that nothing should b- left behind. The party had one stage entirely to themselves, and they were obliged to hire another team to transport their boats and stores; and Claude made arrangements with Mr. Heselton to take them the entire distance to Moose River Bridge, the journey occupying the batter part of two days. At last everything was ready, and at half past seven the stage and team left the hotel, amid the cheers of the boys, which were reechoed by the bystanders. It was a lovely morning, and everybody was in fine spirits. The stage soon left the team with the boats and stores far behind, and the driver said they would not se^' it again that day, unless it might possibly reach Bingham, where a stop was made for dinner, before the party left there. " What time do v/e reach the Forks Hotel ? " in- quired Drake. 23 'fl^ 24 Up the North Branch. ijii 1 I "About five o'clock," returned the driver. " Is there much of a village at the Forks, driver? " queried Wood. «* Scarcely any. It is a ?ort of headquarters for lum- bering operations." As the horses cleared the village they began the ascent of a hill which stretched away for three miles beyond them, and during this climb the party, looking back occasionally, obtained some fine views of the receding village. As they reached the top of the hill, the driver pointed out Madison Pond to them, a pretty sheet of water, which lay off to the right, and was distant four miles from Skowhegan village. " How large is that pond, driver ? " inquired Maynard. •* It covers about two thousand acres." *• Any fish in it ? " queiied Le Roy. "Yes, there are several kinds of trout, and Hayden, that's his house we are now passing, has row and sail boats to let. There's lots of people come out here from the village ».n summer. It's just a nice drive out here and back." " Aje we out of Skowhegan yet?" inquired Robbins. "Yes, we passed the line some ways back. We're in the town of Madison now. and the next one we come to is Solon." "What is that high hill ahead, driver?" asked St. Clair. "Robbins Hill, and we have a nice view from it. You can look all over the country from the top of that elevation." 'II Eli Route for Moose River. or .? " the 4 " Win-, Robbins, voiir fame must hiive reached down this way," said Maynard, with a laugh, " or they never would have named that hill for you." " A prophet is not without Iionor except in his own country," quoted Robbins, with a wise look. " Have you the cheek to insinuate that you have any claims to prophecy?" inquired Le Roy. "Certainly. And I'll give you proof of it now. It is going to be a mighty hot day," and Robbins smiled as if he had said a good thing. " Any fool knows that." " That Is the reason you know it, then," retorted Rob- bins, with a laugh, in which all but Le Roy joined. On the top of Robbins Hill the driver pulled up his horses a few moments, and gave the young gentlemen a chance to enjoy the sightly panorama around them, and they were loud in its praise. Mountain after mountain swept up around them in every direction, and Moxie Mountain, to the northward, was especially prominent. Five miles farther on, the stage entered the village of Solon, and the party once more caught sight of the Kennebec, which they had not seen since leaving Skowhegan, as the river had made a long bend to the west, while the road over which they had travelled ran almost due north. The driver had an errand to do at the Carratunk House, the ore hotel of the village, and, while the stage stopped, the boys visited a store close by, and made a purchase of peanuts and candy, as Claude said, "to spoil their appetite for dinner." 'fl^ n up the North Branch. if m \ ! i 1 ? ii 20 " When they had star^^T^n, the driver infortned the.u that Solon was fifteen miles from .SUonhc:;an, and that Carratunk Falls, half a mile distant from the hotel they had just left, was well worth seeing *' We'll take your word for it," said Drake, and I suppose there is good fishing about here too ? ' "Splendid," replied the driver. "There are lots o people come here every year, and slop for the trout fishing." . . , ttf 1 - How far from here to Bingham ?" queried ^^ ood. - Candy and peanuis may do very well for a lunch, but I bec^i.i to feel as if I would like to get outr.uc of a good dinner." ., -Only eight miles," returned the kmght of the rib- bons, " ind it is good roading all the way.' ^^ " Is the river in sight from here to Bingham ? ques- tioned Robbins of the driver. " Yes, all the way from here to the Forks. We keep to the r'^ht of it, and sometimes it is so near that you could jump out of the stage into it." " That would not be a bad idea this hot day. The next eight miles lay through a good farming countrv, presenting some pretty landscape pictures, which the young gentlemen, with their artistic percei> tion, were not slow to appreciate. ;^t half past twelve they entered the village, and a few moments later the driver pulled up his horses at ilie hotel, which was named the Stage House, and was kept at that time by a Mr. Savnge. " Do you suppose the landlord is an * untutored sav- age'?" queried Wingate of Claude, as they descended from the coach. Ell Route for Moosr River, 27 "Tell you better after I sample hisiliuiKr," returned his friend, with a laugh. The partv found the dituier very good, and were not slow in disposing of their part of it, and, after appeasing their hunger, they strolled about near the hotel for a few monit'nts, but the sun was so hot it soon drove them within doors, " I would like to know how hot it is," remarked Claude, as the boys sat down in the office. " I should think it was about five hundred in the shade." VVingate, who had been hunting around for a ther- mometer, and had f 'uid one, now entered and an- nounced that it was ninety-five in the shade. " Vou see my prophecy was correct," remarked Rob- bins, with a chuckle. " Oh, let up on the weather/* said Foster. " I wish it would let up on us," added St. Clair. At the expiration of an hour and a quarter, the stage appeared at the door, and the joung gentle'irm re- sumed their seats. The landlord bade them " good- bye," and shouted ♦' good luck " to them as they were whirled rapidly northward. Ikyond Bingham, the boys missed the telegraph poles which had dotted the roadside at regular intervals from Skowhegan, and the driver informed them that they were now bevond the reach of that important connection. Riding out from Bingham, they found the hills .apidly increasing in height, and the valley growing narrower. A chain of mountains extends from the Forks down to Bingham, on each side of the river, enclosing it amid rocky walls, which sometimes almost completely over- Vp the North Branch. *>8 it grew more and more crooked, but UK r as a foundation. rlriver in- Tho nonions that had been dug out, the drner in torm:dr:w-rec.Ued-Mu,..ays.-a.« ,„Ue CrecuenUy, ^ ^Zl^^:^^l <^. made sharp curves. As ihe o-*;^ ° ,^„^.^ ,,,d of these bends, someiunes at a g^ '».'• ' - rather an unpleasant feeling of «""='";; ''"^f^^;;. dent in such a locality boded no good to the pani "'" Whv do vou go around these curves on the dug- way uc; brrak.neck speed.- inquired W.ngate 2 they had swung around one at a rate t!,at caused em all to rise in their seats with a '^eh.^ oU^hnn "Oh, the faster you go round them the safe tt .s returned the driver, as he sent out the long lash of h,s whip with a cr.ack around the '-d';'-;^ ^''''f ; „ „,^ "That is all nonsense," declared Claude. On the othel rand, it stands to reason that the slower you turn :': curve the safer it is, and just be kind enough not gallop around one of those places agaut. 1 he>e is a fogcther too much e.xhilaration tn >t 'o -''J . ^^, Jd -re ■ is a very good n.otio as appl.ed to th.s case. ii Fit Route for Moose River. 20 'g- ;re is al- . ' Slow "All ii4lit!" rctunvjd the driver, who, liUe most of his kind, "was willing to take some risk for the sake of showing off, " I will slow down when we come to the next one." " Wo went througli a bridge in a stage, a few years ago. while on one of our trips," continued Claude, "but I had li'.iher take my chances in a place like that a dozen times, thr.n go down this embankment.^^ Why, it is twentv-five feet to the river in some places." **How far dye fall when you went through the bridge ? " "Only five or six feet; but that was enough."^ " There's some tote-teams ahead of us, and it's 'bout time we were overhauling them," said the ciriver, after quite a lull in the conversation. " They left IJingham this morning, and we ought to pass them before they reach the Forks." " We are not interested in the tote-teams," remarked Wingate. "What do you call this mountain on the ri'TJit of us, and what are those holes? It looks as if some one had been digging there." " So there has. There was a party of greenhorns from New York down here in 1852, who dug for gold there. But they got so rich in three weeks that they didn't have to dig any more," and the driver chuckled. " Well, there is certainly iron ore there, for I can see it," replied Maynard. " Of course, you can," added the driver. " Some people say that mountain is full of minerals, but I don't take much stock in it." rtf : i i ' n !| 1//I the Xorth I'raiich. 80 Four miles fa;;;;:7^;iru;^y^<--<' ^-""^'^ ''"';';•'' resort for sporlsme,, an-;.• ^^.^^^ ^„^,, ,,,^. re^,rtnrLr.!r.o.seas.o.a.,»^^ '°-i'::::i:^::r:=-:i;;Xdr.e. :r:;:i:,i;;ra;t;;™u;d"n:::et^ne,:dint,,. '''o,:r:^hf:,idcs, a very persistent tenow, when 1. rot:;a:'::;:'orti:':n^;o.d.r..ofMo.ePond.^^^^ Mo.le sue.™ -1 otlrer J ;«;--;'- i;:;!.. of good fishnig. HealsotoKii , ,,;„i, „,,,i sec°Moxie Falls, that were a hundred feet h,gh, and !"rv beautiful. liut all of his seduct.ve argun ents ri tt on the party, who were an.ious to push o toward the North Branch ; as Claude told hnn, they had no time for side shows." , i ,. At h If pas. seven Wednesday morn.ng the bo^ bade adieu to the Korks Hotel and its hosp, aWe Un - lord at.d in a few moments the stage crossed the Ken Jb^c V n,ea„s of a covered wooden br.dge, fol ow.ng he " old Canada road," as it is called, northward. Ue!d River was in sight on their left for a nr.le, and 4 (J^frr" En Route for ^Toosc River. 33 then the road made a sharp bend to the right, and they lost sight of the stream. "We rise over eleven hundred feet in going the next ten miles," volunteered the driver, who, having finished his morning pipe, was now ready to talk. " We shall be getting up in the world," suggested Maynard. *'This is a bad country for a farmer, I should think," remarked Foster. "The land is very rough and seems »» poor " All it's fit for io for lumbering," added the driver. The ride through this heavily timbered country in the fresh morning air was delig!itful, and, as each ofc the party had taken from their baggage some kind of fly preparation, they got on with the flics and mosqui- toes quite comfortably. The forest was so dense that but little could be seen except for a few yards around them, but occasionally they rujght a glimpse of lofty mountains beyond, whose appearance invited a nearer approach. " What house is that ? " inquired Wood of the driver, as they passed a small building that looked like a hotel. "That is Smith's, and you had better take a good look at it, for you won't see another house for the next ten miles." " Great Scott ! " exclaimed Maynard, " this is a \\\\- dc-' jss indeed." Ves, it is in somebody's deed, I suppose," rj- marked Wingate to his friend, with a wink and a smile. -f'-^ 84 Up the North Branch. "Now, don't begin that sort of thing, Charlie," pro- tested Claude. " You'll make us tired." " Then we shall be in the same condition tiiat our wheels are in now," added St. Clair, looking as solemn as an owl. "What do you mean, you Jack ? " inquired Le Roy. " Why, that our wheels are all tired, — I'll leave it to the driver if they are not." " That's so ; darned if they ain't," chuckled the con- ductor of the vehicle. As they' reached the top of Johnson Mountain, which they had been climbing for some tii-.e, they obtained a splendid view of Bald Mountain, towering high above them on the left. As the stage neared the limit of the woods, they passed a huge bowlder on the right side of the road, that must have weighed mary tons. " What a tremendous great rock ! " remarked Wood. " Yes, and some fellow with his little hatchet has split it in halves," added Drake. "There's quite a story about that rock," said the driver. " Let's have it," urged St. Clair. "We wish to buy everything of that kind for either cash down or on the instalment plan ; so fire away." " The way I heard it was that several years ago a man in Canada stole five or six hundred dollars in gold, and come down into Maine with it. Being afraid ot getting caught with the money about him, he hid it under that big rock, intending to come back some time and get it. But before he had a chance he was taken sick, and on his death-bed told the story of his theft, En Route for Moose River. 85 and where he had hid the money, and there's been lots of fellers here a-diggin<;f for that gold, but I don't be- lieve they ever found it." " Nor I, either," said Claude. Leaving the woods, they came in sight of a fine sheet of water, which the driver informed them was Parlin Pon*-', three miles long and a mile wide; and mid.vay of this pond they came to a hotel, the Pu.lin Pond House, and here the driver hauled up his horses, telliiicr the boys that this wa-? the place at which to get dinner. " All right," sang out St. Clair. " I am ready for dinner as soon as the dinner is ready for me." " So say we all of us," sang Le Roy, as the young fellows jumped out of the wagon. " This is a prett> place," said Claude, as they stopped a moment on the piazza before entering the house. " Yes, the mountains around here are lovely," added Maynard, "but, great Cassar's ghost ! just see the flics and mosquitoes gather ! " "They know there is a fresh importation of city blood, and they mean to collect duties on it," said Robbins. ** What are the names of those two .iigh mountains ? " inquired Drake of the landlord, who now appeared and welcomed the boys. " Oh, those are Bean Mountain and Hurricane Moun- tain, and there's a nice trout pond on top of old Hurri- cane. You ought to go up there fishing." "Thank you. Not this day. Some other day. How near ready is dinner.? I'm as hungry as the tra- ditional wolf." 3G Up the North Branch. " It's all ready now. Would you like to wash ? " " Certainly." And Drake followed close at the land- lord's heels, while the rest of the party, like a flock of sheep, fell into line. After dinner, which was satisfactory to all concerned, the party took their seats for their last piece of staging, a distance of fifteen miles. " What time do you think our boats and stores will reach Moose River, Claude ? " queried Wood.^^ " I don't know. What do you say, driver? " " I don't believe they'll be along before eight or nine o'clock. You can see yourself what a lot of hills a team has to climb." " Then we shall have to stop at the hotel over night," said Maynard. "Certainly," added Claude. "It will be much pleasanter to begin our water trip in the morning." Four miles beyond Parlin Pond the stage halted on a lofty eminence in Jackmantown, known as Lookout Hill. "What are you stopping here for ?" inquired Rob- bins. " Partly to rest the horses, and paitly to let you take a look around. I call it a nice view from here." " Yes, it is," acknowledged Claude. " As pretty a view as I have ever seen." After a few moments' stop the driver startc 1 his horses again, and on they went, up hill and down, a^d, after several miles' ride, crossed a mountain, known as Owl's Head, nearly all the distance being through the woods. E7t Route for Moose River. 37 " This country beats all the places I ever saw for hills," said Drake. "It is up and down all the time." " Well, it's not so monotonous as a dead level," added Robbins. After a while they began climbinf;^ another high hill, which the driver told them was the last one, and at the top of this they cleared the forest, and below them l;iy Moose River valley and the little village of the same name, which is in the plantation of Holden. The long ranjie of mountains that divide Maine from Canada, some fifteen miles away, stretched like a wall along the horizon, shutting out what lay beyond. It was three o'clock when the stage drew up at the little hotel just beyond the bridge that spans Mocje River, and the driver told them that they were at the Colby House. " My stars ! " ejaculated Wingate, " is this the hotel "> It is not any larger than a beach cottage." " This is the house," reiterated the driver, who was now busy unloading the baggage. "I guess they can manage to take care of you some way," After helping unload their things, they went inside and found the landlady, a woman being the proprietor, and asked her if she could accommodate them for the night. '* I will do the best I can for you, and, if three of you will sleep in one room, I guess I can manage it." " We will all sleep in one room, ior that matter," re- plied Claude, " if you can do no belter for us." " That will not be necessary, sir," returned the land- 38 Up the North Branch. lady, with a smile, and, telling them she would return soon, vanished from their presence. '\fter the dnver had taken care of his horses, he came into the office and told the boys that they were in the custom house. " Custom house ? Nonsense ! " replied Maynard. "I'm not fooling," returned the driver, laughing. " We are only a few miles from the Canada line, and if they did not have an officer here there would be lots of smuggling done." " Well, it's about the most unpretentious custom housp thit I ever saw. Uncle Sam does not jiut on much style in this country," and Claude stared around the little ten-by-twelve office, in a vain attempt to com- pare it with the interior of the Boston custom house. " Do you know the way from here to Moosehead Lake ? " inquired the driver. " Certainly, as well as you do," replied Wingate. The driver laughed, and said, " If you don't know it any better than I do, you don't know much, for 1 was never there in my life." "Well, we have been to Moosehead," replied Claude, " but not this way. We went to Katahdin Iron Works, and across country from there to Greenville." " I should think you would feel afraid of getting lost without a guide, for it's a wild country oetween here and Moosehead, I have heard the lumbermen say." "The wilder, the better," put in St. Clair. *' We have a good map of the country, and a copy of Farrar's ♦Moosehead Lake and the North Maine Wilderness,' and that is all the guide wc want. I don't see what a '^ En Route for Moose River. 39 party wants of a guide, any way, unless for croking, and lugging baggage. And," with a smile, "we are all pccomplished cooks, and are not afraid of work. We don't do any at home, and it does us good to do a little when we get into the woods." The landlady now appeared and told them she would show them their rooms. After getting located, they carried their light things to their apartments, and then went out and strolled down by the river. After supper they sat outdoors until the arrival of the team w=Mi their boats, which came along between eight and nine, and, after seeing everything unloaded and taken care of, they settled up with the teamsters, and made them a little present ; then telling the man of all work to give them an early call in the morning, th-y retired to rest, to dream of moose-shooling in the northern wilderness. CHAPTER III. iil'i ri A SURPRISE AND A RACE. The people in the Colby I: t were early risers, and at six o'clock Thursday morning the party had finished bretikfast, and, after Wingate had paid the hotel bill, the young fellows " sacked their baggage and stores down to the bank of the river, where the teamster, who was up even earlier than they were, had carried their boats. It would seem as if the black flies and mosquitoes had heard of their coming, for, as Drake remarked, "if there was one, there was a millio»%" and before launch- ing the boats they besmeared themselves with "Jumbo- line," " Hind's Black Fly Cream," or whatever else they happened to have. " Now, fellows," said Claude, " here are the boats. To the best of my belief, one is as good as another, but if anybody has a choice let him say so." It had been previously determined that Claude, Foster, and Drake should be the crew for one boat St. Clair, Robbins, and Wood for another, and Win- gate, Maynard, and Le Roy for the third. "I don't see any difference in the boats, but I do in the names," said Drake, "and I prefer the Petnl. Let us take that, Claude." 40 A Sutj'nsc and a Race. 41 "It n. ..cs no difference to me. As Shakespeare says, ' What's in a name ? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' " " I suppose it would if it were called a Daisy for in- stance," remarked St. Clair, " and, if no fellow objects, our crew will take the Daisy P ^ " I don't," chirruped Wingate, " and We, Us & Co. will sail in the Swalhwr The boats were now launched and loaded, each one of a crew carrying his own belongings, .side a third of the stores and company baggage. The crew of the rdrd was made up with Foster as coxswain, Emerson as stroke, and Drake as bow. In the Swalloio, Le Roy was coxswain, Wingate stroke, and Maynard bow. And the Daisy's billet was : Rob- bins, coxswain ; St. Clair, stroke ; and Wood, bow. And the crews, like the boats, were very w'ell matched. When everything was in readiness frr a stan, Claude looked at his watch, and found it wa? seven o'clock, and from the feeling of the air it gave token of being a hot day. " Now, fellows," he said, " from where we are standing to the Mount Kineo House is about thirty-eight miles. It is possible to do it in a day, but we should have to work like beavers to accomplish it in that time." "Don't let us hurry," remarked Robbins. "Two days are little enough to do it in, and we shall probably have some carries on the way. I say, take it easy." "Good advice, Robbins," added Maynard, "and I am willing to accept it on my part. We want a chance to see the country." -^0^'^ 42 C//> ihe North Branch. 'Tlicn where shall we dine, and \4here shall wc stop to-night ? " queried Claude. " For one, I say that I want to dine at some piace where I can catch some troui, and I think the place selected for camping to-night ought to be near some good lishing ground," and VVingate glanced around at his friends to learn if ".ny of them were of his way of thinking. " Thai's the idea, old fellow," put in Wood, who was out on his first trip of the kind; " 1 want a chance to do some fishing." " In that case," added Claude " ^ think we had better pull to Long Pond Outlet, a distance of twelve miles, carry jur boats and luggage around the dam, and then take our dinner luere. Probably we shall find good fishing near the dam." " That will suit me," remarked Le Roy, " and I think twelve miles of rowing before dinner is enough." "After dinner," continued Claude, "we can run dow *o Brassau Lake, and pull over to Misery Stream, where we ought to strike some trout, and camp there to-night." No one made any objection to this arrangement, and it was decided settled, and at seven o'clock and thirty minutes the boats were pushed off and headed down river, the Petrel taking the lead, closely followed by the Swalloiv and Daisy. The boys noticed that there was not much of a cur- rent, and the water had the appearance of being deep. They saw chat the banks of the river were low, and that most of the land on either side had been cleared, and 1 1 _ A Surprise and a Race. 48 was uiulcr cultivation. 'I'here was not much to see along the rivvr, but, once out on the poiul, ihcy had some pretty views, and away in the outh several wooded mountains towered toward ti.- sky. The shores of the lake were pretty, and were wooded most of the distance. They p issed two farms on the left or north shore, which, like most everything else in that section, be- longed to the Coburns of Skowhegan. As they pulled along, they noticed many nice camp- ing spots, and saw also that the lake was very irregular in^'shape. When they reached \.\ narrows, they found the lake was only about a quarter ot a mile wide at that point, and that in th= vicinity rocks were very plenty, and not far under water. The fiist intimation they had of them was when the J\'tn'l ran on top of one and came within an ace of capsizing. " Look out, fellows," sang out Claude, who caught a glimpse of several rocks under water close to him, "we are in a regular 'hop bed.' Row slowly, and keep your eyes peeled for rocks, or you will bring up on top of one, as we did." Luckily for the bottom of the Petrel, it was a smooth shelving rock that she had struck, and she cleared it after a while, with no other mishap than taking in a little water. For a mile the boys rowed slowly and carefully, and it was not until the lake had widened to a half-mile or more that they dared to pull their regular stroke. On their way down the pond, they passed tlic Uui^^r and 44 Up the North Branch. Lower Churchill streams, both of which empty in on the north side, but they did not go very near them. There was scarcely a ripple on the water, and the sun poured down its scorching heat with a power that almost wilted them. It was nearly eleven o'clock when they reached the dam, and very glad they all were to jret out of the boats for a while. "This looks like a new dam," remarked Foster, as he and Claude staggered up the steep bank with the Petrel. " Yes, it is. That custom I.ouse offircr at the hotel told me it was built only last fall." " ' Jerusalem, my happy home ! ' ain't this hot ! " exclaimed P'oster, as he and Claude stopped on top of the bank a moment, while B'ily wiped the perspiration from his face. "Yes; I'll bet any fellow a hat that it's between ninety and a hundred. I don't believe we shall get many fish foi dinner, the sun is so bright.'' After the boats, stores, and baggage had been car- ried around the dam, and deposited on the river bank below, Wood, Drake, Foster, and Maynard went fish- ing, and the remainder of the party cut a little wood, and made preparations for dinner. " Well, Claude," said ^'ingate, " what shall we have for dinner?" "I don't know. It's too confounded hot to cook much. You had better open a couple of cans of that chicken and corned beef; two of each will do, and I will make some coffee, and we'll try hardtack in place of bread. If they catch any fish we will cook them, n »3-' t^i- I A Surprise and a Race. 45 ami, in the meantime, I will fry some potatoes; Le Roy, make yourself useful, will you, instead of orna- mental, and peel and slice potatoes enough for nine hungry villains, who are never so wicked but what they can eat." «'' That's just like you, Claude," cried Le Roy, with a laugh. "Just as a fellow gets comfortably fixed, you rou't him up, and set him at work," and Le Roy, with a v the Great Horn Spoon!" exclaimed Le Roy, who was the first to notice how the Pdrel was creeping away, " Foster is up to his old tricks agaia. He's stolen a march on us." *'\Vhat do you mean?" cried Wingate and Maynard in one breath. "I mean that the Petrel is running away from us. Look for yourselves." The crew of the Swallow turned their heads, and at a glance saw the game the Petrels were playing. Then thev bent to their oars, and the Swallow skimmed the water nearly as lightly as its namesake. "Pull, Charlie," urged Frank Maynard, "we'll over- haul the y^f/rf/ yet." " If rve don't do that, we won't let the Daisy over- haul us," and Wingate settled down to business. The coxswain of the Daisy, Kobbins, had just finished a funny story about negro life in Florida, whicli had elicited a hearty laugh from his crew, when, glan- cing toward the boats ahead, he saw that the others were fast leaving him, and he began to get excited. "Oh, see here, fellows, this won't do. Quit your laugiiing and pull like the old scratch. The Petrel and Swallow are running away from us." A Siir/tris,^ a fid a Race. 51 St. Clair and Wood glanced in the direction ' the other boats, and then quickened their strokes. " By gracious ! " exclaimed Wood, ** it*s a race. Pull, St. Clair, we are not going in third if I can help it." *' All right ! I'll do my best, Dave, but they have the start of us." The crews of all the boats were now thoroughly inter- ested in the contest, and were all pulling the best they were capable of. But they were pretty well matched, and, although the boats were moving much faster than they had before, the relative distance between them was the same. '* Well, Foster, the Daisies have woke up at last," said Claude, " and they are just humping her." *' Let them hump," replied the coxswain, as he turned around to look at them, *' they'll have to stop and spit on their hands if they catch us to-day." " A stern chase is a long chase," added Drake, with a grin, and he pulled just a little harder, if anything, than before. *' Do we gain on the Petrel any, Le Roy ? " queried Wingate, when ten minutes had been wiped out of the book of time. • " Not a gain," replied the coxswain, "it's a regular nip-and-tuck business." " The Daisy is creeping up on us a little, or else I imagine it," puffed Maynard. "Well, I guess you imagine it, then !" declared Le Roy, after turning and taking a look at his friends. "Bend your backs — don't be afraid of a little muscle; ^ f #t( no Up the North Branch. if you let those fellows pull by us you haven't pride enousjh for .1 cockroach." " What the dickens has pride tc do with a cock- roach ? " queried VVingate. '' That's the conundrum, Charlie. When you answer it, I'll give you another." 'By direction of Claude, Fost-r was steering for Misery Sands, and, when within a mile of the beach, an incident happened that lost the Petrel the race. While f-oing at her highest speed she suddenly stopped so abruptly as to pitch every fellow in her toward the bow of the boat, and for a moment her crew thought there had been an earthquake, or some other great commotion. They were all piled up to- geiherrand as soon as they could collect their wits, they regained their places, and began an investigation. The)" found the situation of the beat most peculiar for it had run into the crotch of an old water-soaked tree that was floating about the lake, whose prongs were just even with the top of the water ; the Petrel had struck fairly between the two limbs, and had gone into the openipcr about a third of her length, and then brought up as solid as if she was fastened in a vise. . A thorough investigation showed that the boat was not injured, which was wonderful under the circum- stances; but it was liable to be, if not soon freed from the grasp of the drifting tree, as the pressure was so strong that tlie Petrel's ribs were sprung a little out of shape. That the light craft had not collapsed, when it brought up so suddenly, was due to the heavy load it carried. A Surprise and a Race. 53 "What is the matter? " called Le Roy, a:» 'he Swal- iow came near them, and her crew ceased rowing. "We are in the jaws of a sea-serpent," replied Claude, who was studying the situation. " Is your boat hurt any ? " ^^ "Not much, I guess," answered Foster. "Shes having a reguhir bear hug just now, but she'll come out of it all right, I guess." " Do you want any help ? " " I think not," returned Claude ; " we have one of the axes with us." The Daisy dashed up to the scene of the mishap just in ti'ne (or her crew to hear Claude's last remark, and Robbins, who was quick to catch at any advan- Hge, said, — " Pull, fellows, for all you're worth. Now is our time. You heard what Claude said ; they don't require help. Pull now like sardines before the Swallows get under way again." , , t -n " We'll go on, then, Claude," remarked Le Roy ; "you'll find us at the beach. Give way, fellows." IJeforc the crew of the Swalhm had given the f^rst dip to their oars, the Daisy shot by them like a streak of li-htning, and Robbins called cut, " I say. Tommy, throw us your painter, and we'll tow you to shore." " What gall 1 " remarked Le Roy to his crew. " Are you going to stand that ? " " I'm not," replied Wingate, laughing, " I'm sitting down to it." ^ " No joking I " cried the coxswain, indignantly. ' 1- was a mean trick for those fellows to pass us that way. 6A Up the North Branch. They never even stopped to see if the Petrels needed help. All they cared for was gettinend.. " First rate, I don't want any better boat. "Oh site's a good boat," replied (.eorge, '>ut a ,Ht,c slow -yes,'a very iittie slow," and ite wtnked at the discon.fued Swallows, and smiled sancilj-. "You're a blower, George," declared Wmgate. " YoT, know we didn't have a fair show. If s my opin- ion we can beat you, and we are ready to ry U a am any time -eh, boys ? " with a quesfon.ng glance at the Swallows. ,, 1 T 13^,, «' nnfl \ -Fhose are my sentL-nents," added Le Roy, and I believe the 5...//... can skim away from your old tub as easily as her namesake can from a hen. "Old tub!" cried Wood, uKlignantly. The nex , ■ fl^.f wp'll leave vou hull down if time we catch you afloat, ^^e u leave )u there's room to do it." . , r-in„rlA n«; " What's all the chaffing about ? " mquirea Claude, as the /V/rt'/ slid up on the beach. ■ „ ,u^ "Why the Daisies are so conceited over wmmng the race i >-u can call it a race under the circumstances Tat'you cn't touch one of theif. with a ten-foot pole, and Le Roy laughed derisively. 55 56 Up the North Brauch. i % "Sour grapes!" cried St. Clair, rubbin- his finger up and down his nose in the most exasperating manner. " Oh, bother the race ! " chipped in Drake. " 'Hie great question of the day is, when shall we have supper, and what are we going to have > I'm as hungry as a woJf." " Will you eat raw chickens .? " queried Foster, with a smile. "Of course not, you sand-lotter from the Pacific slope." "Then you're not as hungry as a wolf. Because a wolf will every time."- " Has you there. Bob," chuckled Wingate. " Gentlemen of the Lake and Forest Club I " call d Claude. " Hear ! hear ! " shouted several. " It is now 5 : 30 by the tov.n clock, or rather by mv watch, and I propose that three of the partv row around to the mouth of Misery Stream, which lies just .eyond us, and see if there are any trout in the market. Tint three others prepare a camp for the night, and that the other three members get the supper. Now, who will tempt the trout t " " I ! " shouted Wood ; '' and I," " and I ! " added Win- gate and Drake. Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once then," said Claude, "and may good luck attend you." "Is that fellow stopping round here, Claude'" quened Drak., with a wink at the other members of the party. The First Night "s Camp. 51 I " I can tell you better when 1 see hosv many fish you bring back," replied Claude, who was never at loss for ao answer to any chaffing. The fishermen jointed their rods, found their fly- hooks, and, after smCc g taeir hands and faces plenti- fully with "fly medicine," not forg .ting to pocket a supply of it, launched the S'wallo.o, and pulled around to the mouth of Misery Stream, which they thought the most likely place for furnishing the trout. " Now, who will build the camp ? " questioned CUiude. " Remember, this 5s rdl volunteer service. We will arrange the regular crews for cooking and other duties before we leave Kineo." " I for one," said Foster, and he was joined by May- nard and St. Clair. " Then, it remains for I.e Roy, Robbins, and myse ' to provide supper." "And the soor,er you get it the better," added Foster. The three camp-builders now turned their attent'cn to preparing a shelter for the night, while the three cooks made preparations for supper. " You act as chef, Claude," suggested Le Roy, " and Robbins and I will assist ; and, as a fire is the first thing needed, I will cut some wood." " And I'll bring some water," added Roijbins. " And I'll overhaul the stores and see what we have to eat," remarked Claude, a'' he commenced an inspec- tion of the commissary department. Before proceeding to their duties, each of the shore party was compelled to anoint himself with the fly 58 Up the North Branch. compound, for the mosquitoes had reached the caini> '\\\z iiroutid about as soon as the members of the club, and were presenting thtir bills wiih a prompt demand for settlement. The weather was so warm that a very slight shelter with a fire in front would answer for the night, and the camp-builders decided on a *' lean-to " as the easiest to build, and in the immediate vicinity they found plenty of material for their purpose. It took them about an hour to construct a camp to their liking, and then they felled and cut up sufficient trees to enable them to keep a blaze all niglit, and in front of the camp they arranged a large pile of fuel all ready to fire after dark, and piled the balance near, where it could be got at easily. Then they joined the cocking party to see how supper was progressing. Their work had given them a good appetite, and they were anxious for an opportu- nity to satisfy it. "What is the bill of fare, Claude ? " inquired Foster, as the camp-builders gathered around the cooks' fire. " Cold corned beef, currant jelly, fried potatoes, hot biscuit, and fried trout, if the boys bring in any fish." " We shall soon know what luck they have had, for here they come," added Maynard. In a few moments the fisliermen were on shore, exhib- iting a handsome string of thirty trout, averaging over half a pound each. As they were all dressed, some of them were put in the frying-pan at once, and in the course of thirty minutes they were all cooked, and Claude announced that supper *vas ready. The First Night 's Camp. 59 Tin plates, cups, knives and forks were brought forth, and each one helped himself; and then they squatted aroun«l in a circle and proceeded to business. Amid a merry round of jest and repartee the evening meal was despatched, and then the dishes were washed up. When everything had been cleared away, Wingate started a song, and the party all joined; and for an hour the forest resounded with music. As the evening advanced, however, the attacks of the mosquitoes in- creased rapidly, and by ten o'clock all retired to rest, well protected by mosquito netting. Light was just breaking in the east, Friday morning, when the fishermen of the night before, by a precon- certed signal, rose quickly and stole silently out from among their friends, rjul, launching the Daisy, rowed softly away from the landing, and reached the mouth of Misery just as the first birds were singing their matin songs. The air was fragrant with the aroma of the forests, the lake as still as the blue sky overhead, and the boys, while intent on fishing, were not so entirely preoccupied as not to notice and enjoy the opening beauties c'' the new day. Having reached a suitable place for trying their luck, they began casting, each one hoping to have the honor of landing the first fish. Drake was the lucky man. He had scarcely dropped his flics upon the water when he had a hand- some rise, struck his fish in good shape, and, af^er ten minutes of fine sport, he reeled in his line, getting the i i»l 60 Up the North Branch, fish near enough for VVingate to let him. The trout weighed a pound and a quarter, and ihe fishermen were well satisfied with the commencement of the sport. After the first fish had been landed, the trout began rising all around the boat, in a manner that drove their would-be captors almost frantic with excitement. For an hour they had the prettiest fly-fishing that Wingate had ever witnessed, and the party look seventy fish, none, however, quiie as heavy as the first one struck by Drake. Then occurred one of those unaccountable changes that all fishermen have experienced. The trout left off rising, and disappeared. Not a sign of a rise in any direction, and, although the fellows fished steadily for an hour and a half longer, there was not another fish taken. While they were debating the expediency of return- ing to camp, the report of a rifle echoed and reechoed across the lake, and attracted the fishermen's attention. '• That is a signal for us to return, fellows," said Wingate. " Here, Drake, you're in the bow ; place the butts of the rods under the forward seats, and ther. we'll pull for the shore. That is, you ai.d Wood can, and I'll steer." " Nothing mean about you," remarked Drake, as he took care of the rods, and picked up an oar. " I'm glad to learn that for a certainty," replied Charlie, laughing. " Do you know, at times I've been afraid there was." The droll manner in which he delivered the last sen- The First Night's Camp. 61 tence set his hearers into a gale of la ighter. After controlling their mirth, they dropped their oar blades into the water, and started with a stroke that sent the Daisy rapidly toward the camp. " I hope breakfast is all jready but frying the fish," remarked Wood. "This early rising makes a fellow hungry. I feel as if I had been without food for a week." " I see," suggested Drake, " you have a kind of a weakly feeling." " Come, come, now ! " proter^ed Wingate. " That is too bad. Before breakfast, too." "That hon mot was to improve his appetite," ex- plained Drake, with a laugh. '• To kill it, you mean," suggested Wood. As the boat shot up on the beach opposite the camp- fire, all but Claude rushed down for a look at the fish, which Wingate proudly exposed to view. "You have made a good catch," said Maynard, look- ing at the fish, and taking the rods from the boat. " Correct," answered Drake. " What made you so sly about it, Charlie ? " queried Robbins. " I should have enjoyed going with you." " I dare say. But in this case three completed the party. Wili be pleased to have your company some other time." " Are those fish dressed ? " inquired Claade, from the fire. " Nary a dress," returned Wood. "Then, somebody, dress them. How many hav2 you ? " H.^: :P I 62 Up the North Branch. I " Seventy." "We'll keep half of them for dinner, but you may as well dress them all now." The two assistants of the cook, aided by Drake and Wood, began dressing the fi»h, while V.'ingate washed out the boat. As fast as the fish were dressed, Foster carried them to Claude, who kept at the cooking until half the num- ber had been fried. Then breakfast was announced. The balance of the fish, nicely cleaned, were rolled up in birch bark, and put in a box that had been left on the ground by some former camping party. " I expect we shall find some pretty lively water, the first three miles on the river," said Claude, while the party were breakfasting. ■ " I don't believe it will be any worse than some we found on the West Branch trip," replied St. Clair. " A bad piece of rapids is an exhilaration," added Maynard. " It makes things exciting to run a piece of water in a boat when you feel just as if you would rather be on shore." "I don't know about that," said W )od, doubtfully. "The lighter the boats are, the easier you can run the falls, and I think it will be best for three of us to walk along the river bank in the worst places, and have only two in each boat." "I agree with you," remarked C^laude. When breakfast was finished and the dishes washcvt, it did not take long to load the boats, and in half an hour from the time the party had finished eating they were afloat and pulling across the lake to the outlet. The First Night's Camp. 63 This was only a short distance, and, reaching the river, the boats were pulled in to the north side, and Drake, Wood, and Le Roy stepped on shore, leaving onlv two in each boat. The navigators then took their places in the bow and stern, with paddles instead of oars, and prepared to run the rapids, which extended for three miles down to Gertrude Island, As the boys were about to push off, a boat came in sight, being poled up the rapids by one man, its only occupant. As the craft came nearer they saw it was a birch canoe. As the canoe-man cleared the white water, he no' iced the boats, which he appeared not to have seen before, and poled over to them. " Good morning ! " said Claude, as the man stopped his canoe, within a few feet of the boats. " Mornin'," replied the man. " You goin' down river in those boats?" "That is our intention." " D'ye know anything 'bout the river ? " " Not a great deal." "Well, then, just keep yer eyes skinned at the dam and Sam's Pitch, or those nice boats'll get ye into trouble." " I guess not," replied Maynard. " We've seen while water before." "Wall, ye'll feel it to-day," with a coarse attempt at a joke, "if ye ain't earful," and, ' ighing loudly, he poled up toward the lake. " I would like to know if any more of them escaped m 64 Up the North Branch. from the menagerie? "and Wood threw a questioning glance at his friends. They laughed, and Wingate informed him that such characters as the one who had just left them were a common production of that part of the countr)'. "Pass me my gun, Frank!" and Le Rov stepped nearer the Swalloiv, Maynard picked it up, and, laughing, said, " You know it is close season for all kinds of game, Tommy." " That may be. But it's not close season for foxes, and we may see -one. Pull the covering off, will " Here you are," handing him the gun, " and I'll bet five dollars you don't see a fox, much less shoot one." "I never bet," replied Le Roy, in a solemn tone. " In fact, it is better not to bet." " You bet it is," added Wingate. " And the bettist often gets bit," su^:^ested Claude. " Better make a start, or we shall not reach Kineo to-day," remarked Drake, starting along the river road, and Le Roy and Wood followed him. The boats were then paddled out from the shore and headed down river, the boatmen scanning the stream intently, and keeping their eyes wide open for rocks or other obstructions. The Petrel was ahead, with Claude in the bnw, and, as he was as good a boatman as there was in the party, the occupants of the Swallow and the Daisy thought best to follow closely in his wake. As the water grew stronger, the boats shot ahead faster, and, successfully passing the dangers of Sam's l.K KMV'S <}l'N TAME yUIf'KI.V TO HIS SHOULDER. Page G5. The First Night ' J Camp. 65 Pitch and the Dam, had in half an hour reached the island, and were paddled to the north shore to await the arrival of the " three tramps," as Foster called them. " Now, fellows, if you please, let me go ahead," said Le Koy, as he slipped a couple of shells into his gun, "and if 1 see a moose I'll make him run, if nothing more." "That is all you would do, probably," bantered Wood, "unless you might possibly hit him by acci- dent." "Oh, stop your gassing, and give me a couple of hundred yards the start of you." "Strike out, then," said Diake, * Iting. Le Roy had soon covered his iwo hundred yards, and a turn of the road, a minute later, hid him from I fumbled in all his pockets until he founH a piece of string, wi'.h which he tied the two hind legs of poor Reynard together, and, slinging him on his gun barrels, they sta.ted along the road, this time in company. A few minutes' walk jrought them to the point on the river opposite Gertrude Islard, where the boats were awaiting their arrival. " Where's the fellow who wanted to bet five dollars that I would not see a fox } " cried Le Roy, as he stepped up to the Swallow and held the fox on high by the end of his tail. " He's just stepped into the woods," replied Maynard, laughing. " Yes, he has," retorted Tommy. " Don't you be so fresh, old tellow, the next time." " Wliat are you going to do w iih him, Le Roy ? " asVed Foster. " Well, I told Wood that we should bake him for dinner, but he didn't quite swallow my statement." '- Singular," replied Maynard, with a chuckle. " Extraordinary," added Wingate. " A regular doubter," remarked St. Clair. Le Roy laid the fox in the Swallo7v, took the shells from his gun, put it back in the case, and then an- nounced that he was ready to go on. " 1 think," said Claude, " that, as it is so hot, and," looking at his watch, " almost -levcn o'clock, we had better stop on the island until two or three o'clock, and then do the rest of tli • distance, which is only four miles, in the cooler part of the day. What do you say, boys ? " 1 t \ v^ '§Bm 68 Up the North Branch. " That will suit me for one," declared Robbins. The other members of the party also expressed them- selves as satisfied with the proposition, and the three boats were propelled to the island, where the crews landed. "This is a better place for dinner than on the mam- land," remarked Mavnard. "That is so," added St. Clair. "We get a little breeze here, and thn flies and mosquitoes are not so thick." ;he boats were -drawn up on the island just far ough to prevent them drifting away, but were not unloaded, the fellows taking out only what they needed for the noonday meal. They concluded to have this at twelve o'clock, and preliminaries with that end in view were at once commenced. ■■' Do you think our stores will be at Kinto when v/e get there, Claude ? " inquired Drake, as he assisted the leader of the party in starting a fire. "Certainly. They left Boston Monday, and we should find them at the Kineo House sure lo- " I hope we shall not have to wait for them," put in Wood. " I don't believe we shall," added Maynard. " Vou know we are to spend Sunday there, and surely they will be along before Monday morning, even if they are not there to-night." "Don't let's borrow any trouble over the matter," philosophically suggested Wingate ; "trouble comes fast enough any way in this world." i The First Night 's Camp. 60 '• Vou are rij,dit," remarked Foster ; " but if you don't believe me ask Tommy's fox ? " " That fox is not talking so much as he was," sug- gested St. Clair. " He is a very grave fellow." " He ought to be put in his grave," laughed Wood. '" He beirins to smell alreadv." '• Don't talk so much without saying something," said Tommy, with a strong tone of sarcasm in his voice. "Great Scott! isn't tiiis warm, though !" exclaimed Foster, staggering to the. firo and throwing down an armful of wood beside it. " We ought to have eaten a cold lunch this noon." "A warm dinner and a cup of hot coffee is good enough for me," said Maynard. " You can't expect freezing weather in Julv, even up in this country," declared Robbins. Jkit Foster did not answer him; he only wiped his perspiring biow and winkc .t. He did not feel equal to an argument. The dinner was partaken of leisurely, and afterward Claude made a sketch from the island. At about four o'clock the boys launched their boats and proceeded toward Kinco. There were no more rapids, although there were several shoal places at the mouth of the river, and all the boys knew it, because every boat ran aground, and it took them some time to get off and find deep water. Once in tlie lake, however, they had no further trouble, and ai six o'clock drew their boats up on the beach near the ho:el, ;!nd, shouldering part of uielr traps, went up to the house. 70 Up the North Branch. Landlord DL-nnen met theiu at the door ami <;ave them a hearty welcome, and Chuide told him they should stop with him until Monday morning, lie gave them a dozen or more letters, and informed them that their goods had not come, and then the party registered, were shown to rooms, and retired to prepare for supper. ■R lij 1 CHAPTER V. FROM KINEO TO SEEBOOMOOK. The stores that the club were looking for had not arrived at Kineo, as Claude expected, but they came on the steamer Saturday morning, and the boys opened the different packages and boxes, changing tlie goods to other packages that could be done up more com- ^'^As^ihe steamer did not arrive until half past nine, it took the partv the rest of the forenoon to get the stores arranged for transportation in such a manner as suited them. , In the afternoon Robbins, Foster, Drake, and Wood made the ascent of Mount Kineo, while the other members of the party interviewed the hotel people, also guides and guests, about their proposed tr.p, gettmg all the informa , ^ they could about the route they were to take, and asking especially about what camps they ^^r^ likely to find, and where located. m t .. evening they talked over the arrangementc for the start from Kineo, and it was decided to hire the JMy Dream, a small steamer belonging to the hotel, to take them to the Northwest Carry, and that they woiuc. start at eight o'clock. , , i Claude, with Foster as assistant, wns elected to do the cooking fc ■ the first week, the entire party, how- 71 1 72 Up the North Branch. ever, to be under the chief cook's direction for the entire trip, and, as the cooks were to be changed once a week, each one in turn would have command of the party. As they were away for a "Summer's Oulincj," it was agreed that there should be no long stretches of travel unless it was absolutely necessary, and that they should take the trip in the easiest way possible. As Drake put it, they were willing to have the largest possible amount of fun, and the smallest possible amount of work. There being seve'ral ministers at the hotel, divine services were held on Sunday in the large parlor, and the entire party attended morning and evening, the afternoon being spent in chatting with a few friends whom they had found stopping at Kineo, one of whom they had become acquainted with two years before, while on their trip down the West Branch. At sharp seven o'clock on Monday morning the boys filed into the dining-room for breakfast. It had been understood the night before that there was to be no loitering, and that every member of the party was to be ready to sail precisely at eight o'clock. Captain Lrown had agreed to have all their boats, stores, and baggage on board at the hour named, and be ready to sail the moment they stepped on 'eck. He was as good as liis word, for when the party reached the steamer they found the fasts cast off, and the cap- tain holtling the boat to the wharf bv one of the stan- chions. " Good morning, young gentlemen," remarked the J * Prom Kinco to Scchoomooh. 73 I captain, pleasantly, as they stepped on board; "you have just saved your passage. A moment later, and I should have sailed without yon." "That's right, captain," replied Claude; "always sail on time." " Whether you have any passengers or not," added Wingate. The captain pushed the steamer away from the wharf, and started for the wheel-house, remarking that people who got left two or three times were generally on time alter such an experience. " I agree with you, captain," answered Claude ; and, turning'^to his friends, " Now, lellows, let's see if our things are all here." Upon looking over their stores and baggage every- thing was found to be on board, and, with their minds at ease on this miportant matter, they turned their attention to the lake and its surroundings. As Emer- son, Wingate, St. Clair, and Drake were the only mem- bers of the party who had participated in the trip down the West Branch, they began a running de- scription of points of interest along the route. " Can we see those mountains you made the ascent of, Claude ? " inquired Frank Maynard, joining in the conversation. " Yes. There are the Spencer Peaks behind that low mountain ; Little Kineo it is called. And Mount Katahdin you will see from a point higher up the lake." "Those Spencer Mountains are very symmetrical in shape," remarked Le Roy. " Was it a hard climb to the top of them ? " 1 4 up the North Branch. m ■ " V'cs, rather hard. I should not care to ck ^vith the last one, and he wants the treasurer of this crowd to be on hand with his nickels." ♦' I'll be there," replied Wingate. -Of course you will. But is^dinner ready? Ihat ib the question that interests me." "A 1 ready, Frank," returned Claude. "Take r.ght hold and help yourself. Fall to, fellows, wlule things '"'While they are hot," repeated Wood. "You don't suppose they'll cool any^such a day as this, do you . " They misjht in time." Claude and Foster were now busy in watt.ng upon their friends, and when they had attended to the wants of the otlrers thev ate their dinner, while ,he;r fr.ends sat with them and chatted over .heir "'-'""S f "'T'^. " Charlie," said Claude, when he had Im.shed h,s a '^PfPPV" IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ M f/ ^ V' w4?' m A V '!kf l/i fA 1.0 I.I 11.25 12.2 1.4 1.6 "/a /a "w ^'>^? 4 ^'^J }. i'iiUUJgiapiiiL; Sciences Corporation •i>^ ^> \ \ a 0^ 33 WEST MAIN STRHT WEBSTER, N.Y. 145M (716) •73-4S03 "%"^;^^^ ^ ^ ^ 80 Up the North Branch. dinner, " I want some of the fellows to stav here, and get wood and build a camp, and, as you will have to go and settle with Lane, I think you can get along with two fellows; that will be one for each boat. Can't he, Frank } " "Yes! but don't send me. I have made two trips already." " I'll go ! " cried Robbins. " And I," added Le Roy. "All right," replied Claude, "I'll find work for the rest of the party." After Wingate had started to meet Lane, Claude talked with the other fellows to get an idea of how long they wished to stop on the island, and the general opinion was that the party should leave Wednesday morning and move up the river as far as Swan's or the Big Island, and that Tuesday they could go down the river and take a look at Seeboomook Falls. When the trip was first planned, Claude and Wingate had thought of taking a camera and some dry plates and making negatives of the most striking places on their route. But, when they learned what the camera and plates would weigh, they decided it would be im- possible to carry such a load in addition to their stores and baggage through several hundred miles of wilder- ness. So that project was given up, and the bovs con- cluded to depend on what they could do in the way of sketching, to carry home souvenirs of their trip. Several of the gentlemen with whom they had talked at the Kineo House had told them that Seeboomook Falls were well worth a visit if they had the time to make it, and, as they had plenty of time at their com- Frovi Kinco to Scchoomook. 81 mand. they concluded to devote one day to an inspec- iion of the falls. When this decision had been arrived at, Claude set Maynard and St. Clair to building a camp, and Drake and \\ ood to securing fuel, while he with Foster's help made preparation for supper. Wingate and his two companions reached the south side of the meadow pond promptly at four o'clock, but they had to wait half an hour before Lane made his appearance. " Thought you were going to be here at four o'clock," said Wingate, pleasantly, as the driver and sled came in siijht. " Well, I should have been, only my darned old har- ness broke, and I had to go back to the house and git some spun yarn to mend it with." " Have vou brought evervthing th's time ? " " Yes : not a thing left behind ; if there is, I'll give you my head." *' I guess you better keep it," remarked Robbins ; "you might feel the need of it." " And, besides, think how you would frighten people walking around without any head on your shoulders," added Le Roy. The boys helped unload the sled, and then paid Mr. Lane his six dollars; and that worthy, wislnng them "good luck," turned his team, and headed for home. The freight was then loaded, the three boats launched, and Wingate, taking the lead, started for camp, the others following closely in his wake. It was half past five when they reached the island, and ■h \ 82 Up the North Branch. Dave and Rob "came down to the river to help them i£ necessary. "S'lpper most ready?" questioned Le Roy, as he stepped out of the boat. '• Ves," replied Wood, and then added, " I'm blessed if this iln't the hungriest crowd 1 ever saw. All you think of is eating." '' We'll, that's all you'll think of," retorted Tommy, " after you have been in the woods a few days longer. This pure air in the wilderness gives a fellow an appetite. Why, I eat mo.re at one meal up here in the woods than I do for a whole day at home." " Hope we shall not get out of provisions, then," lauc^hed Wood: "if we do, such fellows as you will starve." '• Seems to me it is getting hotter, instead of cooler," remarked Wingate, as he went up to camp, lugging a bag that weighed about seventy-five pounds. "I ihink so too," replied Claude, "but I don't know that we can help the matter any." After supper, in the evening, it was arranged tha^ the party should have breakfast the next morning at six o'clock, and that, after things were cleared away, they should start on foot, and go down river as far as they liked, and carry a lunch with them, returning to camp in time to have supper before dark. It was ten o'clock when they retired for the night, and the air was so sultry they could scarcely breathe. At midnight it commenced to rain, and the wind began rising soon after, and ere long was blowing a gale. It increased until it became a hurricane, and Fiovi Kluco to Sccboomooh. 83 finally blew down the camp, very little of which, how- ever, fell on the sleepers. r.ut the noise awoke them, and they found themselves in darkness blacker than coal tar, the rain having ex- tinf;uished every spark of fire; it was now fast wetting them throuj^h, and, altogether, the situation was any- thing but pleasant. Thev cleared themselves of what little de'bris had fallen on them, and pulled their blankets closer. Sud- denly the rain turned to hail, and the hailstones in- creased from the size of peas until they were nearly as large as hens' eggs, and the boys, pulling the blankets over their heads, turned their faces to the ground, and stood the pelting as best they could ; but in two or three cases, where their hands were exposed, they had the skin taken off in places by the hail, which for five minutes came in torrents, and then ceased as suddenly as it had begun. The air also cooled off rapid'y, and soon the entire "party, who, on the cessation of the hail, had turned out and dressed, were shivering with cold. "This will not do," said Claude, "we shall all take cold. Luckily I know where the candhs are, and I will light one, and then see if we can't make a fire." The cook row groped his way to where the stores had been piled, and after a few minutes found a candle- stick, three of which were among their stores, and a candle, and, after trying several wet matches, found a dry one, and succeeded in striking a light. Splitting some wood very fine and vising plenty of 84 Up the North Branch. ii n birch bark, a liberal supply of wliich tluy had on hand, Claude succeeded after a while in starting a fire, which he craduallv increased until it threw out a ruddy glow, lighting up the camp perfectly, and sending out a very desirable amount of heat. Around the fire the boys gathered and began the drying-ofT process, for they were all as wet as water could make them. Claude put some water on to heat, and, when it had boiled, made some Jamaica ginger tea, and each one of the party took a half-pint of it, which in their condi- tion was the best thing they could have done. There wr.s no more sleep that night, for it took them till daylight to dry themselves and look after their stores and baggage. Luckily for them, the stores had been well covered up, and none of the food had been wet. Claude had seen enough of camping never to leave anything to chance. As they gathered at breakfast, except the loss of a little sleep, they were none the worse for the storm, and, now fhat it had passed, joked each other about their appearance during the night. " Do vou irct much of this kind of weather here ? " queried Wood, who had really been a little frightened during the siorm, for hailstones as large as eggs were a novelty to him. "Not very often," replied Claude. "That squall probably was the result of two showers meeting," " It is queer there was no thunder and lightning with it," said Wingate. " It is the only rain squall of that kind that I ever was in without getting a taste of fireworks." From Kinco to Sccboomook. 85 " I hope we won't have anothevone very soon," added Wood ; "this one will do me for all summer." " It will be a nice day today," remarked Maynard. " How sweet and fresh the air is. It will be more com- fortable, too, than it has been for the last three or four days." *• Do you think it will be safe, Claude, to leave our things alone all day ? " queried Drake, when everybody was ready to start. " Yes, I don't think anybody will be here to-day. I don't know of any other camping parties in the vicinity, and the flies are so thick there will not be many parties going out this month any way. Then again, most of the parties from Kineo go down river, instead of coming up, so I think we are safe in leaving the camp alone." " So do I " added St. Clair. l!:l CHAPTER VI. 1 mi \ ■ UP THE NORTH BRANCH. The party ferried themselves across to the right side of the river, and then i .vie their way along the bank, stopping occasionally i^ take a glimpse at the falls. Part of "the distance there was a good path, but most of the way the walking was difficult, and it was noon when they reached a point opposite the mouth of Russell Stream. Claude, Wingate, and Maynard had made sketches at different points on the river, and intended to make others on their way back. The boys had brought a coffee pot with coffee, beside their lunch, and Foster filled the pot with water, and made a fire, while Claude prepared the lunch. This was served on pieces of birch bark, as they had brought -no dishes with them except some drinking-cups. Wood and Drake had brought their rods along with them, against the advice of some of the older members of the party, and, although they had sto[^oed several times on the falls for fishing, neither of them had seen a trout. They had finished their dinner, and were on the point of starting back, when they heard a deep baying behind them, which continued at intervals, sounding nearer each time. 86 'I up the Xorth Branch. «7 " By gracious 1" said Wingate, "somebody is dogging deer up here. I wish I had my ritlc." '' 1 have my gun," remarked St. Clair, " and if any hound comes in sight of us, he never uill run another deer," and Andrew slipped a couple of shells into his piece, that were loaded with buckshot. " Keep quiet, fellows, and let's see if they come this way," said Claude. The words were hardly out of his mouth when a dee. broke cover, and, passing them but a rod away, took to the water. . , i,r j "Jerusalem! there's two little ones!" cried \\ood, as the two young ones appeared close behind the "A doe and two fawns, as true as Im alne, re- marked Maynard. • r ^- «f The bovs watched them and had the satisfaction of seeincr them reach the other side of the river in safety Five or six minutes later, a large hound appeared, and the moment he came in sight Andrew fired at him, hitting him in the head, and killing him instantly. He never kicked after he fell. -You have settled him," said Robbins, as the boys walked up to the dead animal ; " he'll never run any more deer to death." -That's so," added Wood, "but it seems too bad to kill him. He looks like a valuable animal, too." ' » So much the better,"' replied Claude. " If he had no^ run across us, he would have killed the doe and fawns both." , c. r-i • « « Yes," remarked Wingate, " it was lucky St. Ciair pui SI 1 i 88 Up the North Branch. an end to him. The Maine Game Laws do not allow hunting deer with dogs, and they'll nave to pass such a law in New York State, or there won't be a deer left in the Adirondack region in the next five years." " I think we had better start up river," suggested Drake. " Probably somebody is following the dog, and, if he finds us here with him, we shall get into a row." "Quite likely," returned Claude, with a shrug of his shoulders, " but I am never afraid to fight in a good cause, and the law is on our side." "That is so," put in Maynard, with a nod of acquies- cence, " but we may as well start along, and avoid trouble if possible." The wliole party felt that this was a sensible view to take oi the matter, and they began retracing their way to camp. They reached their boats without meeting anybody, and at five o'clock were back on the island. They found their blankets, that had been hung up in the morning, thoroughly dry and, while Foster and Claude busied themselves about the supper, the rest of the party brought fuel, and arranged sleeping quarters. That night they retired early, enjoyed a good rest in spite of the mosquitoes, and Wednesday morning, a.'ter breakfast, they began packing. At eight o'clock the boats were loaded, and they left the island. As they expected to have to do some wading during the day, each one of the party had dressed with that end in view, and they were prepared to overcome any obstacles in navigation that might rise in their course. They had good water for the first part of their voy- age, and they passed the upper mouth of Nulheclus up the North Branch. 89 i Stream in about three-quarters of an hour. This stream flows into the Tcnobscot fioin the north, on the rii;ht-hand side oi the river. IJeyond Nulhedus, the crocks and turns in the river increased, and occasion- ally some very line views were noticed. In two ditfor- cnt places the boys stopped to make sketches, and it was half past ten when they reached Swan's. They went on shore at this clearing for a few moments, to stretch their legs ; taking to their boats again, they found the water grew rapidly shallow, and foi half a mile they had a chance, the green ones at least, to take lessons in using a setting-pole. Alternately poling and wadmg, and with a good deal of laughing and joking, they reached the head of Gulli- ver Falls, passing (iuUiver Stream on the light, without any accident befalling them. "Who would have dreamed," said Foster, with a smile, "that, in 'Gulliver's Travels,' the old gentleman came clear up here, in this far-uway corner of New England, and had things named for him." " I suppose he waded down the j lace we have just come up, and slipped down once or twice, and the rooiters with him sang out 'Gulliver falls,'" and Rob- bins winked at his two companions. "You ought to have a fail after that," declared Wood. " If you are all ready, fellows, we'll proceed," and, hearing no dissent, Claude dipped his oar, and the Petrel moved on up river. For two miles and a half, the boys found dead water, then they reached the foot of the Big Island, and, pass- 00 up the North Branch. ing to the ri-ht of il, worked tl.eir way to tlie head, and then hauled out their boats and wrnt on shore for dinner. " I wish we had some trout for dinner," remarked Wood, as h^ stood surveying the isl...id. " You can if you choose to catch them," said Clande. " Are there trout in the river here ? " and Wood looked doubtfully into the wr.ter. "No, not just here," replied the leader of the party; *' but you take one of the boats, and go rp the river a few rodsontl.e.lcft side, and you will 6nd the mouth of a logon. Follow this until you come fo a pool en- circled" by lily-pads, and, unless the guidebook lies, you will find some small trout. 1 don't suppose you'll take many, however, as it is a bad hour in the day for fishing." *'I am willing to Mke my chances," replied Wood, as he started for his rod. "Do you want company?" inquired Drake. " Certainly." "Then I'll go with you. I had rather try some fish- ing than sit • ound here doing nothing." " Don't be gone over an hour," sang out Claude, as the boys pushed off, "for dinner will be ready by that time." " Where are we going to slop to-night, Claude ? " in- quired Wingate, when the fishermen had gone. " I think Knight's farm will be a good ylace, and we can probably get some supphes there. We need more e"-<:s, and that will be the last chance we shall have to get any for the Lord knows how long. I am sure I don't."' up the North Branch. 91 "How about Canada Falls?" remarked Maynard. "The guidebook says they : "e worth lo'iking at. ' "We can go and see what they look like to-morrow." "Ilowfur are they from the Forks?" asked Win- gale. " It's a mile and a half to the foot of the falls, and they stretch along the river for some distance." "Can we go in the boats?" interrogated Robbins. " We can with a great deal of trouble. My idea is to make a pedestrian excu.sion of it, going over the eld Canada road." " I go in for that," said Foster; " we shall get boating enough before the trip is over." At the end of the hour, Wood and Drake returned with about thirty small trout, averaging in weight from a quarter to a half pound each. Some of the boy? dressed them, and Claude and Foster cooked the entire catch for dinner. "That is a mean hole," remarked Drake, while the party were eating dinner. " There are a thousand flies for every fish." '' Say ten thousand," added Wood, " and you'll get nenrt' the truth." " Draw it mild, Dave," said St. Clair. " If you don't believe it, go and see. You'll be con- vinced then." After dinner was over, the boys passed an hour in chatting, and then started for the Forks. At some ledges near King's High Landing, almost a mile from the island, they stopped a couple of hours for f^shmg, all hands indulging in the sport, and they captured J 92 Up the North Branch. -I- 2^ seventy-six trout, some of which were of very good sixe. About five o'clock they reached liie Forks, and, turn- \w^ into the North Branch, ascended it a few rods, and then drew out their boats on the north side, and camped. The next morning, after breakfast, the whole party uent over to Knight's farm, and, catching him at home, Wingate succeeded in buying a dozen chickens, a very small lamb, and six dozen eggs. Finding they could get .some milk, also, they bougiit six quarts, borrowing a pail at tlie farm, to carry it to camp in, which they promised to return the next day. 'Ihey had been very saving of their canned meats, as they were likely to run short of provisions after leaving Knight's, unless they had unusually good luck in r;sh- ing. Later on, when shooting came, they could do better for their larder. As the farmer was disposed to be talkative, they asked him a great many questions about their proposed route, he having been up the North Branch as far as Abacotnetic Bog. The St. John waters he liad not been on, but he knew considerable of them from hear- say, and gave them all the information in his power. It was one o'clock when they reached camp, and, as it was nearly three when dinner was over, they gave up the excursion to Canada Falls until the next day. Thursday morning, after breakfast, they took some 1 inch, and started over the road for Canada Falls, in- tending to make a day of it. Four or five of the party carried sketch-books, and two, fire-arms, not that they expected to see anyHiing to shoot, but bt-cause they did 4 Up the North Branch. 93 not know what might turn up before the day was over. Nothing unusual happened during the forenoon, but in the middle of the afternoon, while they were making their way back to where they had left their boats after crossing the river, Maynard suddenly lost his footing when close to the bank, and fell some ten feet into the boiling cunent. The ri\er here runs through a succession of deep, narrow gorges, and Claude and Wingate, who saw him fall, never expected to see him again alive, for it did not seem possible that any human being could go through that angry whirl of waters and escape. But, through one of taose miraculous interventions of Providence, Maynard, after being carried down a few rods, was washed against the trunk of a tree that had fallen from above, one end of which still lay on the lediie, and, before his friends reached him, he was able to crawl out and get to the top of the ledge. He had no limbs broken, but he was pretty badly shaken up, bruised and scarred some, and badly fright- ened, after the excitement was gone. Claude and Wingate reached him first, and they not only hugged but kissed him, they were so rejoiced to find he was not seriously injured. " ])y Jove, Frank ! " exclaimed Claude, " I could not have felt any worse if I had gone in there myself, for I never expected to see you again alive, and a doubt even passed through my mind as to whether we should find your body." " I tell you what it is, fellows, I have reason to be % Ki 94 Up the North Branch. thankful. I thought I was a pretty good swimmer, but I had no more power in that water than if I had been a baby." The rest of the party now came up, some of whom did not know of the accident until that monent, and sincere and hearty were the congratulations offered Frank on his wonderful escape from a frightful death. "A fellow who is born to be hanged will not be drowned," said Frank, trying to laugh a little. The party now kept together until they reached the boats, and, as soon as they arrived at camp, Frank took off his wet clothing, and Claude, giving him a dose of Tamaica '^in^er, coaxed him to lie down for the rest of the evening. Friday morning, Maynard caid that he was all right, but at the same time acknowledged that he did net feel like exerting himself any, and it was decided to remain where they were for the day. Saturday morning, Maynard thought he was able to travel again, and, after the party had consulted maps and guidebooks, Claude concluded that they would try and get as far as the foot of Leadbetter Falls, and remain there until Monday morning, which they did. The navigation between th . Forks and the falls was very bad, and fhey had to do a good deal of wadiiJg and dragging; so, although they had only made four miles, they were not sorry to stop when they reached the falls. Sunday was spent quietly in camp, the entire party writing letters home, as this would be the last chance they expected to have for many a long day. up the North Branch. 95 I ; Monday morning, Claude and Wingate took the let- ters and started in the Swallow for Knight's farm, the man there having agreed to take their letters to Lane's, for a consideration in cash, the next morning ; and he promised Claude he would have Lane send them down the lake the first opportunity. It was half past twelve when the boys returned to camp ; and Foster and St. Clair, who were cook and assistant for that week, had dinner all ready. As they wished to make Dole Brook on the next start, they concluded not to break camp until the fol- lowing morning, and the afternoon was spent by each member of the party as best suited him. Before night Claude and St. Clair went up the bank of the river, and looked the falls over, and concluded that at the present stage of the water it would be better and ^ ifer to make the carry, as it was short, rather than attempt to get the boats up on the river. Accordingly, Tuesday morning, they had breakfast at six o'clock ; and, as soon as it was over, they began the transportation of their things across the carry. The boats were taken first, next the stores, and lastly the baggage; and it was dinner-time when the last article was dropped at the head of the falls. " I am glad that job is over," said Claude, dropping his load ; " and now for dinner. Come, Foster, stir your stumps, and give us something to eat." " Keep cool, Claude, and let your hair grow for about fifteen minutes, and we will be ready for you." " I suppose we have left the last house behind us, now," remarked Le Roy, alluding to Knight's shanty. I<^ 96 Up the North Branch. "Yes," answereil Claude, " wc <;hal] see nothin^^ now but some old lumber camp, until we get pretty well down the St. John River. I doubt if we see a person either, beside the members of this party, for the next two months." " Won't be crowded for elbow room," added Robbins. After dinner, the boats were loaded, and navigation was resumed. As they ascended the river, fine views of the Green Mountains were had from time to time, and the artists in the party occasionally came on some bit of the ' landscape that they transferred to their sketch-books. As they went on, the river grew nar- rower, and the soft-wood ridgcs that were close to them gave way to a n>ore open country, that was, for the most part, covered with a hard-wood growth. The bed of the river also changed from small bowlders and rocks to sand and gravel. About four o'clock thev reached an island some half- mile long, and, taking the left-hand channel, which looked the most promising, they passed the island, and a mile above reached the Forks and Dole Brook. " It strikes me," saii Wood, who had been silent for some time, " that forks are more plenty in this country than knives." " How long have you been thinking of that, Wood ? " inquired Drake, laughing. ** Don't have to think up my jokes the way you do," retorted Dave. , ** Spontaneous combustion, isn't it, Dave ? " queried Le Roy with a laugh. * A camp site was selected at the mouth of the North- up the North Branch. 97 east Branch, up which their course lay next, and the boats were unloaded. When everything had been taken from the boats, Wood and Drake launched the Daisy and dropped down river a short distance, to a pool they had noticed coming ..p, and in an hour's fishing secured trout enough for the whole party's supper. They brought back such glowing accounts of their sport that, the next morning, Robbins, Claude, Wingate, Drake, and Wood went down to the pool in the Swal- low and Daisy, and took fifty pounds of trout before they became tired of fishing. As Tuesday's trip had been quite a hard one, they passed W^ednesday where they were, and Thursday morning resumed the ascent of the river, going as far as Norris Brook and the Northwest Branch, where they camped again, near the end of the toic road, that runs to Truesdell Pond. Although they had made only three miles, it had been very difficult, and they did not care to push on farther that day. In the afternoon, Maynard, Robbins, and St. Clair, taking their fire-arms, walked over to th- pond, and, while there, ran across a bear; the first one they had seen. He' took them by surprise, and, al- though they all fired, they did not kill him, but the ground where the animal stood was spotted with blood, showing that some of' the parly had made a tellinj shot. When they returned to camp, Maynard related tlie story, and Wood was so excited ovor it that he wanted to take his rifle and start after the bear at once. 98 Up the North Branch. " 'I'hat bear is probably five or six miles froi i where the boys saw him when they fired," said Claude, "so I guess you will have to let him go, Dave." " 1 have been ihiiikiiig over the route from here to Baker Lake," remarked Claude, as the party sat around the smudge after supi)er, "and, from what the men below told us, and what the guidebooks say, I think the next three or four days will be hard ones." "Which way shall we go to J>aker Lake, Claude ? By tlie way of the Bog, or St. John Pond ? " "By the way of the Bog by all means, Charlie. It is not more than half as far that way, and just as good water probably." " When we eret to Baker Lake, I move that we stav there a few days. There ought to be good fishing in the vicinity, as few people go there, and if we can r.:n across a buck deer I say shoot him, if it is the close season, on the plea of necessity, for our provisions will be running out soon," said Robbins. ** Potatoes are all gone now," remarked Foster. **We shall not have them to lug over The next carry, then ; that is one consolation," added Wood. Friday morning they left Norris Brook Camp, expect* ing to be at Baker Lake by Saturday night, but it was rot until the following Wednesday night that their eyes were s:laddened bv that sheet of water, which looked delightful to them, after the bogs, swamps, and low ground that they had literally fought their way through for the past six days, the flies nearly eating them up. A heavy shower had ha'f drowned them, beside wet- ling some of their stores, while crossing the carry frcjin I up the North Bmvch. 00 Abacotnetic Hog to Baker Bog Stream, and they were completely tired out and not a little disgusted with the country they had lately passed over when they finally reached Baker Lake. "There, that looks like God's country again," re- marked Le Roy, as they pulled out on the upper end of the lake, and, swinging to the right, soon found a desirable camping spot. It was five o'clock when the boats were unloaded, and every one was quite tired enorgh to turn in, but supper kept them up. But there was very little talking done after the evening meal that night, and by half past eight everybody had laid down and was fast asleep. x-^X CHAPTER VII. CAMPING AT BAKER LAKE. Thursday morning it was after eight o'clock before the party had breakfast, all being so tired out the night before that no one thought of rising until he felt like it. While eating, it was decided to spend about two weeks at Baker Lake, and during that time to cruise about wherever there was a prospect for sport. "As we are going to stop here so long," remarked St. Clair, " we ought to build a decent ' -amp, and I suggest we do it the first thing." " All right," replied Claude, cheerfully, *' we are under your orders, and I am ready, for one, to go to work." " Then, we will begin immediately. We can find no better location than this, as the prospect from here is fine, and the site commands nearly the whole view of the lake." Just then, Foster, who had finished his breakfast, and who was walking down to the boats, suddenly stopped, and looked fixedly at something i the water, that was swimming for the other sWe of the lake. The object was perhaps a half a mile below the camp, and but a few rods from the shore ; it was, how- ever, fast increasing the distance. 1- I : :-y I Camfin(^ at Baker Lake. 101 "Well, I'm blessed ! if that isn't a bear, it looks un- commonly like one," said the younj; man to himself, and then calling to his friends, " I say, fellows ! there's a bear swimming across the lake ! " " Where ? where ? " shouted four or five voices ex- citedly. "There, down the lak^, about a half a mile away. Don't you see ! " and he pointed in the direction of the swimming animal. The party, who by that time had all finished break- fast, were on their fuet in an instant, and each one caught up his rille or gun and hastily rushed to the boats. Dish-washing, camp-building, and everything else in the way of work was forgotten for th?? time being. Each crew took its own boat, and the Petrel was first in the water, and headed for Bruin, her crew determined to catch the animal if possib)-^. The S7i'ii//o7a was next launched, and ihe crew jumped into her; and the force of their movements sent the boat out a short distance from the shore, and, before the fellows sat down, the crew of the Daisy pushed off in such haste that she struck the S7c>atIo7i' amidship, causing Le Roy, Wingate, and Maynard to lose their balance, and sit down in a very different .manner from what they had intended to, overturning the boat when they fell. As the crew went into the lake, Maynard caught at the gunwale of the Daisy, also overturning hei, and, in less lime than it has taken to write it, both boats' crews were floundering in the water, while everything that had been in the boats, that would not float, was at the III 102 Up the North Branch: " jj bottom of thn lake. Hut they were so near shore that the V Iter w.is only between five and six feet deep. As the coxswain of the Pctrd was facing the bear, and both the oarsmen were looking ov«.r ll-.eir -.Jiuulders at the animal, the boat had gone nearly a hundred rods b-'fore Claude, tuinin^, his head and looking to see where the other boats were, saw, to his surprise and amazement, that they were both upset, and the crews struggling in the water. "Swing around for the camp, Foster. There's some kind of a circus with the other boats ; they a'-e both capsized. Pull hard, Drake, and I'll back water. Let us gel there quickly and s«-e 'vhat the trouble is," His two companions, while doing as he requested, had stolen a look inshore, and were as much surprised as Claude at what they saw. "What can those fellows be about?" said Foster. " You don't suppose they had a fight ? " "Fight? Nonsense!" exclaimed Claude; "there isn't a fellow in the party, I hope, who .vould lose his temper to that extent. You can look for a better ex- planation than that." The shipwrecked crews, in the mcanime had taken their boats far enough inshore so that some of the fellows could stand on bottom, and turn the boats over, then they floated them to the sand, and one rifter another, after picking up what things were floating about, stepped dripping out on the beach. ' What is the matter here ? Are any of yoj crazy ? " sang out Claude, as the Petrel neared the shore. " I don't wonder you ask such a question," replied Camping at Baker Lake. 103 V.'iiiLjalc. ''X\\Q. Daisy coUiilcd v'th us in launching;, niul both boats were capsized in a moment. lUit don't bother with us. We are all right. Go for the bear, or you'll lose him." *' We'll see you later, then," observed Claude, and the /'^'//v/ dashed away again after Bruin, who wps now more than half-way across the lake. After the Swallows and the Daisies had emptied the water out of their boats, they turned their attention to recovering their firearms, and se\eval other articles, that, as Wood jocoboly remarked, "were just buo\ant enough to sink." This kept every fellow in the two crews busy until noon, and then they went to camp, and put on dry clothing, and, wringing the water out of that they had shed, hung the garments up ;o dry. "I declare, I don't see where those fellows nre," re- marked St. Clair, as they began getting dinner. "Nor I," answered Robbins. "They not only landed on the other side of the lake, but must have chased that bear a long distance into the woods. And if they fired at him, I did not hear any report." " Thej have nothi->g to eat wit! tnem, so I think they'll be back by the time dinner is ready." And St. Clair continued to bn-,y himself in its preparation. As tiicre was no probability of its being ready for an hour, the other four fellows busied themselves in getting material for the camp. When dinner was all ready but dishing-up. Si. Clair cast a long, searching glance across the lake . but no boat appeared in sight, and he began to feel a iittle worried. % 104 Up the North Bmuch. " I declare, I don't understand why those fellows are not back here. It seems to me that they must be in trouble of some kind." And the cook glanced uneasily at his assistant. "I did not suppose they would be away all the fore- noon," remarked Robbins ; " but they may have found the trail of a deer or moose, and let the bear Slide, and followed the other animal. I'll tell you what we'll do, Andrew. If they are not here when dinner is over and the dishes washed, we'll row across the lake, find out where they landed, and see if we can find them." " All right, and now call the fellows to dinner." Robbins performed this duty by sending forth a war whoop that would have done credit to a New York milkman, and in a few moments the boys appeared. While they ate dinner the absence of their friends was freely commented on, and caused a little anxiety ; but no one doubted but they would put in an appear- ance by night. As soon as the cook and his assistant had finished their work, they started in the Swallow for the other side of the lake, and, after skitting the shore for half a mile, discovered the Petrel drawn up on the beach, and, swinging towards it, ran ashore and pulled theirs up beside it. Glancing around, they saw where the bear had left the water and taken to the woods, and they started slowly on the trail. It led up over a knoll covered with a mixed growth, then acrc~.s a little valley, beyond which the ground was Camping at Baker Lake. 105 dotted with large bowlders and dead stumps, showing that at some time fire had swept across it. Clearing the piece of bowlders, they suddenly heard voices beyond them, and, stopping for a moment, they listened. They heard them again distinctly, and St. Clair called out, " Claude ! " "Hulloa! " came back from ?. pol . a little to the left of the direction in which they were heading. " That you, Claude ? " " You can bet it is, Andrew," ami in another moment the two parties met, and a general hand-shaking en- sued. " Why in sixty didn't you come back at dinner time ? " queried Robbins. " Because we hoped not to come back empty- handed," answered Claude. *' Well, what have you seen or shot ? " inquired St. Clair, as the party began retracing their steps towards the lake. " Shot nothing," replied Claude. " We had a glimpse of the bear when he took to the woods, and that was the last we saw of him. We followed his trail a couple of miles perhaps, then came to deer droppings and plenty of tracks, and, selecting what apperred the freshest, we followed on the trail until we became tired and con- founded hungry, and then turned for the lake, and, when you met us, were making the best time we could for it." " That is rather a tame story," said Robbins. " True, nevertheless, George. You can't expect to have startling iidventureS' ever)^ day. And it's lucky we don't. It would work our nervous system too hard." ^j I 100 up the North BrancK "Mow did you lubbers tip over your boats?" in- quired Foster. St. Cl.iir laughed. " That was the queerest thinj; I ever saw." And Andrew told the story to a finish just as they reached the beach. Launching their swift craft, they were soon at the camp, and St. Clair and Robbins began preparations for supper, while the crew of the Petrel^ who declared they were not too tired to work, joined the rest of the party, who were back in the woods, a short distance, getting the material for the camp together, Friday and Saturday were passed in working on the camp, and Saturday night saw it completed, as well as a small store-room, to the entire satisfaction of the whole party. St. Clair's t'.ne as cook ended Saturday night, and Robbins took his place, while Maynard became Robbins' assistant. " Here is the last of the beans, and the meat is most gone," said Robbins, as he served up the breakfast Sunday morning. " We shall have to bestir ourselves in the way of tishing and hunting next week, or we shall wake up some morning and find we shall have to suck our thumbs for breakfast." " Ever try that, George ? " inquired Foster, smiling. " No, and I hope I shall not be compelled to this trip at least." " We'll see what can be done to-morrow,** remarked Claude, " but as to-day is Sunday I am going to spend it in sketching." Several others announced their intention of doing the Camping at Baker Lake. 107 \ same thin.c:, ^vhilc Wingale, who was keeping a diary, announced his intenlion ot writing it np. " Don't get too much potash in it," advised Foster, and the boys smiled at this caustic remarK. "One thing I want you fellows to understand," said Robbins, as the party arose from the table, " and that is there will be only two meals to-day. It's ten o'clock now, .i:^d we shall have dinner at four o'clock, and if any fellow gets hungry before then h-: can go to the cupboard.'* "Where will he find it ? " queried Wood. " I'll tell you some other time, when I am not so busy," and the cook Vegan clearing the table. "\vho would like to take a row down the lake with me ? " queried Le Roy, gazing around him. " I would," said St. Clair. " And I," added Drake. " All right ; we'll go in the Swallow.'" Taking their firearms and ammunition, they launched the boat, Le Roy acting as coxswain, while St. Clair and Drake rowed. In hope of seeing something to shoot, they skirted the northern shore, following it quite closely, until they reached the outlet. Passing it, without going into the river, they continued on up the south shore. Half a mile from the foot of the lake they passed the mouth of a small brook, and a short distance beyond came to a point which extended for quite a distance into the lake, and upon this they landed. After hauling thuir boat up carefully, they took their f^re-arms and started back into ihe Vv'oods, Le Roy, who had a compass, going ahead. t 1 ■^ ill llH /•? C//f the North Branch, I .a B After proceedin,i; a short distance, St. Clair propost^d that they should bear a little more to the north, strike the brook whose mouth they had passed, and follow it up for a while and see what it looked like. His companions readilv fell in with his suggestion, as they had nothing better to offer, and, swinging to the right, fifteen minutes' walk brought them to the bank of the stream, some twenty feet wide at that point. Turning to the left, they began following it up. l^oth hard and soft timber grew along the water-course, and some of 'the old-growth trees attracted the atten- tion of the boys, on account of their size and beauty. " My stars ! Isn't this a splendid forest ! " e.vclaimed Le Roy, as they stood before a yellow birch, which was some three feet or n^ore in diameter, and which ran up as straight as the side of a house for seventy-five feet before it put out a limb. " It's magnificent," replied St. Clair, " and there is not a great deal of underbrush about here either." Continuing on up the brook for half a mile farther, the sound of falling water came to their ears, and soon after they were surprised to see a dam, almost four feet high, across the stream. "There's a dam," said Drake, "and it's a peculiar- looking one, too." "You must not talk about dams to-day. It's Sun- day," remarked St. Chir, " You don't say ! " replied Drake. " But I don't un- derstand what a dam is built 'way up here on this little stream for." Camping at Baker Lake. 109 (« I can tell you," said Le Roy, " it's to hold the water back." " Wise youth," and Drake gave his friend a punch in the ribs. St. Clairj who had been eying the dam very care- fully from their first sight of it, now noaced on the opposite side of the stream, above the dam, an object that looked somewhat like the top of a haystack, and the thought suddenly flashed tlirough his mind that they had discovered a beaver dam and house, "Great snakes, fellows!" he exclaimed, stopping a moment in his excitement. " I'll bet a hundied dollars that beavers have been at work here." " liei your small change first, Andrew," advised Drake, laughing. " Now, fellows, move carefully, and don't talk any," whispered Si. Clair, "and if there are any beavers here now, we may get a sight of one. I'd give a dollar, in a moment, to see one." " So would I," added Le Roy, as they made a silent approach toward the structure, keeping back, at the same lime, a little farther from the stream. Fifteen minutes' careful work brought them just be- low the dam, and here the banks of the stream were high, and, securing a spot from which they could look down on the stream, the dam, and the lodge, they sat down to await developments. They noticed that the dam made quite a pond, the whole of which, in fact, they could not see, as up liie stream, a short distance, the land fell almost back to a level, and a sharp turn in the brook concealed the liL-nd of the pond. . M 110 up the North Branch. 1: R ! They were much interested in the structure of llic dam, and determined to get a nearer view of it before they returned to camp. From where they sat, how- ever, they couhl see that it was coniposed of small trees, limbs, grass, mud, and other material. When tiiey had been watching about ten minutes, they were gratified by the sight of a beaver, coming to the surface of the water, probably from the lodge ; ll;c animal swam to the top of the dam, and climbed out on it. The bovs-watched the creature eagerlv, and scon it was joined by another, and another, until finally there were seven on the dam. Five of them, however, IJ-c boys noticed, were smaller than the others, and .St. Clair, who had read considerable about them, said it was a family, old and young. The beavers did n'^t stay on the dam long, but dis- appeared in the woods on their side of the stream, and then the bovs went down to examine the dam. It was about forty-five feet long, and seemed very solidly put together. Some of the limbs used in iis construction were six inches in diameter, and, although the pieces were of all lengths, tho dam was perfecily tight, up to within a few inches of the top. *' J>y gracious! one wouldn't suppose it possible that those animals could do such a piece of work as that," exclaimed Drake, as, wading across the bed of the stream, which was plentifully sprinkled with large stones, they examined critically the structure of the dam. On the opposite side of the brook, they went as near Camping at Baker Lake. Ill the lodge as they could, it being about eight feet from the shore, and took a good look at it. "There is some of the beaver's mason work," said St. Clair, pointing to the top of the lodge, that had been finished quite smooth ; " they do that with their tails." " It looks as if it was made of mud, grass, and small twigs, plastered together," said Drake. " So it is," replied St. Clair, ♦' But let us follow the stream up a little way, and see how long this pond is." About a hundred yards brcaight them to the bend of the stream, and they found the slack water extended about an eighth of a mile beyond. During this halt they saw where the beavers had been at work on the frees, and each of the boys obtained some chips and cuttings to carry back to camp, to show their friends. After a few minutes' stay here, they returned to the dam ; but, although they waited there some ten or fifteen minutes, the beavers did i.cr appear, and St. Clair thought they were away after fond. The bo}s crossed the stream a little farther away from the dam this time, and, after stepping on shore, turned, and watched the beaver dam and lodge for a few moments, but nothing came in sight. "The other fellows must come over here with us, and see this dam and beaver house," said Le Roy, us they started toward the lake. " That's s >," added St. Clair. *' I want to come again myself, and next Sunday we can all make an excursion up here." " If there was any way of getting one of those skins 5 ! i li 112 Up the North Branch. ■a :Mt '"1 home with him," remarked Drake, "afello-.v might have a plug hat from his own beaver." "You'd be a pretty-looking peep in a plug hat, Rob," said Le Roy, slapping his friend on the shoulde.'. "Would I? What's the matter with my head, I'd like to know? " " Empty," replied St. Clair, quickly, with a chuckle. "What time is it, Andrew.? I left my watch at camp." "Two-thirty^ Tommy. We've an hour and a half before dinner." "T'.at is time enough to get to camp," said Drake. As they were turning awny from the river, they came suddenly in sight of a deer, a large buck, that was evidently heading for the stream, and which was not more than four rods from them. Both parlies stopped, as if they had been shot, but the buck recovered the use or his senses first, and, wheeling around, disappeared in the opposite direction, the boys all managing to get in a shot at him at long range, which only served to frighten him more. " Thunder and Mars ! if that isn't too provoking ! " cried St. Clair. "Tliere's seventy-five "> a hundred pounds of good meat gone to grass." " We fellows better all kick each other, and see if we cnn't get woke up," suj;gested Le Roy. " No, thanks," said Drake ; " I can get along with- out it. But there is nothing mean r.bout me, and, if you and Andrew wish to be kicked, I shall bt happy to do it." nil Camping at Baker Lak\ 113 " Well, the idea of three of us firing at that buck and missing him." " The only trouble was, we didn't fire quick enough, Tommv." " Uy gracious ! don't say anything about this at camp. The fellows will make game of us." '* That's more than we did of the deer, Andrew; how- ever, I will keep quiet, if you say so," and Drake winked at his vexed friend in a way that was exasperating. *" Partridges are not very thick around here," said Drake. *' I haven't seen one to-day." " They are not of any size to shoot, if we do see them," replied Le Roy. "The law hits the nail on the head in regard to partridges. It does not allow them to be shot until the ist of September, rnd nobody but a jackass would shoot them before tha" time, as they are not large enough." " If I should meet one the last day of August, I think I should shoot it," remarked Drake. " Shoot at it, you mean," added St. Claif, laugh- ing. When the boys reached camp they found dinner all ready, and the rest of their friends impatiently awaiting their arrival. *• Now, where have you been and what have you dis- covered ? " asked Claude when all were at the table. "Answer him, Tommy," said St. Clair, "I'm too hungry." "In the first place," began Le Roy, " we pulled down the lake to the outlet, ppssing it without stopping, and began to retrace our way along the south shore. We 114 Up the Xorth Branch. Iili i,r>on came to a small brook, and beyond it quite a point, and on this we landed." ''I sec," said Claude, arr!ily, ''you made it a point to land there." '•Not by a long chalU," winked the narrator; "(ho point was made before ever such fellows as you, witli your cheap jokes, were thought of." "Take a back seat, Claude," cried Maynard, laugh- ing. •*I .<^'"iss I shall have to," good-naturedly acknowl- edged tne leader of the party. " Tommy is wide awake to-day." " If the flies had bit you the way they have me, youM be wide awake. I'ut no matter ; as I said before, we landed on the point." "Then that point is settled," put in Claude, who thought he'd try it the second time. Ilut Tommy was on deck again, and replied sharply. "Settled, you lunk head.? No, it isn't settled. There is not a habitation of any kinil nor was there a single person around there beside ourselves." " Has you again," laughed Maynard. "Are you fellows going to fight on that point all day?" queried Robbins. " Gd on with your story, Tommy." "Yes, do stray from that point," added Foster. Le Roy shied a piece of hardtack at the Californian's head, which Foster neatly dodged and then continued his storv, — "We left the point — " "I'm glad )ou didn't take it with you," ciiuckled Camping at Baker Lake. 115 VVinj^ate, and at this there was an explosion all around the table. VVhon the laughter was over, in which Le Roy could not help.joiiiitig, for mirth is contaglo-i-s, he said : — " Now, look here, fellows, a joke is a joke. But cut me up into shoestrings if I tell you another word, unless you will keep silent. Can you swallow that ? " " I will assert my authority, Tommy," remarked Rob- bins, "and be responsible for the good behavior of the company. Now, gentlemen, silence ! Mr. Le Roy has the tioor." Tommy, looking at his friends a little doubtfully, began : — " We travelled in the woods some distance, and then bore to the right until we struck the brook I spoke of before, and, following it up a mile or so, came in sight of a dam." " Very unusual sight," interrupted Foster. " You are right, Billy, for it was a beaver dam." " A beaver dam ? " cried several. *' Yes," replied Le Roy, " and we saw seven beavers." •' Jerusalem ! " cried Maynard, " I wish I had been with you." " So do I," echoed Claude. ♦' Did you get a shot at them ? " inquired Wood. *• No, sir. We thought if we fired at them we should frighten them, and, thinking you would all like to see them, we were very careful how we worked arojnd there " That was very considerate in you, Tommy, ' re- 11,5 Up the North Pyiwuch. marked Claude, *' and we will all go and take a look at ihem some day." "They have a house there, too," added St. Clair. *' Ves, and the dam is a wonderful piece of work.'' And Le Roy went on to describe the dam and house at some length. When he had finished, those of the party who had not been to the beaver dam -""-^ounced their intention of visiting it the next Sunday, nd the evening was pleasantly passed in the discussion of beavers and their habits, each one telling the others what he had read on the subject, and it was ten o'clock when they retired for the nig'iii;. CHAPTER VIII. A BATTLE WITH WOLVES. About midnight Claude awoke from the noise made by some animal coming into the imp ; but, before he could '^all the others, a number oC dark bodies c.^ne bounding along in front of the cabin, apparently in pursuit of the other animal, which had daslied in among the sleepers and taken refuge in the farther comer of the camp. The fire had burned so low that it gave only tlie faintest flicker of light, and, while Claude was wonder- ing what manner of wild beasts was gathered around the doorway, a peculiar barking and snarling among them settled the question in his mind very quickly, and he jumped to the conclusion that they were wolves. This gave him such a start that for a moment he was faint, but, rising above this cowardly feeling, he jumped to his feet, shouting, " Awake, fellows ! to a^ms ! we are besieged by wolves." He knew just where !iis Winchester rifle hung, and he made a dash for it, the other boys jumpmg for their arms almost as quickly. " For Heaven's sake, fellows, be careful and not shoot each other^" said the leader, as the different members 117 118 Up the North Branch. of the party, wild with exciteinent, grasped their guns and rifles and turned toward the doorway. The wolves had apparently stopped for a moment to consider the situation, for the gray wolf is a very cun- nmg animal, but at the end of that moment the boys had opened fire on them, which, at such short range, had done fearful execution. For, as dark as it was, the 'boys could see a cleared space where a moment before was a moving mass. " We've settled their hash," cried Foster, after the first volley had been fired. But he had begun braggin- too quick, for the next moment, with bloodthirsty howls'' the maddened wolves dashed through the doorway, and' although some of the boys shot a few more, it seemed in a second to the affrighted boys that the camp was full of the savage beasts. " Don't shoot any more ! Some of us will get hurt ' Club your guns and rifles, or use your knives if you can get at them." There was no chance for Claude to say anything more, for the next moment he and every other men> bcr of the party were fighting for their lives. The confusion was frightful. Boys and wolves mixed together in every way. As fast as one wolf was knocked down or despatched another took his place A half-dozen different combats were going on, in which numbers predominated sometimes on the part of those assailed, but more frequently on the pan of the assail- ants. In five minutes every member of the party was more or less wounded, and it looked as if the boys would certainly get the worst of it, when Claude, who 3y.-JF?ai:3'«.lfc ■a°3!5acg!aHEryj tSSSi A Battle with Wolves. 119 saw the doorway was a little clear, made a rush for the outside of the cabin, shouting as he did so, " Get out- doors, fellows, if you can." He succeeded in getting out himself, and was fol- lowed by three wolves, which he shot in as many seconds, as he had fired only twice while indoors. Wingate and Maynard were also enabled to fight their way out, and four wolves pursued them, which the young fellows quickly despatched. As the other boys did not come out, the three outside dashed in again \o their relief, and found their iix companions fighting valiantly. In the semi-darkness, Claude saw Robbins battling vvi-h two of the brutes, and, putting the muzzle of his ,..Hr: on one of them, he blew a hole clear through him, ..early an inch in diameter. At the same time, George, who had been lucky enough to secure his knife when the fight commenced, plunged it to the hilt in the other animal, and he dropped to the tioor. Wingate and Maynard had aided their struggling friends'so well that all the wolves but two were killed inside, and these beat a hasty retreat, but, before they could gain the shelter of the forest they were shot by Wingate and Maynard, who rushed out after them. " Is every one alive ? " inc .ired Claude, when si- lence took the place of the somewhat noisy combat. " I am ! " "I am ! " " I am ! " exclaimed one after another, until all had been heard from. "Then, Wingate and Maynard, start a fire, and, Claude, light a candle," ordered Robbins. It took some time to find the candles, but finally two 120 Up the Xorth Branch. of them were lighted, and the seven fellows in the camp looked around them. A cry of astonishment burst from the lips of each as they saw one another distinctly, for there was not one of the seven but showed bloody marks of the fi-ht while the wolves lay in every direction, three of which were yet alive, and, under the rays of the candles, be-an struggling to their feet. They were immediately shot however. ' At the sound of the reports, VVingate and Maynard rushed m to see what the troul^le was, and, as thev caught sight of their friends, Wingate cried : — " What is the matter now ? " "Only took what fight there was left out of three wounded wolves that were trying to get on their pins ngam," answered Claude. Then he continued with a smile, " Vou and Maynard look as if vou had been having a prize fight." " Do we .? " said Maynard. " I can return the com- pliment. A more ferocio-is-looking set of brigands I never saw. Every one of you is marked with blood." "Great guns! what is that in the corner .'" inquired Wingate, pointing to one corner of the cabin. The boys turned and looked where he pointed and Ihere, close against the wall, crouched an animal, which the boys saw was a deer. ^ " It's a doe ! " cried Claude. " The wolves were chas- ing her, and she ran in here to escape them We have saved her life, but we came mighty near losing our own in the attempt." The poor animal looked frightened to death, and A Battle ivith Wolves. 121 trembled in every limb ; its eyes were fixed on the boys with a pitiful expression, as if imploring their mercy. Taking a little salt from bag, Claude went up to the doe, which shrank C: .ser to the wall on his ap- proach. When within reach, he held out the hand that contained the salt. The doe smclled of it for a mo- ment, then began lapping it, and, after she ate it, Claude patted her, and stroked her head a little, and she soon recovered from her fright ; the boys concluded to let her stay where she was for the rest of the night, and in half an hour she lay down, apparently contented. Wingate and Maynard went back to attend to the fire, while the rest of the party began dragging the dead wolves outdoors. They counted them as they took them out, and found thirteen. By this time the fire was sending up a cheerful blaze, lighting up the ground for some way around them, and sending a glimmer far out across the silent waters of the lake. Seven wolves were found to have been killed by the first fire, making in all, with those afterward shot out- doors, twenty-nine, and the whole pack had been exter- minated. The party now began to turn their attention to their wounds, none of which were serious, although some were of a painful nature, and would be likely to cause trouble for several days. After washing the blood off themselves, court-plaster and salves were applied to the wounds, each of the boys helping the "thers where help was needed, and by two o'clock they were all feeling better. A few of the party slept with the most of their cloth- PI 122 Up the North Branch. •ing on, some with only .1 shirt and drawers, and others in night shirts. Those who had on tlie least clothing had fared the worst, their legs being badly scratched and torn, while their bodies had not escaped the wolves' claws by any means. The clothing of those who 'vere partially or wholly dressed had fared badly, however, some of it bei.. literally torn to tatters and most of it past mending. That the entire party had escap^;d with so little bodily injury seemed almost a miracle, but each one of the boys felt that Providence had watched over them and enabled them to make a successful struggle. That " the Lord helps those who help themselves " had been clearly exemplified in their case, and silent prayers of thankfulness were sent up to the Power over' all, by every one of the party. '* v\'hat are we going to do with this carrion ? " asked Foster, contemptuously; kicking one of the wolves with his feet. " I know what I am going to do with one of them," answered Robbins, "and that is cook him. There is not a bit of meat left in camp, and I think wolf -teak would go better than nothing." " I'll be hanged if I'll eat it," said Drake, with a look of disgust on his face. ''Do as you please," returned the cook. "I am going to try it myself, whether anybody else does or liOt." " We shall have to get rid of these bodies when day- light comes, or they'll soon begin to smell loud," said Alaynard. J. 'W f A Battle zvith Wolves. 123 " Throw them into the lake," suggested Wood. ** Buiv them," advised St. Clair. "Take ihem in the boats down to the foot of the lake, and sluice them down river," said Le Roy. •' I think I have a belter plan than any proposed," remarked Claude. '* What is it ? " cried several. " I think the best plan is to burn them. We can make a big pile of dry limbs and brush, then pile them on it, and roast them. If the fire does not burn them all up it will leave them so they will not smell bad. We can light the fire at night, and it will keep the mosqui- toes away." " We can have some fun out of it, anyhow," declared Drake. " I am going to turn in agaUi," said Maynard. " I don't believe we shall see any more live wolves to- night." " Nor anv other night," added Claude. " This is probably some stray pack that came down from the Canadian wilderness, and I think wc have been lucky enough to exterminate them." *' I agree with you, Claude. I think wolves are a mighty scarce animal in Maine. But, as I said before, I am going to turn in." And Maynard, after piling a lot more wood on the fire, went in and lay down, and his example was followed by the others. Daylight was breaking iti the east before the boys were asleep again, and the result was a late break- fast. After the meal was over, and the dishes cleared up, I 124 (//> the North Brauch. Robbins looked the wolves over and picked out the fattest one he could ^\-\i\, which was not saying much for the wolf, and proceeded to skin him and cut him up, being assisted by Maynard, who was disposed to make fun of '.his addition to the larder. CHAPTER IX. THE LOSS OF THE BOATS. Claude, Foster, and St. Clair went down the lake in the Petrel to try for some trout at the outlet, while the other members of the party busied themselves in cut- ting fuel and arranging the funeral pyre for the wolves, which were to be burnt that evening. The day was cloudy, with a light breeze, and ihe fishermen hoped to take some trout even though it was late in the day. Their luck, however, was very bad, and at noon they had taken only five trout, the largest in the lot weighing but a pound and a half. As they had brought some luncheon with them they concluded to stop until evening, and see if they could not do bet- ter in the latter part of the day. Contrarv to their usual custom, not one of the party had brought a gun or rifle with him, and while they were eating they saw two deer come to the river and drink and then return to the forest. " If we had only brought our shooting irons," de- clared Fc-ter, "we might have carried back some ven- ison. " We shall know better another time,'' asserted St. Clair. *'I never shall leave camp again," added Claude, IZO 126 Up the North Branch. "especially when we are as short of supplies as we are now, without my gun or rifie." "It is too confounded bad," observed Foster, "to lose those deer, for I prefer venison to wolf meat." "Are you going to eat that stuff ? " inquired St. Clair, laughing. "Depends upon how hungry I am when we have supper," About five o'clock the fish showed some disposition to rise, and St. Clair said he guessed they were get- ting hungrv. ' Foster took one that weighed two pounds, and St. Clair struck one that he thought weighed three, but he lost him. From that time on till half past six, when the boys stopped fishing, .l.cy had fine sport, and all of them enjoyed it imme.isely. Claude, in particular, felt highly elated, for he had hooked three fish at one time, whose combined wei-iit was ten pounds and a half, and, with the assistance^of his friends, had saved them all, and he was as proud of this feat as any angler would be. Altogether, the party had taken sixty-two pounds of trout; enough, as St. Clair jocosely remarked, " to keep the wolf from the door, or rather from the table, for several meals." When the boys reached camp, supper was ready, and It was served at once. All of the party tri«d the wolf meat, but no one liked it, it being drv, tough, and stringy, and Le Roy declared he had rather eat skunk. When the meal \yas over, the fishermen showed their The Loss of the Boats. 127 trout to the other members of the party, and Claude told the story of his lucky capture. " 1 tell you, fellows," he saic', " when I found I had three trout on, I became excited, and I was afraid of breaking my rod and losing the whole of them. I thii.k I hooked the largest one first, on the lower fly, and he was ful' of gnme. I played him a while, and began reeling in, when whiz, flash 1 the other two struck, and then I had my hands full." " I should say so," remarked Wood. " They started down river as if they were free, and the way my line ran out made me feel sick. Some drlfl stuff had lodged a little way below where we were, and I knew it they went among that it was all day for me." " I didn't expect ycu would save one of them," put in Foster. " So I began to check them, and then tried to recover a little of my line. My stars ! how my rod bent. The strain on it was fearful. But, to make a long story short, I managed to get the fish turned up stream again, and after an hour's hard fight, with the assistance of Bill and Andrew, I managed to save them," "Which rod did you have, Claude?" inquired Drake. "That new Conroy that I bought this spring, when I was over to see Phil. You know, he lives in Brook- lyn. We came over to New York one morning, \ia Fulton Ferry, and as we were walking up Fulton Street I noticed some rods, in one of the windows of Conroy's store, that pleased my eye. and we stepped in i 128 Up the NorJi Branch. m^ f I to look at them. I took a fancy to that one I used to- day, and bought it. And it's the best lod I ever saw." "What did you give for it, Claude ? " asked Wood. "Twenty-five dollars. And, after the test it lias stood to-day, I would not take a hundred for it." " Look here, fellows," remarked Drake, " if we are going to start that barbecue, it's about time." "That's so," replied Claude; "take some birch bark and we will light it up.'' " Don't need any bark, it's all ready to li^-ht " said Wingate. "This is not a barbecue, it is a funeral pyre," ob- served Foster. The bovs now walked to the huge pile of logs and brush, on and among which the wolves were laid, and set if on fire in four places. As the flames gathered headway, the burning mass sent out such a heat that the party were ^lad to with- draw to some distance, wl ere they sat and watched it, until the pile had been bumed nearly flat, when fresh fuel was thrown on, ard it was then left to take ca < of itself, the boys retiring at nine o'clock, in hopes of making up some of the sleep they had lost the night before. About three o'clock in the morning, however, they were awakened by midges, swarming into the camp hy the million, and from these terrible pests mosquito net- ting was no protection. The boys stood the attack for a while, but were finally compelled to turn out, and build a smud<-e in The Loss of *hc Boats. 129 I the camp, and around this they hovered until daylight, when they went outdoors and started a large snuulge near their table, so that they could eat breakfast in some peace. " I think these midges are worse than black flies and mosquitoes put together," remarked Wood, who was getting his first thorough introduction to tliem. " They are the worst pest there is in the woods," declared Wingate, " and if a mule could only kick as hard, according to his size, as one of these atoms can bite, an army of men couldn't do anything with one." " Did you ever watch a midge bite, Charlie t " in- quired Le Roy. " No. I can feel them quick enough, without watch- ing them. They make me feel as if I was on fire, and I kill them as fast as po<;sible." " Well, I have. And they settle right down to busi- ness, when they get at it. They plunge their bill into your flesh, and then they kick their heels up into the air, and every time they kick they make you jump, and they kick auout five hundred and forty times a minute." A sally of laughter from his friends interrupted him for a moment, and then he added : — " It's so, whether vou believe it or not." At breakfast Robbins announced that there was only coffee enough for one more meal, and that the tea was nearly gone. "I think, then," said Claude, "that you had better save that coffee for next Sunday morning, and that we had better drink tea only once a day, at supper, until we reach some place where we can renew our stores." I ; i 130 Up the North Ih'mic/i. it "And where nill that bo ?" queried Maynard. " Tlie first place I know of is the farm at the head of Long Lake on the Alla;^.. ish waters." ♦'How far is that?" " " Not far from one hundred miles. We have to run down ihe St. John to t..^ Seven Lshinds first, a distance of seventy-five or eighty miles. Then walk across to Long Lake over a tote road, twelve or fifteen miles farther." "Could we have the s'lpplies hauled back to the river, or should -"^ have to lug them ? " inquired Le Rov. "Don't know, ' ommy. We can find out about that when we get there." "J' we stay in this vicinity much longer, we shall have to put up with some pretty primitive meals, for 1 made a thorough examination of the stores yesterdav, and the groceries will be all gone in a week except the tea. Although we brought a large lot of supplies, we have a big crowd to feed, and there has not been enough f-sh and game brought in." "How is the pork a:.d flour.'" asked St. Clair. "There is not enough of either to last over Sun- day." " Great Scott ! " exclaimed Drake, " are we m the verge of starvation ? " " It's beginning to look that way," replied ^Laynard, dryly, " How about salt } " inquired Claude. " We need that more than anything else." " I should think there was about two pounds left, and we must economize in the usp jf it." ii The Loss of the Boatr. \n *' Here's a pretty state of things," remarked Wingate, with a laugh, in which his friends joined. *' It strikes me," said Foster, "that we had better L " getting down river a little nearer to the next base of supplies." " I agree with you," adJcd Lc Rov. " And, as it may take us a week before we can renew our stores, I think we had bettfr start to-morrow," and Claude looked a. -i him, to judge what his friends t'^ought of his propos. I. They all expressed the selves in favcr of it, nxccpt Wingate. *' I don't intend to leave here until T see those beavers, if I have to follow you dov n river on foot," declared Charlie, good-n-^.turedly. *' My stars ! I had forgotten them in the face of possible starvation," laughed Claude. " But I'il \k\\ you what we can do, Charlie. Wc can all go up to the beaver dam to-day, and then leave here to- morrow." " Yes, we can do that. And I move that we start at once." "Wait until Maynard and I clear up the breakfast things, for I wish to get a look at those beavers as well as the rest of you," and Robbins hurried round to fin- ish his v.ork. About eight o'clock the whole party started i.. the three boats, having firsc released the doe, which, until 'then, they had kept tied up in camp. Rowing across the lake, ihty landtd nt the same place where iiie bo\s h;ul stopped on Sunday, and, 132 Up the North Branch. after pulling their boats out of the water, started for the beaver dam, led by St. Clair. Being so short of provisions, they had all made up their minds not to return to camp empty-handed if they could help it, and each member of the party carried either a gun or a riHe. As they made their way through the forest, they walked silently and in single file so as not to frio-hten any animals in the vicinity, hoping to see one or more deer along the small stream on which the beavers were located. Their caution proved of no avail, however, as they came in sight of the dam without having run across anything eatable. When they reached the high bank from which Le Roy, St. Clair, and Drake had watched the beavers before, the boys settled themselves in comfortable posi- tions to await the appearance of the animals. Spealcing only in whispers, they kept their places for an hour before their perseverance was rewarded, and then the beavers suddenly made their appearance from out the forest, on the opposite side of the ri'-er, and took to the water. They played about in the pond for nearly an hour, swimming from one place to another, and apparently enjoying themselves as much as a party of boys would. The young fellows watched their gambols with great interest; and when at last the beavers disappeared beneath the water to visit their lodge, the party came from tlieir place of concealment, and, wading across the stream, walked up to the place where the beavers .- ^^ The Loss of the Boats. 133 had worked, and all obtained some of their cut- tings. Securing what they wished, they were about retrac- ing their steps to the dam, when Foster espied a buck wading across the stream at the upper end of the pond. The animal was too far away for a sure shot. After a few words among themselves, Wingate and St. Clair were chosen to represent the party in shooting the deer. As the place where the boys were standing was com- paratively open, Charlie and Andrew took to the woods, while the rest of the party dropped down in the long grass out of sight. Wingate had a rifle with him, and St. Clair a double- barrel gun, and it was agreed between them that, if they got within shooting distance of the deer, they would both fire together, as they did not care how much the skin was riddled, it being the meat they were after. Keeping along the edge of the woods, avoiding step- ping on every dead limb or other stick that would make any noise, they soon came in sight of the buck again, which had stopped after crossing the stream, as if un- determined which way to go. The young hunters now dropped to the ground, and be^ran crawling toward their victim, and succeeded in getting within ten rods, when the buck turned his head toward them, and looked suspiciously in their direction. " Fire, Charlie !' whispered his friend; "the sinner has scented us." Accordingly, Wingate pulled trigger, and the next moment the deer dropped like a stone. Then the boys i li i' Mi, apr t« ss?. 134 Up the North Branch. jumped up and ran toward him, rt'acliin the Xorth Branch. Mill! as silently as possible, in hope of seeing more game. Half way to the lake they found some large spruces, -hat had quite a lot of gum on them, and the boys dug off all they could reach handily, about two pounds, and soon they were all chewing in unison, trying " JMay- nard's food," as Wood expressed it. The day was hot and sultry, and they went along very leisurely ; but, although they kept a sharp look- out, their eyes were not gladdened by the sight of game. They reached the point a few minutes before three, and walked straight to the spot where they had left their boats, but it was vacant. Not a boat was to be seen, either along the shore, or on the lake, and the different members of the party looked at each other with surprise cUid consternation, and a feeling of alarm took possession of them all. *' I should like to know whe our boats have gone ! " cried Le Roy, a little savagely, after there had been an awful stillness for a few seconds, for the terrible dis- covery they had made had deprived them all, moment- arily, of the power of speech. "And so should I," echoed Claude. " Great Scott ! fellows, this is a serious matter." "They couldn't go without hands," remarked Drake, looking as if he had made an assertion that nobody could deny. " Several men have been here since we left," declared Wingate, who had been examining the sand in the vicinity carefully. The Loss of the Boats. OT 1 ^T The whole party looked sharply at the tracks Wingate had pointed out, and finally came to the conclusion that the boats had been stolen by two or three men, they were not exactly sure of the number ; but why they should have taken all the boats, when one wouki have answered their purpose, was more than they could determine. Luckily the boats had contained nothing beside the oars and paddles, and the party was thus spared addi- tional loss. "Well, fellows," observed Claude, after the party had talked the matter over for some time, ''the boats are gone. Of that fact we are unfortunately certain, and the sooner w* get to camp the better, and see what else we have lost. And we must travel as fast as we can if we would reach it before dark, for I think n-e must have seven or eight miles to walk at least. It is a long distance around the shore of this lake to our camp." "You are right, Claude," remarked Maynard, "so let us be cff at once. One thing in our favor : we have daylight enough to get there in if we improve it, and we can't lose our way, for all we have to do is to follow the lake shore." As the boys made their way slowly along through the woods, the loss of their boats was the chief topic of conversation, and they declared dire vengeance on the scoundrels who had stolen them, if they could only run across the thieves. But their chance for finding the rascals they felt to be small indeed. " I suppose we'll find everything gone from the camp 'I! 138 Up the North Branch. U when we «^cl there," puffed St. Clair, as the party made the best time they were capable of toward the head of the lake. " I hope not," remarked Claude ; " the loss of our boats is enough, without anything else going." " I don't see what we shall do without them ; how are we going to get out of this wilderness without boats } " queried Wood. "Walk," replied Drake, laughing. "We will talk the matter over to-night, fellows," said Claude, " and determine what we shall do. We will find our way out of this scrape without walking." " Sure pop ! " added Robbins. Conversation was now dispensed with, as the boys walked so fast they could not spare the breath for it, and they were determined to reach camp before dark. The most of the way, the woods were quite open, and they made much better progress than they would have done in a scrub growth. From time to time, as they caught glimpses of the lake, they scanned it eagerly, in ho]ie of observ-ng a boat ; but nothing was to be seen. They reached Baker Brook at half past six, and at seven o'clock were in camp. "Here is the doe we turned loose this morning," said Wingate, who was the first fellow in. " That's funny," added Wood ; " I thought we had seen the last of her this morninjr." The party now began a thorough search of the camp and store-house, but could not see that a single article had been disturbed, and they came to the conclusion that the men who had gone off with the boats had not The Loss of the Boats. 139 been near the camp. This was some comfort, and, by the time the search had been fnished, Robbins was able to announce that supper was ready. All were quickly at the table, for the long tramp through the woods had given the whole party healthy appetites, and it was some time before Robbins ar.d Maynard could get a mouthful themselves, they wtre kept so busy with waiting on the others. When the supper was entirely over, all the fellows gathered around a large smudge in front of the cabin, and discussed the situation for two hours. The worst thing about it appeared to be that they did not know which way the boats had been taken, whether up river or down, although the majority of the party thought they had gone down river. They were shortly to get some information on that point. " I'll tell you what we can do, fellows. Go down river on a raft," proposed St. Clair. "Any kind of navigation is better than walking through the woods, especially where there are no tote roads. And the first one the maps show is the one Claude spoke of last night, running from the Seven Islands to Long Lake. So we shall have to reach the Seven Islands in some manner." " Can we build a raft that will carry us all ? " in- quired Wood, doubtfully. "Can we ? Can a rope walk ? Or a horse laugh ? Or a cat fish ? Of course we can," put in Wingate. with a laugh. "But we have no proper tools," added Wood. "Tools? Haven't we axes, and an inch auger? i t \ 140 Up the North Branch. I'd lilce to know what more we want," queried Maynard. "That last tool you spoke of augurs well for the success of the raft," remarked Claude, dryly. " Oh, shut up ! " " Put him out ! " " Go to bed ! " Cried several voices at once, and Foster gave Claude a slap on the back that made him wince. " But, seriously, fellows, there is no trouble in build- ing a raft, .if 'we can find logs enough of the right size near the river," declared Claude. "It will take a raft of them, though," said Drake. " ' "Another donkey brays," remarked Le Roy. " You have a brazen face to make such a remark " retorted Drake. ' "Come, give us a rest," said Robbins, "and save some of your cheap jokes until the next time." " There is plenty of cedar just below the outlet of the lake, on our side, and we can fell some of the trees right into the stream." "I noticed them myself, Charlie," replied Claude, "when we were there fishing yesterday, and I think we can procure all we need in that locality. I can speak only for myself, but I think the best thing we can do IS to move to the foot of the lake the f rst thing after breakfast to-morrow, and commence the construction of the raft." " How shall we get there ? " inquired Wood. " You can swim down the lake if you prefer it," re- The Loss of the Boats. 141 plied ihe leader of the party, with a laugh, "but I shall walk throui^h the woods." As Claude ceased speaking, voices were heard be- hind them, and each member of the party was on his feet in an instant, listening, with his face turned towanl the sounds. " What's up now ? " queried St. Clair. "We shall see In a moment," replied Claude. " Yes, and we had better not be caught napping," declared Wingate, and, slipping into the camp, he came out with his Winchester rifle, which was capable of doing some mischief as it was a full magazine, and was loaded. A few minutes later six men filed out of the shadows of the forest, and came straight up to where the boys stood. There was fire enough from the smudge to throw a small circle of light around them, and the boys and their visitors looked at each other a moment before speaking. One of the men broke the silence. •*Good evening, boys," he said; "have you run across two men around here to-day ? " "No, sir," answered Claude. "Your party are the first persons we have seen since we came here, but we know that sonv^ one has been in the vicinity to-day." "How so?" " Because we have had three boats stolen to-day." " From here ? '' " No; from the other side of the lake." And Claude told his stor}'. » r .^ If; 1;^ 142 Up the North Branch. n\ \ 11^ 1 ■::! I " That is bnd for us if tho.;e fellows Ijave got boats," remarked the man wlio had first spoken, and who was the leader of the party. " We didn't count on that." "That's sure, we didn't," rephed one of his men " Who are those men, and what are they doing here?" inquired Claude. "They murdered a man down to Mooschead Lake the other day in a drunken row, and we are after them. I am a sheriff, two of these men are my deputies, and the others are men we hired to guide us through the woods and help us carry the men back." "Did you say there were only two of them?" in- quired Wingatc. "Yes, only two. They are French Canadians, and are putting for Canada." "Then, what in the name of common-sense did thty take all three of our boats for? " " I can tell you, Charlie," spoke up Claude, " It was so nobody could follow them." " Vou are right, young man," added the sheriff, "and I should not be surprised if they sink two of th'.m down the river somewhere." '' If they do, and I ever see them, I'll pay them for it," declared Maynard, angrily. " Have they any grub with them ? " asked Drake. "I think not," replied the sheriff, "and they will probably go to the Depot Farm for some, for ib.eir stomachs must be pretty empty by this time." The sheriff's party now unstrapped their packs, nr.d the oHicer ani.ounccd his intention of camping where they were, ar.d told one of ilu' men to get sup^j^er, fur The Loss of the Boats. 143 they had been so eager in the use that ihey had not eaten a mouthful since morning. Claude invited them to sleep in the camp, but Mr. Grabem thanked him, and told him it was so warm they had just as lief sleep outdoors. ♦' Which way were vou heading ? " asked the sheriff of Claude. "We were going down the St. John River, and we are going now. We shall build a raft to-morrow." "You may recover your boats later on, if the villains have not destroyed thc-in. That is, if we catch thcMu. We shall start at daylight for the head of Long Lake, and will get there Thursday night if nothing happens ; they won't hurry, now they have the boats, but I an^ quite sure they will go to the farm for some supplies, and I think we shall get there as soon as they do." And the sheriff looked as if he meant to do it. "If they once get into Canada, you cannot take them ? " remarked Le Roy, with an inquiring look. " Not without the proper papers," said one of the deputies. "Come, fellows, let's turn in; it's eleven o'clock." And Foster arose with a yawn, and went indoors, and he was shortly followed by the others, who left the fires and the smudge to the care of the new-comers. i.s( 1 CHAPTER X. BUILDING THE RAFT. At daylight Wednesday morning the sheriff and his party were up and getting their breakfast. Just before they were rtady to start, the boys turned out, wishing to see them off. "Did you ever see those two men you r '- t arsuit of ? " inquired Claude. " No," replied Mr. Grabem, " but we have a good de- scription of them." "What kind of looking fellows are they.?" asked Maynard. " One of them is tall, dark-complectcd, has lost one front tooth, and weighs about one hundred and forty pounds. The other is about five feet two, stockily built, light-complected, has red hair, and a mole on his right cheek." . * " What is that ? " cried Wingate, excitedly, who had come up just in time to hear the sheriff's description. Grabem reper^ed what he had told Claude. "Great Ccesar's ghost, Claude! That is a mighty good description of Bill and Jim." " Those men's names are Bill and Jim Dubois." "What!" f.irly shrieked Wingate. "I'll bet a thousand dollars the are the same scoundrels ! " 114 %\ nuildin^ til • Raft. \\^ "Bii.. those vilHins were sent to 'riioinn«ton for ten years, aiul i. is not two yet since they began serving their term," re- larked Claude. " But they nuiy have escaped," said Wingate. " 1 heard a man say at the Northeast Carry that thty were State-prison birds," spoke up one of the dep- uties. " By Jove ! If we meet them, I'll save you the trouble of arresting one of them," declared VVingate, " for I'll shoot him at sight." " Ain't you talking a little loud ? " queried the sheriff, who could not understand the excitement oi the ? oys. "You'd talk loud if you had been through whpi Cla- e and I have with those thieves, scoundrels, and murderers," replied Wingate. "Let me ttll you." And he proceeded to give the sheriff and his party an account of their adventure with Bill and Jim, as re- counted in " Down the West Branch." " Well, you have good reason to be pc-'son on them, that's a fact," acknowledged Mr. Grabem when Win- gate had concluded his story. " But these may not be the sarre men," sup-bested Claude. " That is possible ; but I have a presentiment that they are, and it will be a sour day f-.^r that red-headed Satan when I run across h.in. I told h.in I should live to see him hanged." " Better not shoot him., then," laughed the sheriff, "but let the law take its course. But we must be off, or we may miss our men. Keep a sharp lookout o^ the 146 Up the North Branch. it rivtr, for there is about one r.hancc in a thousand that you may see tiiem." '" Vou can bet we will," declared Claude, with em- pha= "And if you see anything of our boais, just take .are of thern and we will make it right with you. " I will ; and, now, good morning ! " " Good morning," replied Claude. " Andgcod luck 1 " rhouted all the boys. " So you really think, Charlie, that the murderers and the coiners are the same scoundrels," said St. Clair. " Haven't a doubt of it in my own mind. I have always felt as if we should meet those villains n.j:ain." "if this crowd meets them," remarked Maynard, "if we don't kill them, we'll leave th-^m in such shape that they'll wish we had." " That's so," cried several of the party. All of the members of the Lake and Forest Club had herrd of Claude and Charlie's adventure with the coiners while on their trip down l!.e West IJranch, and were justly indignant at the cruel treatment tluir friends had received, and would gladly welcome the chance of reti rning the villains somo of their own kind of coin. " Well, Maynard, let's get breakfast," said Robbins, coming back to the first business of the day. "What shall we get?" " P>y some of the trout. I guess we shall need the whole of them, and a piece of venison. \ou start the lire, and I'll get the fish and meat ready." "If we can only meet those scoundrels," asserted ^\ I Building the Raft. 147 my Wingate, "I'll pay that skunk for spitting in face," " Can't get over that, can you, Charlie ? " remarked St. Clair. "No, nor I don't want to, until after I've pounded about all the life there is in his miserable body out of it." After breakfast had been eaten, the boys shouldered their fire-arms, and took their rods and other personal effects, and started for the foot of the lake. It was nine o'clock when they reached it, and St. (Mair and Maynard were detailed to stay there and wa.ch it, while the rest of the party returned for the stores and cooking utensils. *'You had better improve the time while we are away," suggested Robbins, " in catching some trout, if you can.' "We'll see what we can do," returned St. Clair, as the boys started back to the camp. "We shall have to call this a tramping-out scrape, instead of a camping-ou<- trip," laughed Le Roy, as the party tramped back to the foot of the lake. "We are camping and tramping both," added D;ake, " 1 don't think much of these carries where there is no path ; do you, Claude ? " queried Drake. " Can't say that I do, Bob. I prefer a turnpike to walk on." "The fellow that macadamized this road forgot to leve'i it," added Wingate. By the time the camp was reached, the boys were somewhat tired, and sat down to rest a few moments, ri- 148 Up the North Branch. m before packing up their loads. While busily engaged, the doe came in, and walked up to Claude, and sniffed at his hands. *' She wants some salt," suggested Wood. " I '"an't give her any more. Salt is too precious now. We must be saving of what we have," returned Claude. When the boys left the camp, they were surprised to see that the doe followed a little way behind them, stopping when they stopped, and walking when they walked. The second load for each of the boys was much heavier than the first had been, and they had to rest about every fifteen minutes, and it was nearly t vo o'clock when they reached the outlet. St. Clair and Maynard had busied themselves all the forenoon in cutting timber for the raft, and had half a dozen good cedar sticks all ready when they left off to get dinner, about half past one. As the last of the trout that had been carried to the head of the lake had been eaten that morning, St. Clair tried his luck fishing, while Maynard was build- ing the fire, and making such slight preparation as he could until the stores and cooking utensils made their appearance. '• Dinner all ready, Frank ? " cried Claude, as the '' packers." as Le Roy called them, came up and de- posited their loads. " I^ow under the sun did you expect me tc get din- ner witliout stores or cooking utensils ? " " Oh, by some trick of legerdemain." Building the Raft. 149 *' Has that fellow been round here ? " inquired Wood. "What fellow?" and Claude stared at his friend, having no idea of what he meant. "Legerdemain." The boys laughed. " Get out," exclaimed Claude. " I am out." " Well, get in, then." " In where ? " " In the lake." "The water's too wet." -I say, Andrew," called Le Roy to St. Cair, "are you catching any fish ? " "Yes." " Waiat kind ? " " Raw." The ])arty laughed at Le Roy's discomfiture. Robbins and Claude helped Maynard get the din- ner, and, when it was ready, Maynard put his finger in his mouth and blew a shrill whistle, which brought St. Clair without loss of time. "I never was so hungry in my life," said the fish- erman, as he came up to his friends, wiping the per- spiration from his forehead, for it was a very hot day. " You're always hungry," declared Drake. " I'll bet we have a shower before night. It's an awful sultry day," remarked Foster. "The clouds begin to look like it off there in the west," replied Wiugate. " Where's Fanny ? " inquired Maynard, ^l. name the boys had given the doe. I^i 150 Up the North Branch. I "Give it up!" replied Robbins. "She was with us until we were most here. Met some fellow she was acquainted with perhaps, and stopped to buzz liim." " What a set of chumps you fellows are," remarked Wood, from the table. ** If you don't sit down soon, you'll be minus your dinner." *' How long did you cut your sticks for the raft, Andrew ? " inquired Claude, while they were eating. " As near twenty-five teet as I could guess." " How near was that "*. " asked Foster, with a roguish look. " Measure them and see." " Did you get out many ? " queried Claude. " Six." " We need a dozen, at least. But, by the way the sky looks, I think we had better construct some kind of a shelter, before going to work on the raft." " My sentiments exactly," remarked Maynard, " and there had better be a pile of wood cut, for we shall hardly get away from here before Friday morning." " I wouldn't start Frida}'," said Drake. " Nonsense ! " exclaimed Claude, laughing. " Colum- bus sailed on Friday, and discovered America on PViday." When the boys had finished their meal, they went to work with a will, in spite of black flies and mos- quitoes, which hovered about them in clouds, and in two hours had a very fair shelter built for the night, large enough to accommodate them all, with close stowing. Then they moved into their shanty the very fe w Binlding the Raft. 151 articles they now had left that would be likely to be in- jured by the rain, and, just as they had completed he work, a heavy rumble of thunder broke upon the still- ness of the air, and a few drops of ram fell The shower came down upon them with wonderful swiftness, however, for, in five minutes from the tune they had noticed the first flash of lightning, the ram wa; pouring in torrents, the wind was blowing a young Hurricane, and the flash and crash of the electricity in the air gave them an uncomfortable feeling that was nearly akin to fear. At least, it was not a pleasant '^FronrTheir shelter, where they were huddled to- gether, they noticed Fanny come out of the woods and w^lk toward the table. Before she reached it, however, there came the sharpest flash of lightning they had seen, and then a terrific cash of thunder long drawn out, and when they looked at the doe n-ra'in it was lying on the ground dead, ^t had been struck by the lightning, and the air around their rmelled sulphurous. ^^ '' I tell you, fellows, that came too close for comfort, remarked Maynard, "and it has killed poor Fanny If she had lived, I believe she would have followed us all the way down river." "Well, we shall have to eat her now, said Wood, rather soberly. , . " I o-uess not," replied Claude, somewhat amused, in ■ spite of the senous side of the question; "an animal killed by lightning is not fit to eat." " You don't mean it ? " m ii 152 Up the North Branch. Ii \ "Yes, I do. It is a fact, so that eatin- any j^art of the doe is out of the question." The storm, as if being satisfied with the sacrifice of the doe, now bega.i to grow lighter, the flashes of li-ht- nnig coming less frequent, and th.' detonations of "the thunder not being nearly so heavy, and in half an hour after Fanny's death the sun came out clear again. When the rain was over, the bovs turned their atten- tion to getting firewood enough to last them until Friday morning, and this occupied them until supper time. ^^ During the evening. the plans for constructing the raft were pretty thoroughly discussed, and it was de- cided to build it about the size of one of the head- works they had seen the lumbermen use, which are in the vicinity of twelve by twenty-five or thirty feet and a raft of that size was capable of carrying a dozen men Every one in the party was very tired that night for they had passed through a hard dav, and at nine o'clock every fellow was asleep. Nothing occurred to disturb their slumbers during the night, and they ill turned out Thursday morning, feeling quite refreshed, and ready to push,, the construction of the craft on which they depended to carry them down river. Breakfast was over at six o'clock, and the entire party, with the exception of the cook and his assistant began work on the raft. ' As the trees were felled and trimmed, and cut to the proper length, all buf those who were wielding the axes would carry thei. to the water, and sometimes the choppers had to give the others a lift. Building the Raft. 153 By noon they had all the logs for the raft cut, and in the water, and then took an hour's rest, during which time they ate a hearty dinner. In the afternoon a number of poles of the same length as the logs were cut to lay between every two logs, where they came together, thus making the sur- face of the raft more even. Six small trees, about f^ve inches through, were then cut of sufficient length to cover the entire width of the r-ift and these were fastened securely to the logs in the 'following manner, making the whole structure firm and strong. Two auger holes were bored in every log on each side of the cross-sticks. Into these holes, short pieces of green withes were inserted, passing over the cross- sticks in the shape of an ox-bow, and wedges were then mide and driven into each hole to prevent the ends of ihe withes from pulling out. The work was rushed lively, the only interruption being when some fellow had to stop occasionally to sme^r a fresh supply of war paint on his face and hands, to keep the flies, midges, and mosquitoes at a respect- ful distance. One of the end cross-ties was laid in position as soon as ready, and, while one , the fellows was turning the auger, the others were making wedges and cutting the withes to the right length. The boring of the holes was back-aching business, and tired the boys even more than carrying the logs to the river, and, in order to have the work go on as rapidly as possible, as soon as one fellow bored a hole, he 154 Up the North Branch. m would change work with some other luember of tlie party ; and, as Robbins and Maynard joined llieni in the work after the first three holes were made, it gave each quite a rest, as a fellow had then to bore only every ninth hole ; yet as there were one hundred and twenty holes to make, this was about as often as any member of the party cared to take a turn at the auger. By unanimous assent, Claude was appointed master- workman, and he not only kept on the jump himself the whole afternoon, but managed to keep everybody else busy, and at six o'clock, when Robbins and May- nard left'off to get supper, the raft was so nearly done that the remainder of the crew finished it by the time that Maynard sent forth his call to bring them to the evening meal. They had made a fairly good ] ^b of it, and every one in the party was pleased with ' 'he building of the ship," as Wingate put it, and Fost - laughingly chris- tened it the Slow Poke, on account c the slow sailing they expected from it. After supper everything that was not needed at break- fast the next morning was packed up, for the boys wished to get an early start, and at ten o'clock they retired, glad of the chance to stretch themselves out for a little rest. Robbins had declared he would have everybody up early Friday morning, and he was as good as his word. For, as the first faint streaks of daylight shot across the sky in the east, he arose, and, after dressing, pulk d the blankets off of his sleeping friends, and shouted : — !'K B nil ding the Raft. 155 " Turn out ! turn out ! the good ship Sloiu Poke sails at seven o'clock, and don't wait for any man." '^Or woman either," shouted Foster. "I'll turn you out," gro'.dcd Drake, not relishing being awakened at such an early hour, and, reaching for Robbins, he caught him by the foot, tripping him up, and bringing him down across Maynard and Wingate. And a scuffle ensued which awoke every member of the party, and, with jokes and laughter, they arose and dressed. Robbins had plenty of assistance in getting break- fast, and at six o'clock they sat down to eat it. No time was wasted at the table, and, by the united efforts of the whole party, they succeeded in making a start at half past seven o'clock, which Claude said was doing very well, as that was only half an hour behind the time they had set. mm \ m ii M * 'li^B 4 CHAFl ER XI. A NOVEL TUGBOAT. They had provided themselves- with long poles to propel and guide the raft in rapids, and to keep her awav from the banks of the river, and had broujrht along half a dozen cedar splits, which (Jlaude intended to fashion into rude paddles as they floated down the stream. " Good-bye, Baker L;i.vas only effected by all hands going into the water, and lift- ing until, as Le Roy expressed it, "they saw start ' Once more afloat, and, as they drifted along, it was decided not to stop at all for dinner, but to keep on floating until frvC o'clock, and then tie up for the night. Drake proposed that they should float all night, but the sentiment of the party was against it, as they did not know "-hat dangers might befall them after dark, and they thought travelling by daylight, while it took longer, was much the safer way. They had the usual chang^^ .1 are met with on A Novel Tugboat. 159 fresh-water rivers; rapids, fall:, shallow water, at.d reaches of dead water, where th.re scarcely seemed to be any current. They grounded on rocks several times, and were hung up^by snags twice, and in sev.:ral pieces of rapids they had a hard job to manage the raft ; but, by working quickly and carefu.Iy in bad places, ihey sur- mounted all the difficulties they met with during the day, and tied up a little after fivr. at the mouth ot Brailey Brook, just below where 1. en' .s the South Branch, That night, Clau'le was lucky enov.^h to shoot a deer, having sat up until micinight watching for that purpose. It was a buck, in fino coudilion, and a most welcome addition to t!.3 hrde-. , Saturday morning, Wingate and Foster tried their luck at fishing at the mouth of the brook, and took about tarty small trout, which enabled the cooks lo serve up a very bounteous breakfast. The Slow Poke was got u.v.ier way at seven o'clo-k, and their second dry's voyage commencr l It po.n- ised to be very hot by noon, as the air had the same old sultry feeling in it. They four d more water on the river Saturday, having passed two quite large fecuers of the stream the day before -Turner JJrook and Brailey F '^rk, alreadv spoken of. As «^ome of 'the partv were dissatisfied with going with- out th< ir dinner the day before, they tied up to the east- ern river bank between twelve an^' one ; and the entire P irty assisted in getting the noonday meal. While they were eating it, a moose crossed the n -er 160 Up the North Branch. \i\ M froHi their side, in plain sight of them, but they did not try to follow him, as they were too anxious to re cli the Long Lake Farm and see if thev could hear anvthin<^ of their boats, which they still hoped to recover. At 1:30 they made a fresh start, and about half an hour afterward, while paddling along a piece of dead water, they saw an object floating ahead of them, which they took for the butt of some large tree, an old-growth pine, Claude thought. A nearer approach, however, convinced them that the object was an enormous turtle asleep on the water. "Great Scott! what a turtle!" exclaimed Foster; "he's as large as a barn door." "Not quite," laughed Claude: "but he's an old sockdolager! that's a fact." " Is he good to eat ? " queried Drake, anxiously, vis- ions of green-t'.'-tle soup floating through his mind, "No, you jackass. It's a mud-turtle," whispt.ed Maynard, softly, laughing quietly at his friend's question. " By the Great Horn Spoon, I say let's capture him, and make him tow us down river," whispered Wingate, excitedly ; " he'll be as good as a tugboat." " What an idea ! " ejaculated Lc Roy, in an under- lone. " No harm in trying it," insisted \A'ingate, taking a piece of three-eighths rigging, and making a slip-n(,ose in one end of it. The boys now kept silent and let the raft drift ilown on the turtle, whose hind flippers were sprawled out nearly straight on the water, while Charlie stood on the ■- 1 f I i /4 A^^-az'^:/ Tugboat. 161 forward end of the raft, slip-noose in hand, ready to throw it over one of the turtle's propellers, as soon as they should be near enough. Claude, seeing sport in the capture of the turtle, even if Charlie's somewhat quixotic idea conld not be carried out, caught up another piece of line, and made a noose in one end, and took his place near Wingate, to assist in the capture. " My stars ! " excLumed St. Clair, " he's the leviathan of turtles. He is five feet long, if he's an inch." The Slow Poke slowly drifted down to the turtle, propelled only by a friendly breeze, for everybody had stopped paddling, for fear of waking the sleeping giant ; and when within two feet of him Charlie and Claude reached forward and slipped their nooses over both of the turtle's hind flippers, and then gave the lines a pull that tightened the knots, and awoke Mr. Turtle to the fact that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." The amphibious monster, when he found himself in the toils, started for the bottom of the river, and would have assured 'y taken Charlie and Claude with him, if the other fellows had not sprung quickly to their help. *' Great snakes ! " exclaimed Rob' ms, "he's as strong as an elephant ! " " Make the ends of the two lines fast to the forward cross-tie," shouted Claude; "we can't hold the monster this way. He'll tire us out and get away." This suggestion was quickly acted on, and, after the lines had been secured, and the bov; had taken a rest, they took anot'.icr pull on them and brought the turtle to the su-Tace again. rf'^n Ai' J 102 [//} the North Branch. He now started for the east bank of the river, but, when the boys rapped him smartly with one of the poles on that side, he headed into the middle of the stream. He swam about -^ hundred yards, towing the rr.ft twice as fast as it had gone since leaving the lake, an.l then turned abruptly toward the west bank; but the poles were again brought into requisition, and after a tew good thumps had been delivered on his port side he Uirned toward the middle of the stream; but he had no sooner reached it than he undertook to go to the bottom again. The crew of the Slow Poke were equal to the emer- gency, however, for, seizing hold of the lines, they hauled with such good will that they soon had Nep.jne, as Foster christened him, at the top of the w-ter once more. A few punches in the rear started Neptune down river again, and for about fifteen minutes he behaved admirablv. 'Talk'about towboats!" exclaimed W .,/ te ; "what do you want belter than this ? V'hat do you say to the idea now, you chump?" poking Le Roy in the ribs. " Isn"t it better than paddliig ? " "Enou^^h sight, if your engine only holds out, and your boiler don't blow up. I always said you had quite a head, Charlie." 'But, unfortunately, nothing in it," spoke up St. Clair, with a laugh. \eptune had not wholly learned his business, how- ever; lor, alter lurnii.^' a sharp bend in the river, he struck 3r the er.stern shore once more. i A Novel Tugboat. 1G3 Again he was Ihumped and pounded until he took the middle of the stream, and shortly after the raft reached a shallow place in the river, where the water flowed over a bed of sand and gravel, and Neptune took bottom there and began to crawl. The water, being very clear in this part of the stream, enabled the boys to see every motion of the huge turtle, as he slowly poked along, leaving a trail behind him on the sand. '•Confound him, he walks too slow," remarked Win- gate, and, taking his pole, he prodded the turtle until he brought him to the surface, and Neptune took to Gwimming again ; and again the boys, by the aid of their poles, managed to keep him in the middle of tlie river the greater part of the time. At half past four they reached the forks of the river, where the south and southwest branches unite, the latter being much the larger of the two. Passing the junction of the two waters, they landed just below the Southwest Branch, on the north side of the main river. The raft was made secure, and, while Robbins and Maynarrt began preparations for supper, the rest of the party turned their attention to the turtle, which had crawled as far out on the bank of the river as the length of the towlines would permit. Wood walked up as near him as he dared, and, look- ing carefully at his back, saw some queer-looking marks on his 3hell, and he called Claude to come and help him decipher them. Time had almost obliterated tb but after a while. if •■ \ I ir i % 164 Uf :he North Branch. to his surprise and astonishment, Claude made out the letters, and they deciphered the words, and the inscrip- tion read, "Baron de St. Castine, Oct. 15, 1644." " Great Jerusalein ! " exclaimed the bewildered leader of the party, rubbing his eyes to be sure that he was right; and then, turning to his friends, some of whom had followed him, he said : — '• How old do you think that turtle is ? " " Older than any fellow in this crowd, I'll bet a cent," declared Wingate. "Well, if I have made out this inscription on his shell correctly, he is about 236 years old ! " " What are you giving us ? " queried Wood. "Is that all?" laughed St. Clair. "Couldn't you add a year or two more ? " "I'm not joking, Andrew. You just examine his shell. You see, the letters and figures are badly worn, but I make them read, ' Baron de St. Castine, Oct. 15, 1644,' and tiiat would make the turtle about the age I mentioned." " Come here, fellows," sang out Wood ; " this tunic of ours is a curiosity." The rest of the party gathered around Neptune, and, after carefully studying the hieroglyphics on his shell, came to the conclusion that Claude had made them out correctlv. " If Barnum had that turtle," remarked Foster, with a twinkle in his eye, " he would swear that he was one of the original turtles that went into the ark with Noah." " If he did," declared Robbins, " he would get a good ^\ I i!i> I A Novel Tugboat. lG/5 deal nearer the truth than he 'Iocs in some of the statements he makes about his show." "Take off your hats, fellows," said Maynard, setting the example, with :. touch of the serio-comic in his speech and gesture ; " age should be venerated," and he bowed quite low to the turtle, who didn't seem to care how much game the boys made of him. " And to think how we rapped and punched the old fellow to-dav," said Drake. " Yes, and we'll rap and punch him again to-morrow, if he doesn't keep in the middle of the river and swim proi> erly. If he's as old as Claude says he is, he's old enough to learn how to tow the Sloiv Poke properly, and, by Jove, he's got to do it !" declared Wingate, as he picked up a stic'k near him, a limb abont seven feet long, and laid it carefullv on the turtle's shell, and then, by the aid of his rule, made out that the shell of the turtle measured just six feet in length, and four feet and one inch m width. " Who was Baron de St. Castine, any way ? " queried Wood. " I'll be hanged if I know," replied Drake. "He was a French nobleman," remarked Claude, " who came to Canada in the sixteenth century, and, leaving his companions, joined the Penobscot Indians, and married into the tribe." " 1 don't admire his taste," said Le Roy. '• Periiaps you would if you had seen the girl," laughed Foster. The turtle was now L-ft to his own companionship, and, while Robbins and Maynard were getting supper, SlRii '2' I I Kin up the North Branch. , I ' the other members of tlie party brought in some fuel and arranged a rather primitive shelter for the night. Sunday morning the cook did not wake very early, and, as no one felt inclined to call him, it was nine o'clock before the party sat down to breakfast, and ten before they were ready to resume their voyage. When the boys had loaded the Slow Poke, for every- thing had been taken off the raft the night before, the turtle, apparently against his will, was persuaded to take again to the water, and he was guided into the middle of the stream, towing the raft at a good speed. The current also was considerably stronger than the day before, and altogether they made very good head' way. During the day they passed several bad places, and once they were hung up for nearly two hours. At five o'clock they reached Comstock Drook, and, passing its mouth, they ran into the river bank a few rods below, and camped on the north side of the St. John. " Look here, fellows," said Le Roy, after the raft had been tied up, *' what does that turtle live on ? We have not fed him since we captured him, and I should think he would be hungry by this time." " I'll be hanged if I know what to give him," replied W'ingate. " Perhaps he will eat fish and meat. We can try him and see." " Let him live on frith and air," suggested Drake. " Feed him on wind pudding," advised Wood. " If you think that kind of diet is healthy, try it your- self," said Maynard. "Oh, you need not worry about Neptune," remarked l# li^t^ ^ ' A Novel Tugboat. ItiT Cl-imlc. "I have read th.t turtles are capable of livinS a lo„, ti,.,e without food, so we ,K.cd not feed h,.n :,,i,e;.e Ueep Itim, and .l.e„ we get tired of u.,^ l.nn (or a t,.wl,oat we xviU set hint adrttt, an.l he 11 take care of himse'f. Ill warrant." "He has lived long enonsh in this ^v<,rld to know how I shoidd think," put in St. Clair. When the bovs awoke Monday .norntng, they made two discoveries.' First, that the air was full of s„K.ke and, second, that Neptune had n.anaged sotitehow to elease hitnself, and leave thetu. The --" d,s - erv was not of much account, as the s,7,e of the r.ver ^n'd strenijth of the current had very much tncreased in I d stanle they had Boated since capturtng the turt e and he would have been more of a nu.sanee than a help "them in the future, and no one shed tears at h,s '"ThTsmoke. however, was a very serious matter and , , o^ ;f It l-Tited Ion"- It was almob,t promised to be more so if it lasttcl ion . ns bad as fog, and they could scarcely discern the oppo- site side of 5.e river, while the smell of it was anything hut a^^reeable. , , , Ma° nard and Le Roy were tne cooks tor the week and Ihev prepared breakfast as rap.dly as poss.ble, n. ::der thaf the party might leave their present locauon at the earliest possible moment, ,n he '-P- ' ' ^ they drifted down river they would nn. out of the '""Where do vou su,.pose this smoke comes trom^ Claude ? " inquired Wood, who had never witnessed anything of the kind before. ill 108 Up the North Branch. "I can't tell you, Dave. Probably the forest is o^ fire to the east or north of us, but I am in hopes that a few miles floating will take us beyond it." " I hope the fire will not reach us," said Drake. " If it does, we shall be burnt like rats in a hole." " Not so bad as that, I guess," asserted Wingate. ** If it gets too hot for us, we shall have to take care of ourselves somehow." \ I m ' i 5 ( CHAPTER XII. THE BURNING FOREST. The S/o7e' Poke started on her fourth day's run at seven o'clock, in such a dense smoke that the sun was invisible. As they went down river, borne by a now rapid current, they would have enjoyed the situation immensely, only from the fact, undoubted by all, that the farther they went the thicker the smoke became, and by eight o'clock they could not see either bank, when the raft was in the middle of the river. As it was impossible for them to lose their way, how- ever, they floated onward, suffering much annoyance from the smoke, that now began to make their eyes smart, and very much vexed that they could see noth- ing of the country through which they were passing. " Confound the smoke ! " growled P'oster ; " I wish it was in Jericho." "Well, it's done us one good turn," remarked St. Clair, " for I have not seen a mosquito, a black fly, or a midge to-day." " I hope it will kill every one there is in Maine," added Wood, savagely, who had suffered more from the bites and stings of insects than any other fellow in the party. " Amen ! " shouted Drake. 1G9 170 rp the North Brnnch. About noon ihe wind began lo blow, and s.-.n in- creased to a gale. In hope of clearing the snioke before night, the entire party voted lo skip the dinner, and make the best headway possible down river. " 1 would be willing to go without dinner and supper both," declared Le Roy, " if we can only get beycMul this smoke before we turn in to-niglU, for I am afraid we shall smother if we don't." " I am afraid there will be no sleeping for any of i:s to-night," replied Claude, with a very sober face. " 1 think we are getting into a mighty bad scrape. Don't you notice fine cinders are beginning to come with tlic smoke, which shows that the fire is getting neai':r lo us ? " "That's so, as true as I'm alive," remarked Robbins- The friends stared each other in the face, but nothing was said, and for some time they floated on in silence, each busy with thoughts of the difficult and dangerous situation that they felt sure was fast approaching them, and trying to think of some feasible way of escaping it. By three o'clock, the cinders came so large and fast that they frequently set the clothing of some member of the party on fire, and Claude declared it was not safe to travel any longer, for, beside the cinders, the roaring of the fire could now be distinctly heard, although it was yet a long distance away. "Steer in toward the right bank, fellows, and let us see what it looks like. We can't stand this a great while longer. The air is fairly getting hot." When they reached the shore, they found the bank i ' The Piirtiiiis^ Forest. 171 m \ was about six feet high, and the ground in tiic viviniiy meadow land. "This is a most fortunate thing for us. This giass will burn easily, and we must start a back fire, as they do in the West, when travellers are caught on a burning prairie. We can't see, to be sure, how far back this intervale land runs from the river, but it must be fifteen or twenty rods at least, and that will save us;" and, pulling out a match, Claude touched the dried grass, and in a minute it was in flames. As soon as it had burned back from the river thirty or forty feet, Claude said : — " Now, fellows, find anything you can that is suitable to dig with, for we must get a hole of some kind large enough for us all to get into, and take our things beside." '' How about the raft ? " queried Wood, anxiously. *' Won't it be destroyed ? " *' 1 guess not. The logs are green, and, as there is no timber here to fall on it, I think it will be safe. The cinders may hurt it a little, but I don't believe it will take fire and burn up." " I know how we can save it," exclaimed Wingate. " Let us hear," replied Foster. " We can cover it with three or four inches of dirt." " A good idea, Charlie," returned Claude, " and now let's to work, and remember you are workin ' for your lives." Eveiy member of the party realized the fact that Claurle had stated, and they took hold with a will. They divided into two parties, three covering the "m^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I IM r= u, y^ ^ 1^ us Si 2.5 2.2 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► 7} o> ^ ^, '^' .^. /A pViotnoimihir A. A. XV^ l.V> >^A. \-A-|^^A. AA%^ Sciences Corporation 23 WKST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 145*0 (716) •73-4S03 ^^ \\ I 172 C[/> the North Branch. raft with dirt, and ilie other six digging the hole on shore. The soil was light, and they removed it ensily. After digging down about six feet, they began to tunnel toward the river, leaving a shell of earth about three feet in thickness over their heads, and Claude said, if it should break through on them i. was not heavy enough to hurt them much. In half an hour, Wingate, Maynard, and Le Roy had covered the raft, obtaining their dirt by digging into the bank of the river, about on a level with the tunnel the other boys were at work on ; then they went to the place where the others were at work, but found there was no room for them. " You had better continue digging from your end " advised Claude, " and we shall meet after a while." His suggestion was acted on, and at six o'clock the two parties came together, and the job was finished shortly after. Their guns, fishing-rods, and ammuni- tion had been placed in a little indentation in the bank, fifteen or twenty feet below the raft, and the remainder of their things they took into their "fire- proof vault" — as Robbins called it — with them. During their digging, the cinders had increased in size and number, and the boys plainly saw that if they had not provided their underground shelter they would have been burned to death. As it was, they were uncomfortable enough. For, as evening advanced, the heat increased, and the roar of the fire was terrible. They could hear an occasional crash as some forest monarch bit the ground, and, although there was no timber in their immediate V I \ The Burning Forest. 173 / vicinity, the heat was wafiecl into their retreat so strong that they were bathed in perspiration. To get a meal under the circumstances was out of the question, and, as they had nothing cooked, tney were forced to try the same kind of food that some of the party had suggested for the turtle, the day before. Crowded and cramped together, their stomachs faint from their long fasting, they lay and sweltered hour after hour, listening to the roar of the wind and the fire. The smoke also nearly smothered them, and they suffered a great deal from it. Their mouths became parched and dry, and they longed for a drop of the water which those who were nearest the river could hear flowing swiftly past their retreat. The flames lit up the water, which, on account of the smoke, had a peculiar, sickly, yellow light, and the stream sent forth a constant hissing from the large, red- hot cinders that dropped into it by the thousand. The boys did not suppose that the fire would cross the river; but, about midnight, some of the under- brush caught from the intense heat and falling sparks, and the flames rapidly spread, lapping up everything along the river bank, and then swept beyond to the heart of the forest. Just after three o'clock, Claude crawled to the end of the tunnel, at the river bank, and, taking a dipper with him, went down to the stream for a drink. After satis- fying his thirst, he noticed that the wind had died down, and that no cinders of any account were falling. Call- ing to his friends, he informed them that they could come out with sifety now ; and then, wading into the ii p 174 Up the North Branch. river, he plunged under two or three limes, the air being so warm tliat he ran no rislc of taking cold. The other members of the party followed his example, and felt greatly refreshed by the bath. The light from the fire had mostly disappeared, and while the boys were waiting for daylight they scraped the dirt off from the raft, and managed, in spite of the semi-darkness, to get all their things on it. The smoke was as dense as ever, but as soon as the first rays of daylight penetrated to such an extent that they could see Ko travel, the raft was pushed from the shore, and they started down river once more. They had only floated about half a mile when the raft ran into an enormous pine, half burnt, which had fallen from the river bank; and, for the next two hours, they met with constant obstructions of this nature, so that it made the navigation slow and tiresome. About nine o'clock the smoke began to appear thinner, and, shortly after, they came to a part of the forest where the trees had not all fallen down, although the fire had been in them, and they were all blackened. At half past ten they reached a part of the forest where the trees had been only singed, the foliage beino- destroyed, but none of the limbs burned, and half an hour afterward they were all out of the smoke, and once more surrounded by a live, green forest. The party h " " Caught them out of the water," replied St. Clair. " ril bet five dollars you didn't," laughed Wingate, who had heard Andrew's remark ; " I'll bet you caught them in the water. You don't often catch trout out on the land." "What arr; you fellows indulging in, a hair-splitting match ? " queried Claude, coming up to the group. "No," replied Foster; " we were only trying to con- vince Dave and Rob that it took fishermen to catch fish, r.nd then Charlie had to poke his nose into the mess." " Breakfast ! " cried Le Roy at the top of his voice, and the fellows stopped their argument and sat down at the table. A Bear Hunt. 180 " Shail we leave any of our things here ? " inquired Wood, while they wer:^ eating. "I don't think it best to do so," replied Maynard. "We can easily carry our blankets, guns, rods, etc., and the cooking utensils can be divided between us. There is only a little of the caribou meat left, not more than twenty or twenty-five pounds, and we can take turns in carrying that." "If it's as hot as it was yesterday, it will make us sweat some before we get there," declared Drake ; *' twelve or fifteen miles is a pretty good walk with a load." "And yet you wanted to try it after six o'clock last evening," bantered Robbins. " Because I thought it would be cooler." "It is not going to be so hot to-day," asserted Claude. "The wind is coming out from the north- west, and we shall have quite a comfortable day for August." " That is to say," added Le Roy, with a laugh, ''• that it is going to be a very Au-gust day." " That's stale ! " shouted Foster. "I hope the road is perfectly plain," remarked Drake. "After losing our boats, narrowly escaping being burned to death, and half starved, I don't care to get lost in the v.oods." " Half starved ! " cried Maynard ; " well, if you haven't gall, I wouldn't say so. After eating two or three trout, and four or five pounds of caribou meat for breakfast, you must be very near a starving condition. If you feel very weak, I'll be one to help carry you," 100 Up the North Branch. "Go hire a hall," retorted Drake, " and empty your- self of wind. I was not speaking to you, anyhow. Some people are always shoving their oar in where it is not wanted." " I don't think we shall get off the road," remarked Claude, laughing at his Iriends' chaffing. "It is plainly laid down on the map, and I think we can follow it easily enough. It has been a winter road for years, and must be well delined. Anyhow, I will guar- antee to piiot you to the farm safely, if you'll follow me." "This may have been a winter road once, but it is a summer road now," grinned Foster. " Idiot ! " cried Le Roy. " Now, I'm even with you, you sardine." " If he's a sardine, let's can him," suggested Woc^, " We can't," said Drake. " Why ? " *' We have no cans." " Of course we can't can him, if we have no cans, can we ? " added Le Roy. "Shades of Belshazzar! I can't stand this," re- marked Maynard, and, swinging his dish-cloth around dripping wet, he took Le Roy in the face, and then added, " Now, if you fellows are going to keep on talk- ing like drivelling idiots, get out of my hearing, or there'll be a funeral in this family, and I shall be chief mourner." "Confound you, Frank," sputtered Le Roy, as the boys roared at the cook's act of vengeance, " I owe you one, and I'll pay you before night, or yuu may work me A Bear Hunt. 101 i up into fish balls," and he went down to the river and washed his face. At seven o'clock, the boys had their packs slung upon their shoulders, and took up their line of march for the head of Long Lake, Claude leading the proces- sion. "I tell you what it is, fellows," said St. Clair, "par- tridges are large enough :o shoot, and we must keep our eyes open. We ought to run across some on this road." " They must have queer partridges up in this coun- try," remarked Wood, with a twinkle in his eye. " How so ? " queried Robbins. "Why, Andrew said they were large enough to shoot, and I never heard of partridges shooting before." " There's another case of dish-cloth, Frank ! " laughed Claude. " Ves, I only wish I had it full of greasy water, and I'd quiet that blockhead." " Say, fellows, I've got a conundrum for you," puff.d Drake, as he staggered along under what was really a heavy load for him. " Keep it, then," growled Le Roy, who was still think- ing of Maynard and his dish-cloth. "Oh, let him fire i: off," assented Foster, "he'll ha- - less load to carry then." " Spit it out, Bob," advised Robbins. "Why would a cock partridge make a good member of a militarv ■ and ? " "Give it up," cried St. Clair. I- 192 Up the North Branch. " Because he's a capital drummer," said Wood, with a smile of saiisfaction. "Tell us when to lau;;h, Rob," bantered Le Roy. "Some people don't possess that facuUy," retorted Drake. About half past eight, they reached a stream that ran across the road. They were all thirsty and gladly took the opportunity to get a drink. Le Roy watched Maynara. and, just as they reached the middle of the brook, he tripped Frank up, who came down full 'length in the bed of the stream, where the water was about six inches deep, and, of course, he got a thorough ducking. " Now, I've paid my debt," shouted Tommy, as he rushed ahead to keep out of Maynard's way. " T thought I heard something drop," remarked Rob- bins, as Maynard scrambled to his feet. " I had that impression myself," laughed Maynard, who did not lose his temper, as many would have done. At ten o'clock the boys stopped half an hour to re.st a^ a spot where they found an abundance of raspberries, and they improved the time by eating a pint or two of berries each. "My stars! Aren't these berries delicicis?" said Foster, not speaking very plainly, however, for his mouth was full of the fruit. "I should like about two quarts of them for my dinner," remarked Claude. "If they grow anywhere on that farm, I mean to have some for supper." "We can all go berrying," suggested Drake, "if there are any in the vicinity." n A Bear Hunt. 193 " And we'll do it too," added Maynard. As the boys travelled onward, they frequently saw deer tracks in the road, and also those of bears and moose several times. They also came upon two flocks of partridges at different times, but the birds heard them and flew before the boys could drop their packs and get ready to shoot. " It strikes me, we need not go any farther to find game," remarked Robbins. " Judging by what we have seen in the way of signs on this carry, we can have good sport to stop at this farm awhile." ' " If the people will board us, it might be a good idea to stay with them a few weeks," added Claude. ♦' I go in for that," chimed in Robbins. " We shall find more partridges in the vicinity of that farm than we shall in the forest ; and, if berries are plenty in the vicinity, that will be an additional in- ducement." • " I can think of another," said St. Clair. «• What is it ? " asked Claude. " Milk and butter. Probably they keep cows, and, if they do, we can get all the milk and butter we want." "And ran live like fighting cocks," cried Wood, gleefully. " But if they won't board us? " queried Drake. ♦' If they will let us draw on them ior supplies, I don't care whether they board us or not," declar ' Claude. As the sun rose higher and higher, the heat began to tell upon the boys in spite of the cool breeze that had befriended them' all the way. The road seemed inter- 194 Up the North Branch. N- \\\ minable, and their feet ached, while every rag of cloth- ing on then was wet through. '^ Talk about it being twelve or fifteen miles to th.n farm," said Drake, with a snort of contempt. '' We have travelled twenty five now." Claude laughed at Drake's idea of the distance trav- eiled, and then said : — '* My boy, twelve or fifteen miles through the woods is a 'light 'smart distance,' as they say in the South. But keep up your courage, for we shall certainly get there if wa keep on putting one foot before the other. And when we &o get there, we will have a good rest." •' 1 know I shall, for o-.e," asserted \tingate, " and I think we had all better lie off for a day or two, and do nothing but loaf around the house. I want to write up my diary, and mend some of my clothes. 1 begin to look like a tramp." " So do all of us, for that matter," laughed Le Roy. The boys now walked for about a mile in silence. In fact, the weight of their loads, combined with the heat and their constantly increasing fatigue, did not incline them to talk much, and conversation was only kept up spasmodically the rest of the distance. " The man who says that it is not more than twelve or fifteen miles from the Seven Islands to Long Lake is a liar, and the truth is not in him," remarked St. Clair. '• Nor never was," added Le Roy. "Amen to that," cried Wood. "What a fool a fellow will make of himself for fun," growled Drake. "You couldn't hire one of us to !ti!i A Bear Hunt. 11)5 make a mule of himself at home, an.vl yet we have bet-ii doing it ever since we started into the woods, and call it pleasure." " Of course we do," chuckled Robbins. " This is jjood for your liver, liob." " My liver is all right, but I'll be hanged if my feet are. Thty ache worse than an ulcerated tooth." *' I pity you, then," said Wingate. "When we reach the farm," encouraged Claude, " we'll have a good dinner, and a rest, and toward night we can rake a bath in the lake. Then, get a good night's sleep, and we'll feel like new beings to-morrow." " I hope we shall," replied Drake, "for I begin to feel about played out. I move we take ten minutes' rest." " Second the motion," added Wood, swinging his knapsack from his shoulders, and coining to a stop. " It's a long walk, I know, fellows, and we are carry- ing pretty good loads, but we can't be a great way fro-n the farm, for it is after twelve o'clock now, I should say for a guess," as he looked at the sun, and then, taking out his watch, announced the time, "quarter past twelve." •' And we have been travelling five hours," asserted Maynard. "You're wrong, Frank. Not over four, if we have that. We certainly have lost an hour on the road," and Claude bathed his face and hands in fiy prepara- tion, for the mosquitoes found the party the moment they stOjjped, aUhough they did not trouble them much while they were in motion. a^:- 196 up the North Branch. " I think it's queer we have not seen anything of the shcrifT and his party," remjirkeci Foster. •' He told me he .as coming back by the river." " It is queer," acknowledged Drake. " He was afraid Charlie would capture his prisoners and hang them without judge or jury." declared Claude, giving Wingate a good-natured poke in the ribs. "They deserve it," said Wingate, with emphasis. "Come, fellows, let's be ^.oking along," urged Le Roy. "There is a dinner waiting for us somewhere, and we want to find it." " You're right, we do," agreed Robbins. The packs were again shouldered, and the boys trudged wearily onward. The sun poured down as fiercely as ever, but occasionally, as they turned an angle in the road, they caught a little whill of the north- wester, and for a moment it cooled iheir heatc' brows and fanned their feverish cheeks. A few minutes before one, Claude, who was sevtra! rods in advance, came in sight of the lake, and, giving a shout of encouragement to the others, waited until they joined Mm. The sight of the water gave them new courage, and they were soon at the house. They were lucky enough to find the proprietor, a Mr. Gurney, at home, and asked him the first thing if he could give them ome dinner. " Guess I can, if you'll give me time," was the an- swer. "And can we stop with you to-night?" queried Drake. " Ye can, if the woman's willing. Til see in a minute. A Bear Hunt. vy\ You're the voung fellows the sheriff told me about, I guess, ain't ye?" "I think likely," replied Claude. "A sheriff and his party stopped with us one ni;j;ht at Baker Lake, and started for this place the next morning, and we have neither seen no' heard from him since. Where is he ?" one down the Alb.guash." now "The dickens he has! He told us he was going back to Moosehead Lake. That is Canny." " Wall, he didn't catch the birds he was after." " Kow was that ? " "Great Caisar's ghost, Claude ! are you going to talk here all night, and this crowd starving : " protested Foster. " Now. ray good man, order our dinner tirst, and then I am willing to hear you talk until it is ready. But business first, and pleasure afterwards, especially on this occasion." "All right. Walk in, gentlemen, and make your- selves to heme, and I'll speak to my woman about the dinner." Mr. Gurney led the way into the house, and, telling the boys to sit down, shuffled away to see about their dinner. " So it f.eems the coiners gave the sheriff the slip," remarked Claude. " It beats the Dutch," replied Charlie. "Those fel- lows have great luck." " When the boss comes b^ck, we will buzz him," said Robbins, "a . find out how they escaped the officers." Mr. Gurney scon made his appearance again, and lO.-i up tJic XortJi BraiicJ:. Claude asked hiui if he had seen anything of their boats. " Wliat kind o' lookinj:^ boats were they ? " Claude gave him a description of them, and, when he had finished, their host said : — " I have got two o' those boats here now ; the other one, the fellows went away in." "How did they come to leave two of them here? Are thv.y all right?" inquired Maynard. "Yaas, they're all right. They tried to sell them to me, but, gosh darn it, I didn't believe they come by tnem honestly, and I wouldn't buy 'em. I kinder thought the owners would turn up before long, and I couldn't just exactly understand how two men came to be travelling through this country with three boats." " How long were the men here ? " asked Robbins. "Two nights and a day. I'hey came here about seven o'clock, and said they wanted to stay over night. I didn't like the looks of 'em very well, but I told 'em I would put 'em up. The next morning, they bar- gained for some supplies, and I hauled 'em across to the St. John, and the men showed me the boats, and wanted to sell 'em, but I wouldn't buy. Then they talked by themselves awhile, and the tall one said thev'd like to get the boats stored a month or six \veeks, and then they'd come back and git 'em. I told 'em all right, and we loaded 'em on the team, and they came back with me to get some pork, which tl.ey forgot when I put up the rest of the supplies for them. It was most night when we got home, and they concluded they'd stay here. I weighed out the pork > A Bear Hunt. 100 4 that ni-ht, twentv-five pminds, and we figured up what thev owed me, and it came to fifteen doHars. Ikit. darn 'cm thev didn't pav it. The little one was gom' ter, and the 'tall one says, ' Oh, let it go till mornm', when we pav for our keepin', and then we'll settle the hull bill' 'wall, do yer believe it, in the mornm', they didn't make their appearance at -rub time, and hang me if they hadn't cleared out, and taken the pork with 'em and never paid me a cent, consarn 'em !" -That's just like them," put in Wingate. "Ihey ^vould be sure to beat you, if they could." "Where did you say the two boats were ? " mquired Le Roy. "Out'n the barn." "Let's go out and take a look at them," proposed Claude, " and see if they are all right." The party adjourned to the barn, and found the Petrel and Daisy, in as good order as when they had been stolen, and glad enough they were at this streak of good luck. , ,^ " 1 suppose we shall never see the Swallow again, said St. Clair, "but we are very fortunate to get back two of them. It's a wonder the scoundrels did not stave or burn them up." _ ^^ "Did those rascals say where they were going? queried Foster. ^^ " No, thev didn't talk much, only to themselves. "How lo'ng hid they been gone when the sheriff came ? " asked Drake. " -Bout half a viay. The sheriff and his party got here at noon, and inquired 'bout the men. I told 200 Up the North Branch, him all I knew 'bout ihcm, which wasn't much, got his party some dinner, and in the afternoon they hired a bateau of me, and started down the Allnguash, in hopes to get ahead of those scamps, and catch 'cm." ♦•Would there be any chance for it?" questioned Wood. •' Sartinly. The sheriff didn't have as far to go. And I wouldn't wonder if he headed 'em of!." " Will he come back this way ? " inquired Claude. " Guess not. He told me, if he caught the scoun- drels, he should keep on to Jort Kent, and take the stage to Caribou, where he would strike the railroad. If he did this, he promised to hire a man to bring the boats back." " That's a queer way to figure," remarked Wingate. " At Fort Kent he would be within twenty milts of the railroad at Edmundston, and Caribou is twice as far." " But Edmundston is in the Provinces, and the law might have something to do wilh his action," suggested Claude. *' If there is any chu. ^. of the StvaUow coming back here," declared Maynard, "the thing for this crowd to do is tc stop here a reasonable time, and see if we can recover her." " I agree with you," said Claude. " How soon do you expect the boats, Mr. Gurney ? " inquired Le Roy. " Wall, it's hard tellin'. But I should say they orter be here by the first of next week." " Could you board us awhile, Mr. Gurney ? " asked Claude. A Bear Hunt. 201 "Wall, I dunno. I guess so. I'll see what my woman says to-night, and let ye know in the mornin'." " Is there uny game about here ? " questioned Wood. "Slathers of it. Deer, b'ar, and moose, and the caribou are as thick as sheep, over on a bog, a few miles from here." " How about partridges ? " added Drake. " Lots of 'em. So tame you can knock 'em over with a stick.'* " We raised two flocks this morning, and they flew away before we could get a shot at them," declared Wood. " They were as wild as hawks." "They were not Mr. Gurney's kind," laughed Fos- ter. Just then a horn sent forth ^wo or three soul-stirring toots, and the landlord turned toward the house. " That's to let ye know dinner's ready," he explained. The party needed no second summons, but followed their host to the kitchen, where they washed, and then sat down to the table, on which was spread cold roast lamb, hot baked beans, potatoes, and canned corn, Indian and flour bread, and tea all poured out, a cup- ful to each plate. A large dish of raspberries com- pleted the viands in sight. It was half past two when the boys sat down, and, as they had not had what Foster called a " square meal " for a long lime, they took hold with a will. There was no one to wait on the table, and they helped themselves. Only when any article of food was all eaten, a lady, whom the boys found out afterward was " my woman," would come in and replenish it, and even this service 202 Vp the North Branch. 1 w I. » t ' kept her bu>y for some lime. Miticc pie and dough- nuts were added for dessert, and when the parly arose from the table Chiude fell it to be necessary to ex- plain to Mr. Gurney that they did not eat as much at every meal, and told him that they would not want any supper. They strolled outdoors and sat down in the shade, and Mr. Gurney gave them a good idea of the country, and where they might expect to shoot large game, and advised them to go up the Allagup^h before they went away, telUng them that he knew th. • would enjoy it. Claude said that they would see i the Swallow was brought back, and, if they recovered the boat, perhaps they would take his advice. About four o'clock they all went down to the lake and had a bath, and went back to the house feeling a hundred per cent, belter. They found some Maine papers two or three weeks old, and they were as glad to read them as if they had been Boston dailies fresh from the press. It was all of a month since they had seen a newspaper. That night they retired early, r^nd had a refreshing sleep, and when they awoke Friday morning . like new beings. I'heir lameness and soreness were all gone, and they were ready for anything in the way of sport after they had eaten breakfast. Learning, however, from \\x. Gurney that raspber- ries were thick but a short distance from thr house, they ail started out on a berrying expedition, and returned a little after twelve with about tiflten quarts of this delicious fruit, and Mrs. Gurney told them she ^ A Bi-nr Hunt. •20f would use some of ihe beriics in making pies the next day, to p:iy ihem for iheir trouble. In the afternoon they look their fishing-rods and »^uns, and, borrowing a bateau from Mr. Gurney, that thev might all be together, went up the pond two or three miles, to the mouth of a small stream, and captured sixty-odd trout ; they did not get back to the landing until seven o'clock, and found supper had been waiting for them an hour. They turned their trout over to their host, and he promised to have them cooked for their breakfast the next morning, and Claude told him they would try and not be so late to supper again. While they were eating breakfast Saturday, Mr. Gurney came in to see them, and informed them that a bear had killed one of his best sheep during the night, and eaten it more than half up. *' I'm going after him this morning," said their host, and there was blood in his eye when he spoke, ** and thought some of yer might like ter go with me." " I'm your man, for one," declared Wingate. "And I," '*And I," spoke up the others. •' Then, I'll just have the woman put up a little lunch, and we'll get away at once, for we may not get back till night." While he was attending to the lunch, the boys brought out their guns and rifles, taking what shells they considered necessary. In a few moments their host appeared, saying, *' As all of ye are goin", and yc're all armed, I won't take my rifle, but '11 carry the lunch and do the trackin'." 204 Up the North Branch. ;i i ^■i Mr. Gurney led the way to tlie barnyard, atid slioued the boys where Bruin had captured his mutton, and then, getting on the trail, started after the bear, the young hunters following, but making no con .ersa- tion, for the leader of the hunt thought the bear not a great way off. The trail led out back of the house for half a mile, and then turned north toward the road. They saw from time to time wh^re the bear had stopped and tried his claws on the trunks of trees, and Mr. Gurney told the- boys the bear was a large one. "We are good for him," whispered Claude, "if he's as large as an elephant." They came out on the road by some raspberry bushes, and they saw that the bear had taken his dessert at this place, many of the bushes being trodden down and entirely stripped of their fruit. After eati"g what berries he wanted, Bruin had started along the road, as his tracks showed, toward the St. John River, and Mr. Gurney thought the beat was not a great distance ahead of them, and cautioned the boyr against making unnecessary noise. The party followed on the t-ail as fast as possible, but it was warm work, for as the sun climbed higher up the heavens it sent forth a scorching heat, and already the boys were bathed in perspiration. Gurney strode onward with a long, loping gait, that put the boys upon their mettle to keep anywhere near him, and he stopped occasionally for them to close up with him. . . " I should as lief follow a steam-engine as you/* %-m A Bear Hunt, 205 puffed Claude, during one of these halts, for, although the senior member of the Lake and Forest Club was a good pedestrian, he couldn't begin to make a showir.g in that line with the backwoodsman. *^ I'm walkin* slow now, so you fellers can keep up with me, but, if you want to see me walk a little, I'll show you some day what I can do." " Don't trouble yourself," remarked Wingate, laugh- in<^; " we'll take your word for it." At a distance of about two miles from Long Lake, the trail turned sharply toward the north again. "The old beggar is thirsty, and is heading for Moose Brook to get a drink," said the leader of the chase. "We ought t3 catch him there." " How far away is the brook ? " whispered Claude. "Not more'ii a quarter of a mile. Just- be ready ter shoot if we get an eye on him, for it's probable he'll run like a bull calf when he sees us." The party now proceeded more slowly, and with the Utmost caution, Mr. Gurney tracking the bear where the boys could not discern a single sign of his having passed. In about twenty minutes, they came in sight of the brook; and, listening carefully, heard a noise to the right of them. Stealing in the direction of the sound, a few moments' travel brought them in sight of the sheep-murderer, who was wallowing in the water like a dog. "There's the skunk of misery," whispered the guiclo ; "give him Hail Columbus, boys ! " The next moment the bear was on his feet ; and, in- ^ 206 Up the North Branch. stead of "running like a bull calf," he charged scjuarely into the middle of the party, knocking down three or four of them, and, snai:)ping at the astonished (lurney, v.ho h.ad never known a bear to act in th.it manner before, took a piece out of the calf of his left leg, as larjre as a silver dollar ; and then, rearing up, grabbed him with his fore paws. Wood, Drake, and Le Roy all went down in a heap from the effect of Bniin's charge ; and, the moment they could get on their feet, they put a safe distance between. themselves and the infuriated animal. But the others rallied to the aid of Gurney, who was getting harshly treated, and, watching their chances, f(r it was dangerous shooting on account of the bear and the guide being in such close intimacy, finally put bullets enough into Bruin to make him give :p the ghost. As a western man would say, Gurney had decidedly the worst of the scrimmage; for, bes'.'.e losing a piece out of his leg, he had been badly scratched and squeezed, and would most certainly have been killed had it not been for the timely service rendered him by his young friends. Like many of his class, Gurney had always had a great contempt for bears, especially at the idea of their being dangerous, but, as an experienced old bear- hunter, who had killed and trapped nearly fifty, once told me, " you never can tell just what a bear is going to do until he does it." " Consarn his uglv pictur," remarked Gurney, as he sat down on the animal's carcass, and examined his A Bear Hunt. 20: wounds; "he's given me a chaw in' and scratchin' that I sha'n't get over for a week. You boys have done me a good turn, and I sha'n't forget it." Claude took his handkerchief, and bound it around Gurney's leg, and then helped him limp to the brook, where he washed the blood off his face and arms. "We ought to be ashamed of ourselves," acknowl- edged Claude, " that we didn't kill him the first time we fired. He was not over three rods away from us." "Probably some of us did hit him," replied M.ay- nnrd, " hvS. not in r -.y vital part." " I can swear that ne had vitality enough when he charged on us," added St. Clair, dryly. Thev now returned 10 the bear, and, upon looking him ever, found that he had ten bullet holes in his hide ; which was proof that some of the shots from their first fire had not been lost upon him. " Do you think you can walk home, Mr. Gurney ? " inquired Claude. "If you can't, we'll rig up some kind of a stretcher, and carry you." " Thunderation ! I guess I can walk, but," with an attempt at humor, " I guess you can distance me goin* back." Le Roy, Wood, and Drake now came up, lookii _, rather sheepish. " Had a sudden call to business, didn't you, Dave ? " queried St. Clair, a little roguishly. " You'll find your gun over there in the bushes. You were in such a huiry you forgot to take it." "Well, I was in a hurry," acknowledged Wood. £08 Up the North Branch. 't " After that great brute knocked me over, I thuuglit the sooner I got beyond his reach, the better." " W'lat was the matter with you. Tommy ? " laugh- ingly questioned Claude ; " I never saw you show the white feather before." "I expect I caught the panic froir. those two cowards," replied Le Roy, very red in the face. " You won't catch me running from danger again." " That's right, lay it all on us," said Drake. " You ran farther than either of us." " That is because I am a better runner,'^ answered Le Roy. "Don't you feel bad, young man," remarked Mr. Gurney ; *' when I saw that b'ar tryin' to lap my face, I'd 'a' run myself if I'd had a chance." " What are you going to do with the bear ? " queried Wood. *' Carry him to the farm," answered Claude. " My stars ! " exclaimed Drake. " He's awful heavy." " He's a big un," added Gurney. " I'd only tote him out to the road, for he'll weigh nigh outer six hun- dred. Then I'll hitch up a boss this afternoon, and you can come and get him." Some of the boys were not sorry to avoid carrying the bear two miles, and, taking the g':ide's advice, they, not without considerable labor, lugged him out to the road ; and, after covering him with boughs, the party, who were now hungry, although it was only ten o'cIock, ate the lunch Gurney had brought, and then started for the farm, accommodating their pace to that of their host, who could only liobble slowly. A Pear IIiiNt. •201) " When we get to the house," said (nirney, " I've got suinthiii' that I'll put on my leg, that'll make it feel better." " Don't you have any man but yourself around the farm ? " inquired Claude. "Yes, I've a young Frenchman hclpin' me. His name is Dan Moir. He's gone to Ashland, but he'll be back Sunday." It was a little after twelve when thev reached the house, and the boys wa *id and then carried chairs out- doors, and sat down for a rest, while the wounded man hobbled off to order dinner, and take care of the wound in his leg. While the boys sat chatting, awaiting the call to dinner, St. Clair suddenly burst out laughing, and his sides fairly shook with merriinent. '* You seem to be feeling funny," remarked Claude. " What is it tickles you, Andrew ? " ** I was thinking of the way Wood travelled after the bear knocked him down," and he burst into another gale of laughter, in which his friends joined. " Oh, yes, laugh away," cried Wood ; " I suppose I never shall hear the last of that bear." "Who is going after him this afternoon?" inquired Claude. " It will take five or six to load him on the sled." "Sled," laughed Drake. "You mean wagon." " No, I don't ; I mean sled. They do half their hauling around here on a sled." " What, in summer ? " "Yes." Vp the North Branch. 210 ^ -Z^^, to be co,-,Mslc,u/- put i.> Wood, _'• they do their \y.w\m'i >" "inter on wheels, I st;pposc. . r„-,t ,h.; ..re no, consistent," returned CK^uue, drvlv •• so tliey haul on sleds in uniter also. "•11 Z, for one," agreed Wingate, and al the others volunteered, think,,,, they ,t,ight ftnd partr.dges, or see snrnt'thin'^ else to slioot. At one'o'clock, the horn tooted, and the party were on iheir feet in an instant. , • i, . i " "Tl„.y don't seen, to use a dinner-oell ,n tins hotel, remark. d Mavnard. ., " I sl,ould think Gurney wo-ld hate to "-^ '-;;;. drink so," spoke up Robbins, as they .tart.d ior ih. ''""Drink:" exclain,ed all his friends, fairly cotnlng to a standstill in their astonishment. > Yes, drink. Since we've been here, to my certan, knowled.^e, she's taken a horn three times a day, and 'rioto escaped quickly thro-,.,;h. .he door to esca,e tlie punishment he merited. "?ou deserve to lose your dinner for that remark you made outside," laughed Maynard when they were QPTted at the table. . , Fo dessert, they had some of the raspbero' p.es UkU ..mv won,an" had pro.nised them, and the boys xoled "Tl.:rrn:oofLeKoy,nrake,a,K,Wocdchang^ ,hiv minds and went f^shi. ;, while the others of the nirtv went after the bear. ' cLudc and his companions returned first, and found Gurney busy building a fire outdoors over hts bean- A Jhar Hunt. 211 llu hole, 'o cook the beans in that night. He went to tlie barn anH helped them hang up tiie bear, and said he would skin il in the morning. Ai six o'clock the ti.shermen returned with twenty trout, most of them under a pound in weigl't. Le Roy told the friends who had not been with him that, while his two companions and himself had been on shore, they had seen a bobcat, and they had sto ~ed it, not having their guns, but it had escaped them. Sunday was passed quietly about the house, the boys taking the opp rtunity to mend their clothing and do a little washing. They talked wuii Mr. Guiney about the stores they needed, and he promised to let them have anything they wanted that he had on hand. He gave them a great deal of information about their future course down the St. John River, and gave them the names of several farmers who lived along the stream, from whom they could purchase some articles of food, and who would probably board them a short time, if they became tired of camping out. The young Frenchman returned during the day, and gave the boys an interesting account'of his trip to Ash- land, and brought a few newspapers, which tiie boys eagerly devoured in a literary sense. Monday was a showery day, and the party kept to the house the most of the time, as the rain was very heavy during the showers. About four o'clock, two men appeared with Mr. Gurncy's batepu and the Swal- low, and the boys ware glad enough to see their boat once more. w\ Vp the North Branch. "e ■"^H f V| 212 , ff-nauhelher he h.d captured the men, and U.e :::;:!:u:L:^te„ hired ,obnns,.cU the boats gave reached the nrouth of the ^^^^^ ^.^JZm of the coiners, ^^^J^^^^, concluded to men xvere ahead or bdnncl, concealed their .vait half a day. and then go on he, nce^^ ^^^^ bateau,- and, after xvatting a hule over the coiners coming down the ru or. S,. moment t,,eW^ wad passe. ^tl. his party launched the ^;^^"-f"> " ^^^ j^ „„ded on the and came up uuh the boa J"*"^^'""^" i,,^^^ ^ad Canadian side of the ;'-^- ";;;;',, ," p,,,„,a. beaded for the mon.cnt they f°^'"^' ^'^ ,\,P, ,„,ae '11,,. sheriff's force overawed them, anu ui , teau They stopped at a Mr. savaj, , Ke,U Imi c'ibou, instead of running down .he river '"•r^rn'frwho told the story was wording for Savage , !he tim" and the siieriff had hired him to return tiic '°tL' da"be.o';:te was to start, a man had come to Sati s'vho 1 coming up on the AUa.^uash ev.W- A Bear Hunt. 218 and inij, and Smith had hired the explcrer, whose name was Drown, to help him get the boats back. The SwalloK^ was so light that they had brought her the nio:,. of the way in the bateau, as they found it bothered them to tow the smaller boat. The sheriff had only paid for returning the bateau, and the boys settled with Mr. Smith for bringing back the Swallow. Strange to say, she had not been injured any, with the exception of the paint being scratched a little, and this damage could easily be made good. That evening the boys had a talk over their future movements, and concluded that, as they liked pretty well where they were, they would stay at the Depot Farm until the ist of September, more especially as the flies and mosquitoes were uncomfortably thick in the woods. There was a good chance to make excursions from where they were, and they passed the following two weeks in fishing, partridge-shooting, and berrying, and made trips to the different lakes and ponds in the vicin- ity, sometimes being away for a night or two. During this time they ran across considerable large game, but did not kill any of it, for as their host fur- nished them with plenty of meat, and they could catch all the trout they wanted, they had no good excuse for breaking the law, and the entire party were firm believ- ers in the Stale laws for the preservation of fish and game While boarding at the Depot Farm, they were sur- prised one day by visitors. Three young fellows from New York, each with a guide and a canoe, slopped at i [ 'p iJic XortJi Branch. 214 ^^,^\^o^^^^,'i^^^^^?^^^-^^ Mr. Gurney mrnished chcm. They were there two hours, and the boys had a pleas- ant chat with them, exchanghig their experience, with the new-comers. The New Yorkers were much pleased with the boats belonging to the boys, and Claude told them he consid- ered them preferable to canoes. Mr. Barton, the oldest one of the new-comers, told the bovs they were going down the Allaguash and St. Tohn as far as Edmundston, and then they would take the cars for home. He was surprised when Claude told him that his party did not expect to leave for home before the ist of November, and expressed the wish that he could have as much time at his disposal. When the canoe men left, the boys went down and saw them off, and wished them good luck on the rest of their trip. This meeting with the New York party was a very pleasant incident in their stay at Depot Farm. lor it seemed to them for a short time that they were in actual communication again with the outside world, but the departure of their whilom friends dispelled :t. CHAPTER XIV. DOWN RIVER A BIG FISH. Thf party prolonged their stay at Depot Farm until September ., spending their time tnostly on short ex- cursions, that allowed of their return.ng to the house u"e s° ,ue evening, but on one or two occasions they were awav o\*ir ni;,::;ht. On the evening oi the hxst day of August while they sat yawning around a smudge outdoors, Drake suddenly '^'''^Fellows, what is the use o£ staying here any longer. We have seen all there is to see for twenty indes about here in every direction, and, if we do not intend to settle down here the rest of our lives, and become bush- whackers, it is time we were moving on. Did you know that to-morrow is the first day of Sep ember ? " Open time for partri, ges," interrupted W ood. ^' Suppose it is the ist of September," answered back Le Roy. " We are having a good time here, and the flies .nd mosquitoes are growing scarcer every day'. Besides, what do vou want to start in the middle of the week for? To-morrow is Wednesday. Let us wait un- ^ '^"ang waiting/' rema^^^^ have stopped here about long enough -)--^f; J^^ ^;^ can just as well start on Wednesday as any other day, and I go in for packing up to-night. ' 215 ir I. a 21(3 Up tJw Xort/i BrancJi. '' Suppose we lake a vote on it," proposed Claude, " That's the talk. That's the way to settle it, cried several of the party. The vote was then taken, and the ballot resulted in six votes in favor of leaving the farm the next morning ; as this was a majority, the matter was decided. After the question was settled, the boys began at once -to make preparations to resume their trip. Every- thing was packed up, and Mr. Gurney was asked for his bill,, which Wingate settled, and he also paid for the stores, that had been selected s« /eral days before. According to Wingate 's diary, the first day of Sep- tember broke fair and beautiful, and the boys were up early, and had finished their breakfast at six o'clock. Then the stores and one of the boats were loaded on the sled, as well as the cooking utensils, and the party started for the Seven Islands once more. During the walk, St. Clair shot one partridge, May- nard two, and Wingate a rabbit. Several fresh deer and caribou tracks were seen, but the animals them- selves kept out of sight. It was nearly one o'clock when the team arrived at the riverside, and Maynard and Le Roy, who were to cook the remainder of the week, proceeded immediately to get dinner. The long tramp had made the whole party as hungry as bears in the spring, and several oi the members assisted the cooks all they could in the preparation of the meal. The young Frenchman had come with the load that day, as Gurney was at work on a job he wished to fin- DoiuH River. 217 ish by night, but he told the boys he would come him- self the next day with the other two boats so as to see them start, and say "good-bye." During the afternoon, Claude, Maynard, and Le Koy packed up the stores that had been purchased at Depot Firm in the most compact manner possible for tra.is- nortaJion by boat, after laying aside what would be needed at the Seven Island Camp, as the boys cabed iheir camp by the river. Drake, Wood, and Foster took their fishmg rods, went down the river two or three miles to fish for trout at the mouth of White's Brook, while the other three of the party started across the river, and tramped along the road a mile or two for partridges. wlien the fishermen reached the mouth of the brook, they concluded to go on shore, and follow up the stream a short distance, and see what it looked like. They took the boat carefully out of the water, and laid it on a smooth place, leaving their rods and other things in it. " That will be all right until our return," said Foster, as they left the main river, and started up the brook. _ The boys travelled along on me north side for a Halt a mile or more, and reached a point where it forked, the smaller branch coming in from the south side. The walking along the stream was very tiresome on account of the alders and other bushes, and, as they discovered nothing o£ special interest, they did not go beyond the Forks. . . » I've had enough of it," declared Foster, " and it is 218 J'p the North Branch. half past three now. If we. are goiii- to do any fishing, we had better return." His two companions made no objection to this, and the party immediately retraced their course to the boat. When they came in sight of it, they were much sur- prised to find one of the largest bears they had yet seen, making a sort of personal inventory of what there was in the boat. The animal stood with his fore feet inside the Pdrcl and his hind feet on the ground, and was sniffing at everything* the boat contained. *' Holy Moses ! " exclaimed Foster, in an undertone. " Look at that bear. Isn't he a rouser ! " " Why, he's larger than the one we killed over on the Depot Farm road," asserted Drake, whose face began to show signs of uneasiness. " We ought not to get any nearer to him, for we have nothing to shoot witli." " Confound him ! " cried Wood, " he'll break my rod." And indeed one of the bear's great feet was danger- ously near it. " Fll frighten him away," and, picking up a fair-sized stone, Dave let drive with all his strength, and with so true an aim that, as the bear raised his head, the rock struck him fair in the nose. Now, a bear's nose is a very tender part of the animal, and Dave's well directed missile not only hurt IJruin, but it irritated lim to such an extent that he at once left the boat, but, instead of running away, as Wood hoped for, the animal turned toward thjm, I'ul the boys ran for their lives. They were not more than thirty feet away from the boat when Wood sent the stone thumping against Down River. 210 Lruin's nose, and \i they had attempted to run far the bear would soon have overtaken them, and one of their number at least Nvould have paid the penalty of Dave s indiscreet act. , , , ? j Foster who was the eldest of the three, had also had ,nore experience in the woo .s than either of his com- panions, and when he saw that the enraged animal ineant to attack them without loss of time, he shouted " Take to a tree ! " and he quickly ascended a smal white birch, Drake going into a small poplar, and W ood into a large beech. Thev were scarcely out of the bear's reach when Druin arrived on the ground, ru.hing from tree to tree, as if uncertain which one of the boys to attack first. "I say, Dave !" shouted Foster, "you're in a bad fix. The' bear can climb that tree you are in ; you should have picked out a small one." _ -Whv didn't you say so before ? " queried Wood, in a terrifi'ed tone. "What shall I do if he comes up after me ? " „ i "Drop from that tree and get into a smaller one, only five or six inches through, and he can't climb it. There's just the tree you want, that maple between Drake and myself." " I shall break my neck doing that." " Not if you don't go any higher up the tree. The limb you are on now isn't over eight feet from the ground." , While this discussion was going on the bear made up his mind that Wood was the only one of the party he could get at, and, rearing up on his hind feet, he threw 220 Vp the North Branch. his fore paws around the trunk of the tree and began to ascend it. " Don't be frightened, Dave," called Foster, cheerily. "Take hold of ihe limb over your head, and walk out on the lower one a little way. When the bear gets well up from the ground, drop and run for the tree I showed you." The tree clhnbed by Wood was the nearest to the boat of any that the boys had taken refuge in, and a thought suggested itself to Dave as he watched the progress of the bear toward himself. " I say, Billy ! " he called to Foster, " if I can drop out of this tree without accident, Fll make a break for the boat, and row back to camp, and bring some of the f'^llows down here with their rlHes." "The best thing you can do. If you can accomplish it, you may save our being treed all night." " Look out the bear don't catch you before you get the Petrel into the water," v.-arned Drake. The bear had now climbed to where his hind feet were about on a level with the limb on which Wood was standing, and Dave, swinging his feet from off the limb, dropped three or four feet without letting go ot the upper limb, and when it had bent down as far as it would, he released his grip and dropped to the ground, now only a trifle over four feet beneath him, without hurting himself in any way. The moment he struck the earth he scrambled to his feet and made a dash for the boat. " Lejr it ! " cried Foster. " Run YOU sardine ! " sliouted Drake, r^__KW__ >AVK ANU THK BEAR. I'a^e 220. Dozvn River. 221 but, e bear for a momeni., '""'Vdb.mds down the tree, and, rushing madly H^s^tXa Iwl. to reins, and .Uuin concU,d..d he Hrur^tratKo-pf^r- that l.ttle feat, for ^^^^ ^°^',^ ^j^.^uncl, would twist .vouldbe at his mercy if ^^^^^^^^ [,,,, in, and their le^s and arms around the trees uic) 'tr— " !":.i.i-i, »«i ■■■" """■="■ - '» mWway between the two boys, appa.-mtly to thn>k " ATtheTrees the two unfortunates were in were not ovt tw n'; Lt apart. Bruin did not need any othe member of his family to help Stan, guard, and e^>- uently thought he had a " soft snap. ^^ •■This is interesting, Foster, remarked D' 1^- onlvwish I had been tn »»'= s plaee a dead trying to stand with one foot on a l.ttle tlie other on nothing." ^rJmlv .. You'll have to bear it," answered Foster, gnmly. 222 Up tJic Xorth Bninch. " Oh, bite your tongue ! A fellow that would joke in the situation we nre in W( uld joke on the gallows. How long (\o you suppose it will b(- before the fellows will get here ? " " Four or five hours ! " "Then I might ju*^* as well get out of this tree now, for I ne jr can stay in it that length of time." "Oh, yes, you can. A fellow never can tell what he can do until he tries. Are you wearing a belt to-day ? " "Yes." - " Is it "long enough to go aroun^' vour body and the tree both ? " " I think it doubtful." " Well, try it. If it will go round and just buckle into the first hole, it will prevent your falling out of ib.e tree if you become exhausted." Drake tried his companion's suggestion, and was overjoyed to find that he could fasten himself to his tr in the manner his friend had spoken of. " Can you do it ? " queried Foster. " Yes. But it is a tight squ jeze." " Never mind that. You would find it a tighter squeeze if the bear once got his fore paws around you. He would break your ribs, while in the humor he is in now, as easy as you could crush an eggshell." " I don't intend to give him the chance," replied Drake, whose courage returned when he began to feel safe. " That's the talk, Rob. Keep a stiff upper lip. The fellows will lose no lime in getting here, you may depend. And if Bruin don't get over his mad, and Doiv.i River. 223 ;;;;;7;;;:^.hey con^e, he win have so.nelhiMg bcuer vvnrth fTcttini; mad about." W hada hare return of the fishermen to be served. When Wood walked up to the can.pfire. wh.ch l.e did before his friends noticed him, his exoted appear- ance at once suggested tK.uble _ "Whats the matter, U -• ^" ' • „ ing „ his feet. •' Neither of .„e boys d-;;-^, •'->?.- " Not so bad as that. They are treed by a bear. " Treed by a oear ? " "Where?" " How was it?" . , " How long aso ? " were a few of the questions that were shot at D.ive to answer. Wood explained the situ.ation in as few words as ^"Itrybody was anxious to tu.h to the destrttction of the bear, and, had the other two boats been there, the whole party woidd, most asiuredlv, have gone -What is best to do, Claude ?" questioned Maynnrd. "I think Charlie and 1 had better return u.th Dave at once, and, if we cannot kill the bear fngUeu htm awav, so our friends may be released from the.r n plea'sant predicament. There is no fun tn roos.mg >n a tree all ni'»ht, especially a small one. , , .. " YcM are right," .eplied Wood. " .^ Ultle of .t went a jrood wav with me." 2'24 Up the NortJi Branch. "You will need a lantern, Claude," sugj^ested Mny- nard. "it will soon be dark, and you may pass the mouth of the stream without seeing it, if you do not have a light." " Yes, I will take one. Now, Charlie, get your rifle, and take your gun, Dave, if you wish to do any shoot- ing, and we'll be off." " Here's the lantern," said Maynard, " and it is full of oil." "Don't wait supper for us, fellows," called back Claude, as the rescuing party starte . on their errand of mercy; "eat your supper now, and we will have ours when we return." "Sit on the middle sea^, Dave, and Charlie and I will paddle," said Claude, as the Fetrel started down the river. They accomplished about three-quarters of the dis- tance, and then it became so dark that Wood lit the lantern. They kept close in on the left-hand side of the river, and occasionally Wood held the lantern out to see where they were. But, in spite of this, they would have passed the spot where the boys had landed, had Foster not heard them talking, and called to them. " I say, Claude, is that you } " " Yes ; and Charlie and Dave are with me. Is the bear there yet ? " " Yes, I can hear the old sinner, but I can't see him. It is getting awful dark." The boys now landed, and pulled up the boat far enough to keep the current from taking her auay. Claude carried the lantern and his Winchester rifle, Down River. 225 Charlie had his rifle, also a Winchester, and Dave had his double-barrel gun, loaded with buckshot. They advanced slowly, in battle array, but the bear began to smell a good-sized mouse, and, before the avengers were near enough to fairly see him, he started into the woods, and not one of the party obtained a shot at him. Foster and Rob heard Bruin leave, and, calling to their friends not to fire, they cam: down from the trees where they had been perchea so long, but not without difficulty, they were so cramped. " Gracious ! Let me ijtretch my legs," cried Foster, as he took a few steps back and forth. " I was begin- ning to grow cold also." " So was I," added Drake ; " I feel real chilly now." '* I am sorry we lost the bear," said Charlie. *' If I had not been afraid that I might possibly have hit one of you, I should have sent a shot after him, any way." " The safest thing was not to shoot," remarked Claude. " We had better h^ve the bear get away than send a bullet into Billy or Rob." " Correct ! " added Drake. " I don't care to become a target for you fellows to shoot at, but I thank you all the same for getting me out of the scrape." " So do I," chimed in Foster. " Don't mention it," returned Claude, laughing ; " and now, as the bear has gone, we had better go too, for we shall be late enough in getting to camp." The boys now started for the river, and, launchi:i:j the boat, began their homeward journey. They made slow progress, on account of the current and the dark- 226 Up the iVoi'th Branch. ^\ ness, but at ten o'clock they reached the landing near the camp, where their friends anxiously awaited them. " Did you get the bear ? " queried Maynard, as the bow of the boat grounded, and its occupants jumped on shore. " Are the boys all right ? " inquired St. Clair. "The fellows are all O. K., and we didn't get the bear," answered Claude, " but one thing we did get, and that was a mighty good appetite, and, the sooner you give us some supper, Frank, the better we shall like it.". "You can have it at once; I've kept it warm. Come right off, and let Andrew and George look after the boat." " That is talking business," said Foster. " I'm as hungry as a wolf." While the late comers were eating supper, a large campfire was started, and around this all the party gathered. After the meal was over, the different actors in the afternoon's adventures had to tell their stories over again, and it was well-nigh midnight when the circle broke up and the camp became quiet. About noon Thursday, the boys, wlio were all in camp, heard the noise of the team, and soon Gurney made his appearance with the boats. They were un- loaded and carried down to the edge of the water, and then the party sat down to dinner, giving Gurney an invitation to eat with them. "Did you have any fun yesterday, boys? " inquired their guest. " Foster, Drake, and Wood had all they wanted," Down River, 227 declared Le Roy ; and then the bear story was told, much to the amusement of Mr. Gurney. "Bears are gettin' pretty thick round these dig- gings," was Mr. Gurney's comment on the story. " I suppose you have plenty of traps at the farm," said Claude. *' No, only two, but I mean to set 'em both soon as I can get time. Bears' pelts are worth about fifteen doUars each, and then you git a bounty for every one you kill, so it pays to trap 'em, if you don't have to spend too much time over it." " I wish you were going with us, Mr. Gurney," said Wingate. "Ye don't wish it any more'n I do. I'd like nothin' better than to go clear down river with ye ; but I can't, so there's no use in talkin' of it. Shall ye be up this way another summer ? " " I don't think it likely," answered Claude. "This is the fourth trip we have made to the Maine woods, and I think another year we shall strike out in a dif- ferent direction." "Wal, I enjoyed yer company first rate, and ye treated me like white men, and, if ye ever do get this way agin, I hope we'll meet." " I hope we shall," returned Claude. " We had a very nice time while stopping with you." As soon as the party had finished dinner, everything was packed up and loaded into the boats, Mr. Gurney lending valuable aid ; and at two o'clock the boats started down river, after each or.o of the party had given a handshake to their backwootls friend. '£ ^ .228 Up the North Branch. *' Do you think we should find that bear in the vicinity where he treed us the other day, Claude?" asked Drake, when they had stopped shouting farewell to Gurney. " My gracious, no ! He may be fifty miles from there now." "How far shall we get to-night, Claude?" inquired Foster. "That's something of a conundrum. We ought to land by five o'clock, in order to arrange our camp for the night. My idea is to keep on till that hour, and after five stop at the first desirable camping spot. We ought to make seven or eight miles, if we meet with no detention," They found very good water during the afternoon, and just after five turned a bend in the river, and on the north shore they noticed a very good place for camping, and the Petrel was run in there, and the other boats followed. The ground was dry, and four or five feet above the river, with plenty of suitable firewood near. " Looking for a place to camp, Claude ? " called Le Roy, as the Swallow swung in to the side of the river. " It is only ten minutes past five." " I know that, Tommy But there is a good deal to be done before dark. I don't think we will find a bet- ter place t' an this, and we had better camp here to- night." "Come in here, Robbins," called Foster, to the coxswain of the Daisy; "\^ are going to stop here to-night." 11 i n Down River. 220 "All right, I'm with you," and the Vais^' was guided in, beside the other two boats. Maynard and Le Roy cleared a place for their fire^ and began getting supper, while the other members of the pariy unloaded the boats, cut a huge pile of wood, and improvised a shelter for the night. The evening was fine, and the night promised to be warm. " Look here, Claude," said Robbins, when the party were gathered around the campfire aicer supper, "why can't you conie to Florida, and see me next year, and we will go on a camping-out trip, down in the southern part of the Slate. I know you would enjoy it, and some of the other fellows could come with you. The more, the merrier." " Perhaps we might," b'^gan Claude, but Foster in- terrupted : — " Oh, hang Florida. It is made up of sand banks, fleas, alligators, and poor oranges. If y( vish to see a country worth looking at, come out to the Pacific, and see California. You can make a trip out there that you will remembe; for a lifetime, and, if you bring out a party, I'll go camping out with them." "That shows how much you know about Florida, Bill Foster," cried Robbins, indignantly. "It is the finest State in the Union." " When all the others are out," interrupted Foster. " Don't get to quarrelling over your adopted homes, you two bantams," said Claude. " Florida and Cali- fornia both possess attractions for New Englanders, and perhaps we can accept both invitations, and judge for ourselves which State we would like best. But * 3 S 2.^0 Up the North Branch. i the summer would not be a very good lime to visit either." " Come in the winter, then," suggested Robbins. "As 1 told Gurney," remarked Claude, " we have visited Maine four times, and I think next year we can try some other place. And, if I can get any cf the boys to accompany me, I will come down and see you, Robbins, and we will try fishing and hunting a month or two in Florida. Then, the next year, we can go out and visit Foster, and see what he has to show us." "I ^should like to make both trips, and will, if I can," said VVingate. " Let's have it understood, then," proposed Maynard, " that, instead of coming to Maine in summer, we wait until winter, and visit Florida." " I think we could have lots of fun shooting alliga- tors," said Drake. "You wouldn't kill one in ten years, ' laughed Le Roy. Just then an owl, in a tree near them, broke out with his "Tu whit! tu whit! tu whoo ! " so suddenly that they were all startled and sprang to their feet, but in £. moment they realized that the owl had made a fool of them, and they had a good laugh at it. As it was nearly ten o'clock, they did not renew the conversation, but scattered their fire, and turned in for the night, while the owl, startled by the noise they made, flew away to some distance, and did not cause them any further annoyance. The next two days, the navigation was more difficult, they meeting with rapids quite often, some of which Doiv?i River. 231 were dangerous, bui by constant care they passed them sifcly and at four o'clock Saturday afternoon had reached the mouth of the Big Black River, where they conckided to stop until Monday. They camped on the north side of the junction of the two streams, and, as it looked like rain, built a camp that would keep them dry, in the event of a storm. As the cooks had no fish on hand when going into camp Saturday afternoon, Le Roy and Robbins took one of the boats, after the baggage and stores had been unloaded, and pulled up the river a few rods, to the foot of the rapids. Anchoring the boat, they began casting, and the first trout fell to Le Roy. It weighed two pounds, and when Robbins netted it he found besides a smaller fish, that weighed about half a pound. He had never caught one like it before, and did not know what it \\7is. It was a very handsome fish, and light-colored. "I'd like to know if this fish is good to eat?" queried Robbins, as he took it from the net, and began to examine it. " We can try it and see ; we'll take it to camp, any- how. Let me have it," and Le Roy took the fish, and, in turn, looked it over. " Did you notice anything funny about this fish, George," placing it to his nose as he spoke. " No. What is it ? " " My, it smells like a cucumber." " Get out with your nonsense." " Smell of it and see," and Le Roy passed it back to his friend. r'r 232 Up the North Branch. m ♦I "I'll be hanged if it don't, Tommy. Do you sui> pose it tastes like a cucumber, after it is cooi had the fish near enough for Le Ro) to attempt to net, and, when he finally had the net under the monster, he came near going overboard with it. Just as Tommy passed the net under the trout, as they supposed it was, they heard an ominous snap, and the third joint of Robbins' rod broke short ofi. Had it happened a moment before, they would have lost the fish. The ^captive flopped so lively after Le Roy had turned him into the boat, that he was obliged to give the fish two or three smart raps with the end of the net handle, for fear it would get into the river again. " Great Caesar's ghost ! " exclaimed Robbins, ** what a fish ! I'll bet it will weigh twenty-five pounds. It isn't a trout either." " Salmon, I guess, and it's a buster," and Tommy's eyes opened wide as he gazed at the monster, which was the largest fish that had ever been captured by any of the party. " It's your turn to become head cook to-morrow, To..imy, and you must bake this fish for our Sunday's dinner. It will make enough for the whole party." " I'll stuff it," replied Le Roy. "Yes, I have no doubt you'll stuff part of it/* an- swered Robbins, pretending not to understand. "Oh, hold your mouth! It's got so now, in this crowd, that a fellow can't make a remark without some jackass trying to turn it into a pun. It's getting alto- gether too stale." Down River, 235 "Arc you speaking of the fish, Tommy ? " "I'liere you go again, you goose." ♦' I'm not that gender. Try again." "Oh, shut up. I'm going in now. I want Claude to see these two strange fish. I am not sure now whether that big one is a salmon." "There must be salmon in the St. Johfi," declared Robbins. " There are in most all of the Canadian waters." Le Roy now struck out with his oars, and in a few monienis they were on shore. They hauled the boat our, and George went to the camp, a few rods away, and invited the rest of the party to come down and see the big fish before he cleaned it. " You don't know what it is ? " inquired Claude, as the whole party started for the riverside. " No," answered the lucky fisherman. " It is shaped something like a salmon, but is marked more like a trout. Then we caught a small, light-colored fish, very pretty loo, that smells for all the world like a cucum- ber." " You should have christened that the vegetable fish," laughed Wingate. When they reached the riverside, Le Roy had the fish all spiead out in a line, beginning with the largest and ending with the smallest. They made a very hand- some showing. "Well, 1 declare, fellows, you had good luck," re- marked Maynard, as he with the others admired lie display. "This small fish," said Claude, as he picked it up 236 Vp the North Branch. 1 1 and cxaiuincd it, " is called by the French Canucks the whilefish, and I have read it will neither take bait nor the fly. How did you get it ? " " Caught it in the net, when I netted Tommy's first trout," replied Robbins. "That was bull luck," added St. Clair. "This large fish is called in Canada the toque," said Claude, " and they sometimes, but not very often, attain a weight of thirty-five pounds. I brought my lar-e steelyards with me. They will weigh ^^ thirty pounds, but ^ guess that is enough for your fish." " Are they fit to eat ? " inquired Drawee. "Yes, but they are not as good as trout or salmon. Their fiesh is coarser," and, picking up the toque, Claude weighed it and found it pulled down the needle to twenty-two po* ds. "You are the boss fisherman of the club," asseited Foster. "That is the largest fish that has ever been caught by any member. Is it not, Claude ? "Ves. We ought to vote George a leather medal. How did you catch that toque ? They do not rise to a fly, any more than the whitefish." " I was trolling." " That is the more sportsmanlike way of taking them, but lots of the natives spear them," saia Claude. The fish were all cleaned and carried t- camp, and Mavnard cooked the whitefish and some of the trout for supper. Before retiring that night, the boys covered all their supplies carefully, for, at sundown, it looked more like rain than when they had landed, and they did not wish Down River. 237 to vva vC up in the morning and find part of their stores spoiled. About midnight the rain began, and was accompanied by a violent wind, and the thermometer dropped twenty degrees, registering forty Simday morning. This tem- perature, in a driving rain, mrue it seem even colder than it was, and the boys passed a most disagreeable day, having some difficulty to make fire enough to keep them warm. Le Roy gave up all idea of baking the big fish, waiting for a more favorable opportunity. The rain did not cease falling entirely until nine o'clock in the evening, and then it grew colder. The boys drew lots to see which should tend the fires, they would be compelled to keep them up all nigh . each one keeping an hour's watch, and, as they could not all have the first watch, which was the most desir- able, they took that method of settling it. Before morning, the thermometer dropped to thirty, and Monday they saw ice for the first time on the trip. As the sun rose, however, the weather moderated fast, and they had a fine pleasant day, much warmer, the thermometer registering sixty-eight at noon. " If we are going to have ice the 5th of September," declared Wood, while they were eating breakfast, "we shall need a sleigh to go down the lower part of this river, instead of boats." Claude laughed. " Oh, we shall have a cold night or day once in a while," he said, " but, on the whole, we shall get very good weather up this way until about the I St of November. Sometimes October is the most pleasant month in the season d 238 Up the North Branch. " Is that so ? " queried Wood, doubtfully. "Yes. When we have a violent line-storm, October is most always a nice month," replied Claude, "We generally get the line-storm from the loth to the 2oth of September," added St. Clair; "so, after that comes, vou can tell what kind of weather we are fjoing to have during the rest of the season, Dave." " I will remember that," replied Wood. As their rubber blankets were wet through, and their woollen blankets somewhat damp, they concluded to stay where they were during the day, and get all of their things thoroughly dned, and do a little washing and mending, and start the next morning Le Roy stuffed and baked the toque for dinner, and the boys all tried it, but not one of them liked it as well as trout, Monday night was comparatively warm again, and they slept without a fire, and had u good night's rest, nothing happening to disturb their slumbers. ( AFTER XV. A PARTRIDGE HbNT. "Come, Davs, tarn out," cried Le Roy, about five o'clock Tuesday morning. "We must be getting breakfast." " What is the use of getting up so early?" expostu- lated Wood, drowsily, half inclined to turn over avd take another nap. "Because tl^e fellows intend to get away by seven o'clock. Turn out, now; if you don't, I'll see if a dipper of water will open your eyes. You must ::it some wood, while I make the fire; there is not \ ood enoufrh for bre/kfast, unless we burn you," and Le Roy laughed at hiS friend. "Clear out, you barbarian, and I'll get up," and Dave, making a virtue of necessity, tur;ied out and dressed, and, taking an axe, began preparing fuel. "How far shdl we go to-day, fellows?" queried Claude, as the three boats were pushed off from the landins and headed down river once more. " As far as we can, I say," replied Le Roy. " Let's make the distance from here to that farm at the mouth of the Chimmenticook in two days, if possible ; for we can get a lamb and, proba'bly, milk, butter, and eggs there, and we r.re out of all those things except butter, and we have enough of that to last two days. I am 239 240 Up the North Branch. sure it will be gone in that time, and I don't like to cook without butter." " Then we'll row until eleven, and go on shore for dinner. Start again at one and row until five," pro- posed Claude. " Is that satisfactory ? " "Yes," cried all the party, and the rowers struck out. It was another beautiful day, as pleasant and even warmer than Monday, and the whole party enjoyed the sail ; nothing occurred to interrupt their progress, until ^bout half-past nine, when, rounding a little bend of the river, they discovered seven animals, wad- ing across the river, in a shallow spot. The three coxswains caught sight of the game at the same moment, and, in their excitement, shouted, " Cari- bou ! " The fleei-footed rangers of the forest heard the noise, saw the boats, and scented their occupants, and the next moment they were hurryJng toward the west- ern shore ; and the head one disappeared in the woods as the boys opened fire on them. "Confound the luck! They have every one got away!" cried Drake, as the last animal bounded up the bank just as Charlie and Claude fired for the last time. " I don't care if they have," returned Claude. It's the close season. We have no right to shoot them until October, and I should not have fired at all if we had not been out of meat." '* Let's go on chore, Claude," called W'ingate from the Swallow, " and see if some of them were not hit. A Partridge Hunt. 241 I don't believe all those shots could have been wasted." " I am willing, if the others are." " Yes, yes," cried the boys, excitedly. The boats were now run in to where the animals left the river, and secured in such a manner that they would not go adrift, ■'.nd then the fellows left them and clam- bered up the bank, some four feet in height. Wingate was first to reach the top of the bank, and, looking carefully around, cried eagerly, " Look there ! look there, fellows ! Don't you see the blood ; one of them has been hit, sure, and I say let's follow him." "We may have to chase them ten miles, and then bring back nothing for our pains, unless the animal is mortally wounded," replied Claude, doubtfully. "That is true," acknowledged Charlie. "But, look here, and here," stepping along and pointing to blood- stains as he spoke ; " that animal can't travel many miles losing blood at that rate, it must be mortally wounded. I'll bet ten dollars we find one of those caribou dead within two miles of the river." " If we are going out on the trail," remarked Claude, after a little thought, " Le Roy and Wood had better remain here and make preparations for dinner, so we can have it on our return. It is nearly ten o'clock now, and we can't tell how long we shalJ be away, but it is certainly safe to say two or three hours. You and|I can take our hunting-knives, and we had better carry an axe, and then if we find the animal we can skin it and cut it up in such pieces that the seven of us can get back with it easily." 242 Up the North Branch. m " I like your proposition," said Le Roy, " and Dave and I will have everything ready by the time you get back, anil, if you bring the caribou, I can cook some of the steaks in fifteen minutes." The boys now returned to the boats, and Foster obtained an axe, which he offered to carry. Charlie and Claude took their hunting-knives, and the other four who were to make up the party their fire-arms. They lost no time in getting away, and found the trail broad and easy for the first mile. After that it was apparent to the boys that the wounded animal was dragging behind the others, and sometimes shambled along entirely outside of the other tracks. About two miles from the river they reached a small brook, and found that the animal had drank from and then crossed it, and some fifty yards from the brook, by a huge windfall, they found a male caribou dead, stretched out on his side. " Hurrah ! " cried Charlie. " what did I tell you ? Now we can have some meat for dinner." "And I, for one, shall le glad to get it," added Drake. «' That's a big or-, fellows," said Claude. " I should think he would weigh six hundrid. But we must get to work." And, whipping out his hunting-knife, and assisted by Charlie, the two boys soon had the animal skinned, and then proceeded to cut him up. As soon as this was done, they divided the meat, and started back, returning over nearly the same ground. " I should like to know which one of us killed this fellow," said Maynard, as they walked slowly along, A Partridge Hunt. 243 for, loaded as they were, no one seemed inclined to hurry. " I can answer that question," remarked Claude, with a laugh. '* Not one of us killed him, but every- body had a hand in it, I guess, for he was completely riddled with bullets and buckshot. I don't wonder that he bled freely, but what I do wonder at is how in the dickens he could carry so much lead such a distance." " I suppose none of the bullets hit him in a very dangerous place, and he probably bled to death," sug- gested Drake. "That is not a bad idea of yours, Rob," replied Charlie. " What do you think, Claude ? " " Oh, it might be so." " It's hot enough to-day to make up for Sunday night," declared Foster, as he stopped for a moment to wipe the moisture from his face, " Travelling with a load brings the sweat out of you," said Drake. " I am glad that caribou was considerate enough to die where he did, for this is as far as I care to lug any part of his carcass." " But you like to have meat in camp," insinuated Robbins. " Certainly. But that is no reason why I should care to lug it ten miles." " Poke along, and save your wind, Drake. The car- ibou was not over two miles from the river when we found him, and we are certainly half-way back," spoke up Charlie. It was half past twelve when the hunting party strag- 244 Up the North Branch. ^1 t gled up to the cook's fire and deposited their burdens a short distance away. Le Roy cut some slices of steak, and, with Dave's assistance, broiled them at once, and in twenty minutes announced to his tired and hungry friends that dinner was ready. They gladly obeyed the summons, and the two cooks ate with the party. After dinner, Charlie and Claude took care of the meat they were to take with them, while Le Roy and Wood washed and packed up the dishes, and, although all the members of the party helped vVhen they could, it was two o'clock before the boats were afloat again. They passed several small streams during the after- noon, and about five o'clock reached one that emptied into the river on the west side. They went on shore just below its mouth, and, finding the spot favorable for camping purposes, passed the night there without incident or adventure worth relating. Wednesday morning they found they were in the fog, but it lifted before they had made three miles on the river; they ran until noon, and then stopped a couple of hours, as they figured that they were within six miles of their destination for the night. Starting at two o'clock, they rowed ensily along, and at five o'clock they came to ihe mouth of the Chimmen- ticook River, and, passing a few rods bel'->v it, landed on the north shore, but a short distance f-T.? the faim. They built their camp as usual, not caring to stop at the farmhouse, for various reasons. Thursday morning they went to the farm and found ihe proprietor, whom they interviewed on the subject of A PartridiTC Hunt. 245 stores. They found both the male and female partners of the establishment ready to sell anything they had for money, and Wingate purchased six dozens of eggs, ten pounds of butter, and five quarts of milk, also a lamb that dressed off fifty pounds, the six meals they had eaten from it having made quite a hole in their caribou meat. The farmer told them there was another log house and clearing at the mouth of the Tulandic stream, the next river below, a distance of about ten miles. As they did not get ready to leave the Frenchman's until eleven o'clock, they concluded to have dinner where they were. At one o'clock they were under way again, speeding easily along with a good current. Swinging around one of the sharp curves that they were constantly meeting with, Foster noticed a fox trotting along the right-hand bank of the river. The boys all stopped rowing and paddling, and reached for guns and rifles. The fox scented them, and, turning, took a look at the boats, and, not liking their appearance, bounded over the bushes that lined the bank, and disappeared before a single shot was fired. A chorus of groans was wafted after knowing Reynard, who had no idea of making a target of him- self. "What a mean fox!" exclaimed Foster, as the animal was lost to view. "Wouldn't even give a fellow a chance for a shot." " That's where his head was .evel," replied Claude; " he didn't care to lunch on cold lead." Ill i 246 Up the North Pranch. At half past four the boys passed the mouth of Tuhmdic Stream, and, a few moments later, landed on the north shore, near the clearing. After supper they went up to the log house, and purchased all the eggs, butter, and milk they could buy, and, also, two bushels of new potatoes, which were the first they had eaten for a long while. They learned from the man who lived on the farm that it would take them about two days to go to the mouth of Little Black River, where there were two more farms, and where they could purchase more supplies. Saturday morning they started at eight o'clock, and at half past twelve stopped for dinner at the mouth of a large stream, that entered into the St. John from the west. As it was Le Roy's last dinner, he took plenty of time to prepare it, and treated them to roast caribou and mashed potato, hot johnny-cake, and plum pud- ding with cold sauce. Having a greater variety to do with, they could now get up much better meals; the butter, eggs, and mUk being great additions to the commissary department. The cooking and eating of this dinner, however, took up more time than usual, and it was three o'clock before the party was again atloat. During the afternoon they passed the mouth of several small streams, and, about half past five, reached quite a large island in the middle of the river, and landed just below the end of it, at the mouth of a small brook on the north side of the St. John. A Piirtrid^^c Hunt. 247 I It was verv cold that night, and ice formed again, and when they awoke Sunday morning the fog was so thick it seemed like a solid mass, and they could not see twenty yards away. Nobody seemed inclined to cet up, and it was nine o'clock before Wood turned out. He was chief cook for the week, and had Win- gate for assistant. But Charlie did not propose to do his work for him, and as Wood was comparatively green, his only evpe- ricnce having been the week before as Le Roy's assis- tant, it was eleven o'clock before they sat down to breakfast, and then not a very good one. Drake proposed they should stop where they were for the d'av, but, after an argument over the matter, thev concluded to make a start, and go as far as they could easily, not knowing but they would have it foggy the next morning. It was half past twelve before they broke camp, and were again afloat. In an hour they h.d passed two more small streams, and found by their co .passes that the river was making a big bend to the sou. \ About four o'clock they passed a small isl. nd, going to the left of it, and, a mile beyond, noticed diat the river was swinging to the north again. At ^ve o'clock they stopped on a little point, that made into the river from the west, and camped for the ni-ht The weather had been warm during the day, but it grew cold again at dark ; the temperature, how- ever, was not so low as the night before, as no ice formed, but there was a little vapor the next morning, and it was nine o'clock before they left the camp ground. 248 Up the Worth Branch. At noon they stopped on the north bank of the river, at the mouth of a small brook, and Wood, who had been twitted considerably about his cooking, gave them the best meal he had yet prepared. "Don't get discouraged, Dave," advised Claude, pleasantly, while they were eating. "Cooking does not come naturally to everybody ; most people have to learn it." " I am afraid I shall never learn." "Yes, you will, if you are determined to. This meal is a great improvement over your others ; just keep on trying, and, by the time you go home, you will be able to cook in a way that will surprise your mother." " I should like to hear from home ; I don't know whether my folks are alive or dead," remarked Dave, his lip trembling, and unshed tears in his eyes. " We are all in the same box," declared Claude, whose nature was strongly sympathetic, catching one of Dave's hands, and pressing it. " No news is good news, my boy, and when we get to Fort Kent, I expect we shall find several bushels of mail." " The meat is all gone, fellows," announced Dave. " Don't let that trouble you," observed Charlie ; " we will buy another lamb when we get to one of those farms we expect to reach to-night." At half past one the party embarked again, and, during the afternoon, ran the Little Black River Rapids, without accident, although they experienced some difficulty in one or two places, and it was nearly six o'clock when they reached the first farm, and landed on the north bank of the river. A PartridiTc Hunt. 249 It was so late that every member of the club had to uork with a will to enable them to get their camp arranged and prepare supper before dark. Tuesday morning, after breakfast, they went up to the house, and found the owner, and bought all the supplies he had to sell. Duritig the forenoon, they loaded their boats, and dropped a short distance down the river, below the mouth of the Little IJlack, and went into camp on the north side of the St. 'Tfter dinner they walked up to the second log house, and interviewed the proprietor to see what he had to sell, and picked up eggs, butter, milk, and a small home-made cheese. Th also learned from a xoung man, who spoke broken English (broken all up, brake wittily put it), and who worked on the place, that partridges were quite thick in the neighborhood of the two cletarings. They also learned, from the owner, that they could not obtain any more supplies until they reached Savage's, at the mouth of the St. Francis. " I thought there must be savages in this wilderness somewhere," said Drake, laughing. The Frenchman was somewhat dull of comprehen- sion, beside not understanding English very well, and did not see the point, and a puzzled expression ai> peared on his face after Drake's remark. St. Clair noticed it, and explained, "Don't mind what that fellow says; he is a little wrong here," tap- ping his forehend. " Ah, I compreliendevous," returned the Frenchman. " Let up, you skunk ! " replied Drake. 250 Up the North Branch. "There you see, sir," added St. Clair, "he is asking you for a skunk." ' Come along, fellows," called Claude, as he started for the river, " and stop your guying." After reaching camp, Claude asked his friends how they would like to remain where they were unt". Thurs- day morning, and devote Wednesday to a grand par- tridge hunt. 'i'his proposition was received with great favor by all, and was carried into effect. Wednesday morning, after breakfast, every member of the party started out, taking a lunch with him. Claude, Charlie, Foster, and Drake took the Pdrd and went up the river to the other clearing, and the other five went back into the one on which they were stop- ping, all agreeing to meet at the camp by five o'clock, and, to encourage each to do his best, it was also agreed that the fellow bringing in the smallest number of birds should pay for a supper at Young's Hotel for the whole party, after they reached Boston. After Claude and his party landed, and took the Petrel out of the water, th'^y separated, having first agreed to rendezvous at the boat at half past four. At five o'clock, the party that had hunted on die lo-.ver clearing began to arri-e at camp, and by ten minutes past ihe hour were all there. Five minutes later, the others appeared from the river, and the score was taken. Fifty-nine partridges had been shot during the day, and Maynard remarked that he guessed they would be rather scarce in that vicinity the rest of the fall. They were divided among the party as follows : A rartriJgc Hunt. 251 ►^ W Claude had brought in five ; Foster, se' --n ; St. Clair, nine ; Robbins, six ; Maynard, eight ; Le Roy, three ; Wood, five ; Wingate, ten ; and Drake, six. When the count was announced, the party cheered Win<^ate, as the champion, and badgered Tomniy un- mercifully at his poor success. But Le Roy stood it like a martyr, and declared that one could not shoot the birds if he did rot see them to shool, a fact that was self-evident. As thev had such a large number, half a dozen were picked and cleaned, and fricasseed for supper, and the young hunters enjoyed the fruits of their day's sport. Havin- obtained a lamb from Mr. Picot, they had plenty of" provisions to last for two or three days, and on Thursday morning the boats were launched, and at seven o'clock the boys pushed out into the stream, and headed down river once more. The party stopped from twelve to two on the south side of the river for dinner, and at five o'clock went into camp at tha head of Nigger Brook Rapids, having passed the mouth of the Allaguash. The Frenchman, Picot, had warned them that these rapids were rather dangerous, and the boys concluded they would look them over the next morning from the river bank, be- fore they attempted their passage. After breakfast Friday morning, Claude, Wmgate, and St. Clair worked their v .y along the bank of the river some distance, and examined the water care- fully, and, after sonr. argument, finally concluded that it would be safer to carry everything around but the boats, and these they could drop down from the shore. /. •' 252 Up the North Branch. "^^t I This programme was accordingly carried out, and used up the whole forenoon, and the party look their dinner at the foot of the " colored gentleman's rapids," as Robbins laughingly put it. When they reached the foot of Cross Rock Rapids, it began to sprinkle, and they immediately went into camp, and had hardly time to get ready for the rain when it came down in torrents. At sundown, however, it held up, and cleared away. The next morning the sun rose clear and bright, but betweeri seven and eight it went into a cloud, and the temperature began to change. "We shall get the line-storm, in my opinion, before the weather clears again, ard we must reach Savage's to-night. If he will put us up, even if we have to sleep in his barn, we had be iter dc it than be outdoors in a cold storm for several days or a week," and Claude looked at the others for an expression of opinion. "My sentiments, exactly," said Wingate. " Mine, too," chined in St. Clair, and indeed the boys seemed to entertain a very unanimous opinion on the subject. " Then let's start, and not stop until we reach Sav- age's landing, ' proposed Claude. "We can get along if we don't have but two meals to-day." " Right you are," remarked Wood. " Dave is sure to agree with you on that," added Drake, laughing. At half past eight Saturday morning, the little flotilla made a fresh start. They passed several dif- ferent rapids without accident, and reached the mouth A Partridge Hunt. 253 of the St. Francis River at three o'clock. They pissed to the right of the islands, and stopped onpo- site the lower one, a short distance from the mouth cf a small stream, that flowed into the nver from Maine, and which stream, they had been told, was near Savage's. The boats were unloaded, and ta^en cut of the ^viter, turned bottom up, and covered over with can- vas and while Wood and Wingate began preparations for 'the dinner and supper combined, Claude and bt Clair started up to Savage's house, to see if they could secure accommodations for the party for a few days. The rest of the boys busied themselves, meanwhile, in bringing everything from the boats to the place where the cooks had started their fire. Claude and Andrew soon found Mr. Savage's habita- tion, a small white house, standing near a road which they afterward learned followed ihe river down to tort Kent, and were also lucky enough to f^nd Mr. Savage himself, which was more to the purpose. Claude stated their wants to him, and Mr. Savage admitted the weather looked bad, and finally said he would take care of them if they would put up with such sl^epin'T accommodations as he had to offer. The two friends assured him that they could sleep anvwhere that other people could, a.id that, if he was any way short of bedding, they could furnish their ow blan n .kets. Claude told him they were getting their sup- per then, and would be up after tb.ey had eaten it, and bring whatever was likely to get wet (( Will he let us stop with him ? " queried Charlie, 254 Up the North Branch. as soon as he caught sight of the returning mes- sengers. " Yes," repHed Claude, " and he appears to be a nice fellow." " Savage by name, but not by nature," suggested Le Roy. " We had better take everything to the house with us, except the boats and cooking utensils," remarked Claude, " and what we leave here we can stow under the boats." " Think they'll be safe .? " asked Wood. "Mr. Savage seemed to think they Vv'ould. I asked him about it." By six o'clock, everything was packed up, and, scat- tering their fire, the boys adjourned in a body to the Hotel Savage. They had not been indoors an hour when it began to rain, and the storm increased with each hour, the wind blowing very hard. For three days they were detained here, and during Monday an inch of snow fell. Th^ storm broke late Tuesday afternoon, and when the boys went outdoors Wednesday morning they found it pleasant, and quite warm. Claude saw Mr. Savage, and told him they should leave after breakfast, and iried to obtain some stores to take with fliem. But the landlord laughed, and said he had kept them so long, not knowing they were coming, that he could not spare a thing, but that he thought they would be able to obtain what they wanted from a Mr. Connor, three miles below, on the opposite side of the river. A Partridge Hunt. 25i. i After breakfast, Wingate paid the bill, and the boys, taking their belongings, went to the river, where they found the boats, and the other articles they had left, safe, and they were soon afloat, and on their way to- ward Connor's. The rapids at Toban Bar, a mile below Savage's, were run without difficulty, and at nine o'clock the boys reached the grounds belonging to Connor, and a landing was made. Winsate and Claude went up to the lumberman's hou.-ie, a much larger building than Savage's, and in- quired for Mr. Connor, but he was not at home. From the women in the house, however, they procured two dozen eggs, some milk, and butter, which would do them until they reached Fort Kent, where there were stores, and where they would stop that night. The boats had not been taken out of the water, and the moment Claude and Charlie returned they pushed forward again. During the forenoon, they passed eight or ten islands, and stopped about one o'clock, at the ...ad of Winding Ledges, to get tht'- dinner. "Ore Scott! There's a church," sang out Drake, pointing across the river, they having landed on the Maine side. " That's quite a sight." "Oh, we are beginning to get into an ;nh;ii'itcd country once more," remarked Foster. " J'.st think of it, there are stores at Fort Kent. Won't we go on a bust ! " "We'll bust tne postoffice, the first ;.hing," added Wood, " and get our mail ; and I'll bet the postmaster will be glad to get riu of it." j£i 256 Up the North Bj'anch. They had hard work to find enough wood in this vicinity to cook their dinner with, but they accom- plished it after a while, and as soon ns the ineal wps over they started again, reaching Fort Kent at four o'clock. They had a narrow escape from an accident while running the Winding Ledges Rapids, but they came out all right, and a miss is as good as a mile. They had landed at the lower end of the town, near the old block house, which they wished to see. It stood at the junction of the two rivers, the Fish River, which drains the Eagle Lakes, emptying into the St. John at this point. The old fort was close to the water, and the boys inspected it in a body. When they had satis- fied their curiosity in regard to this historic ruin, Claude and Wingate were despatched to buy stores, and St. Clair and Robbins to the postofficc for the mail. The other members of the party crossed Fish River in the boats, and established the camp there. " It will not be necessary to get many things, Char- lie," said Claude, as they tramped toward the business part of the town, "because we can get more at Fd- mundston." " Milk, butter, eggs, and a ham are all we need for to-day," replied Wingate, looking at his list. As they walked along, the natives .oticed they were strangers, and many curious glances were thrown after them. But the boys had become accustomed to bting stared at, and did not mind it any. They found a store of the general variety kind, where they bought all they wanted but the milk, and the proprietor, who was very pleasant, sent them to a house in the neighbor- A Partridge Hunt. 2:>i hood, where they procured it. Then they returned to the river, and were ferried across to camp, where they found St. Clair and Robbins, who had arrived before tiieni, and had brought one hundred and five letters and two hundred and fifteen other pieces of mail matter, consisting of papers, books, and packages. " I tell you, we had a load," remarked St, Clair, " and the [.(jstmaster was glad to get rid of it. You should have seer^^some countrymen in the store stare when the mail was passed to us. I guess they thought we were members of Congress up here on a time." "The postmaster asked me where w^e were from," added Robbins, " and I told him how we had come from Boston, and let him know we had made the trip all through Maine without any guides, and he looked as if he did not believe it." That evening was devoted to reading letters and look- ing over papers, and the party came to the conclusion that they would try and reach Edmundston the next day, and stop at a hotel that night, where they would have a better chance to answer their letters than in camp. Thursday morning the fellows were early astir, and breakfast was served at six o'clock. At seven the party embarked and pnssed the Rapids of Clare's Bar and the Fish River Rapids without difficulty. While running the first rapids Robbins dryly re- marked that it would take a long time for a fellow lo get drunk on the liquor that came from Clare's Bar. Six miles below Fort Kent they passed the mouth of Baker River, tlowing into the St. John from the north, ♦ » 258 Up tiie North Branch. the outlet of a number of lal^is. There were several ishinds scattered along the river in this locality, one of which was quite large. About noon they passed a little Roman Catholic settlement called Chatacoin, and half- way between there and Frenchville they stopped for dinner. During the afternoon they passed Michaud's Island and Rapids, and reached Edmundston about five o'clock. They found this to be a large place, the terminus of the New Brunswick Railway, and they made up their minds to stop here a few days. Charlie and Claude were appointed a committee of inquiry, and, while the rest of the party remained tvthe boats, they v^ent off to look up a hotel. They were gone an hour, and on their return they were besieged with questions. " We have engaged rooms at Whitney's Hotel, and everything will have ♦^o be moved up there. The land- lord promised to send a team down right away for our baggage and camp equipage, and the boats we had better carry along ourselves when the team goes." "How far shall we have to carry them ? " inquired Drake. " Only a short distance. Two of us can carry one from here to the house easily enough," answered Win- gate. In about fifteen minutes the team made its appear- ance, and the fellows helped the driver load all their things, and Drnke, Wood, and Foster went along with the v^•hi^le, to look after the baggage when it reached the hotel, while the other six members of the party car- A Partridge Hunt. 2o9 '4: 4 » riccl the boats. Before the boys reached the house \viih the boats, they had quite a following from the younger citizens of Edmundston, who were very anxious to learn their business and all about them, showing quite as much inquisitiveness as their neighbors across the river, in Yankee land. The boys all enjoyed a good bath before supper, and all passed through the barber's hands, coming out "looking a little less like savages," as Maynard put it. That evening was devoted to writing letters by the whole party, as the mail left the next day. Friday morning, while eating breakfast, the boys came to the conclusion to lie over where they were until Monday, for a change. Claude remarked that they had stop-over tickets on that trip, and could stop as often as it suited them. During the forenoon, they visited the ruins of an old block house on the lower or eastern side of the Mada- waska, and from Block House Hill obtained a fine view of the town. After dinner they fell into conversa- tion with the landlord, and he told them of a great country for hunting, through which, with a good guide, they could easily make the trip in a week, and he prom- ised to send for a guide, an Indian, called Tom Tad- pole, and have him at the house that evening, to give the boys any information they might wish for in regard to the excursion. The afternoon they passed in walking around the village, and about sundown ascended a high ledge located but a short distance from their hotel, and from the summit of which they obtained a very fine view. ill 200 Up the North Branch. J ;f • 1 The St. John could be traced for ten miles, flowing through a rich and picturesque valley, and nine miles distant the dark front of Mount Carmel made a marked contrast with the sapphire blue of the sky. They all united in pronouncing the scenery fine, and returned to the house well satisfied with the manner in which the day had been spent. In the evening, Mr. Tadpole, the Indian, — " the last of the Milicetes," Drake called him,— put in an appear- ance, and was introduced to the boys by Mr. Whitney. Claude asked him if he could take them where they could shoot a moose, and Tadpole promised they should shoot one, two, three moose if they would hire him, and put themselves under his guidance. "One, two, three, that is six moose," said Foster, with a wink at his friends. "How is that?" queriea the Indian, looking puz- zled. " Why, one and two are three, and three are six," re- plied Foster ; " don't you see ? " But Tadpole looked as if he did not see it at all, and was inwardly wondering what the young man was giv- ing him. After talking ever the trip for two hours, the Indian was finally enguged, and ordered to be on hand the next morning and take the boats and a canoe he was to furnish up the river as far as Griffin's, to which place the boys would go by team on Monday, bringing all the provisions necessary for the trip, and whatever else they needed. Sunday turned out a duller day than the party antici- A Partrids^c Hunt. 261 piited, from the fact tliat it rained from early morn lill late at niglit, and, if the boys were kept indoors, tliL'y had this to console them, that they were in comfortable quarters. Monday morning they were up in good season, had breakfast at half past six, and an hour later were on the road, in two teams furnished by the landlord. As they were to return to the hotel, before continuing their trip down the St. John, they left whatever they thought they could do without for a week at the house, and the proprietor guaranteed everything would be sale during their absence. \-l CHAPTER XVI. A SIDE TRIP. It was a beautiful morning for any kind of a-.i out- door excursion, and the party enjoyed the pleasant drive to Griffin's very much. Tadpole met them not with the usual grave expression seen on an Indian's face, but with his countenance illumined with a smile of welcome, and the remark, " Me have team ready to haul things to Mud Lake," which the boys had already learned was two and a half miles from where the teams left them. It took some engineering about the packing to get the boats, the canoe, and all the impeditncnta across at one load , but, as Claude said, " when you are deter- mined to do a thing, you generplly find some way to accomplish it," and at one o'clock the party launched the boats and canoe in Mud Pond, and then, after par- taking of a cold lunch, loaded up and started. Tadpole took all his canoe would hold, and the boys distributed what there was left equally among the three boats' crews, and left the landing, Tadpole ahead in his birch, acting as pilot. At five o'clock they went into camp on Fourth Squa- took Lake, and Tadpole was directed to help cut tlie necessary fuel and bring water, the boys preferring to do the cooking themselves. Drake and Claude, who 262 A Side Trip. 203 Nverc the cooks for the week, turned their attention at once to preparations for supper, and let their friends see to building a camp, Althou-h the boys were quite at home m woodland architecture, especially St. Clair, Win^ate, and l^Iay- nard, who had made a thorough study of camp-bu.ldm-, they found the Indian could give Uiem points on that business, and, watching Tadpole closely and question- ing him freely, they gained some valuable niformal.ou i,;\his particular kind of woodcraft. The Indian, un- like most of his race I have met, seemed not only will- ing to work, but anxious to keep busy, and proved a valuable assistant. If the boys were pleased with the Indian, he certainly was with them. They treated him exactly as an equal, and after supper, in which he showed himself a good feeder, he complimented them on their cooking, in terms odd but expressive. After supper, the boys built up a rousing campfire and craihered around its cheerful blaze c.'nd genial warmth, and, after some coaxing, induced Tadpole to gA-e them several unwritten chapters from his experi- ence of forest life and adventure. Once started on what was, apparently, to him an agreeable task, he grew eloquent, and his description of scenes and incidents bv lake and forest held his hearers spellbound until nearlv midnight. When Claude said that it was half past eleven, and time for them to turn in, if they intended to get up at all the next morning, his friends could hardly believe it, but the fact could not be disputed ; and, thanking / IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET ^MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^ m 1^ 112.2 12.0 1.8 1.25 :.4 i':^ ^1 6" — ► ^ '/# /^ 3C '>' U/- w Phoiograpnic Sdences Corporation iV <^ ^\ lV '•«^1» ^.V^ Vf Vo 73 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTEK.N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 ^ Is 204 Up the North Branch. Tadpole for his charming evening's entertainment, the whole jDarty retired, and were soon deep in the healthy slumber incident to forest life. Tuesday morning, at four o'clock. Tadpole called Claude and Wingate, according to a little arrangen.ent made the night before, and the two friends, taking their double-barrelled guns, and a dozen rounds of ammuni- tion each, accompanied the Indian, who paddled them silently away from the camp, and then around to some coves in the little lake, where ducks were apt to lie over tjight. The party came first on a fiock of black ducks, that were just about to start out for breakfast, and, blazing away at them, the two boys knocked over five birds dead, and two wounded, which they secured after pick- ing up the dead ones. The Indian paddled about a quarter of a mile beyond to another cove, and this was literally full of ducks, and the boys killed fifteen at their first fire, emptied their second barrels and tumbled over five more, loaded and fired both barrels again, getting thirteen birds from the second double shot. " By Jove, Claude ! isn't this sport ! " cried Charlie, as they picked up the birds floating on the water all around them. " Immense ! " declared Claude, with sparkling eyes. " Can't we get arother shot at that flock. Tadpole t " " Not now. No pay chase more. Come round this way again mebbe. Co to next cove now. lie ready to shoot, most always big lot ducks, go quack I quack 1 here." A Side Trip. 205 There were about one hundred ducks in the next cove, and the two young Nimrods killed twenty out of this lot and as it was now time for Claude to return and get breakfast, the Indian turned the canoe toward The firin>r they had done, however, oad started tlie ducks in every direction, and they had two more good shots on their way back, killing nine at the first double fire and eleven at the second. It was half past six when they reached camp, and everybody was up, having been awakened by tie firing Their friends were surprised when they saw the load of ducks the hunters had with them, and every f.tllow ni the party wished he had gone out duck-shooung. Drake already had the fire built, and had begun prepa- rations for breakfast on finding that his assistant had stolen out early. , , , «. The boys had a chance to sample the ducks at breakfast, and pronounced them very nice. Robbins jokingly remarked tha^ he was so well pleased with the sample that Drake and Claude might ship him a load of the goods at once, and sent his plate for it. When the morning meal was over and everything cleared up, the party broke camp and paddled to Third Lake, reaching a suitable camping spot at eleven o'clock. The cooks proceeded to get dinner at once, as the party intended to climb Squa-took Peak, a si-htly, conical hill, which rose boldly up from the shore of the lake, near the site they had selected for their camp. While dinner was progressing, the rest of the party. I ! ,■ I li 2()() I > t/ir North Bmiich. iiicludint; TadpoK', were eiiijjaged in buihliiii; a camp, as the club uouUl spend the night where they were. Slarlhij; after dinner, guided by the Indian, who knew every inch of gio md in the viciniLy, the boys reached the top of the mountain at tiiree o'clock, and found a magnihcent view spread out before them, three hundred square miles being within tiie field of vision. From the peak on which they stood the forest stretched away from them for two hundred miles to the cast, southeast, and northeast, without a break. It was warm and pleasant on the summit, and the party sat there for over two hours enjoying the view, while the Indian pointed out different localities and told more of his adventures in the Canadian wilder- ness. It was a little after five when they started down, and about half-way to camp they came to the trail of a bear, which led around from the other side of the mountain, crossing their trail, and bearing toward the foot of Squa-took River, which the Indian said liruin would cross. The younger members in the crowd were eager to follow the trail of the bear, as they were all armed, the Indian having told them at dinner time that bears were very plenty in that vicinity, and that all the party had better carry fire-arms. Claude objected to following the trail of the bear, because daylight was nearly gone ; as they were camped on the east shore of the lake, the trail lead- ing westerly, they would have a long way to walk when they were ready to return. A Side Trip. 2tM OS even if"lurkness overlook .he,n, a.u\ were so ' X ou ■ to go .bat Claude withdrew his objec.ons. : ■ , " occurre 1" \ i I i and, as they had but comparatively few miles to row or paddle, they did not leave camp until after nine o'clock. As the open season for fishing was nearly at a close, the party had concluded to go up above the Big Jam on the Toledi, and camp there that night, and have the best part of the day for fishing. On their way to the Forks, the Indian saw a moose on the right-hand bank, and called the attention of the boys to it ; but, before any of them were ready to shoot, it scented them and disappeared in the woods. They reached the mouth of the Toledi River in season- to have dinner at half past twelve, and, while they were eating the meal, the Indian asked them if they knew how to pole a boat. "Quick water up to Big Jam. Have to pole all the way. You know how to do him ? " "We will let you take the lead," replied Claude, " and I guess we can follov; you. We have done con- siderable poling on our different trips." "Not long distance— only a mile to Big Jam," re- marked Tadpole. "We are good for any number of miles," declared Wingate. " Only, I hope we shall find some fish after we get there." " Find him sure. Heap fish ; not very big, perhaps," returned the Indian. As they had agreed among themselves to take their dinner where they now were the next day, they left a few things that could be dispensed with for a short time, hiding them so they would be out of the way of stray parties If any came along. A Side Trip. 273 t ir a rt d£ Leavin- their noonday bivouac about half past one, in an hour they had reached the Big Jam, and then ^vere obliged to make a short portage. They ha minute, and think I am going to die. The old- est Frenchman, Fran'^ois, say, ' You keep still, and be all right soon. We pack up.' " I iay back on the boughs, and pretty soon I know nothing! When I wake up it was dark, and Francois and Jean were gone. I try to get up, but so weak couldn't do it, and keep still, and in the morning I wake and find myself all alone. " I crawl outdoors and succeed in getting nre, after Ion- while trying, but could find nothing to eat. Food all "gone, rifle gone, axe gone, everything gone, then I know those two Frenchmen big rascals and try to poison me." "That was a meon trick," cried Wood, indignantly. " I guess you think so. I only have clothes I have A Side Trip. >75 on Nights awful cold, and no blankets. . The nearest place I%ould get to was Edmunclston. So try hard to get there. Cra.vl all first day, and eat bark, moss, leaves, few checker^ ..ies, anything I. can "That night quite a snow ''ill. Next morning still weak, but not so sick, and after a while stagger to my feet. ' Travel all day till sun down, then build a fire. Found a place to lay under som^ bushes vvliere *he ground was bare, and go to sleep again and nearly frcGZf* « Next day, 'bout noon, see partridge, and manage to kill it with a stick ; build a little fire, and half cook it, and eat him all. After that feel better. That after- noon reach a camp we had left on ihe Rimouski. Fmd little piece por^, and two or three potatoes, and have 'em for supper. ♦•Next morning, start of! without anything to eat, and after some hours, find old caribou carcass with some meat on it. Smell bad — but eat him all the same." The boys laughed at this announcement, and win- gate said. " I suppose that meat was well seasoned, Tadpole." "S'pose he was," replied the Indian, laughing. " After I eat all I could hold, start on again, and strike for headwaters Tuladie, and find him at sundown. That night I kill two mush-squash." " What's that ? " interrupted Wood. ''Musk-rat you r;al him, and have them for my supper. Next day get down to Forks, and find three up the North Branch. \ k 5. "iS! ■ 276 logs on lake shore ; fasten them together, and paddle do^wn lake, and sleep at outlet that night." " Didn't you see anybody that could help you, all this time ? " inquired Foster. " Not a soul. Catch mush-squash again that night. But rait easier than walking, and in two days more reach Edmundston, where I find friends." "And did you never see the scoundrels that played you such a mean trick ? " queried Maynard. ^^ *' No never see urn. Went west, I guess." " We'll, they ought to have been hanged," declared Le Roy." " So I say, too," added Tadpole. " I am going to turn in," announced Claude. " We must got up early in the morning, if we wish to have good sport again with the trout." " T think I feel sleepy myself," remarked St. Clair, risin- with a stretch and a yawn. "Tadpole, what time are you going to get us out to-norrow morning i " Four o'clock, if you want catch lots of trout. " If that's the time we are to turn out, I am going to turn in," declared Wood, and the entire party were soon in slumber. , , , mi j The Indian was up about three o'clock, Thursday morning, and replenished the fire, and, after it had burned up warm and bright, called the young fellows, who were soon out and dressed. It was scarcelv light when they started forth on their last morning's fishing, and the air was so sharp and crisp that it made their ears and noses tingle, and kept them rubbing their hards. A Side Trip. 277 - li's cold enough to freeze the legs off an iron pot, and on again," growled Wood, his teeth chatternig nn -ih the cold. " I wish I hadn't turned out." " You'll be warm enough when you get to pulhng m trout," suggested Le Roy, " and it will do you good to get up in the morning. Give you an appetite for breakfast." . . ,^ i- i «. "Do you call this morning? Why, it isnt light vet " '' Put on your glasses. Wood," sang out St. Clair, " or go back to camp and get a candle." As only two could fish in a boat, and have casting room, Tadpole took Maynard into his canoe, and Le Rov and St. Clair were placed at different points along the' river, and by the time it was fairly light everybody was ready, and the sport began. And sport it proved to be. For it seemed as if the river was alive with trout, and all of them in a famish- incr state. No sooner did a fly light upon the wat.r, than one, two, and sometimes even three trout rose to the deceitful lure, and almost fought for the chance to ^"^ ThVfish were not very large, however, and two-thirds the boys caught they were enabled to land without the aid of their nets ; this, however, allowed them to take more than they otherwise would, and for nearly two hours the party had all the fishing they wanted, and at six o'clock declared they had caught all they could take care of, and they returned to camp. "Give us some of the trout for breakfast, will )0U, Drake ? " asked Foster, as the cook began his prepara- < ■ 1 Ml up the North Branch. . jj^^gi^ '^^^^k Hi! • ""11 1 i :^ ■ 278 '• i "M'hpre's an aching void tions for the morning meal. 1 here s in me that needs filling." ^^^^^ "There's always an achmg void ^" J^"' . Robbins, ^vho had heard Foster's remark, but generally in the top of Y-r h-d ^^^.^^^ ^^^^ Foster made a rush for ^^^ ^^^"f;j^^ ^^^^ ^^ods. not to be caught napping, and start.a into tne .' I will, then, after you get enough dressed for break fast. How many do you want ? " " Thirty will be enough." ,rd then The required number were soon cleaned, and then wild counted the balance, and found that there was exactly four hundred left. ^ " Four hundred and thirty trout. That is prett> „oo fishing tor one morning," said Wood " I°„ever had better sport in my hfe," «P '^d r. ..ke as he began frying the cleaned trout, whue Tadpole took care of the others. T^dnnle ' " "Where i. the best place for moose, Tadpole, queried Drake, while they were eating breakfast, w.nt to shoot a moose the worst kind. . . „ , "Up to the head ot the Big Lake, good place I , make moose born out of birch bark. Call n.oose close """Is'Itso? Can your- queried Drake, his eyes sparkling with excitement. A Side Trip. 279 — — Z- To^^ Tcretvou bull moose, sure. "'"^ "° Z n^cl^no 'p. m one cent »he,> we get No get moose, neta nut ij> jr ''='*Do ,.ou n,ean Temiscouata, by Bi^ Lake, Tad- pole ? " inquired Claude. ".Th™ we'll .'O there. I wouldn't nnnd having incu jjVJ «■" seven, and ran viie rapids to the mo i ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^, any trouble Aft r passmg ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ deep and sluggish, and they ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ the rest of the distance to the lake, exu i falls. , f ^up virst Toledi Thev stopped on the west shore of the H st !;:;::riv:t.r„t five o'cioc. The ..^ falls, a mile ^^ove Te.mscouata was a ^^J^^^^ they would have ""do-btedly come ^o ^^^^^^ not followed close m the Indian s wake, in his canoe. nnen ' " ex- u By rht all to have advantage we started witl ^^ drawn up in line and started at the same time. Tommy did not make any reply, for he felt the truth of Win-ate's remarks, as did also Maynard, who had sDoken°to the coxswain without a second thoi , *.. Frank was a fair-minded fellow, and had he thought twice would have spoken differently. The race now became exciting, for the Datsy began to gain a trifle on the Petrel, and in half an hour was even with her, but St. Clair and Wood -e- P^^^ng a very fast stroke, and ^t was a matter of doubt how lono- they could keep it up. •I-ommy was surprised to see the Da.sy overhaul the Pdrd for he feared the latter boat the most, but he was sUU more surprised when the Daisy began to lap bv the Petrd and crawl up toward the Swallow. ■ He took two or three looks behind h.m. and the ast one showed him the Daisy clear beyond the Pdnl, :ie three feet ahead, at least. This fr.ghtened h,m ind increasing the motion of h.s body, ne sa.d. Pull, mZ, pull for all you're worth. Don't let the Dauy ""'Foranother half-hour the Daisy and the Swallow were sent through the water at a tearing pace, and m : time the iwallow had doubled the *--- from the Petrel and the Daisy was about as far ahead of the ji^,wts the Swallow had been when tke boats started. But both Robbins and Le Roy had overworked tl,e,r crews and the Daisy began to lag, . '.shortly the ;Z' was even with her, while t^.. Swallow was also losing some of the advantage she had gamed. |i| i' 1^1 i^ it 286 Up the North Branch. I As related in "Eastward Ho!" the first volume of this series, Foster had proved himself a remarkably good coxswain, and he had forgotten none of his early training. As he looked at the other boats at this stage of the race, and saw that in less than thirty minutes they would be to the shore for which they were head- ing, the motions of his body grew quicker and quicker, un'til finally he was giving his crew the same stroke that the other two boats' crews had been pulling for the last half-hour. The result was that the Petrel began to forge ahead, and ^Tommy. who kept one eye over his shoulder half the time, began to get excited. "The Petrel \s gaining on us," he cried to his crew, and then turned and took another look, as if doubting the evidence of his eyesight the first time. But there was no mistake about it, the Petrel was overhauling the Swallow fast, and Tommy, in despera- tion, began paddling. "Don't paddle, Tommy," said Wingate, "you do more hurt than you do good. You notice Foster is not paddling. Just steer as straight a course as you can, and we'll do our best. You have made a mistake ; you worked us too hard in the first of the race." " I am afraid that is so," acknowledged Tommy, as he ceased paddling. -"■ Foot by foot the Petrel crept up to them, until her bow was even with the stern of Tommy's boat, and then, to his chagrin, the Petrel slid ahead of him and passed the Swallow at a speed that Tommy thought wns wonderful, when he saw the exertions his own crew were making. Moose-Shooting. 287 A'; the Pctrd passed enlirely by the Swalloxv, Foster turned around and touched his 1 at to Tommy, and said, "Don't forget to tell them we are commg, Tommy. Ta, ta! See you later." It was painfully evident to Tommy that the Swallow had lost the first place in the race, and he turned to see where the Daisy was. One glance in her direction, however, assured him that he had nothing to fear from her as she was slowly dropping behind all the time. "'we shall beat the Daisy, at all eventr." said Tommy, when he felt sure of his statement. " Yes and I think we should have beat the rdrd had you followed Foster's tactics. He has shown better judgment in this race than you have. Excuse plain speaking. Tommy. Don't get mad, and do better next time." - I don't intend to get mad, Charlie. I can see you are ri-ht, and the Pdrd will beat us fifty yards ^ure. Ten minutes later the boats were all on shore, and their tired crews walking about stretching their Innbs. The canoe of the Indian could be seen two miles down the lake, a mere speck on the water. The boys had landed on the east side of the stream, and, as soon as they were fairly rested, began looking about for the camp. " Here is a path leading somewhere, cried bt. Chur, who was at the edge of the woods. " Let us follow it," said Claude. It ran back about a hundred and fifty yards from the lake, in a half-circle, that brought the party in sight of the stream, on the bank of which stood the 288 Up the North Branch. camp, a structure large enough to accommodate fifty or sixty men. The building was in very good or ,er, and apparently contained all the furniture that had been in it when last occupied. "Great guns! there's a stove here. Isn't this first- class, fellows ! " exclaimed Drake. " Quite a uotel," acknowledged St. Clair. " What a lot of bunks ! " said Wood. ** Yes, Da\x," replied Claude, with a twinkle in his eye, " you cav sleep in two at the same time if you wisn.^' The boys all laughed, and began a general investi- gation of the premises, but they found nothing in the way of provisions, and an old axe that had seen its best days was all they discovered beside the furniture and cooking utensils. The party now returned to the boats and paddled up the river opposite the camp, and then unloaded them, and by the time Tadpole av.iv m1 everything wa« under cover. " That was good race," said the Indian, as he began unloading his birch. " All good boys — pull strong — but Petrels beat." "Yes, the Petrel beat us," added Le Roy, "but we gave them a goo^' trial." Drake and Ciaude had supper ready early, as Tad- pole was going out with some of tlic party n^oose-hunt- 5ng that night, He explained to the boys that it would no't do for 'them all to go, there were so many of them, and suggested that they camp where they were until Tuesday morning, and that he would take three of the party out each night. I Si Rfooxc-S floating. 289 " The fellows a-reed to this, and drew lots after sup- r^r to see who should compose the first party. Six vdiite beans and three colored ones were put into a hat, and .haken up a little, and Tadpole held it up high enou-h to prevent the boys looking into it. and then each^one picked out a bean. Foster, Drak. , md St. C'air drew the prizes, and they at once prepared for the They leit the camp about half past seven, all armed ^vith riries, the Indip.n carrying, besides, his moose-horn, with which he hoped to coax a moose within shot. Drake accompanied the Indian in his Canoe, and Fos- ter and St. Clair went in the Pdrcl. Padriling out of the river into the lake, they followed the shore to the north wes. corner, and here they landed, the three bovs taking refuge behind a large bowlder. Then Tadpole went into hi> canoe again, and paddled off a few rods from shore, and blew a long blast with his horn. The call echoed out through the forest, but no answer came back, save the wind gently blowing across the lake and rustling the lea.es on the trees around them. A-ain Tadpole sent out the queer note to tempt the curiositv of some old bull, and, after waiting a few moments, repeated the call. The boys now heard an answer, and their blood began to qu.cken. The Indian a-ain drevV the weird sounds from his horn, and in a fe'w seconds another answer followed. Soon after this they heard a cracking in the forest off to the left of where they lay hid ; rifles were cocked, and hopes were high. 1 m if I up the North Branch. 200 ''::^ii^7Ihdrh^^^^^ Nvhisperccl St. Clair. "It is darker than Egypt. I cant sec tiie sights on my rifle." " Nor I," acknowledged Foster. A few moments later and the boys saw a huge, dark, moving body emerge from the forest and step out on the s.Tnd. The hunters were to leeward, and the animal did not scent them. '' Fire now," whispered St. Clair, and the three nfles spoke almost as one. The animal wheeled around toward the woods, and again the three nfles spoke. The moose leaped ahead, but did not go four rods before he fell dead. The boys, who had sprung to their feet gave a cheer when they heard the crash as te foresi monarch came to the ground, and the next n.oment Tadpole was with them. He lit a lantern e had brought in his canoe, and then the party started toward tire moose, from whom they had not heard a sound since his fall. They found the animal lying on his side, as de.ul as Julius Caesar, and he looked imn.ense in the gloom of the forest. , , , ^ . » " He bi- moose - weigh thousand pounds, T guess, said Tadpole. " Cut out his tcmgue to-night, and co.ne over and skin him and cut him up in the mornmg. '' Hold your lantern close. Tadpole. Let's see where he was hit," remarked St. Clair. ^ „ , , , . ^,, Upon examination they found three bullet holes on the uppermost side, but the huge brute was too heavy to turn over, and they could not tell whether any other shots had taken effect. J loose- Sh 00 ting. 291 The Indian, however, declared that the animal must have been hit in the other side, as two of the shots they saw would not have made a fatal wound. After Tadpole cut out the tongue they returned to camp, and found their friends in their bunks, but not asleep. "What luck, fellows?" queried Wood. " Bull luck," answered Drake. " Shot a bull moose." " Honest Injun ? " " Yes, sir. You can ask Tadpole if we didn't, and he's an ' honest^njun.' " "Did you get a moose, really, Andrew?" inquired Claude, rising up on one elbow in his bunk, and facing his friend. "True as preaching, Claude, and Tadpole brought the tongue home for breakfast." " Was he a large one ? " cried Maynard. "The guide says he will weigh a thousand pounds," answered Foster. " You're in luck again, Foster," remarked Tommy from his corner, thinking of the beat race. " It must have been pretty dark for shooting," said Robbins. " It was as dark as a stack of black cats," asserted St. Clair. " All we could see when the moose came out of the woods was a black spot, and we banged away without taking any particular aim. To tell you the truth, George, I couldn't see the sights on my rifle. But, then, the old heathen was not over thirty feet away when we fired, and we had to hit him somewhere. Couldn't help it, you see." U. up the North Branch. •292 -f;;;^;^;;;;;— ;;^^y turned into the.r bunks it beian to sprinkle, and before the boys fell asleep .t rained hard, and the wind rose to nearly a gale. ' I .uesswe shall have a wet time eutung up tlat nroose in the morning," remarked St. Cla.r, as he hs- lened to the howling of the storm. " I don't mind it in the morn.ng," returned Caude, .bu! we are fortunate to have such comfortable quar- '"^r'l^'Sar-nosal.-no melt; let um r.ain in We no su„a remarked Tadpole, the morning. Get wet hre fl ) ^^^_ from the Deacon, seat by the sio^e, wnere ins: his last smoke before turnmg in. \ You're a philosopher. Tadpole," cried Wingate. " Um. So any man no fool." "Come, keep your tongues still and go to sleep, will >" „r ■ i] Ji 298 Up the North Branch. " Guess we fin that it nearly knocked the breath out of iiim, but he had strength enough left to draw his hunting knife and make'' a jab at the fierce brute, that was leaiing his clothes to tatters and scratching hia body badly be- sides. If he had been alone it would have been the end of his fishing and hunting excursions, but Robbins, with much pre'^ence of mind, la^ .: on his stomach, as he saw it was impossible to fire at .le animal while stand- ing without great danger of hitting Wingate, and, watch- ing his chance, fired and made a handsome shot, sending a bullet through the animal's head, killing it instantly. Ic rolled off of Winrjate and lay all in a heap, it not having life enough lett even to straighten itself out. VVliile Robbins was getting on his feet, Le Roy, drop- ping his rifle, rushed up to Wingate, and, seizing his right hand, assisted him to rise. "" My stars, Charlie, it's a wonder that beast didn't kill you. Why, you are scratched all up. He has taken about all the skin of! your breast." " Yes, and a little of the flesh, too, I ^uess, by the feeling." " My gracious ! " exclaimed Robbins, » your shirts are torn to tatters, and your breast looks as if some- body had been lashing you. You will have to be mighty careful or you will take cold in those wounds." "That's so. I owe my life to you, old boy, and I shall not forget it. That de^il would have torn aie all to pieces but for your lucky shot." " Let's ^o to the river and v. ash the blood off of you, ^ t| n ill -«:■.*: « : « 304 Up tL: North Branch. I Charlie," said I.e Roy, " and then we can see how bad you are hurt." " All right, old fellow. I am only badly scratched, I guess, bu't that brute was getting in his work lively when George knocked him over. I shoved my hunting knife into him once clear to the hilt, and he did not seem to mind it any more than if I had stuck a pin into him. It's lucky I was not alone." The river was only a few rods from them, and when they reached it Le Roy took Wingate's handkerchief and washed the blood away, and they saw that the skin was torn off of i large part of his breast, and quite a number of pieces of flesh, leaving small furrows, had been dug out by the animal's fearful claws. " Perhaps that don't smart," remarked Wingate, as he looked at his wounded body. " I'll bet it does," said Le Roy, "but you must be careful and not take cold in it. Let me have your handkerchief, George, and I'll put it with mine, and double them both and lay them over the wounded place, then you can button your hunting jacket tightly over it. It's lucky you kept that v/hole." Tommy did all he could for his friend, and then they returned to where the dead animals lay, for the buck had never risen after the wild-cat, as the boys con- cluded to call the savage animal, had brought it to the ground. Robbins picked up Wingate's riHe, and Tommy his, and they started slowly for camp, as Wingate did not feel like hurrying. " We can send Tadpole over here to bring that animal nght with a Catamount. 305 to camp," remarked Robbins, " and he will know what it is." "And the buck, too," added Le Roy. *' We don't want to leave his carcass here to spoil," The party did not make very rapid progress, and it was half past four when they reached camp. In siglit of the building they were joined by Maynard, St. Clair, and Tadpole, who each had a string of partridges, showing the way their time had been occupied since dinner. *' Did you shoot anything., fellows ? " inquired St. Clair, as the two parties met. *' I should say we did,'" answered Robbins. " We killed a buck, and some fierce sort of an animal that fought like a tiger." " What is the matter, Charlie ? " queried Maynard. ♦' You look pale." *' Then I look as I feel," returned Wingate. " I came mighty near being rubbed out. Guess I should have been only for Robbins.** " Great Scott •! you don't mean it ! " exclaimed St. Clair. '* Come into camp, and tell us about it." "His wounds must be attended to first," said Le Roy. "You never saw such a sight as his breast is. I only hope he won't take cold." "I say, Tadpole," remarl e d Robbins, as the party entered the camp, " don't you know anything about doctoring ? I think Charlie's wound needs something more than cold water. His flesh is scratched and ton fearfully." " My father was great Indian doctor. Me look at him hurts, perhaps me cure him." \ \ I'p the North Branch. 30G ; ffKU KckeT and lav down in bis Wincrnte tOOk ott WA jaCKCl, ' . V " ^ 1 U friends -atliered about him. while the bunk, and his r ends ,,,„,ination of his Indian proceeded to make wounds. j^j^ ^^^,1 had be- lucky escape; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ , shirts and keep your throat open Put on o g^^^^ ^^^^^^_ ^^^^^ covered up, and I ^0 an b „ without U„i,^ent in two hours that wil help >ou, further words the Indian left the camp. nists must have telt when they -re sea ped, remarWecl VVingate, wUh a faint attempt a a .mle. ^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^ " I am awfully sorry for > , ^^^^^ ^^^^.^ do everythmg possible Cor you 1 ^ ^^^^^ what the hunters up here call an Incuai. '^^.!'lf r ^^e^n^i:" or the e. Uinlte/-foritwasascpucUasl,.M,n,,^^ CO'. . nl>nx or ' years' en .- • to frighten a fellow out of a seven > gro -his is the worst accident any of us have ever met Fight with a Catamount. 807 Avith. You have come out of this flight in a ^vorse shape than Adams did with the bear," remarked Chn:de, refcrrinnj to an incident that happened to one of the party when on their trip down the West Branch. ♦*Jack was not scratched near so badly as Charlie is," said St. Clair. " You are going to carry the marks of your scrimmage a long while, even after your wounds heal up. It seems sometliing providential that the brute did not tear your throat." ** He would if George had not shot him just as he did," and Wingate reached nit his left hand toward Robbins, who took it in both of his, and gave it ?> warm squeeze. " It's lucky George fired when he did," remarked Le Roy, "for I was so excited I was just going to fire from where I stood, and, if I had, I should have proba- bl} shot you as well as the animal." " How did the affair happen, any way ? " inquired Claude. •' Yes, give us the .particulars," added Maynard. Le Rev then told the story, giving all the facts in the case, and the boys all declared that Robbins had shown great presence of mind, in the way he had killed the brute. Just then Tadpole returned with a water pail full of roots and herbs, and, taking a small iron kciile, he put a quart of water into it, and set it on the stove to boil. *' Want good fire now, Cap'n Claude," remarked Tadpole, who frequently addressed Claude as " Cap'n." • " All right, Tadpole. Tend to your roots and herbs, up the North Branch. i'iil| 1. 1 i vfjawa ,t:.mi: 1 ■ r 808 stuffed the stove full of small dry ^vood. - I wonder if those fellows are going to get nome to-night? " queried St. Clair. " It is n.ost dark now. How was the wind. Tadpole ? Died away any ? " Wind changed. Blow from the south now. lhe> get home all right, but we'll have big storm to-mor- " Do you think so ? " inquired Le Roy. "Know so, if wind don't change again at mid- "'^Jf'hope those ^.llows will get here by seven o'clock," remarked Claude. " I want them to have a hot supper, for I don't imagine they had much of a '^"'m would not have supper until they come," proposed Le Roy " No matter if it is late. I don't know how George feels, but I don't care to go out after moose to- ni^dit? now that Charlie can't go." _ ^' Never mind me, fellows," spoke up Wingate. ^^ Go out and have your fun. No matter if I can't go. " Not if I know myself," returned George, warmly. - I want Tadpole to stay here and look after you. " But 1 don't wish to spoil your pleasure, expostu- lated Wingate. Tin » You are only wasting your breath, Charlie. I shall not go an inch," returned Kobbins. - Mv sentiments, exactly," acquiesced Le Roy. It was now half past six, and Claude began to get supper under way. Tadpole had mixed alMns ingre- dients and had them steeping, and stirred the mixture Fidit iviiJi a Catauwiuit. 300 from time to time, tasting occasionally, to determine its strength. " I am going down to the lake," announced May- nard, "to see if I can hear anything of the boys." " It would not be a bad idea to build up a small fire on the shore," suggested Claude. "They will know some of us have kindled it, and they can steer a straighier course then." " Quite right," agreed Maynard, and, taking an axe and lantern, he went out, accompanied by St. Clair, who had offered to go with him. Wlien the two boys cleared the shelter of the woods, they found the wind was blowing very hard, and it was too dark to distinguish so small an object as the Pdrd any great distance away. It took them fifteen minutes to prepare the material for a bonfire, but in that time they collected a good pile of the drift stuff which fringed the shore near them, and, having found a little dry birch bark, they applied a lighted match, and in a few moments more a royal blaze was leaping into the air, lighting up all around them. Five minutes afterward, they heard the faint report of a rifle, followed by two more at short intervals, ai.d they judged their friends saw the beacon they had kindled, and wished to notify them of it. They threw several more large sticks on the fire, and then went to the edge of the forest, and sat down behind a large bowlder, which sheltered them from the wind. " They will be here soon," remarked Maynard, *' for 11 up the North Branch. 010 they were o„l7u^n"<=^ ''°"" "»" '"'^''^ "°°"' '° Tadpole said." . , , . . . " I hope they will," returned St. Clair, " for u .s get- tin"' uncomfortably cold." They remained behind the bowlder for fifteen m,n- utes, and then went out to replenish the fire. As they aporoached it, they heard a shout from he water, and in a few seconds more they were enabled to make out the Pclrd, which was commg sw.ftly tow. d them, now on top of a huge roller, and then m the trough of the sea, out of sight. '•! believe the wind blows harde. every moment, said Maynard, as a huge roller tumbled up on the sands wetting their feet a little, before they had l.me to evade "■ " I think so myself," acknowledged St. Clair, ;' and I guess it will blow up a storm before it changes. " They will have to tumble out of the boat hvely when they land, or she will be swamped. Just see that bi<^ wave coming in." "^^ That is a rouser," replied St. Clair, and the boys stepped back a few paces to clear it. -Here they are," shouted Maynard, and, a moment later, the Petreh riding like a duck, came in on top of another huge roller, and her crew sprang out and ran her well up on the beach, to avoid the undertow. - HuUoa, Frank ! hulloa, Andre^. ! " exclaimed Fos- ter, as he noticed his friends on tb beach, " how is this for a rough night ! I'll be hanged if 1 ever saw it blow as hard from two different directions ^^;^ ^^^^ ^^"^^j • First a hurricane from the northwest, and then a gale ndit ivifh a Catmnount. 311 t if a Si- is w y- le from the south. My stars ! I thought wc would be swamped before we reached here. The waves are fearful out on the lake, and they are growing worse all the time. I was mighty glad when 1 saw the flame of your fire shoot up into the air. It was a capital point to steer for " "Yes, we thought it would be a help to you, and so came down and built it. Shot a few ducks, I see," and Frank stepped up to the boat, where Wood was taking them out. «We managed to get twenty-five, and we should have brought home more if we had not been wind- bound." , ^ "A little hungrys ain't you, fellows?" insinuated bt. Clair. " A little ! You wait until I get to the table, and you'll find out whether I am hungry or not," observed brake. "I believe I could eat railroad spikes, if there was nothing else." " That wouldn't do. They would lie hard on your stomach," laughed Maynard. "What have the rest of you been doing to-day? inquired Drake. "Frank and Tadpole and I have been out twice after partridges, and Robbins, Wingate, and Le Roy went out after dinner and shot a buck and a panther, or some other kind of a ferocious beast, and it sci^.ched Charlie very badly." " You don't mean it," said Foster. "When you see Charlie you'll think I do. The brute jumped on him and knocked him down, tors his I 312 Up the North Branch, shirts all to strings, and scratched his breast all up. There are three or four awful gashes on it. We should never have seen him alive again if George had not shot the confounded thing." "Where did they run across it?" queried Drake. " Over near the Tolcdi, about a couple of miles from camp. Tadpole is making some liniment now to put on his wounds." ♦' By gracious ! that was a rough experience ! " ex- claimed Wood, looking nervously about him, as if he feared some other savage beast might appear suddenly from the forest and attack them. The boys now took care of the boats, placing them in a sheltered nook, where they would neither be blown away nor filled with water by the gigantic waves that were thundering along the shore, and being driven higher up every few moments by the strong south wind. Then, Maynard leading with the lantern, the party made their way to the camp through darkness that could almost be felt. " What in the world have you been doing, Charlie ? " cried Foster, rushing up to the bunk where Wingate was lying, and, taking his hand, he gave it a friendly grasp. " Had a little encounter with an animile, as one of those guides used to say at the Androscoggin Lakes, and I received hard usage." "That is too bad. Hope you will get over it all right. Are you in any pain ? " " I don't know that I can exactly call it pain, but my flesh smarts all the time, just as a cut does when you Fight with a Catamount. 313 pour alcohol on it," and a grimace shot across Charlie's facp. ♦'Well, if you don't call that pain, I should say it had a mighty close resemblance to it. 1 )id your wounds bleed much ? " " Consideiable. But not enough to weaken me any from loss of blood." "Well, it's a mean shame, old fellow, and I wish there was something I could do for you to make you more comfortable." Wood and Drake also expressed their sympathy in the kmdliest terms, and were very sorry for the mishap to their friend. •' Supper is ready, fellows," announced Claude. " Do you feel like coming to the table, Charlie ? " " Yes, I guess so. I always believe in eating when you can get a chance." The Indian now took his kettle containing the lini- ment off of the stove, and set it outdoors to cool, and joined the boys at the table. During the meal Foster gave an account of their day's sport, and the fellows laughed when he described their dinner. As soon as supper was over, Wingate undressed and turned into his bunk, and the Indian bathed his breast very carefully with the liniment, making, however, several applications. "There, sir, you feel better to-morrow, and I get some different things in the woods and make you some medicine to take three times a day. Don't you fret 'bout this, I cure you all right. Tadpole good friend to you, because you treat him like a white man. You up the North Branch. I I 314 '^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^'^ tlZ^ ;'lnn' hovs nul then, i.. ^u. exuberance of feclmg, acUl>"= iT^h ' tronger that it is unnecessary to repeat here ' T r nclian. 4o .as no mean doctor hav.ng learned a „eat deal of natnre's healing art from h,s father, ^u'^es ed o the boys that they had all better ret.re eaTy hat night and iet Wingate sleep if he could, and it^ruiittnta good fire in the ^-0 and se. on h.s kettle of linim... again, as he said it ougUt to sleep "as all of the party would have done »">">■■"? Pf-'^ ble for their friend, t.ey followed the Indian s ad. ce Id went to bed as soon as f^e Wishes were - d away, and lay quietly in their bunks ur-il they asleep, dispensing with all talk o. laughter None of the boys arose Tuesday morning until they <;'iw Wintrate was awake. , Ibout seven o'clock Charlie opened h,s eyes and found the camp as still as a Quaker meeting "What is the matter, fellows?" he called out_ .. Are you all dead ? " His watch hung where he could see it and he noticed it was five minutes past seven. "No^ old man," answered Claude, "we did not wish to disturb you, and so did not get up. ' "You are very kind, fellows, and I suppose the sleep did me good. I feel first-rate this morning. "Hurrah ! "shouted Maynard. "That is the way to talk," and the boys all cheered. The -.oise brought Tadpole inside. He had urned out at five o'clock, and built the fire so noiselessly that nobody had heard him. Fight wi Ji a Catamoimt. 315 The fellows were all getting up now, with the ex- ception of Wingale ; and the Indian went over lO Charlie's bunk, and said: "Feel better, eh? No smart this morning." " Correct, Dr. Tadpole. The smarting and soreness are all gone. There must be sometliing miraculous about that liniment." " Berry good stuff, that. You lay still, I put him on som-" more," and the Indir.n examined VVingate's wounds, declared 'hey were doing well, and made an- other application ot the liniment. After breakfast, all the party, with the exception of Claude, Foster, and Wingate, went to the scene of the conflict of the day before, and dressed the deer, and took the hide off of the animal which had so nearly been the death of V.'ingate, and which Tadpole pro- nounced one of the largest catamounts he had ever seen, and he acknowledged that he would not have cared to have met the animal alone iiimself. The party reacled camp on their return, at half past twelve, and at one o'clock they sat down to dinner. While they were eating, it began to rain, and in a short time the water was falling in torrents, l d they all passed the afternoon in camp. Tadpole had brou'^ht back with him the roots and herbs he needed for .he internal medicine, and made it during the afternoon. He applied the liniment to Winjrate's wounds after dinner, and about nine o'clock in the evening, and each time made a favorable report. The patient had eaten all his meals at the table, and had been up around the camp the greater part of the day. 316 Up the North Branch. During the night the storm blew itself out, and Wednesday morning broke bright and pleasant, and warmer than it had been before for a week, and there was scarcely a breath of wind stirring. While they were eating breakfast, the party came to the conclusion that they would return to Kdmundston, as diey might not.have so good a day to cross the lake a'-ain for a week, and the moment breakfast was over they began packing. As Wingate was not in a condition to row or paddle. Tadpole proposed that he should take Charlie with him in his canoe, an^ .»ingate readily assented. Tad- pole then spread the skins of the deer, moose, and catamount in the bottom of his canoe, and arranged a roll of blankets, so that his passenger could lie down or sit up, just as he preferred. He also took a few of the other things in his canoe, loading it as heavily as he dared. The venison and birds were then divided among the three boats, with the rest of the "collateral," and at nine o'clock the party headed for Degele's, where they intended to pass the night, whose cabin was a short distance below the foot of the lake. The water was as smooth as a mirror, and the rocks and trees along the shore were perfectly reflected. It was so warm that the rowars found it uncomfortabb, and the perspiration rolled down Tadpole's face in a stream, as he paddled his heavily laden birch. It was agreed tliat they should take dinner on the shore of the lake, opposite Cloutier's, as they wished to get some sugar and miik at the hotel, and Claude told Fight with a Catamount. 317 Tadpole that the boats would pur' on to save time and have dinner all rjady when he arrived with Win- gate. As the boys could row their boats much faster than the Indian V.-'d paddlo his birch, this seemed the best thir.g to do. As they pulled down the lake, all the fellows de- clared the day was made to order, and they enjoyed the mildness of the weather and the beautiful scenery, as all lovers of nature do. It was too warm for racing, and, although they saw several llocks of ducks, none came within gunshot. At one o dock they reached the place where they intended to d'ne, and while Claude and Foster started a fire, and began to get dinner, Maynard and St. C.air went over to the hotel and purchased two quarts of milk, some sugar, and two apple pies. Tadpole did not arrive until two o'clock, but when he came everything was ready, and the party sat down to dinner, without further loss of time. At half past two Tadpole and Wingate left, and the boats followed in about fifteen minutes, passmg the canoe in a very short time. During the afternoon, the boys made better time than they had in the morn- ing, as they wished to reach as early as possible the place where they were to spend the night. It was six o'clock, however, doing their best, when they reached the landing, and at seven they had supper ready, just in time for Wingate and Tadpole. \fter supper they went up to Degele's, to see if they could get lodging, and he offered them what accomn^o- dations he had, which were rather scanty. But as this C18 Up the North Branch. move had been planned by Claude simply so that Chorlie could sleep under cover, and as Wingate was given a room and a bed to himself, the other members of the party took what they could get and said noth- ing, and, in fact, they had more fun than sleep during the night, for certain reasons, best known to themselves. Thursday morning everybody was up bright and early, and Wingate reported himself as " feeling first- rate," which was welcome news to his friends. Claude and' Foster prepared breakfast by the bank of the river, and at half past seven the party sat down to eat. At halt past eight th y had embarked, and were run- ning down river with a favoring current. The day was nearly as fine as Wednesday, and the sail down th*^. river was a most enjoyable one. i\\ half past eleven they stopped opposite Griffin's, sixteen miles from Edmundston, and cooked and ate their din- ner. As they could make the remainder of the dis- tance easily in four hours, they did not leave their bivouac until one o'clock. The latter part of the day passed away as pleasantly as the forenoon had, and at five o'clock the party landed on the west bank of the river, a liitle way al)ovc the bridge, and, leaving Claude, I'ostor, and Tadpole to look after the boats, the rest of the parly walked to the hotel, and sent down two teams for the boats and baggage. CHAPTER XIX. DEATH OF THE COINERS — HOME. Everything came safely to the hotel, and, as the party all felt more or less tired, they went to bed early, raid, as they did not intend to leave Edmundston until Monday, it was eight o'clock before they made their appearance .n the dining-room Friday morning. Friday was a raw, cloudy, disagreeable day, with an occasional snow squall, and they stopped in the hotel the most of the time, and talked with Tadpole, whom they had not discharged, about the river between Edmunds- ton and Grand Falls, which was to be the end of their excursions by water. " I suppose you are a good pilot on the river, Tad- pole. Know it pretty well between here and Grand Falls ? " questioned Claude. " Guess so. Me been down urn river hundred times. Know all shoal places — all bad places." " What do you say, fellows, to having TadpoL^ go down as far as Grand Falls with us ? We can run ..ur boats through any water that his canoe will live in. mu\ he can take the lead in bad water, and we can follow him," and Claude gazed around at his friends. " That is a mighty good idea of yours, CMaude," as- serted St. Clair, " and, to tell you the truth, the same thing had occurred to me. I go in for it by all means." 319 820 Up the North Branch. iUtt;: --:p;;;^;;7;rmr^y expressed themselves in favor of it, and it was concluded to have the Indian nccom- mnv them to Grand Falls. '^ ' How Ions will it take us to do it, Tadpole?" asked Maynard. • u :« «no "Just as long as you like. Do h.m en pmch m ore long day, or two, three, or four days. 1'-^ J" ' ^= three days best. First day go to mouth of Green River lecond day to mouth of Grand K.ver. Th.rd Ty to Grand Falls. If have good weather, berry n.ce '" " AH right ! Take your word for it. I believe you are tte only Indian that never told a lie," and Claude smiled and winked at Tadpole. . ,, , . . " Man be fool tell lie when truth do better," remarked the Indian, and the boys all laughed at Tadpole s ph. '° Saturday was pleasant, and the boys passed the day ou rors;'3undry was the 'etter day all o the par.j, writing home, and telling the.r fnends when they ex ''"The "rJgtle laid down by the Indian was carried out, and ,1^ party had a ve.y P'--"' "■"- ^^^'td' Grand Falls Wednesday afternoon at five o elock, and gZ to the best hotel, registered and secured roon,s, as th'ey had decided to stop in the town the remauuler of the week. , , , „( .i,,. rlvir They had landed on the north bank of the r cr, above the falls, and as near as they dared go tn the.r ''°"'r wonder if the boats will be safe here," remarked Death of the Coiners — Home. S2l CHudo " If so, we misht leave tbem umil Saturday, "°"T:;::"'::;r;:avcu,e.,"decMedc,audo \ team »as sent from the hotel to get everythtng but ,hf, oatrand after the boys reeeived their th.ugs they ctnged Iheir suits, as they had done " rough.ng tt for "'That'evemng, the whole party, aceompanied by Tad- p2^::ied/w„Broad..ya^^^^^^^^^^ was not salisfaciory. ^ ^ Thursday they passed in ^-V^on^^^^^^^^^ • %• rr thP Wells the Narrows, Pulpit Rock, Lowers visiting the \\ els, U .^ ^^^^ ^.^^^^^^^^ Leap, and all the other sno i ^ ^^ They thoroughly enjoved the daj, ana oui good idea of this miniature Niagara ** ^ J XT Ho orp «;pventv-five feet hign, ii"*-' ^"' .rif:ef:ire:rd.j;o,u.^^^^^^ down .he river .s very la ge^ ];^ir.J from one rtXrr,r;rvi:::are,e,.worthavisu to the town, at any time of year. ^^y^nce of ,,, forenoon .he part. -^^^^^ ^^^^ ,„„,. Tadpole, vis.ted a h'". "^" ' ^ , ', ,,,.e„ InuKlrcd „,;t they had a fine v.cw o ^^^ ^^ ^^„„, feet below .hem, -''I ?' '"« f „„, ,„ , .valk. going In the afternoon « ><^y;"'"«; ^ ,„„k at the boats up the river, and concluded .o take a Up the North Branch. 1 Y>^ point U,a. Tadpo e ad sp^U n o, .^,^_^ ^^^ _^^ ^^^ the finest views of the nvcr prised to see .hat ''-y-- . _U> -r^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ „,cn were just carrpng [^^^'^ ^ „,ij <,„, boats ? " .'What in lime those felloes doin footsteps, cried Tadpole, and the party quickened »ith the exception of X\ mgate. _ ^^ ^^^^_ ..Whatareyounptotl.ere. s .^^_ " IS=t ^ha' canoe alone called ^.^^^_ ^_^^j_ ^^ The men were then .=>; *^^ ';^, „,^ ,„„„e roughly. .„ey '«"'' ^-'^f l:ru;onTe dvancins party, who :errr„r:"itXir faces could .edistia- ^ire'next .o.ent, to the surpr.e oMhe -ys.^ rt,ro?i:::r:ti::o\t:x,and,;n.^^^ r the canoe, shoved -y '- ^-^^^^^^^^ ,,« In their hurry, through -^j-^ ;> ^^^ ,,„„,™ i„io a lurch, and the smaller man of the «^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ,he river ; but he was hardly n the w ^^^^ ^^ struck out powerfully, and wuh a lew stro U,eeanorandhadholdon.. ^^^ his unfortunate The man m the ^.i""'^ " difficulty, suc- companion by the cc^ar, ^^^^^^ ^,^^ craft ceeded in g"""S .'""\.^;„ \hey both caught up a '■ ? Death of the Coiners — Hovic. 823 time lost in the accident the canoe had been drifting down river at a rapid rate. As the men took their places for paddling, the party on shore caught a good view of their faces, and Claude and Wingate exclaimed at the same moment, "The Coiners ! " while Tadpole cried out, " Dey'U never get ashore ! " , . j •' That was Bill and Jim, as sure as I live ! " exclaimed Wingate. " They must have broken jail and come back here lately." While watching and talking, the party were follow- t, along the river bank, which increased in height fast, untiWt became a precipitous wall of rock, tcering up from the water for a hundred and fifty feet. The coiners, for it was they in the canoe, had evi- dently recognized Claude's voice N/hen he had called to them, which would account for their setting the boats adrift, also their speedy flight in the canoe, and the accident, which, according to Tadpole, was to cost them their lives. ■ u i "No hope for dem fei.ers," said Tadpole, wno had been watching the canoe like a lynx, "dey go over the falls sure." , „r ^ " Why that will be horrible ! " exclaimed W ood. «' It will serve them right ! " declared Wingate. "It is a more merciful death than they designed for Claude and me." -While I would help rescue them if there was any possible way to do it, that justice might take its course, remarked Claude, "I shall not ^^e V!^^"//^;'^^^ /°^ their tragic death. Their lives are forfeited to the law up the North Branch. * 324 __ ■ nr^^i^r^e of the word, they are fortu- '"The boys had now to run to keep up with the canoe ^^^:^^^^^^ '^'7,:;:'h: was the tane. and ™ore powerful of the two Jn. ;ow .ade a last desp.Hn, stnUe or h. ^ tan., incr up in the stern of the canoe, nc ^ ,.Uh the {---".^"^"S* t^f',"r:,„,o„ superhuman Fnr n moment it seemed as it nis aimuM i Xs:s;::rpTcrd::"r:;:centteo. the canoe, t:Lrtss;ve;tapUU>.owa.U..sa^.^^^ " All up now, gone sure ! Broke v claimed Tadpole. „ ^^^jj. ;r'rniroUi,:t\ "rst'of the .an, -he party :a::;hrrSt\hlects hover for a second in the sun- light, and t"->,<''-W^"„frb;"^;^ tm-e,- remarked "They are kindhng-wood by tnis umc, Qt rX-xw with perfect coohiess. they dropped down in the canoe. TUB PK'VTH OF ,- THB COINBR8. Page 32fi. Death of the Coiners — Home. 325 " Great Scott ! they have shot thcmscl es," cried Le Rov, turning pale. , , , , , " I don't blame them, Tom . I should have done the same thin- had I been in ..leir place, and had the means to do it with," declared Maynard. And now, horrified and fascinated, the party, as if by mutual consent, came to a standstill, and watched the light craft, with lightning speed, sweep to the brink of the terrible abyss, and then disappear with its human ^'^"^God have mercy on their souls!" ejaculated -^Amen ^ " added St. Clair, who was deeply affected by the sight he had witnessed, as Nvere the whole ^'''' You have seen the end of our enemies this time, Charlie, whhout doubt," remarked Claude. '' I suppose so," returned Wingate. 1 told them I should live to see them hanged, but I made a sligh mistake, for it seems the Lord meant they should be "TM^ytlnoe, he make um good hearse," said Tadpole. '%t"having heard from Wingate the story of how the coders had treated the boys on their trip down tne West Branch, the Indian was rejoiced over the manner in which their enemies had met their death u I never wish to see such a sight again, said \\ood .ho was trembling from ^^^^ Vp the North Branch. 326 -— --— ^-j;;;:^^ "It does hands of man, they could not escape ^"■^WelV remarked Claude, drawing a long breatV' I JL 'we ougM to go ----:•:: jr^iS z:: ■ror.i'ri:",::": .; d... sea.,.., after these men." ^ ^ »» "That seems to me the proper thmg to d added Foster. I ge if " Suppose we go down to the bridge first, ana se ™-"t ->'''''"" d^iir^c^rnis—::^ if anybody witnessed tlie accmcni proposed Maynard __ .^ „ ^„ ^^^^ „„ "I go m for 'hat, a^'-ee'l ^^^_^^^ ^ _^^g_ do about witnessing their death is i „ ^^^ i,trate, and make a deposU.on to t^iat effect, can do that to-morrow as well as to-day. "'r'>»''-°'''^tll'o!i?rthe main street, and ^1d f^ tLtm r Betlthey reached it, however, Started for tne onu^c. ^^^ Uwas evident '-' '^ J^ ,:;V n:;:er of people had seen the accident, as a lar^c ^vere hurrying toward the bridge. ^ The boys walked to the — ^ ^ J> ^^^^'^ '^^^,,,^. thev found a crowd of excited people, vv in French and En^Uh, an peering in. Uie r.er,^^^^^ on one side, and then the oa.e.. - ^ "^^Tot'aTe alive, .hen ? -Vre all your pnny safe ? " ..rshouUi.ay;ve,ve.e. UonH you see ,he fello.s r 'carried oete alls. He had seen your boats been carried o^er l ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ and the canoe go o\er the caiaia ing the bridge." j„ j,,^„_.. "^rrcSral otrgan a narration oeth^ returned ^'•'"1f.^" ^ „„d everybody who rMrriaK;Shcro.ded around to hear the ^Tter Caude had '^^^'^f^XlZ t^:^^ ,„.a's f^^^^Zr^l^ ^^ -efuUy to around the chfc alon ^^ ^^_^„^_ see if they could find n^ - ^ t,,,^, ^^nt rr^re'^oaa; ana then .valued to the statio,.. Claude?" •'"'.--<»,D"'^<=' :;,:^:^r tt^l-n a hay. " '^''- A" i ^oXn -Anybody -vho would ;':^-eno5'«-nthe,ntogotothee..penseot '"^.lrLubr:£ they are ever seen again." added May- up the North Branch. 828 ;;;;;;; -H they ^ere found along here, the town authorities .oukl have to bury them, and they wUl not take any unnecessary trouble in the matter, 1 11 be bound. I don't see why they should, euher. The men are dead, and their remains may as well be buned in the river as anywhere else." « Poison de fish," put in Tadpole, dryly. - Don't be vindictive, Tadpole," remarked Claude, who, with his friends, could not repress a smile at the Indian's speech. When the party reached their hotel, they found it full of currous people, who began to interview them with a freedom that would have don. credit to a daily news- paper reporter, and, to escape this throng, wno were all strangers to them, the boys adjourned to Claudes loom, where they stopped till supper tune. After t' meal was over, the party went into the ladies' parlor, where they could avoid the .rowd, and passed a delightful evening, with music and singing. "Talk about a Yankee's curiosity," remarked Wood, durin- one of the intervals between the singing. " If these'canucks cannot discount any Yankee on curi- osity that I ever saw, then I am a newspaper re- ^°" Which is equivalent to being a liar," added Drake, laughing. " Exactly." While at breakfast the next morning, the landlord came to the table where the boys were eating, and told them they would have to go to a magistrate's omce that morning, and tell what they knew about the acci- Death of the Coiners — Home. 329 I tlcnt, and addecl that a policeman was then i;. the i,«tJ w-iitin'^ to talk uilh them. -rWs U rnuisancc," rem.rkca Claude. "We don't care to spend the whole day in rcpcal.n;! a s.. ■ -Uat 'rhave already worn threadbare, and 1 don t see by what ri"ht the magistrate summons us. "Vte poUcem^m has a letter (or you," added the '"?^t' it in here, then." said Maynard, "and tefs COP what he has to say. , The landlord went out and obtained the letter, and w -.f tn f 'liude who read it aloud. '"ut ot^^iue; in an olbeial capacity, but the ,ni, rate said that he understood the men who ha ,,een drowned were fugiuves from . • . -d American officers vl.ted the -. --" ^^^_^^ ,he case, he would Uke to be able „ information '--;;'''; ^;, ^^'^0- ''-' '"'' »■»-'' of themauer, xc Ptf-nthe ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ through the place, =>"d 'f °ne ^^ ^^^^ could find "~"^^""t,,VpLtd to meet them, o'clock Saturday, he womd be P'<=^ '•^ ,^,„„k,d "The fellow is a gentleman, at all events, Claude, "and, since he puts the '^^^;i'^;Z!l has it would hardly be poUte of us not to „o ^°?^r;~a:..i.-w:-^--- ;r.;:"n:t::a:htormembersofthepart. ^^I^eut-Swe tin come." said Claude. *L ^ 330 Up the North Branch. .The cop? "inquired the landlord ^^^^^ "Yes, the cop. ^r ^"^ i' ' ."^. I°i:e!""safd the landlord, as he left the pany to finish their breakfast. „,g ihe offieial' a very pleasant S^^ -7";^ ;„„ ,o„e. A crowd had followed the P^^^;^ P^^'^ \^-^,^,^ thin.' unusual was going on, ard they did no. f:;tr:tr:Jt^Lt?d,andt.^ aveLnaUthelnfo™at^th^pos^4t.;ec.r. '^"-'"= " frihe';::^ n vhicll tl. did, and -heu to swear to the staten c , ,entleir,.in, whom ''-' 'r'l rrrlt h ; sue sp-ortsnran, and an :r I™ .r:heTeu was :,e o.loch. and add.d ** -Iftis--' > Death of the Coinen — Home. 331 \ come to Grand Falls the next summer, and he would Ue them .o a salmon stream ne leased, where they n.i-^ht have a -chance to battle with the gannest hs.. in fresh waters. . . , , • ,^ The bovs th.tiVed him, and Cl.uKk- inv.ted h,ra to ■e dinner with them Sunday ; but he refuse 1, on die ea of "Oing out of town that afternoon. "" " ,r I were at home to-morrow, nothing would g.ve me .;.ater pleasure," he added, a. the boys bade h,m '''xhat afternoon they took the walk up the river that thev itad been interrupted in by the loss o the.r boats, I'd Tadpole related several --esttng legends co- nected with the Indians' occupancy of the country ''tX^l<^ boys attended service at th. Episcopal church in the morning, and in the afternoon took another long walk down the rn r. Monday morning they setl.ul up wul "'^ J""^^^™; nnd beside paying him for his t.n>e and canoe, made ht' a Resent of ten dollars, for they had all enpyed " V:dS' -s sorry to part with them for they ^med ,-.e frlnds to him, and he bcgge t ent ■ .h^> ^ intended visiting the countrv ^ff' "• ^ f ,„, and he would go w,th them, n,. ™^"«^;"<= J ^,^ ,;,,,,, u ^ He eave Wingate two bot le> ot i™"' • bound. He ga e ^ „ use, with one for external and the other loi directions. ^ (),.pot. and The Indian accompanied Aem to t ' ^ shook hands before the tra.n started, and then ,l,e cars until they were out of st.^ht. 332 Up the North Branch. The party went clown to Vanceborough by the New Brunswick Railway, and then to Bangor by the Maine Central, and from the Queen City of the East ll.^^y tcck passage on one of the Bangor steamers, for reasons best known to a few of the party, arriving safely in Boston, after an absence of nearly four months, during which time they had travelled almost fourteen hundred miles, five hundred of which had been entirely through the wilderness. Soon after their arrival home, there was an interest- ing meeting of the Lake and Forest Club, at which the body's, with the exception of Robbins and Foster, who had returned to their respective homes, related their summer adventures. 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