IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V. /, {./ «>, V" MP.. § :/. f/. 1.0 I.I 1.25 I 1^ 12.0 2.2 111= i^ 11 1.6 6" V] «^ /] ^;j 'cTA ^^ '/A Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) S72-4503 \ ^ <> "% V \ T\* % 6^ '. 59 » 62 M 79 84 89 95 133 135 M 171 ,} E marl< usual and 1 was think afterr enten else J which model I t( throug the n brown no mo The "Yo I die INTRODUCTION In which it will be seen how I became possessed of this Story ■p ARLY one wet afternoon in last November I had just finished a game of billiards with the marker at the Turf Club. It was too soon for the usual habitt^s of the club to put in an appearance, and we had had the room to ourselves. The -ame was over, and I was knocking the balls about, thmkmg how to spend the remainder of the dismal afternoon, when a member, whom I knew slightly entered. He looked round, saw there was no one' else present, and walked straight to the table, on which he deposited two brown-paper parcels, one a moderate-sized one and the other a small one. I took no notice of him, and played a nice run through off the red into the left-hand top pocket ; the red ball came round and cannoned into the brown-paper parcels, but they did not seem to mind, no more did the member. The man spoke. " You dabble in literature. I believe ? " I did not answer at once ; his tone was aggressive, B \h NOOTKA and I have not the sweetest of tempers, and a sarcastic retort rose to my lips. Dabble, indeed ! Was a mixture of Thackeray and Dickens, Shakespeare and De Rougemont, to be called "dabbling"? Still, I am bound to admit that modern critics had long since poked the fire of my ambition till the embers were falling low and colourless ; had deluged my happiest efforts with the cold water of their malice and uncharitableness, and those remarks I should have looked upon as insults some time back fell now unheeded on my ears. And where was the good in getting cross? " Yes," I said carelessly, at the same time playing a dainty " jenny " off the white, " I dabble." "Well, then," said the other, "there's some stuff for you." " What do you mean by stuff? " I asked, getting really angry. " If you '11 stop knocking those confounded ivories about I '11 tell you." I stopped, and he went on. " I 've just returned from a trip in Vancouver Island after imaginary wapiti, and there it was I got hold of that stuff" — he pointed to the parcels on the table — " but I '11 tell you the way of it as briefly as I can. For two weeks I had been roaming in the dense forest of the interior, cooped up with four dirty Indians; never a living creature had we come across barring a few squirrels, and only once s, and a hackeray mont, to to admit the fire ling low brts with :ableness, upon as 1 on my cross ? J playing )me stuff I, getting :d ivories ancouver it was I I parcels of it as roaming up with had we nly once INTRODUCTION 3 did we see tracks of wapiti, the beasts that made them we never saw. I was going melancholy mad, likewise provisions were getting short, when we decided to return. We had left our boat at the north end of the Cowichan Lake, a stretch of water some twenty.five miles in length, at the south end of which is a country inn kept by a white man. " Late one evening we reached the shore of the lake, and I can tell you it was one of the most blessed reliefs I ever experienced when I saw the boat and the evening sun lighting up the calm waters of the lake like " " Molten gold," I suggested. " All right," said he ; « but can't you have molten silver ? " " I fear not," I replied ; " it would have to be a moonlight scene." "Well, listen ; I have not much time. It was too late that day to think of rowing down the lake so we camped on the shore; and that evening, just' as Tikoo Johnny-he was the head Indian-was cutting some slices of bacon, whilst the other three fellows squatted uown jabbering to one another some kvv paces off, blessed if we didn't hear the cracking of branches and the sound of men approaching. Tikoo Johnny jumped up and listened a moment. ' Think Indians,' he said ; ' not sure.' "In a few minutes six figures emerged from the forest and came towards us : five of them carried \fi NOOTKA I! » n packs, but one carried no pack, only a rifle. What struck me with amazement was the fact that these Indians were unlike any I had seen before on the island — they were a finer race, they were well clothed, they wore curiously plaited straw hats, they looked cleaner, their whole demeanour seemed more civilized. When within a few paces of me the one with the rifle raised his hat and bowed pro- foundly. 'Johnny,' I cried, 'ask him what he wants.' But before my man, who looked to my mind as though he felt more astonished than I did, could get any words out, the stranger addressed me in pure English: 'If the White Chief would permit us to camp somewhere near here, and give me a few minutes' conversation when his supper is over, I should be much obliged, as I am charged with an important message from the great Chief Wellesley.' " If I were astonished before, I was more than ever so now. Who the deuce was Chief Wellesley, and why on earth did he want to send me a message? Again, this man was educated. He spoke English ; he seemed to like to speak English. Never before had I known an Indian who would speak English unless obliged, although he might know it thoroughly. Do you know, I once had an Indian attached to my camp for three months who pretended he did not know a word of English, and looked absolutely blank when we chatted round the camp fire. Never would he answer except when my hunter addressed him INTRODUCTION 5 in Sivvash, till one clay one of the boys accidentally dropped a hot ember on to his bare foot, and then we found out he knew English. I tell you, I've heard some pithy oaths among the cowboys of the West, but that Indian could have given any one of them a stone and a beating, and what made him go on all the more was that all of us round the camp were splitting our sides with laughter. '" I looked up at the tall figure before me. ' I should like to invite you,' I said, 'to take a bit of supper with me ; but you can see for yourself we are reduced to very meagre fare.' The Indian cast a quick eye at the bacon, bowed, and retired to his men, who awaited him a few paces off. He muttered a few words to them, and quickly one of them began fumbhng about in his pack. Their backs were towards me, so I could not s.e what they were domg ; but in a kw minutes he returned. In one hand he carried a pheasant and in the other a box of •sardmes. Gracious! I leapt to my feet. Was this show a good old Drury Lane pantomime, and had the good fairies taken pity upon me and sent their messenger to help me, or was I really off my head ? "I jumped to my feet, and, without speaking, began feehng the bird. I thought it was probably full of sawdust, some theatrical dummy-bird ; but no, the eathers parted and the flesh yielded to my touch It was all real ; so was the box of sardines. " I think the Indian saw my astonishment ex- Ih i! ( !i I ^ NOOTKA pressed in my face, for when I looked up he was smiling. ' It is nothing,' he said, ' if the White Chief will please to accept it' ' On the condition that you share it with me,' I replied. Again the polite Indian bowed. "By the time supper was ready— and I do not think I ever enjoyed a meal so much after that incessant bacon after bacon— the night had fallen, and it was round the crackling fire that the Indian thus addressed me : — Before delivering my message,' he said, ' I would ask the White Chief not to repeat what I am about to say to the Indians with him ; it might lead to unpleasantness in the future.' I willingly promised, and he continued. ' We have known of your move- ments for the last fortnight.' I started ; if ever I had thought myself alone, forgotten, and lost sight of to the world, it was during the last fortnight, but I did not speak. « But Chief Wellesley did not wish to communicate with you till you were further from the settlement. Had you been alone he would have gladly welcomed you ; in fact, he wished very much to speak with you, and several times we attempted to catch your attention ; but you would never move without the Indians, and it was impossible, as we do not wish the Indians to know where our settle- ment is. Therefore there was nothing for it but to wait until you were at a safe distance. Meanwhile you were watched ; and at length, when you moved he was lite Chief that you te Indian ' I would m about lead to remised, ir move- er I had ht of to Lit I did wish to "rem the Id have y much jpted to r move as we ■ settle- but to anwhile moved INTRODUCTION 7 your camp and went south, I was deputed to follow I have only now to deliver my message and my trust. The Chief VVellesley told me to approach you. and to say that if you are going back to a place you called Ingland-' I smiled ; after all, do we not all pronounce the ' E ' as though it were an < I' ?-« he would be greatly obliged and indebted to you if you would take some papers-the story of a portion of his life-and have them published somewhere in Ingland. He told me to say, too, that there might be some expense attached to this, and I am to hand you, in the event of your caring to undertake his wish, a tin of gold-dust of the value of five hundred dollars to defray the .. enses.' The Indian paused, evidently waiting my reply. Well,' I answered, ' I can only say I will do my best ; but I am not a writer, nor am I in touch with literary people.' "' If you will do your best it will be sufficient,' -aid the Indian. "I went on asking him many questions as to whence he came, who was Chief Wellesley where he got his clothes and his hat, how he spoke English so perfectly, and many other questions, but it was no good. His replies were courteous, but he in- variably answered that he was not at liberty to o-o mto these matters, but that in the manuscript he would hand me would be found as much or as little as the Chief Wellesley wished to tell. 8 NOOTKA " ' Kut why; I asked, ' does the Chief Wellesley leave a matter hlce this to ,ne ? He does not know me.' " ' We have described you to him, and he is satis- fied,' was the answer. " There was no use pressing him to tell me more, and as the night was getting on I suggested he should give me the manuscript. He rose and again bowed ; then he drew forth an envelope. '"Will you please to open that and read the contents ? ' "I tore open the envelope, within which I found two separate papers. " The first ran as follows :— " 'Dear Sir,— I hope you will pardon the liberty 1 take, but hearing that there is an Englishman in the forest, I seize this opportunity of asking you if you will take the manuscript, which ill be handed you with this letter, and lay it before an English publisher. I may say that within it is contained the story of the great turning-point of my life. I have other means of sending these papers to England, but I should now have to wait till the spring of next year, and I know that the breast-pocket of an English gentleman is as secure a deposit place as the hold of a steamer. I must apologize for not being able to ask you to visit me. Had you been alone I should ha^e been truly delighted, but I dare INTRODUCTION not allow strange Indians into the settlement for many reasons. Thanking you in anticipation, I have the honour to remain, Your obliged and obedient servant. '• ' A^../.v,, ^.,...., ,898/' ' ^"^"^^"-^ ^^'^^^'^^^^^^^^^ " The second paper, on the outside of which was written ' Please sign and return,' went thus :— "^ ' of , hereby solemnly swear that I will take the manuscript handed me this day of October. 1898, and bring it to the notice of some literary man in England, and use my best endeavours m getting it published.' "I had read the two papers. 'Well,' I cried, 'where is the blessed manuscript?' Tiie Indian pointed to paper number two. "'Will the White Chief sign?' Oh,' I cried, ' pardon me. Certainly.' "I had a stylographic pen in my pocket, and started to scribble my name and address as quickly as the light from the flickering fire would allow of When I looked up the Indian was gone. What noiseless beggars they are. But I had not long to wait. In a few minutes his tall form was by the fire, and in his hands were those two brown-paper parcels." The member pointed to the parcels on II lO XOOTKA the billiard table. " I , n, hi.n a receipt for the in^inuscript. and one for the tin of gold-dust, and bade h.m good-night. When I turned in I remember •seenig him pih'ng logs on his fire, thirty or forty yards away. When I awoke in the morning they were gone." The member looked at his watch. " I'm late," he said ; "will you undertake this job for me. and get this stuff published?" "What if it is all rot?" I asked. The member shrugged his shoulders and said '' Give .t back to me. and I must try someone else' 1 suppose." ' But it so happened I didft. and here is the story as It was handed to me. To this story there is but one alteration I have maoe. ,f alteration it can be called. Along with the manuscript were several pencil sketches, inserted more for the purpose of giving an idea of the country, people, etc.. than for any pretence at artistic ment; these I have handed over to Mr. Loui« iid wards, who reproduced them as hereii ■ . e- sen ted. * I I 'ipt for the d-dust, and I remember ty or forty miincT they ke this job and said, neonc else, i 5 the story 5n I have g vvitii the , inserted ;a of the at artistic Ir. Louis iti e- Ii ' ' ■ill w NOOTKA A TALE OF VANCOUVER ISLAND CHAPTER I. / Go JVest Again T DO not think I ever cared much for novels ± when once I was grown up. As a boy the un- paralleled feats of Jack the Giant Killer and the quiet charm of Cinderella had for me, of course as for all boys and girls, a fascination-a fascination' that time was to prove illusive. Poor Jack i It is LtlhaTT"^ in our lives when we awake' to the fact that his doughty deeds were never done, that they were merely the fantastic creations of some ribaki writer and that all those magnificent con- ceptions we had formed for entering the lonely forest finding the giant's castle, storming^the ramparts, and' saving the imprisoned princess from a horrible fate have been wasted-mere idle imaginings. It is a bitter date in our lives when we step, never to return again, across the threshold of that grand old Palace of Fancy that lies on the borders of Fairyland and 12 NOOTKA Fact. And in later days how often will Memory carry us back, and once more we will wander by the side of Innocence, that lovely maiden with the <^reat blue eyes, and listen again to those dear old stories she used to whisper in our astonished ears, or be nestled once again in the soft lap of gentle Love- Love that smoothed the hot, feverish forehead • that soothed us in the hour of sorrow ; that told us of a pure and holy feeling that we hoped to find that we longed to find, in the bright world that was burstmg on our vision. Let me stop, for the picture conjures up sad memories. Yet, after all, those mythical dreams of childhood, are they all unreal impossible? Maybe they are, and still they cannot be more unreal than the thousands of vague and problematical theories regarding the Hereafter. Perhaps it was that sudden discovery that the cherished tales I had heard in boyhood, and learnt to implicitly believe, were only efforts of the imagin- ation, or, to put it simply, downright lies, that made me at once cynical and sceptical. Anyhow, from that moment when in boyhood I made the discovery that I had been " done," when I gazed at last on my loved fairy-tale books with astonishment, with awe, with disgust, I have never opened a printed volume of any sort without a feeling that it was all false, and that I should probably be "spoofed" once more. Of course, in fiction one forgives it it IS part and parcel of the whole thing, and the better the work the greater the lie ; but in works of travel-well, I cannot help it, I have never been able to wander through a book of travels without coming to the conclusion the writer was a liar. I GO WEST AGAIN ,3 And now the reader will doubtless exclaim, What the deuce am I doing, then? Let me then expLin as well as I am able; but I would ask your S uhere I am, far away fro.n the hum and crowd of ouirSe't"""" °" '°° '■" >"="^' ' <•-' '"at I Altered th T," °" ""P" "^'^ S"^' -^^t that altered the whole course of my life Jir" Thorn?""/"" "'* '''""' '■■'• ' had known country , many a t.me' we had divided a sweep at ^e Gun Club, and at billiards we were friend y'bu b.tter antagonists, for half the club, it was we" other half thought I was, and I maintain that it was pardonable vanity if we each cast ou vote me easily, he was a fine hazard striker, and I w 1 hngV own it, a more solid player than mys'elf but I had more "execution," and so had more com ZJ °"' "^ ''''"'■ '" ^''-'' "' individua sho" Tom was more sure and steadier, but when I cot a break I could make more of it. And so the tusste lout "'" '^'°" ™' ''''"■ ■'"' ^'^y -- fo gh dptred7,r"^';"S °^ "'-f-'-e. and wh«f I departed m the early autumn of each year for mv u a, tr,p to a distant country in search of big gaZ .tbtt'of'^^-er'"^^"'^"^--^'-"-^ For two autumns prior to the one in which the nc, e„t3 m my story are depicted I had made an expedition m search of Rocky Mountain shee,^ H NOOTKA .'; 'S h ■> the big horn— the wildest beast the sportsman can pursue, and the one dearest to his heart. On the first occasion I outfitted at Banff Springs and went north, but game was very scarce, or we were unlucky only one good sheep did I get and a few cariboo.' I had been led to believe there were elk— wapiti— in the country, but not a sign did we see of them not even an old track. But there was one redeeming pomt about that trip : the man who went with me, Abe Wilson, was the nicest hunter and most delight- ful fellow I ever met in that capacity, quiet and unassuming, with none of the roughness which char- acterizes so many of the western trappers; he was the most agreeable companion I ever spent two months in the mountains with, and one soon dis- covers the faults and failings of a fellow-creature if you are boxed up with him alone in the wild desolate Rockies. It was not his fault sport was' bad, simply the game was not there, and I made a mental resolution that if ever I returned Abe Wilson should accompany me on my future trip. Like the fly that returneth to the jam-pot, even though the jam be gone, I had gone out again in the following year. I had decided on going up from Ashcroft into the Lillooet district, being assured by a friend that sheep were plentiful there ; but whether we were too early, or whatever the cause might be we saw but littK game, and in a shooting sense the' sport was disappointing. And so we reach the autumn of the year in which the events occurred I am about to try and chronicle. I was five-and-thirty then, a tall, active man. I wore a short, peaked, black beard, and was, I think I GO WEST AGAIN ,5 w lo' /"'"'"""^'"S person. I am sorry ,0 d. l,ke balls and parties, and even dinn'lr.s lid hTbi; o T," '''."""-P-"-- ' sot into the bad hab, of not call.na on people, and perhaps rather av^Khng persons I ought to have cultivated and m»trafa't"""-'"^ "'"'''"' "-P^e t iTto ,nv h, '," '"^ ~™"^""'5^ over the world, o Ih^ ^ n *■' ''''"°'' '"^' '^'Sl" °f and forgotten bee br,ht~;° '"' """■ ""' ""'" -■-"= ■ had -■•ca. grin , thanrd tteri' h^nr ut^C^ I jas wrong. Anyhow, , bear no o'ne any'-lS^ rn the club perusmg the morning papers. "Prospects of Grouse Shooting" fell on my eye. Why wa r no gomg gro„,,e shooting, The'anLer was'^sta^le asked me. Dany the members of the rl„h ,.,. booming fewer and fewer ,n the Ifent^o, Th^y we ed,,euss,ng their plans in the smoking-room a flock of swallow.,, was migrating north. A fedin! of .solafon came upon me. For the last six year: 1^:1 rbigtl!!.,r;t -'-^ °^- -^"^ »„.! I t.amc— ,..s I liave remarked before— and I suppose I was no longer considered a member of the .select flock of swallows, or perhaps hZTl was forgotten. Anyhow, I fet rather ifke a Imal sparrow-hawk, that must hide away and seek hi prey on the outskirts of civilization -'*f/,»«*riiS^',«,., l6 NOOTKA i r I had written to Abe Wilson that it was extremely doubtful if I should go out West this autumn, and he was not to wait for me if he got another job ; still, I daresay I held out some faint hopes of going. I never could make up my mind to do a thing weeks, or even days, in advance. When I had done so as a young man I somehow never felt comfortable, there was always a sensation of being chained down,' which was distasteful to me, and seemed to increase as I grew older; and then I grew very chary of accepting invitations some time beforehand to shoot- ing parties or county dances or big functions of any sort, and, of course, the natural consequence was I drifted apart from my circle of acquaintances. Often and often did I argue with myself, and upbraid myself for being so foolish, but do what I would the glitter of society life, that appeared to dazzle so many, seemed to me but a dull, insipid glare. The oily speech and forced laugh of the Piccadilly Plunger or the Drawing-room Daisy jarred on my ears, and something within me ever kept urging me on to wander in the wild, uninhabited parts of the world, away from falsehood and fraud and the unfriendliness of friends, among the quiet nooks and valleys, where God's glorious sun shines yet upon nature the same as it shone in the early days in the garden of Eden. It was only a few days before I had stood on the platform of a country station waiting for the London train. On one of the wooden benches sat three country damsels. Sturdy and strong and neat they looked, with the glow of health on their ruddy faces, while quietly and demurely they chatted to one another, waiting also for the train. Suddenly there ri. extremely n, and he job; still, going. I ig weeks, )ne so as nfortable, ed down, increase chary of to shoot- is of any :e was I ;. Often d myself le glitter many, rhe oily Plunger ;ars, and e on to e world, ;ndliness s, where he same Eden. 1 on the London it three :at they ly faces, to one ly there GO WEST AGAIN ,7 oroVtoThe";,:rm'fl"'"^^' 'T '^"" '•^"^^^^^-' ^^-^ mortal!, get me my lutr'rerdo-p" rri^A i- i. pitched voice ^'^^eici^e, cried a high- had r„y !ZZ°T '""*" '''"" -"" '"-. -'' moment he woud h """J" "'" ^""« '' '^at only the ItionM^T'^^ ""'^'"^'=^ 'hat not line that the^ * "'^ '° ""=™' ''"' "^"^ '^''°le -^rpot.rr™re^;;et:r;.::: .r;r I glanced at the country damsels • uMfh 'hough. The .-.ht orth:"e 4^1^^ ^r before the Tr^ T" """' '° =" P'^'^'^ '^at existed oeiore the Trocadero was turned into a munV h=)l where music played, and smart gentlemen wth chams of office round tlieir necK !■! ? o4raV;itV^-f:,rro::j^-i„r:it c ^S my hp and saying to myself, i8 NOOTKA " These two groups are very different : which, accord- ing to nature, are ladies and which mere women ? " And this scene came across my mind as I sat ruminating in the club. Suddenly I jumped up. " I '11 go West again !" I cried. " The rifle and the telescope and the glorious desolate mountains, that is the life for me ! " I II ' I (■' I Hi Ai I ii, accord- ivomen ? " as I sat igain!" I ; glorious CHAPTER II. Tom Fane and Myself decide on an Expedition I ^T' ^?" ^'^aPPomted with the sport I had across the Cntl to t^ Pac7 "'" ^"'"^"^ what a country it was like there ^°"' ^"' ^^^ wrsht enirrge\ntel;T' '^"' ^° ' ^^^ ^ at Winnipeg ft the handToTth""J T^'^" ' ^^^ hotel h1 t ^ ^^^ head-waiter of the anyhow, he was enthusiastic n.vi t i ' Mrs cim.-fh 3 ID '.""^^astic. Did I know h s aunt 19 20 NOOTKA m; i m ■■\ I 1 advantages of the Macintoshes, the Mackenzies, or the Camerons. There never was a chieftain Smith with a tartan and broad lands and turretcd castles, who could gather around him a thousand followers and descend with one fell swoop upon his neighbours and kill all the men, and carry off all the women and cattle and other likely goods, and divide them up and fall to to the feasting, and thanking God for His great goodness in delivering the enemy into his hands. No; the original Smith was a quiet, unpretentious individual, who thought only of his wife and his business. And see how the family have grown and prospered ; so vast have they become, that it has been found necessary to alter the name somewhat in many instances. The " i " has been changed for u ' y," and occasionally an " e " has been added ; and then again, we have the Fulton Smiths and the De Vere Smiths. Yet all these are branches of the main Smith tree, descendants of old Smith ; and where are the Mac- intoshes with all their swagger? Why, Smith sells mackintoshes five per cent, off for cash ! Enough of this unseemly digression. I stayed a day or two at Banff Springs to enjoy the glorious scenery and have a chat with my old hunter, Abe Wilson, and I was sorry to find he had taken a couple of tourists a trip into the mountains, and was not expected back for a fortnight. The first week in September I found myself in dreamy, delightful Victoria, the capital of Vancouver Island. I am not going to describe Victoria. There is a chemist's shop about a hundred and fifty yards from the club at the corner of the next block on your left, and there is a museum of badly-stuffed beasts izies, or 1 Smith castles, bllovvers ghbours ncn and hem up 1 for His s hands, jtentious and his )wn and lias been in many ' y," and m again, : Smiths, lith tree, he Mac- lith sells to enjoy my old \ he had ountains, lyself in ancouver . There fty yards : on your id beasts I I DECIDE ON AN EXPEDITION 21 and birds somewhere. But the climate ! In case the gude bouks say nothhis; on this subject, I feel it nght to remark that the climate in Vancouver Island n the autumn months is absolutely heavenly ; and I remember remarking to myself. "If only they would cut the trees down and make a golf cour'e here ,s the .spot to live and die upon " There were plenty of good fellows at the club who told me where to get fishing and shooting. There were wap.t,-elk they are commonly called-in the ntenor of the island; but it was hard work and Stfat r " '^°' "" "'^"' °"™S '° "^« dense forest that appeared to cover the whole 'sland down to the very shore ^C the sea. who found Vancouver ever landed at all for timber 0.>e n,ght I had dined at the club, and was turning fr m t T °' '""^ '"' '"^^ °f P'^'"- Papers fr..m the old country, when a hand descended on what th^e d"'-r"' ' ™'" "''" '"^"'y- "Chtll" what the devil are you doing here?" It was Tom Fane. I knew his voice at once In a moment I was up and shaking hands with him'. swered°.'"^ "■"■ "^ ^^' ^°*'"S " «"'" > ""- " Well, of all the restless scamps I ever came across you take the prize," said Tom -"Te ^tCs^" -™»"^ --^^y= for you wanler! "But what are you here for.'" I retorted, bent the yacht ronid by sea." he replied Jomed her at 'Frisco, and now I ■;e come fo a cru.se along the coast and among all the endless "=^^^a»-.. — 22 NOOTKA ^1 ! w ■ I r^ i i islands which, as far as I can make out, stretch for hundreds of miles to the north." " Have you got anyone with you ? " I asked. "Not a soul. I tried to get two or three chaps to come, but no one seemed very keen about it. I think everyone looked upon my trip as rather a wild goose chase." We chatted for some time, and when my friend left he had made me promise to dine with him the following night on board the yacht. Tom Fane was a man who did things well. I had never seen his yacht, not being much of a yachting man, but I had often heard men at the club in London speak of her as a beautiful boat ; and the following evening, as I stood on the quay waiting for the yacht's boat to take me off, I could not help thinking, as I gazed at her shapely lines, that I should like to be rich and own such a lovely floating home. The sun was sinking behind the inland mountains, and throwing long shadows across the unruffled waters of the harbour as I stepped on the clean, white decks. How neat and trim every- thing looked! Why is it yachts are kept cleaner and brighter than any other hum.an habitations? The brasswork shone like burnished gold ; there was no dust. No, when you come to think of it dust has a poor chance on the ocean, but its evil companion rust has a splendid time, or could have, if not persistently warred against. Such ideas as these flashed through my mind as I stepped aboard, almost instantly to be dispelled by the cheery voice of Tom Fane. A little while later and we went below, and what a I 4 retch for 2C1. ee chaps about it. rather a ly friend him the 1. I had yachting club in and the ' waiting ould not nes, that a lovely lind the vs across :pped on n every- ; cleaner itations ? I ; there nk of it its evil ild have, ideas as aboard, :ry voice J what a I I I DECIDI- ON AN EXI'KDniON 23 picture of luxury did that co.sy. roomy cabin or state when you 're at sea ? " correctly tnl'l"^"'", '"''""I ■^"'"' '""«>''"(?■ "'h'-"'-^ rather 1 tncky dev,ee of mine. The works are or nrv lever ones, and the lower nart of ,h!. ,.'y had fitted up to hoidguns and rifles ^ "" ""^ There was only one thing about that cabin that ooked unt,dy; perhaps that was the reason it n antly impressed itself upon me, and yet I tiZ that ,t was the thing that interested mc m-^t Stuck agamst the wall, completely hidingonrof the engravmgs, was a large chart of the sea sur .te"nor?h' tl;°"' °J ^^"™"^^^ '^'-''- T— tfte north the marks and soundings were fewer i'ane caught my eye riveted on the map "What are you thmking of, Charlie ? » he queried Oh, nothing of importance ! ■' I answered " F was just wondering what a devil of a time it mus take a vessel to go probing and sounding round an intricate coast like this." "You were thinking of something else, mv bov -r^ \ ?f / '^'"^"''"S °f?" I asked, laughing The girl I left behind me?" "»"'"?. "No, that's the last thing a cold, callous creature hke you would dream of; but that 'resties; ZX. 24 NOOTKA P\ l". ing spirit of yours was imagining itself prowling round the coast of Vancouver Island, now wasn't it?" "I believe some such thing was in my mind," I answered. With that we began to discuss the gulfs, the inlets, the rivers, and lakes, and Tom Fane, to my surprise, grew quite enthusiastic. " Why," he cried, " I 've got the boat ; let 's go a voyage of discovery ! " I have said before I was not much of a yachting man ; also I had been forming hazy plans in my mind during the last few days, and gradually, while Fane was eagerly talking on, they were developing. I was always a pig-headed fellow in some ways; once I formed a plan nothing on earth would turn me from it, and no one could persuade me to alter it. So whilst my friend was suggesting this, that, and the other I was quietly working out my mode of procedure. "Have you got the latest survey map of the island?" I asked at length. " Thompson ! " called Fane. "Yes, sir." " Ask Captain Hume if he has a survey map of Vancouver Island." The steward returned in a few moments with a large map folded up. The map was unfolded and pinned to the " side " of the cabin— I feel it would be wrong to call it the " wall." " Now," said I, " may I suggest a trip ? " " Go on," quoth Tom, as he passed the bottle. " You will notice, then," I continued, " that almost immediately after you leave Victoria, on the west I DECIDE ON AN EXPEDITION 25 cease'; "T"''T '"' *^ '"^^ "' '^e white man ceases. According to the chart you have here the Srt "the^^rf --yed\ight rord' tt island, but the inland portion, north of Alberni which IS about the centre of the islanH ;! 1 ' Now there must be wapiti in ^ho "^gi^T tre IS this You „ t "' ™'' "'^' ' "°"" P-P°- ■s this You worl< your way in the yacht up to he west coast to Nootka Sound; see, here t"s" I pointed to the map, -You will not ce a long arm of the sea runs inland some dozen miles in Ho™ ward direction to the south M=t „„ 1 • ■. should be able to pass ,f „!' Z I ^°"^ '"™' launch aboard thatUd l^LZ^ ^ ^le" end of that arm the Gold River flows "n from tt north-west also in a downward direc i : ;t fat *e arm of the sea and the river form a vidl V^ Meanwhile! will go up the east coast in I trtdiW steamer, and get put ashore somewhere here It hf tTmhe °-„ '^,' ''^'"P'"=" '^'-^- "here there is a ttre r' '"' '^ ''°" """' McClaren. F^m ar^o tt%r1'°" "/o'"^, ^°" '^'•- -'» '"^ and r „. " " '^ "''""t fifty miles and I propose tramping across that bit. You see' i ru."°"^-^''' "^y «"= ^"'P^^^. I mult strike the Gold R,ver, and the rest would be plain sa li^^"' silent Z" "''^7"i, ""= "^P '°' ^o™- "•"•« --n silence. It sounds all right, no doubt, as you out dense tfmb'' '?S"^i "^"' ^ang it all, i; is p^obaby a" Yl'ca^rdf -r'f "° ''''' ''"'■"'' ""'d Indians °h„yTr~ h ^- ""' '"'' '' ^°" ^"'P'°5' --, -n..} arv: shiny oeggars to deal with " I H ! t 11 "^ NOOTKA "No;- I interrupted, " I don't mean to do it alone, and I don t mean to employ Indians. I know my man. And then I proceeded to tell him of Abe Wilson. " I could wire Abe to-morrow ; he was expected home about now, and he could join me here m a few days." Tom Fane began to grow interested again. "But wouldnt it be an awfully laborious job?" he asked. You would have to carry everything on your backs, and mightn't you run short of grub ? " "I've tried to reckon that up." I replied. "We could manage eighty pounds apiece, and ought to go ten miles a day, and inside a week ought to be within hail of your boat. We could carry sufficient flour and bacon to last us that time, but probably we should fall in with deer or game of some sort to help us along." ^ " Well," said Tom, « if you care to risk it I 'm your man. Let us see what the captain thinks of the plan. Thompson, ask Captain Hume to speak to me. ^ In a fexv minutes Captain Hume stepped into the saloon. He was a tall, middle-aged man, with a keen, grey eye, and a flavour of Scotland was as apparent in him as onions are in an Italian omelette Tom Fane briefly repeated our projected scheme. INow, captain, what do you think of it?" he asked _ The captain looked long at the chart, and scratched his head thoughtfully. " Weel, weel," he replied at last with his native caution, " this coast is gay tricky and the fogs are arfu' thick at times. We cudna' but move through the day, and would hae to he up o nights ; but, sir, there's no reason why we should ) do it alone, I know my him of Abe nv ; he was Lild join me .gam "But ' " he asked, your backs, 3lied. " We id ought to DUght to be ry sufficient probably we sort to help isk it, I'm 1 thinks of e to speak 2d into the an, with a nd was as 1 omelette. id scheme, he asked, i scratched replied at ?ay tricky, A^'e cudna' - to He up we should o -J ^ ^ .^ 1^' i.(>;i h!'. i I DECIDE ON AN EXPEDITION 27 rbr;L'':^t^°-^--"-onyith. sound, if "All right, captain," cried Fane cheerily. " Nootka 2r^L ^"'^ '^''^ ^^' opportunity of informing the reader that my name is Charles Wellesley. ~.i CHAPTER III. Abe Arrives THE following morning I wired off to Abe Wilson to come straight away to Vctoria, if disengaged, to go a trip with me into the island. I was not at all sure in my mind that Abe would relish the idea of carrying our own packs, but that I must chance; I could not put the whole pro- gramme in a telegram. I had evidently caught Abe at home, for a reply reached me the same evening that he would take the train the following morning, so now we could expect him in a couple or, at the outside, three days' time. I sent Abe's message down to the yacht, where it was received with great satisfaction, for the ne"3 had quickly spread on board that the yacht was going a somewhat enter- prising cruise in almost unknown waters, and if there is one thing that an Englishman loves it is the spirit of adventure. Yes, that adventurous spirit of her sons has done more for the greatness of England and the vastness of her empire than all the red tape from the offices of public officials, than all the smooth palaverings of courteous diplomatists, than all the wordy warfare of politicians. One big stumbling-block had been removed, for without Abe I would never have made the attempt a8 ABE ARRIVES 29 to cross the island. How odd it is that someone ZdZTvl, '"•''■'^"°" '"'' «S-". but not often, ad .mmed.ately mspires us with faith and con- and jiake w.th fear as we shave the curbstones and shdedo™ the wood pavement; and one day we get a cab with a horse in it tl,at coclhed you. enhanced nan, and with Abe ; of this / it. He 'ould not you saw together n we saw ropped a , and ex- that Abe len I first It might :, or was ok yours ABE ARRIVES • I. , ^ P'ciincr than anv worrit >< r - ^^;.... and .ou„. an. «™.,,,,,>,;;t. .:,;".:;! of mine." ' ^''""""^ ''""o. a friend Abe took a step f,>nvard and extended H„ u , Soraethn,B; made me «-atcli F-,.T , ^ '''''"''■ I h™ ta)'i " ""™'^ ' " ' after a„ ; he . reeogni.ed tTe peHorir •■'' V °' I saw It in his eve nnH I • ' "'^ '°"<:h- Ves, times I felt Z' femi ■ 'T''^"*' S'"''- ^"^ -^"'ne- i<.u 1 was teminme and fooli^li r of t:e-a"nV;rmanVS::'""'' ^"'"'' '"°'' °- they inherit wealth or acl^^ •" T ° *^ ■■"■"^"' of their fellow-ereatures T 1 , "'^" *= '^'<: =.-mply in the proporton to 1 ' ""^ ^^""<=""=" perhaps a visit to thltf ^°™reig„s they own ; his views, " '^"' ""^'^'•" '^"d had widened -etheyw.eTa^-.--di^^a^^ 34 NOOTKA I cidcncc attracted both of us— the difference in the appearance of the labourers working in the field. There were Japanese and Chinese and l<:nglish all mingled together. There were about twenty in all, out of which three or four were luiglish, and smart, strapping young fellows they looked. One of them smoked a wooden pipe, and as he raked a.vay a gleam of sun flashed on the pipe. There was silver on it, a silver-mounted pipe smoked by a common labourer ! Not that a silver-mounted pipe is an ex- pensive luxury ; but we both noticed it, and it struck us both as odd. " Come on," said Tom Fane ; " let's go and find out what he 's doing here if we can." I was curious and readily acquiesced, and together we strolled across the field. Some of the men looked up, but nobody seemed to evince any surprise, and having bestowed a glance on us, proceeded with their work. " Don't appear to take us for anything special," muttered Tom, as we approached him with the pipe. " Good afternoon, my lad," said Tom. The boy, for he could not have been more than twenty, looked up. " Good afternoon, sir," he replied quietly. There was something in the appearance of the lad, something in the tone of the voice, that told us plainly, " English, and a gentleman." Once the ice was broken he conversed glibly enough, and we soon discovered that he had but recently left Eton, that he was the younger son of a Yorkshire baronet, and that he had come out here believing that wealth was to be had almost for the askiuij". Kc iti the the field, 'n^dish all nty ill all, ind smart, c of them d a.vay a was silver 1 common : is an ex- d it struck lid find out d together nen looked rprise, and with their g special," li the pipe. more than he replied )earance of e, that told •sed glibly le had but 3r son of a e out here ost for the ABE ARRIVES 35 "Is the pay good?" asked Tom in -i ho.h.r voice. " Hesitating loci'wn,^""'"' ^ ''?', ""'■ '^"'^ y™-- »>vn board and And those ni-Kcrs ? " ,|ucricd Tom Ihc colour deepened o„ the lads cheel- "Tl, get the .same-dollar a day all r„un,l " ^ '''^ I -should be verv nIf>oe.,ri " • i ^ would eome and * e "^^ I' "'"'' ^"™' " '^ y-" whilst I am here, ,-^^1 o ' Ma • Z. """^ '"" '""'■ I suppose vou cJ „ ^ ""'-'"' '"-"'yl't ? harbour." ^ "'™^'-' '° «" ''"wn to the "Thank you, I shall be very nlcased ■■ , , pleasant e.x-pression crossed the L? tee ' ^11 riKht," said Tom i Thomas Fane-and vt! „ .:,^ ""'"'^ "* ^='"'^- abreast of her t t .^"ttS "r,^ °"h "'"^ r-^>' of5f to bring you aboard." "="" " ''°" I have mentioned this episode for ,h. • , reason that it shows that a genttm!" J?\""""' with n the Far W^^f u ,? ,"''^™='" may be met the man who dX^s vou'f ""'' T""'''"' »" '"at hotel may bea moreooh- hii"""."' ''"■■°" '° ""e the^man who..bor:.Sotlts:r '""'" "^^" wiis™ had"" ti;:'rri;"pa7orhi Ti '"^^ ^"^ . tomed to refinement a,Kl a 1 <■ l'!" '"=''" '«^™=- where. A lonrf "'^"'■'*"^ ''°me some- hunting in thelild'Tcr'"' '■" "'^^'"S and -•s only comrad ' ^^''^ '"T ''■'''^' ° Deen the cowboys and .■r-^ % . 36 NOOTKA trappers that gathered round the bar of the wayside saloon when he chanced to come down from a trip — had roughened the external shell of his nature, but within the mechanism was finely wrought, and the balance of his mind true and even. Not that I could ever get him to talk of the past, and I had soon found that to revert to it was very distasteful to him. He could write a good letter too, and at accou' ; he was far quicker and cleaner than — well, than 1 was. " You '11 come aboard my boat and dine to-night, Wilson," said Fane as we wandered up to the hotel, "and then Wellesley can unfold his schemes, and we '11 show you the maps and get your views on the matter." "All right, Mr. Fane," replied Abe. In the West titles are put on one side; people do not seem able to grasp them ; at least, they did not at the time I speak of. I 4 le wayside m a trip — nature, but it, and the [ot that I and I had distasteful oo, and at ;han — well, ,e to-night, ) the hotel, lemes, and ews on the Je ; people hey did not ■fi CHAPTER IV. '<^u Revoir T T was a party of five that sat down to dinner that J- n,ght ,„ the cosy cabin of the yacht-pfne r^! I ^T- '^''^°"' "^--'^'f- «"d Henry Whit-' Jt JTu '"^'^ " S'''^" ^'^'"S to the boy and heToXtTwI; ''""- -' ^'-' -'"> •"■■" wh^n ^tanldtn t rC Irr^'"' *^ -^'" To. "ic buDject o( the expedition. He had baely greeted us when oflr to the maps he flew and pomted to bays and inlets, all the wWle gilj'uTa w«:::eTS bL— ^^^^ Pf ^^ai-- -1- -t^ propositions and theories as myself I h./T n,y.lf ,nto one of the co.fortarLirs-rstld" round and round the cabi.^ ::^':^:ZJ:7^ 37 I u 38 NOOTKA thirdly, I knew we should have to go over it all again after dinner. " Do you think so, Wilson ? " Fane had turned to him. "Think er — er — eh what, sir?" " Why, I was asking you if you thought there was any chance of the island being inhabited up in ■:he northern portion." " Oh, I beg pardon, sir." But here I interposed. " Look here, Tom," said I, " I don't believe Wilson has heard one blessed word you 've been saying ; he 's been gazing round and round the cabin lost in wonderment at the fittings and decorations. So take my ti[), old chap, keep some of that breath to cool the soup when it comes, because we've got to go carefully into the whole matter before we part to-night, and it is a jolly sight easier and pleasanter job on a full stomach than on an empty one." Tom laughed. He was an enthusiastic chap when once he took anything up, and he could fly off at a tangent from one thing to another like a busy bee in a flower-bed. "She's a nice boat, Wilson, isn't she?" F"ane's pleasant laugh had reassured Wilson, and once more his eyes were roaming round the cabin. " She 's a dandy," lie answered slowly. " I reckon," he continued, giving a glance at the silver on the dining-table, and then sweeping his arm round as though to indicate he referred to everything he saw, " it 's all from the old country." "Yes," said Tom, "everything is English here." Wilson looked up quickly with a strange, startled >a AU RI-VOIR wcr it all I turned to there was up in *:he im," said I, 2ssed word round and he fittings :hap, keep 1 it comes, the whole jolly sight :h than on chap when fly off at a I busy bee /ilson, and the cabin. ' I reckon," ver on the 1 round as ng he saw, jlish here." je, startled 39 look ,n h.s eye. Fane saw it. "Well, everything except you he added with his shct, genial laiigh. Wilson dropped his head. " Yes,"' he said medita- tivcly, everything except me." And now Thompson entered with the soup Dunng dmner we unfr.Idcd our plans to Wilson T. cm Pane being the principal spokesman .n7f ^^'V"^".'"'^ Wellesley." he said toward the end of his description of the proposed trip, "will Sound ' """ ''' '''''' "^' J^'" - '■" ^-tka at t^o' ^"n"^ "^ '' 'I^' "^''^^^ thoughtfully, and then at me Do y ;, ^eckon to pack across there, Mr. Wellesley. yo. .. i .,e. and no knowledge of the 7u'''"u"'''f I " ^ '^^'"'^' ^^ ^°"^^^ ^lo 't al! right" with landmarks and open spaces to see your where-' abouts, and I 'm your man ; but I 'm derned if ill f:::^z:z:^''''' - ^"-^^^ -^--^ --^ — "Come, come, Abe, why do you .say it's ever- lasting timber.^ No one has been therc^ and if we work south-west by the compass we mus strik the Gold^River. which runs into the top of Nootka "Compass !" muttered Abe. " Well, that might do but I never put much faith in those plaguey thlgs " ' Captain Hume laughed aloud. "Yer no a ta fanng mon, Mr. Wilson, or ye wudna say yon ' idea ofXT "1"'.''''' '^^■^^°" ^'^ "'^^ -h-^h the Idea of the tnp, despite Fane's enthusiasm and mv assurances that the mittor ^^'-.^ ^ ne matter was an easy one— assur- ii f^ V. y W !! i \ i St 40 NOOTKA ances that I think were a little forced. He listened silently, ai 1 ever and anon stole an anxious glance at the map. "Tears," he said, " no one has ever been in here." "No one!" cried Tom. "That's the whole fun of it." "Fun of it? Hanged if I see where the fun comes in," replied Wilson, and in my own mind I was obliged to agree with him. But there it was. We had all set our hearts on making the expedition; the sailors on the yacht were all ready and anxious to start, while the whole town of Victoria could talk of nothing else. Inwardly I felt I ought to have talked it over with Abe first, but it was too late now. There was nothing more to say; we had stated our plans and proposals, and silence had fallen within the cabin, broken only by the distant footfall of the watch on deck. We were all gazing at the set face of Abe Wilson. Calmly and without moving a muscle he scanned the face of each one of us in turn. " Well, gentlemen," he said at last, " seems you 've kinder fixed this up and got it all pat-like, and as we've all got to take a long trip and a last trip sooner or later, it can't matter to Abe Wilson one way or the other, but you won't mind my saying I reckon you 've got an over-estimation of the ease and elegance of this business ; but there it is, maybe ye 're right, maybe I 'm wrong. Still, it 's you I 'm thinking of, you 've got friends ctnd maybe women- folk ; but I— well I— ye see I 'm used to being lonely, and don't mind it, sorter court it. And there it is, I 'm ready." ^1 ■4 He listened :ious glance LS ever been whole fun re the fun own mind ' hearts on the yacht J the whole ;. Inwardly li Abe first, ng more to posals, and tn only by We were n. Calmly d the face :ms you 've ike, and as a last trip Vilson one my saying )f the ease t is, maybe 3 you I 'm De women- ling lonely, there it is, AU REVOIR 41 wfth^AT ■ " '^"^^7°'^' ^'-'"g "P and shaking hands u.th Abe across the table. "Thompson," he called •bnng a bottle of the old port; we'll d in' s c Lt' to the expedition." success There was yet a good deal to do during the few saT W T. ';'T^'^ ^°^^^'"^^ steamer wis due tl sail. We had to think very carefully of what was absolutely necessary to take, and what we could d's pense with. ^-ouia ais- I had suggested to Abe that we could carry about eighty pounds apiece, and I mind as TJL >^ noticed the slightest suspicion off s^iij fl^acL' to me that the'^^d ".'I'" '■'"^^' ''"' " =«-■"«! lo me that the idea which ran throu'.h hi, min^ was that he would probably be carr^g L™ o P at d "s'l-raft '1' rr ""^ i°-Vwas co^! Unt^^th^^ea^Tdtldrgltr-tryS .'to^th^u^TrS""''"^"""''-^-"^"™' a ImlL7"' -^r''"" ^""'^^ °' b^™" ^"d flour y pacK ^^as to be wrapped in a mackintosh sheet trousers corded fo fi,^ 1 . , P^"^ °' little loose so that ?c''m '"* ""^ ''^' '^f' ^ each trouse'r- e. and th . "'•' '" '"" '""""Si^ Abe's Zl ''°'" " ™ ™y b'-'ok. shett'MiS'wr;:;:^ to" ^ '-'■"^•^^ --- tent and h» . P'°P°^'"^ to convert into a rude ten, and he a.so used an old pair „f trousers to r- i! 42 NOOTKA There are two good reasons for this : one is, that the legs of a pair of trousers do not cut your shoul- ders or armpits like straps or cords ; and, secondly, you have another garment to put on around the camp-fire or when not on the march. Abe carried his rifle, and an axe with the pail on top of his pack. I carried my rifle and a small trout-rod, while the frying-pan with the coffee-pot were tied on to the top of mine. And when everything was completed, we concluded we had sufficient provisions to last us eight days, or ten at a pinch, and I am compelled here to state that the nearer the day came for our departure the less I liked the outlook ; for the obvious fact rose before me — supposing we meet difficulties and obstructions that harass and delay us, what shall we do at the end of eight days, or say ten? If any such thought as this crossed Abe's mind — and it must have done — he eflectually concealed it. Fane was jubilant. "Look here, you fellows," he said — it was the day before we were to sail, and we were lunching with him on the yacht — " I 've talked it over with the captain, and we 've arranged to leave the day after you. You see, it's a nasty coast, and we shall have to feel our way into Nootka Sound, and if I am there a week before you 1 can while away the time shooting and fishing. By-the- by, Charlie, young Whit'nore is coming with me, so I shan't be all alone. I didn't like to ask him outright myself, his people might have been down on me for taking him away from his work, or some moonshine of that sort ; but yesterday he told me he couldn't stand it any longer, hoeing away with a lot of i \y one is, that your shoul- d, secondly, around the th the pail md a small 1 coffee-pot 2 concluded jht days, or state that ire the less rose before Dbstructions 5 at the end thought as 'e done — he fellows," he ;o sail, and icht— " I 've /e arranged t's a nasty into Nootka ; you 1 can [g. By-the- 'ith me, so I lim outright n on me for ; moonshine he couldn't h a lot of AU REVOIR 43 lip at t"' "" "■"' °*" "■"=■ '""' "'""■' '^'^ " I ra g!ad of that." I answered ; "you will have a companron, and I could =ee the boy^vas lin, ,o "What do you think of Sir Thomas?" I asked h^'rTte'r' " """""' '""""^^ '"^ ^'"^ -"= half "He's all right," replied Abe quietly, with that pecuhar western emphasis on the "ri.*t" "But you see," he went on, "he ain't got to 'carry no "rand anTttt*" h'\^ '°»"-^^"'^' '■-^"^''- ^ Early- the following morning, September 25th the Amne Jcfhson. which had been lying alongs de he quay the last few days taking in stores and goods teamed slowly away, and from the deck Abe TO o^' a^d myself waved adieu to Tom Fane and yoZ Whumore who had come down to bid us farewell ^ „ f°^'^y<^. Tom," I cried as we moved off. -evo?r°t"°^' '""^''"" ■"= <^^"<=d back; "au -.evoir, :t is au revoir!" I need not weary the reader with a minute descrin t.on of our voyage to Discovery Bay; a trtir; ma secon. class trading steamer is'ai no t L" he height of luxury or enjoyment, and the scener,! through which we passed, though always vaTvinJ -d.n.ana, ,ve caught glimpses of ■:r^ 44 NOOTKA f i n t ! houses and homesteads, but which was island and which was mainland it was impossible to tell. At first I was very busy interviewing the captain regarding this matter and similar ones; but soon I wearied of it, and joined Abe, who was leaning on the rail gazing at the distant shore. " What are you thinking of, Abe ? " '•I'm just reflecting," he replied, "that whoever first planted trees in these parts overdid it." We lay to that night in Cowichan Harbour, which we reached pretty early in the afternoon ; but Captain Slingsby had a good deal of cargo to discharge, prin- cipally goods for the local store. It appeared they were making a railway a little way inland from here that was to run up the coast, and a good number of men were engaged on it. It was a pretty little natural harbour, that was entered at a narrow pass, and broadened out into a round basin about a quarter of a mile wide. Next morning we weighed anchor at daylight, and when I arose and reached the deck we were running through a narrow channel to the north. We stopped about one o'clock opposite some wooden huts or , houses situated on the shore of a pleasant inlet, that Y\^/A^.V'^ ^'the captain told us was called Nanacino Harbour; but we soon hauled the anchor aboard again after sending a boat off with some cases and packets in it, and that night about an hour or so before sundown we dropped anchor in an inlet some fifteen or twenty miles further north. For the last ten miles or so the sea to our right, or on our starboard quarter, whichever you please, had widened out considerably, and the nearest land looked several ,f Sit: 1 sland and tell, he captain )ut soon I eaning on ,t whoever it." lOur, which ut Captain large, prin- eared they from here )d number retty little irrow pass, t a quarter ylight, and re running /e stopped ;n huts or ; inlet, that Harbour ; again after id packets so before ome fifteen le last ten r starboard dened out :ed several AU REVOIR 4^ miles distant. Signs and the habitations of man were growing rarer and rarer. I pointed this out to bungs by. "Guess," he replied, "you'll see nary a livin- pusson twixt here and Comox Harbour, where there s a small settlement, and which we shall make, ,f all goes right, by to-morrow evening. That s about four hours from Discovery Passa4 and I reckon to be abreast of Campbell River before noon on Thursday." Campbell River runs into the sea some six miles from the entrance to Discovery Passage, and it was up this river our trip was to begin. CHAPTER V. I i Relics of the Past IT was a little after ten o'clock on the Thursday morning when we entered Discovery Passage, and at once started getting our packs done up. I had had during the voyage a good many lessons from Abe in the art of arranging my pack and roping it properly— by no means an easy job ; and I know of nothing more irritating than having to pull up on the march and re-adjust slipping ropes ; it usually means having to undo the whole pack and re-arrange it. What a glorious morning it was ! The tall pines that fringed the shore were reflected in the calm water as in a mirror, while from twenty or twenty- five miles to the west rose a tall peak up into the clear blue sky all by itself, and— what surprised both of us— bare, actually bald. Was it possible that a mountain could reach above the timber line in this country } Apparently it was so. Captain Slingsby saw us regarding it. "That's Crown Point," he remarked. "It's a well-known landmark to mariners, and many a time when I 've been out at sea I 've seen it standing up out of the low-lying fog that has hidden the shore from view. Your direct route should lay right past it." 46 the Thursday rery Passage, done up. I many lessons \y pack and asy job ; and m having to pping ropes ; ole pack and he tall pines in the calm y or twenty- lip into the irprised both ssible that a ■ line in this it. " That 's well-known e when I 've p out of the 3 from view. !! \ ! i ( \VK WAVKI) KARl'WKI.f. TO TlIK "ANNIl JKIMISON. To fmc /lA'i' 47- m ^1. RELICS OF THE PAST 47 "Thank heaven for that!" I exclaimed. " It will be a fine guide for us." "Providing," chimed in Abe, "we ever see it again when once we are landed." " Why ? " I asked. " Well, thirty thousand million tree ,. ^-era^jng one hundred and fifty feet in heigh . do ...-srruct an ordinary person's vision." Slingsby laughed, and I relapsea v'to silrnce. Abe was not often sarcastic; h- saw I felt a little hurt, and in another second he gripped my arm. "Come along, boss," he whispered; "we'll plant the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes together on the top of that bald-headed peak if you wish it." ^ " Here you are, gentlemen," cried Slingsby, as he put the lever to " slow down " and headed his boat towards the shore of the mainland. In a few minutes more our boat was lowered with the packs carefully stowed in it. We had brou-ht a small boat, as we had some six or eight miles of river and about four miles of lake to pass up before we reached McClaren's timber mill Slingsby bade us farewell with a hearty shake of the hand, and the crew gave us a ringing cheer as we each shouldered an oar and struck out for the mouth of the river. Slingsby stood by till he saw us safely over the bar, if there was one, and into the river ; and just as we turned a corner that would hide us from sight, a puff of smoke came from the vessels side, followed by the loud report of the signal gun. It was the Anme Jephson's farewell to us for 48 NOOTKA I. I ^1 t ! \ 1 i i i V 1 i i I i \ ^ Near the mouth of the river on the left bank was a rude clearing of a few acres, on which stood three or four wooden huts. Some men engaged in the timber trade were lolling about ; it was noon, and, I suppose, the dinner-hour. It is hardly necessary to say they were surprised to see us, and when we told them of our proposed trip they evidently looked upon us as stark, staring mad, or else gold pros- pectors who were deliberately lying to them to put them off the scent of their real intentions. We tried to find out what the country was like beyond McClaren's mill, but, as far as we could discover, no white man had ever penetrated a quarter of a mile into the interior. Occasionally an Indian appeared and disappeared, but where they came from and whither they went nobody knew and nobody cared. They were silent, sulky beggars, these Indians, so we learnt, and did not speak English nor even 04\^v4Kt|i:^ ordinary Siwash; very likely they could talk the latter, which is a sort of Indian patois, still they preferred keeping silent. If they wanted anything they made signs for it and then departed. We found we had a stiffish pull before us, and v/ould have to get out of the boat in one or two places and pull it over w.ie shallows, but that we would get everything we wanted up at McClaren's. How that river did make my mouth water. I longed to get the trout-rod up and have a cast— great big fat fellows darted away in the clear, deep pools as our boat passed up— but it might not be; we must make McClaren's before dark. It was lour o'clock when we rowed up the last pool and entered the lake. We had hoped for a bit t bank was stood three ged in the noon, and, / necessary d when we ntly looked gold pros- liem to put tions. We ike beyond discover, no r of a mile n appeared from and body cared. Indians, so I nor even d talk the ;, still they d anything :d. Dre us, and one or two ut that we McClaren's. •. I longed — great big ;p pools as i] we must up the last ed for a bit RELICS OF THE PAST 49 Mountain ::^„;';.^r:ef -—r Co™ , "Hello, Abe, we've not been snrh = t.me seeing it again after all" ^ ""'^ '™e _^.;;No," said Abe, smiling; ..Reckon I slurred that It was easier work rowing now thpr^ h=- current to fight against, and at 5 30 we had bl?, ".° our boat beside n c«,oii , " beached foot of a del Mitful „Z 7 '" '"'''-^°"^'= at the delightful to t aft^^ ,°/ ZV '"^'' " '""^^'i seenery. ^^ ™°"°to"y of the forest ianded^r h°:;ftl'!'' '^^" ^^™ '""^ "^^-e we in astonishmen as he k T" "°°'' '°°''''"S at us beach. ^" ^""^ ^--aM on the pebbly -^ s^ppSrre^-"- - -— ■ ' ward. '" '"''""''''" '''' =• '^" -an. coming for- host I nevef knew frh " "'"-""""=' ^'i '^'"''^ wooden building with tt', "'"' ^ g'X'd-sized ■•ound it,stand"n: 'Is! "'"' ^"'""''''^ --"nning the edg; or he Z ?'^"'* '■™'" *« 'ake at natured\vomarstorVrToorl "°"'' ^°°^- towards it. '^^^'^ ^s we walked thi"rth!;^r Tr '1^'*^" '° =^^ "■' ■■ I -ally ^ -y Here mure phased to receive us than ,f^ -wMr li f I i |i \\ \ w SO NOOTKA wc were to reach them. After all, we had only just left civilization, whereas they had not been in touch with it for months. Their stores came up once a month, and a newspaper or two along with them; but it was evident from the questions they both showered on us how pleased they were to get some news from the outside world. It was a cheery evening we passed there^ with them. The Chinese cook sent in some ueliciously cooked trout with flesh redder than a salmon. That started me. " Were these out of the lake ? " I asked. " Of course they were." And then McClaren told me of the sort of catches he made. "All with the fly. You just want a bit of breeze on the lake," said he, "and any morning or evening you'll get two or three dozen averaging near on two pounds." Within ten minutes we had arranged a fishing expedition at cockcrow the following morning. On the subject of our expedition he was re- served ; he evidently did not wish to throw cold water on our scheme, but it was obvious he did not think we were going to do anything smart or profitable. " It's not for me to suggest, or try and prevent ycu in any way ; you 'pear to have fixed it up, tnis trip, and yer pals on t' other side will be waiting for yer, likewise you know as much of the interior there as I do, for wild horses won't drag me into it nor any other sens— no, pardon, gents— I won't say that; but, to tell yer the truth, I hate the d d trees, I loathe them. If you knew the trouble it was to make this bit of a clearing you wouldn't cotton to 1 d only just ;n in touch up once a with them ; they both D get some there with Jeliciously non. That ;Claren told Ul with the 1 the lake," ; you'll get kvo pounds." id a fishing orning. he was re- throw cold ious he did ng smart or prevent you up, tnis trip, iting for yer, rior there as o it nor any 't say that; d trees, I le it was to n't cotton to RELICS OF THE PAST boat moored there- lh^„'^ , i ^ ' *"'" » towed ahind or him to ret "k "? ' '"P'"='"= ""■= to return without hi nr " ''^' '" "^'^ «'<'>' had was on,, :::?;: Zu°Jz7:'%'T -'"' '* they knowed wolves vo":;,fcm "'" ''"'' don't say much A„ ^ . "'™'- ""^ *«y you'll see ZL.U^ u- "'^ ''™''' 'here now; pretty n^h do" loV " '"^ "' ""'^ '^'^^ She's but n^;, one's ever been to'tart"'"'" ™"^^^'™-' There was silence as McClt'" '"?" Abe had been filling his pSZ "^ T'"''"'^- 'he fire for a light, VVhen't 'turn rhiff "™' *" '"■^:'t °'.f *- .•ndiffernl'"^ '''' •^°- .hemI„lnsVe:'rd'"""^"^ ^*^^- "" "^ -^otes ^^;;Maybe.' assented McC.aren. "but the boat is creepy sensation withirrST^ . T '^'°'^"'='"^ ^ night, it was some ^"bTfore ,' ';t n ' '"^ *" boat's there now" Iteot r w ^ "'^'^P' " ^he had the man never ret, ^"^ '" ""^ ""'■ ^hy - neier returned? Had the Indians 11 ( I i; i • ■ \ I { I . '• \ I I t 52 NOOTKA murdered him ? Had he been torn to pieces by wild beasts? Or had he been lost in the great gloomy forest, and slowly starved to death? Thank good- ness, when sleep came at last I did not dream any horrors, and with the light of morning the episode almost pas-. 3 from my min'^. We were up betimes, and while Abe examined the packs and corded them up taut I went for half- an -hour's fishing on the lake with McClaren. The trout rose freely, and played as gamely as any fish I have ever seen. I wished we could have had a whole cay at them, but time was precious. After breakfast we replaced our packs in the boat and bade adieu to our host and hostess ; the latter presented Abe with a flask of whisky, and though he demurred some time from accepting it, saying " we were off spirits this trip," she would hear of no refusal. There was still a mile of lake to be negotiated before we took our plunge into the forest. McClaren directed us to the north-westerly corner of the lake. "There's a small stream runs in there," he said, "and forms a sandy beach where you can easily land ; beyond that I can give you no directions or hints." "There's just one last little matter, McClaren," I said, as Abe shoved the little boat down the shingle: "we may have to retrace our steps, in which case we should want the boat to get back here with, so let her lie there a fortnight or three weeks J after that take her and keep her, she'll ■i ii^K :es by wild at gloomy lank good- dream any he episode examined [ went for McClaren. gamely as we could time was in the boat ; the latter and though r it, saying hear of no negotiated McClaren ner of the re," he said, can easily lirections or McClaren," t down the jr steps, in to get back ^ht or three 1 her, she'll RELICS OF THE PAST come^in useful for you, and we shall have crossed "Here's the only other oar," cried Abe with a laugh, handing me the scull. " Com. on " SiJently McClaren and his wife waved their hand- kerchiefs as we pulled across the lake, and once I s::^'^"^^"^-^^°^-^-'^-^tmaX^ I 'sJl'' "''^'' """"" ^'''" "^ ^ ^''' °^ ^ ^^--. Abe," ;' Reckon they don't get much chance of prac t-^Jhat class of harmony in these parts^he Within half an hour we were abrea.f r.f .u sandy beach McClaren had direc^L^rto. tht: withm a couple of hunored yards of it Abe looked "Hello, what's that?" he cnVrl t *, j , it was a boa. plain enou/h^lloat' l^; o„t j sand. Neither of us snoke fr^r o • . spoke first. Did he notice 1 looked a b.f ^ and was that indiiTerence with whkh h. "l' to_hear the story only a.sunled? "' ''"^""' g-S ofrLl*:/!'';'^ '^'■■•^''' ''"'^" kuJsslZSZZX, """'■ ''''"■ ''^ playing hide-and-seek wS,„obo"dr '\^7' ''°"^' expect?" He turned "w!^"^^' *^'" "" ^^ different; that ', why I d"l\ , fT.'' ' ''"' ''^^' McClaren. weigh ..I i."^!'^ ^^^ ^^ 54 NOOTKA someone to talk to, someone to holloa at, someone to swear at, he car get r!i,'ht along. But f:-ot him wandering about alone among these trees wifii naiy a soul to speak to, nary a sound but the harsh howling of beasts and the cracking of timber, and his head '11 go ; leastways, that 's my opinion." m •'-'i it, someone ut fel hin'i ; will tiai-y the harsh :mber, and lion." CHAPTER VI. T/ie Dead Prospector \1^E moored our boat a i^^ yards from the her so ttr.'" ^Tf ''''' ^'"^ °^ ^^'^t^' into on the bea h T^ '"'P watertight; hauled up on the beach, and exposed to the rays of the sun he planks would soon have shrunk, and caused her' to leak badly. Probably the same had been done Zt'be^ld' ''^ ^^\'°^^' °'- ^^^^- ^— -" risen and Th " °" '^' ^'"^' ""^'"^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^d Zll T "^oormgs given, and she had been washed up; or, more likely still, McClaren or one of h.s men vexed at the dilatory proceedings of fU °;/^^, '^'■"^hwood, on a little plot of grass three old poles still stood aloft, tied together abo t' a yard from the. top. Abe paused a moment after moonng the boat, and gazed at them. ' '"' Ihat s where those sneaking Siwashes camn^rl • ZuZ T/ ^'l '^^' 'y™ "^^ '°^' •' '^-^™ y' thought he m:gAl get back and round on 'em L Z!-'^'""'JT ""•= '°° "■-" '^"ble. No^ aXtr;o';;;^^^^^-^'-^-''--pa33; With Captain Hume's assistance on board the Cale,lon,. we had carefully studied the course we 55 56 NOOTKA J \ { U !l '!' had to take, and we had reckoned we must keep a point north of west. This should eventually bring us to the Gold River, a few miles above its junction with Nootka Sound ; but we had to be careful not to keep too far south, for then we would miss the " V " formed by the river and the sound, which I endeavoured to explain in a former chapter. If we did this we might wander on, and if we did reach the rugged, uninhabited coast beyond, it was any odds on our being starved before we could be found. And now, as Abe glanced over my shoulder at the compass, his pack already on his back and his axe in his hand, it suddenly struck me how should we know the Gold River? There was no other river on the map, of course not, for the simple reason the interior was unexplored ; but it was a well- watered island, perhaps more so than any in the world, full of lakes and rivers. Well, it was too late to turn back now. I did not mention my thoughts to Abe — one nervous man in a party of two is sufficient. Abe gave me a lift up with my pack. Together we took a long, last look at the green patch where stood McClaren's house. How cosy and inviting it looked amid all the dense growth around ! Luckily for us the small stream that flowed into the lake here came from the west, in the , very direction we wished to travel, and as it was dead low now, only a little trickling burn, it formed a by no means indifferent pathway ; but when I saw around me the dense undergrowth, the prickly scrub, and the thousands of fallen trees, I confess my spirits fell lower still. '4 %!* must keep eventually above its lad to be we would the sound, er chapter. if we did , it was any be found. Ider at the id his axe should we )ther river pie reason IS a well- ny in the t was too Abe — one lent. Abe gether we tch where d inviting I around ! owed into the very was dead formed a t when I he prickly I confess I THE DEAD PROSPECTOR 57 While we kept the stream we could, in most instances, crawl under fallen trunks, as the water had hollowed out a course for itself; but I could not help thinking of how we were going to manajje ^ when we left it, which must be before long ^ No despondency was observable, though, about Abe. He laughed and chatted as he led the way at a good sound pace, considering the weight of the packs and the heat of the day. Occasionally a stroke of hKs axe severed a branch that blocked our passage under or over a fallen trunk, and having crawled through himself, he would turn and give me a helping hand. *> ® We had been steadily progressing for about two hours and a half, and the bed of the stream wis becommg very small and narrow, when suddenW Abe stopped. I followed the direction of his eTes of him" "" ^"'"^ ^' ^ P°^' ^ f- y^"^^ - ^nt "What is it, Abe?" Dent over ,t. It was obvious to me now as I stood an a.xe was distmct, and when we stooped over to but™"' ■' tg"^°f '^""•'•g in pencil were eviden but It must have been done many years ago as the claim was distmct, "80 yards west by" and W rurbeT^h" ?" "^= ^" "■= -"" ">''^e ° t more h^^l ,K ? '"' ^ °"' '''""'^' ^"^ ^at did aT^dirr" ttdC: -^ "' °"' """'' *' "'°- t ; 11 H» 58 NOOTKA "That pro?^)ector McClaren spoke of," said Abe in a subdued voice. " Wonder what he thought he 'd found." Abe looked round him, and returned to the rocky bed of the stream, up whirh b- walked with bent head, examining the stoued mmutely. " Here you are, boss ! " he cried. I had sat down whilst he was making his examin- ation, but now I hurried up to him. He handed me a bit of grey rock, in which little yellow pieces of gold were distinctly visible. " V»'ell, it 's not much use to us," I said. "Nor anyone else," continued Abe, jerking the stone away, "and I guess that prospector lived to be sorry he ever found it." It had been very close all the morning and was now past one o'clock, so we agreed to pause here aiid partake of some sandwiches Mrs. McClaren had kindly put up for us. We were soon refreshed and ready for the road— or the jungle rather. Wc had not proceeded more than -^ few hundred vards when Abe again stopped with a jerk, vhilst he dropped the axe softly anc seized tiis rifl We were at the edge of a small, mossy clearing, or what would have been a clearing but for the trees that had fallen across it. I stood .,n aptoe and craned my neck forward. Abe pointed a little to the right, and there lay a dark object. In a sec. ;.l I saw it was a man, and for some reason • anr.ther my blood seemed to freeze all over me. ,/h I cannot think, but in that gloomy forest evei,, .hing ^eemed stran^^e and weird. ^ Suddenly Abe gave a shrill whistle, the man never stirred ; then he gave a succession of who - whoops i f," said Abe thought he 'd turned to the walked with ely. " Here his examin- He handed ellow pieces i. jerking the tor lived to tig and was pause here :Claren had freshed and -. Wc had yards when lie dropped vere at the ivould have had fallen I nriy neck right, and saw it was my blood inot think, ed strange man never o - whoops 11 I ; I ' ^ '^ 111 i V "tikmt.ht so," said ahi;. "dead. t\i Jacf /((*,'<■ 59. '< \c 3** THE DEAD PROSPECTOR jg that would have scared the dwellers in a graveyard but tlie man never moved _^' Thought so," said Abe, taking up the axe. the^.'rim """' ''"'"'r '°"'"''= "'" '°""' '"'^ -'"'ey<^d where Abrr', '""u '"^'"'^'"K- "'°'^ 'h« =P°' where Abe first saw the body the head was hidden from v,ew; but now, when we came closer i wa! off whlrA ''°°' «*^'"S on some few yards the Iff "'"' '•"""'' ""•■ ''ody, investigating an °W Gladstone bag lying near, but the leather had n d . hoir •;"" '""^ ''^ ''"''''' " decayed, n the hollow of a tree lay some blackened stones t Tee', """" ""' "^'^ ^ «'^ l-^-- -d clo,,c by the tree lay a rusty tin saucepan. " What do you make of it, Abe.'" I asked "I call it," answered Abe, picking up some stones by the s,de of the dead figure and examining hem carefully, " a mystery cleared up." " How .' " ^ "Well, to tell you the honest truth, boss I didn't swallow that short yarn of McClaren's' with 'aiylh g talk ng of, and was kinder serving it up as light as poss,ble. He didn't like to dissuade u"^, comt in here yet he didn't want to scare us, a.,d I 'm p" rfe'ct v convmced he thinks we'll never come out Tl't poor chap here," he continued, pointing to the figure J the prospector what owned that boat he .spoke' and we saw this morning, and the same man that discovered the claim we've just left. See, here are !'• 6o NOOTKA 1 f I some bits of rock with gold in them, samples he meant taking away. It would be late when he got through prospecting and measuring and what not, so^ he settled to camp here, intending probably to rejoin the Indians in the morning. Do you see what killed him?" "No," I replied. "He appears to have crawled under some branches as though to avoid some- thing." " He didn't crawl under any branches,'" interrupted Abe, "the branches crawled on him, and a mighty quick crawl too. He was caught by a falling tree. See! The trunk of the tree lies across there, and he would be jumping or running to avoid it, but some of the outside branches knocked him down and held him, perhaps broke something. They look old and rotten now, but they were tougher then. Anyhow, he was not killed outright ; those Indians heard cries, cries that scared them, and they knew the difference between men's voices and wolves." " But the distance," suggested I. "They would hear plain enough," went on Abe. " We are not more than four or five miles from that creek, and all steady uphill ; besides, the nights are wonderfully still in these parts, and sound travels a long way." "Why didn't those blackguard Indians come and see what was the matter ? " I asked. "Well," said Abe, " evidently they had some super- stitious dread of entering the forest here, or he would have taken one of them with him to pack in and lend a hand, and then, when they heard those shrieks that night, wild horses v.'ouldn't have dragged them in ; mples he :n he got vhat not, •bably to you see crawled d some- lerrupted L mighty ing tree, ere, and I it, but m down ley look er then. Indians ;y knew )lves." )n Abe. 3m that jhts are travels me and : super- ; would nd lend ks that em in : THE DEAD PROSPECTOR 6i they'd guess the man had fallen among hostile are nn.%r T' '""^ ^'^^^^^^ ^>^ wolves, Ldthy are not the boys to help on.^ in a tight place vZ seen too much of 'em, and from whattL^ see of the land a:d ' 'd a th"'' '.' T'^ ''^^ ^">^ ^ ^^^ ^^n- land, and I cl a thought that impossible" i-roni the foregoing it is apparent that Abe like tZ lu""'"' """ «™^ ' ■"='. loolced upon all Indians with supreme contempt ^ .oZ I P^'Pector; the scene was grue- some in the extreme, and. yet I think we both fdt reheved now that McClaren", weird story was « « and the ghost of the prospector faid L ^o" noTongfr'anTT"'' "' "^""P^"' '""■ *-^ ^-"5 no longer any stream to follow, plunged into tC dark forest, scrambling along as b;s'we^ould And us. I-„!le,., trees were everywhere, and our Dassat^e was one continued <-limK , passage sot a mn„ f J, ■"■ "^""P; sometimes we got a more friendly trunk than another that had fallen east and west, and so enabled us to walk : d"d ' ■'' '"V^"' ^"' ■•' "- '-borio 3 To k orbroST"'-- "^'"'^^ ^"P ■""> ^ ^P^^'ined ank e or broken bone in such a place i weSrn'^r" */f ™' ^™^"'"S '■="=«'. ^nd only the ...at apparentVZed^LtraXr ~Su angles to our route. We had passed m" „;.;"'[ i li 11 62 NOOTKA (1 1 brooks, luck.Iy for us, as it vvas terribly thirsty work craw hng throush the forest ; but the o,fe we had „ow struck ev,dently at times ran in a high spate as tree! and brushwood were cleared away to a con iderabl distance on either side. ""siaerable JlZttte'^ " T ': '''' ^ glimpse of the sunnght on the ground, to hear the murmur of the runnmg water, for never in my life had I known sj.ch stillness as that we had been passing throuT No b.rd ch.rped among the branches, no fox barkfd no bones told of the presence of animal life e. eot' ing those of the dead prospector. The crad of t branch broken in our progrL vibratL th o th the glocn w,th startling clearness; and I felt at such t.mes we should wake something un rouse „n Tore., had the .,-^rpt'^i?X^tror'^^' iired as I was, I almost .shouted for joy as we wended our way along the pebbly shore sTekin-. a spot to camp at We had only ^travers;d . h« d.stance when we reached a grassv slope and in another second the packs were off our bact. Aft" a few mmutes' rest Abe went in search of firewood w.th the a.ve ; he had not far to go the reader wM S"Ppo.se, but old rotten branches b'ur'n the best 1 he meantime I undid the packs and ar anged olr of L; f " ^"""S ^^y- ''"d some rasheS of ba on spluttenng merrily in the frying-pan. Stay I had forgotten the bread. Time after tim^ lu J watched Abe mix the flour and tl,e bakhg P w': and pour the water in and mi.x it all up, a:;d'rhad I hirsty work kve had now ate, as trees onsiderable pse of the ^ur of the I I known S through. ox barked, fe, except- :rack of a trough the t at such ■ up some J peeping »"gh that )W. oy as we seeking a 1 a short , and in s. After firewood ader will Jest. In igcd our blazing, rashers • Stay ; 2 I had powder i I had Wl- SOON HAD 11 KKINy; ;fi ill f p tl t( SJ 01 d( THE DEAD PROSPECTOR 03 tried to do ft too, but it would not go right for me ■ the dough always stuck to my fingers in' a hi":; hopeless sort of way, and it never stuck to hi at' all; and fme after time he explained to me wha I was do,ng wrong, but all to no purpose PerLo! bakers are like poets, "born, not made.' Anyhow I was never intended for one, but Abe's brtd was' the best I ever tasted. th^'^T^^f^'''^ '"PP"' '"^ ^'SS^d "P the canvas at the foot of a mighty old pine trunk^ and then se to work cuttmg the ends of branches ;ff younrpine rftaTt;et''i;t °" r ^^^--^ '-- ^-^^^ '- Z^Ta T' ^^' ^'"'^'^ ^a'-k vvhen we had finished this our last task for the night and sat down to a pipe of peace before the fir! Hi 1 11 ■^11 r ' 1 ;S' CHAPTER VII. JVolves T MUST not weary the reader with a minute X account of our dreary crawl through the forest day after day. It was heart-breaking work, at t.mes It appeared impossible, and often it seemed to me we were hours going a few hundred yards, so thick lay the debris of centuries, nay, of all time. Sometimes, though, we came across spaces of open ground, and these m every case were marshy and overgrown with prickly scrub. Here we made better time certainly but the travelling was very disagreeable, as the pricks of this plant are poisonous ; and though they rarely penetrated our clothes, it was difficult to avoid touch- ing them with our hands. The lie of the land had so far been very hillocky and often from some steep ascent we got a view of the country before us, always clothed in its dark green coat of pine trees. On our right, from such occasional glimpses, Crown Point always stood out by Itself, looking taller and taller as we approached nearer. Now and then we came to the borders of some small lake, round which we had to make a detour, but up till now we had met none of any size, and though our progress had been slow, it had been steady ; but on the morning of the fourth day m a minute :he forest , at times to me we thick lay >metimes, und, and own with certainly, he pricks ey rarely id touch- hillocky, view of its dark )m such ood out >roached rders of make a of any ', It had rth day WOLVES after leaving McClaren's place when ... the base of Crnu-n ^^ ' ^^^ ^^'^^^ passing often showed up t'ou^^f"' "'°^^ ^'^"^^ ^--'t pines, we can.e on Truf T"^' ^'^ ^^^^ °^ ^^- seemed to flow from ^^h""^' ^''"^'"^ ^'^'^^ ^^^^t and complet^^yt^fd^r;" r T'' ''' ''''''' and rapid to ford, we found 'c^inspL;::: T/'^' where we had struck it it fln,,-. , 'P''^*'^"' and just gorge. From bank to bank h "^1°"" ' "^^^°- ceeded six or seven Ids but " ' "°' '^^^^ ^'^■ space take some cZi ' "" °^ ^^^^" >^^^^'^ ^^ ror ; iikei^toLni^ t::^::,r^^^^ above this gor^re ind iTu ^1^ '^ "°'^^^ ^ ^it Take the ro3w5;h;,be,er^^^^^ ''' ^^-- water." ' °"^^^ ^° ^.^ trout in that thin, had .eZlrZTt^ L'T °?"^ "'""^ doii.g demanded a ^Z r ' "* ""'^ '""^ -"-'re were^denyng otsete a T^T^' ^^' ^'^^^ - when we sat down ; verilyto a 7 \ ^"^"" "'"" a godsend indeed. '* *''°"' """'d be A couple of hundred yards to the nVht th» , gorge ended or began, and above it the rllrV ": calmly down, forming large deep poo f There too many trees hangincr over tn ,!!„ <■ '"""' but I soon got some ^orm from °I '? "'""^' and rigged up some baTt tTckleTnd f "' '""''' ' went, boots and trouserTand ^ '"T laV'"'" many days of my life in the „,d co,L Z^""" i ;!? ill s; i- \L N 11 i 66 NOOTKA i with a keenness I thought then could not be sur- passed, but the anxiety which pervaded me that forenoon when I blobbed a worm into a deep likely -looking eddy was different to anything I had ever experienced. My hand trembled with sup- pressed excitement, and when something snatched the line and ran away with it my heart leapt into my throat, or it seemed so; no rise of trout, no great swirl of salmon, ever thrilled me so before while quickly I paid out the line with my left hand. I remember thinking the fish had snatched the bait and run away with it like a good-sized fish, and then came the agonizing thought, Was it some beastly catfish or brute not fit for food? He had turned up stream. Instantly I struck a rush— a jump, and out of the water went a bar of silver. I had to be hard on him ; a tree lay half across the stream a few yards below us ; but the tackle was strong, and soon I had him lying on the top of the water dead beat. Sliding my hat underneath him, I was the proud possessor of a beautiful two-pound trout. In an hour's time I had half-a-dozen, averaging about a pound-and-a-half each. And now Abe might be getting anxious at my absence, added to which I felt exceedingly keen to know if the fish tasted as well as they looked. I soon had the rod down, and passing a bit of cord through the gills of the fish, I gleefully made my way back. As I drew near the gorge I heard the crack, crack, of the axe distinctly, and shortly discerned Abe hacking away with all his strength on the WOLVES 6/ edge of the gome VVh^f ^^^t for? He" did noTtl" !"'' "" ""' ^^'"^ ^vas he on his work Jd ! '°"''"- ^° '"^ent ^^ before I shouted. Lord 'Th "''" ' '''' °^ though he had been sho7 K \ u "'''" ^''"^P^^ ^s -f sprightly rea^r, th;' " of f' "/"' ^°"' ^->^ halloa for four whole days '^ ""^ ^^^^^^'"y "Guess you startled me bos. \- . and pinched. ''"'^ "^^ ^he face was thin "Look!" I cnVfl ^,r^J I- kept behind m" btlf '"^ "" '">' '■^"''. -hich I ,,ad For some seconds Abe staf^,l . evdent astonishment ■ then f ? "^ '^'* '" he'-'d and his hand ^nd ? . .^™'^ ""^ "''^^d h« 'he shoulder .hat"„i;;.ot^':i ,r,' ^T^'^'^ "" my body. -^ ^ ^" ">e breath out of "By gum, that's ^codi" i,. . , ■t's lunch-time. Yer see in th ""'^' "' ""='"'" 'here's no pertickler t me fo T-"'™™"' '°''''' -ej,' *„ yer can g^t tf-; - i- ;~h:ra^K„f4iri-'-.- rtix^rn-raT^: F-.-'^rcX^ though we lost a few hours ? '°"'' "'°"'- ^"^ '^y-we got . bit of res ' H ^""''' ''" ^"°'her food into us, and I truTv h^i '°™'' ^°"'' '"™'l truiy believe we would „,: if w 6, V i] 68 NOOTKA have done another four clays' work, such as the last, on the mcapjre supply of bacon left to us. And so thouL^ht Abe, and so said Abe. I was half-way through m>' trout before I thought of asking Abe why he was hacking at that tree. " Do you see, Mr. VVellesley " — as the reader will have noticed, Abe very rarely addressed me by name ; when he did I always expected something disastrous or unpleasant had occurred, or was about to — "that tree leans slightly across the gorge, and with any- thing like luck will fall, when I 've cut away sufficient, right across and form a bridge, and then I can just go across and hack off any branches that stick up in the way, and there we are — communication with the civilized world esta'ilished." Abe laughed at ; ; : iittle joke. I really believe those trout had got into our heads. Absolutely I had taken little or nc thought of how we were going to cross the river. Abe's plan looked simple enough, though I probably never would have thought of it. Anyhow, new life had entered into us ; Abe's efforts at cheerfulness had long since flickered and died out, and for two days or more we had struggled on in a listless, monotonous way. Dejeuner, as we termed it, being over, it was proposed and unanimously carried by a full board amongst ten billion trees that I should proceed fishing, whilst Abe cut away at the tree. " Mine 's a two hours' job anyway," quoth Abe, "so don't you hurry back on my account." It was nearing sundown when I got back to camp that evening, carrying a sack on my back with WOLVES 69 I another do^en-and-a-half of trout in ft. The tree had fallen all right, and across the st cam I Zl the smoke of the camp-fire rising amo„rthe tree" Abe had taken the packs across, but he heard me co^.ng, and hastened across the bridge to ass": "Give me the sack," he said; "it's perfectly safe r ,:ri "nTgff^:.-'"^ '^"'"^ ^'- -'-^ '" net ta-d°l 'Th 'TT'^ "°"'''"S "'^ e°^S« °" 0"r ro nd Itn'l ,h' T '™' ™™8'>, but it was round, btdl, there were branches left here and there you could catch hold of to steady yourself by and we were quickly across, safe and sound ^' "' That night, for the first time since our scheme had invest" nf W "'■""■ ^'= ''"'''^' '° '^^"-- tfte island-,t was almost impossible we could meet wth more unfavourable ground to cross- vve could TZoZT"' '™"' '° "'^' "^ anyhow a^o her ay :f N^xr ■*™'' ^^^"^ ^- - ™ '"^ ^'^- Mrf McfT"''' '°: ,"'" '^'^' ""'<'• Abe produced tt of ht Tm '""!, °' "'"'^'y ^"'' -ade two tms of hot toddy, and actually proposed "Success to the expedition." ^ r i' u cuccess as'l^sulr''''-';."" ""'f '°S' ™ "*<= «^<^- and lay down as usual w.th our rifles beside us. I do noi know b;: zi '^fi ''''■'■ '"' '"''^"'y ' ™^ -™k'-d o'a^':::m^^ "°'"-' =™"''^'' '"^^ *^ f-^-^- ^^•; Good God! What's that?" I cried in a stifled M^ . IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) k f /. Ss .% .<^'^,^^ c^< {< ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 Ki liiK :^ 1^ 12.0 U III 1.6 nu^i^ — ^ Ui_ riiuujgicipiuij Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 672-4503 m"^ ^ \ iV 'C^ "^ V ■■\ ^%. Wk\ ». ^ ^^%> V . W i/u % ^ 11 ' il Ml 70 NOOTKA "Wolves," replied Abe, for he was awake too "and dcrncd big 'uns, judging from their note. Listen ! " Again the deep howl rang through the silent forest, and almost immediately it was followed by an answering one a long way off. Abe got up; the fire was falling low, and he added fresh logs. I noticed he carded his rifle in his hand. Guess I 'II fire a shot, boss, and scare those beggars ; they 're liable to keep one awake with their grunting," saying which he pulled the trigger. The explosion echoed and re-echoed to the right and to the left of us, and then seemed to roll gradually away. Abe came back and lay down, and seemed to go off to sleep, but sleep I could not. No sound fol- lowed the firing of the rifle, but a cold perspiration had broken out upon my forehead, and the dense solitude seemed filled with creeping beasts. Some- times I felt that something touched me, and I shivered. It was horrible. Some people, perhaps, are brave in the dark ; I am not. And some people can listen calmly, perhaps, to the howling of a great timber wolf; I cannot. I do not know how long a time elapsed, and I suppose I must have dozed, when suddenly I woke again. The fire had almost died out ; a few red embers alone remained. But what were those lights at the entrance of the canvas? A sickening terror was creeping over me, I confess it. The lights moved ; they came nearer, and a black form obscured the embers of the fire. I believe I was on the point VVOLVES ^j of screaminnf, when n for^;/;^ i • followed bAn rj "^ n r fo'"°' '"•"^; to rush from th. . ^ ^ ^°^"^ seemed "How are you feeling, Mr. Wellesley >•■ a T^ • surely ] vvasn t dreamiiKr ? " Its just this. Mr. VVellesIev fW^' these parts, and they Ve d "^ d ' T'""^ '" Guess they don't ^Jn '"^' ^ ''^^^'O"- ^:t sho ;;;' : :i;t^=^'; '™ -""'- - ™- acc-dental kindof brelk t '""; ' '^ ""^ "°' » and if „o I • ' ' '■"'"' a '='"^an sort o' snao and It made me jump, I tell ver fnr i i ^' thing was about. I .ot as L f"™ . ""' "°""- canvas as I could i,frJ *' ''''«'^ "^ ""= under and r f " P""" """•■ ^^aking in unaer, and I sat up with the rifle full cri.- v were as een wh™ tl,„ , ■ ■ "^o" give a b^t of? "^'^^ '"•■'PP'='' • ' ""--ard you ro'eyo" A terrbi "',' "t°r • " '''' "°"° brute ^ovinf ^nVetv nritt^ 't^^^ -'^^ -*v duu again stopping if. I 11^ if 'I fl 72 NOOTKA I and sniffing ; he passed the fire once, and had a look at the entrance, and then he went round us just to survey. I didn't like to risk a shot in the dark and likely scare you out of your wits by doing so, and then I thought that when he smelt human flesh he 'd slooch off; but dern me if he didn't come round again and come in ! The rest you know. The ex- plosion was my rifle, and the yelping came from the ^ d coyote; and whether he's dead or whether he isn't don't matter a cuss. But I'd sooner he lived long enough to interview his pals and warn them against entering our shanty without an invi- tation." Breakfast was ready by the time Abe finished his story. His calm nerve and apparent unconcern re- assured me. The light of day, the whir of the running river, and the friendly hiss of the kettle soon put fresh life into me, though I never again heard the howl of a wolf in that desolate -st without a nervous shiver creeping over me. And now it struck me why had the dead pros- pector not been torn to pieces by these beasts? I questioned Abe on the subject. "It's likely," he answered, "there was no game there at the time he pegged out; anyhow, we've seen no tracks or traces of any, and wolves always follow game: where there's no food there's no wolves." "Then you think we are approaching a game country ? " " Yes," said Abe, as he finished roping the packs, " unless " " Unless what ? " "St WOLVES ^^ III I! fli CHAPTER VIII. Light at Last "pOR two days more we blundered on through the J- same tangled desolate sort of ground. On the night of the first— the day we left our camp by Trout Stream, for thus we had christened it— it came on to ram, a steady downpour. Far above our heads we could catch occasional glimpses of the clouds chasing each other along, but down in the depths of the forest not a breath of wind was even felt, while not even a dead leaf stirred. The rain fell on the trees and then rolled from their branches, great big drops in one long endless patter. No signs of animal life had we met with, not even another stream where we might have expected fish. Occasionally, especially at night, we heard the howling of wolves, but so far they had' not agam approached too near the camp ; and we had been careful to select a spot to camp at where we might defend ourselves to the greatest advantage should they try to attack us. Also we had piled up an enormous fire outside the canvas at night— it could hardly be termed a tent— while we took it in turns to replenish it. When I say we took it in turns I am almost certain I sometimes dozed off and missed mine, but Abe had a wonderful knack of waking up whenever he wished to, and he never complained or upbraided me. % nn V. p >«£! £ab_ LIGHT AT LAST ^^ leavin.. it "nd ,hf r""*^ ""= ==""'' ''^V lifter For a couple of hours we had lv.,n steadily uphill, when Abe sTg.ested ' r^nT^ to the left and trv and „=.., tu "''°"''' ''^ar 'he h-ght lasted "wcZ-t 'Vi '"^ ""' """'^ of the country ahead and an , if " glimpse or the rations^illLst tTe lolls" "'"'"' ""^ '^^^ approached the summit of fte h II • I "f^ "" "' here, and consequently less J 1 V, ' f T' "''"=' S'"'" Hot. and wet, and"^e ! ti:° :'°"^P''"^S«- top and found a clearfnTfrl h ^* "'^'^''^ *<= country could be obta Id r '"'" =" "^^^ °^ 'he it was some time ere """^ "^^""^ "^'^ 3'°°™. valleys of ^et befoe u^Z'? f"'/"^'^' ""' -.'..^std-Se^rrhSllo^: •;^Surely," said Abe at last, "that's the sea." fartestr'alofp::: f" T"™'' '" "'^ ^'^^ --formist:::tt;;Zer^--^^^^^^ ■ ( (1 ! } i i : 76 NOOTKA "And look, Mr. VVcUcslcy, up to the north-west there the country is more open; those hills have little or no timber on them." For some time we sat and took in the lie of the land, and then descended the hill again till we found a stream and suitable spot for camp. As we went it was decided we should bear to the north-west ; once in open country, we could make the river if it existed, which I began to doubt, and the head of Nootka Sound in half a day. That night Abe went carefully through the meagre lot of provisions left. " There 's bacon enough for four good meals apiece after to-night, flour for about two loaves, and dried apples that'll last 'em both out." That was his summary. That night, as I sat before the fire smoking the final pipe before turning in, I felt very weak and ill. I remember wondering if Moses had felt anything like as I did when he gazed at the promised land afar that he should never enter, and then I laughed. I pretended to be gay, but my head was dizzy, and swam round. The far-off howls of the wolves and the crash of some falling giant fir, grown dead and rotten with the march of centuries, the noise whereof sounded in the still night air like the boom of an eighty-ton gun, were sounds that had hitherto filled me with awe, but now they fell un- heeded on my ears. Abe spoke little ; once he got up and went to his pack, from which he drew forth the flask of whisky. It was still three parts full ; we had not touched it since leaving Trout River. He mixed a stiff tin LIGHT AT LAST 77 of whisky and hot water for one, and brought it to me. "Come, Mr. Wellesley, swallow this down, and turn m ; you 're not quite yourself to-night." The last thing that I remember of that night was seemg Abe sitting up by my side, looking anxiously mto the blazing logs, and sometimes casting a quick fitful glance at me. ' I was better in the morning, but I felt I was taxmg Abe's strength severely, not taking my turn at the replenishing of the fire through the night, and I said so to him. " Never you mind that, boss," he answered. " You were right worn out last night, and wanted all the sleep you could get, and now let's try and clear out of this cussed forest before sundown. I've had enough of it, and you've had a trifle too much." Our packs grew lighter as our provisions grew less but as I hitched mine on my back that morning it felt very heavy, heavier than it had done since we started. Often I found myself lurching, and some- times almost dozing, as I stumbled after Abe Many times he had to pause for me, and assist me over a fallen log, or give me a hand through the thick undergrowth. Midday came, and we halted by a little rill of water to eat a sandwich, but somehow I did not want mme; I no longer felt hungry; all I longed to do was to lie down and sleep for ever. For a little time Abe watched me in silence; then he rose, and came over to me and put his hand on mv shoulder.. n I I . i' if:, ! I 78 t NOOTKA "Mr. Wellesley, for Gorl'« „l, but a little way to go now ■ '°"'' "^ ' ^' ^^^ "o .00.-, t J;- xt" i'r,TvLflI°»- ^''^ afternoon I never remember TV •™t'"''" "^ '""' afterwards from Abe „ e saW h ^^' ' ^='*"'=^ scared in his life for l".! , ™^ "'=™'' >i° hands, and he thou'it I hn ,T '">' ^'^^ '" "'Y he got out the Zk 'S ?' ^"""y- '-'antly dose. I shivered and i^ J^ ^^™ ""^ ^ ="-°ng but it seemed t^rett tflil" '^f ^"'r "■•"•'> ,^«o„the.opofhi3,arhJtttty^ ha.f'pTnfnlC dra;™d retn f' T.''" ''"'^- I remember in a Hr! "^"^ "'^ '°'-«t. forest grow ZhJ '^''Z 'Z t"''^^^^'"^ «>^ trees, and I heard Abe mutte" ,Th'"'i '^'■°"'' ">^ I wondered why and ^r t """^ '^°^-"' and ^in^t^ •'f "st-thtgT:,?-' -' ' an^o^h^o^r-^''^-'^^''^^- a cry Of surprise "Rest awhile here, boss T '11 k«. k . , don't give way. J reckon w.' n ''^ '^°^'^>^' ^"^ "P; we have t alone while Id fox. It's »» nt sentences, 'der of that t I gathered IS never so 'ead in my • Instantly le a strong : the spirit, he hoisted ■ on to my my beh'ef alf h'fting, forest, ieeing the ■ough the od!" and ■n, and I surprise ^tly, and r." 'Violently ng." 'ith the ! 1 I '^M •4 . . ,1 f ■ m n 1 1 .If ii ABE TKTS AN KASV SHOT AT A FINK lu CK. ToJ.uf //r<,-,- 79. Zt LIGHT AT LAST 79 olher he fed me with .some meat. At first I refused ^•c, I iwallmved some morsels of it, and "radmllv VVl,erearewe?"Iasi*0, boss, not vet • Knf I ' prints." "V>c^ but I ve seen their foot- distantly it nashecl acn.ss me mi'Wit not F to br;:":;'aT.hi™V""".' ' •^-^'y^-w whether „ „,? , '■' '"formation or not. What do you thhik of it, Abe ? " Wilson smiled. " To tell you the truth, Mr. VVeIie^l,,„ r ■„ ■ , . [,lad I ve seen those footprints for it C. . u a man saw a sign of us " ' °^ has ever heard o^ people liWn^Xhere"" "" "° "'"= Abe shrugged his shoulders. « Guess you Ve <.ot to chance sometliing in these narts" i, , ^ what brusquely ■■liJ-T "^ ' " '""' '°'"'^- r:;rir :'-;-=■" "-".~ - U^e> arc here, or have been ; they don't at 'li i H I' lj\ Pi 82 xNOOTKA present know an}-thinj^ about us, and we ought to get the first stalk. If we get a sight of them, and they k)ok an ugly lot, we can get round them and make the shore. The boat ought to be up shortly, if not already." Abe talked sensibly after all, and I entirely agreed with what he said when I came to ruminate on the situation. At first perhaps I was inwardly vexed that after all our labour we were not the first in the field. The rest of our task appeared so easy; we were in an open, undulating countr)-, where game abounded ; the sea but a march from us, where Fane would be awaiting us. Ah ! ah ! I smile now when I think of those reflections, and I mind me of the old proverb, " Man proposes, God disposes." CHAPTER IX. Friends or Foes I f.f;'^.'^"'!'' r^^ov^r^'^ when I woke at the first LT k "'f' "' ^^>'^'^^^^^' the crack of the axe and the breaking of the st.Vl-^ f^i i . already ast.V, „akf„g up he le 'r. '' "" »und that fs, the Splutter of Z ^^Tf,^ 'T you lie in a c^nrf r.f • , ^P "''^' ^vhen sleen fV? sem.-doze following the deeo ^ eep that conies after a hard day's work H ^ plainly faces pass before you, and voi eTr L^a's^^ ring m your ears, or perchance visions of thTj time you were about " • pn i r [ ' ""' *^'^"' ^°^^' t, wets me mosL cheerful meal u^p k^ i down to since leaving Victoria Th! i f '^^ sady, on our backs and turned'our fac 83 with light hearts we hoisted them t-'y to the west. V r [ l| ■ ■ 11 1 1 ■1^ ■•' m NOOTKA Half an hour's walking brouj,rht us to the summit of a low ridge, from which a glorious view burst on our vision. Some twelve or fifteen miles distant the sea was distinctly visible in places, while the country 'twixt us and it appeared to consist of low hills and fertile valleys, while here and there small clumps of trees broke the monotony. To the north tall, spur- like peaks stood boldly up, but as far as we could see to the south the country seemed to be flat and heavily timbered. We paused a few minutes to enjoy the view, and see if we could make out any form of man or beast but nothing was in sight. We walked on another hour, and suddenl)-, as we were crossing a marshy httle valley, Abe stopped. There was no need for him to explain anything, for there plain enough in the soft soil were the great hoof-prints of a band of wapiti. I had seen them too often in Wyoming not to know them at once. "Passed up in the early morning," said Abe in a low voice. "And look here, boss," he continued, "don't you shoot if we come suddenly on elk or deer ! It 's only a mile or so to the south of this I saw the footprints of the men, and they might easily be within hearing distance of a rifle sijot. We've got meat enough for a couple of days, so let's make the ground good before we start hunting." I saw the force of his remarks, and trudged on behind him cautiously, and on the alert. Early in the afternoon, as we were skirting a belt of timber that lay on our left, Abe stopped short again. ^ " Smoke ! " he whispered to my query. /■■y>».v A ^S WK VVKKE SK.RTINC; A .,K..T OK T.MHKK sropi'iii) SHORT acain. AHK 'i'' ^4- • 1 it J 1 a ^ I-. 1 FRIENDS OR FOES 85 I gaEcd in the direction where he pointed, and there, distinctly over a low ridge about a mile in tront of us, rose a thin blue line. _ " VVe 'd best investigate this little affair, as they say in the Cheyenne Star, eh. boss ? " The expressions in the C/uyenne Star appeared to have deeply impressed Abe, as he was always ready wi h a quotation from that important, but to me unknown, organ. I acquiesced, and with a curious and uncanny feeling within me I followed him across the flat. Half-way up the ridge Abe halted, sat down, and let his pack slide from his shoulders ^^^^Leave packs here." he whispered, seizing his I nodded, and followed suit. We proceeded very carefully now. and on reaching within a i^sy yards of the ridge crawled to the most elevated point before us, where we should command a view of the further side. The smoke of the fire was now distinctly visible just in front of us. Abe raised himself slowly and peered forward over a rock l^or some time he looked right and left, and then raised himself higher. At length he slid back to me Camp in a hollowj " he whispered ; '< we must get nearer. ^ Making a slight detour, we crawled over the rid^e towards some rocks another eighty yards on. on tSe further side of which the fire was burning. A-^ain Abe raised his head between two stones, and almost immediately his figure became set like that of a pointer- when he scents a covey of grouse For a long time he gazed ; then slowly withdraw- ing his head, he touched me on the arm " Look ' " m 86 NOOTKA '^,1 and r ' I'"-" '"^'"^"P ^''"''" ""•■ '^™ atones, and tho,e no .xty yards from u,,, were a party o men Hut who were they, and what werl they The lonycr I gazed the less could I determine. I had earnestly hoped and prayed that if there ,vere Trtv T r!."''-^'=^ "•™'" '"'" ""' '» be Fane's party that the nbs on the soles of the boots mi^ht have been added on board the yaeht to enable them surer. But these were not Fane's men ; they looked hkc ndians, and yet they wore clothes of a sort of grey homespun and odd-looking .straw hats. Round the fire they sat with their legs tucked under them bl.nkmg and noddmg and smoking little short pipes ■ my head ""'' '"'' *'^ """• '^'"''"""^ ' """--' " What shall we do, Abe ? " "Just interview 'em." whispered he. "I reckon hey look pretty well dressed and respectable, and I know a little Siwash." * I confess I did not particularly like the look of WhTT" T"' ^V ''"^ ""' ^^^^ ^° ^-^^ peace with them If possible. We could not well avoid them, and they would be sure to come on our trail, and then they would stalk us. I thought for some moments, and then nodded to Abe. "Is your rifle loaded?" Again I nodded. "Well, come on." With one bound Abe leapt on to the rock in front of us, and I followed him. * Nearly all Indian tribes talk a lanRuace called Sfw.cV, i,m having a distinct language of their own. ^'^' ""^'^^ in FRI1':XDS OK Foi.:s .s^ . " H'- ! hi ! " he yelled. Gracious heavens ' if fU ■n the a,r and on to their fcet in tl'. twinidin , of a flash, and then they .stood gazin.. at u. A, carried a gun or rifle. "Come on boss," cried Abe. after parleyino a few d.d was to eye us cautiously. Abe ceas,^! 7 at last, and waited for some respons^ '"''"'«■ hujrst.^ra;d doVir;°:^ '^'---'^ "^= ^ f- one of us to th^ It:. ''Thr:L r i:^ grovvn,, embarrassing. Then in a ,ow musicTv::: " Whence come the white men ' " Great Caesar's ghost! they spoke Enc^h'sh r looked at the man in amazemen ; Abe bti s tint' a loud guiTaw, but thinking this might be co^d rtd rude, 1 hastily intervened. .'fi J ,■'. J 88 NOOTKA Fast Th ■' ' f' ''''''''^^''' ^'•^"^ the far last. Thi. -I pointed to Abe-" is Mr. Wilson the great w.tch doctor of Wyoming. My name sT' .s We lesley a somewhat celebratedlxplorer.' ' ' Whence have you come?'' "Through that blamed wood," chimed in Abe . I thought the Indians looked at one another' in mcreduhty, and then at us more curiously stil! White men go not through the forest." said the ch,ef-he was evidently the leader of the pa tv shaknig his head. party— I saw they doubted our story. How should we convmce them? ^^'' " VVhat is impossible to ordinary white men is possible to us," I answered. •« The great witch docto can go wheresoever he pleases." An awkward pause ensued. The Indians h.A squatted down a,afn with their welpo!:' .het hand, mofonless and apparently indifferent; only the ch,ef reman,ed standing, his black bead; eyes fixed steadily upon us. ^ For some reason or another, I tot out my watch o see he time and avoid the gaze of the Indian Immediately a cry of surprise arose "See!" they cried; "lie has a time-tick." And then they crowded round, e.xamining it and chatter mg to themselves in an unknown tongue like a parcel of young children in a nursery talisman. So interesting did my watch appear in the eyes of these people, that it was some time before the chief could restore order. He had To do what sounded to me like a iit.le Indian swearing •^ }.• II IJ To faa- /-.ag,' ;y. vt i I'KIICNDS OK FOKS jy Ihdrsc't: 'trr, ""f ''^^•■^'- '^""y -" — = ' "-"• 'I"- witch doctor a time-tick ? " Of course •• t me ^i.'.'rr" '"^ '""""^"^^- °f "--^n rt;™'^,e^^etf:,-r;°'""'''-"^^^^^^^^^^ other ..:,;:'irLtz;ot:;::f"''''-^-- Who was the ^M-cat chiqf ? I wondered n.'d h mean himself? vvuuuerea. Uid he The afternoon was wearin"- on <;n r . i , -r in.^s.e.t„,,or^t:a::^;ri,;:^f.- and reproduce it as we heard it At the ^^ he startled us. ^^^ """"'y cutset «" w^n^ '' /°"'' "^'''^' "^'^^^ " I ^sked. Walker, was the reolv • '^^^nA r T u^^ 4. , '^Hv . and 1 am not a chief" I had to nudge Abe hard to keen him r uttermg another guffaw. Who ever Tear^of bear"^rt^;;;::;:;:;^-'%^x.or.^ ^^^^ and Pt^nea it, and George Harper, with a srnr^ ^r anc. .he stores dJcec, a j;:.f :! an^dTrS rule of our own people; and we have come o to you that either you throw in your lot .1 that you ieave the settlement L^^ne er'^tu^rn 'Z ■t on pan, of death/ , looked at the facerlrund FRIENDS OR FOKS in 93 me hoping to find some look of wavering, but tlieir sullen and angry glances told me they were dete ™"ed. I asKed for time to give them an answer" bu was told it must be then and there, and Z' ■M threw u, my lot with them I must sign a paper but I could not brmg myself to turn against the Ine^who had been always good to me" At lasl . "'" ^\„ "a''P" =ieemed pleased. ■ Where then I had noticed there were some secret meetin<-s eo.ng on I had hidden ,'t in the hollow of a tre^ TtZ"T/': ""'^"""'^ ""' ' —red,', at the eh.efs house, where I left if 'Then it will soon be ours,' said Harper. firs't^ste^" r;' "'1 "'^ '•"' "'^' "'Sht. ™d at the o fthl 'm ? ' ""' '=™^"="='' *° ""= °"tside of the village, where I found twenty other men who, hke me, had refused to sign the paper We were g.ven a fortnight's provisions, and' told to make our way through the forest, or wheresoever we would and that if ever we showed ou face agam w.thm the settlement we should be k^ed thrfo:^t"r-'"': ^^-"^^ °" *«= -''^-'"of the forest, fearmg to penetrate it, for few that have ever done so have returned, ;nd tho e ha have have been more dead than alive. It Ts aW thesis a world beyond, but we have no knowledge "Good heavens !" I cried, jumping up, "are these people murdered ? " ' fa P. "re tncsc Walker shook his head doubtfully. « , warned the 111 h 94 i NOOTKA -™W try to rush L unaware"""" "^ "''^- ^^ be to^iar" '° ^' '''^'''^^'^■■' ' -ed; "we .ay not ^es^d^ on-t: rtlr a^ tf T"'"^ ^- head again. •■ TwenLmn " ""^ ='^°* hi. would be deatl," ^ ''S*'"'' '^'^ ''""dfed ? It people." I lootdYnto'" ■ ^^ ^"^ ^-^ «- "ito the fire with a fnr r.fr , ?' ^ '''^' 8^^^'"g turned, and that odVTnd^ °"^ ^" ^'^ ^>'-- He -en before when I st ste^l"^ ^"^^'^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ ^ad across his features. ""^'^^"^ ^^^ expedition passed " Two hundred to twenty boss i " h. -^ . Cuess I Ve landed those odds bj ''^- " ^""' ^ race ain't over, we'll Tve a go ' °" ""' '"' '"' ''^ id he may wily, and i may not ling eyes hook his Jred? It him on le these ' gazing es. He ^ I had passed ill WeJ], I if the III h To/iicc iai;c (J5 JOItV WALKER, CHAPTER X. " You have got your Ansiuer " " T CANNOT believe, father, that they would harm A us after all we have done for them." But there was doubt and uncertainty expressed in the speaker's voice. r It is here necessary to leave Abe and myself for a brief space of time, and endeavour to depict to the reader a situation I was afterwards to be made acquainted with. _ It was evening, and the last meal of the day had just been discussed. Seated at a well-lighted table were five persons, three elderly men and two girls Since the last dish had been removed a long silence had fallen on the little party, accentuated by the intense stillness of the far western twilight. Occasion- ally the sharp bark of a dog from the village below jarred on the ear, and only served to enhance the gloom. It was the eldest of the girls who had spoken. •; I only hope you are right, Hilda," replied a tall white-bearded old man who sat at the end of the table; "but I have a presentiment that some evil scheme is being concocted, but what it is and who IS at the bottom of it I have no idea. Why" he continued excitedly, "hasn't John Walker been up 95 il I J I 96 NOOTKA all day? Why has Harper never called ? Why in short, has no one from the villncr^ k ^' (Jay?" village been near us all No one answered, and the silence was ^rowino- denser. Suddenly the old mnn .^ ^"^"^ving hell Ai^ ^ • ; " ^^^^ •'^"^1 ""anrr the bell. Almost instantly it was answered by a tall the 'm ' t "r ''' ^^"^ ^^^ '^-^^--I -- by he members of the band who were introduced to the reader m the last chapter. "Joe ' " " Yes, sir," V iia.e.P This was the twentieth time that day the same question had been addressed to Joe "^ i he Indian shook his head. ' "But you believe something is wrong ?" th.T "^^^''" ?""''^ '°""^ ^' the anxious eyes that rested on him, and slowly nodded ^ theta^.;:';:^^^;^— on the other boys.V Re turned sharply to the ttr::ttvr''- ^''-^ °^^- ^-^-^ ^^-d'^ tt "y;s s r^ "^enservants in different capacities. Ye., sir replied Joe. " I know there have been ^e re meetings in the village of late; Walker to d me so, but our boys have never been down there and know nothing of them I thmi , on them." ^^'"^ ''''' ^^" '"ely "Tell them,;' cried the old man excitedly, "that If I see any sign of mutinous conduct on the par of any one of them I'll blow his brains out wUh key of the stockade myself And if there is a con! "VOU HAVK GOT YOUR A.VSWKR.' 57 bf^re':;;'f ^:"^t"'' "-■ '^^^ --' ««^' »■•='= be won rcLd ;, "1 ,1:",:""?^":;' ""^^ -^'■" ■•eady. One moment, Joe'" The „' """^"' ^^^,_ Voukl John Walker jo,n in any plot against " We^l' Ti'fJ""' " ' "■" '"" '"^ >™"W not," thetjvtre ^Jr^fJ'r, '''.'^ r-^-- ^ert to - to the „;„ on eltheTride of ^;^ '^'f^^ ™t ''^^^^^ go, Ted Cooiipr " u 1 , "'-^ '^ ''^ '■um man on his Xht ^ mn T " ^ "°"'' ""•^'^-' ^ "fc."t — a man who must hav« u very powerful fellow in his youn^day:" '"" ' Walker, in the'ltf eta^e .'°„t t,'"nt"' ^°''" Henry Herbert anrl h^ u^i ^^"^^ ^^^s "--ra.rd shiXrhad\^r wnttT:: °^ "-= and eone nshnr« fi , ^^" ^""^ oi its course Will Gibson, the boatswatn- he tf^'^TI:; ^'^ who sat opposite to him ar th. , " '""'^^'^ °ld man survivors left- .f f^ '^^^ table-were the only "It™ a rum ?7.. "'^ '^*^'' «^^''«*- repeated '°' ^^''- ^'^'^ -"-k had to be " Blimy if I can make head nor tail ofit 1 '■ „ -j .u carpenter, stroking his ehin tho gitfuIlJ -f h^^ tbmk the settlement never was so S. L tl^ • i I 98 NOOTKA ''Ir village' on a slight eminence. It was a roomy one-storied structure, built of course of wood, and designed by Cooper, who had gradually instructed the natives in the art of building. Evidently the wily carpenter, as he had just remarked, had suspicions that a day might come when the Indians might turn round and endeavour to rend them ; and he had taken care to make the place as impregnable as he could with the scant material at his command. All round the house ten yards from the main building, ran a solid stockade some twelve feet high, formed of thick pine logs ; on the top of these were stuck iron .spikes, while on the inner side stout boards were nailed at right angles to he logs, against which poles were placed horizontally to strengthen them against being rammed in from vvithout. The site, too. was well chosen. On the west side, at the foot of a precipitous wall of rock, ran the "VOU HAVK GOT YOUR ANSWICR" ^ tZ ZTl "' "r '."■'''"■^" '"""' ■"'" ^'■^">' "" 'he very "iKc "f the rock Iho stuckacle h.ui fen .Irivcn i„ so tat no person could even walk alon,. „n tl,e ™ ■ Ic There were two s,..tes openin;; out of the sto 1 One, the „,ain one. faced 'the .south an I f, ,::';„ " seldom use "-™»-" cov red m a .Ice;) carpet of fine pasture T,> .!,„ north it soon oegan to rise again and rocks and scrub stood forth. A ,uarte.. oT a mile to tt eas' a ro. s he grass- valley, ran a iine of low, brok™ hUls P allel w,th the river, while two miles belo v h v,,k^ the ,.::fish river ran into the helLrZott: " Who are you, and what do you want ? " rf te gruff voice of Cooper that spoke at sout J e of the stockade. Dead silence reigned with , H room, whilst the occupants listened anxious^ "" I w.sh to see the White Chief," came the answer Then you can't see him; and what the blue bra/es o you mean by coming here after nightfall? The day-tmr,e ,s the proper time to see the White Chief unfess he sends for you, and you know that," ' Whdst the carpenter was speaking, Captain Herbert had nsen and quietly gone outside ceas'ed.*" ^"" ™''"' ""P"'" '"^ ""^'l -^ Cooper " It is," replied the voice. " Then out with it ! What do you want, and what do these meetings mean that I hear of p" .^^ '""''^ "^'^^^ '-''' °P- ^^^ ^ate r will n W fi lUO NOOTKA "You dog, you think to enter licre and trai) me, do you? Explain from where you are. I can hear." " Does the White Chief refuse to open?" " I do." "It is well," continued the Indian in a calm, oily tone. "I am here as the spokesman of our tribe. They have met, and in serious conclave have deter- mined that they will no longer be ruled by a white chief, but by one of their own tribe. Yet my mission is one of peace. The White Chief has taught the Indians many things for which they are grateful, but he has shown them that it is with their property and with their assistance he has grown fat and pros- perous." " I have no wish to argue with you with reference to my position," interrupted Captain Herbert. " You know, no one so well as you, Harper, that but for me you and your tribe would now be in darkness and ignorance. I have endeavoured always to be just and fair, but I see now where I have been wrong : I have erred in teaching you the ways of civilization." " That may be so," retorted the Indian, "but having set the stone rolling down the mountain -side, you cannot stop it." " Peace, dog I " cried the old man angrily. " It is you who have set the stone rolling. Let us end this. Why are you here ? " "Be it so," said the Indian. "My orders are to inform you, that if you open the gate and come forth unarmed, you and the two white captains will be conducted to the coast to the eastwards by a route known only to one of us. Then by a certain head- land the big boats of the white man sail frequently past, "YOU HAVE GOT YOUR ANSWER" lOI and by sicrns the White Chief can attract attention, and so reach a^ain the tribe that he came from, vvliich has surely jrrowii weary of waitin^^ for him." "You have not mentioned my dautjhters." "The track throuj,rh tiie forest is filled with fallen timber and prickly scrub," said the Indian. "Would the white man impede his progress with petticoats?" " Scoundrel I " cried the old man ; " do you propose to banish me and detain them here?" If Mr. Harper had been able at that moment to have peeped into the room where the two girls sat, listening almost breathlessly to the conversation going on without, I doubt if he would have been very keen about detaining them. With her white teeth set, her great grey eyes flashing with scorn, and her hand on the haft of her revolver, Hilda sat gazing at her sister. Mary was a little younger than her sister and somewhat fairer, with a rounder face and a merry twinkle in her blue eyes, and maybe many people would have called her .softer and more feminine. Comparisons, they say, are odious; all that need be said is that two lovelier types of English beauty, two grander specimens of the female sex, could not have been found anywhere. They both stood but very little short of six feet, yet in their proportions not a bone seemed displaced, not a feature looked wrong. Do I rave— I who tell this story ? Perhaps I do, and some years have pas.^ed since I first saw them ; and all I can say is, I rave still. When Mary raised her eyes and met her sister's fierce glance, an answering gleam of scorn and decision shone in hers. The Indian had not replied, and Captain Herbert i-ll H I 102 NOOTKA repeated the question, " What do you propose to do with my daughters ? " ^ i f ^^ uu "I have no orders at present concerning the women, rephed the Indian sullenly. /'Come," said Hilda, placing her hand on her s'sters shoulder, "it's time we had a say in this" and she glided swiftly through the open door into the space before the stockade. A silence had fallen, ihe old man, boiling inwardly with rage, knew not What to say. Cooper was mentally cursing because here was not enough light to see to shoot the Indian through a loophole, when Hilda's voice fell clear and distinct on the quiet night. "Are you still there, George Harper ? " "I am here," said the voice, "waiting the White L-niefs answer." "I Will answer for him," cried Hilda. "Go back then, to the tribe, and tell them that three old men and two girls defy them to do their worst; and mark me, if the worst should come to the worst, and we be overpowered by your treacherous followers, do not thmk my sister and I will ever fall into the hands ot such as you. No ! " she cried. " Tell them from me the first Indian hand that is laid on the form of Hilda Herbert will be laid on a figure whence the spirit has departed-a figure they are all welcome to." ^ " I have no need to repeat the words of the Red Kose, answered the Indian sarcastically ; " the tribe can hear themselves. Is this the White Chief's ^T^^'\';^^.f^^^'^^^^^> addressing Captain Herbert. Ves, said the old man sternly, "my daughter's answer is mine. Do your worst." "YOU HAVE GOT YOUR ANSWER" lO: "That answer means war," said the Indian; "and supposing you are able to prevent us for a time from entcnng the stockade, it is only a question of time for us to starve you out, and, mind, in that case I cannot be responsible for what will happen, the blood of the braves once roused." "Away!" cried the old man angrily; "you have got your answer." . ' ii ill 1 k are CHAPTER XI. The Ittdians Agree " T MUST make you out a greater paragon than Waker -rf "'^"^ ^ '"" ^'^ f™" '^e Indian Walker. They are scared at the thought of return- g ; hey th^k the odds against them hopeles T", Fr end W^a » , "'^ "°™ ■''="'■•« '" disgust i-nend Walker,' I continued, turning to the Indian great Witch Doctor commands me to tell you that IWrr''^' '"= ""^ ^"^ *« ■time'ick-"!!' I thought ,t w,se to refer to the "time-tick," seeing the deep mipression it had produced- "he has determmed to rescue the great White Chief and h.s daughters, if it be not too late, and he impio es you to return with us and lend us your a,7 He and are capable of doing this alone^ut it would on the White Chief and those with him." Mournfully the Indian .shook his head. "Two hundred to twenty?" he said; "it would mein 104 THE INDIANS AGREE 105 "Tut, man! what do you mean? Have you ever seen the Witch Doctor shoot ? Did the enemy dare to charge us, they would melt away before his rifle like the snow before the summer sun." I had noticed the Indian's rifle" was a mu77le- loader of an old type ; and though I learnt later that Captain Herbert had a (cw modern magazine rifles stowed away in "The Lodge," I thought it better to impress on the Indian the superiority of the repeating weapon, and I was right, for afterwards I found out that the half-dozen rifles he. Captain Herbert, distributed among the men who were in the highest position in the" tribe were all weapons of an older type, and this I found afterwards was Coopers doing. "As long a; they can bang off and hit something, that is all they want." he had been heard to say. " Don't you be fool enough to give them magazine rifles to syringe the stockade with. And so it was the repeating rifles lay in the strong-room at " The Lodge," oiled and carefully guarded by Joe, the confidential Indian servant whilst Captain Herbert always used an old Scotch double-barrel express when he went on a hunting expedition. Consequently e.en Walker knew not of the merits of a quick-firing rifle. "The vvhite man speaks strangely or boastfully," said Walker. ' "Neither the one nor the other," I replied, "but you shall see the Witch Doctor shoot as soon as It is light, and then you will be convinced that nothing can approach him and live. After that we will hurry on to these persons' assistance " i i1 ll U H u io6 NOOTKA on hisTce "'"" '° "' ~-"-'ion with a sje in^^t,"^'l:^u "' ^^'■"'' °°^'°^ *°°' i" 'he morn- ^e!; to, o''^"^^'-^"'^'"'-''---- what. m„=f . To-morrow morning you must empty your magazine into something. I [Z - you can. Let her go. and you can prerend you ave more cartridges in her when you Ve done the^s;x; but probably that will sufficiently imprest The camp I,ad been astir some time when I woke • " '^^ f°"°«''"g morning. The incidents of "he Prev,ou., day and the position we were in im med,a,ely crowded on my brain, and I ";Z ZSfdeTe. ''' '-' — ^ ^'-'- «- "^ Abe and the Indian, Walker, were seated together hy a small fire, some distance from the main grouo chattmg ,n low voices, when I emerged Tom the canvas on my way to the stream, there" to engTge in the usual meagre morning ablutions. The former greeted me with a smile, but the Indian only . anced ned':s^dorbt 'r'' '"'''=' "■^' •>'= -'-"- niit-a witn doubt and uncertainty the'fa'rget""'"""' ^''' " '''' ^^"^ ''^ --"ged on^a^'reZ" '? ""',"''''1'°" ^^ P°'-"'ed to, and there, a ledge of dark rock some fifty yards from he THE INDIANS AGREE ,o; camp, were placed, at an interval of half a yard a cozen pieces of white quartz stone, each about the size of a man's hand. J^t"" ^'^,^^^'^'°"'" cotuinucd Abe. "will be ^iven after breakfast, so hurry up." I knew quite well that Abe could knock those stones over at that distance as quickly and u n- emngly as a scullery maid could shell peas but hen would he be nervous P It was evidenffrom he expression on Walker's face that he half be- heved we were mere boasters ; anyhow, Abe's ability was to be put to a first and final test. The same notion was plainly depicted on the faces of the other b^hh^Abr ^'°°' ^'^^""^^ ^"' ''^''''y ^^-"p^^ wllf''''^..^^''""^'"^-" ^'^'^ ^be, turning to Walker with his rifle in his hand. "As the Witch Doctor chooses." replied the Indian. Abe threw himself on the ground with his back against a stump, r.nd drew up his left knee "Ready? "he called. " Ready," said Walker. Bang ! whiz ! crack ! Bang ! whiz ! crack ! Bang > whiz! crack! If the reader chooses to say these words evenly and not too hurriedly, to himself or hersel alas! m the latter ca.e I feel it will be difficult-gazing at the same time steadily on the pieces of quartz stone which are distinctly visible on the dark ledge of rock. "Bang!" will represent the report of the rifle, simultaneously with which the white stone on the right disappears, "Whiz'" the jerk of the lever which shoots the cartridge out 5*1 I io8 Crack ! " the rc})!; NOOTKA iciii"- of the k fi,;., e- • ' ^ --— J^'ver into position for gonf ■ ' """" ^'" ^''"^' ""^ ^'-" ^^"^'■'^ ''°^'^^ J^'-^d Abe jumped up smih-n- and for the first time I and their dark beady eyes almost starting from their Heads with amazement, they gazed from Abe to the sZe ^''T ""' ^"'" ''^'''' ''"'' ^'^' °^ '^^- quartz stones to Abe m utter bewilderment Abe ^valked up to Walker, looking him straight in he face, at the same time quietl^ slipping^re «" "^'^ "" "^^"^•'"' '"^ ^^-^ -- not "Do you wish me to go on, Chief Walker ? " The Indian looked at him, and there was almost a suspicion of fear on his countenance For some minutes they talked hurriedly and S^t^J 1 ! "^ anxiously, and without speaking. Suddenly the murmur of voices ceased, and Walked with head erect, and a determined look upon Ws face, came towards us. ^ "Witch Doctor," he .said, "and you. Explorer"- there was a somewhat disdainful expression in his vo ce as he spoke the latter word ; I was merelv a hanger-on: it was Abe he addressed-" I h^e spoken w,th those who are with me, and we have Wh,te Ch,ef, and, with your aid, help to save him from h,s enem,es; but I would again point out^ THE INDIANS AGRKK 109 are twenty a<;aln.st two hundred, and that our foes are led by a man crafty as the fox. If he knew the power of the Witch Doctor's riHe he would not approach us, but would hem us in till we fell for \vant of food and water. Ik.t if it be that we are called back to the glory of the sun and the home of our fathers, it is a great and a proud moment for all of us that we go in the company of the iireat Witch Doctor." The voice of the Indian was firm, and a determined air had come upon him. Abe did not reply in U^ords ; he held out his hand, the hand I have spoken of before, and Walker grasped it. Slowly his eyes met the smiling ones of Abe, and the look that came over his face I shall never forget ; the magnetic touch had thrilled through him, and Abe Wilson had unconsciously added another slave to his list, who would follow him blindly and unhesitatingly whithersoever he would command. " Now," said Abe, " let us be moving. How far is it, Walker, to the White Chief's place ? " "Three to four hours," replied Walker, "should bring us to the last ridges overlooking the valley where lie the house of the White Chief and the Indian settlement below, but we should move with care, and have one always ahead to act as scout, for Harper might suspect our return; he is cunning as the fox, and would leave no stone unturned to gain his ends." All this time I thought it best to play second fiddle; It would, perhaps, be truer to say I was distinctly playing second fiddle. Anyhow, I had the sense to \>i Hi no NOOTKA keep myself in the background, so I n^erely nudged " Speak a few words to the inr-n " r , - • the on : t ho "T"' ""'*=^ '"■" "" f- -e, for if Abe spoke a few words to the men. he'U s'ocJ' V T ,°^ ^°" '^"'^ '■' ^"d turns tail The Indians shook their heads "Ay, ay! "they cried. "Come along, then ; it shall be done " from" wflkT 7t V "r"""^ "^ ^^-"^ --h .. ""^^' ^^^ of a similar pattern to his anH .^ . we could avoid being rushed'we ..ight kel "hem at bay ,f we met tl>em on ground favouraJe tc us bu what we looped to do was to malce tf,.! White •-hief acquamted of our nresenr^ „„k r Harper and liis men. unbeknown to It was Walker wlio made this suggestion whi.h THE INDIANS AGREE jLTll'""'"' ,"•' ""^ •'-" ■■■■■■'^"dy remarked, III reader „,ay also rem;„;;;' rr:™:'':',;;:' "j' east of the ndge a-ain lay a broad fertile olain n elk that m,ght have come out on to thf plain Z Xn e:h,r wL:;\hir"' 'r ' => -^''^ «^" " The I orf„r • , J ""' ''°"'-" someone at ^f with h:^^:ie jo^e^:^^^^^^^^^^ and how far off they wer^, e^ ''""' '™' '''"' It was rather too far for Walker f^ r m dh-ectlons of Captain Herbert'^rut': eltlop^ oblip-eH f n ^ ' ' °^ ''°"''^^' he had been ODiiged to come away without ,> Qfn u :,r:/ °' '-' =■'"" ""'^" ""-;" by Harper's men." ^ ^^" " Humph ! " ejaculated Abe • " thaf rU^ v , . such a good thing as it sounded." " ' "^^'" '' Still It was agreed to make for the signal .nnf . ^ Jf we reached it unobserved we coul7 hL °^^^^^^^^ the course to pursue. aiscuss ( '( jl ! I 12 NOOTKA There were many other points to be discussed, and the time had passed quickly, when, on reaching the summit of a pass between two hills, the Indian halted, and pointing across a rolling, prairie-like look- ing valley to a ridge of hills some three or four miles from us, said, "Yonder is the ridge from which we s'-all see the settlement." inii uittm riaf^TM-j "^ 2d, and ng the Indian 2 look- r miles ich we CHAPTKR XII. T/ie Signal is Seen n'Tho"f !?,"'''''"■{ '° "•""'^P'"-' 'he reader to L J^^'-^'g-^ ™ 'his s,me afternoon that Abe nfch- that K™"- 'u '"'' "'•^ *••>' '■<'"°-ing thi After he Lf dr.'.'' """^ "^'^ -"urnar call. Atter he had departed-or rather when the silence of the n,ght ,vas unbroken, for he might have been at no distance from the stockade-i^ was decWed ha one of the white men and two of the domestic Ind,ans should immediately go on sentry rtrand patro round the house between it and the stockade rehevmg each other every four hours. '' Ted Cooper and two of the Indians started sentry tic '' ''"'-'' 'y <^'^-". i-. and the 12: It had quickly dawned on all rf them ti,,f attack on the stockade was little likely to bfmadT ■wTnaMe^r"'- '" "^!,"'^' P-<^' '' "- "-t' spears and kl- °' ""^ """^ ^"''h only quar rs but o7r«7"'''^ '"™S'' """^^ =" ^'-^ K:;vL"t:::;:'l;rLr'' ^ "'" ^^" °'-"^ I "3 Hi 114 NOOTKA Captain Herbert and his two daughters had returned into the house, barred the shutters, and turned up the lamp. Gibson had retired to his room to try and seek a few hours' rest, though it is little h'kely that any of the dwellers in that house got any sleep that night. Captain Herbert threw himself into a chair by the table, and buried his head in his hands, while the two girls sat upon the further side, casting furtive glances at his hidden face, and then at one another. Not a word was spoken ; each of them wished to say something hopeful, but no gleam of relief could force itself anywhere on the black horizon of their vision. Anon the bent form rocked, and heavy tears forced their way through the old man's fingers. Mary rose and went to her father. " Father, don't take it to heart like this ; they may relent. Walker may come with some of the tribe and help us. They cannot all have rebelled against It " us.' Her hand was on his trembling shoulder, the golden head mingled with his long grey hair; but the grey head only shook in answer. " Children," he said at last, " may you torgive me ; may God forgive me. I ought to have foreseen this years ago. I should have sent you to the land of civilization to mingle and marry among your own people, for I had the means to place you in a good position ; but oh, how could I sever myself from the last link that bound me to the world, from tne sight of the only faces that could ever make me happy again ? When you were but little children, and your poor mother was taken from us, she implored me on THK SIGNAL IS SEEN "5 her deathbed never to leave voii sn.V? fK f remind me of her as vou 1 ^ l ^°" '"^'"'^ ^nd I promised Yrh':"''''^ "7°"^''^-^ of civilLation • and\s th '''" ''^°'" ^''^"'^^ fruit that he has ne JLTi "'""°' "'^" '°^ ^'^ tne tribe, and m a moment, like thieves in the dirt they have turned on us anrl th: • 7u ^' kindness " ' ^ *^" ''^ ^^^ "-c^v^ard of chances j,offeri,:„c;d'r'^rr*" action comes." ^^""^ "^r Indian was to be seen. ^ ^" as"th.v "'/ '''"■',''•" '"'^ ^='P'^''» "^^b"' to Cooper / 1 hey II just wait til] our provisions nr^ ii6 NOOTKA The morning was spent in instructing the Indians in the use of the revolvers and rifles, shooting them off with dummy cartridges, and showing them how to refill the chambers and magazines. "They're all right," Joe had whispered to Captain Herbert; "they have lived their lives with the White Chief, and if need be they will willingly die with him ; they have said it." This ice of news gratified the old man exceed- ingly, iur he had greatly feared that they might secretly have been approached by Harper or some of his gang, and their minds poisoned against him. After practising with the arms and portioning them off, to each man a rifle and a belt, on the right side of which was a revolver, and on the left* a sailor's short cutlass, they set about soaking some rag in a concoction of tar and petroleum. This was placed in a tin pannikin, and, with the aid of a ladder, fixed on the spikes at the top of the stockade at various intervals. This was done in case a night attack was made. With a long stick, at the end*' of which some of the inflammable rag was fixed, the stockade could now be lit up in a few moments, and this would illuminate the ground in front of it for some short distance. Hilda had had a long and earnest conversation with Uncle Ted, as the two girls always called the sturdy old carpenter. She half hoped he might throw some brighter ray upon the scene, or be able to suggest a scheme, however remote, of escape. But though quiet and determined in manner. Cooper's answers to her queries were not reassuring. WH THE SIGNAL IS SEEN nj "Mightn't we make a detour round the villa-e some dark night and get aboard the steamer?" she ™ "11;^"^' "^'^^' ^'^^P ^^^"^ ^t bay whilst you and father got up steam." Cooper shook his head. replied. They know ,t is our one and only way of escape. Of course." he added after a pause "if our straits become desperate vve will have to do some desperate thing, and it may be it will be our only chance to cut our way through and try and Trd job ■■ • '"' ' '"' "^ " ""' ^ ^ '="""' thJ^'ff '^"'^ 'T °"- '^" ""■°"Sh the early part of he afternoon the two girls with Joe had been help- ing Captain Herbert to go over the stores and see what time they were likely to hold out. Thev had reckoned they could hold out about three weeks with ordinary care, and this fact was at once com mun^ated to the little garrison, but Cooper onlJ laughed grimly, an.' the stolid faces of the^ndians did not change their expression; for after all three weeks IS better than three months, infinitely pre- ferable to three years, of wearing anxiety and IL The day had been close and hot. but was growinfj ^.^X: "'"''"' ^"" '"^^^ '""^ ^^"^^ Captain Herbert stood upon the top of the verandah which ran round the house, bring on . level with the top of the stockade. From h™ a view could be obtained of the first two or ftree houses of the village. Not a soul had been near ii8 NOOTKA them all day. Hilda stood by his side crazinr. apathetically in the same direcdon. In a ifstless^ dreamy manner she let her eyes roam round to the eastern ndge, the curves and bends of which were now thrown into sharp relief by the setting sun Suddenly she started. "Father! father!" " Good God, Hilda ! what is the matter ? " Her eyes were dilated, her lips parted, and for a moment she could not sper.k. Was it a dream? was It a fancy ? "Speak. Hilda," cried the old man. "Are you ill child ? What is it ? " ^ ' Cooper, patrolling below, looked up and became rooted to the spot. " It is ! " she cried. " it is ! " And there was joy in her vo.ce. "See, father, there is something white fluttenng at the signal spot." " Something white ? something white ? " said the old man gazmg across the valley. What did it mean? A white flag had been Walker's signal, but in the strong shadow his eyes, fai'ing now, could not per- ceive It. "My glass! my glass! Fetch the glass quick, while the light lasts." But Cooper had heard Hilda's words, and had quickly run into the horse for the telescope " Give it to me, Ted." said the old man. Quickly he adjusted it and leaned it on the parapet A moment afterwards he muttered, " Great heavens i " whilst his quick breathing and the shaking of the telescope told he was violently agitated. In a few more seconds he jumped up, and now his arms went this way and that ; he touched the top of had THE SIGNAL IS SEEN ^^ Cooper and Hilda watched him in silence. It was to the n TH "T f "'^' ^"^^ "°^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^ K .u , ^^'^ ^°^^ understood the code and breathlessly watched him. " We are safe ; come at once " ^He can t make out my signals ; the sun 's in the " Who can't ? " asl