One of the evil effects of the perpetual jesting that prevailed at York Fort was, that "soft" (in other words, straightforward, unsuspecting) youths had to undergo a long process of learning-by-experience: first, _believing_ everything, and then _doubting_ everything, ere they arrived at that degree of sophistication which enabled them to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Having reached the _doubting_ period in his training, Hamilton looked down and said nothing, at least with his mouth, though his eyes evidently remarked, "I don"t believe you." In future years, however, the evidence of these same eyes convinced him that what the accountant said upon this occasion was but too true.
Breakfast was a repet.i.tion of the supper of the previous evening.
During its discussion they planned proceedings for the day.
"My notion is," said the accountant, interrupting the flow of words ever and anon to chew the morsel with which his mouth was filled--"my notion is, that as it"s a fine, clear day we should travel five miles through the country parallel with North River. I know the ground, and can guide you easily to the spots where there are lots of willows, and therefore plenty of ptarmigan, seeing that they feed on willow tops; and the snow that fell last night will help us a little."
"How will the snow help us?" inquired Hamilton.
"By covering up all the old tracks, to be sure, and showing only the new ones."
"Well, captain," said Harry, as he raised a can of tea to his lips, and nodded to Hamilton as if drinking his health, "go on with your proposals for the day. Five miles up the river to begin with, then--"
"Then we"ll pull up," continued the accountant; "make a fire, rest a bit, and eat a mouthful of pemmican; after which we"ll strike across country for the southern woodcutter"s track, and so home."
"And how much will that be?"
"About fifteen miles."
"Ha!" exclaimed Harry; "pa.s.s the kettle, please. Thanks.--Do you think you"re up to that, Hammy?"
"I will try what I can do," replied Hamilton. "If the snow-shoes don"t cause me to fall often, I think I shall stand the fatigue very well."
"That"s right," said the accountant; "`faint heart," etcetera, you know.
If you go on as you"ve begun, you"ll be chosen to head the next expedition to the north pole."
"Well," replied Hamilton good-humouredly, "pray head the present expedition, and let us be gone."
"Right!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the accountant, rising. "I"ll just put my odds and ends out of the reach of the foxes, and then we shall be off."
In a few minutes everything was placed in security, guns loaded, snow-shoes put on, and the winter camp deserted. At first the walking was fatiguing, and poor Hamilton more than once took a sudden and eccentric plunge; but after getting beyond the wooded country, they found the snow much more compact, and their march, therefore, much more agreeable. On coming to the place where it was probable that they might fall in with ptarmigan, Hamilton became rather excited, and apt to imagine that little lumps of snow which hung upon the bushes here and there were birds.
"There, now," he cried, in an energetic and slightly positive tone, as another of these ma.s.ses of snow suddenly met his eager eye--"that"s one, I"m _quite_ sure."
The accountant and Harry both stopped short on hearing this, and looked in the direction indicated.
"Fire away, then, Hammy," said the former, endeavouring to suppress a smile.
"But do you think it _really_ is one?" asked Hamilton anxiously.
"Well, I don"t _see_ it exactly, but then, you know, I"m near-sighted."
"Don"t give him a chance of escape," cried Harry, seeing that his friend was undecided. "If you really do see a bird, you"d better shoot it, for they"ve got a strong propensity to take wing when disturbed."
Thus admonished, Hamilton raised his gun and took aim. Suddenly he lowered his piece again, and looking round at Harry, said in a low whisper--
"Oh, I should like _so_ much to shoot it while flying! Would it not be better to set it up first?"
"By no means," answered the accountant. "`A bird in the hand,"
etcetera. Take him as you find him--look sharp; he"ll be off in a second."
Again the gun was pointed, and, after some difficulty in taking aim, fired.
"Ah, what a pity you"ve missed him!" shouted Harry. "But see, he"s not off yet; how tame he is, to be sure! Give him the other barrel, Hammy."
This piece of advice proved to be unnecessary. In his anxiety to get the bird, Hamilton had c.o.c.ked both barrels, and while gazing, half in disappointment, half in surprise, at the supposed bird, his finger unintentionally pressed the second trigger. In a moment the piece exploded. Being accidentally aimed in the right direction, it blew the lump of snow to atoms, and at the same time, hitting its owner on the chest with the b.u.t.t, knocked him over flat upon his back.
"What a gun it is, to be sure!" said Harry, with a roguish laugh, as he a.s.sisted the discomfited sportsman to rise; "it knocks over game with b.u.t.t and muzzle at once."
"Quite a rare instance of one b.u.t.t knocking another down," added the accountant.
At this moment a large flock of ptarmigan, startled by the double report, rose with a loud, whirring noise about a hundred yards in advance, and after flying a short distance alighted.
"There"s real game at last, though," cried the accountant, as he hurried after the birds, followed closely by his young friends.
They soon reached the spot where the flock had alighted, and after following up the tracks for a few yards further, set them up again. As the birds rose the accountant fired, and brought down two; Harry shot one and missed another; Hamilton being so nervously interested in the success of his comrades that he forgot to fire at all.
"How stupid of me!" he exclaimed, while the others loaded their guns.
"Never mind; better luck next time," said Harry, as they resumed their walk. "I saw the flock settle down about half a mile in advance of us; so step out."
Another short walk brought the sportsmen again within range.
"Go to the front, Hammy," said the accountant, "and take the first shot this time."
Hamilton obeyed. He had scarcely made ten steps in advance, when a single bird, that seemed to have been separated from the others, ran suddenly out from under a bush, and stood stock-still, at a distance of a few yards, with its neck stretched out and its black eye wide open, as if in astonishment.
"Now, then, you can"t miss _that_."
Hamilton was quite taken aback by the suddenness of this necessity for instantaneous action. Instead, therefore, of taking aim leisurely (seeing that he had abundant time to do so), he flew entirely to the opposite extreme--took no aim at all, and fired off both barrels at once, without putting the gun to his shoulder. The result of this was that the affrighted bird flew away unharmed, while Harry and the accountant burst spontaneously into fits of laughter.
"How very provoking!" said the poor youth, with a dejected look.
"Never mind--never say die--try again," said the accountant, on recovering his gravity. Having reloaded, they continued the pursuit.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Harry suddenly, "here are three dead birds.--I verily believe, Hamilton, that you have killed them all at one shot by accident."
"Can it be possible?" exclaimed his friend, as with a look of amazement he regarded the birds.
There was no doubt about the fact. There they lay, plump and still warm, with one or two drops of bright red blood upon their white plumage. Ptarmigan are almost pure white, so that it requires a practised eye to detect them, even at a distance of a few yards; and it would be almost impossible to hunt them without dogs, but for the tell-tale snow, in which their tracks are distinctly marked, enabling the sportsman to follow them up with unerring certainty. When Hamilton made his bad shot, neither he nor his companions observed a group of ptarmigan not more than fifty yards before them, their attention being riveted at the time on the solitary bird; and the gun happening to be directed towards them when it was fired, three were instantly and unwittingly placed _hors de combat_, while the others ran away. This the survivors frequently do when very tame, instead of taking wing.
Thus it was that Hamilton, to his immense delight, made such a successful shot without being aware of it.
Having bagged their game, the party proceeded on their way. Several large flocks of birds were raised, and the gamebags nearly filled, before reaching the spot where they intended to turn and bend their steps homewards. This induced them to give up the idea of going further; and it was fortunate they came to this resolution, for a storm was brewing, which in the eagerness of pursuit after game they had not noticed.
Dark ma.s.ses of leaden-coloured clouds were gathering in the sky overhead, and faint sighs of wind came, ever and anon, in fitful gusts from the north-west.
Hurrying forward as quickly as possible, they now pursued their course in a direction which would enable them to cross the woodcutters" track.