"What, would you have him shoot this affectionate old bear?" asked Alec.
A merry laugh burst from the lips of both of the girls, and Winnie asked him if he had any idea of the reason why Rachel so urged Frank to save his gun and ammunition, even if everything else should be lost.
"Not the slightest idea," was his answer.
"Well," replied Rachel, "as the fury of the storm is about spent, it is time to be beginning to explain the mystery. And so now suppose you take the gun and go out on the beach and fire three times in quick succession."
Frank and Alec at once comprehended the riddle, and laughed at their own stupidity. The firing of the gun would bring their rescuers speedily to them.
Unfortunately for these young people, their retreat was too distant from Sagasta-weekee for the report of their gun to reach that place.
However, just as soon as Mr Ross saw the storm approaching he summoned every available man, and had boats in readiness to begin the search as soon as it was possible to risk the angry waves which a cyclone of this description stirs up. For at least three hours they had to wait ere they could make a start. Then in the still angry waters they shoved out their boats, and in different directions started on the search.
In the meantime let us again go back to the young people in their strange place of refuge. Noting the increasing brightness, as the black clouds were now rapidly rolling away, Rachel suggested that three more shots be fired. In a few minutes more they were repeated, and soon after, as the rain had now nearly ceased, the whole party came out from their gloomy cave retreat. On every side were evidences of the terrific power of the cyclone. Great trees had been torn up by the roots, while others had been snapped off, leaving the stumps standing from twenty to fifty feet high.
Apart from the sad evidences of the storm, everything was soon simply delightful. In those high lat.i.tudes the June evenings are very long.
Here was now one of wondrous beauty. The angry waves were quickly dying away into pleasant ripples. The sun was setting behind some lovely clouds of gold and crimson, and the air, purified by the cyclone, seemed exhilarating in the extreme.
"Keep up your firing, Frank," said Rachel, "for doubtless there are boats out long ere this, looking for what is left of us."
"Listen!" said Winnie, who, being wonderfully gifted in hearing, had been the first to detect an answering gun. "One, two, three, four.
Fire again!" she cried. "They have heard, but are uncertain as to the direction."
Again the three reports of the gun sounded in quick succession, and soon there was the answer of two guns, which meant, "We hear you now and will soon be with you."
To Mr Ross"s great relief and satisfaction, it was the boat, manned by four oarsmen, of which he himself had charge that was the first to hear the firing of Frank"s gun. Some of his Indian crew had detected reports before he had, but nothing would satisfy him until the welcome sound fell on his own ears.
"Pull, men!" he fairly shouted, "and let us see how many of those loved ones have survived that storm. If any of them are drowned, you need not take me home."
Not a man in that boat, white or Indian, needed any urging. Such was the love they all had for those young people that gladly would any one of them have risked his own life for theirs.
Around the next point, now not far away, again rang out the three reports, and soon a most welcome sight greeted the eyes of Mr Ross and his crew. For there, distinctly visible on the sh.o.r.e, were four happy young people waving their welcomes.
"Thank G.o.d," reverently said Mr Ross. "They are all safe." And, strong man that he was, he wept like a child. Other eyes than his were moist also. With an effort he checked his deep emotion, and was so able to control himself that ere the sh.o.r.e was reached he was calm and collected.
When within hailing distance hearty words of congratulation rapidly pa.s.sed back and forward. Such was the nature of the sh.o.r.e that a good place where they could step into the boat from the sh.o.r.e was not easily found, and so the men at the oars rowed up on the sandy beach as far as they could, and then, running out three oars, made a walk that answered very well.
Good Mr Ross was so wild with delight at the fact of the preservation of these young folks, whom he loved so well, that he was the first to rush out and try and gather them all in his arms.
In the excitement of the rescue Napoleon, the tame bear, had been quite forgotten, but now he acted as though he had been doing his share of thinking, and had come to the conclusion that, if his liberty was to be a.s.sociated with cyclones, he had had enough of it; and so, just as Mr Ross and the young people were about to go on board the boat, he deliberately came marching out of the cave and, carefully balancing himself, walked up on the oars and took a comfortable position in the boat.
His unexpected appearance very much startled the men, and there was a general scramble for guns. Alec, quick to see his danger, rushed up, and taking a position beside Napoleon forbade any shooting, and speedily made some very necessary explanations, much to the relief and amus.e.m.e.nt of all.
It did not take long to return to Sagasta-weekee, and great indeed were the rejoicings there.
Soon the other search boats returned, and the anxieties of all were thus speedily relieved. After the recital of the story of their narrow escape an impressive thanksgiving service was held, and every heart was full of grat.i.tude for their deliverance.
Winter Adventures of Three Boys--by Egerton R. Young
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
HOMEWARD BOUND--FAREWELL TO SAGASTA-WEEKEE--OLD NORWAY HOUSE--SAM"S CLEVER SURMISINGS--A GLAD SURPRISE FOR FRANK AND ALEC--SAM"S WELL- DESERVED DUCKING--A GLORIOUS EVENING--THE EARLY CALL--JUST ONE MORE SWEET "GOOD-BYE"--"ALL ABOARD"--ON GREAT LAKE WINNIPEG--SAM"S SUCCESSFUL SHOT AT A BEAR--RED RIVER--FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE PRAIRIES--FORT GARRY-- THE BELLS OF ST. BONIFACE--THE LONG TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS--THE EXCITING BUFFALO HUNT--SAINT PAUL"S--STILL ON BY LAKES AND RIVERS--MONTREAL--ON BOARD SHIP--THE OCEAN VOYAGE--LIVERPOOL--HOME AT LAST.
The start was made from Sagasta-weekee in time for the boats to go that afternoon as far as to the old Norway House fort, where the mighty Nelson River begins its career. Here for scores of years it has been the custom for the boats to camp for at least one night and make their final preparations for the long trip of the whole length of Lake Winnipeg to the mouth of the Red River.
To the great delight of the boys, some extra boats were sent in with the Red River brigade, and so they had Big Tom as their guide, Martin Papanekis as their cook, and Soquatum as bowman.
These boats are each propelled by eight st.u.r.dy oarsmen. The work of rowing all day at these heavy oars is very laborious, and so there is great delight when the wind is favourable and a mast can be placed in position and a great square sail hauled up into the favouring breeze.
Then the voyage is a joyous holiday. What is most dreaded is a long, continuous head wind, against which they can neither sail nor use the oars with good effect.
Early in the forenoon on the day of starting the young gentlemen said farewell to their good friends of the mission, Mr and Mrs Hurlburt and the sweet young ladies, Rachel and Winnie. It is almost needless to add that both Frank and Alec declared themselves as the most devoted of lovers, and vowed that in a few years they would return and claim them as their brides. We must leave time to tell the results of these youthful loves, which had begun under such happy and romantic auspices.
To the surprise of the young gentlemen, Mrs Ross and the children left Sagasta-weekee at the same time as did Mr Hurlburt and his family, and so were not there to see them off when they left a few hours later.
So thoroughly and well had the packing been done that not much time was lost after the arrival of the boats before everything was on board. The kindly farewells to all were said, and they were off. Sam could not help shouting back to Pasche, as he stood on a rock with a sorrowful face:
"Don"t set any more traps for moose bulls, Pasche!"
"No, mon garcon, I have had enough of that work," he shouted, amid the laughter of the other servants.
With waving of handkerchiefs and shouts of "Bon voyage" and "Good-bye,"
Sagasta-weekee was left behind. There were tears in the eyes of the lads who had spent within its comfortable walls such an eventful year.
They had grown much, not only physically, but there had been development mentally and morally that would tell for good in the oncoming years. To have been under the guidance of such a couple as Mr and Mr Ross in such a formative period of their young lives was of incalculable value.
Happy are the boys who have such guardians; happier still if their own parents are of this splendid cla.s.s.
As the wind sprang up from the north the mast, which had been securely tied to the outside of the boat, was quickly placed in position, and the sail was soon doing its work. Mr Ross and the lads had comfortable seats arranged for them in the stern of the boat. Just behind them stood Big Tom, skillfully using a great oar as a rudder. Wild ducks and a few geese flew by, but there was now no time for shooting. On they sped, and it was easy to observe from the quiet yet frequent consultations in the Indian language that pa.s.sed between Mr Ross and Big Tom that there was something more than the sail in the Sam, who had picked up quite a knowledge of Indian, was the first to suspect what was before them, and so he blurted out:
"Faith, I believe Oo-che-me-ke-se-gou is going to be repeated."
"What do you mean?" asked Frank.
"Mean, is it, you ask? Why, I mean that I fancy some other hands than Martin"s will pour the tea for us to-night."
"Do stop talking riddles, Sam," said Alec, "and tell us what your palaver is all about."
"Well," replied the incorrigible tease, "I fancy that, if you young gentlemen are getting sick of having pledged yourselves to eternal loyalty, or, in other words, plighted your troths either to others, as the book says, you will both have a chance to tell the fair damsels to their faces ere the sun goes down."
"Sam!" they both shouted, "what do you mean?"
This explosion on their part caused Mr Ross to turn from his consultation with Big Tom. In response rather to his looks than anything he uttered Sam said:
"I have been trying to get it into the thick heads of these two boys that there is an agreeable conspiracy on foot for their mutual consolation and edification, but for the life of me I believe they are as much in the dark as when I began."
"Chist!" ("Look!") cried Big Tom. "Akota wigwam!" ("There is the tent!")
These words of Big Tom caused everything else to be forgotten, and so even Mr Ross, who was vastly amused that Sam had been so observant, did not make any reply to the lad"s remarks.