The Young Alaskans on the Trail Part 28

"None better," said Alex, quietly. "We caught a grizzly and a black bear, not to mention a caribou and a couple of sheep. They seem to me natural hunters. I'm quite proud of them--so proud that we gave them a 'lob-stick,' Captain."

"And quite right, too," nodded Saunders.

"Oh, well, of course we couldn't have done any of those things without you and Moise," said Rob. "Anybody can shoot a rifle a little bit, but not every one could bring the boats out of such water as we have had."

"Well, now, what do you want to do?" resumed Saunders, after a little.

"Here's the _Peace River_ steamer, and you can get a room and a bath and a meal there whenever you like. Or you can stay here in your tent and eat with the factor up at the post beyond. I would suggest that you take in our city before you do much else."

"When were you planning to leave for Vermilion, Captain Saunders?"

inquired Rob.

"Some time to-morrow morning, as soon as we get plenty of wood from the yard across the river. It's about three hundred and fifty miles to Vermilion down-stream--that is to say, north of here--but we run it in two or three days with luck. Coming up it's a little slower, of course."

"If you don't mind, sir," said Rob at length, "I think we'd rather sleep in our tent as long as we can--the steamboat would be very nice, but it looks too much like a house."

Saunders laughed, and, turning, led the way through the Indian villages and up toward the single little street which made the village of Peace River Landing, ancient post of the Hudson Bay. Here he introduced the young travelers, who at once became the sensation of the hour for all the inhabitants, who now thronged the streets about them, but who all stood silent and respectful at a distance.

They found the Hudson Bay post, as Jesse had said, more like a country store than the fur-trading post which they had pictured for themselves. They saw piled up on the shelves and counters all sorts of the products of civilization--hardware of every kind, groceries, tinned goods, calicoes, clothes, hats, caps, guns, ammunition--indeed, almost anything one could require.

John was looking behind the counters with wistful eye, for the time ceasing his investigation of the piles of bright new moccasins.

"I don't see any, Alex," said he, at last.

"Any what, Mr. John?"

"Well, you said there'd be toffy."

Alex laughed and beckoned to the clerk. When John made known his wishes, the latter ran his hand in behind a pile of tobacco and brought out a number of blue-covered packages marked "Imperial Toffy."

"I think you will find this very nice, sir," said he. "It's made in the old country, and we sell quite a bit of it here."

John's eyes lighted up at this, and, if truth be told, both of the other boys were glad enough to divide with him his purchase, quant.i.ties of which he generously shared also with the Indian and half-breed children whom he presently met in the street.

"I don't see but what this is just the same as any other town," said he at length, his mouth full.

They were received with great courtesy by the factor of the Hudson Bay Company, who invited them to have lunch with him. To their surprise they found on the table all the sorts of green vegetables they had ever known--potatoes, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, many varieties, and all in the greatest profusion and excellence.

"We don't encourage this sort of thing," said the factor, smilingly pointing to these dishes of vegetables, "for the theory of our Company is that all a man needs to eat is meat and fish. But just to be in fashion, we raise a few of these things in our garden, as you may see.

When you are at Vermilion, moreover, although that is three hundred and fifty miles north from here, you'll see all sorts of grain and every vegetable you ever heard of growing as well as they do twelve or fifteen hundred miles south of here."

"It's a wonderful country, sir," said Rob. "I don't blame Alex and Moise for calling this the Land of Plenty."

"Moise said that the old war-trail over from the Little Slave country used to end about here," ventured John.

The factor smiled, and admitted that such was once said to have been the case.

"Those days are gone, though, my young friend," said he. "There's a new invasion, which we think may unsettle our old ways as much as the invasion of the Crees did those of the Stoneys and Beavers long ago. I mean the invasion of the wagon-trains of farmers."

"Yes," said Rob, "Alex told us we'd have to go to the Liard River pretty soon, if we wanted any moose or bear; but anyhow, we're here in time, and we want to thank you for helping us have such a pleasant trip. We're going to enjoy the run down the river, I'm sure."

XXVIII

STEAMBOATING IN THE FAR NORTH

Captain Saunders finished the operation of getting wood for the _Peace River_ by ten o'clock of the next morning, and as the steamer once more came alongside the steep bank at the landing the hoa.r.s.e note of her whistles notified every one to get ready for the journey down the stream. The boys, who had pa.s.sed the night in their tent with Alex--Moise having gone to his own tepee for the night--now began to bestir themselves before going aboard the steamer.

"What are we going to do with all our things, Alex?" asked Rob.

"How do you mean, sir?"

"Why, our tent and the skins and trophies and blankets and everything--we won't need them on board the boat, will we?"

"No, sir, and the best way will be to leave them here."

"What! In our tent, with no one to care for them? You know, Moise is going with us, as I understand it."

"Everything will be perfectly safe right there in the tent, if only you tie the flaps so the dogs can't get in," answered Alex. "You see, it's only white men that steal in this country--the Injuns and breeds won't do that. Until the Klondike pilgrims came through here we didn't know what theft was. I can answer for these people here. Everything you leave will be perfectly safe, and, as you say, it will be less bother than to take this stuff along on the boat."

Rob motioned to his companions, and they stepped aside for a little while.

"What are we going to do about the stuff we've got left over, fellows?" asked he. "Of course, we've got to get down by wagon as far as Little Slave, and we'll need grub enough, if Uncle d.i.c.k hasn't got it, to last us two or three days. But we won't boat, and we've got quite a lot of supplies which I think we had better give to Moise--they have to charge pretty good prices for everything they sell at the store up here, and maybe Moise will like this stuff."

"That suits me," said John, "and I think it would be a good idea. Give Moise all the meat and such supplies as we don't need going out."

"And then, how about the boats?"

"Well, old Picheu sold us the dugout, and I don't suppose he'll ever get down here any more, and we certainly couldn't take it out with us.

I'm in favor of making Moise a present of that. He seems to like it pretty well."

"A good idea," said Rob. "And how about the _Jaybird_? Wouldn't it be fine to give that to Alex!"

Both the other boys thought this would be a good idea, and they accordingly proposed these plans to Alex before they went aboard the steamer.

The old hunter smiled with great pleasure at their generosity. "I don't want to rob you young men," said he, "and without doubt you could sell both of those boats here if you liked. But if you want us to keep them, they will be of great value to us. Moise hunts up and down the river all the time, and can use the dugout. I live on Little Slave, and hunt miles below here, but I have plenty of friends with wagons, and they'll take the _Jaybird_ across for me. I'll keep her as long as she lasts, and be very glad indeed."

"Well, then," said Rob, "I don't see any reason why we shouldn't go aboard. I'm almost sorry, too, because it seems to me as though we were pretty near to the end of our trip now."

"Don't be so sure," said the old hunter to him. "Some of the best bear country on this river is below this point, and unless I am very much mistaken, you will probably see a dozen or two bear between here and Vermilion."

On board the steamboat the boys found a long table spread with clean linen, comfortable bunks with linen sheets, something they had not seen for a long time, and a general air of shipshapeness which did not seem to comport with a country so wild and remote as this. Each was a.s.signed to a room, where he distributed his belongings, and soon they were all settled down comfortably, Alex and Moise also having rooms given to them, according to the instructions which Uncle d.i.c.k had sent up to the Company.

During the last few minutes before the mooring-lines of the boat were cast loose all the party stood along the rail watching the breed deck-hands carrying aboard the remainder of the boat's cargo. Rob expressed the greatest surprise at the enormous loads which these men carried easily from the storehouse down the slippery bank and up the steep gang-plank. "I didn't think such strong men lived anywhere in the world," said he. "I never saw anything like it!"

"Yes," said Alex, "there are some pretty good men on the river, that's true. The man who couldn't shoulder three hundred pounds and get it aboard would be back of the first rank."