Young Alaskans in the Far North Part 4

As the scows swung out into the river, under no motive power excepting that of the current, the men arranged themselves for the long journey, each to suit himself, but under a loose sort of system of government.

At the long steering-sweep, made from a spruce pole twenty feet in length, stood always the steersman, holding the scow straight in the current. The ten tons of luggage was piled high in each scow, and all covered with a great tarpaulin to protect the cargo of side-meat, salt, sugar, flour, and steel traps, cloth, strouds, other rough supplies, as well as the better stock of trade goods--prints, powder, ball, rifles, matches, a scant supply of canned goods--and such other additions to the original stock as modern demands inst.i.tuted by the independent traders for the most part had now made necessary in the traffic with the tribes. That year, indeed, a few hand sewing-machines went north, and some phonographs--things of wonder to the ignorant native of that far-off land.

The progress of the boats, although steady, seemed very slow, and, as there was no work to do, the men amused themselves as best they might.

There were several fiddlers in the fleet, and now and then, as the _Midnight Sun_ swept down, well handled by the commodore, Francois, they pa.s.sed a scow on whose bow deck a scantily clad half-breed was dancing to the music of the violin. Now and again across the water came the curious droning song of the Cree steersmen, musical but wild.

The great brigade was off on its start for the long journey from the Rockies to the icy sea, continuing one more year of the wild commerce which had become a part of the land itself for more than a century now.

"It's wonderful--wonderful!" said Rob, looking about him at the strange scene on that morning of their first day of actual travel.

"I've never seen a thing more fascinating than this. I'm sure this is going to be the best trip we've ever had.

"I tell you what," he added, a moment later, turning to the leader of their little party, "I believe I'll try to keep a little diary for a little while at least; it might be nice to have a few notes to refer to. I doubt if any of us will ever make this trip again."

"An excellent idea!" said his uncle. "That's the way to get your information soaked into your head. Write it down, and be careful what you write. Your notes, together with John's maps, are things you will prize very much indeed, later in life."

Rob, indeed, did fulfil his promise, beginning that very day, and perhaps a few notes taken from his diary may be of interest, as showing what actually happened as recorded by himself.

"_May 29th._--Off late. Ran three miles. Men went back to town. Found sacks of sugar made a hard bed. Mosquitoes.

"_May 30th._--The grand start of the big brigade. Running maybe four or five miles an hour. Banks getting lower.

Cottonwoods, some brulee (burned-over forest). Supper 6 P.M.

Ran until 9.45 P.M. Damp camp.

"_May 31st._--Off at 6. In the morning men on the first boat killed a cow moose and two calves. No game laws north of 53. Men rejoice over meat. Eight mission scows in fleet, which carry eight to ten tons each. Father Le Fevre says, except for whitefish, all northern missions would perish. At 2.15 stopped at Pelican Portage, at head of Pelican Rapids, 120 miles below the landing. Head winds yesterday, but favorable now. Two boats collided, and one damaged. Saw two dogs carrying packs--first pack-dogs I ever saw. Priest baptized an Indian baby here. I suppose this is what the brigade goes north for, in part. Lay here until 7 in the evening, and then off for our first rapids, the Pelican.

Rough, but not so bad as Columbia Big Bend Rapids. An eighteen-foot canoe would go through; twelve-foot doubtful.

Scows do it easily. Fast work close to the sh.o.r.e part of the way. Men know their business. Some system to the brigade.

Camp at foot of rapids. Much excitement. Scows crowding one another. Many mosquitoes.

"_June 1st, Sunday._--No travel to-day. All of the boatmen are Catholics. The priest put up a little chapel and said Ma.s.s. Curious scene to see all these half-savages kneeling, hats off, on the ground. After Ma.s.s a good many of them got their hair cut; one or two men can do barbering-work. The judge and legal party played cards all the afternoon. John seems to eat more than ever. A good many mosquitoes.

"_June 2d._--Off at 6, which seems regular starting-time.

Ash.o.r.e for lunch 11.30. Slow and lazy work floating down, but pleasant. Tied up at 6 for supper. Much excitement now, as we are coming down to the head of Grand Island, where we make the big portage. After supper made a mile or so through shallow water among many rocks, to the head of the island.

It is low and rocky, covered with cottonwoods, should think about a mile long, and not over half a mile wide. Very fierce water to the left, with quiet water above. No boat ever ran the left channel alive. Many lost here in the Klondike; they went into that quiet and deep water on the left and got caught. They say we will try to run the right-hand side. Did not put up tent to-night, but slept under mosquito tents. A hundred and sixty-five miles from Athabasca Landing. Now we begin to feel as though we were to see the real work."

IV

THE GRAND RAPIDS

It was much as Rob had predicted in the last entry of his diary previously quoted. Uncle d.i.c.k hurried them through their breakfast.

"We'll see some fun to-day, boys," said he.

"How do you mean?" asked Jesse. "Are they going to try to run the boats through?"

"They'll have to run the scows through light, so Francois tells me.

There isn't water enough to take them through loaded, so practically each one will have to unship its cargo here.

"You see that wooden tramway running down the island?" He pointed toward a crooked track laid roughly on cross-ties, the rails of wood.

"That is perhaps the least expensive railroad in the world, and the one which makes the most money on its capital. I don't think it cost the Company over eight hundred dollars. It couldn't be crookeder or worse. And yet it pays for itself each year several times over, just by the outside trade which it does!

"They built this railroad after the Klondike rush came through here.

Previous to that all the goods had to be taken over the 'short portage'--you see that place over on the steep hillside at the right side of the river--a mile and a half of it, and every pound of the Company and Klondike baggage that went north had to be carried on men's backs along that slippery footing. It was necessary to run these rapids and to build this railroad. You will see how both ideas will work to-day."

Some of the boats had been loaded so heavily that part of the cargo had to be left above the shallow water--one more handling of the freightage necessitated in the north-bound journey, but each boat, carrying as much as could be floated, now came poling down through the rocks to the head of the island.

The men, half in and half out of the water, began to unload this cargo and to pile it in a great heap at the head of the wooden railroad.

There were two flat-cars, and rapidly these were loaded and pushed off to the foot of the island, half or three-quarters of a mile. There every pound of the baggage had to be unloaded once more, and after that once more carried from the landing into the boats at the foot of the island.

"Well, are they going to take the boats down on the cars, too?"

demanded Jesse.

"They have done that for others," answered Uncle d.i.c.k, "and charged them ten dollars a boat for doing it, too. But as I said, we'll have to run our scows down on the right-hand pa.s.sage. That's the fun I was talking about."

Rob came up to him now excitedly. "Tell me, Uncle d.i.c.k, can't I go through--couldn't I go through with you in the very first boat?"

His uncle looked at him for a time soberly before he replied. "Well, I don't like to mollycoddle any of you," said he, "but I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll have to leave John and Jesse here on the island.

If Francois says it's safe I'll let you go through with me on the first boat. It's no place for us to be in this country if we're going to sidestep every little bit of risk there is. That isn't a manly thing to do. But the other two boys will have to wait for a while.

"There's bad news," he said to Rob, a little later, aside. "Word has just come up by canoe from the Long Rapids below here that four men were drowned day before yesterday. They were going down to McMurray, and although they had a native pilot they got overturned in the rapids and couldn't get out. The Mounted Police are looking for the bodies now."

It was with rather sober faces that our young travelers now watched the boatmen at their portage-work, although the latter themselves were cheerful as always, and engaged, as before, in friendly rivalry in feats of strength. Everything was confusion, yet there was a sort of system in it, after all, for each man was busy throughout the long hours of the day. As a scow came in its cargo was rapidly taken out, as rapidly piled up ash.o.r.e, and quite as rapidly flung on top of the flat-cars for transport across the great portage.

Our young adventurers saw with interest that a good many of the boatmen were quite young, boys of fifteen, sixteen, and eighteen years of age. Some of these latter did the full work of a man, and one slight chap of seventeen, with three sacks of flour, and another youth of his own weight on top of it all, stood for a time supporting a staggering weight of several hundred pounds while Jesse fumbled with his camera to make a picture of him.

At about eleven o'clock in the morning of the second day Uncle d.i.c.k came to Rob and drew him aside.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AN ENCAMPMENT OF ESKIMOS ON THE BEACH AT FORT McPHERSON]

"The first boat is going through," said he. "Francois will take it down. It's a Company scow with about a quarter of its cargo left in.

Cap. Shott says it is all right. Are you still of a mind to go, or do you want to stay here?"

"Not at all, sir!" rejoined Rob, stoutly. "I'll go through, of course."

So presently they both stepped into the lightly loaded scow which lay at the head of the island. The men consisted of the steersman, Francois; a bowman, Pierre; and four oarsmen. They all were stripped to trousers and shirts. At a word from Francois the boat pushed out, the men poling it through the maze of rocks at the head of the island to a certain point at the head of the right-hand channel where the current steadied down over a wide and rather open piece of water.

The bowman carried in his hand a long lance-like shaft or pole, and stood with it upon the short bow deck. At the stern of the boat there was a plank laid across which acted as a bridge for the commodore, Francois, who walked back and forward across it as he worked his great steering-oar, which ran out at the back of the scow.

If the men had any anxiety about their undertaking, they did not show it. Francois smoked calmly. It was to be noted that Cap. Shott did not go through on the first boat, but remained on the sh.o.r.e. The skill of his wild calling had been pa.s.sed down to the next generation.

Francois at last gave a short word or so of command in Cree. The oarsmen straightened out the boat. Francois motioned now to all the occupants to keep to the side, so that he would have a clear view ahead.

Little by little, as the current caught it, the scow began to slip on faster and faster. By and by waves began to come up alongside, almost to the gunwale. Rob had the vague impression that this boat was made of astonishingly thin boards, and that the water made a great noise upon it. Under the oars it creaked and strained and seemed very frail.

The men were silent now, but eager. Francois, pipe in mouth, was very calm as he stood at the oar, his eyes fixed straight ahead.