The Island of Yellow Sands: An Adventure and Mystery Story for Boys

by Ethel C. Brill

  XVIII

  MINONG

  The caribou meat was cut into thin strips and laid on a frame of polesand twigs raised a few feet above the ground. Then a fire was kindledunder it, and the meat turned occasionally to dry evenly in the heat andsmoke. Rain was threatening, so a protecting roof of bark, with a fewsmoke holes, was raised over the frame, and a wind shield set up on theeast side. The propped up canoe furnished enough shelter for thecampers.

  To keep the fire going under the drying frame, and to prevent wildanimals, which might be attracted by the smell of the meat, fromapproaching it, the three took turns remaining awake that night. Severaltimes dark shapes were discerned moving beyond the firelight, andcat-like eyes gleamed in the shadows of the trees and bushes, but thelynxes were suspicious of the fire. Whenever the watcher made athreatening movement, they took fright, and it was not necessary towaste shots on them.

  Before morning rain began to fall, fine and cold, but it ceased aftersunrise. The lake was still rough, the wind a little east of north, thesky gray with scudding clouds, and the air so cold and raw that,September though it was, a snowstorm would not have surprised thevoyageurs.

  After breakfast the boys set out to explore, curious to learn somethingof the lay of the land about them, and hoping that they might comeacross another caribou. They descended the north side of the ridge,crossed the bog, sinking to their ankles in the wet moss and underlyingmud, penetrated the bordering growth of alders, willows and otherbushes, and went through tamaracks and balsams to higher ground. Thecountry proved to be a succession of ridges and depressions. Theexplorers found themselves going up and down almost continually, overrocky slopes and through deep leaf mould and moss-covered boggy places,until, after climbing a ridge, they came again to the water, a strait,as it appeared, of not more than half a mile in width, extending ineither direction. By that time the wind was blowing the clouds away, andthe air was clearing. Beyond the strait the boys could see wooded landrising up and up in successive ridges.

  As they stood looking at the high land across the water, Jean saidthoughtfully, "I feel strongly that we should climb those hills, and tryto get our bearings before we go farther. From there we can surely tellwhether we are on mainland or island. If this is an island, we may beable to see the shore and find some landmark to show us in what part ofthe lake we are. Then we can decide which way to go."

  Ronald nodded. "From that island where we were staying so long," hesaid, "we saw the Sleeping Giant. If it was really the cape and not thedeceitful appearance of the mirage, we may be able, from that highplace, to see it again. Then truly we shall know that we're not manymiles from the northwest shore, on Royale or one of the other greatislands. I've felt loath to be spending time on such an inland trip, butthere seems no good prospect of going forward by water to-day. By thistime all of our meat must be well enough dried so we need not be keepingup the fire. We will go back, bring the canoe, cross this stretch ofwater and strike inland at once."

  The two boys hastened back the way they had come. Etienne agreed totheir plan, but said they must first put their store of meat in a safeplace where the lynxes could not get at it. So it was wrapped tightly inseveral large sheets of bark, tied firmly with withes, and suspended bytough spruce roots, which would not break and could not be easily gnawedthrough, from the branch of a gray pine tree. A lynx might crawl out onthe branch and drop down on the swinging bundle, but he would have hardwork to tear it open. As a final protection the Indian had rubbed thesmooth bark covering with caribou fat until it was so slippery that thesurprised cat must slide off the moment he touched it, before he had achance to dig his sharp claws in. At least that was what Etienne saidwould happen to Besheu, the lynx, if he tried to investigate thepackage. Doubtless he would not make the attempt in the daytime anyway,and they would surely be back before night.

  While the lads were away, Etienne, though he had not left the dryingmeat for more than a few minutes at a time, had discovered that theircamp was on a cape or promontory. He believed that, by paddling alittle way to the north along shore, they could reach, withoutportaging, the strait or bay the boys had found. At least they mightarrive at a spot where they would be separated from that strait by apoint or narrow stretch of land only. Though the head wind was strong,they decided to make the attempt. To carry the canoe so far throughwoods and bogs would be slow, hard work.

  Running out of the bay, they headed towards the north. After strugglingagainst wind and waves for half or three-quarters of a mile, going partof the time among little rock islets and passing the mouths of severalsmall bays, the voyageurs reached, as the Indian had foretold, thestretch of water the boys had come out upon. It was partly protectedfrom the wind, and they crossed without difficulty. They could see thatthe strait extended for several miles at least on either hand, and wasbounded by what appeared to be continuous land on both sides, but theycould not tell positively whether the shores ran together in thedistance or whether there was an opening between them.

  The gold-seekers landed on low ground near the mouth of a small stream,concealed the canoe among the bushes and started inland. At first theykept to the main direction of the stream, though they did not alwaysfollow it closely, as it made several bends and turns and in some placesits banks were so overgrown that the explorers would have had to cut away through. The conditions along the brook seemed to be continuallychanging. It made its way through thick forest of spruce, birch andwhite cedar, among thickets of alder, dogwood and mountain maple, wherethe leaves were turning yellow and red and beginning to fall, it rippledand foamed over rocks through narrow gullies between steep ridges,slipped quietly along among aspens and birches, and crept sluggishlythrough bogs covered with spongy moss, pitcher plants, labrador tea andother bog growths. When the stream made a bend to the southwest, theexplorers parted company with it, and struck off to the northwest.

  Their way lay over a succession of ridges, but they were reaching higherand higher ground. Most of the time they traveled through more or lessopen woods, but sometimes over steep stretches of bare, rocky hillside.The forest was principally evergreen, and there was one tract oftowering white pines, some of them with trunks three or four feet indiameter. As the rise became steeper, the bare rock slopes morefrequent, the three, feeling that they must be near the summit of thehighest ridge, pressed forward eagerly. Even the Indian increased thespeed of his springy, tireless stride, so that the boys, strong andactive though they were, had hard work keeping up with him. He was thefirst to climb the final steep slope. The lads could see him standingmotionless gazing towards the west and north. Jean, whose lighter weightgave him an advantage over Ronald in climbing, scrambled up next, anduttered a sharp exclamation. Sky and air had cleared while the explorerswere making their way through the woods, and he could see far over thewater.

  There, faint and blue, was the Cape of Thunder, the Sleeping Giant, therock figure of the manito Nanabozho. The view was not quite the same asthe one from the island where they had been wind-bound so long, but theoutlines were unmistakable. It was not the Giant alone that was visiblein the distance. Farther to the north were misty headlands barelydiscernible, while to the south of the Cape was another blue outline. AsJean was straining his eyes to make out every bit of land visible,Ronald joined him. Jean turned to his companion excitedly.

  "See," he said, pointing first to the blue shape farthest to the south,then to the others, "the Isle de Pate, the Pointe au Tonnerre, and awayto the north the headlands of the great bay beyond. Now we know where weare indeed."

  "On Minong," said Nangotook conclusively. "Grande Portage over there,"and he pointed to the west. No shore line was visible, but the boys knewfrom the positions of Pic Island, as it is now called in translation ofthe French name, and Thunder Cape, that the Portage must be somewhere inthat direction.

  "Yes," agreed Ronald, "we're not on the shore, that is certain, and thisis no small island. We must have come fifteen or twenty miles along itsshore, and we've not crossed half-way." He pointed
to the land that laybelow them, thick woods and stripes and spots of gleaming water,stretching for several miles, and beyond that land the open lake. "We'resurely on Minong or Philippeau."

  "Minong," insisted the Indian positively. "I have been on this islandbefore, but it was from the direction of the setting sun we came, notfrom the rising sun."

  "You landed on the west side then?" asked Jean. "That is why you did notrecognize the place this time?"

  "Thought it was Minong all the time," replied Nangotook, "not sure. Surenow."

  "You're certain 'tis not Philippeau?" Ronald questioned.

  The Indian nodded. "Been here," he repeated. "Philippeau----" He shookhis head. "Maybe there is such an island, maybe not. I never saw it,never knew Indian who had seen it."

  "But white men have seen it," said Jean. "I never heard of one who hadlanded on it, but some have caught sight of it, on clear days, faracross the water. They have put it on their maps, but always east ofRoyale, or Minong as you call it. No, we cannot be on Philippeau, butperhaps we can get a glimpse of it."

  Turning, the French boy gazed intently in the other direction, the onein which they had come. He could see the narrow ribbon of the strait orharbor they had crossed, wooded islands beyond it, and the open lakestretching to the horizon, but no faintest shadow of distant land inthat direction. A look of disappointment crossed his face. It was not somuch Philippeau for which he was seeking as the mysterious, the muchdesired Island of Yellow Sands.

  "Etienne," he said soberly, "do you really believe there is any Islandof Yellow Sands? Do you suppose we shall ever find it?"

  "My grandfather saw it," the Ojibwa replied. "I have told you the story.Whether we shall reach it I know not. The manitos of the lake seemunfriendly to us. Give up the search, little brother, at least until thesnows have come and gone once more. Be warned in time."

  "We will not give it up," cried Ronald hotly. "To be turning back, whilewe still have time to find and secure the gold before winter comes,would be foolish as well as craven. But 'tis of no use to seek it nearhere. We're too far south and west, according to Nangotook's own story.We must travel on to the north end of this island first. From there wemay get a glimpse of the place we seek. If not, we can at least strikenorth and east for a day or even a half day's journey. If then we comenot within sight of the isle, it will be time enough to give up thesearch. What say you, Jean?"

  "I am as loath to give it up as you," Jean replied, "and," he added morecheerfully, "I think your plan a good one. As you say, we can at leastpostpone talk of turning back until we have made one more attempt. Letus return to our camp and be in readiness to go on. The strait wecrossed is somewhat sheltered. We can go on along it, perhaps to-night,to-morrow at the latest."

  The Indian said nothing. Jean glanced at his impassive face, thenthinking to change the subject, asked, "What came you to the islandfor, Etienne? You say you have visited it before."

  "For copper, little brother," the Ojibwa answered. "On the northern sideof this island, copper stones can be picked up from the shores and dugout of the hillsides, sometimes in pieces as large as my hand," holdingout his closed fist, "not in such little bits as this," and he pointedwith his toe to the rock at his feet.

  The boys had been too much interested in the distant prospect to noticethe rock on which they stood. Now as they glanced down, Jean uttered anexclamation, "Look, Ronald, this is copper rock indeed." Scattered hereand there were streaks and flecks of free metal.

  Ronald bent to examine it "Truly it is copper," he said, "but in bitstoo small to be of any value. Had we time we might prospect and comeupon larger veins. 'Tis like enough that this whole ridge is rich withit. But we've no time to make a search. We're seeking a far moreprecious metal, where it may be gathered easily without the labor ofdigging and blasting." And he started to lead the way back over theirtrail.

  The trip down the ridge and to the shore was made much more quickly thanthe upward journey. The explorers had not taken the trouble to blazetheir way, though Nangotook had sliced off a branch here and there withhis ax. In the woods the signs of their passage were clear enough for anexperienced woodsman to follow almost without conscious thought, whilethe downward slope of the ground most of the way to the stream, and theIndian habit of taking swift but sure note of surroundings furnishedthem with more than sufficient guidance everywhere. Nangotook led againand went swiftly and unhesitatingly, scarcely appearing to look abouthim.

  During the whole trip up and back they saw no caribou tracks, but theycame upon many traces of hares and lynxes, squirrels scolded at themfrom the trees, and, as they reached the stream, a mink, that had beenfishing, glided swiftly up the opposite bank. Ronald inquired if theIndians ever trapped on Minong, but Etienne answered that he had neverheard of any one wintering there. "Too far from mainland," he said. "Toohard to get across when wind blows and storm comes."

  They found the canoe safe, their camping place undisturbed, and thepackage of caribou meat untouched. The wind was now directly in thenorth, and the harbor or strait was well enough protected by itsnorthwest shore to make traveling along it safe. Delaying only for ameal of caribou meat, the three embarked again, with the intention ofgoing as far as possible before darkness came.