Under the Great Bear

by Kirk Munroe

  CHAPTER VI.

  THE FRENCH SHORE QUESTION.

  Although Cabot had had no reason to suppose that the "Sea Bee" was onher way to St. Johns, it had not for a moment occurred to him that shecould be going anywhere else. Thus the news that they were not only along way from the place he wished to reach, but steadily increasingtheir distance from it, so surprised him that for a moment he sat onthe edge of his bunk gazing at the speaker as though doubting if he hadheard aright. Finally he asked: "Where, then, are we bound?"

  "To Pretty Harbour, around on the west coast, where I live," was theanswer.

  "I'd be willing to give you fifty dollars to turn around and carry meto St. Johns," said Cabot.

  "Couldn't do it if you offered me a hundred, much as I need the money,and glad as I would be to oblige you, for I've got to get home in ahurry if I want to find any home to get to. You see, it's this way,"continued White, noting Cabot's look of inquiry, "Pretty Harbour beingon the French shore----"

  "What do you mean by the French shore?" interrupted Cabot. "I thoughtyou lived in Newfoundland, and that it was an English island."

  "So it is," explained White; "but, for some reason or other, I don'tknow why, England made a treaty with France nearly two hundred yearsago, by which the French were granted fishing privileges from Cape Bayalong the whole west coast to Cape Bauld, and from there down the eastcoast as far as Cape St. John. By another treaty made some yearsafterwards France was granted, for her own exclusive use, the islandsof Miquelon and St. Pierre, that lie just ahead of us now.

  "In the meantime the French have been allowed to do pretty much as theypleased with the west coast, until now they claim exclusive rights toits fisheries, and will hardly allow us natives to catch what we wantfor our own use. They send warships to enforce their demands, andthese compel us to sell bait to French fishermen at such price as theychoose to offer. Why, I have seen men forced to sell bait to theFrench at thirty cents a barrel, when Canadian and American fishingboats wore offering five times that much for it. At the same time theFrench officers forbid us to sell to any but Frenchmen, declaring thatif we do they will not only prevent us from fishing, but will destroyour nets."

  "I should think you would call on English warships for protection,"said Cabot. "There surely must be some on this station."

  "Yes," replied the other, bitterly, "there are, but they always takethe part of the French, and do even more than they towards breaking upour business."

  "What?" cried Cabot. "British warships take part with the Frenchagainst their own people! That is one of the strangest things I everheard of, and I can't understand it. Is not this an English colony?"

  "Yes, it is England's oldest colony; but, while I was born in it, andhave lived here all my life, I don't understand the situation anybetter than you."

  "It seems to me," continued Cabot, "that the conditions here must befully as bad as those that led to the American Revolution, and I shouldthink you Newfoundlanders would rebel, and set up a government of yourown, or join the United States, or do something of that kind."

  "Perhaps we would if we could," replied White; "but our country is onlya poor little island, with a population of less than a quarter of amillion. If we should rebel, we would have to fight both England andFrance. We should have to do it without help, too, for the UnitedStates, which is the only country we desire to join, does not want us.So you see there is nothing for us to do but accept the situation, andget along as best we can."

  "Why don't you emigrate to the States?" suggested Cabot.

  "Plenty of people whom I know have done so," replied the youngNewfoundlander, "and I might, too, if it were not for my mother andsister; but I don't know how I could make a living for them in theStates, or even for myself. You see, everything we have in the worldis tied up right here. Besides, it would be hard to leave one's owncountry and go to live among strangers. Don't you think so?"

  "How do you make a living here?" asked Cabot, ignoring the lastquestion.

  "We have made it until now by canning lobsters; but it looks as thougheven that business was to be stopped from this on."

  "Why? Is it wrong to can lobsters?"

  "On the French shore, it seems to be one of the greatest crimes aperson can commit, worse even than smuggling, and the chief duty ofBritish warships on this station is to break it up."

  "Well, that beats all!" exclaimed Cabot. "Why is canning lobstersconsidered so wicked?"

  "I don't know that I can explain it very clearly," replied the youngskipper of the "Sea Bee," "but, so far as I can make out, it is thisway: You see, the west coast of Newfoundland is one of the best placesin the world for lobsters. So when the settlers there found they werenot allowed to make a living by fishing, they turned their attention tocatching and canning them. They thought, of course, that in this theywould not be molested, since the French right was only to take and dryfish, which, in this country, means only codfish. They were sosuccessful at the new business that after a while the French also beganto establish lobster canneries. As no one interfered with them theyfinally became so bold as to order the closing of all factories excepttheir own, and to actually destroy the property of such Englishsettlers as were engaged in the business. Then there were riots, andwe colonists appealed to Parliament for protection in our rights."

  "Of course they granted it," said Cabot, who was greatly interested.

  "Of course they did nothing of the kind," responded White, bitterly."The English authorities only remonstrated gently with the French, whoby that time were claiming an exclusive right to all the business ofthe west coast, and finally it was agreed to submit the whole questionto arbitration. It has never yet been arbitrated, though that was someyears ago. In the meantime an arrangement was made by which alllobster factories in existence on July 1, 1889, were allowed tocontinue their business, but no others might be established."

  "Was your factory one of those then in existence?" asked Cabot.

  "It was completed, and ready to begin work a whole month before thatdate; but the captain of a French frigate told my father that if hecanned a single lobster his factory would be destroyed. Fatherappealed to the commander of a British warship for protection; but wasinformed that none could be given, and that if he persisted in theattempt to operate his factory his own countrymen would be compelled toaid the French in its destruction. On that, father went to law, but itwas not until the season was ended that the British captain was foundto have had no authority for his action. So father sued him fordamages, and obtained judgment for five thousand dollars. He never gotthe money, though, and by the time the next season came round the lawregarding factories in existence on the first of the previous July wasin force. Then the question came up, whether or no our factory hadbeen in existence at that time. The French claim that it was not,because no work had been done in it, while we claim that, but forillegal interference, work would have been carried on for a full monthbefore the fixed date."

  "How was the question settled?" asked Cabot.

  "It was not settled until a few days ago, when a final decision wasrendered against us, and now the property is liable to be destroyed atany minute. Father fought the case until it worried him to death, andmother has been fighting it ever since. All our property, except thefactory itself, this schooner, and a few hundred acres of worthlessland, has gone to the lawyers. While they have fought over the case, Ihave made a sort of a living for the family by running the factory atodd times, when there was no warship at hand to prevent. This seasonpromises to be one of the best for lobsters ever known, and we had sonearly exhausted our supply of cans that I went to St. Johns for more.While there I got private information that the suit had gone againstus, and that the commander of the warship 'Comattus,' then in port, hadreceived orders to destroy our factory during his annual cruise alongthe French shore. The 'Comattus' was to start as soon as the 'Lavinia'arrived. The minute I heard this I set out in a hurry for home, in thehope of having time to pack the e
xtra cases I have on board thisschooner, and get them out of the way before the warship arrives. Thatis one reason I am in such a hurry, and can't spare the time to takeyou to St. Johns. I wouldn't even have stopped long enough toinvestigate your raft if you had been a mile further off our coursethan you were."

  "Then all my yesterday's rowing didn't go for nothing," said Cabot.

  "I should say not. It was the one thing that saved you, so far as thisschooner is concerned. I'm in a hurry for another reason, too. If theFrench get word that a decision has been rendered against us, and thatthe factory is to be destroyed, they will pounce down on it in a jiffy,and carry away everything worth taking, to one of their own factories."

  "I don't wonder you are in a hurry," said Cabot. "I know I should be,in your place, and I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to take meback to St. Johns; but I wish you would tell me the next best way ofgetting there. You see, having lost everything in the way of an outfitit is necessary for me to procure a new one. Besides that and thebusiness I have on hand, it seems to me that, as the only survivor ofthe 'Lavinia,' I ought to report her loss as soon as possible."

  "Yes," agreed White, "of course you ought; though the longer it isunknown the longer the 'Comattus' will wait for her, and the more timeI shall have."

  "Provided some French ship doesn't get after you," suggested Cabot.

  "Yes, I realise that, and as I am going to stop at St. Pierre, to secwhether the frigate 'Isla' is still in that harbour, I might set youashore there. From St. Pierre you can get a steamer for St. Johns, andeven if you have to wait a few days you could telegraph your news asquickly as you please."

  "All right," agreed Cabot. "I shall be sorry to leave you; but if thatis the best plan you can think of I will accept it, and shall begrateful if you will set me ashore as soon as possible."

  Thus it was settled, and a few hours later the "Sea Bee" poked her nosearound Gallantry Head, and ran into the picturesque, foreign-lookingport of St. Pierre. The French frigate "Isla," that had more than oncemade trouble for the Baldwins, lay in the little harbour, black andmenacing. Hoping not to be recognized, White gave her as wide a berthas possible; but he had hardly dropped anchor when a boat--containingan officer, and manned by six sailors--shot out from her side, and waspulled directly towards the schooner.