Camping on the St. Lawrence; Or, On the Trail of the Early Discoverers

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER VII.

  IN GOOSE BAY.

  The success which attended their efforts was not great, and after afew more bass had been taken, Jock, to his chagrin, not having evenone strike, Ethan decided to leave that ground for another.

  "I think I'll take ye over to Goose Bay," he said. "That's where Itold Tom to go, and probably they're there by this time."

  "That's historic ground, isn't it, Ethan?" inquired Bob.

  "Yes. The British and Yankees had a bit of a go round there in the Warof 1812. I'll show ye jest where it was when we get there."

  "How did you know there was a fight there, Bob?" said Jock, quickly.

  "'Most everybody knows about that, I s'pose," said Ethan, before Bobcould reply. "Everybody round these parts has heard of it."

  Bob looked up at Jock and winked slowly. "Do you remember what OliverWendell Holmes said about every little place he went to thinking itwas the central spot of all the world, and that the axis of the earthcame straight up through it? He went down to a little place namedHull, once, and when he came away he said the people there were allquoting Pope, though they didn't know it, and saying, 'all are butparts of one stupendous Hull'! Remember that, Jock?"

  "Ye needn't be makin' fun o' me," said Ethan, sharply. "I guess folksround here is as smart as they be anywhere. You city people talk abouthow green country folks are when they come to teown, but I don'tbelieve they're any greener than city folks be when they go into thecountry."

  "I didn't mean that," said Bob, quickly. "I was only wondering alittle why it was that you thought everybody ought to know about GooseBay, and the time the British and our men had here in the War of1812."

  "Why shouldn't they know about it, I'd like to know?" replied Ethan,somewhat mollified. "It's hist'ry; an' ye study hist'ry, don't ye?"

  "We pretend to; but Jock here doesn't know much about it, you see,"said Bob.

  "He'll larn. But I was speakin' about the greenness o' city folks inthe country. Well, they be green. My wife had a time of it with thefresh airers only last summer."

  "The 'fresh airers'? What are they?"

  "Don't ye know what they be? Well, I swan, ye're greener 'n I thought.They're the boys an' girls the folks pick up off the streets in thecity and send up into the country every summer. We had some lastyear."

  "Oh, yes, I know. You mean the children sent out by the fresh-airfund."

  "I s'pose I do. We call 'em 'fresh airers' up here."

  "What did they do?" inquired Jock.

  "Lots o' things. Two of 'em--we had five to our house--was walkin'along the road with me the next day after they come, an' one littlefellow ran up the bank an' began to pick some buttercups what wasgrowin' there. The other little chap was scared like, an' he calledout, pretty sharp, 'Hi, there, Henry! Keep off the grass or the cop'llget ye!' An' he meant it too."

  "Poor little wretches," said Jock, sympathizingly.

  "'Twasn't whether they was wretches or not; 'twas their greenness Iwas thinkin' on. We had a lot o' bee-hives out near the back door, an'after dinner that same day my wife looked out the window an' she seethat same little chap there with a stick in his hand. He'd jest pokedone o' the hives over, and the bees was fightin' mad. She was scared'most out o' her seven senses, my wife was, an' she jest grabbed hersunbunnit an' hurried out o' the house an' screamed to that young 'unto come on. He didn't want to come, an' was layin' about him with hisstick; but my wife ran out an' grabbed him by the hand an' theystarted up the hill 'lickety-whew, yer journey pursue,' an' the beesafter 'em. They finally made eout to get free from 'em, an' then thelittle shaver was for goin' back an' havin' it out with 'em. 'Thembugs bit me,' he says, says he, 'an' I'm goin' to go back and fight'em.'"

  Both the boys laughed heartily at Ethan's narrative, and now that hisgood humor was restored, he said, "Wasn't that greenness for ye? Thatsame little chap was a great one, he was. He was tickled to pieces togather the hens' eggs. He'd be out in the barn an' kep' so closeafter the hens they didn't have a chance to hop onto a nest, so thatmy wife had to tell him that he mustn't go out there for the eggsexcept when she told him he could. He teased like a good fellow, an'finally 'bout noon the next day she told him he could go out an' getthe eggs. He was gone a long time, an' she kind o' mistrustedsome-thin' was wrong, so she started out to 'view the landscape o'er,'as the tune says; but pretty quick she sees him a-comin' out o' thebarn holdin' his hat in his hand, an' lookin' as disconsolate like asif he'd lost every friend he ever had or ever expected to have on thisearth. 'What's the matter, sonny?' says she, 'can't ye find any eggs?''Yes,' says he, 'I found two, but they ain't no good.' 'What's thetrouble?' says she. 'They ain't no good,' says he, again. 'The old henwas on the nest, an' when I scart her off, the eggs was spoiled,' sayshe. 'I guess she's cooked 'em, for they're both warm!' I'd like toknow if any country boy could be greener in the city than that cityboy was in the country?"

  "I don't believe he could," laughed Jock.

  "That's my opinion, too," said Ethan, soberly. "Why, that there boywas the greenest thing alive! D'ye know, he 'lowed he'd never seen alive pig in all his born days. What d'ye think o' that? Yes, sir!never had seen a live pig, an' he was a boy ten year old, goin' on'leven."

  Ethan's reminiscences were cut short, however, for they were nowentering Goose Bay. Its wooded shores and high bluffs, its stillwaters and little islands, in the light of the morning sun, presenteda scene of marvellous beauty, and both boys were much impressed by thesight. In the distance they perceived their companions, and as soon asthey had been seen, Ethan exclaimed,--

  "They're still-fishin'."

  "Still fishing? Of course they are. Why shouldn't they be?" inquiredBob.

  "Ye're as green as that city boy I was tellin' ye of. Still-fishin' isjest fishin' still, ye know. Not trollin' the way I'm goin' to, butthey're anchored, and are havin' a try with worms for bait."

  "What do they catch?" said Bob.

  "I don't know what they're catchin', but there's perch there, an' Ipresume that's what they're fishin' for. We'll try the bass, though,a spell longer."

  Ethan rowed slowly in near the shore, and had gone but a shortdistance before Bob felt the welcome tug upon his line, and, after acontest of a few minutes, succeeded in bringing the struggling fishclose to the boat, where it was successfully landed by the boatman.Bob was doing better now and profiting by his mistakes, but Jock hadnot caught a fish since they had started from the camp.

  "What's the trouble, Ethan? Why don't I get any?" he said.

  "More'n I can tell ye. Bees won't sting some folks and dogs won't bite'em, either. Mebbe it's the same way with fishes."

  Jock's ill-luck still continued, however, and although Ethan rowedover the rocky shoal for an hour and a half, not a fish did the eagerlad secure. Bob was rapidly becoming an expert, and already had landeda half-dozen large bass, and had lost only three.

  "I'll row ye in-shore a bit," said Ethan, dropping his oars and takinga tin cup, with which he dipped up some of the water in the bay andquenched his thirst.

  "What's wrong with this work?" inquired Bob. "I'm not finding anyfault."

  "Probably not," replied Ethan, dryly. "We'll change our tune a spell,and see if we can't do some thin' for this other boy."

  Bob uttered no further protest, and Ethan at once sent the littleskiff swiftly toward the shore. As it grounded upon the beach he said,"Now you two boys get out an' wait for me here. I'll be back prettyquick, an' we'll see what can be done."

  The boys obediently leaped ashore and then stood for a moment togetheras they watched their boatman. Ethan moved out near a low point and,dropping overboard his anchor, took a light little rod they hadnoticed in the boat, and began to fish. They could see him as he drewseveral into the boat, and then in a few minutes he came for thewaiting lads.

  "Wait a minute," he said, as he drew the boat up on the beach. "I'mgoin' to do somethin' else. I'm goin' to have young Jock get a fish ifsuch a thing is possible."

  Ethan walked up the shore
, and the boys could see him as he darted inamong the rushes, leaping about like a schoolboy. They could notperceive what his object was, but as they had implicit confidence inhis ability, they remained contentedly where they were, and Ethan soonreturned.

  "There!" he exclaimed. "Neow if them fish don't bite, it won't bebecause we haven't given 'em what they want for dinner. Get aboard,boys."

  The boys quickly resumed the places they had occupied, and theirboatman once more began to row. "Don't let out yer lines yet," hesaid. "Wait till I'm ready for ye."

  Wondering what plan Ethan had in mind, the boys obeyed, and Ethan soonstarted toward another part of the bay. He glanced keenly about himand then peered over into the water. Apparently satisfied with hisinspection, he let the anchor fall, and as the skiff swung aroundbefore the light wind and settled into position, he said, "Let's haveyour lines, boys."

  "We're going to still-fish, are we, Ethan?" said Jock.

  "I'm thinkin' some on it."

  "What do we catch here?" inquired Bob.

  "That depends. Some folks catches one thing and some another, an'sometimes they doesn't catch anything at all."

  "Why do you put such a fish as that on my hook?" exclaimed Jock,aghast.

  Ethan had taken a fish, a "chub," he termed it, which must haveweighed a full half pound at least, and baited Jock's hook with it.

  "To catch fish with," remarked Ethan, laconically, as, afterinspecting the struggling bait, he threw it overboard. "Now let himtake your line and go where he wants to. Not too fast. Go easy, like,"he added, as he turned to equip Bob in a similar manner.

  "Ethan thinks we're after alligators or whales," said Bob, as his ownline began to run out. "Oh, well, we'll have the fun of sitting outhere on the water if we don't get a strike," he added, settling backin his comfortable chair.

  Indeed it did seem as if no fish in the St. Lawrence would beattracted by such a bait as that which the boatman had provided.Neither of the boys really expected any result, but they were notinclined to protest.

  The scene about them was the reflection of that within. A perfectsummer day, with woods in the distance, and a silence interrupted onlyby the harsh cawing of the crows. The beautiful water glistening inthe sunlight, and the gentle motion of the skiff as it slowly turnedwith the slightly changing breeze, increased the sense of absolutepeacefulness. The roar of the city seemed like something unreal andsomething which they never had actually heard. Neither of the boysspoke for a time, and Bob closed his eyes as he leaned back in hisseat. Ethan also was silent, but his keen eyes were seldom taken fromthe lines.

  "Your bait seems to be goin' up-stream," he said in a low voice toJock.

  Instantly the lad sat erect and looked eagerly at his line. It didseem to be moving through the water, but as yet he had felt no tug,and could hardly believe it was anything more than the motion of the"chub."

  "Is it a fish, Ethan?" he exclaimed excitedly.

  "Looks like it."

  "Shall I reel him in?" he inquired, as he started to rise from hischair.

  "No, no!" replied Ethan, quickly. "Let him get the bait. If heswallows it for good and all, you'll have him."

  All in the boat were now following the movements of Jock's line. Thelad had reeled out more, and still it was steadily moving away. Fortwo full minutes the excitement continued, and then Ethan said:--

  "Reel in now, a bit. Do it gently, and don't skeer him. Want me totake the rod?"

  "No!" exclaimed Jock, decidedly. "I'll win or lose him myself."

  Slowly he turned the reel, gazing eagerly all the time at his line inthe water, but as yet he had felt no response.

  Suddenly there was a yank which almost took the rod from his hand, andwhich made the reel sing as the line was drawn from it.

  "Let him go! Let him go! Ye'll have to tucker him eout!" exclaimedEthan. "I'm thinkin he felt somethin' prick his heart."

  "Shall I stand up?" said Jock, in increasing excitement.

  "No, ye'll be overboard if ye do. Now, keerful! Reel him in when yecan, and when he wants to take the bit in his teeth let him go. There!That's the way! That's the way to do it!"

  Jock was enjoying the contest hugely. He would reel in a few yards,and then with a savage plunge the fish would dart away again, only tohave the measure repeated. Five minutes, ten minutes, passed, andstill the contest was not ended, nor had Jock had one glimpse of thefish he had hooked. From its struggles and the manner in which itpulled, the excited lad thought he must have caught a monster of somekind.

  He was reeling in steadily now, and peering at the same time over intothe water. Suddenly he caught sight of a huge body near the boat andknew that it must be his victim; but the glance was only for a moment,for with another desperate plunge the fish darted away again and thereel repeated its song.

  "He's gettin' tuckered out," said Ethan. "Now don't give him anyslack, and look out for your rod, or he'll snap it in a minit. Keep asteady hand this time, an' I'll see what I can do with the gaff."

  Jock had no idea of what a "gaff" was, but he gave it little thought,whatever it might be. The fish was coming steadily this time, and oncemore the eager boy could see him in the water.

  "Now be keerful! Bring him up alongside the boat. There! That'sright!" said Ethan, in a low voice.

  "What a beauty!" exclaimed the delighted Jock.

  "Keep still, or ye'll scare him," warned Ethan.

  But the fish was within reach now, and the boatman leaned forward, andwith a quick thrust of his gaff drove it into the body. There was asplash of water, the light skiff rocked until the boys were almostthrown from their seats, and then they instantly recovered themselvesand turned to see the result of Ethan's effort.