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

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER IX.

  ANCIENT HISTORY.

  It was supper time when the boys arrived in camp, and Ethan and hisson at once prepared the evening meal. Strange as it may seem to be,the appetites of the campers were almost as keen as they had been forthe dinner at Goose Bay, and a full hour had elapsed before they rosefrom the table.

  As soon as the remains of the feast had been cleared away, that is, ifdishes can be called "remains," for little else was left by the hungrylads, Ethan and Tom prepared to depart for home, promising to be backin camp in time for breakfast.

  "You won't forget what I told you, Ethan," called Jock, as the menwere about to set sail.

  "No. I'll go over to the bay [Alexandria Bay, Ethan meant] and stop onmy way home. I'll fix you out to-morrow mornin' sure."

  "What conspiracy are you up to now, Jock?" inquired Bert.

  "That's a secret," replied Jock, laughingly. "If it's a good dayto-morrow you'll know all about it. You'll like it, too. I'm sure youwill; and it'll leave even the fishing we've had to-day away behind."

  "What is it?" persisted Bert. "More fishing?"

  "No. You've had enough of that for one day, I should judge by thelooks of your face. It'll peel in a day or two."

  "I can stand it to have a layer or two drop off. But what is it youand Ethan are going to do to-morrow?"

  "Sufficient unto the day is the question thereof," answered Jock. "Ishan't tell you, Bert. It's to be a surprise."

  "Come up here, you fellows," called Bob from the bank. "We want yourvaluable assistance. My little body is aweary."

  "Since when?" called Jock, as he and his companions started back tocamp.

  "Since I've been trying to roll these logs into position. Lend a hand,you two. I'm not equal to the task."

  The boys all began to labor now, and soon had a great pile of logs inthe fireplace in front of the camp, under these some kindlings wereplaced, and as soon as all things were in readiness, Bob took a matchand started a fire. The flames were soon leaping into the air and casttheir beams far out over the river. The boys then threw themselvesupon the ground in front of the blazing logs, and for a time no onespoke.

  "The fire roared, and the flames leaped higher."--_Page107._]

  The fire roared, and the flames leaped higher into the air. All aboutthem it was as light as day, and the scene was indescribably weird.The great river swept onward in its course, and its waters reflectedthe light of the blazing camp-fire. The branches of the tall trees inthe rear of the camp swayed before the night wind, and increased thewildness of the scene. Bats could be seen circling about in the air,as if they were startled and confused by the strange light. Across thewater came the faint and indistinct sounds of a party of young peopleout for an evening sail. Altogether the experience was so novel thatthe boys were all impressed by it, but it was impossible for them longto remain silent, and Bob was the first to speak.

  "I've been thinking about the history of Goose Bay. It is anhistorical spot, you know, boys, just as Ethan said it was."

  "Suppose you tell us about it, then," said Ben, whose long form hadhardly stirred since the fire had been kindled.

  "That's just what I was intending to do," replied Bob.

  "It'll be a good lullaby," drawled Ben. "If you hear any sound thatleads you to suspect that I have fallen asleep, please don't blame me.I always go to sleep when I try to read history."

  "As long as there are live coals here, you'd better not go to sleep,"warned Bob. "I'll serve you worse than the tithing-men used to servethe old farmers who went to sleep during the sermon."

  "Oh, no, you won't. It won't be my fault if you put me to sleep. Didyou ever hear what Henry Ward Beecher said about the tithing-man andhis pole?"

  "No. What did he say?"

  "He said if he saw anybody going to sleep when he was speaking, hedidn't want any tithing-man to come around with his stick and stir theman up, but he wanted him to take his stick and stir him up, for itwas his fault if he let a man go to sleep. See?"

  "Yes," replied Bob. "I'll do my best. Listen, then, my children, andyou shall hear the wonderful tale of Goose Bay."

  "I knew a goose had a tail, but I didn't know Goose Bay had a tail."

  "Well, it has," replied Bob, as he pretended to kick a live coaltoward the mocker. "This is the tale of Goose Bay. Many years ago,away back in 1813, the British and Americans were at war. I know justhow much you know about that, so I'll not go into particulars."

  "Don't," drawled Ben. "I'm beginning to feel sleepy already."

  "Well," resumed Bob, "it was about the middle of July in that year.Our forces were over at Sackett's Harbor, but they weren't having muchexcitement, so it was decided to fit out an expedition and come aroundthe lake to Cape Vincent and then go on a cruise down the St.Lawrence, seeking whom they might devour."

  "I thought it was a lion, a ro-a-a-ring lion that did that,"interrupted Bert.

  "So it is sometimes."

  "But wasn't it the British lion you were telling about? Now I couldunderstand how a lion, a real genuine British lion, might go roaringaround, but when the eagle, the genuine American eagle, starts out onan expedition, I never thought of him as 'roaring.' What is a roaringeagle, Bob? Any relation to a soaring lion?"

  "Oh, hold on, Bert, give Bob a chance to tell his story," said Jock.

  "Story? Story? What more of a 'story' do you want than that? TheAmerican eagle going down the St. Lawrence roaring and seeking whom hemight devour. Is that where 'Goose' Bay got its name, Bob?"

  "As I was saying, when I was interrupted by this infant crying in thenight," resumed Bob, disdainfully, "the expedition was partly nationaland partly individual, that is to say, it was a privateering trip withgovernment backing. The man who fitted it out was named Gilbert, Ibelieve."

  "A kind of patriot for revenue only?" inquired Ben, blandly.

  "Precisely. Well, they had two gunboats, the _Neptune_ and _Fox_, andabout forty-five or fifty men. They stopped at Cape Vincent andClayton, or French Creek as they used to call the place then, and thenkept on their way rejoicing, until they came to Goose Bay. There theylanded and had a parade."

  "What did they parade for?" inquired Jock.

  "No one knows, or at least I don't. What do they ever parade for?"

  "For to show brass buttons and for to delight the ladies and smallboys. I used to think a drum-major was a bigger man than thePresident," replied Ben, quickly.

  "After they had landed and paraded, they--"

  "Went fishing?" inquired Ben.

  "They sent a few men down toward Ogdensburg to spy out the land."

  "Weren't they roaring and seeking whom they might devour this time?"

  "Keep still, Ben, I want to hear about this," said Jock.

  "The next afternoon two men, their names were Baldwin and Campbell--"

  "Good names!" interrupted Ben, again.

  "--came back and reported that a gunboat and fifteen loaded bateauxwere coming up the river. The gunboat was the _Spitfire_--"

  "That's a good name, too," remarked Ben.

  "At once there was great excitement among the American men. Theyarranged a force to cut off all retreat, and then started for theenemy. Before they fairly knew it they were all taken."

  "Who?"

  "The British," replied Bob.

  "Were they dead? Did they like it?"

  "Then the Americans landed at Goose Bay. Oh, I forgot to say that nota shot was fired in the attack on the bateaux and the _Spitfire_."

  "That's the way to fight," drawled Ben. "That would suit me exactly.If I could parade and then go out and call names, and then march backin triumph with the haughty foe in chains, I'd like to be a soldier. Iwonder why I wasn't born into this world in my proper age."

  "Of course our troops were highly elated," resumed Bob, "for the_Spitfire_ was armed with a twelve-pound carronade and fourteen men,and in the bateaux were two hundred and seventy barrels of pork and asmany bags of pilot bread."

  "Was that where E
than got the pork we had for dinner to-day?" inquiredBert, innocently.

  Not deigning to reply or to notice the laugh which arose at Bert'swords, Bob resumed. "The Americans sent sixty-nine prisoners acrossthe country to Sackett's Harbor, and then with the others they waitedfor the enemy to come."

  "Why did they wait? What did they want them to come for? I shouldthink they'd all have gone 'cross lots to Sackett's Harbor," saidJock.

  "They wanted to save the gunboat and supplies. The next morning aboutsunrise the bold and brave foe, to the number of two hundred andfifty, hove in sight. They had four gunboats and two transports andwere evidently ready for the fray. Our men had been stationed indetachments along the shore, and soon the action was begun. 'They fitall day and they fit all night,' as the poet says, though I don't knowwhether that's history or not; but two of the gunboats had soon beenso injured by our fire that they had to stuff the holes the shot madewith weeds to keep them from sinking."

  "Oh! Oh! Oh!" groaned Ben, sitting quickly erect, "I have lived longin this weary world of woe, but that's the worst I ever heard yet. ABritish gunboat stuffing the holes in its sides with weeds! There's aninsane asylum down at Ogdensburg, and either you or I must go there."

  "It is a pretty big story, but that's what the book says," protestedBob.

  "Go on! go on!" said Ben, eagerly. "After the British had stuffed thegaping wounds with seaweed, and our brave and determined lads, with afresh supply of spitballs and slingshots--go on! go on!"

  "The next morning the redcoats wanted to call it quits, or rather theysent a flag and a demand for our men to surrender 'to save theeffusion of blood.' The proud foe was sternly repulsed, and the firingwas resumed. It seems all they had expected was to gain time. Treeshad been felled across the creek,--Cranberry Creek they called it, Ibelieve,--but the foe managed to get away. They were said to have losta good many men."

  "Did our side lose any?" inquired Bob.

  "Three. But reinforcements soon came, and after the boats had beenpatched up they started up the river again, bound for Sackett'sHarbor. Off Tibbet's Point they fell in with the _Earl of Moira_,which chased them, and finally to get away they had to sink thegunboat they had taken and the most of the bateaux, so that theexpedition came out about even."

  "Bob," demanded Bert, once more sitting erect, "the next time hadn'tyou just as soon tell us a true story?"

  "That's true. I read it in the old histories."

  "Do you know any more as 'true' as that?"

  "Yes. I've been reading up on the St. Lawrence. I wanted to knowsomething about the region before I came down here. I don't believeyou know anything about Cartier, or Frontenac, or any of the earlydiscoverers."

  "Carter? Who's Carter?" demanded Ben.

  "I didn't say Carter. I said Cartier. He's the discoverer of the St.Lawrence."

  "He was, was he? Well, he's the man for me. Just think of it, fellows,we'd never be camping here if this place hadn't been discovered. Imove you," he added, "that the professor be invited to resume hisfalsehoods to-morrow evening, and that whenever we are seated beforethe embers of our glowing camp-fire, or can't get asleep nights, thathe soothe us with his fairy tales."

  The boys laughingly agreed to the proposal, and as they rose, Bensaid, "I feel a craving in the inner man. Any of you got a 'crave'too?"

  All four declared they were in suffering need of food, and at oncebegan to prepare another supper. When their labors were ended,however, the results were far from satisfactory. Somehow the fish didnot tempt them, and when Jock opened the coffee-pot he exclaimed: "Ithought coffee was a liquid, fellows. Look at this, will you?"

  With his fork he lifted from the interior of the pot long, stringysubstances, which certainly were not inviting to the sight.

  "What do you suppose is the trouble?" said Ben. "There must besomething wrong with the coffee. Do you suppose it's poison?"

  "I don't know. I'll leave it and ask Ethan in the morning," said Bob."He'll know all about it."

  However, the boys discovered the pies and other viands the boatmen hadleft in camp, "pies'n things" Bert termed them, mimicking Ethan'sdialect, and their immediate wants had, to all appearances, beensatisfied when they sought their cots.

  So tired were they that even the question of what Jock and Ethan hadprepared for the morrow was soon forgotten, and the smoulderingcamp-fire burned low and lower, while the boys slept the sleep whichcan only be gained within the sound of the music of the mighty river.