The Walrus Hunters Part 18

It was found that n.a.z.inred had been pointing with eager pertinacity at something lying on one of the shelves which had caught his eye, but the name of which he did not know.

"Oh! I see," added the trader, "it iss a c.o.c.ktail feather you want."

"Yes, for my daughter," exclaimed the Indian as he received the feather and regarded it with some uncertainty--as well he might, for the feather in question was a thing of brilliant scarlet made up of many feathers,-- rigid and over a foot in height.

"It's not a good plaything for a child," remarked Mowat.

"My daughter is not a child--she is a woman."

"Wow, man," said MacSweenie, "tell him that feather is not for a woman.

It iss for a man."

The Indian, however, needed no explanation. That which had captivated him at a distance lost its attraction on closer examination. He rejected it with quiet indifference, and turned his eyes to something not less attractive, but more useful--a web of brilliant light-blue cloth. He was very fond of Adolay, and had made up his mind to take back to her a gift which she would be certain to like. Indeed, to make sure of this, he determined to take to her a variety of presents, so that among them all she would be sure to find something to her taste.

In this way the Indians spent several days at the "fort" of the traders on Great Bear Lake, and then prepared to return home with a canoe-load of goods instead of furs.

Before leaving, however, they had a specimen of one of the ways in which fur-traders in those lonely regions of the far north enjoy themselves.

The whole establishment consisted of the officer in charge--MacSweenie-- his interpreter Donald Mowat, and seven men--two of whom were French Canadians, two half-castes, and three Orkney-men. There were also three women, two being wives of the men from Orkney, and one the wife of one of the half-castes.

The greater part of the day previous to that on which they were to set out on the return voyage, n.a.z.inred and Mozwa spent in testing the quality of their new guns in company with MacSweenie, who took his faithful Donald Mowat with him, partly to a.s.sist in carrying the game, and partly for interpreting purposes. And a superb testing-ground it was, for the swampy spots and mud flats were alive with wild-fowl of all kinds, from the lively sandpiper to the great Canada grey goose, while the air was vocal with their whistling wings and trumpet cries, so that, whether they walked among the shrubs and sedges, or sat in ambush on the rocky points, ample opportunity was afforded to test the weapons as well as the skill of the owners.

The beginning of the day, however, was not quite satisfactory. They had scarcely proceeded more than a few hundred yards from the fort when a flock of ducks was observed flying low and straight towards them.

"Down, man, quick!" exclaimed MacSweenie, crouching behind a large bush.

"You will get a goot chance, and the gun will kill if ye point straight, for the trade-guns are fery goot, the most of--wow!"

The sudden end of his remark was caused by n.a.z.inred firing, and thereafter rising with the shattered fragments of the gun in his hand, and a little blood trickling from one of his fingers, while an expression of stern perplexity overspread his visage.

"Well, now, that iss most extraordinary," said the trader, examining the weapon. "I hev not seen such a thing for years. To be sure, they are cheap and made of cast-iron, but they seldom burst like that, an' they usually shoot straight, whatever!--Tell him, Tonal', that he need not concern himself, for I will give him another."

On this being translated, n.a.z.inred seemed content, and began to examine his hurt, which by good fortune was a slight one.

"It might have been worse," remarked Mowat gravely; "I've seen many a man in this country with a short allowance of finger-joints from the same cause."

"What you observe is fery true, Tonal'," said the trader, with a serious air, "it might have been worse. There was a bit of the barrel went past my head that fery nearly put me on a short allowance of life. But come with me to the store an' we will choose a better one."

Half an hour sufficed to select another fowling-piece, which stood all the tests to which it was subjected, and as evening was about to close in the whole party returned well laden with game, and thoroughly pleased with the weapons.

Meanwhile the men of the establishment had been variously employed, cutting and hauling firewood, attending the nets, etcetera, while the women had been busy making moccasins and mending garments. The cook--an Orkney-man--had made extensive preparations for a feast, but this was a secret between him and MacSweenie; the latter being fond of occasionally giving his people a surprise-treat.

It was not indeed easy to surprise them at that time with unusually good food, for the land was swarming with spring life, and they daily enjoyed the fat of it. But there were some little delicacies which were not to be had every day in the wilderness of the far north. Among them was a round object about the shape, size, and consistency of a large cannon-ball, which was tied up in a cloth and seemed to require an immense amount of boiling. The smell of this was delicious, and, when ultimately turned out of its cloth it presented a whitey-brown mottled appearance which was highly suggestive.

The cook also had a peculiar talent for making cakes, which no Nor'-Wester could imitate, but which any Nor'-Wester in the land could eat. There were other trifles which it would take too long to mention, and large pots of tea which it would not take very long to drink. That was all the drink they had, happily, for strong young people with high spirits do not require strong spirits to keep their spirits up!

After the feast, the tables and chairs were cleared away from the central, or reception, hall of the fort, and preparations were made for spending a harmonious evening; for, you see, stout people, in the prime of life, who have not damaged themselves with strong drink, find it difficult to exhaust their energies by means of an ordinary day's work.

"Now, Tonal'," said MacSweenie, "get out your fuddle an' strike up."

"The ladies have not finished their tea yet, sir," replied the interpreter.

"Nefer mind that. Just let them hear the strains of Lord Macdonald's Reel, an' you'll make them chump whether they will or no."

Thus encouraged, Mowat began, and sure enough there was something so inspiriting in the tuneful tones, the vigorously indicated time, and the lively air, that the excited Highlander gave a whoop that threw Indian war-cries quite into the shade, seized one of the "ladies" by an arm and unceremoniously led her to the middle of the floor. The cook, who was used to his master's ways, led out one of the other ladies in a similar free-and-easy manner, and soon two couples were thundering on the boards in all the glorious _abandon_ of a Scotch reel.

They danced nothing but Scotch reels, for the good reason that none of them could dance anything else. Indeed, none of them, except MacSweenie, could dance even these in correct fas.h.i.+on; but the reel, like the Scotch character, is adaptable. It lends itself to circ.u.mstances, if we may say so, and admits of the absolutely ignorant being pushed, trundled, shoved or kicked through at least a semblance of it, which to the operators is almost as good as the reality.

n.a.z.inred and Mozwa had never seen anything of the kind before, or heard the strains of a "fuddle." It may well be imagined, therefore, what was the condition of their minds. Native reticence stood them in good stead for a considerable time, though, in spite of it, their eyes opened to an extent that was unusual; but as the fun became faster and more furious, their grave features relaxed, their mouths expanded, their teeth began to show, and they looked at each other with the intent, probably, of saying, "We never even dreamed of such things." But that look wrought a transformation, for when each beheld the other's grin of unwonted levity he burst into a short laugh, then, becoming ashamed of themselves, they suddenly resumed their expressions of owlish gravity, from which they could not again be driven until a late period of the evening.

Frequent slices of the mottled cannon-ball, however, and unlimited mugs of highly-sugared tea, had the effect of thawing them down a little, but nothing could induce them to dance.

Next morning they were up by daybreak and ready to start for the farther north.

"Now mind," said MacSweenie, through his interpreter, "don't you be fechtin' wi' the Eskimos. Dance wi' them if ye will, but don't fecht.

Better try an' trade wi' them. An' be sure ye bring some more o' your people wi' you the next time you come here. We'll be glad to see you.

The more the merrier."

How Donald Mowat translated these words we cannot tell. Perhaps he added to them a few sentiments of his own. However that may be, it is certain that the Indians bade their entertainers farewell with feelings of hearty good-will, and, leaving the lonely outpost behind them, set off on the return journey to their wilderness home.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

SORROWS AND SINS, AND A BOLD ADVENTURE.

It was autumn before n.a.z.inred and Mozwa drew near to their village.

They took things leisurely on the return voyage, for, as Indians have little else to do besides hunt, trap, fish, eat, and sleep, they have no particular inducement to hurry their movements.

It is true that, being affectionate men, they were naturally anxious to rejoin their families, but being also steady-going, with considerable powers of self-denial, they were good men-of-business, from a savage point of view, and gave leisurely attention to the duties in hand.

On arriving at the outskirts of their village, they were surprised to see that one or two children who were playing among the bushes, and who could not have failed to see them, slunk away as if to avoid a meeting.

Whatever anxiety the men might have felt, their bronzed and stern countenances betrayed no sign whatever. Landing near the old chief's hut, they drew up their canoe and n.a.z.inred and Mozwa went to announce their arrival. It was contrary to Indian etiquette to betray excitement, or to ask hasty questions.

They saluted the old man, handed him a plug of tobacco, and sat down to smoke, and it was not till some time had elapsed that n.a.z.inred calmly asked if Isquay was well.

"Isquay is well," replied the old chief, and a barely perceptible sigh of relief escaped n.a.z.inred.

Then Mozwa asked about his wife and received a satisfactory answer.

Still, it was obvious to both men, from the old chief's manner, that there was something wrong.

"Adolay", said the old man, and stopped.

"Dead?" asked n.a.z.inred, with a look of alarm that he did not attempt to conceal.

"No, not dead--but gone away," he replied, and then related in detail the circ.u.mstances of the girl's disappearance. It must have been a terrible blow to the poor father, all the more that he was ignorant at the time of the girl's motive for forsaking her home. But no vestige of feeling did he betray, save a slight contraction of his brows and a nervous play of his fingers about the handle of his scalping-knife.

When the recital was ended he made no reply, but, rising slowly, left the hut and went to his own home.

We will not follow him thither: there are some home-comings which are better left undescribed.

But next day n.a.z.inred relaunched his canoe, and, with a small quant.i.ty of provisions and a large supply of ammunition, set off alone for the sh.o.r.es of the Arctic Sea. What he told his wife is not known, but he gave no explanation whatever to any of his comrades as to his intentions.