The Buffalo Runners, Robert Michael Ballantyne [best fiction novels of all time .txt] 📗

in the clumsy wooden things at Red River," said Archie, "but this egg-shell of Okematan's is very different. Ho! there's one at last," he continued with animation as they rounded a point of land, and opened up a small bay, on the margin of which there were plenty of pebbles, and some large water-worn stones.

One of these having been placed in the stern of the canoe, and the balance thus rectified, the voyage was continued.

"Don't you think that breakfast on one of these islets would be nice?" said Billie.

"Just the very thing that was in my mind, Little Bill," answered his brother.

It was a curious peculiarity in this sturdy youth, that whatever his invalid brother wished, he immediately wished also. Similarly, when Billie didn't desire anything, Archie did not desire it. In short Billie's opinion was Archie's opinion, and Billie's will was Archie's law. Not that Archie had no will or opinion of his own. On the contrary, he was quite sufficiently gifted in that way, but his love and profound pity for the poor and almost helpless invalid were such that in regard to him he had sunk his own will entirely. As to opinions--well, he did differ from him occasionally, but he did it mildly, and with an openness to conviction which was almost enviable. He called him Bill, Billie, or Little Bill, according to fancy at the moment.

Poor boys! The sudden death of both parents had been a terrible blow to them, and had intensified the tenderness with which the elder had constituted himself the guardian of the younger.

When the Scotch settlers were banished from the colony, pity, as well as friendship for their deceased parents, induced the Davidson family to adopt the boys, and now, in exile, they were out hunting by themselves to aid in replenishing the general store of provisions.

It need scarcely be said that at this period of the year the exiled colonists were not subjected to severe hardships, for the air was alive with wild-fowl returning south from their breeding-grounds, and the rivers and lakes were swarming with fish, many of them of excellent quality.

"This will do--won't it?" said Archie, pointing with his paddle to an islet about a hundred yards in diameter.

"Yes, famously," responded Little Bill, as he steered towards a shelving rock which formed a convenient landing-place.

The trees and shrubs covered the islet to the water's edge with dense foliage, that glowed with all the gorgeous colouring for which North American woods in autumn are celebrated. An open grassy space just beyond the landing-place seemed to have been formed by nature for the express purpose of accommodating picnic parties.

"Nothing could have been better," said Archie, drawing up the bow of the canoe, and stooping to lift his brother out.

"I think I'll try to walk--it's such a short bit," said Billie.

"D'ye think so? well, I've no doubt you can do it, Little Bill, for you've got a brave spirit of your own, but there's a wet bit o' moss you'll have to cross which you mayn't have noticed. Would you like to be lifted over that, and so keep your moccasins dry?"

"Archie, you're a humbug. You're always trying to make me give you needless trouble."

"Well, have it your own way, Little Bill. I'll help you to walk up."

"No, carry me," said Billie, stretching out his arms; "I've changed my mind."

"I will, if you prefer it, Little Bill," said Archie, lifting his brother in his strong arms and setting him down on the convenient spot before referred to.

Billie was not altogether helpless. He could stand on his weak legs and even walk a little without support, but to tramp through the woods, or clamber up a hill, was to him an absolute impossibility. He had to content himself with enjoyments of a milder type. And, to do him justice, he seemed to have no difficulty in doing so. Perhaps he owed it to his mother, who had been a singularly contented woman and had taught Billie from his earliest years the truth that, "contentment, with godliness, is great gain." Billie did not announce his belief in this truth, but he proclaimed it unwittingly by the more powerful force of example.

Breakfast is a pleasant meal at any time if the operator be hungry, but who shall describe the delights of breakfast when eaten in company with several thousand wild-fowl, in a romantic wilderness with fresh air laden with the perfumes of the vegetable kingdom encircling the person; the glorious sunshine dazzling the eyes; the sweet songs of animated nature thrilling the ears, and the gentle solicitations of an expectant appetite craving within? Words are wasted in such an effort. We feel constrained to leave it--as we have not seldom left many a thing before now--to the reader's more or less vivid imagination.

A blazing fire of pine-logs boiled two tin kettles and roasted two fat wild-ducks. In one of the kettles Archie compounded and stirred robbiboo--of which, perhaps, the less said the better. In the other, Billie infused a small quantity of tea. The roasting ducks--split open, impaled on sticks and set up before the fire--looked after themselves till they began to burn, when they were turned by Archie and again neglected for a few minutes.

It was a glorious meal in all respects, and even Billie, whose appetite was moderately strong, enjoyed it immensely--none the less that he had asked a blessing on it before beginning, and all the more that he sympathised fully with his brother in his possession of an amazing--a shamelessly robust--capacity for food.

"Now, we'll go to work," remarked Archie, wiping his mouth with a sigh of contentment, (he had nothing else to wipe it with!) after finishing the last spoonful of robbiboo, the last limb of duck and the last mug of tea.

Such a remark at such a period in the entertainment caused Billie to laugh.

"Why, Archie, you've been at work this half-hour, and there's nothing left to go to work upon now."

"You know quite well, Little Bill, that I refer to the _day's_ work. What is it to be? Provisions must be got if the camp is not to starve, and you and I are bound to do our share. Shall we go to Willow Point and shoot ducks and geese, or cross the lake and trawl for fish?"

"Both," answered the invalid with decision. "We'll do both. We will paddle to Willow Point, and try for jack-fish on the way."

"Just so--the very thing, Little Bill. Are you ready to start?"

Billie professed himself quite ready. Archie took him on his back, replaced him in the stern of the canoe in company with the big stone, and then stepped gently into his own place at the bow, where a common trading gun, with the old-fashioned flint lock and single barrel, rested against the gunwale. Pushing off they soon left Breakfast-isle far behind them, and crept swiftly along by the margin of the reeds.

On the way Billie cast out his fishing-line. It was a strong cod-line, with a great cod-hook attached and a lump of fat pork on it; for Archie, in the fervour of hope coupled with piscatorial ignorance and a sanguine disposition, had strongly advised his brother to err, if err he must, on the safe side, and be prepared for anything, from a great lake-serpent to a fresh-water whale.

No civilised fish would have deigned to give a second thought to the obvious deception which a mass of indigestible pork presented, but fish of the backwoods--especially in the early years of this century--were not suspicious. An enormous pike, or "jack-fish," coveted that bait and took it. Not only so, but it took the great cod-hook and ten inches of the line besides.

A shout such as Billie had not uttered for many months announced the fact.

"Hi! hold on, Archie! Back water! I say, I'd believe I had hanked the bottom if it didn't tug in such a lively way!"

"Pay out line, Little Bill!" cried the other, looking over his shoulder with blazing eyes, but unable to render any assistance owing to the small size and crank nature of the canoe. "Stay, I'll turn about and become steersman, while you play the--whew! It's a whale! I say--ease off!"

"Ease off!" cried Billie in desperation; "how can I ease off, with only a few yards o' the line left?"

"Pitch the reel back to me then. I'll manage it!" cried Archie, who had converted the bow of the canoe into the stern--both ends being alike--by the simple process of turning himself round and sitting with his face towards his brother.

What Archie had styled the reel was simply a piece of stick with the line wound round it. His brother pitched it to him with one hand while the desperate jerking of the other--indeed of his whole body--told at once of the size and the impatience of the fish.

Unwinding the line in haste, Archie fastened the extreme end of it to two spare paddles and flung them overboard.

"Now, Little Bill," he said; "you may let him have his head, and if you can't hold on without risking the line just let it go."

As he spoke the captive made another rush--not very frantic indeed, for the pike is a sluggish creature in all waters--but with a steady persistency that meant resolution of purpose. In a few seconds our invalid was compelled to let go, and, the line tightening, the paddles disappeared with a jerk.

Soon after they reappeared, and the boys paddled towards them with a cheer, picked them up and the battle was renewed.

It would be tedious to recount all the incidents of that fight. We can only say that after a struggle that lasted an hour--according to the younger brother; two hours and a half, according to the elder--a pike of about four feet in length was hauled into the canoe.

"That's enough of fishing for one day," remarked Billie, wiping his heated brow.

"Quite enough," assented the other; "shall we make for Willow Point now, Little Bill?"

"Yes. We will try the shooting now."

In accordance with this plan, the direction of the canoe was changed, and, early in the afternoon, the young hunters found themselves alongside of a low point of rocks which stretched well out into the lake, leaving a deep bay on either side. The extreme end of the point consisted of naked rock, but the greater part of it was covered with a dense under-growth of low willow bushes.

Here they disembarked, and Archie, as before, carried his brother to the highest part of the low point, where a piece of green sward, free from bushes, formed an attractive resting-place.

"Sit there now, Billie, till I get some brush, an' make yourself useful by cutting out goose heads. See, here are some branches o' the right sort ready to hand. No doubt some Redskins have been at work here before us."

He picked up some pieces of wood which Nature had formed more or less to resemble the heads and necks of geese. By a very slight use of the knife Billie converted these into excellent portraits. When he had finished half-a-dozen of them, his brother had cut and brought to the spot a number