CHAPTER XI
DOWN THE SOO RAPIDS
"Alabama! here we rest!" cried George, as they kept booming along up thestrong current of the river, until a spot was reached just below thefoot of the rapids.
Not many steamers stop at the Soo, save those which run in connectionwith the tourist travel, between Mackinac and the rapids city. But thereis a constant procession of steamers, and whaleback grain barges goingin both directions, day and night, all during some seven months of theyear. The tonnage of the government canal through which these boats passaround the rapids far exceeds that of the Suez Canal for the entiretwelve months.
After finding a responsible party in whose charge the three brave littleboats could be left, the cruisers proceeded to take in the sights.
Of course the rapids came first, and they viewed these from every angle.Jack was also deeply interested in the government fish hatchery on thelittle island; and watched with an envious eye the various pools inwhich scores of enormous speckled trout, weighing upward of sevenpounds, were kept.
"Wait till we get to the Agawa," he said, shaking his head withdetermination. "I want to find out how some of those whoppers feel atthe end of a line."
Nick had made for a clothing emporium, where he fitted himself out insome new clothes. Of course he did not explain just why this wasnecessary; but judging from the suspicious looks cast upon him everytime he came near the clerk, the latter could give a shrewd guessconcerning the truth.
Jack was still watching some of those giant trout jump out of the waterin the pool when he dangled a long blade of blue grass so as to make thefeathery end touch the surface like a fly, when George joined him; forthey had settled upon the hatchery as a sort of rendezvous where theycould come together, so as to take the thrilling ride down the rapids ina big Indian canoe.
"All off, Jack!" said George, trying to look sober; though there was amerry twinkle in his black eyes that belied the solemn cast of his face.
"What do you mean?" asked the other. "Anything more happened to thatfellow Buster? Or perhaps it's Josh who's bent on halting our expeditionnow, with some caper. Go on, tell me."
"Oh! you're away off," grinned George. "I only meant to inform you thatthey're gone on ahead of us."
"I suppose you mean the _Mermaid_," Jack remarked.
"That's right," George responded, promptly. "Left here this verymorning for a cruise through the Big Lake. Went through the canal aboutbreakfast time. Seems as if we're just bound to keep tagging at theirheels, don't it, Jack? I suppose we'll hear a howl from Buster now,because he is cheated out of seeing that fat Miss Sallie again."
"Buster has enough to think of in other directions, I suspect," smiledJack.
"Well, I should guess so," added the other. "Imagine, if you please,Nick trying to call on any young lady at present. She'd be apt to have aswooning spell. For a time Buster will have to cut out all thoughts ofgirls' society. He can thank his lucky stars that his chums allow him tohang around."
"Have you had any lunch?" asked Jack.
"I think there's the rest of the bunch coming along the stone walk bythe canal, right now. Perhaps we'd better postpone our little ride downthe rapids until we get a bite. Buster will be starved."
"There he is dogging the footsteps of the rest," remarked Jack. "Herbis being cruel to the poor old chap. He won't let him join them. I guesshe's suffered about enough by now, and we'll have to let up on it."
"Sure we will," agreed impulsive George. "Anyhow, we wouldn't have thenerve to make Buster take a canoe by himself, and shoot the rapids.Let's start out and join them. Perhaps Buster had discovered a good feedplace, in his wanderings about the town."
"Ten to one he's noticed a dozen; and perhaps had a few bites beforenow," and Jack led the way across the little bridge connecting theisland where the hatchery was situated, with the main shore.
Nick gladly admitted that he had marked a promising restaurant duringhis foraging expedition in search of the suit of clothes, which he hadtaken to the boat and donned.
"It ain't a tony place, fellows," he argued; "but considering thecircumstances, er--I thought we wouldn't care for style."
"Why, no, not just at present, Buster;" George said. "You've got a levelhead for once. We're going to forgive you now, and restore you to goodstanding, on condition that you never, never again try to stock the campwith a menagerie of strange animals."
Nick promptly held up his right hand.
"I give you my word, boys, and thank you. Please overlook any slightassociation between myself and our recent invasion of Canada. Andnow come along. I tell you I feel as if I could clean out all therestaurants in the Soo. I only took a light breakfast you know, becauseof low spirits."
Josh held up both hands in despair, though he said not a word. There aretimes when silence is much more suggestive than any flow of language;and every one understood.
An hour or so later, before half-past two, they were on the littlebeach, talking with a couple of wiry-looking men, who claimed to be sonsof the famous old guide of the rapids, John Boucher, who died a fewyears ago, after having carried thousands and thousands of summertourists in his canoe through those swirling rapids, without ever adisaster.
Then the entire bunch of six boys took their places in the big andstaunch canoe, with a wielder of the paddle at either end. Jack happenedto occupy a position near the man in the stern, whose post is always themore important, since he guides the destinies of the swiftly runningcraft, while the one in the bow fends off from impending rocks.
Jack had taken this position more to observe how the experience affectedhis chums than for any other reason. He certainly never once dreamedthat there might be a Providence in such a small thing as his choice ofposition.
Then began the first stage of the run, with the two Indians pushing theladen craft upstream by means of stout poles. They kept close to theshore, finding a way around the numerous rocks, and other obstacles,where the water boiled madly; and by slow degrees approached the railwaybridge, under which the start is generally made.
"Ain't this simply glorious?" demanded Herb, as they found themselvessurrounded by the churning waters, and gradually leaving the shorefarther away.
"Wait!" said George, "if you think this is fine, what will you have tosay when we get to running the rapids in fact? I've been through somesmaller than these, and can guess how it feels."
"My! I'd like to keep doing it all day!" remarked Nick, feelingsomething like himself again, since he had been restored to favor oncemore.
"Well, at the rate of fifty per, your bank account would soon collapse.Besides, they say that the excitement is bad on fat people, so that theylose weight right along," George observed.
"You're joshing me, I know, George," declared the other. "If I believedyou, I'd be tempted to stay over here while you fellows went on, andkeep going all day, so I could cut off, say about thirty pounds or so.No, I wouldn't either; I forgot!"
"Yes, I should think you did forget Sallie," jeered Herb. "If you gotout of her class she'd never forgive you, Buster. Besides, perhaps shewouldn't even _see_ you if you wasted away to a shadow. Better leavewell enough alone, and enjoy the good things of life."
"Here we go now; they're heading straight out on to the river!" criedJosh, as he nervously clutched the side of the big canoe near him; forthey were seated two and two, with Jack just behind and George in front,as the boat narrowed.
The Indian guides were indeed pushing strenuously now, and when thewater deepened both of them dropped their poles in the bottom of thecanoe, to seize upon stout paddles and wield them furiously.
It was intended to reach a certain point in the river before turning theprow of the craft down toward the head of the rapids.
Long familiarity, every day in the week during the season, and manytimes a day, had made every rock and swirl known to these men. Butalthough they knew the main channel like a book, seldom did any crewdare venture as close to the terrible jaws of the whirlpool as theveteran guide
of the rapids, Old John Boucher, had always made it apractice of taking his parties.
Jack had looked several times at the man in the stern. Somehow, he didnot wholly like his appearance. There was something about him to signifythat he must have recently arisen from a sick bed. Perhaps, tempted byan influx of tourists, and the demand for experienced guides to takethem through the rapids, he had come back to work a bit too soon!
"He doesn't seem as strong as the others," Jack was thinking, even as heturned his head from time to time as if to see what lay behind, whilethey were pushing up the sturdy current. "I can hear him pant as ifshort of breath. Goodness! I hope now nothing is going to happen to himwhile we're spinning along down through these old rapids. They say thatwhirlpool would swallow up anything; and that Old John was the only manwhoever went into it, and came out alive. Whew!"
But Jack did not whisper these fears to his comrades. It was too late tochange steersman now; and why spoil all their pleasure?
After all, no doubt there was not so much strength needed once theybegan to move swiftly along with the current, going half a mile in acouple of minutes, they had been told, though Jack doubted the accuracyof that statement at first.
Apparently the guides had overshot the mark at which they aimed; for asthe canoe was turned, in the shadow of the bridge, Jack saw that the manin the bow glanced apprehensively over his shoulder while he kneltthere, and immediately began to paddle furiously, as though trying tobring the boat back a little toward the American shore.
Had they gone too far, and were they speeding down in the track taken bythe one daring prince of guides--a course that would actually skirt theverge of that whirlpool, of which such terrible things were said?
Jack shut his teeth hard at the thought. Then he gave himself up to thekeen enjoyment of that glorious ride, when the canoe was seized upon asby invisible hands, and borne along at lightning speed.
Looking at the water alongside, foam-specked as it was, one could notbelieve the boat was moving at all, because both kept company. But allthat was needed was for the voyager to raise his eyes, and send a looktoward the shore, when he must realize the tremendous rapidity withwhich his frail craft was being carried along.
Things just seemed to fairly flit past, as though they were aboarda fast railway train. The boys were evidently enjoying the novelexperience to the full, for their heads were constantly turning fromside to side, and all seemed to be talking at once.
Jack was nervously looking ahead and on the left, for he knew theymust now be approaching the whirlpool, where the eddying waters wentfuriously round and round and the center seemed to be a deep hole, likethe dent a gigantic top would make in the mud.
Yes, there it was beyond, and they were speeding down at a pace thatmade one dizzy to notice it. He could feel that both Indian guides werepaddling desperately _away from the left_, as though fearing that theywere too close to the verge of that death chasm!
What if a paddle chanced to break right then and there? They carriedspare ones fortunately--Jack had noted that; but all the same he hopednothing of the sort would come about.
Hardly had this chilly idea flashed into Jack's mind than he heard whatseemed to be a groan close to his ear. At the same time he felt the boatquiver in a suspicious manner. Turning instantly the boy was horrifiedto see that the Indian guide in the rear had crumpled in his place, withhis head fallen forward, and seemed to be gasping for breath.
He had collapsed just at the most dreadful moment, when the canoe wasswooping down close to the edge of the whirlpool!