XV
A DAY ON THE ICE
Save on rare occasions Indian Jake was silent, and it seemed to theboys sullen. He had told them little of his success on the trail, orwhether or not his hunt was good. But when they appeared at theNarrows tilt and told of their adventures with the wolves and with thestorm, his stoic Indian reserve vanished for the evening. He askedmany questions. He appeared deeply concerned and wished to know oftheir daily experiences, and details of the furs they had accumulatedin the other tilts.
"You're making a fine hunt," he complimented. "As fine a hunt as yourfather could have made."
"We've got a fine lot o' fur," admitted David, with just pride, "butwe been hopin' for a silver fox."
"That isn't strange," and the half-breed smiled, in his peculiar way."Every hunter is looking for a silver fox all the time, but not manyget 'em."
"If we don't get un," said David, "Andy and me have made a good huntanyhow, and we won't be complainin' about un."
"That we have," seconded Andy.
"A fine hunt," agreed Indian Jake.
"How have you been doin', Jake?" asked David "You never say much aboutun."
"Not so bad," admitted Indian Jake.
"Have you got much fur?" persisted David.
"Oh, I've got some. I been thinkin'," suggested Indian Jake, turningthe subject, as he always did, from himself to the boys, "that youlads better bring all your furs from the other tilts down here to theNarrows tilt."
"Maybe 'twould be a good plan," David agreed.
"Yes," continued Indian Jake, "and then you'll have it all together."
"'Twill make a fine showin' when we has un all together," enthusedDavid.
"Yes," said Indian Jake, "and we can go over it together and see whatit's worth."
"We'll fetch un all down here next trip," agreed David. "I'd like t'see un all laid out together."
"And every trip you'd better bring down what you catch," suggestedIndian Jake. "It's better to keep all your fur in one place."
"Aye," said David, "I'm thinkin' 'tis better."
"And will you be bringin' all your fur here too?" asked Andy.
"No," answered Indian Jake, "it's better to keep 'em separate. If Ihad mine here we might be gettin' 'em mixed, and we wouldn't knowwhich was which. I'll keep mine up to my first tilt."
"I'm thinkin' we'd know all _our_ fur," persisted Andy. "I don't seehow we'd be like t' get un mixed."
"There's no tellin' but we would, though," persisted Indian Jake.
"Davy and I knows _our_ fur," insisted Andy. "We've looked at un somany times, and counted out th' price they'll be like t' bring, we'dknow un anywhere."
"We'll be gettin' more fur," David explained, "and we may not be ablet' tell all til' new fur like we do that we got now."
"No," said Indian Jake, "nobody can remember all the fur he gets. Ican't tell all mine so I'd know 'em, if they were with others."
"Davy and I could tell ours," again insisted Andy; "th' new uns justlike th' old uns, no matter how many we gets."
"We won't mix 'em," and Indian Jake spoke with finality. "I'll leavemine up at my first tilt."
"Aye, that will be best, Andy," said David. "Jake's right about un.Then we'll just have ours here, and we'll know all we has here isours, and Jake'll have his separate, and know all he has is his."
Thus the argument ended. No further reference was made to the matteruntil several weeks later, when David and Andy recalled it vividly,and the earnestness with which Indian Jake had urged his point.
This was in mid-December, and in accordance with the suggestion theboys brought the furs to the Narrows tilt the following Friday. IndianJake examined them with eagerness. He was interested for their sakein their success, the boys were sure, and this pleased them. In spiteof his periods of sullenness, and his reticence, the boys liked himand had faith in him.
"It is a _fine_ catch of fur," declared Indian Jake, when he hadcarefully inspected each pelt. "Your father'll be proud of you! Withwhat more you'll get before we strike up th' traps in th' spring,there'll be plenty to pay for th' little lad's cure."
"Do you think so, now?" asked David eagerly.
"I'm sure of it," declared Indian Jake. "You lads have made a finehunt. 'Twould be a fine hunt for any man, and an old hunter, too."
"And we're like t' get as many more, _what_ever, ain't we?" asked Andyenthusiastically.
"Yes," said Indian Jake, "and they'll be prime for some time yet, andbring th' top price."
The boys were made happy indeed by Indian Jake's commendation andvaluation of their furs. Indian Jake had a keen eye for furs. He wasan acknowledged judge, and his valuation could be relied upon. Theynever questioned this. It imbued them with new fervor and ambition fortheir work. It made the toil of it appear less formidable. Thus it isalways in life. A word of praise and commendation will often lightenanother's burden beyond measure. And success breeds desire for greatersuccess. The higher one climbs, the higher one wishes to climb.
The survey of the pelts placed Indian Jake in a most amiable mood thatevening. It was one of the occasions when he threw off his toofrequent attitude of sullen silence. He chatted with the boys and toldthem tales of personal adventure and experiences, while he smoked.Indeed he had never been so companionable.
"Well, lads," said he at length, "it's time t' turn in. I'm thinkin'I'll try for some fish tomorrow. I'm gettin' hungry for fish, andthey's plenty of 'em in th' lake. We may's well have some."
"Can we get un through th' ice?" asked David eagerly.
"We can make a try for it," said Indian Jake, knocking the ashes fromhis pipe and filling the stove with wood, preparatory to "turning in."
Accordingly, the following morning after they had eaten breakfast,Indian Jake produced some fish hooks and a cod line from his personalkit, and while David and Andy washed dishes he cut the cod line intothree lengths of about thirty feet. To each of these he attached ahook, and just above the hook a leaden snicker. Then, winding thelines separately and neatly upon sticks, he detached several smallstrips of rind from a piece of pork and baited the hooks. Theadditional strips of rind he wrapped in a piece of cloth, and thrustthem into his pocket.
"There's the fishing outfit all ready; one for each of us," heannounced, laying them aside. "There's no use goin', though, tilllight. They's plenty of time."
"Will we get trout?" asked David.
"No," said Indian Jake. "Whitefish, maybe. Namaycush, maybe. Maybenothin' but pike. And maybe nothin' at all."
"Oh!" exclaimed Andy expectantly. "I've heard Pop tell about gettin'wonderful big namaycush out'n th' lakes!"
"I've seen 'em," said Indian Jake, "that would go upwards of fortypound. And I've heard of 'em running close to sixty pound."
"Did you ever get any in Seal Lake like that?" asked David excitedly.
"No; not in Seal Lake," admitted Indian Jake. "But they're here, andwe're like t' get 'em. I've been thinkin' that tomorrow week will beChristmas, and if we could get some fish 'twould make a fine changefor Christmas dinner from pa'tridges and rabbits."
"'Twould that!" enthused David. "I'm wonderful hungry for fish, too.But I was forgettin' about Christmas. Up here on th' trails I neverthinks of un at all."
"We'll have t' fix up a good feed for Christmas," declared Indian Jake,"and we'll make it out somehow. Even if 'tis only fish."
As soon as it was light, and long before sunrise, the three with theirimprovised fishing tackle, and each carrying his ax, set forth uponSeal Lake. Indian Jake led the way to a point a half mile from thetilt, and directly above the Narrows.
"We'll cut our holes here," he announced. "Spread out a little anddon't cut 'em too near together."
It was no small task. A coating of hard-packed snow was first removed.Then came the ice, which was now over three feet in thickness. Theholes when finished were three feet in diameter at the top, taperingdown to a foot and a half at the bottom like a funnel.
"Now," said Indian Jake when all was ready, "w
e'll see whether we'regoin't' get any fish."
David's baited hook had hardly sunk below the surface of the waterwhen he felt a tug, and an instant later he drew out a whitefish thathe was quite sure weighed four pounds at the very least. A littlelater Indian Jake drew out another, and almost at the same moment Andygave a shout as he landed still another.
"Looks like we're goin' t' get whitefish, _what_ever," said IndianJake.
Standing still upon the open ice soon became cold and disagreeablework. The lines quickly became encrusted with a thick coating of ice,and it was necessary to keep them moving up and down in the hole, elsethe water would freeze at once. Even then they must clear away theaccumulated ice frequently.
With the rising sun a breeze sprang up from the west to add to thediscomfort, and presently Indian Jake, unhooking a whitefish, asked:
"How many fish you got, lads?"
"I've got four fine ones," David announced.
"I've got three," said Andy.
"I've got three, and that makes ten," calculated Indian Jake. "That'sall we'll use this week and next week and th' week after. They's noneed standin' here and freezin', and we might as well go back t' th'tilt. Pull in, boys, and we'll go."
Indian Jake and David drew in their lines, and proceeded to clear themof ice, but Andy, with his still in the water hole, was making nopreparation to leave.
"Come, Andy," David shouted. "Jake and me are 'most ready to go."
"I can't," answered Andy. "My hook's snagged on something, and I can'tpull un in."
"Let me try her," said Indian Jake, who had wound his line, and waspicking up the frozen fish and dropping them into an empty flour baghe had brought for the purpose.
"Here, try un," and Andy surrendered the line to Indian Jake, just asthe line gave a mighty tug.
"Why, you've got a fish on there!" exclaimed Indian Jake. "He's as bigas a porpoise, too, whatever he is!"
Vastly excited, the lads watched Indian Jake manipulate the line,drawing the fish nearer and nearer the hole.
"He's most t' th' hole!" cried David, no less excited than Andy."Watch out now! Watch, now! You're gettin' he, Jake!"
"There he is!" shouted Andy, when, a moment later, the head of animmense fish appeared at the end of the line in the water hole.
"Here!" directed Jake. "You lads take th' line and hold steady! Don'tjerk; just keep a steady pull! Don't let it slip back any!"
David and Andy seized the line as directed, and held tight. IndianJake, regardless of the cold, threw off his right mitten, drew hissheath knife from his belt, and leaning far over the hole drove itwith a hard, quick blow into the top of the fish's head. Then flingingthe knife out upon the ice, he plunged his hand into the water,slipped his fingers under the gills of the fish, and drew it out uponthe ice. Then without a moment's delay he thrust his hand under hisadiky to dry it, and prevent its freezing.
"That's one of 'em," he said coolly. "That's a namaycush, and a fortypounder if he's anything."
Of course Andy was proud, though he did not claim all the credit ofcatching the big namaycush. The glory of such a fish was quite enough,in his estimation, to be distributed among the three.
"Now we'll have fish for half th' winter, _what_ever!" he declared.
"That we will, now!" said David.
"And good eatin', too," said Indian Jake, recovering his mitten."There's no better eatin' than namaycush."
With his sheath knife Indian Jake severed the head, cut open the fish,and cleaned it.
"Now 'twon't be so heavy to carry," he explained.
Already it was stiffening with the cold, and Indian Jake, lifting itto his shoulder, set out for the tilt, while David and Andy with thebag of whitefish, followed.
They were nearing the tilt when suddenly Indian Jake paused and peeredintently up the lake shore. David and Andy followed his gaze and sawsomething, close in the edge of the trees, move.
"Deer!" exclaimed Indian Jake.
The three ran for their rifles.