The Cruise of the Snowbird: A Story of Arctic Adventure

himselfof his extra excitement, he returned to the hut, gave up the hat, andlay quietly down to look at his master.

  "Yes," said McBain, "but there was no good starting a search expeditionlast night, you know, so we left the yacht at daybreak and here we are."

  "And here we wouldn't be," added Ralph, "but for that honest dog."

  While they were talking, Seth returned with dog and gun, bearing on hisshoulders a young doe, its eyes not yet glazed, so recently had it beenshot.

  "Well, gentlemen," he said, throwing down his burden at the door, whileOscar ran out to say "How d'ye do?" to the mastiff, "I'm skivered. Akind o' right down skivered."

  "Well," said McBain smiling, "I trust it is a pleasant sensation."

  "Sensation?" said Seth, "here's where the sensation lies. I go out toshoot a doe for breakfast, and when I come back, if I don't find threemore on ye. Seven of us and only one doe! But never mind, the oldtrapper'll do his level utmost. But I say, though, seven of us to onedoe. Well, I _am_ skivered!"

  When men of the world meet in foreign lands, especially in wild foreignforests, they can dispense with a deal of ceremony, and the old trapperwas soon talking away as free-and-easily, and as merrily, with ourtravellers as if he had known them all his life.

  But it would have done your heart good to have seen Seth preparingbreakfast. He built a log fire outside the hut and placed an immensetripod over it; on this he hung an immense pot, all in gipsy-fashion.This was what Seth called the "dirty work." That finished, this curiousold trapper at once set about transforming himself into _chef_, firstand foremost placing a basin and spoon handy for each of his visitors,not forgetting the dogs, and the former were surprised to see everythingscrupulously clean. Seth retired for a few minutes with the deer, andin a surprisingly short time reappeared with a large wooden tray,containing evidently everything that would be required for the morning'smeal, and old Seth had divested himself of his coat and skin cap, andnow wore an immense leathern apron, with a clean linen cap, while hissleeves were rolled up above the elbows.

  Our heroes lay on the grass talking and laughing and looking lazily on,but enjoying the sight nevertheless. It was evidently a curry on agrand scale that Seth was going to give them, and he soon had about adozen sliced onions simmering in fat; when they were enough done thedoe's flesh was added, and then Seth set about compounding his curryout of freshly-grated turmeric and many curious herbs. His pestle andmortar were rude but efficient. This was the longest part of theoperation, and he had to pause often to take off the lid and stir up theflesh, and every time he did this the two dogs, who had sworn eternalfriendship when first they met, must needs walk round to the lee side ofthe old trapper, and hold their heads high in the air to sniff thefragrant steam.

  And now Seth added the goat's milk, then the curry, and lastly theflour; after this he left the mess to simmer while he busied himself inpreparations for dishing up. Our heroes were intensely hungry, but theywere also intensely happy, and when hunger and happiness both gotogether, it is a sure sign that a man is in health.

  "Well, I do declare," said Ralph, passing his dish for the third if notthe fourth time, "I don't think I ever enjoyed a breakfast more in mylife."

  "Nor I either; and fancy getting freshly-baked bread," said Allan.

  "And the drink," said McBain, lifting a foaming mug to his lips, "what aglad surprise!"

  Simple heather ale it was, reader, made from the heath-tops andsweetened with wild honey.

  "And you tell us," said McBain, "that you've been alone in this forestfor twelve long years?"

  "Not alone," said Seth, pointing with his foot to the mastiff. "I hadhe, and his father and mother before him."

  "And you're your own baker and brewer?"

  "Blame me," replied Seth, "if I ain't my own everything, and bar acouple of journeys a year of a hundred odd miles to sell my furs, andbuy powder and an old newspaper, I never sees a soul save the YackInjuns. A little civilisation goes a long way with Seth."

  "I dare say," says Rory, "you built your house yourself?"

  "Shouldn't wonder if I did," said Seth. "And I cleared all the spaceyou see around; I knocked the forest about a bit, I can tell you,gentlemen; the spruce pines that grow to the north and east of thewigwam are left on purpose for shelter, for in winter it does blow a bithere--ay, and snow a bit as well, and there is sometimes a week and morethat old Seth can't put his nose over the threshold. And that's justthe time, gentlemen, that I receives visitors, skiver 'em!"

  "What, Indians?" asked Rory.

  "Oh! no, sirree," said the Yankee trapper; "'tain't likely any Injuncould live in a storm that Seth couldn't stand. No, b'ars, sir, b'ars."

  "Ah! bears! yes, I see, and I suppose you give them a warm reception?"

  Seth chuckled to himself as he replied, "Whatever I gives 'em,gentlemen, I serves it up hot. Then their skins come in handy forblankets and such, you see."

  "And the Indians--when do they pay you a visit?"

  "After the first fall of snow," said Seth--"soon as they can chiveyalong in their caribou sledges."

  "It must be grand fun," said Allan, "that chiveying along, as you callit, in a caribou sledge."

  "It is," said Seth, "when once you get used to it, and you have a deeryou can trust. I remember the time when the Yacks knew nothing at allabout training deer for the work. A party of Norwegians, in a tub of awalrus brig, got stranded round north here some years ago. Well, sir,the Injuns were going to kill every man Jack of them."

  "Savage are they, then?" said McBain. "Not a bit of it!" replied Seth;"they were going to kill them for fun, that was all!"

  "Troth?" says Rory, "they must have a drop of the rale ould Oirish bloodin them, these same Yacks?"

  "They ain't Yacks quite, though," says Seth, "though I calls 'em so;they ain't so indolent as a Yack; they are bigger, too, and a deal moretreacherous."

  "Did they kill the poor fellows?" asked McBain. "Not a bit of it!"Seth replied. "Nary a one o' them. Seth interceded. Though I say it,"continued the trapper, "as mebbe shouldn't say it, and wouldn't say itif there was anybody else to say it for me, Seth had some littleinfluence with these wily blueskins--it ain't red that they be, mindyou, but blue. They'll never forget the first taste of my temper theyhad. Plunket's mother were livin' then, and a fine dog she was, and sowas Plunket himself, although not much more'n a year old. The old ladywas left to keep the house one day, and Plunket and I went to look forcaribou. When we returns in the evening I could tell at a glance theInjuns had been on to us. Everything was upside down; everything wastaken away they could carry, and poor Ino was lying wounded and bleedingin a corner; the scoundrels had tomahawked her. You should have seenthe way Plunket set his back up and ran round and round the place. Buthis turn didn't come then for a bit. We just kept quiet for a fewweeks, and nursed Ino back to life. We knew they'd return, and theydid. Lying awake I was one morning, when I hears Plunket give a lowgrowl. I knew something was up, so I kept the dogs still and waited tosee what the next move would be. Half-an-hour and more passed, then agreat brown bare arm stole in through the hole in the door-top; in thehand was a knife, which was moved across the leathern hinges.Gentlemen, Plunket had a mouthful of that arm ere ever you'd say `axe'!`Hold on, Plunket!' I cried, and the good dog didn't need two biddings,I can tell you; he stuck to his prisoner like grim Death to a deadnigger, until, with a bar and a rope, I had made sure the arm couldn'tbe withdrawn. Well, you should have heard the yell that blueskin gave.But a louder yell than his rang all around the hut next minute, and Iknew then, gentlemen, it was to be war to the knife-hilt. My windowsare small, but the walls are strong, and I was safe enough for a bit. Ifired through each shutter as a kind of warning to 'em; then I creptupstairs to the little garret and prepared to give them pepper! FifteenI could count in all, armed with tomahawks and spears; fifteen, andPlunket's prisoner. Sixteen in all, and only three of us! No use theirtrying to get in in an ordinary way, they soon gave up that game, anddr
ew off and held a council. I didn't want to begin the game ofkilling, gentlemen, or now I could have had three with one bullet. Theconclusion they came to was to burn this old trapper out. But you see,gentlemen, this old trapper didn't mean to be burnt out if he could helpit. Shame on the wretches! they didn't mind even burning the poor Injunwho was fast to the door. Well, when they began to make the faggots, Ijust let them have it as hot as