[Contents]CHAPTER XXIION A NEW TACKAs soon as Ray had recovered from his fright he seized his gun and ran after Ganawa. He wondered why Ganawa had not fired, but now he saw the Indian point to a tall pine, from which two bear cubs were coming down, just as a boy comes down out of a tree, feet first.“There, my son,” said Ganawa, “you see why the bear attacked you and the dog. She was afraid you would harm her cubs. You must never kill a mother animal that has young. We must not harm these bears. We do not need the meat, and killing them would bring us bad luck.”It took fully a week before the berries were dry enough so they could be kept in two large birch-bark tubs, which Ganawa had made, and which each held about half a bushel, although the lads were sure they[174]had picked at least four bushels. Blueberries hold their moisture with a wonderful tenacity. Ripe berries will remain fresh and plump on the vines for about two weeks, and even after they have been picked it takes much time and patience to dry them; but after they are well dried, they will keep all winter. Blueberries and wild rice and maple sugar were the only wild vegetable foods which the Indians of the Great Lakes region could gather in large quantities.“My sons,” said Ganawa in the evening, when all the berries had been dried, “we must decide what we shall do. If you, my sons, are very homesick for your own people, then you should not stay with me through the winter for we may never find your friend, even if we search for him again after winter has passed.”Ganawa was silent, but Bruce saw that he expected an answer, and Bruce replied frankly, saying: “My father, it is true that your white sons were homesick when we travelled far north to the great level spruce[175]forest. At that time we were very tired, because the mosquitoes and black flies had worried us so much, the black flies during the day and the mosquitoes during the night. But now the nights are cool and the hungry flies and mosquitoes are gone. We are no longer tired and homesick, we are strong and we wish to stay with our father as long as he will keep us and search for our lost friend.”Ganawa sat in silence for some time, his eyes fastened on the hills down-stream as if he were trying to look into the future. “My sons,” he said at last, “we have searched the big lakes to the north of this river. There is one large lake and many small ones south of this river. If we do not find your lost friend on one of them and find no sign of his camp, then I cannot tell you where to look for him.“But now the nights are getting cold. Very soon the leaves on the poplars and birches will turn yellow. The north wind will blow them down and will bring snow[176]and storms from the great sea beyond the spruce forest.“My sons, we must find a camp for the winter. It must be sheltered from the storms and it must be in a place where we can find food, a place near which we can catch fish and find game. There is a lake about one league south of this camp. To this lake we should carry our canoe and all our things and then we should make a good camp for the winter.”Both white lads were much surprised at the confidence with which Ganawa travelled across the forest toward the winter camp. There was no trail, but he seemed to be guided by a ridge of high granite cliffs, which ran in a general north and south direction. In making a portage on a trail, Ganawa generally carried the canoe alone, but on this long portage he put one end on his shoulder and Bruce carried the other end, the canoe resting bottom side up on the shoulders of the two men. In this way the leader could look ahead and pick out the[177]best going through a country of many rocks, fallen timber and patches of thick brush and small bushy timber.When they had been going about two hours, with many short rests, they struck a well-marked moose trail leading down a gentle slope to their right, while to their left the high cliff of red granite arose steep and bold only a few rods away. As they followed this trail Ray noticed that it did not branch or grow dim, and suddenly they stepped into a small clearing with several sets of tepee-poles, and before them a beautiful lake spread out between two ranges of well-timbered rocky hills.“Anjigami! Anjigami!” Ganawa called. “My father and I camped here once many years ago, and I have never forgotten the lake and its green hills. Here we must make a good camp for the winter. There are plenty of fish in this lake and there are some moose in the country, and on streams and small lakes not far away we should find plenty of beaver.”[178]The three men had to make two more trips to the Michipicoten to bring their blankets, meat, berries, and other things. They tried to make Tawny stay at the new camp, but he did not seem to comprehend what was wanted of him, and in the evening after a total march of about fifteen miles, he was footsore. They had learned that it was useless to tie him with any kind of rope. If Tawny were left alone, he would always gnaw off his rope and follow the men, although he learned to stay far enough behind to be unseen. On the return trip he went ahead, and when they arrived Tawny would be lying quietly with his head on his paws, but his appearance and the gnawed rope told the story.“My little son,” Ganawa said, laughing, “Ohnemoosh is a great liar. He thinks he can fool us. We have no white man’s chain, but some day I may show you how to tie up Ohnemoosh so he has to stay in camp.”[179]
[Contents]CHAPTER XXIION A NEW TACKAs soon as Ray had recovered from his fright he seized his gun and ran after Ganawa. He wondered why Ganawa had not fired, but now he saw the Indian point to a tall pine, from which two bear cubs were coming down, just as a boy comes down out of a tree, feet first.“There, my son,” said Ganawa, “you see why the bear attacked you and the dog. She was afraid you would harm her cubs. You must never kill a mother animal that has young. We must not harm these bears. We do not need the meat, and killing them would bring us bad luck.”It took fully a week before the berries were dry enough so they could be kept in two large birch-bark tubs, which Ganawa had made, and which each held about half a bushel, although the lads were sure they[174]had picked at least four bushels. Blueberries hold their moisture with a wonderful tenacity. Ripe berries will remain fresh and plump on the vines for about two weeks, and even after they have been picked it takes much time and patience to dry them; but after they are well dried, they will keep all winter. Blueberries and wild rice and maple sugar were the only wild vegetable foods which the Indians of the Great Lakes region could gather in large quantities.“My sons,” said Ganawa in the evening, when all the berries had been dried, “we must decide what we shall do. If you, my sons, are very homesick for your own people, then you should not stay with me through the winter for we may never find your friend, even if we search for him again after winter has passed.”Ganawa was silent, but Bruce saw that he expected an answer, and Bruce replied frankly, saying: “My father, it is true that your white sons were homesick when we travelled far north to the great level spruce[175]forest. At that time we were very tired, because the mosquitoes and black flies had worried us so much, the black flies during the day and the mosquitoes during the night. But now the nights are cool and the hungry flies and mosquitoes are gone. We are no longer tired and homesick, we are strong and we wish to stay with our father as long as he will keep us and search for our lost friend.”Ganawa sat in silence for some time, his eyes fastened on the hills down-stream as if he were trying to look into the future. “My sons,” he said at last, “we have searched the big lakes to the north of this river. There is one large lake and many small ones south of this river. If we do not find your lost friend on one of them and find no sign of his camp, then I cannot tell you where to look for him.“But now the nights are getting cold. Very soon the leaves on the poplars and birches will turn yellow. The north wind will blow them down and will bring snow[176]and storms from the great sea beyond the spruce forest.“My sons, we must find a camp for the winter. It must be sheltered from the storms and it must be in a place where we can find food, a place near which we can catch fish and find game. There is a lake about one league south of this camp. To this lake we should carry our canoe and all our things and then we should make a good camp for the winter.”Both white lads were much surprised at the confidence with which Ganawa travelled across the forest toward the winter camp. There was no trail, but he seemed to be guided by a ridge of high granite cliffs, which ran in a general north and south direction. In making a portage on a trail, Ganawa generally carried the canoe alone, but on this long portage he put one end on his shoulder and Bruce carried the other end, the canoe resting bottom side up on the shoulders of the two men. In this way the leader could look ahead and pick out the[177]best going through a country of many rocks, fallen timber and patches of thick brush and small bushy timber.When they had been going about two hours, with many short rests, they struck a well-marked moose trail leading down a gentle slope to their right, while to their left the high cliff of red granite arose steep and bold only a few rods away. As they followed this trail Ray noticed that it did not branch or grow dim, and suddenly they stepped into a small clearing with several sets of tepee-poles, and before them a beautiful lake spread out between two ranges of well-timbered rocky hills.“Anjigami! Anjigami!” Ganawa called. “My father and I camped here once many years ago, and I have never forgotten the lake and its green hills. Here we must make a good camp for the winter. There are plenty of fish in this lake and there are some moose in the country, and on streams and small lakes not far away we should find plenty of beaver.”[178]The three men had to make two more trips to the Michipicoten to bring their blankets, meat, berries, and other things. They tried to make Tawny stay at the new camp, but he did not seem to comprehend what was wanted of him, and in the evening after a total march of about fifteen miles, he was footsore. They had learned that it was useless to tie him with any kind of rope. If Tawny were left alone, he would always gnaw off his rope and follow the men, although he learned to stay far enough behind to be unseen. On the return trip he went ahead, and when they arrived Tawny would be lying quietly with his head on his paws, but his appearance and the gnawed rope told the story.“My little son,” Ganawa said, laughing, “Ohnemoosh is a great liar. He thinks he can fool us. We have no white man’s chain, but some day I may show you how to tie up Ohnemoosh so he has to stay in camp.”[179]
CHAPTER XXIION A NEW TACK
As soon as Ray had recovered from his fright he seized his gun and ran after Ganawa. He wondered why Ganawa had not fired, but now he saw the Indian point to a tall pine, from which two bear cubs were coming down, just as a boy comes down out of a tree, feet first.“There, my son,” said Ganawa, “you see why the bear attacked you and the dog. She was afraid you would harm her cubs. You must never kill a mother animal that has young. We must not harm these bears. We do not need the meat, and killing them would bring us bad luck.”It took fully a week before the berries were dry enough so they could be kept in two large birch-bark tubs, which Ganawa had made, and which each held about half a bushel, although the lads were sure they[174]had picked at least four bushels. Blueberries hold their moisture with a wonderful tenacity. Ripe berries will remain fresh and plump on the vines for about two weeks, and even after they have been picked it takes much time and patience to dry them; but after they are well dried, they will keep all winter. Blueberries and wild rice and maple sugar were the only wild vegetable foods which the Indians of the Great Lakes region could gather in large quantities.“My sons,” said Ganawa in the evening, when all the berries had been dried, “we must decide what we shall do. If you, my sons, are very homesick for your own people, then you should not stay with me through the winter for we may never find your friend, even if we search for him again after winter has passed.”Ganawa was silent, but Bruce saw that he expected an answer, and Bruce replied frankly, saying: “My father, it is true that your white sons were homesick when we travelled far north to the great level spruce[175]forest. At that time we were very tired, because the mosquitoes and black flies had worried us so much, the black flies during the day and the mosquitoes during the night. But now the nights are cool and the hungry flies and mosquitoes are gone. We are no longer tired and homesick, we are strong and we wish to stay with our father as long as he will keep us and search for our lost friend.”Ganawa sat in silence for some time, his eyes fastened on the hills down-stream as if he were trying to look into the future. “My sons,” he said at last, “we have searched the big lakes to the north of this river. There is one large lake and many small ones south of this river. If we do not find your lost friend on one of them and find no sign of his camp, then I cannot tell you where to look for him.“But now the nights are getting cold. Very soon the leaves on the poplars and birches will turn yellow. The north wind will blow them down and will bring snow[176]and storms from the great sea beyond the spruce forest.“My sons, we must find a camp for the winter. It must be sheltered from the storms and it must be in a place where we can find food, a place near which we can catch fish and find game. There is a lake about one league south of this camp. To this lake we should carry our canoe and all our things and then we should make a good camp for the winter.”Both white lads were much surprised at the confidence with which Ganawa travelled across the forest toward the winter camp. There was no trail, but he seemed to be guided by a ridge of high granite cliffs, which ran in a general north and south direction. In making a portage on a trail, Ganawa generally carried the canoe alone, but on this long portage he put one end on his shoulder and Bruce carried the other end, the canoe resting bottom side up on the shoulders of the two men. In this way the leader could look ahead and pick out the[177]best going through a country of many rocks, fallen timber and patches of thick brush and small bushy timber.When they had been going about two hours, with many short rests, they struck a well-marked moose trail leading down a gentle slope to their right, while to their left the high cliff of red granite arose steep and bold only a few rods away. As they followed this trail Ray noticed that it did not branch or grow dim, and suddenly they stepped into a small clearing with several sets of tepee-poles, and before them a beautiful lake spread out between two ranges of well-timbered rocky hills.“Anjigami! Anjigami!” Ganawa called. “My father and I camped here once many years ago, and I have never forgotten the lake and its green hills. Here we must make a good camp for the winter. There are plenty of fish in this lake and there are some moose in the country, and on streams and small lakes not far away we should find plenty of beaver.”[178]The three men had to make two more trips to the Michipicoten to bring their blankets, meat, berries, and other things. They tried to make Tawny stay at the new camp, but he did not seem to comprehend what was wanted of him, and in the evening after a total march of about fifteen miles, he was footsore. They had learned that it was useless to tie him with any kind of rope. If Tawny were left alone, he would always gnaw off his rope and follow the men, although he learned to stay far enough behind to be unseen. On the return trip he went ahead, and when they arrived Tawny would be lying quietly with his head on his paws, but his appearance and the gnawed rope told the story.“My little son,” Ganawa said, laughing, “Ohnemoosh is a great liar. He thinks he can fool us. We have no white man’s chain, but some day I may show you how to tie up Ohnemoosh so he has to stay in camp.”[179]
As soon as Ray had recovered from his fright he seized his gun and ran after Ganawa. He wondered why Ganawa had not fired, but now he saw the Indian point to a tall pine, from which two bear cubs were coming down, just as a boy comes down out of a tree, feet first.
“There, my son,” said Ganawa, “you see why the bear attacked you and the dog. She was afraid you would harm her cubs. You must never kill a mother animal that has young. We must not harm these bears. We do not need the meat, and killing them would bring us bad luck.”
It took fully a week before the berries were dry enough so they could be kept in two large birch-bark tubs, which Ganawa had made, and which each held about half a bushel, although the lads were sure they[174]had picked at least four bushels. Blueberries hold their moisture with a wonderful tenacity. Ripe berries will remain fresh and plump on the vines for about two weeks, and even after they have been picked it takes much time and patience to dry them; but after they are well dried, they will keep all winter. Blueberries and wild rice and maple sugar were the only wild vegetable foods which the Indians of the Great Lakes region could gather in large quantities.
“My sons,” said Ganawa in the evening, when all the berries had been dried, “we must decide what we shall do. If you, my sons, are very homesick for your own people, then you should not stay with me through the winter for we may never find your friend, even if we search for him again after winter has passed.”
Ganawa was silent, but Bruce saw that he expected an answer, and Bruce replied frankly, saying: “My father, it is true that your white sons were homesick when we travelled far north to the great level spruce[175]forest. At that time we were very tired, because the mosquitoes and black flies had worried us so much, the black flies during the day and the mosquitoes during the night. But now the nights are cool and the hungry flies and mosquitoes are gone. We are no longer tired and homesick, we are strong and we wish to stay with our father as long as he will keep us and search for our lost friend.”
Ganawa sat in silence for some time, his eyes fastened on the hills down-stream as if he were trying to look into the future. “My sons,” he said at last, “we have searched the big lakes to the north of this river. There is one large lake and many small ones south of this river. If we do not find your lost friend on one of them and find no sign of his camp, then I cannot tell you where to look for him.
“But now the nights are getting cold. Very soon the leaves on the poplars and birches will turn yellow. The north wind will blow them down and will bring snow[176]and storms from the great sea beyond the spruce forest.
“My sons, we must find a camp for the winter. It must be sheltered from the storms and it must be in a place where we can find food, a place near which we can catch fish and find game. There is a lake about one league south of this camp. To this lake we should carry our canoe and all our things and then we should make a good camp for the winter.”
Both white lads were much surprised at the confidence with which Ganawa travelled across the forest toward the winter camp. There was no trail, but he seemed to be guided by a ridge of high granite cliffs, which ran in a general north and south direction. In making a portage on a trail, Ganawa generally carried the canoe alone, but on this long portage he put one end on his shoulder and Bruce carried the other end, the canoe resting bottom side up on the shoulders of the two men. In this way the leader could look ahead and pick out the[177]best going through a country of many rocks, fallen timber and patches of thick brush and small bushy timber.
When they had been going about two hours, with many short rests, they struck a well-marked moose trail leading down a gentle slope to their right, while to their left the high cliff of red granite arose steep and bold only a few rods away. As they followed this trail Ray noticed that it did not branch or grow dim, and suddenly they stepped into a small clearing with several sets of tepee-poles, and before them a beautiful lake spread out between two ranges of well-timbered rocky hills.
“Anjigami! Anjigami!” Ganawa called. “My father and I camped here once many years ago, and I have never forgotten the lake and its green hills. Here we must make a good camp for the winter. There are plenty of fish in this lake and there are some moose in the country, and on streams and small lakes not far away we should find plenty of beaver.”[178]
The three men had to make two more trips to the Michipicoten to bring their blankets, meat, berries, and other things. They tried to make Tawny stay at the new camp, but he did not seem to comprehend what was wanted of him, and in the evening after a total march of about fifteen miles, he was footsore. They had learned that it was useless to tie him with any kind of rope. If Tawny were left alone, he would always gnaw off his rope and follow the men, although he learned to stay far enough behind to be unseen. On the return trip he went ahead, and when they arrived Tawny would be lying quietly with his head on his paws, but his appearance and the gnawed rope told the story.
“My little son,” Ganawa said, laughing, “Ohnemoosh is a great liar. He thinks he can fool us. We have no white man’s chain, but some day I may show you how to tie up Ohnemoosh so he has to stay in camp.”[179]