University of Virginia Library

14. CHAPTER XIV.

The low chirping of the wood-birds, the tiny barkings of
the out-starting squirrels, the hurrying footsteps of the night-prowling
animals, on their way to their coverts, on the land;
and the leaping up of fish, the flapping of the wings of ducks,
and the far-heard, trumpet-toned cry of the great northern diver,
on the water, those unfailing concomitants of approaching day,
in the watered wilderness, early aroused the next morning our
little band of soundly-sleeping hunters from their woodsmen's
feather beds, — the soft, elastic boughs of the health-giving
hemlock, — and put them on the stir in building their fire and
making preparations for their breakfast. The business of the
day before them was the completion of their camp building;
which, being intended, as before mentioned, for their general
head-quarters and storehouse, required far more care and labor
in the construction than the ordinary structures that are made
to serve for shelters for the sojourners of the woods. And, as
soon as they had dispatched their morning repast, they rose
and prepared themselves to commence the task on hand. As
the main part of the company were scattering into the woods,
with their hatchets, in search of straight poles to rib out the
sides and roof of their structure, which was the first thing in
order to be done, Phillips, without explaining his object, quietly
intimated to Codman a wish for company, in a short excursion
with canoes up the river; and the latter complying with the
intimation, and putting himself under the hunter's lead, the
two took to their canoes, with each another canoe in tow, and

commenced rowing up the stream; which, having run its rapid
and noisy race down to the foot of the mountains, a mile or two
above, was here, with gentle pace and seeming reverence, advancing
to the lake with its welcome tribute of crystal waters.

“Hillo, there, Mr. Hunter!” sung out the trapper to the
other, now some distance ahead, “what may be some of the
whys and wherefores of this shine we are cutting, stringing
along here with canoes to our tails? What suppose you should
be telling, before a great while, lest this end of the fleet might
be missing?”

“Soon show you,” replied the hunter, without turning his
head. “I always liked the Indian fashion of answering questions
by deeds instead of words, where the circumstances admit,
— it is so much more significant and satisfactory, besides
the world of lying it often prevents.”

After rowing a short distance farther, in silence, the hunter
turned his canoe in shore; and, after the other had followed his
example, he said:

“Now, follow me a few rods back into this thicket, up here.”
And, leading the way, he proceeded to what at first appeared
to be an irregular pile of brush, lying by the side of a large
fallen tree, but which, when the top brush was removed, and an
under-layer of evergreen boughs brushed aside, disclosed a
large, compact collection of peeled spruce bark, cut in regular
lengths of six or seven feet, and in breadths of about one foot,
of exact uniformity, and made so straight and flat by solid
packing that a rick of sawed boards would have scarcely presented
a more smooth and even appearance.

“Well, I will give in, now, and acknowledge myself beat in
wood-craft,” said the trapper, comprehending, at once, by whom
and for what purpose this acceptable pile of covering material
had been cut, and thus nicely cured and stored away for use.
“To have done this, you must have come here in June, the
peeling month; but how came you to think of this process of
preparing the bark, or come here at all to do it, so long beforehand,

on the uncertainty of its being needed, this fall, except
perhaps by yourself?”

“Well, happening to think, one day, how much better camps
might be made from bark peeled, cut, and pressed into the required
lengths and shapes, beforehand, as we prepare it for
our Indian canoes, than by following our usual bungling method,
I concluded to put things in train for trying the experiment
this fall; and this fall especially, as I was then calculating,
unless you wished to join, to hunt only in company with the two
Elwoods, and I was desirous of getting up an extra good camp
for them.”

“You take an unusual interest in the affairs of this newlycome
family, I have noticed.”

“If I do, I may have my reasons for it.”

“Special reasons, doubtless.”

“Ordinary reasons would be enough. In the first place,
they are fine people, the son and mother uncommonly so, and
the father also I consider a well-disposed man, but who may
have some weak points; and this being so, and the son being
inexperienced in dealing with designing men, a neighbor, like
me, ought, I am sure, to be unwilling to see any advantage
taken of them.”

“Yes, a fair reason enough for your course, if you had no
other; but may be you have other inducements, received, for
instance, on your visit to the seaside, the past summer.”

“That is all guess-work, remember; but come, let us drop
the subject, get this bark into our canoes, and be off down the
river with it to camp.”

They did so; and, on reaching camp, agreeably surprised
their companions with the abundant supply of excellent material
which they had brought for covering the cabin, and
for which, when the circumstances became known, all were
disposed to accord due credit to the provident hunter.

With the material thus obtained, the ribbing of the frame
having by this time been completed, all hands now commenced

the work of laying on, fitting, and confining the pliant and close-lying
strips of bark to the framework of the structure, both
above and below. And with so much assiduity and skill did
they prosecute their labors, that before night their camp was
covered and inclosed on every side, and made to present to the
eye, a cabin neat and comely in appearance, and as tight, warm,
and secure against storms, as many a dwelling-house in the
open country, covered with boards and shingles.

After the company had completed the roof and walls of their
camp, constructed a rude door, and made what interior arrangements
they deemed necessary for sleeping and storing their
provisions, they went out, for the hour or two now remaining
before sunset, and scattered for short excursions in their canoes
along the neighboring coves of the lake, for the various purposes
of fishing, shooting ducks, or inspecting the shores for
indications of beaver, otter, and other classes of the smaller
fur-animals of amphibious habits. All returning, however, at
sunset, they proceeded to cook and eat their suppers, much in
the same manner as on the preceding evening; after which,
in compliance with the suggestions made by several of the
company during the day, they went into a general consultation
for the purpose of fixing on the different locations and ranges
of river and forest, which each, or each pair of them, should
take for their hunting or trapping during the season before
them. They soon agreed, in the first place, without any difficulty,
in making the shores of the Oquossak, the next lake
above, and the last and perhaps largest of the four great lakes
forming the chief links of this singular chain of inland waters,
the base-line of their operations. Phillips and Codman, having
procured a wide strip of the outer bark of the white birch, —
ever the woodman's substitute for writing paper, when writing
becomes necessary, — then proceeded to draw a map, from personal
recollection, of the strangely-irregular lake in question.
By this, when completed, it appeared that the main inlet, or
the uppermost portion of the Androscoggin river, coming down

from the north through a chain of lakelets, or ponds, and running
parallel with the eastern shore of the lake, and but a few
miles distant from it, entered into a deep, pointed bay, about a
third of the way down the eastern shore; where it was joined
by another and scarcely lesser river, coming from or through a
different chain of these lakelets, scattered along far to the east
and northeast of the Oquossak; while a third considerable
stream entered the lake at its extreme northwestern termination.
These three inlets, that constituted all the rivers of any
magnitude running into this lake, would not only afford, it was
readily seen, the most desirable hunting-grounds in the sections
through which they flowed, but give the greater part of the
hunters, if they encamped in pairs, and had their camps at the
mouths of these streams, as was expected, an opportunity of
locating in near vicinity; while two more of the remaining
part of the company would, at the mouth of the northwestern
inlet, be less than five miles distant. This arrangement would
dispose of six of the company, — two of them on the inlet last
mentioned, and four on the two rivers that entered the lake
together, — and leave one to remain on the Megantic, to take
charge of the head-quarters, or store-camp there, and hunt
anywhere he chose in its vicinity. But who the one to be
placed in this trust should be, was the next question to be decided.
Gaut Gurley, who had been secretly scheming for this
post ever since the arrangement which he saw must necessarily
create it was agreed on, and who had been insidiously making
interest for it, with all the company, except Phillips and Codman,
now proposed that the question should be decided by
ballot, and without discussion. And, the proposition being
seconded by Tomah and assented to by all, each took a small
piece of birch bark, marked with a coal the name of the person
he would vote for, and deposited it in a hat placed on their
stone table for the purpose. After all had voted, the hat was
turned and the votes assorted; when it appeared that four votes
had been thrown for Gaut Gurley and three for Mark Elwood,
making seven in all, and showing that all the company had
voted.

“Well, friend Elwood,” said Gaut, with a well-assumed air
of indifference, when the result was seen, “shall I resign in
your favor, or you in mine? This thing should be unanimous.”

Elwood looked up inquiringly at Gaut, when he read something
in the countenance of the latter which gave him to understand
what was expected of him, and he accordingly responded:
“I should suppose there could not be much question which
of the two, a minority or a majority candidate, should ask
the other to stand aside, — especially when, as in your case, the
majority candidate is clearly chosen. I voted, gentlemen, for
Mr. Gurley,” he added, turning to the rest of the company;
“and I hope those who voted for me will cheerfully acquiesce in
the choice of the majority.”

“I am a comparative stranger to you all,” remarked Carvil,
“and, though I voted for Mr. Elwood, I will yet very willingly
agree to the selection you have made.”

Gaut, knowing well enough who had thrown their votes
against him, now glanced at Phillips and Codman; but gathering
from their silence and demure and downcast looks that no
approving expression was likely to be drawn from either of
them, he interrupted the pause that followed Carvil's remarks,
by saying:

“Perhaps, then, I ought to accept the post thus assigned
me; and on some accounts it will come right all round. I
should be compelled, any way, to return once or twice to the
settlements during our campaign, on business, and I can attend
to that, and procure the fresh supplies of bread and other
things we shall need, all under one head. And, besides that, I
had already made up my mind I should select this stream, and
the coves on this lake, for my trapping and hunting for beaver
and other water animals, which I once knew how to take, in
preference to going any farther. So I will accept the post,
warrant the safe-keeping of the common property, and see

what I can do towards contributing my share to the stock of
furs.”

This point being thus regarded by the company as settled,
they next proceeded to the discussion of the more particular
duties which should devolve on their chosen camp-keeper;
which, at length, resulted in the arrangement that he should
go up with his canoe into the Oquossak, once a week, make
the circuit of the lake so far as to visit the nearest or lake-shore
camps of each or each pair of his companions, bring
them fresh provisions, and take back to head-quarters all the
furs each had caught in the interim, and be held responsible
for the good condition and safe-keeping of all the peltries, and
other common property of the company, thus placed in his
charge.

After this matter (which was destined to have an important
bearing on the fate and fortunes of more than one of the leading
personages of our story) was thus disposed of, they then, in
conclusion of the business of the evening, proceeded, by mutual
agreement, to apportion the different locations for hunting on
the upper lake, already fixed on, among the three pairs of
hunters the company would now make; decide what individuals
should join to form each pair; and what general plan of operations
they should adopt after they had got settled in their
respective places. By the amicable arrangement thus made,
Phillips and Claud Elwood were to form one of these pairs,
and fix their lake-camp at the mouth of the river already
named as coming in from the east; Carvil and Mark Elwood to
constitute another pair, and encamp at the mouth of the great
inlet entering at the same place; while Codman and the young
Indian, Tomah, who, from their mutual challenges in beaver-catching,
had by this time become friends, and willing to hunt
from the same starting-point, were to have their camp at the
mouth of the river coming in at the northwest end of the lake.
By the plan now adopted, also, each of these three hunting
parties, after they had reached their respective destinations and

built their camps, were to explore the rivers ten or fifteen miles
upward through the forest, and to some suitable and convenient
terminus of their proposed trapping and hunting range; there
build a camp, in which to lodge on their outward jaunts; and
mark off, on their return, by blazing the trees, lines for setting
log-traps for sable, marten, stoat, or ermine, — for, whatever may
be said to the contrary, the noted ermine of Europe is a native
of our northern forests. These marked lines were to diverge
from the upper camps along the ridges on each side of the
river; sometimes running many miles apart, then turning down
to the stream, where indications of beaver and otter had been
discovered, so as to afford a chance for setting and tending steel-traps
for those animals; then running back again on to the high
hills and ridges; but finally converging in, and meeting at the
lake camp. And, these preliminary steps being taken, everything
would then be in readiness for setting the traps, and for
entering on the hopeful business of their expedition.

All these arrangements being now definitely settled and understood,
the consultation was broken up, and the company betook
themselves once more to their sylvan couches, calculating on an
early start the next day for their several destinations on the
Oquossak, the nearest of which was at least a dozen miles
distant.

Accordingly, with the first crack of dawn the next morning,
the loud and startling gallinaceous cachinnation of the droll and
wide-awake trapper aroused the woodsmen from their slumbers,
and warned them to be up and doing. And soon the whole
company were in motion, the kindled fire was crackling and
flashing up amidst the dry pine faggots, thrown on to feed and
start it into the steadier blaze and heat of more solid fuel, and
the process of cooking was going busily forward. In a short
time they were again gathered, in high spirits, round their stone
table, unconsciously partaking, as the event proved, the last
meal they were ever all to enjoy together in the woods. But
let us not anticipate.

As soon as they had dispatched their breakfast, the band
about to depart loaded their canoes with traps, guns, camp-kettles,
and the provisions needed for immediate use; and, wishing
Gaut Gurley a happy and successful time at his solitary
station, pushed merrily away into the broad lake, turned their
course northward, and sped on their voyage. A few miles'
rowing brought them to the great inlet, which, like the principal
inlets to the lakes below, was another reach of the Androscoggin,
flowing directly from the east through a channel, still
nearly a hundred yards in width and nearly three miles in
length, from its entrance into one lake to the point where it
debouches from the other. After a row of an hour up this
channel, made interesting and impressive by the magnificent
colonnades of princely pines, that, as far as the eye could reach,
stood towering away in lessening perspective along its banks,
they suddenly emerged into the bright and far-stretching waters
of the unmapped Oquossak, which lay nestling and inflected
among the dark green cliffs of the boldly intersecting mountains,
like some rough, unshapen gem, gleaming out from the
rubbish of a mine. And laying their course northeasterly, for
the distant bay receiving the waters of the confluent streams
before described, they now pulled away through the lake, in as
direct a line as its irregular form would permit. And now,
skirting long reaches of its deeply-wooded shores, from which
the old forest, never broken by the axe, and rarely ever trod
by the foot of the white man, was seen, stretching away back,
lift after lift, in pristine grandeur, to the tall summits of the
amphitheatric mountains, — now shooting athwart, under some
dark headland that stood out boldly disputing the empire with
the water, and now threading their way among the clustering
green islands that studded the bright and beautiful expanse, —
they rowed steadily onward for hours, and at length were gladdened
by the sight of the dim but well-remembered outlines of
the pointed bay, whose farthest shore was to be the home and

haven for most of their number, during their present sojourn
in this wild and remote fastness of the wilderness.

To row in, disembark their luggage, select sites for camps, to
build those camps, so far as to make them serve for shelters for
the night, and to prepare and eat their suppers, occupied the
company, who had all decided to remain there that night
through the remainder of the day till bed-time. The next
morning, after an early breakfast, Codman and Tomah took
leave of their companions, and proceeded on further up the
lake to their allotted station; leaving the two Elwoods, and
their respective hunting companions, to complete their camps,
which were situated in near vicinity, get all in readiness, and
the next day enter in earnest on the main business of the
campaign.

But it is not our intention to follow either of these pairs, or
now distinct parties, of adventurous woodsmen, in the general
routine of their camp life, — in their solitary and almost daily
marches among the tangled wilds, from their inner to outer
camps; their toils and fatigues on the way; their pleasant
meetings at the ends of their ranges at night, to recount the
adventures of the day, and lodge together; their heats and
their colds, their dark hours and their bright ones, their curious
experiences and startling encounters with wild animals; and
finally their varying success in realizing the objects of their
expedition, through the successive scenes of the next nine or
ten weeks, where

Suffice it to say, that they were all blest with uninterrupted
health and increasing vigor, in realization of the favorite theory
of Carvil, in relation to the invigorating and fattening principle
of the super-abounding oxygen of the woods. They all highly
enjoyed their wild life, and were, even beyond their most sanguine
expectations, successful in their aggregate acquisitions of
peltries and all kinds of game. Gaut Gurley, whose unremitted
attention and apparent faithfulness in the duties of his post
soon disarmed the distrusting, came round punctually, every
week, supplied them with all they needed, and, while reporting
his own good success, in his short ranges in the vicinity of his
head-quarters encampment, seemed greatly gratified at the continued
successes of all the rest, and exultingly bore off their
furs for curing and safe storage with the rich and rapidly-increasing
collection at his camp; setting the mark of their collected
value, the last time he came round, at upwards of a
thousand dollars, and encouraging them with the hope that,
probably, before any change would occur in the weather
which would compel them to relinquish the business and return
to the settlement, a much larger sum would be realized from
their exertions. And, in view of this gratifying condition of
their affairs, the company at large — as winter at the farthest
could not be very distant — now began to anticipate, with much
satisfaction, the time when they should return to their families,
to gladden them with their welcome presence, and, from the
fruits of their enterprise, make such unlooked-for pecuniary
additions to the means of domestic comfort and happiness.