by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
END OF THE "VOYAGE."
Our party remained several days at this place, until they had made afresh stock of "pemmican" from the flesh of the caribou, several more ofwhich they succeeded in killing; and then, arranging everything anew,and taking with them such skins as they wanted, they continued theirjourney.
They had two days' hard travelling through a rocky mountainous country,where they could not find a stick of wood to cook their meals with, andwere exposed to cold more than at any other place. Both Francois andLucien had their faces frost-bitten; but they were cured by Norman, whoprevented them from going near a fire until he had well rubbed the partswith soft snow.
The rocks through which they passed were in many places covered with the_tripe de roche (Gyrophora_) of several species; but our voyageurs carednothing about it so long as their pemmican lasted, and of that each ofthem had nearly as much as he could carry.
In the most dreary part of the mountains they chanced upon a herd ofthose curious animals, the musk-oxen, and shot one of them; but the meattasted so rank, and smelt so strongly of musk, that the whole of it wasleft to the wolves, foxes, and other preying creatures of these parts.
On the third day, after leaving their camp by the lake, a pleasantprospect opened before them. It was the valley of the Mackenzie,stretching to the west, and extending north and south as far as the eyecould reach, covered with forests of pine and poplar, and other largetrees. Of course the landscape was a winter one, as the river was boundup in ice, and the trees themselves were half-white with frozen snow;but after the dreary scenery of the Barren Grounds, even this appearedwarm and summer-like. There was no longer any danger they should bewithout a good fire to cook their dinners, or warm themselves at, and awooded country offers a better prospect of game. The sight, therefore,of a great forest was cheering; and our travellers, in high spirits,planted their tent upon the banks of the great Northern river. They hadstill many hundred miles to go before arriving at their destination; butthey determined to continue their journey without much delay, followingthe river as a guide. No more "near cuts" were to be taken in future.They had learned, from their recent experience, that "the shortest wayacross is sometimes the longest way round," and they resolved to profitby the lesson. I hope, boy reader, you too will remember it.
After reaching the Mackenzie the voyageurs halted one day, and upon thenext commenced their journey down-stream. Sometimes they kept upon thebank, but at times, for a change, they travelled upon the ice of theriver. There was no danger of its giving way under them, for it wasmore than a foot in thickness, and would have supported a loaded waggonand horses, without even cracking.
They were now drawing near the Arctic circle, and the days grew shorterand shorter as they advanced. But this did not much interfere withtheir travelling. The long nights of the Polar regions are not likethose of more Southern latitudes. They are sometimes so clear, that onemay read the smallest print. What with the coruscations of the auroraborealis, and the cheerful gleaming of the Northern constellations, onemay travel without difficulty throughout the livelong night. I am sure,my young friend, you have made good use of your globes, and need not betold that the length of both nights and days, as you approach the pole,depends upon two things--the latitude of the place, and the season ofthe year; and were you to spend a whole year _leaning against the poleitself_, (!) you would _live but one day and one night_--each of themsix months in length.
But no doubt you know all these things without my telling you of them,and you are impatient to hear not about that, but whether the youngvoyageurs safely reached the end of their journey. That question Ianswer briefly at once--they did.
Some distance below the point where they had struck the Mackenzie, theyfell in with a winter encampment of Dog-rib Indians. Some of thesepeople had been to the Fort to trade; and Norman being known to them, heand his Southern cousins were received with much hospitality. All theirwants were provided for, as far as it lay in the power of these poorpeople to do; but the most valuable thing obtained from the Indians wasa full set of dogs and dog-sledges for the whole party. These werefurnished by the chief, upon the understanding that he should be paidfor them on his next visit to the Fort. Although the reindeer of NorthAmerica are not trained to the sledge by the Esquimaux and Indians,several kinds of dogs are; and a single pair of these faithful creatureswill draw a full-grown man at a rate that exceeds almost every othermode of travelling--steam excepted. When our voyageurs, therefore,flung away their snow-shoes, and, wrapped in their skin cloaks, seatedthemselves snugly in their dog-sledges, the five hundred miles thatseparated them from the Fort were soon reduced to nothing; and oneafternoon, four small sledges, each carrying a "young voyageur," with alarge bloodhound galloping in the rear, were seen driving up to thestockade fence surrounding the Fort. Before they had quite reached thegate, there was a general rush of trappers, traders, voyageurs,_coureurs-des-bois_, and other _employes_, to reach them; and the nextmoment they were lost in the midst of the people who crowded out of theFort to welcome them. This was their hour of happiness and joy.
To me there is an hour of regret, and I hope, boy reader, to you aswell--the hour of our parting with the "Young _Voyageurs_."
THE END.