The Young Fur Traders

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  PETER MACTAVISH BECOMES AN AMATEUR DOCTOR; CHARLEY PROMULGATES HIS VIEWSOF THINGS IN GENERAL TO KATE; AND KATE WAXES SAGACIOUS.

  Shortly after the catastrophe just related, Charley opened his eyes toconsciousness, and aroused himself out of a prolonged fainting fit,under the combined influence of a strong constitution and the medicaltreatment of his friends.

  Medical treatment in the wilds of North America, by the way, is veryoriginal in its character, and is founded on principles so vague that noone has ever keen found capable of stating them clearly. Owing to thestubborn fact that there are no doctors in the country, men have beenthrown upon their own resources, and as a natural consequence _every_man is a doctor. True, there _are_ two, it may be three, real doctorsin the Hudson's Bay Company's employment; but as one of these isresident on the shores of Hudson's Bay, another in Oregon, and a thirdin Red River Settlement, they are not considered available for everycase of emergency that may chance to occur in the hundreds of littleoutposts, scattered far and wide over the whole continent of NorthAmerica, with miles and miles of primeval wilderness between each. Wedo not think, therefore, that when we say there are no doctors in thecountry, we use a culpable amount of exaggeration.

  If a man gets ill, he goes on till he gets better; and if he doesn't getbetter, he dies. To avert such an undesirable consummation, desperateand random efforts are made in an amateur way. The old proverb that"extremes meet" is verified. And in a land where no doctors are to behad for love or money, doctors meet you at every turn, ready to practiseon everything, with anything, and all for nothing, on the shortestpossible notice. As may be supposed, the practice is novel, and notunfrequently extremely wild. Tooth-drawing is considered child's play--mere blacksmith's work; bleeding is a general remedy for everything,when all else fails; castor oil, Epsom salts, and emetics are the threekeynotes, the foundations, and the copestones of the system.

  In Red River there is only one _genuine_ doctor; and as the settlementis fully sixty miles long, he has enough to do, and is not always to befound when wanted, so that Charley had to rest content with amateurtreatment in the meantime. Peter Mactavish was the first to try hispowers. He was aware that laudanum had the effect of producing sleep,and seeing that Charley looked somewhat sleepy after recoveringconsciousness, he thought it advisable to help out that propensity toslumber, and went to the medicine chest, whence he extracted a smallphial of tincture of rhubarb, the half of which he emptied into awineglass, under the impression that it was laudanum, and poured downCharley's throat! The poor boy swallowed a little, and sputtered theremainder over the bed-clothes. It may be remarked here that Mactavishwas a wild, happy, half-mad sort of fellow--wonderfully erudite inregard to some things, and profoundly ignorant in regard to others.Medicine, it need scarcely be added, was not his _forte_. Havingaccomplished this feat to his satisfaction, he sat down to watch by thebedside of his friend. Peter had taken this opportunity to indulge in alittle private practice just after several of the other gentlemen hadleft the office, under the impression that Charley had better remainquiet for a short time.

  "Well, Peter," whispered Mr Kennedy, senior, putting his head in at thedoor (it was Harry's room in which Charley lay), "how is he now?"

  "Oh! doing capitally," replied Peter, in a hoarse whisper, at the sametime rising and entering the office, while he gently closed the doorbehind him. "I gave him a small dose of physic, which I think has donehim good. He's sleeping like a top now."

  Mr Kennedy frowned slightly, and made one or two remarks in referenceto physic which were not calculated to gratify the cars of a physician.

  "What did you give him?" he inquired abruptly.

  "Only a little laudanum."

  "_Only_, indeed! It's all trash together, and that's the worst kind oftrash you could have given him. Humph!" and the old gentleman jerkedhis shoulders testily.

  "How much did you give him?" said the senior clerk, who had entered theapartment with Harry a few minutes before.

  "Not quite a wineglassful," replied Peter, somewhat subdued.

  "A what!" cried the father, starting from his chair as if he hadreceived an electric shock, and rushing into the adjoining room, up anddown which he raved in a state of distraction, being utterly ignorant ofwhat should be done under the circumstances.

  "Oh dear!" gasped Peter, turning pale as death.

  Poor Harry Somerville fell rather than leaped off his stool, and dashedinto the bedroom, where old Mr Kennedy was occupied in alternatelyheaping unutterable abuse on the head of Peter Mactavish, and imploringhim to advise what was best to be done. But Peter knew not. He couldonly make one or two insane proposals to roll Charley about the floor,and see if _that_ would do him any good; while Harry suggested indesperation that he should be hung by the heels, and perhaps it wouldrun out!

  Meanwhile the senior clerk seized his hat, with the intention of goingin search of Tom Whyte, and rushed out at the door; which he had nosooner done than he found himself tightly embraced in the arms of thatworthy, who happened to be entering at the moment, and who, inconsequence of the sudden onset, was pinned up against the wall of theporch.

  "Oh, my buzzum!" exclaimed Tom, laying his hand on his breast; "you'vea'most bu'st me, sir. W'at's wrong, sir?"

  "Go for the doctor, Tom, quick! run like the wind. Take the freshesthorse; fly, Tom, Charley's poisoned--laudanum; quick!"

  "'Eavens an' 'arth!" ejaculated the groom, wheeling round, and stalkingrapidly off to the stable like a pair of insane compasses; while thesenior clerk returned to the bedroom, where he found Mr Kennedy stillraving, Peter Mactavish still aghast and deadly pale, and HarrySomerville staring like a maniac at his young friend, as if he expectedevery moment to see him explode, although, to all appearance, he wassleeping soundly, and comfortably too, notwithstanding the noise thatwas going on around him. Suddenly Harry's eye rested on the label ofthe half-empty phial, and he uttered a loud, prolonged cheer.

  "It's only tincture of--"

  "Wild cats and furies!" cried Mr Kennedy, turning sharply round andseizing Harry by the collar, "why d'you kick up such a row, eh?"

  "It's only tincture of rhubarb," repeated the boy, disengaging himselfand holding up the phial triumphantly.

  "So it is, I declare," exclaimed Mr Kennedy, in a tone that indicatedintense relief of mind; while Peter Mactavish uttered a sigh so deepthat one might suppose a burden of innumerable tons weight had just beenremoved from his breast.

  Charley had been roused from his slumbers by this last ebullition; buton being told what had caused it, he turned languidly round on hispillow and went to sleep again, while his friends departed and left himto repose.

  Tom Whyte failed to find the doctor. The servant told him that hermaster had been suddenly called to set a broken leg that morning for atrapper who lived ten miles _down_ the river, and on his return hadfound a man waiting with a horse and cariole, who carried him violentlyaway to see his wife, who had been taken suddenly ill at a house twentymiles _up_ the river, and so she didn't expect him back that night.

  "An' where has 'e been took to?" inquired Tom.

  She couldn't tell; she knew it was somewhere about the White-horsePlains, but she didn't know more than that.

  "Did 'e not say w'en 'e'd be 'ome?"

  "No, he didn't."

  "Oh dear!" said Tom, rubbing his long nose in great perplexity. "It'san 'orrible case o' sudden and onexpected pison."

  She was sorry for it, but couldn't help that; and thereupon, bidding himgood-morning, shut the door.

  Tom's wits had come to that condition which just precedes "giving it up"as hopeless, when it occurred to him that he was not far from MrKennedy's residence; so he stepped into the cariole again and drovethither. On his arrival, he threw poor Mrs Kennedy and Kate into greatconsternation by his exceedingly graphic, and more than slightlyexaggerated, account of what had brought him in search of the doctor.At first Mrs Kennedy resolved to go up to Fort Garry immedia
tely, butKate persuaded her to remain at home, by pointing out that she couldherself go, and if anything very serious had occurred (which she didn'tbelieve), Mr Kennedy could come down for her immediately, while she(Kate) could remain to nurse her brother.

  In a few minutes Kate and Tom were seated side by side in the littlecariole, driving swiftly up the frozen river; and two hours later theformer was seated by her brother's bedside, watching him, as he slept,with a look of tender affection and solicitude.

  Rousing himself from his slumbers, Charley looked vacantly round theroom.

  "Have you slept well, darling?" inquired Kate, laying her hand lightlyon his forehead.

  "Slept--eh! oh yes, I've slept. I say, Kate, what a precious bump Icame down on my head, to be sure!"

  "Hush, Charley!" said Kate, perceiving that he was becoming energetic."Father said you were to keep quiet--and so do I," she added, with afrown. "Shut your eyes, sir, and go to sleep."

  Charley complied by shutting his eyes, and opening his mouth, anduttering a succession of deep snores.

  "Now, you bad boy," said Kate, "why _won't_ you try to rest?"

  "Because, Kate dear," said Charley, opening his eyes again--"because Ifeel as if I had slept a week at least; and not being one of the sevensleepers, I don't think it necessary to do more in that way just now.Besides, my sweet but particularly wicked sister, I wish just at thismoment to have a talk with you."

  "But are you sure it won't do you harm to talk? do you feel quite strongenough?"

  "Quite: Samson was a mere infant compared to me."

  "Oh, don't talk nonsense, Charley dear, and keep your hands quiet, anddon't lift the clothes with your knees in that way, else I'll go awayand leave you."

  "Very well, my pet, if you do I'll get up and dress and follow you,that's all! But come, Kate, tell me first of all how it was that I gotpitched off that long-legged rhinoceros, and who it was that picked meup, and why wasn't I killed, and how did I come here; for my head issadly confused, and I scarcely recollect anything that has happened.And before commencing your discourse, Kate, please hand me a glass ofwater, for my mouth is as dry as a whistle."

  Kate handed him a glass of water, smoothed his pillow, brushed the curlsgently off his forehead, and sat down on the bedside.

  "Thank you, Kate; now go on."

  "Well, you see--" she began.

  "Pardon me, dearest," interrupted Charley, "if you would please to lookat me you would observe that my two eyes are tightly closed, so that Idon't _see_ at all."

  "Well, then, you must understand--"

  "Must I? oh!--"

  "That after that wicked horse leaped with you over the stable fence, youwere thrown high into the air, and turning completely round, fell headforemost into the snow, and your poor head went through the top of anold cask that had been buried there all winter."

  "Dear me!" ejaculated Charley; "did any one see me, Kate?"

  "Oh yes."

  "Who?" asked Charley, somewhat anxiously; "not Mrs Grant, I hope? forif she did she'd never let me hear the last of it."

  "No; only our father, who was chasing you at the time," replied Kate,with a merry laugh.

  "And no one else?"

  "No--oh yes, by-the-bye, Tom Whyte was there too."

  "Oh, he's nobody! Go on."

  "But tell me, Charley, why do you care about Mrs Grant seeing you?"

  "Oh! no reason at all, only she's such an abominable quiz."

  We must guard the reader here against the supposition that Mrs Grantwas a quiz of the ordinary kind. She was by no means a sprightly,clever woman, rather fond of a joke than otherwise, as the term mightlead you to suppose. Her corporeal frame was very large, excessivelyfat, and remarkably unwieldy; being an appropriate casket in which toenshrine a mind of the heaviest and most sluggish nature. She spokelittle, ate largely, and slept much--the latter recreation being veryfrequently enjoyed in a large arm-chair of a peculiar kind. It had beena water-butt, which her ingenious husband had cut half-way down themiddle, then half-way across, and in the angle thus formed fixed abottom, which, together with the back, he padded with tow, and coveredthe whole with a mantle of glaring bed-curtain chintz, whose patternalternated in stripes of sky-blue and china roses, with broken fragmentsof rainbow between. Notwithstanding her excessive slowness, however,Mrs Grant was fond of taking a firm hold of anything or anycircumstance in the character or affairs of her friends, and twittingthem thereupon in a grave but persevering manner that was exceedinglyirritating. No one could ever ascertain whether Mrs Grant did this ina sly way or not, as her visage never expressed anything exceptunalterable good-humour. She was a good wife and an affectionatemother, had a family of ten children, and could boast of never havinghad more than one quarrel with her husband. This disagreement wasoccasioned by a rather awkward mischance. One day, not long after herlast baby was born, Mrs Grant waddled towards her tub with theintention of enjoying her accustomed siesta. A few minutes previouslyher seventh child, which was just able to walk, had scrambled up intothe seat and fallen fast asleep there. As has been already said, MrsGrant's intellect was never very bright, and at this particular time shewas rather drowsy, so that she did not observe the child, and onreaching her chair, turned round preparatory to letting herself plumpinto it. She always _plumped_ into her chair. Her muscles were toosoft to lower her gently down into it. Invariably on reaching a certainpoint they ceased to act, and let her down with a crash. She had justreached this point, and her baby's hopes and prospects were on the eveof being cruelly crushed for ever, when Mr Grant noticed the impendingcalamity. He had no time to warn her, for she had already passed thepoint at which her powers of muscular endurance terminated; so graspingthe chair, he suddenly withdrew it with such force that the baby rolledoff upon the floor like a hedgehog, straightened out flat, and gave ventto an outrageous roar, while its horror-struck mother came to the groundwith a sound resembling the fall of an enormous sack of wool. Althoughthe old lady could not see exactly that there was anything veryblameworthy in her husband's conduct upon this occasion, yet her nerveshad received so severe a shock that she refused to be comforted for twoentire days.

  But to return from this digression. After Charley had two or threetimes recommended Kate (who was a little inclined to be quizzical) toproceed, she continued--

  "Well, then, you were carried up here by father and Tom Whyte, and putto bed, and after a good deal of rubbing and rough treatment you weregot round. Then Peter Mactavish nearly poisoned you; but fortunately hewas such a goose that he did not think of reading the label of thephial, and so gave you a dose of tincture of rhubarb instead oflaudanum, as he had intended; and then father flew into a passion, andTom Whyte was sent to fetch the doctor, and couldn't find him; butfortunately he found me, which was much better, I think, and brought meup here. And so here I am, and here I intend to remain."

  "And so that's the end of it. Well, Kate, I'm very glad it was noworse."

  "And I am very _thankful_," said Kate, with emphasis on the word, "thatit's no worse."

  "Oh, well, you know, Kate, I _meant_ that, of course."

  "But you did not _say_ it," replied his sister earnestly.

  "To be sure not," said Charley gaily; "it would be absurd to be alwaysmaking solemn speeches, and things of that sort, every time one has alittle accident."

  "True, Charley; but when one has a very serious accident, and escapesunhurt, don't you think that _then_ it would be--"

  "Oh yes, to be sure," interrupted Charley, who still strove to turn Katefrom her serious frame of mind; "but, sister dear, how could I possibly_say_ I was thankful, with my head crammed into an old cask and my feetpointing up to the blue sky, eh?"

  Kate smiled at this, and laid her hand on his arm, while she bent overthe pillow and looked tenderly into his eyes.

  "O my darling Charley, you are disposed to jest about it; but I cannottell you how my heart trembled this morning when I heard from Tom Whyteof what had happened. As we drove up to t
he fort, I thought howterrible it would have been if you had been killed; and then the happydays we have spent together rushed into my mind, and I thought of thewillow creek where we used to fish for gold-eyes, and the spot in thewoods where we have so often chased the little birds, and the lake inthe prairies where we used to go in spring to watch the water-fowlsporting in the sunshine. When I recalled these things, Charley, andthought of you as dead, I felt as if I should die too. And when I camehere and found that my fears were needless, that you were alive andsafe, and almost well, I felt thankful--yes, very, very thankful--to Godfor sparing your life, my dear, dear Charley." And Kate laid her headon his bosom and sobbed, when she thought of what might have been, as ifher very heart would break.

  Charley's disposition to levity entirely vanished while his sisterspoke; and twining his tough little arm round her neck, he pressed herfervently to his heart.

  "Bless you, Kate," he said at length. "I am indeed thankful to God, notonly for sparing my life, but for giving me such a darling sister tolive for. But now, Kate, tell me, what do you think of father'sdetermination to have me placed in the office here?"

  "Indeed, I think it's very hard. Oh, I do wish _so_ much that I coulddo it for you," said Kate, with a sigh.

  "Do _what_ for me?" asked Charley.

  "Why, the office work," said Kate.

  "Tuts! fiddlesticks! But isn't it, now, really a _very_ hard case?"

  "Indeed it is; but then, what can you do?"

  "Do?" said Charley impatiently; "run away, to be sure."

  "Oh, don't speak of that!" said Kate anxiously. "You know it will killour beloved mother; and then it would grieve father very much."

  "Well, father don't care much about grieving me, when he hunted me downlike a wolf till I nearly broke my neck."

  "Now, Charley, you must not speak so. Father loves you tenderly,although he _is_ a little rough at times. If you only heard how kindlyhe speaks of you to our mother when you are away, you could not think ofgiving him so much pain. And then the Bible says, `Honour thy fatherand thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thyGod giveth thee;' and as God speaks in the Bible, _surely_ we should payattention to it!"

  Charley was silent for a few seconds; then heaving a deep sigh, hesaid,--"Well, I believe you're right, Kate; but then, what am I to do?If I don't run away, I must live, like poor Harry Somerville, on along--legged stool; and if I do _that_, I'll--I'll--"

  As Charley spoke, the door opened, and his father entered.

  "Well, my boy," said he, seating himself on the bedside and taking hisson's hand, "how goes it now? Head getting all right again? I fearthat Kate has been talking too much to you.--Is it so, you littlechatterbox?"

  Mr Kennedy parted Kate's clustering ringlets and kissed her forehead.

  Charley assured his father that he was almost well, and much the betterof having Kate to tend him. In fact, he felt so much revived that hesaid he would get up and go out for a walk.

  "Had I not better tell Tom Whyte to saddle the young horse for you?"said his father, half ironically. "No, no, boy; lie still where you areto-day, and get up if you feel better to-morrow. In the meantime, I'vecome to say goodbye, as I intend to go home to relieve your mother'sanxiety about you. I'll see you again, probably, the day afterto-morrow. Hark you, boy; I've been talking your affairs over againwith Mr Grant, and we've come to the conclusion to give you a run inthe woods for a time. You'll have to be ready to start early in springwith the first brigades for the north. So adieu!"

  Mr Kennedy patted him on the head, and hastily left the room.

  A burning blush of shame arose on Charley's cheek as he recollected hislate remarks about his father; and then, recalling the purport of hislast words, he sent forth an exulting shout as he thought of the comingspring.

  "Well now, Charley," said Kate, with an arch smile, "let us talkseriously over your arrangements for running away."

  Charley replied by seizing the pillow and throwing it at his sister'shead; but being accustomed to such eccentricities, she anticipated themovement, and evaded the blow.

  "Ah, Charley," cried Kate, laughing, "you mustn't let your hand get outof practice! That was a shockingly bad shot for a man thirsting tobecome a bear and buffalo hunter!"

  "I'll make my fortune at once," cried Charley, as Kate replaced thepillow, "build a wooden castle on the shores of Great Bear Lake, takeyou to keep house for me, and when I'm out hunting you'll fish forwhales in the lake, and we'll live there to a good old age; sogood-night, Kate dear, and go to bed."

  Kate laughed, gave her brother a parting kiss, and left him.