CHAPTER II
THE GREAT BEAR HUNT
There were many tribes of Indians scattered over Acadia--Abenakes,Etechemins, Micmacs, Openagos, and so forth, in whom Constance de laTour took a very deep interest. She was full of zeal to teach them theChristian religion, and how to improve their way of living; and shewent about from village to village, and from wigwam to wigwam, withwonderful patience striving to reach the hearts of the pagans, and helpthem to better things; so winning their love that she came to beesteemed as the guardian angel of their children.
Raoul usually accompanied her on these journeys, and strange enoughwere many of the places they visited. Now it would be a mere huddle ofhuts that looked like inverted wash-tubs, or again what seemed acluster of large-sized hen-coops, or perhaps a big shed a hundred feetlong with sleeping stalls below, and a loft above for the children,having neither windows nor chimney, and inclosed by a heavy oakstockade.
Whether big or little, these odd dwellings swarmed with squaws andchildren, and while his aunt was speaking to the elder folk, Raoulwould always find amusement with the youngsters.
Many useful things did Madame de la Tour teach her dusky pupils--theway to bake bread, how to raise corn, pumpkins, and melons, the mode ofpreserving the fruit that was so plentiful in the autumn, and the artof making maple-sugar, all of which helped to benefit them, no lessthan the Gospel message she never failed to give also. She was thefirst missionary to these wild children of the forest in Acadia, andher memory is still enduring and fragrant because of the good shewrought amongst them. Raoul, vastly as he admired his aunt's devotion,could not of course be expected to share in it to any great extent, butsince his idea of life was to have as good a time as possible--and hemuch preferred going on these expeditions to being cooped up in thefort--it suited him all right that she should be so zealous as she was.
Tramping through the vast green forests, or paddling in birch canoesover the clear water of smooth-running streams, there was alwayssomething new to be seen, and at any time an adventure might happen.In the autumn after their coming to Fort St. Louis, a great bear huntwas arranged to take place at the Tusket River, and Raoul was full ofexcitement about it. The plan was certainly as daring as it was novel,for the bears were not to be killed when found, but driven with clubsand switches towards the village, where arrows and spears and sharpappetites awaited them.
"I do hope there'll be plenty of bears," exclaimed Raoul to his auntthe evening before the hunt. "Won't it be exciting when they get themstarted, and they try to escape? I think I'll go out after the bears,and not wait at the village for them to come--that will be tootiresome."
"Whatever you do, Raoul, take good care of yourself," said Madame,patting him upon the shoulder. "You are my boy, you know, and I shouldbe very sorry if anything were to happen to you."
Raoul smiled confidently as he drew himself up to his full height.
"Oh, there's no fear of me. I've had too much to do with bears to letany of them hurt me."
Madame smiled fondly back at him as she responded:
"You certainly look as if you ought to be able to take care ofyourself. You are a fine big fellow, Raoul, and I pray God your lifemay be a long and happy and useful one."
The bear hunt was well organized under the direction of Madame, who hada genius for command. Raoul preferred going into the forest with thebeaters to remaining at the village, and set off in high glee, theparty being chiefly composed of the young men of the tribe.
It was the season of grapes, and the vines, which climbed in wildprofusion to the very tree-tops, were laden with the luscious fruitwhich Bruin dearly loved. The hunters, therefore, were in no doubt asto where to seek their prey. Armed only with light clubs and suppleswitches, they dashed into the forest, darting this way and that, eachone eager to be the first to find a victim. Raoul joined forces withan Indian lad of his own age named Outan, and it was understood thatthey were to stand by each other. Beside his club Raoul had a goodhunting-knife in his belt, but he carried no fire-arms.
Pressing forward with reckless haste, they came to a place where thegrape-vines fairly smothered the trees which supported them.
"Ah-ha!" exclaimed Outan exultantly. "Plenty bear here, for sure!" andthe words had but left his lips when he gave a cry of joy and pointedexcitedly to a tree, whose leaves were shaking, although there was nota breath of wind.
Raoul gazed in the direction indicated, and his heart gave a bound whenhe caught sight of a dark body that the leaves only half concealed.
"There he is! I see him!" he cried; "a great big fellow, and he'scoming down!"
Running to the foot of the tree, the boys began to shout up to thebear, calling him names, and daring him to come down.
But, instead of obeying them, the big black fellow, one of the largestof his kind and in superb condition, turned about, and proceeded toclimb higher.
"Hullo! that won't do," said Raoul in a tone of disappointment. "We'llnever get him down that way. Let us throw stones up at him."
Accordingly they began to bombard the animal with stones, Raoul, whowas a capital shot, succeeding in hitting him more than once. Yet thisdid not help matters at all. On the contrary the bear only climbed thehigher. Then Outan proposed to climb an adjoining tree, taking somestones with him, and then to drive the creature down. Raoul thoughtthe idea an excellent one, and took up his station at the foot of thetree with his club in readiness for immediate use. Outan went up thetree with the ease of a monkey, and gaining a good position above thebear shouted fiercely at him, while he threw the stones with accurateaim. Thus assailed from this unexpected quarter, the bear waspanic-stricken, and started down the tree at utmost speed.
"Look out! bear's coming!" yelled Outan, and Raoul, with every nervequivering, and his muscles as tense as bow-strings, grasped his clubuntil his knuckles went white.
Tail foremost, the heavy animal shuffled down the tree-trunk withastonishing agility, and, reaching the ground on all fours, turned toface Raoul.
In Paths of Peril: A Boy's Adventures in Nova Scotia Page 2