The Pioneers; Or, The Sources of the Susquehanna

by James Fenimore Cooper

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  "Help, masters, help; here's a fish hangs in the net, like a poor Man's right in the law." --Pericles of Tyre.

  The advance of the season now became as rapid as its first approachhad been tedious and lingering. The days were uniformly mild, whilethe nights, though cool, were no longer chilled by frosts. Thewhip-poor-will was heard whistling his melancholy notes along the marginof the lake, and the ponds and meadows were sending forth the music oftheir thousand tenants. The leaf of the native poplar was seen quiveringin the woods; the sides of the mountains began to lose their hue ofbrown, as the lively green of the different members of the forestblended their shades with the permanent colors of the pine and hemlock;and even the buds of the tardy oak were swelling with the promise of thecoming summer. The gay and fluttering blue-bird, the social robin, andthe industrious little wren were all to be seen enlivening the fieldswith their presence and their songs; while the soaring fish-hawk wasalready hovering over the waters of the Otsego, watching with nativevoracity for the appearance of his prey.

  The tenants of the lake were far-famed for both their quantities andtheir quality, and the ice had hardly disappeared before numberlesslittle boats were launched from the shores, and the lines of thefishermen were dropped into the inmost recesses of its deepest caverns,tempting the unwary animals with every variety of bait that theingenuity or the art of man had invented. But the slow though certainadventures with hook and line were ill suited to the profusion andimpatience of the settlers. More destructive means were resorted to;and, as the season had now arrived when the bass fisheries were allowedby the provisions of the law that Judge Temple had procured, the sheriffdeclared his intention, by availing himself of the first dark night, toenjoy the sport in person.

  "And you shall be present, Cousin Bess," he added, when he announcedthis design, "and Miss Grant, and Mr. Edwards; and I will show you whatI call fishing not nibble, nibble, nibble, as 'Duke does when he goesafter the salmon-trout. There he will sit for hours, in a broiling sunor, perhaps, over a hole in the lee, in the coldest days in winter,under the lee of a few bushes, and not a fish will he catch, after allthis mortification of the flesh. No, no--give me a good seine that'sfifty or sixty fathoms in length, with a jolly parcel of boatmen tocrack their jokes the while, with Benjamin to steer, and let us haulthem in by thousands; I call that fishing."

  "Ah! Dickon," cried Marmaduke, "thou knowest but little of the pleasurethere is in playing with the hook and line, or thou wouldst be moresaving of the game. I have known thee to leave fragments enough behindthee, when thou hast headed a night party on the lake, to feed a dozenfamishing families."

  "I shall not dispute the matter, Judge Temple; this night will I go; andI invite the company to attend, and then let them decide between us."

  Richard was busy during most of the afternoon, making his preparationsfor the important occasion. Just as the light of the settling sun haddisappeared, and a new moon had begun to throw its shadows on the earth,the fisher-men took their departure, in a boat, for a point that wassituated on the western shore of the lake, at the distance of rathermore than half a mile from the village. The ground had become settled,and the walking was good and dry. Marmaduke, with his daughter, herfriend, and young Edwards, continued on the high grassy banks at theoutlet of the placid sheet of water, watching the dark object that wasmoving across the lake, until it entered the shade of the western hills,and was lost to the eye. The distance round by land to the point ofdestination was a mile, and he observed:

  "It is time for us to be moving; the moon will be down ere we reach thepoint, and then the miraculous hauls of Dickon will commence."

  The evening was warm, and, after the long and dreary winter from whichthey had just escaped, delightfully invigorating. Inspirited by thescene and their anticipated amusement, the youthful companions of theJudge followed his steps, as he led them along the shores of the Otsego,and through the skirts of the village.

  "See!" said young Edwards, "they are building their fire already; itglimmers for a moment, and dies again like the light of a firefly."

  "Now it blazes," cried Elizabeth; "you can perceive figures movingaround the light. Oh! I would bet my jewels against the gold beads ofRemarkable, that my impatient Cousin Dickon had an agency in raisingthat bright flame; and see! it fades again, like most of his brilliantschemes."

  "Thou hast guessed the truth, Bess," said her father; "he has thrown anarmful of brush on the pile, which has burnt out as soon as lighted.But it has enabled them to find a better fuel, for their fire begins toblaze with a more steady flame. It is the true fisherman's beacon now;observe how beautifully it throw s its little circle of light on thewater!"

  The appearance of the fire urged the pedestrians on, for even the ladieshad become eager to witness the miraculous draught. By the time theyreached the bank, which rose above the low point where the fishermen hadlanded, the moon had sunk behind the top of the western pines, and, asmost of the stars were obscured by clouds, there was but little otherlight than that which proceeded from the fire. At the suggestion ofMarmaduke, his companions paused to listen to the conversation of thosebelow them, and examine the party for a moment before they descended tothe shore.

  The whole group were seated around the fire, with the exception ofRichard and Benjamin; the former of whom occupied the root of a decayedstump, that had been drawn to the spot as part of their fuel, and thelatter was standing, with his arms akimbo, so near to the flame that thesmoke occasionally obscured his solemn visage, as it waved around thepile in obedience to the night airs that swept gently over the water.

  "Why, look you, squire, said the major-domo. You may call a lake-fishthat will weigh twenty or thirty pounds a serious matter, but to a manwho has hauled in a shovel-nosed shirk, d'ye see, it's but a poor kindof fishing after all."

  "I don't know, Benjamin," returned the sheriff; "a haul of one thousandOtsego bass, without counting pike, pickerel, perch, bull-pouts,salmon-trouts, and suckers, is no bad fishing, let me tell you. Theremay he sport in sticking a shark, but what is he good for after you havegot him? Now, any one of the fish that I have named is fit to set beforea king."

  "Well, squire," returned Benjamin, "just listen to the philosophy ofthe thing. Would it stand to reason, that such a fish should live and becatched in this here little pond of water, where it's hardly deep enoughto drown a man, as you'll find in the wide ocean, where, as everybody knows that is, everybody that has followed the seas, whales andgrampuses are to be seen, that are as long as one of the pine-trees onyonder mountain?"

  "Softly, softly, Benjamin," said the sheriff, as if he wished to savethe credit of his favorite; "why, some of the pines will measure twohundred feet, and even more."

  "Two hundred or two thousand, it's all the same thing," cried Benjamin,with an air which manifested that he was not easily to be bullied out ofhis opinion, on a subject like the present. "Haven't I been there, andhaven't I seen? I have said that you fall in with whales as long as oneof them there pines: and what I have once said I'll stand to!"

  During this dialogue, which was evidently but the close of much longerdiscussion, the huge frame of Billy Kirby was seen extended on one sideof the fire, where he was picking his teeth with splinters of the chipsnear him, and occasionally shaking his head with distrust of Benjamin'sassertions.

  "I've a notion," said the wood-chopper, "that there's water in this laketo swim the biggest whale that ever was invented; and, as to the pines,I think I ought to know so'thing consarning them; I have chopped manya one that was sixty times the length of my helve, without countingthe eye; and I believe, Benny, that if the old pine that stands in thehollow of the Vision Mountain just over the village--you may see thetree itself by looking up, for the moon is on its top yet--well, now Ibelieve, if that same tree was planted out in the deepest part of thelake, there would be water enough for the biggest ship that ever wasbuilt to float over it, without touching its upper branches, I do."

  "Did'ee ever
see a ship, Master Kirby?" roared the steward, "did'ee eversee a ship, man? or any craft bigger than a lime-scow, or a wood-boat,on this here small bit of fresh water?"

  "Yes, I have," said the wood-chopper stoutly; "I can say that I have,and tell no lie."

  "Did'ee ever see a British ship, Master Kirby? an English line-of-battleship, boy? Where did'ee ever fall in with a regular built vessel, withstarn-post and cutwater, gar board-streak and plank-shear, gangways,and hatchways, and waterways, quarter-deck, and forecastle, ay, andflush-deck?--tell me that, man, if you can; where away did'ee ever fallin with a full-rigged, regular-built, necked vessel?"

  The whole company were a good deal astounded with this overwhelmingquestion, and even Richard afterward remarked that it "was a thousandpities that Benjamin could not read, or he must have made a valuableofficer to the British marine. It is no wonder that they overcame theFrench so easily on the water, when even the lowest sailor so wellunderstood the different parts of a vessel." But Billy Kirby was afearless wight, and had great jealousy of foreign dictation; he hadrisen on his feet, and turned his back to the fire, during the volubledelivery of this interrogatory; and when the steward ended, contrary toall expectation, he gave the following spirited reply:

  "Where! why, on the North River, and maybe on Champlain. There's sloopson the river, boy, that would give a hard time on't to the stoutestvessel King George owns. They carry masts of ninety feet in the clear ofgood solid pine, for I've been at the chopping of many a one inVarmount State. I wish I was captain in one of them, and you was inthat Board-dish that you talk so much about, and we'd soon see what goodYankee stuff is made on, and whether a Varmounter's hide ain't as thickas an Englishman's." The echoes from the opposite hills, which were morethan half a mile from the fishing point, sent back the discordant laughthat Benjamin gave forth at this challenge; and the woods that coveredtheir sides seemed, by the noise that issued from their shades, to befull of mocking demons.

  "Let us descend to the shore," whispered Marmaduke, "or there will soonbe ill-blood between them. Benjamin is a fearless boaster; and Kirby,though good-natured, is a careless son of the forest, who thinks oneAmerican more than a match for six Englishmen. I marvel that Dickon issilent, where there is such a trial of skill in the superlative!"

  The appearance of Judge Temple and the ladies produced, if not apacification, at least a cessation of hostilities. Obedient to thedirections of Mr. Jones the fishermen prepared to launch their boat,which had been seen in the background of the view, with the netcarefully disposed on a little platform in its stern, ready for service.Richard gave vent to his reproaches at the tardiness of the pedestrians,when all the turbulent passions of the party were succeeded by a calm,as mild and as placid as that which prevailed over the beautiful sheetof water that they were about to rifle of its best treasures.

  The night had now become so dark as to render objects, without thereach of the light of the fire, not only indistinct, but in most casesinvisible. For a little distance the water was discernible, glistening,as the glare from the fire danced over its surface, touching it here andthere with red quivering streaks; but, at a hundred feet from theshore, there lay a boundary of impenetrable gloom. One or two stars wereshining through the openings of the clouds, and the lights were seen inthe village, glimmering faintly, as if at an immeasurable distance. Attimes, as the fire lowered, or as the horizon cleared, the outline ofthe mountain, on the other side of the lake, might be traced by itsundulations; but its shadow was cast, wide and dense, on the bosom ofthe water, rendering the darkness in that direction trebly deep.

  Benjamin Pump was invariably the coxswain and net caster of Richard'sboat, unless the sheriff saw fit to preside in person: and, on thepresent occasion, Billy Kirby, and a youth of about half his strength,were assigned to the oars. The remainder of the assistants werestationed at the drag-ropes. The arrangements were speedily made, andRichard gave the signal to "shove off."

  Elizabeth watched the motion of the batteau as it pulled from theshore, letting loose its rope as it went, but it soon disappeared in thedarkness, when the ear was her only guide to its evolutions. There wasgreat affectation of stillness during all these manoeuvers, in order, asRichard assured them, "not to frighten the bass, who were running intothe shoal waters, and who would approach the light if not disturbed bythe sounds from the fishermen."

  The hoarse voice of Benjamin was alone heard issuing out of the gloom,as he uttered, in authoritative tones, "Pull larboard oar," "Pullstarboard," "Give way together, boys," and such other indicativemandates as were necessary for the right disposition of his seine. Along time was passed in this necessary part of the process, for Benjaminprided himself greatly on his skill in throwing the net, and, infact, most of the success of the sport depended on its being done withjudgment. At length a loud splash in the water, as he threw away the"staff," or "stretcher," with a hoarse call from the steward of "Clear,"announced that the boat was returning; when Richard seized a brandfrom the fire, and ran to a point as far above the centre of thefishing-ground, as the one from which the batteau had started was belowit.

  "Stick her in dead for the squire, boys," said the steward, "and we'llhave a look at what grows in this here pond."

  In place of the falling net were now to be heard the quick strokes ofthe oars, and the noise of the rope running out of the boat. Presentlythe batteau shot into the circle of light, and in an instant she waspulled to the shore. Several eager hands were extended to receive theline, and, both ropes being equally well manned, the fishermen commencedhauling in with slow, and steady drags, Richard standing to the centre,giving orders, first to one party, and then to the other, to increaseor slacken their efforts, as occasion required. The visitors were postednear him, and enjoyed a fair view of the whole operation, which wasslowly advancing to an end.

  Opinions as to the result of their adventure were now freely hazarded byall the men, some declaring that the net came in as light as a feather,and others affirming that it seemed to be full of logs. As the ropeswere many hundred feet in length, these opposing sentiments were thoughtto be of little moment by the sheriff, who would go first to one line,and then to the other, giving each small pull, in order to enable him toform an opinion for himself.

  "Why, Benjamin," he cried, as he made his first effort in this way, "youdid not throw the net clear. I can move it with my little finger. Therope slackens in my hand."

  "Did you ever see a whale, squire?" responded the steward: "I say that,if that there net is foul, the devil is in the lake in the shape ofa fish, for I cast it as far as ever rigging was rove over thequarter-deck of a flag-ship."

  But Richard discovered his mistake, when he saw Billy Kirby before him,standing with his feet in the water, at an angle of forty-five degrees,inclining southward, and expending his gigantic strength in sustaininghimself in that posture. He ceased his remonstrances, and proceeded tothe party at the other line.

  "I see the 'staffs,'" shouted Mr. Jones--"gather in boys, and awaywith it; to shore with her!--to shore with her!"

  At this cheerful sound, Elizabeth strained her eyes and saw the ends ofthe two sticks on the seine emerging from the darkness, while the menclosed near to each other, and formed a deep bag of their net. Theexertions of the fishermen sensibly increased, and the voice of Richardwas heard encouraging them to make their greatest efforts at the presentmoment.

  "Now's the time, my lads," he cried; "let us get the ends to land, andall we have will be our own--away with her!"

  "Away with her, it is," echoed Benjamin!--"hurrah! ho-a-hay, ho-a-hoy,ho-a!"

  "In with her," shouted Kirby, exerting himself in a manner that leftnothing for those in his rear to do, but to gather up the slack of therope which passed through his hands.

  "Staff, ho!" shouted the steward.

  "Staff, ho!" echoed Kirby, from the other rope. The men rushed to thewater's edge, some seizing the upper rope, and some the lower orlead rope, and began to haul with great activity and zeal, A deepsemicircular sweep
of the little balls that supported the seine in itsperpendicular position was plainly visible to the spectators, and, asit rapidly lessened in size, the bag of the net appeared, whilean occasional flutter on the water announced the uneasiness of theprisoners it contained.

  "Haul in, my lads," shouted Richard--"I can see the dogs kicking to getfree. Haul in, and here's a cast that will pay for the labor." Fishes ofvarious sorts were now to be seen, entangled in the meshes of the net,as it was passed through the hands of the laborers; and the water, ata little distance from the shore, was alive with the movements of thealarmed victims. Hundreds of white sides were glancing up to the surfaceof the water, and glistening in the fire light, when, frightened atthe uproar and the change, the fish would again dart to the bottom, infruitless efforts for freedom. "Hurrah!" shouted Richard: "one or twomore heavy drags, boys, and we are safe."

  "Cheerily, boys, cheerily!" cried Benjamin; "I see a salmon-trout thatis big enough for a chowder."

  "Away with you, you varmint!" said Billy Kirby, plucking a bullpout fromthe meshes, and casting the animal back into the lake with contempt."Pull, boys, pull; here's all kinds, and the Lord condemn me for a liar,if there ain't a thousand bass!"

  Inflamed beyond the bounds of discretion at the sight, and forgetful ofthe season, the wood-chopper rushed to his middle into the water,and began to drive the reluctant animals before him from their nativeelement.

  "Pull heartily, boys," cried Marmaduke, yielding to the excitement ofthe moment, and laying his hands to the net, with no trifling additionto the force. Edwards had preceded him; for the sight of the immensepiles of fish, that were slowly rolling over on the gravelly beach, hadimpelled him also to leave the ladies and join the fishermen.

  Great care was observed in bringing the net to land, and, after muchtoil, the whole shoal of victims was safely deposited in a hollow of thebank, where they were left to flutter away their brief existence in thenew and fatal element.

  Even Elizabeth and Louisa were greatly excited and highly gratified byseeing two thousand captives thus drawn from the bosom of the lake, andlaid prisoners at their feet. But when the feelings of the momentwere passing away, Marmaduke took in his hands a bass, that might haveweighed two pounds, and after viewing it a moment, in melancholy musing,he turned to his daughter, and observed:

  "This is a fearful expenditure of the choicest gifts of Providence.These fish, Bess, which thou seest lying in such piles before thee, andwhich by to-morrow evening will be rejected food on the meanest table inTempleton, are of a quality and flavor that, in other countries, wouldmake them esteemed a luxury on the tables of princes or epicures. Theworld has no better fish than the bass of Otsego; it unites the richnessof the shad* to the firmness of the salmon."

  * Of all the fish the writer has ever tasted, he thinks the one in question the best.

  "But surely, dear sir," cried Elizabeth, "they must prove a greatblessing to the country, and a powerful friend to the poor."

  "The poor are always prodigal, my child, where there is plenty, andseldom think of a provision against the morrow. But, if there can be anyexcuse for destroying animals in this manner, it is in taking thebass. During the winter, you know, they are entirely protected from ourassaults by the ice, for they refuse the hook; and during the hot monthsthey are not seen. It is supposed they retreat to the deep and coolwaters of the lake, at that season; and it is only in the spring andautumn that, for a few days, they are to be found around the pointswhere they are within the reach of a seine. But, like all the othertreasures of the wilderness, they already begin to disappear before thewasteful extravagance of man."

  "Disappear, Duke! disappear!" exclaimed the sheriff "if you don't callthis appearing, I know not what you will. Here are a good thousand ofthe shiners, some hundreds of suckers, and a powerful quantity of otherfry. But this is always the way with you, Marmaduke: first it's thetrees, then it's the deer; after that it's the maple sugar, and so onto the end of the chapter. One day you talk of canals through a countrywhere there's a river or a lake every half-mile, just because the waterwon't run the way you wish it to go; and, the next, you say some thingabout mines of coal, though any man who has good eyes like myself--Isay, with good eyes--can see more wood than would keep the city ofLondon in fuel for fifty years; wouldn't it, Benjamin?"

  "Why, for that, squire," said the steward, "Lon'on is no small place.If it was stretched an end, all the same as a town on one side of theriver, it would cover some such matter as this here lake. Thof I dar'stto say, that the wood in sight might sarve them a good turn, seeing thatthe Lon'oners mainly burn coal."

  "Now we are on the subject of coal, Judge Temple," interrupted thesheriff, "I have a thing of much importance to communicate to you; butI will defer it--until tomorrow. I know that you intend riding into theeastern part of the Patent, and I will accompany you, and conduct you toa spot where some of your projects may be realized. We will say nomore now, for there are listeners; but a secret has this evening beenrevealed to me, 'Duke, that is of more consequence to your welfare thanall your estate united."

  Marmaduke laughed at the important intelligence, to which in a varietyof shapes he was accustomed, and the sheriff, with an air of greatdignity, as if pitying his want of faith, proceeded in the business moreimmediately be fore them. As the labor of drawing the net had been verygreat, he directed one party of his men to commence throwing the fishinto piles, preparatory to the usual division, while another, under thesuperintendence of Benjamin, prepared the seine for a second haul.