Part 16 (1/2)
Uncle d.i.c.k walked up to the boats and looked them over carefully.
”Pretty heavy, Leo,” said he, ”but they'll do to run downhill all the way.”
”She's good boat,” said Leo. ”Need 'um strong.”
”Yes, about twenty-two feet long each one--that will carry us and our supplies nicely. You and your man will take one boat, and Moise and I the other. I think I'll put the boys in our boat. What man are you going to get to go with you, Leo?”
”My cousin George; he's good man. We make hunt last spring down the Canoe River.”
”What were you after?”
”After grizzlum bear.”
”Did you get one?”
”No, not get one.”
”Not one? And I thought that was a good bear country!”
”Not get _one_,” said Leo. ”Get sixteen.”
”Sixteen! That's something different. That looks as though we might expect some bears ourselves this spring.”
”All right, plenty grizzlum. Maybe-so forty, fifty mile.”
”What does he think about the running on the Canoe River, Uncle d.i.c.k?”
inquired Rob. ”Is it going to be bad water?”
”Not too bad water,” said Leo, turning to Rob. ”Snow not too much melt yet on big hills. We take wagon first.”
”A wagon!” exclaimed John. ”I didn't know there was a wagon within a thousand miles.”
”My cousin other side river,” said Leo, proudly, ”got wagon. Bring 'um wagon two hunder' miles from Fort George on canoe. His horses heap kick wagon sometam, but bime-by all right. We get work on railroad bime-by.”
Rob and John stood looking at each other somewhat puzzled. ”Well,”
said John, ”I thought we were coming to a wild country, but it looks as though everybody here was getting ready to be civilized as fast as possible. But even if we have a wagon, where are we going with it?”
”There's a perfectly good trail up to Cranberry Lake, the summit of this divide, as I told you,” said Uncle d.i.c.k. ”I think Leo would rather take one of the boats by wagon. The rest of us can push the other boat up the McLennan, part way at least.”
”Good trail,” said Leo. ”Suppose you'll like, we got horse trail down Canoe River forty mile now. Many people come now. I been to Revelstruck [Revelstoke] three tam, me and my cousin George--part way horse, part way boat. Bime-by go on railroad. That's why my cousin buy his wagon--work on railroad and get money for ticket to Revelstruck.”
”Well, what do you know about that, Rob?” said John. ”This country certainly is full of enterprise. What I don't understand is, how they got a wagon up the Fraser River in a canoe.”
After a time Leo led them down to the bank of the Fraser and showed them several of the long, dug-out canoes of the Shuswap, with which these people have navigated that wild river for many years. He explained how, by las.h.i.+ng two canoes together, they could carry quite a load without danger of capsizing; and he explained the laborious process of poling such a craft up this rapid river. The boys listened to all these things in wonder and admiration, feeling that certainly they were in a new and singular country after all. Once all the trade of the Pacific coast had pa.s.sed this very spot.
”Well now, Leo,” said Uncle d.i.c.k, ”you go get your cousin George, and let us begin to make plans to start out. We've got to hurry.”
”Oh, of course we've got to hurry!” said John, laughing. ”I never saw you when you were not in a hurry, Uncle d.i.c.k.”