"The backwoods is not the City of London. There are no policemen to appeal to if you lose your way. Besides, we hope to find dinner waiting for our return. Hunting lost sons is not the same sport as hunting moose."
Both the boys laughed at the elder man's remark, and one—Bob Arnold by name—answered—
"Don't worry about us, father. Alf and I can take care of ourselves for half a day. Can't we, Alf?"[Pg 5]
"Rather," the younger chum replied. "It's our respected parents who'll need to take care of themselves in unknown waters in that cockleshell." Then he called out merrily, imitating the tone of the first speaker—his father: "Take care of yourselves, dads! Remember the Athabasca River is not Regent Street!"
"Cheeky youngster!" returned the elder man banteringly, as he struck the forward paddle into the water. "There's not much of the invalid3 left about you after three months' camping."
Then with waving hands and pleasant chaffing, that showed what real good chums the quartette were, the men struck out for the centre of the river, leaving their sons watching from the strand4 before the camp that was pitched beneath the shadow of the great pine trees.
It was a glorious morning—just the right sort for a hunting-expedition. The air was just chilly5 enough to render paddling a welcome exercise, and just warm enough to allow intervals6 of pleasant drifting in the centre of the current when there were no shoals or driftwood to be avoided.
"Yes," remarked Holden, the younger of the two men, as the rhythm of the dripping paddles[Pg 6] murmured pleasantly with Nature's music heard from leafy bough7 and bush; "yes, Alf's a different boy now. Who would have believed that these three short months would have changed a fever-wasted body into such a sturdy frame?"
"It looks like a miracle," returned the other man. "It was a great idea, that of a six months' trapping in the backwoods. When we get back to England we'll all four look as healthy as savages8. My Bob is the colour of a redskin."
"It was a great blessing9 that you were able to bring him. It wouldn't have been half as enjoyable for Alf, not having a chum."
The elder man laughed softly as he turned a look of good-comradeship towards his companion.
"That's just as it ought to be, Holden," he said. "You and I were chums at school, chums at college, and now chums in business. It's the right thing that our sons should follow our good example. At least, that's my opinion."
"And you know it's mine," was the response. "But, I say! Do you think we are wise to keep quite in the centre of the current? It seems to be driving pretty hard, and we don't know the course. We might wish to land if we saw rapids."
"I dare say you are right," replied Arnold.[Pg 7] "We'll steer10 straight across that bend ahead of us. After that we can keep well under the shadow of the willows11—or near them. We will look for a good landing spot and strike inwards. There ought to be moose or some equally good sport among those bluffs12 and clearings."
It is one thing to make plans; it is quite another matter to carry them out. Especially is this the case when strangers are travelling in strange country.
Of course the present mode of travel was no novelty to either of the men. Their youth had been passed in Western Canada (though not in the vicinity of the present voyage) before their parents sent them home to college in England. But even the hardened voyager knows that experience does not anticipate all chances, and this case was no exception to the rule.
The river was certainly beginning to run at a pace that was perceptibly swifter than that of the start when two miles farther up. This did not give any cause for concern, however, for the ears of the travellers were prepared for any sound that indicated rapids, and there was no other contingency13 that they felt need to dread14.
At a little distance ahead, the course could be[Pg 8] seen to take a sharp turn to the right, where the dense15 growth of beech16 and towering pines resembled the portals of a giant gateway17; and, as it neared the opening, the canoe swung round the curve with the swift flight of a swallow.
It was a sudden change of pace, due mainly to the sharpness of the turn. But as soon as the men fully1 entered the fresh span of the course they both started involuntarily, for the banks were so steep as to prohibit landing, and the river narrowed towards a second gateway formed by towering cliffs—steep as a Colorado ca?on.
"Look out!" exclaimed Holden, as he knelt high and gripped his paddle firmly. "Leave the steering18 to me, I can manage better from the stern. Come back here if you can."
The canoe had already begun to dance among foaming19 crests20 like an egg-shell.
Arnold crept towards his companion.
"Not a pleasant look out!" he remarked, with a grim smile on his face. "It will be a marvel22 if we get through that ca?on with dry skins."
"Dry skins!" laughed Holden. His voice was laughing, but his eyes were fixed23 steadily24 a few yards in front of the canoe with that firm gaze of a brave man looking peril25 straight in the[Pg 9] face. "Dry skins! It'll be a greater marvel if we get through it with any skins at all!"
"We'll have a good try, anyway," responded Arnold. Then he remarked quaintly26: "This is like old times, isn't it—you and I out in a scrape together? I hope the Head won't blow us up for it when we get back to school!"
The river had now entered the narrow course, and was rushing on a foaming way with an awesome27 roar.
Now and then the canoe would leap to one side as a wave hungrily licked her prow28; sometimes she would push her nose into a crest21 that splashed the travellers with spray. Fortunately the spring torrents29 were over, and danger from drifting logs was not to be reckoned with, but the possibility that rocks might be hidden among the white waves was a reasonable cause for concern—all the more so, considering that they were unknown.
Onwards they dashed at breakneck speed, while both the men sat grimly silent, prepared to take bravely whatever fate might be in store for them. Probably their thoughts were more of the two boys at the camp than of their present strait—more engaged with commending their[Pg 10] sons to the care of God than speculating as to the result of this adventure.
Then, with a suddenness that gave no time for thought, there was a crash like crackling match-wood—a rush of water that seemed to crush all within its embrace. Next moment the two men were struggling in the stream.
At that crisis, Arnold's first thought was for his friend—just as it had always been since he fought his chum's first battles at school.
He grabbed wildly, and held on to something that he afterwards found to be his friend's jacket.
"Are you all right?" he yelled above the din2 of the waters, as both men reached the surface.
"A1 at Lloyd's!" came the cheerful reply—undaunted even in extremity30.
"That's good. We'll weather this yet. Hang on to my coat, and we'll keep together!"
Being expert swimmers, there was little cause for fear so long as the current passed clear of obstacles, and the men had little to do but keep a suitable position, for the force of the water bore them well on the surface. But the chief danger was from undercurrents and whirlpools, and as the boundaries of the river rapidly narrowed this risk became more serious every moment.[Pg 11]
As they rushed onwards, so the two walls of the ca?on came nearer—shutting out the light until the scene resembled the gloomy depths of a seething31 cauldron.
Closer and closer came the walls; swifter and swifter rushed the water.
Now the limits were so narrow that the river was but a smooth riband darting32 between walls worn glassy by the wear of countless33 ages.
The friends came so close that they touched one another's shoulders.
That was one moment.
The next instant each felt himself shot forward through a narrow opening like a cork34 that is volleyed from a bottle; and when the men came to realise their position, they found themselves floating on the surface of a placid35 lake into which the ca?on poured its flood.
They looked at one another. The adventure had parted them, but Arnold laughingly held up a portion of Holden's coat as a banner to signal his position.
"Our same old luck!" exclaimed Holden, laughing.
"It'll cost you a new coat!" returned Arnold with equal cheer.[Pg 12]
It was perhaps a hundred yards to the nearest shore, so the men immediately started in that direction. Both were considerably36 exhausted37 by the experiences through which they had providentially passed without serious injury, and consequently the progress was slow.
But at last they reached the bank, where the red and grey willows bent38 their long strands39 in a tangled40 trellis.
Knee deep in the mud, the men stood upright, to clear the way to freedom. But, as they parted the nearest branches, a number of arms were suddenly forced through the scrub; a number of hands gripped them with irresistible41 strength; and before they could realise what had happened they were rudely dragged up the bank of the lake.
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1
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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3
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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7
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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8
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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11
willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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12
bluffs
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| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
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13
contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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15
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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18
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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19
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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20
crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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22
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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quaintly
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| adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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28
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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29
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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30
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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32
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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33
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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34
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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35
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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38
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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39
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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40
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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41
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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