THE YOUNG VOYAGEURS.
There is a canoe upon the waters of Red River
Red River of the north. It is near the source of
the stream, but passing downward. It is a small
canoe, a frail structure of birch-bark, and contains
only four persons. They are all young—the eldest
of them evidently not over nineteen years of age,
and the youngest about fifteen.
THE TRUMPETER SWAN AND THE BALD EAGLE.
...be shot after it like an arrow, and,
clutching it in his talons, with an outward stroke
sent it whizzing in a diagonal direction. The next
moment a crashing was heard among the twigs, and
a dull sound announced that the swan had fallen
upon the earth.
clutching it in his talons, with an outward stroke
sent it whizzing in a diagonal direction. The next
moment a crashing was heard among the twigs, and
a dull sound announced that the swan had fallen
upon the earth.
THE ESCAPE FROM THE WRECK
The canoe was lost, and all it had contained, or
nearly all. The voyageurs had saved only their
guns, knives, and the powder-horns and pouches,
that had been attached to their persons. One other
thing had been saved—an axe which Basil had
flung upon the rock as he stepped out of the
sinking vessel. All the rest—robes, blankets, swans,
cooking utensils, bags of provisions, such as coffee,
flour, and dried meat—were lost—irrecoverably
lost.
BASIL AND THE BISON BULL
As soon as the bull felt the strange cravat
aronnd his neck, ho began to plunge and 'rout'
with violence, and at length ran furiously out
from the tree. But he soon came to the end of
bis tether ; and the quick jerk, which caused the
tree itself to crack, brought him to his haunches,
while the noose tightening on his throat was fast
strangling him. But for the thick matted hair it
would have done so, but this saved him, and he
continued to sprawl and struggle at the end of
the rope. The tree kept on cracking, and as I
began to fear that it might give way and precipitate
me to the ground, I thought it better to
slip down.
aronnd his neck, ho began to plunge and 'rout'
with violence, and at length ran furiously out
from the tree. But he soon came to the end of
bis tether ; and the quick jerk, which caused the
tree itself to crack, brought him to his haunches,
while the noose tightening on his throat was fast
strangling him. But for the thick matted hair it
would have done so, but this saved him, and he
continued to sprawl and struggle at the end of
the rope. The tree kept on cracking, and as I
began to fear that it might give way and precipitate
me to the ground, I thought it better to
slip down.
THE WAPITI AND THE WOLVERENE
Norman, however, who had lived more in
those parts where the animal is found, knew it at
once to be the dreaded " wolverene." Its head
could not be seen, as that was hid behind the
shoulder of the wapiti, whose throat it was engaged
in tearing. But its short legs and broad
paws, its bushy tail and long shaggy hair, together
with its round-arching back and dark-brown colour,
were all familiar marks to the young fur-trader;
and he at once pronounced it a " wolverene."
those parts where the animal is found, knew it at
once to be the dreaded " wolverene." Its head
could not be seen, as that was hid behind the
shoulder of the wapiti, whose throat it was engaged
in tearing. But its short legs and broad
paws, its bushy tail and long shaggy hair, together
with its round-arching back and dark-brown colour,
were all familiar marks to the young fur-trader;
and he at once pronounced it a " wolverene."
THE BLAIREAU AND THE MARMOTS
Slowly and cautiously it stole along, its hind-feet
resting all their length upon the ground, its hideous
snout thrown forward, and its eyes glaring with a
Toracious and hungry expression. It had got
within fifty paces of the marmots, and would, no
doubt, have succeeded in cutting off the retreat of
some of them, but at that moment a burrowing
owl {Strix cunicularia), that had been perched
upon one of the mounds, rose up, and commenced
hovering in circles above the intruder. This drew
the attention of the marmot sentries to their wellknown
enemy, and their warning cry was followed
by a general scamper of both tawnies and leopards
towards their respective burrows.
resting all their length upon the ground, its hideous
snout thrown forward, and its eyes glaring with a
Toracious and hungry expression. It had got
within fifty paces of the marmots, and would, no
doubt, have succeeded in cutting off the retreat of
some of them, but at that moment a burrowing
owl {Strix cunicularia), that had been perched
upon one of the mounds, rose up, and commenced
hovering in circles above the intruder. This drew
the attention of the marmot sentries to their wellknown
enemy, and their warning cry was followed
by a general scamper of both tawnies and leopards
towards their respective burrows.
THE OSPREY AND THE WHITE-HEADED EAGLE
All eyes were instantly turned in the direction
whence it came—which was from the opposite side
of the river—and there, just in the act of launching
itself from the top of a tall tree, was the great
enemy of the osprey—the white - headed eagle
himself!
" Now a chase ! " cried Franij-ois, " yonder comes
the big robber !"
With some excitement of feeling, the whole party
watched the movements of the birds. A few
strokes of the eagle's wing brought him near ; but
the osprey had already heard his scream, and
knowing it was no use carrying the fish to his nest,
turned away from it, and rose spirally upward, in
the hope o£ escaping in that direction.
whence it came—which was from the opposite side
of the river—and there, just in the act of launching
itself from the top of a tall tree, was the great
enemy of the osprey—the white - headed eagle
himself!
" Now a chase ! " cried Franij-ois, " yonder comes
the big robber !"
With some excitement of feeling, the whole party
watched the movements of the birds. A few
strokes of the eagle's wing brought him near ; but
the osprey had already heard his scream, and
knowing it was no use carrying the fish to his nest,
turned away from it, and rose spirally upward, in
the hope o£ escaping in that direction.
BASIL AND THE MOOSE BULL
Basil now dropped out of the tree, and walking
back to where his rifle lay, took up the piece and
carefully reloaded it.
back to where his rifle lay, took up the piece and
carefully reloaded it.
They were leaping about hurriedly,
and worrying some objects that lay upon the
ground. What these objects were was too plain.
They were the bags of pemmican ! Part of their
contents was seen strewed over the snow, and part
was already in the stomachs of the wolves.
The boys uttered a simultaneous shout, and ran...
and worrying some objects that lay upon the
ground. What these objects were was too plain.
They were the bags of pemmican ! Part of their
contents was seen strewed over the snow, and part
was already in the stomachs of the wolves.
The boys uttered a simultaneous shout, and ran...
THE LYNX AND THE GOLDEN EAGLE
When I first noticed it, I fancied that it had
been after the rabbit ; and, seeing the latter pounced
upon by another preying creature, had uttered its
scream at being thus disappointed of its prey. I
expected, therefore, to see it fly off. To my astonishment
it broke suddenly out of the circles in
which it had been so gracefully wheeling, and,
with another scream wilder than before, darted
dovwn towards the lynx !
been after the rabbit ; and, seeing the latter pounced
upon by another preying creature, had uttered its
scream at being thus disappointed of its prey. I
expected, therefore, to see it fly off. To my astonishment
it broke suddenly out of the circles in
which it had been so gracefully wheeling, and,
with another scream wilder than before, darted
dovwn towards the lynx !
THE CARIBOU AND THE WOLVES
On reaching
the shore the caribou made no stop ; but bounded
forward in the same way as if it had been springing
upon water. Most likely it expected to hear a
plunge ; but, instead of that, its hoofs came down
upon the hard ice ; and, by the impulse thus given,
the animal shot out with the velocity of a skater.
the shore the caribou made no stop ; but bounded
forward in the same way as if it had been springing
upon water. Most likely it expected to hear a
plunge ; but, instead of that, its hoofs came down
upon the hard ice ; and, by the impulse thus given,
the animal shot out with the velocity of a skater.
THE ARRIVAL AT THE FORT
Before they had quite reached the gate,
there was a general rush of trappers, traders,
voyageurs, coureurs-des-bois and other employes, to
reach them; and the next moment they were lost
in the midst of the people who crowded out of
the Fort to welcome them. This was their hour
of happiness and joy.
there was a general rush of trappers, traders,
voyageurs, coureurs-des-bois and other employes, to
reach them; and the next moment they were lost
in the midst of the people who crowded out of
the Fort to welcome them. This was their hour
of happiness and joy.
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