Bob Hunt in Canada | Page 4

Express!" yelled the crier.
"That means us, fellows," said Bob. "Let's hustle."
The three boys went through the gate and were soon sitting in the Pullman bound for Quebec.
"That was some idea of father's to get us this drawing-room," said Bill. "We'll certainly enjoy life on this trip."
"You bet," said Pud.
They certainly were traveling in style. They tossed up to see who would get the lower berth or the sofa. Pud was the one left over and he got the upper berth, whereupon Bill, who had the lower, said that he would not take any chances but would take the upper berth himself. A good-natured, argument followed and the result was that Bob took the lower berth, Pud the sofa and Bill went upstairs. They awoke in the morning to find themselves at Sherbrooke and to get their first taste of the Canadian habitant. When they got down to stretch their legs before breakfast, they found most of the Canadians speaking French.
"Here's a chance to spout your French, Bob," said Bill.
"Who told you that I talked French?" asked Bob.
"Father told me some time ago," answered Bill. "He said that you could talk it like a native."
"I could a few years ago, but I'm rusty now, as I haven't talked French for at least five years," replied Bob.
"They don't talk real French here anyway," said Pud.
"Oh, yes, they do," said Bill. "It's a kind of dialect, but father tells me that it is much easier to understand a French-Canadian than many of the French people from Paris."
"That's very true," said Bob. "My father, as I've told you before, has been up in the Lake St. John region, and he says that he gets along quite well with the inhabitants. He says that they have some peculiar expressions, but that it is quite easy to talk to them as they speak a pretty pure dialect of French."
They were soon off again, now headed for Quebec. They got a seat in the dining-car and watched the scenery as they rode along. They found the quaint little Canadian cottages of the habitants much like the farmers' homes in New England. The land was rolling and, as usual, they followed the course of some river. As they went along, they heard less and less English and Bob was often called on to translate the cries that were heard at the different stations.
"I'll soon get my French back up here," said Bob. "They seem to talk pretty good French. I can understand them quite easily."
About ten o'clock, they came into a hilly country and found evidences of mining being carried on. On Bob's inquiring, they found that they were asbestos mines and that it was practically a new industry for this part of Canada. They also noted that many new farms were being cleared by the young Frenchmen and that much lumber was being transported both by the rivers and the railroad. The look of the people was quite foreign by this time and the boys felt that they were indeed in a foreign land.
"Have you ever been in Toronto?" suddenly asked Bill.
"No," said Pud.
"Well, that is certainly different from this part of Canada," said Bill. "You can hardly tell that you are out of the United States when you are there."
"I should think that the French talk would make it seem foreign anyway," said Pud.
"That's it," said Bob. "You don't hear any more French there than you do in Chicago, Philadelphia or any other American city. I remember that I was up there to the great Toronto Fair and I hardly knew that I was in Canada."
"This is certainly different," said Bill.
"Many people that visit only Quebec and Montreal have an entirely wrong impression of Canada. They think there are just as many French all over as they find in those cities. The fact is that outside of the province of Quebec, Canada is just as much an English-speaking country as the United States.
"Is that so?" said Pud. "Why didn't we go, then, to some place where they talk sense? I'm going to have a fine time getting along with these fellows. I can't talk French."
"Get busy and you'll learn a lot this summer," said Bob. "Mr. Waterman told me that two of the guides talk English a little, so we'll get along all right."
"I'm glad they talk English," said Bill. "All the French I know you could put in your eye tooth."
A short time later, they arrived at Levis and saw the majestic heights of Quebec opposite.
"This St. Lawrence is some river," said Pud.
"I should think it is," said Bob. "The biggest ocean liners can come up this far, while there is a twenty-seven-foot channel all the way up to Montreal."
"You don't say so," said Pud. "Well, there is one thing sure that I'm learning some