Canoe Mates in Canada

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Canoe Mates in Canada, by St. George Rathborne

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Title: Canoe Mates in Canada Three Boys Afloat on the Saskatchewan
Author: St. George Rathborne
Release Date: October 7, 2006 [EBook #19489]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration: Once he had to paddle like a madman to keep from being sucked into the largest whirlpool along the course. (Page 12)]
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CANOE MATES IN CANADA OR THREE BOYS AFLOAT ON THE SASKATCHEWAN
By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE
Author of "THE HOUSE BOAT BOYS," "CHUMS IN DIXIE," "THE YOUNG FUR TAKERS," Etc.
M. A. DONOHUE & CO., Chicago
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CANOE AND CAMPFIRE SERIES
Four Books of Woodcraft and Adventure in the Forest and on the Water that every Boy Scout should have in his Library
By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE
CANOEMATES IN CANADA; or, Three Boys Afloat on the Saskatchewan.
THE YOUNG FUR-TAKERS; or, Traps and Trails in the Wilderness.
THE HOUSE-BOAT BOYS; or, Drifting Down to the Sunny South.
CHUMS IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Cruise of a Motor Boat.
CAMP MATES IN MICHIGAN; or, With Pack and Paddle in the Pine Woods.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BOYS; or, Camping in the Big Game Country.
In these four delightful volumes the author has drawn bountifully from his thirty-five years experience as a true sportsman and lover of nature, to reveal many of the secrets of the woods, such as all Boys Scouts strive to know. And, besides, each book is replete with stirring adventures among the four-footed denizens of the wilderness; so that a feast of useful knowledge is served up, with just that class of stirring incidents so eagerly welcomed by all boys with red blood in their veins. For sale wherever books are sold, or sent prepaid for 50 cents each by the publishers.
Copyright, 1912, M. A. Donohue & Co.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. A PLUNGE DOWN THE RAPIDS 7 II. THE CAMP UNDER THE HEMLOCKS 17 III. COMRADES 28 IV. THE THREE SMOKE SIGNALS 37 V. THE FALSE CHART OF DUBOIS 47 VI. THE TIMBER-CRUISER 57 VII. OWL AND TIMBER WOLF 67 VIII. THE CALL OF THE WILD 77 IX. TRAPPER LORE 84 X. MAGIC IN THE BERRIES 104 XI. A BREAK IN THE CHAIN 117 XII. ON THE TRACK OF ELI 127 XIII. BIRDS OF A FEATHER 137 XIV. WITHOUT AUTHORITY 152 XV. SCENTS A MYSTERY 160 XVI. A LITTLE WITCH 170 XVII. SEEN THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR 184 XVIII. OWEN FINDS HIMSELF A PRISONER 194 XIX. FOR SO IT WAS WRITTEN 204 XX. THE TENT DWELLERS 214 XXI. AT DEAD OF NIGHT 221 XXII. CONCLUSION 231
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CANOE MATES IN CANADA
or
Afloat on the Saskatchewan
CHAPTER I.
A PLUNGE DOWN THE RAPIDS.
Kneeling in a "bullboat," fashioned from the skin of an animal, and wielding a paddle with the dexterity only to be attained after years of practice in canoeing, a sturdily-built and thoroughly bronzed Canadian lad glanced ever and anon back along the course over which he had so recently passed; and then up at the black storm clouds hurrying out of the mysterious North.
It was far away in the wilderness of the Northwest, where this fierce tributary of the great Saskatchewan came pouring down from the timber-clad hills; and all around the lone voyager lay some of the wildest scenery to be met with on the whole continent.
Here and there in this vast territory one might come across the occasional trading posts of the wide-reaching Hudson Bay Company, at each of which the resident factor ruled with the arbitrary power of a little czar.
It might be he would discover the fire of some Ishmaelite of the forest, a wandering "timber-cruiser," marking out new and promising fields for those he served, and surveying the scene of possible future bustling logging camps.
Otherwise the country at this time was a vast unknown land, seldom penetrated by human kind, save the Indian fur gatherers.
Considering that he was in so vast a wilderness this adventurous lad appeared to have scant luggage in his well battered bullboat--indeed, beyond the buskskin jacket, which he had thrown off because of his exertions, there did not seem to be anything at all aboard the craft, not even a gun, by means of which he might provide himself with food while on the journey downstream.
This singular fact would seem to indicate that he might have had trouble of some sort back yonder.
Indeed, the occasional glances which he cast over his shoulder added strength to this possibility; though the look upon his strong face was more in the line of chagrin and