Youth, Volume 1, Number 5, July 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & Girls — John Shaqi
Youth, Volume 1, Number 5, July 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & GirlsVarious
General
Youth, Volume 1, Number 5, July 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & Girls
Various
Children's literature -- Periodicals
This was excellent advice, and Adrian was tired. He decided to trust
to the other lad’s common sense and larger experience, and, having so
decided, calmly stretched himself out upon the level bank of the stream
and went to sleep.
Pierre’s temper rose still higher, and after he had endured the sight
of Adrian’s indolence as long as possible he stepped to the river and
dipped a bucket of water. Then he returned and quietly dashed it over
the drowsy lad. The effect was all that Pierre desired.
“What did you do that for?”
“Take this axe and get to work. I’ve chopped long enough. It’s my
turn--or would be, only I’m after moose.”
Adrian realized that he had given cause for offense and laughed
good-naturedly. His nap had rested him much more than his broken sleep
of the night under the rocks, and the word “moose” had an inspiration
all its own.
“I’ve cut the firewood. You get poles for the tent. I’ll get things
ready for supper.”
Adrian laid his hand dramatically upon his stomach. “I’ve an inner
conviction already that dinner precedes supper.”
“Cut, can’t you?”
“Cut it is.”
In a few moments he had chopped down a few slender poles, and,
selecting two with forked branches, he planted these upright on a
little rise of the dryest ground. Across the notches he laid a third
pole, and over this he stretched their strip of sheeting. When this was
pegged down at a convenient angle at the back and also secured at the
ends, they had a very comfortable shelter from the dew and possible
rain. The affair was open on one side, and before this Pierre had
heaped the wood for the fire when they should return after the day’s
hunt. Together they cut and spread the spruce and hemlock boughs for
their bed, arranging them in overlapping rows, with an added quantity
for pillows. Wrapped in their blankets, for even at midsummer these
were not amiss, they hoped to sleep luxuriously.
They stored their food in as safe a spot as possible, though Pierre
said that nothing would molest it, unless it might be a hungry
hedgehog; but Adrian preferred to take no risks. Then, with knives
freshly sharpened on the rocks, and the gun in hand, they cautiously
stepped into the canoe and pushed off.
“One should not jump into a birch. Easiest thing in the world to split
the bottom,” its owner had explained.
Adrian had no desire to do anything that would hinder their success,
therefore submitted to his guide’s dictation with a meekness that would
have amused Margot.
She would not have been amused by their undertaking, nor its but
half-anticipated results. After a long and difficult warping-up the
rapids, in which Adrian’s skill at using the sharp-pointed pole that
helped to keep the canoe off the rocks surprised Pierre, they reached a
dead water, with low, rush-dotted banks.
“Get her into that cove yonder and keep still. I’ve brought some bark
and I’ll make a horn.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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