The Gaunt Gray Wolf: A Tale of Adventure With Ungava Bob
ose and the mist lifted from the water, Shad and Bob, keeping close to shore, dis
ll be passin' Rabbit Island in an hour, an' maki
to-day?"
uncertainly: "I'm 'feared you'll find th' work on th' river wearisom
expect to do my share of the work, old man,
Bob. "You weren't losin' your head, an' by th' time I h'ists sail you was wringin' th' water
friend drop the handle from my name and call me
onderful har
ha
call you 'Shad '--it sounds
aughed Shad. "All the
do it, Mr.--I means Shad.
l, isn't it? But doting parents cast it upon
mbers readin' about Shadrach so
ly drawing together and now, within
r handy t' un, an' have th' kettle boiled when you come
who?" baw
ad--Mr. Tr
ered Dick, "'tw
respectful, callin' Mr. Too
t. "Can't you remember, now? 'Tis Towbreg--T-o-w-b-r
ght this time, Dick," E
f hearing. Bob's mind filled with plans for the future, Shad enjoy
nspired and exhilarated the young voyageurs. Shad was conscious of a new sense of freedom and power taking possession of him. The romance of the situation appealed to
on of a current was encountered, and the northern bank was followed closely that they might ta
il th' kettle," Bob finally suggested. "Th' Traverspine River
famished, and I've been hoping for
ndy beach near the mouth of a rushing brook. "I'm a bit hungry myself. I'
tiff pole about five feet in length. The butt end of this he sharpened, and, jamming it into the ground, inclined it in such manner
to fry, while Shad gathered a quantity of large dry sticks wh
d was about. "'Twill be too hot t' cook by. A small bit o' fire's enough;" and he
to do, I'll see if there are any
went the reel. The result was a fine big trout. Within twenty minutes he had landed eighteen, and when presently the boa
ob, in response to an excl
idge, Bob," correcte
is my front name and I want you fellow
greed Dick. "'Tis a bit
r, "of onct I were out huntin' pa'tridges. I gets plenty o' pa'tridges, but I finds myself wonderful hun
All I finds is a piece o' salmon twine an' one fishhook. 'I'll try un, whatever,' says I, an' I cuts a pole an' ties
n, an' I'm so disgusted-like I don't pull he right in. Then b
climax, while he lighted his p
Shad. "Did y
din' around in th' water. Then, while I lets un play, quicker'n I can say 'boo' an old w
' little un were ten inches long. Th' little un an' th' next weren't hurt much, an' not wantin' they I throws un back, an' th' big un does me for d
, "you'll be struck dead
asked Ed, with as
ou never seen a trout moren't two foot
ghed, "they's no use tellin' you of happeni
swift currents, more often than not immersed to their waists in the icy waters of the river, or for weary miles they staggered over portages with heavy loads upon their backs. To ad
attacks of the insects. The black flies were particularly vicious; not only was their bite poisonous, but a drop of blood appeared wherever one of them made a wou
ination, he still insisted, against the protests of the others, upon doing his full share of the work. Dick advised him, finally, to carry a fat pork rind in his pocket and to occasionally appl
recompense for all the hardship and toil of the day. Here they would relax after
scriptions of battles on the gridiron or on the diamond, illustrated with diagrams drawn with a stick upon the grou
flights of imagination that Shad would scarcely have known where fact ended and fiction began had Dick not made it a
the narrow lake rose towering cliffs of granite, their dark faces lighted at intervals by brooklets tumbling in cascades from the heights above. A loon laughed weirdly in
ll be straight sailin' an' paddlin' from this on. Th' first tilt o' th' Big Hill trai
and comfortable throughout the day. The evenings were becoming frosty and exhilarating. The black flies and mosquitoes had ceased to an
rdships of the preceding weeks, Shad's desire to remain throughout
redicted. Here camp was pitched, the boat finally unloaded, and preparati
camp-fire in blissful relaxation, silently watching the aurora
en to you if I remained here all winter,
u'd be no burden! An' when your feet gets t
in woodcraft and I've never done any trapping. You'd have to teach me a great deal
An' you'd be a wonderful lot o' compan
r in college, but I'll stay anyhow. My experience with you
exclaimed Bob, his
ck. "Can't you go back, now, with me an' Bill, t' help us up with our ou
u can manage th' tilts?"
Shad can manage
ented Ed. "'Twould be hard t' ma
etters were written home, and at daylight on Monday morning adieus were said. Bob and Shad stood upon the shor
retfully, as they retraced their steps to the embers
f all--" Suddenly he stopped. His eyes, following the sweep of his arm, had fallen u