Around the Camp-fire

“‘I don’t see what Jake’s got agin the child that he won’t let her play with him,’ he remarked half-crossly.

“‘Oh, I guess it’s ’cause he ain’t no ways used ter children, an’ he’s kinder afeared o’ breakin’ her,’ Ben Smithers responded laughingly.

“Jake had caught the irritation in the boss’s tone, and had vaguely comprehended it. Upon the boss his resentment was tending to concentrate itself. He could harbor no real ill-feeling toward the child, but upon Luke Thériault he seemed to lay the whole blame for his dethronement.

“Toward noon the breeze died down, and the heat grew fierce. The yellow-pink gum began to soften and trickle on the sunny sides of the logs, and great fragrant beads of balsam to ooze out from every axe-wound. The gang clustered, as far as possible, under the insufficient shade of the cook-house, in loosely sprawling attitudes, – hats off and shirt-bosoms thrown wide open. Jake got down on the lowermost tier of logs, and lay panting in a couple of inches of water, surrounded by floating bits of bark and iridescent patches of balsam scum.

“As for Mame, her pink frock by this time was pretty well bedraggled, and frock and hands alike smeared and blackened with balsam. Her sturdy little copper-toed boots were water-soaked. The heat had a suppressing effect even upon her, and she spent much of the time in Ben’s lap in the shade of the cook-house; but now and then she would rouse herself to renewed excursions, and torment the raftsmen’s weather-beaten breasts with fresh alarms.

“The river at this part of its course was full of shoals and cross-currents, calling for a skilful pilot; and Thériault kept sweltering about the open raft rather than trust the steering to less responsible hands.

“Just as the cook, with parboiled countenance, came to the door of his den to announce the dinner, Mame had run to Jake’s retreat, and crawled down upon the panting animal’s back.

“This contributed not at all to Jake’s coolness, and he felt seriously disturbed by the intrusion. Slipping from under as gently as he could, he moved away in vexation, and Mame rolled in the shallow water.

“She picked herself up, wet and whimpering; and Thériault, who happened to be standing close by, spoke angrily to the dog, and gave him a sharp kick.

“For Jake this was a new and startling experience. He could hardly resist the temptation to spring upon his insulter, and pin him to the raft. Too wise for this, however, he merely stiffened himself to his full height with a sudden, deep growl, and rolled a significant side glance upon his assailant.

“The boss was astonished. At the same time he was just a little startled, which made him still more angry, and he shouted, —

“‘Don’t you snarl at me, you brute, or I’ll kick you off o’ the raft!’

“Ben Smithers interposed. ‘Don’t kick him agin, boss!’ he exclaimed. ‘I don’t mean no disrespec’, but Jake ain’t never had no kicks an’ cuffs, an’ I’d ruther he didn’t have none, ’less he desarves ’em. He don’t know now what you kicked him fur, an’ he’s only protestin’. He wouldn’t hurt a hair o’ yer head; an’ ez fur Mame, howsomever he may keep outen her way in this ’ere heat, I’d jest like ter see anythin’ try ter tech her onkind when Jake war ’round. You’d see then who was Mame’s friend!’

“During Ben’s expostulation Thériault had cooled down. He laughed a little awkwardly, and acknowledged that he ‘hadn’t no call, under the circumstances, to kick the dog;’ but at the same time it was with no glance of affection that he eyed Jake during dinner.

“When the meal was over he cautioned Mame so severely that the child began to look upon the dog as a bloodthirsty monster, and thereafter Jake was persecuted no more with her attentions.

“The poor dog was none the happier on this account. Unheeded by his master, who through most of the afternoon kept nursing the wearied child in his lap, the poor animal lay grieving on a far-off corner of the raft.

“Late in the afternoon the raft entered the succession of rapids lying below the mouth of the Munquauk. There are few shoals here, but the steering is difficult by reason of turbulent water and cross currents. About this time, than which none could be more inopportune, little Mame woke to new life, and resumed her perilous flittings about the raft. The men who were not needed at the sweeps were kept busy in pursuit of her. The swift motion, the tremblings of the raft, the tumult of the currents, – these all enchanted and exhilarated the child. Like a golden-crowned fairy, she balanced tiptoe upon the upper logs, clapping her stained little hands, her hair blown all about her face.

“Suddenly forsaking Ben’s company, she started toward her father, where he stood at the stern of the raft, directing the steersmen. The father reached out his hands to her, laughing. She was within three or four feet of him, but she chose to tantalize him a little. She darted to one side, pausing on the very edge of the raft.

“At this moment the timbers lurched under a heavy swell. Mame lost her balance, and with a shrill cry of terror she fell into the pitching current.

“A mingled groan and prayer went up all over the raft; and Thériault and one of the hands, a big woodsman named Vandine, plunged in to the rescue. Ben Smithers was not a swimmer, and he could only stand and wring his hands.

“Thériault and the other who had sprung in were both strong swimmers; but a narrow surface current had seized Mame’s small form, and whirled it far away from the raft, while the heavy bodies of the men, grasped by the under-current, were forced in a different direction.

“Thériault’s face grew ghastly and drawn as he saw the distance between himself and his child slowly widening. His desperate efforts could not carry him away from the raft, and he marked that Vandine was no more successful than he. A choking spasm tightened about his throat, and he gave a keen, sobbing cry of anguish as he saw the little pink-frocked form go under for the first time.

“Then a great black body shot into the air above his head, and landed with a splash far beyond him. ‘Jake!’ he thought instantly; and a thankful sigh went up from his heart. Now he began to care once more about keeping his own head above water.

“Jake was late in noticing the catastrophe. He had been deep in a sullen and heavy sleep. When the cries awoke him he yawned, and then mounted a log to take a survey of the situation. In a second or two he caught sight of the pink frock tossing in the waves, and of the little hands flung up in appeal.

“His instantaneous and tremendous rush carried him far out from the raft, and then his pure Newfoundland blood made him master of the situation.

“Little he cared for the tumult and the white-capped waves! His sinewy shoulders and broad-webbed feet drove him straight through cross-current and eddy to where the child had sunk. When she came up he was within five feet of her, and with a quick plunge he caught her by the shoulder.

“And now Jake’s difficulties began. In quieter waters he would have found no trouble, but here he was unable to choose his hold. The men saw him let go of the child’s shoulder, snatch a mouthful of the frock, and start for the raft.

“In this position Mame’s head passed under water, and all hands were in a panic lest she should drown before Jake could get her in. But the dog dropped his burden yet again, seized the little one by the upper part of the arm, and in this position was able to hold her head clear.

“But it was a trying position. To maintain it, Jake had to swim high, and to set his teeth with pitiless firmness into the child’s tender arm. The wave-crests slapped ceaselessly in his face, half-choking him, and strangling Mame’s cries every instant.

“Thériault and Vandine were by this time so exhausted as to be quite powerless, and were with difficulty pulled back upon the raft. There stood all hands straining their gaze upon the gallant dog’s progress. Ben Smithers waited, with a pike-pole, on the very edge of the timbers, ready to hook the steel into Mame’s frock, and lift her aboard the moment Jake got within reach.

“Slowly battling with the waves, Jake and his precious burden drew near the raft. Already Ben Smithers was reaching out his pike-pole. Suddenly there was a crash, and the raft stopped short, quivering, while the waves poured over its upper edge. The timbers of the farther inshore corner had run aground and wedged fast.

“There was a moment of bewildering suspense, while Jake and his charge were swept swiftly past the hands stretched out to save them. Then the raft broke into two parts, and the larger outside portion swung out across the main current and drove straight down upon the swimmer.

“With a cry the raftsmen threw themselves flat on the logs, grasped at the dog, and succeeded in snatching the now silent child to a place of safety.

“Jake had just got his fore-paws over the logs when the mass drove down upon his body. His head went back under the water; and Ben, who had a firm grip in the long hair of his pet’s fore shoulders, was himself well nigh dragged overboard. Two of his comrades, throwing themselves on the logs beside him, plunged down their arms into the boiling foam and got hold of the helpless dog, and, almost lifeless, Jake was laid upon the raft.

“Feebly wagging his tail, the noble fellow lay with his head in Ben Smithers’s lap, while the strength returned to his sinews, and the breath found its way again to the depths of his laboring lungs. As the gang gathered about, and a babel arose of praise and sympathy, Jake seemed to appreciate the tribute.

“When the boss had seen his child put safely and warmly to bed in the cook’s bunk, he rushed forward and threw himself down beside Ben Smithers. He embraced Jake’s dripping body, burying his face in the wet black ringlets, and speaking words of gratitude as fast as he could utter them.

“All this, though passionately sincere, and to Ben highly satisfactory and appropriate, was to Jake a plain annoyance. He knew nothing of the delights of reconcilement, or of the beauty of an effective situation, and he failed to respond. He simply didn’t like Thériault. He endured the endearments for a little, gazing straight into Ben’s face with a piteous appeal. Then he staggered to his feet, dragged himself around to the other side of his master, and thrust his big wet head under the shield of Ben’s ample arm.

“Thériault laughed good-naturedly and rose to his feet. ‘Poor Jake!’ he murmured, ‘I ain’t goin’ to persecute him with no more thanks, seein’ he don’t greatly enjoy it. But I can tell you, Ben Smithers, what a mistake I made this morning, an’ how it sticks in my crop now to think on it.’

“Here the boss thrust out his hand, and Ben Smithers grasped it cordially. It was a general understanding that the boss thus apologized to Jake for his behavior in the morning, and that thus Jake duly accepted the apology. Jake was expected to understand the proceeding as the gang did, and to abide by it. No atom of surprise was felt, therefore, when, after the lapse of a day, it became plain that Jake and the boss were on the best of terms, with Mame in her proper place of idolized and caressed subordination.”

“That Jake was not all unworthy to sit with Jeff and Dan,” said I, as Queerman ended.

“No,” said Ranolf; “he was a prince among dogs.”

After this we told no more stories. I, who had all the records in charge, made my report, giving statistics as to fish caught, miles travelled, localities of camps, and so forth, as well as the names and tellers of all the stories. The report proving satisfactory, we sang “Home, Sweet Home” and “Auld Lang Syne,” standing around the camp-fire. Then, somewhat soberly, we turned in.

Right after breakfast on the following morning we put our canoes on the train, and were soon whirling homeward, proud in the consciousness of sunburned skins, alarming appetites, and renovated digestions.

1

The green sapling stuck into the ground so as to slant across the fire. It is used to hang the kettle and pot upon.