The Young Voyageurs: Boy Hunters in the North

Boy reader, you have heard of the Hudson's Bay Company? Ten to one, you have worn a piece of fur, which it has provided for you; if not, your pretty little sister has--in her mu...

There is a canoe upon the waters of Red River--Red River of the north. It is near the source of the stream, but passing downward. It is a small canoe, a frail structure of birch...

It was the spring season, though late. The snow had entirely disappeared from the hills, and the ice from the water, and the melting of both had swollen the river, and rendered...

"Very well, then," said Lucien, agreeing to the request. "I shall tell you all I know of the swans; and, indeed, that is not much, as the natural history of these birds in their...

A few days brought our travellers to the settlement of Red River, where they made but a very short stay; and, having procured a few articles which they stood in need of, they re...

Of course, the reports of the guns must have frightened any other swans that were near. It was not likely they would find any more before going some distance farther down the ri...

The canoe was lost, and all it had contained, or nearly all. The voyageurs had saved only their guns, knives, and the powder-horns and pouches, that had been attached to their p...

For the present, then, our voyageurs had escaped. They were safe upon the river's bank; but when we consider the circumstances in which they were placed, we shall perceive that...

"After leaving here," said Basil, "I struck off through the woods in a line that led from the river, in a diagonal direction. I hadn't walked more than three hundred yards, when...

"As soon as I saw the buffaloes," continued Basil, "my first thought was to get near, and have a shot at them. They were worth a charge of powder and lead, and I reflected that...

Next morning they were awake at an early hour. There was still enough of the tongues and grouse left, along with some ribs of the antelope, to breakfast the party; and then all...

Norman expected that they would be able to finish the canoe in about a week. Of course, the sooner the better, and no time was lost in setting about it. The ribs or "timbers" we...

Our young voyageurs now prepared to resume their journey. While Norman was engaged in building his canoe, with his assistant, Francois, the others had not been idle. Basil was,...

The spot where our voyageurs had landed was at the bottom of a small bay. The country back from the lake was level and clear of timber. Here and there, nearer the shore, however...

The wapiti was carefully skinned, and the skin spread out to dry. Since their mishap our voyageurs had been very short of clothing. The three skins of the woodland caribou had m...

After remaining a day at their first camp on the lake, our voyageurs continued their journey. Their course lay a little to the west of north, as the edge of the lake trended in...

From such a luxurious dinner you may suppose that our young voyageurs lived in prime style. But it was not always so. They had their fasts as well as feasts. Sometimes for days...

Perhaps Lucien would have carried his account of the marmots still farther--for he had not told half what he knew of their habits--but he was at that moment interrupted by the m...

Two days after the adventure with the blaireau, the young voyageurs arrived at Cumberland House--one of the most celebrated posts of the Hudson's Bay Company. The chief factor,...

"There are," said he, "more than two dozen species of ducks on the waters of North America. These the systematists have divided into no less than _eighteen genera_! Why it would...

The picturesque scenery of the Elk appeared to be a favourite resort with the feathered creation. Here our voyageurs saw many kinds of birds; both those that migrate into the fu...

A few days after, another incident occurred to our voyageurs, which illustrated the habits of a very interesting bird, the "osprey," or fish-hawk, as it is more familiarly known...

After remaining for some time on the nest along with the others, the old male again resolved to "go a-fishing," and with this intent he shot out from the tree, and commenced whe...

About ten days' rapid travelling down the Elk River brought our party into the Athabasca Lake--sometimes called the "Lake of the Hills." This is another of those great bodies of...

On awaking next morning, to their great surprise, they saw that the _lake was frozen over_! They had almost anticipated as much, for the night was one of the coldest they had ye...

The first thing our voyageurs did after choosing a suitable situation, was to build a log-hut. Being young backwoodsmen this was but a trifle to them. All four of them knew how...

What was a rare thing for Basil to do, he rushed forward without reloading his gun. A few springs brought him into the open ground, and in presence of the game. To his astonishm...

The log-hut was finished on the 1st of September, and not a day too soon; for on that very day the winter set in with full severity. A heavy fall of snow came down in the night;...

Once their resolution was taken, they lost but little time in making preparations to carry it out. Most of the articles required for such a journey were already in their hands....

The Barren Grounds are not entirely destitute of animal life. Even in winter--when they are almost covered with snow, and you would suppose that no living creature could procure...

They left their skin-couch at an early hour, close after daybreak. Hunger and anxiety drove them out of their tent. Not a morsel of anything for breakfast! They looked abroad ov...

Of course hunger kept them from sleeping late. They were up and out of the tent by an early hour. Their fire was re-kindled, and they were making preparations for a fresh pot of...

Large as the hare was, she would have made but a meal for our four hungry voyageurs, had they eaten at will. By Lucien's advice, however, they restrained themselves, and half of...

Lucien turned round to get hold of his rifle, intending to punish the ermine, although the little creature, in doing what it did, had only obeyed a law of nature. But the boy ha...

"Mine," began Francois, "was a bird-adventure, as you all see--though what kind of birds I've shot I can't tell. One of them's a hawk, I'm sure; but it's a _white_ hawk, and tha...

"Frank," began he, "has called his a `bird-adventure.' I might give mine somewhat of the same title, for there was a bird mixed up with it-- the noblest of all birds--the eagle....

"There wasn't much `adventure' in my day's sport," said he, "though I might call it a `bird-adventure' too, for if it hadn't been for a bird I shouldn't have had it. I shot a de...

Next morning they were up by early daybreak. The days were now only a few hours in length, for it was mid-winter, and they were but three or four degrees south of the Arctic cir...

Our party remained several days at this place, until they had made a fresh stock of "pemmican" from the flesh of the caribou, several more of which they succeeded in killing; an...