Read Ebook: Bob Hunt in Canada by Orton George W

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Ebook has 1474 lines and 59620 words, and 30 pages

But I felt sorry for him. He had it badly.

"I can't stand it to think rawing-room," said Bill. "We'll certainly enjoy life on this trip."

"You bet," said Pud.

They certainly were traveling in style. They tossed up to see who would get the lower berth or the sofa. Pud was the one left over and he got the upper berth, whereupon Bill, who had the lower, said that he would not take any chances but would take the upper berth himself. A good-natured, argument followed and the result was that Bob took the lower berth, Pud the sofa and Bill went upstairs. They awoke in the morning to find themselves at Sherbrooke and to get their first taste of the Canadian habitant. When they got down to stretch their legs before breakfast, they found most of the Canadians speaking French.

"Here's a chance to spout your French, Bob," said Bill.

"Who told you that I talked French?" asked Bob.

"Father told me some time ago," answered Bill. "He said that you could talk it like a native."

"I could a few years ago, but I'm rusty now, as I haven't talked French for at least five years," replied Bob.

"They don't talk real French here anyway," said Pud.

"Oh, yes, they do," said Bill. "It's a kind of dialect, but father tells me that it is much easier to understand a French-Canadian than many of the French people from Paris."

"That's very true," said Bob. "My father, as I've told you before, has been up in the Lake St. John region, and he says that he gets along quite well with the inhabitants. He says that they have some peculiar expressions, but that it is quite easy to talk to them as they speak a pretty pure dialect of French."

They were soon off again, now headed for Quebec. They got a seat in the dining-car and watched the scenery as they rode along. They found the quaint little Canadian cottages of the habitants much like the farmers' homes in New England. The land was rolling and, as usual, they followed the course of some river. As they went along, they heard less and less English and Bob was often called on to translate the cries that were heard at the different stations.

"I'll soon get my French back up here," said Bob. "They seem to talk pretty good French. I can understand them quite easily."

About ten o'clock, they came into a hilly country and found evidences of mining being carried on. On Bob's inquiring, they found that they were asbestos mines and that it was practically a new industry for this part of Canada. They also noted that many new farms were being cleared by the young Frenchmen and that much lumber was being transported both by the rivers and the railroad. The look of the people was quite foreign by this time and the boys felt that they were indeed in a foreign land.

"Have you ever been in Toronto?" suddenly asked Bill.

"No," said Pud.

"Well, that is certainly different from this part of Canada," said Bill. "You can hardly tell that you are out of the United States when you are there."

"I should think that the French talk would make it seem foreign anyway," said Pud.

"That's it," said Bob. "You don't hear any more French there than you do in Chicago, Philadelphia or any other American city. I remember that I was up there to the great Toronto Fair and I hardly knew that I was in Canada."

"This is certainly different," said Bill.

"Many people that visit only Quebec and Montreal have an entirely wrong impression of Canada. They think there are just as many French all over as they find in those cities. The fact is that outside of the province of Quebec, Canada is just as much an English-speaking country as the United States.

"Is that so?" said Pud. "Why didn't we go, then, to some place where they talk sense? I'm going to have a fine time getting along with these fellows. I can't talk French."

"Get busy and you'll learn a lot this summer," said Bob. "Mr. Waterman told me that two of the guides talk English a little, so we'll get along all right."

"I'm glad they talk English," said Bill. "All the French I know you could put in your eye tooth."

A short time later, they arrived at Levis and saw the majestic heights of Quebec opposite.

"This St. Lawrence is some river," said Pud.

"I should think it is," said Bob. "The biggest ocean liners can come up this far, while there is a twenty-seven-foot channel all the way up to Montreal."

"You don't say so," said Pud. "Well, there is one thing sure that I'm learning some geography at first hand this morning."

"When do we leave for Tadousac?" asked Bill.

"We go down to-morrow on the boat," said Bob.

"That's fine," said Pud. "We can see the town this afternoon."

"You bet we will," said Bill.

"Where are we staying?" asked Pud.

"At the Chateau Frontenac," said Bob. "It's that building up on the cliff there."

"That's some hotel," said Pud.

"You'll think so before to-morrow," said Bill.

"Say, let's go up to the Plains of Isaac and see where John Paul Jones fell when he captured Quebec from the English," said Pud.

At this, Bill and Bob just curled up and laughed until they nearly fell off their chairs.

"What's the matter?" asked Pud. "Isn't that the real place to see in Quebec?"

"You need some history lessons as well as geography," said Bill.

"Well, let's have it," said Pud. "I know I'm always getting things fatally twisted."

"You mean the Plains of Abraham," said Bob.

"Oh, Abraham, Jacob or Isaac, it's all the same, isn't it?" said Pud, apparently rather disgusted that they had blamed him for such a natural mistake.

"And, who ever heard of John Paul Jones taking Quebec?" asked Bill, looking at Bob.

"Well, who was it?" said Pud. "Those historical names always get me."

"It was Wolfe, the famous young English general. He was killed in the moment of victory, and the French general, Montcalm, also was killed," said Bob.

"Well, let's go out there and see the place," said Pud. "It must be interesting."

"Let's take one of those funny-looking cabs," said Pud.

"That's just what I was looking for," said Bob. "Father told me to be sure and have a ride in a 'caleche,' as he called it."

They got into the 'caleche,' which is just like a hansom cab except that the old-fashioned leather springs were used, and instead of the driver sitting behind, he rode in front on a sort of wide dashboard. Away they went and the driver plied the whip. The horse was not large but proved strong and wiry. In a short time, the boys were out on the Plains of Abraham, looking at the various monuments marking the great battle which meant the end of the French dominion in Canada. They saw the monuments to Wolfe and Montcalm and enjoyed the view far south into the United States. Their guide showed them the path up which Wolfe climbed with his soldiers to surprise the French that memorable morning. After seeing the sights there, they drove back and went through part of the citadel. This proved to be one of the strongest forts in America, and its strength, the number of British Tommies about, the guns of large caliber that could be seen, so impressed the boys that Bob at last broke out.

"This is some fort. It would take a real siege gun to make much of an impression on those walls and ramparts while I guess those big cannon would do a little talking themselves."

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