Chapter 21 Chapter 6 Approaching the Destination

Fort MacPherson is roughly located at 135 degrees west longitude and 67 degrees north latitude. It was the northernmost outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company in North America at that time.It is responsible for the defense of many tributary basins scattered from the mouth of the Mackenzie River.Fur hunters resupplied here and fended off Indians who roamed the plains. This fort, situated on the right bank of the River Peel, remained as close as possible to the Fort of Good Hope, which was established on the upper Mackenzie River.Stored furs were sent from fort to fort, and then transported under heavy guard to the company's central warehouse.

Fort MacPherson consisted of a large barn, above which was the room of the chief agent, then the post of his subordinates, and finally a hall with camp beds that could accommodate about twenty people.Below are the stables, where mules and horses can settle.Nearby forests provide the fuel necessary to survive the icy winters. There is no shortage of firewood, and there will be no shortage for many years.As for food, the suppliers of the company brought it regularly, and hunting and fishing also greatly replenished part of the stock. Fort MacPherson is headed by a chief agent who has about two dozen men from Canada and British Columbia.They are real soldiers with strict discipline.With the harsh climate and the constant risk of attack from the adventurous bands that roamed the wild place, life was hard for them.There are long guns and pistols on the gun racks, and the company pays attention to changing the ammunition to ensure that the outpost can always get the supply of ammunition.

The Deputy Chief and his men had just experienced an alarm when Ben Rado's team reached Fort MacPherson. A few days before, on the morning of the 25th of May, the sentinels had spotted a party of thirty or forty men (among them several Indians) approaching the fort, going up the right bank of the Peel River. The usual course of action in this case is to first close the gate of the fort firmly.It is impossible to enter the fortress unless you climb the walls. When the strangers came to the door, one of them, who seemed to be the chief, begged to be let in.At this time, the agent headed up to the city wall and examined the uninvited guests.It can be considered that the results of the inspection were not good, and he felt that this team was very suspicious, because his answer was that no one was allowed to enter the fortress.

What happened later proved that his decision was wise.Immediately there were shouts of abuse and threats from the ranks.The chief guards could tell from their accents that they were not only Indians, but also South Americans, who always liked to use extreme violence. Desperadoes don't just talk, they act.Either to resupply, or to seize the fort (an important stronghold for controlling the Mackenzie estuary), they tried to break in.The gate was very strong, and the guards fired a burst of gunfire, wounding several people, and the attackers retreated to the northwest; before retreating, they also fought back, but fortunately no one was injured.

From this alarm, they will come to attack again, there is always this possibility.The people in the fortress took precautions day and night, not daring to relax. Five days later, on May 30, a new party was spotted approaching the fort along the right bank of the Peel, and they were really about to applaud their high vigilance. When the party of scouts approached, they were startled to see a dozen armed soldiers appearing on the walls and ordering them to leave at once. There must be negotiations. The chief agent finally found out that it was a Canadian who had come, and what was even more fortunate: Bill Steele and him were an old acquaintance from the past, when they were both militiamen in the Dominion.Immediately the gates of the fort were thrown wide open, and the procession entered the courtyard to a warm welcome.

At this time, the chief agent explained his attitude when the procession of strangers approached.He said that a group of Americans and Indians showed hostility to the fort a few days ago and tried to enter the fort by force, but they had to be shot to drive them away.What is the purpose of these wandering people?Unknown, however, after the skirmish, the defenders' suspicions were justified. "How's the gang doing?" asked the Scout. "After the siege failed," replied the chief agent, "they continued on their way." "What direction?" "Going northwest."

"Since we're heading north," Ben Rado said, "probably we won't run into them." "I hope so," agreed the lead agent, "because I think this is a gang of desperadoes of the worst sort." "Where could they be going like that?" asked Sammy Skin. "Maybe go find new gold mines, because they have equipment for exploration." "Have you ever heard of gold mines in this area?" asked Ben Rado. "There must be," replied the chief agent, "just go and find them." The lead agent doesn't know much.He didn't say a word about the Golden Volcano, but it was not far from the fortress.

Ben Rado was satisfied with this.He wanted the Frenchman's secret to be kept secret.On the contrary, this ignorance impressed Sammy Skin, who had always doubted the existence of gold volcanoes.To find out, he asked the lead agent if there were any volcanoes to the north.The latter claimed to have never heard of it, an answer that increased Sammy's doubts. The scouts just told their former comrades-in-arms that they were going to the estuary of the Mackenzie River to find gold mines.He went on to say: After walking for a month, they hope to rest in the fortress for two or three days, if the other party is willing to receive them.

This requirement is met without difficulty.Currently, only normal guards are stationed in the fortress.The hunters didn't come until a month later, so there were extra beds where the party could stay comfortably without causing any trouble. Ben Rado thanked the chief agent repeatedly, and within an hour, the personnel and supplies were settled. After resting happily for three days, nothing happened.When the time for departure came, everyone was fully recovered and ready to go with great joy. On the morning of June 2, the small procession, led by the scouts, assembled again, and after expressing their due and sincere thanks to the chief agent and his colleagues, the procession set out again along the right bank of the Peel.

Ben Rado, Sammy Skin and Jane Egerton were in a carriage driven by Neruto.The other vehicles followed under the command of the scout.The Scout had never traveled further than Fort MacPherson, and the road ahead was no longer familiar to him. Now, he had to rely on what the engineer knew.According to Jacques Ledin's notation on the map with the position of the Gold Volcano, after exiting Fort Macpherson, the road slopes slightly to the left of the Peel River. At noon, rest on the bank of a small river, beside a pine forest.The animals are released to graze on nearby grasslands.The weather was a little cool with a slight northeasterly wind; a few clouds were floating in the sky.

This is a flat area.The view is only blocked by the original hills of the Rocky Mountains.According to the marks on the map, the distance to the Golden Volcano will not exceed 200 kilometers, so if there is no delay, we can arrive in five or six days. Talking to Break, Bill Steer said: "Mr. Sammy, our trip is coming to an end. Soon, we want to go back." "Dear Bill," replied Sammy, "the trip is not over until we get home. As for this trip, it will not be until the day when the door of our house in the Rue Jacques-Cartier closes behind us. I think it's over." Bill Steele said no more.Ben Rado and Jane Edgerton exchanged a helpless look.What a die-hard Sammy! It took the party at least three days to reach the confluence of the Peel and Mackenzie rivers.The time is the afternoon of June 5th. The long trips on the fairly flat river were not very tiring and there were no disturbances.The whole area is deserted.I only met Indians in twos and threes, who lived in the Great River Triangle and made a living by fishing.The scout secretly rejoiced that he didn't meet the group that the chief agent of Fort MacPherson had mentioned. "It's best if only we get to Gold Volcano," he said to himself, "and we get back from there." To this end, he took all possible measures.When resting, his three men kept going to the front and two wings of the team to reconnaissance. There were guard posts around the camp to guard against any emergencies. So far these measures were superfluous, and no trouble was encountered until the party reached the Mackenzie River. The estuary of this great river constitutes an important water network zone, and I am afraid that there is no place on the old and new continents that can compare with it. The Mackenzie River is 150 kilometers long before it flows into the sea. Many of its tributaries spread out like a fan, and the tributaries are connected by many small rivers. In winter, the severe cold only freezes a layer of ice on the river.At this time of year, the last of the ice has just melted in the sea, and there is no ice left in the Peel River. Seeing such a complex layout at the mouth of the Mackenzie River, people even wondered whether its tributaries on the west side are formed by the Peel River, and the water network between them connects the Peel River to the main river channel on the east side. In any case, it does not matter whether the Peel follows the main channel on the west side, or forms a tributary to the Mackenzie.The team had to go to the left bank, because the location of the Golden Volcano was not far from the river bank, on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Fortunately, the water level of the river was not high, and the scouts found a place where they could wade across the river.During the break on June 5, the team crossed the river without difficulty. It took an afternoon to cross the river, and as night fell, Bill Steele and his companions settled down on the opposite bank. The next day, June 6, at three o'clock in the morning, Bill Steer gave the signal for departure.According to his estimation, it would take more than three days to reach the seaside.If the map is marked accurately, then the gold volcano can be seen.Even if the latitude and longitude marked out by Jacques Ledan were not completely accurate, the mountain could still be seen, because it was the highest point in the area. Travel along the western tributary of the great river encountered no apparent obstacles.However, the weather is not very good.Dark clouds coming swiftly from the north sometimes brought downpours of rain.In this way, the speed of advancement slowed down, which also brought difficulties to rest at night.However, since we are almost at the destination, these troubles seem insignificant, and everyone is willing to bear it. It was a matter of luck that the team did not enter the water network of the delta.Otherwise, Scout really doesn't know how to solve this problem.With so many rivers to cross, it would cause serious trouble if you couldn't wade across them.That way, you will have to leave some of your supplies behind and pick them up when you return later. On June 8, when I camped at night, I was only seven or eight miles away from the seaside. There is no doubt that I can reach it tomorrow. Ben Rado thought it was time to let his companions know the true purpose of the trip.Gathering them round him he told them the story of poor Frenchman Jacques Ledin and his secrets. Everyone was ecstatic, and all turned their eyes to the north, hoping to see the peak of the Golden Volcano.Even though the mountain is only five or six hundred feet high, it can be seen from this distance. The sun was already quite high in the sky.Unfortunately, clouds and mist gathered on the horizon.These impatient people saw nothing. It is conceivable how anxious they were, and the most anxious among them was Ben Rado. The stubborn idea that had been haunting his mind for so long would soon become reality or a dream. Jane Edgerton was as overexcited as the engineer.They just couldn't sit still.They would have set off in the dark if Scout and Sammy Skin hadn't convinced them. "But, alas, Ben, calm down, Miss Jane, and you too," kept Sammy Skinning, "wait patiently until tomorrow. If the Gold Volcano is there, you'll find it there .It's not going to fly away, hell! No need to leave camp in the middle of the night and arrive hours early." This exhortation is sensible and has the support of Bill Steer.There was always the possibility of troublemakers, or Indians, or outlaws like the attack on Fort MacPherson. So the night passed.When the sun came out, the fog had not cleared.Even at a distance of two kilometers, the gold volcano cannot be seen. Ben Rado's face was tense, his head was lowered, and he tried his best to control himself.Good-natured as he was, Sammy Skinn took an unpleasant pleasure in the wrath of the tyrant who had brought him so far from Green Valley. "Just get mad, get mad," he said through gritted teeth, "if the Gold Volcano didn't exist, you wouldn't see it, that's obvious." This perfectly sensible thought justified Sammy's usual skepticism, except that he should not have been too close to Jane Egerton when he said it.The latter glared at him angrily, causing Sammy to blush to the ears when he said something inappropriate.Sammy intends to make up for his mistake. "However, since it exists," he hastened to add, "it is obvious that it will be visible as soon as the sky clears." Then he flinched.Confidently shouted again: "It's obvious!" To see if he had gained an understanding, he glanced at the female prospector.He felt humiliated when he found out that she was not paying attention to him anymore. At four o'clock in the morning, we broke camp and set off.It was broad daylight, and the sun had risen somewhere above the horizon.It can feel that the sun is behind the clouds, and the sunlight has no power to penetrate the clouds. The team set off, at eleven o'clock, only 3 miles away from the sea.Still no gold volcano in sight. Sammy Skin began to wonder if his cousin had gone mad.Enduring hardships and hardships, going through hardships and dangers, in the end it was nothing to fetch water from a bamboo basket! Finally, around noon, the clouds cleared.The fiery red outline of the sun appeared indistinctly among the sparse clouds. Neruto exclaimed: "Over there!... Over there...there's smoke!" At once, however, he regretted his bold affirmation. "Or clouds," he said. He thought for a second, then added: "Or a bird!" The helmsman pondered again.Smoke, clouds, birds... Does he have other ideas?No, he couldn't think of any other possibility... However, other possibilities might exist? ... "Or nothing at all!" he finally said through gritted teeth, for personal satisfaction and, at the same time, to appease his own consciousness at the same time. Even though he spoke loudly, people didn't listen to him very much.They were all still, with souls and eyes turned to the north. Ben Rado, feeling vaguely disturbed, also looked north. "Smoke? . . . " he murmured, "No! It can't be possible . . . because, according to Jacques Ledin, the Aurum Volcano is an extinct volcano! . . . " Neruto's coyness was misplaced, however, and his first assumption was spot on. The clouds were dissipating more and more.Soon the sun was shining freely in the pale blue sky.The magical golden volcano appeared amid the cheers of the explorers, and the crater was shrouded in clouds of smoke.