Larry McCloskey - Tom Thomsons Last Paddle

A Dani and Caitlin Mystery

Larry McCloskey

Copyright 2002 by Larry McCloskey

Second Printing: 2003

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from CANCOPY (Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency), Toronto, Ontario.

This book is published by Beach Holme Publishing, 226-2040 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 2G2. www.beachholme.bc.ca . This is a Sandcastle Book.

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and of the British Columbia Arts Council. The publisher also acknowledges the financial assistance received from the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for its publishing activities.

Editor: John Burns
Production and Design: Jen Hamilton
Cover Art: Julia Bell
Author Photograph: Cara Lipsett
Map: Dale Taylor

Printed and bound in Canada by AGMV Marquis Imprimeur

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

McCloskey, Larry.

Tom Thomsons last paddle

A Sandcastle book.

ISBN 0-88878-430-9

1. Thomson, Tom, 1877-1917Juvenile fiction. I. Title.

PS8575.C635T65 2002 jC813.6 C2002-910161-1

PZ7.M13355To 2002

To my mom: first Enie ONeill from Navan,
then Irene McCloskey from Ottawa,
now just Enie from heaven.

I would like to thank the following for their support in the writing of this book: Cara, Kristen, Shannon, Caitlin, Dale, Rick, Donna, Pat, Diane, Isobell, Mary, Louise, Claudia, and Dani.

Im bored, Dani sighed.

What took you so long? Caitlin asked. Ive been bored ever since these trees started. I mean, have you ever seen so many trees? Trees, and trees, and treesits enough to drive a person insane. Trees to the left, trees to the right. Bored? Of course, youre bored.

You should never be bored in this life, Danis dad announced in a deep voice from the front of the van.

It comes with the territory of being twelve-year-olds, John, Caitlins dad interjected.

John ignored his friend. Why, look at the magnificence of the landscape, the history of the area. Gripping the wheel tightly and Ping-Ponging his head repeatedly to make eye contact with the girls in the back seat, he seemed to be bouncing with the excitement of personally introducing two preteens to Mother Nature.

Dani and Caitlin exchanged glances. They had something other than nature in mind for this trip with their fathers.

Did you know that in two months time, John continued, along this very Ottawa Valley, well be able to experience the most dramatic fall colours in the entire world? Think of that the next time you get bored. Why

Sure, Dad. But remember, you promised us a real juicy mystery, Dani interrupted, winking at her friend beside her. Thats the reason we agreed to come on this nature tour of Algonquin Park. We want to find out about this Tom Thomson guy cause you said something about him being a big mystery. Isnt that right, Caitlin?

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

This wasnt, strictly speaking, true. Dani and Caitlin had been working on a plan since winter to get their dads to take them camping in Algonquinthey thought they might prefer the call of the wild to their bossy older sisters, the heat of the city, and stupid boys with nothing better to do than sit around with garden hoses ready to soak them at every turn. Nature to the girls meant a fun week convincing their pliable dads of marshmallowy fine dining and daily trips into the visitor centre for gelato and magazines. It would be the perfect holiday.

The trick was to divert attention from their scheme and make it seem as if it was their dads idea. John and Bob hadnt known each other very well, and neither was particularly skilled at camping. So the girls puzzled and puzzled all through the spring until they came up with the perfect reason for their dads to become friends: running! Both men were self-described skinny, angst-ridden, obsessive Irish runner types. Whenever they referred to themselves as such, they would laugh long and loud, even though it wasnt funny the first time. Still, it got the job done. The men became good friends, took the bait about camping, and soon surprised the girls with their brilliant idea about camping in Algonquin Park.

But while the girls thought the camping trip was about mystery and gelato, the dads seriously seemed to think they were going to Algonquin Park to discover nature, and something about surviving in it. What fun could there be in that?

Well get to the juicy part in a minute, Dani, but first you have to know something about one of Canadas foremost landscape painters, Danis father announced, perched so far forward in the drivers seat he was mostly addressing the windshield wipers. And he just happens to be closely associated with the place where were campingCanoe Lake.

John pretended not to hear the complaints from the girls in the back seat. Still, for all their harmonious groaning, Dani and Caitlin were not particularly alike. Danis eyes were green and Caitlins were blue. Danis denim overalls and greasy brown pigtails were her constant companions, while Caitlins many outfits and blond French braids were perfectly styled and always in fashion. Dani loved mysteries and misadventure, while Caitlin preferred adventure, and it was a mystery to her why Dani seemed to be drawn to double trouble. The girls were best friends.

Now, John continued, everyone assumes Canoe Lake was named by Tom Thomson, but it was actually named by two explorersAlexander Murray and later David Thompson, spelled with a p. Both of these men made split-cedar canoes in the surrounding area in the mid-1800s.

Danis dad continued his rambling history as he glanced across at Bob, who was nodding with interest, and to the girls in the back of the van, just to be sure they were listening. With each look away from the road, Bob grimaced and nodded extra hard just to make certain his friend knew he was listening. Sitting between the two inattentive twelve-year-olds, Nikki, Danis beagle, snorted, snored, and drooled. A painter might have been tempted to call this portrait of canine contentment a natural sleepscape.

Dani, I warn you. I dont have your mothers ability to remove bubble gum from hair, John said, swivelling his head with the force of a lawn sprinkler in time to catch Danis latest attempt at the world bubble-blowing record.

Now, of course, youve probably seen some of Thomsons better-known paintingsThe West Wind, Northern River

And The Jack Pine, Bob added from the passenger seat.

Yes, The Jack Pine, definitely, Danis dad agreed. During the First World War, no one painted quite like him. He was an innovator who influenced the Group of Seven. In fact, The Canadian Encyclopedia described his style as a smash and stab of passion flying before thought. Whats more, he was an outdoorsman, a naturalist, a park guide, a skilled canoeist