Through interminable forest of spruce, pine and hemlock; through scraggy
underwood, through clumps of tamarack poles, through dense cedar hedges;
in and out among boulders of rock hard as adamant, jutting crags and
angry precipices, over mounds of granite and shelving plates of
limestone; over hill and down dale, the men of the 100th slowly made
their way. Cutting down brushwood among rocky masses, made a narrow lane
through which soldiers, two abreast, could force a tortuous march; but
to make sleigh roads for teams to transport goods for settlement and
garrison was a more difficult matter. The way through the frozen
wilderness was unbroken, and Indian guides, as well as their own scouts,
were sent on ahead to locate the road they must cut. Even a deadlock was
possible, and to save interminable journeys around impassable ravines,
teams would be unhitched and horses saddle-bagged and led singly, while
men carried goods in their arms or on their shoulders to the smoother
way beyond.
Many more days passed away as slowly but surely they forged ahead in a
south-west direction. Monotony of labor, monotony of snow, monotony of
cold, but variety of wilderness. Sometimes troops of squirrels chattered
and scampered around them. Bold, black fellows would run down tall pines
and angrily interrogate the drivers and, having delivered their message,
dart back from tree to tree and disappear in the distance. Mink would
run in and out among the boulders, sometimes brought down by a soldier's
gun, but more frequently lost in a hole in the ice, to reappear next
minute when distance lent safety to the view. Now and then a wild cat
was seen as well as heard, and in the early dawn the tail of the red
fox, as he darted across the smooth surface of a frozen lake and
startled the deer as they lay in sheltered nook or browsed among the
bushes. But of wolves they saw no more, though night was often made
hideous with their unearthly yells, always reminiscent of that one
occasion, so long to be remembered.
At last, on a bright March morning, they drove out upon a broad, level
plain. Octopus feelers stretched out in every direction. They were on
the Lake of Bays. Next, with all the speed they could muster, they
struck southward along Muskoka River. Then over hill and dale, across
ponds and beyond Muskoka Lake. South and west was still the watchword
till Waubashene was left behind, and finally one day, with the bright
sun shining above them, the terminus was reached.
"All things come to him who waits and prays the Lord to guide him!"
piously exclaimed the Chaplain.
"God be praised, we're here at last, thanks to our perseverance," echoed
Sir George. "But waiting would never bring a man to his destined haven.
Egad! this is a fine spot! Looks well in winter, what must it be in
summer?"
"Mon Dieu!" exclaimed the Doctor, whose expletives were always in
French, "if yonder is not a schooner frozen fast in the ice."
"Yes, and by my father's ghost, there's a man on her deck taking stock
of us," cried Cummings.
At this moment the men gave a loud cheer, which was answered by a whoop
from the owner of the boat.
"The unexpected always happens," said Sir George; "who could imagine
that we should find a brig here? Captain, send down Bond and Hardman to
tell the man I would like to converse with him."
In a short time the men of the little column, as well as horses and
sleighs, were gathered in an open space above the crest of the hill. On
two sides and behind them the forest extended illimitably, while through
the scattered trees in front, the surface of the bay stretched out for
miles. It was here they purposed camping in temporary shanties and tents
until permanent houses could be built.
A week's rest at Roche Lake had improved Helen's condition, and now with
joy she welcomed the end of their long march.
"Home at last," cried Harold, as their sleigh stopped.
"Even if it is a snowbank," she responded with a laugh.
"Scarcely that bad," said Sir George, who overheard her. "I see two or
three empty shanties yonder. They can be fixed a bit. And that little
schooner may have accommodation, perhaps. We shall soon know."
The spot on which they stood was tramped hard by the many feet of the
men, and Helen alighted.
"I wonder if there is a woman on board of her?" she questioned.
"If there is, she's had a winter of it," commented Harold, "though not
as hard as you have had, dearie."
"I can sympathize with any of your sex now, our own women particularly,"
exclaimed Sir George, and extending his hand to Helen, he continued,
"and I congratulate you, Mrs. Manning, most cordially, may I say
affectionately, for the brave and noble fight you have put up during the
whole of this terrible journey. We are all proud of you, and when I tell
your uncle, Sir Charles, of the doings of the brave lady we took out to
the west, he will simply be amazed."
Helen's cheeks flushed, and her eyes drooped as she murmured her thanks,
but her thoughts were wandering off in another direction.
"You are not going back soon?" she asked, timidly.
"Certainly not for a while; but when summer comes I may have to, unless
you make the new fort so charming by your presence, that even an old
fellow like myself cannot tear himself away," replied the Colonel,
gallantly.
"But how could we possibly do without you?"
"Oh, that can easily be managed, and to save time, preliminaries are
already being arranged."
"You are cold," said Harold, noticing the sudden whiteness of her face.
"Let us step to the fire."
Already one was burning, and beside it she stood, silently watching the
men felling trees for the larger camp of the night.
"This is Mr. Latimer, sir," said the Corporal to Sir George, touching
his hat; with him were Hardman and the shuffling skipper. "He owns the
craft."
"Good day, sir," exclaimed the man, with a general air of amazement on
his face.
"Good day to you," Sir George replied, extending his hand. "We were
surprised to find a boat in the ice with a live man on it at this time
of the year."
"No more'n I was to see youse, sir; an' where the deuce you all comes
from beats me."
"On sledges straight from the Pole," returned the Colonel with a smile.
"So I suspect!" a humorous twinkle taking the place of the look of
astonishment, "but I didna think the Yankees could scare red-coats so
far north as that."
"Not so bad! But who have you on that boat of yours, or are you alone?
In fact, have you any accommodations to spare? Two or three berths, for
instance."
"There's me an' my old woman. If she's willin' possibly we might take in
two or three womenfolk, if they can put up with our fixings."
The man took a side glance at Helen, who stood by the fire, and then at
the other women, but his eye immediately reverted to the first face. She
had regained her color and was attentively observing him.
"Thank you," returned the Colonel, "but how do you happen to be frozen
up in this plight?"
"That's easy told," returned the man with a nod. He evidently wanted to
have a talk. "Fact is, I'm a trader, dealin' with Indians and whites all
around the Georgian Bay. But you see this war bizness knocked me out a
bit, for it wan't safe to run a craft right in the teeth o' destruction;
so I waited till fall, and when the gunboats laid up for the winter I
pitched in and did a rushing business right up to December. Then the big
gale hit us, and I thought it would blow the _Bumble Bee_ to pieces, but
it didn't. She just drifted right to where she is. Lor! how it did blow
that night! An' it friz, too, like all creation! When mornin' came we
was froze in as solid as a rock, an' here we are yet, and likely to be
for a spell. Turn about's fair play. Straight bizness--none o' yer
foolin'! Where did youse all come from?"
"From Halifax."
"How in Sam Hill did you do it?"
"By cutting our way through the woods."
"Well, I swa'an!" The man pulled out a jack-knife and began whittling a
stick. Then he expectorated an exceedingly long distance, and finished
by exclaiming: "Golly, but you're bricks--and to think of having a leddy
with you, too!"
"Thank you," said Sir George.
"An' how much farther be you going? Clean through to the coast?"
"No; this is the end."
"An' you'll stay here?"
"Yes."
"An' build a barrack for the sojers?"
"Yes."
"By Jehupitee Cripes! If that don't beat all! I must tell my woman.
Won't the _Bumble Bee_ make a fortin'?"
Latimer clapped his knee in high glee. Then he turned to shuffle down to
the boat to tell his better half the good news.
"Stay!" called Sir George, and, turning to Harold, he continued: "You
and your wife had better go with Mr. Latimer and see what accommodation
he has to offer. It might save time."
So, accompanied by Bond, they followed the man in single file down the
footpath through the snow. A steep but straight decline led to the level
of the frozen lake. About twenty yards from the shore lay the _Bumble
Bee_. It was a small craft with two masts and about nine feet beam. The
gunwale stood several feet above the ice, and beside the little midship
cabin the whole of the poop had been boarded in by a railing. A pile of
wood lay beside the boat, and as Helen stepped across the little
gangway, she noticed that the foredeck was cleanly swept.
With arms akimbo, a middle-aged, stern-faced woman stood in the narrow
doorway, but her thick homespun dress and general air of tidiness and
thrift gave confidence to her visitor, notwithstanding the puzzled look
of inquiry with which she returned Helen's salutation.
"These people want to know eff we'll tak' in boarders?" said Latimer, by
way of introduction. "What say you, Meg?"
"He means," said Harold, "that we are stranded, and would like you, if
possible, to accommodate this lady and two or three other women until we
can build our own quarters."
For a moment or two the woman looked straight into Helen's frank and
kindly eyes. Then her hard expression softened, and a smile lit up her
face as she accepted Helen's hand.
"I guess I can," was her answer. "It ain't much, but such as I have
she's welcome to. About t'other women I don't know, for I haven't seen
'em yet."
Helen's eyes filled with tears.
"Thank you," she said.
"Step right in, marm; the coop is warm if it is little, and there's a
chair you can sit down in," pointing to a little rocker which Latimer
had made for her. "It's kinder comfortable."
"I'm sure it is," said Helen, and slowly she rocked herself to and fro,
while she listened to the talk of the woman.
She felt strangely attracted by her. Some old memory link of the past
was aroused. Had she seen that face before, and if so, when and where?
While talking and asking questions Helen's mind was in an analytical
mood, dissecting, so far as she could, everything associated with her
appearance and life. Who was she? Where had she seen her? Was it
possible that their lives had ever touched each other--this woman,
double her own age and of different station? Yes, there was a link
somewhere. Of this she felt sure. She must solve the mystery, but not
now. To find a spot to rest in was enough for the present.
[Illustration: "Strangers and yet not strangers"
_Page 72_]