At last they reached the town where Susan was at service. She was
expecting them, and all ready to start. When, however, her mistress,
Mrs Mason, heard that she intended walking, she would not let her go.
She said that it was not fit for a young girl who was delicate, and that
she must wait till she could get a lift in a sleigh going that way. Rob
said that he would not wait, as he ought to be back again to help his
father. Still the good lady would not give in.
Two days passed, and the snow came down again thicker than ever. Then
it cleared up. The sky was bright, the wind keen, and there seemed
every chance of the frost lasting for some days. It was likely,
however, that there would be one or two thaws before the regular frost
of winter set in.
At last Rob thought that he would hire a sleigh to carry his sister.
Just then, who should he meet in the street but his neighbour, Mr
Landon. Rob told him of his difficulty.
"Just the very thing," said Mr Landon. "I have bought two sleighs, one
which I want to send home at once, as it is for the use of my wife and
daughters. You shall take Susan in it, if your brother will wait two or
three days longer, and drive the luggage-sleigh with my winter stores.
By starting early you will be able to get through half the distance to
Roland's shanty by night-fall. Take fodder for the horse, and if you
cover in the sleigh at night, and keep up a blazing fire, Susan won't be
the worse for it."
Rob agreed to the proposal. Tony and Tommy were in great glee at the
thoughts of driving a sleigh by themselves. Rob had told Mr Landon
that Tony was fully up to the work. As there was no time to be lost,
Rob set off the next morning by daybreak, with Susan well wrapped up in
buffalo robes.
Mr Landon had to do some business in a distant town, and would not be
back for two weeks or so. It seemed certain that the fine weather would
last when Rob set out. At last Tony's turn came. His sleigh was only a
large box, on runners. Before day broke, he and Tommy were on foot,
ready to start. Mr Landon cautioned them not to delay on the road.
"No fear, sir," said Tony.
"May be we'll catch up Rob, if he isn't very smart," observed Tommy.
Away they drove. There was nothing unusual in giving a sleigh in charge
of two such boys as Tony and Tommy. Boys in the colonies are constantly
employed in work which men only would undertake in the old country.
Tony had often driven sleighs long distances for his former master, so
he had no fear about the matter. The horse was a rough animal, well up
to bush travelling. If he could not go round a log, he thought nothing
of making a leap over it. Away they trotted, the sleigh-bells sounding
merrily in the frosty air. Rob's sleigh and several others had passed,
so that the snow was beaten pretty hard, while the track was well
marked. Tony and Tommy amused themselves by whistling and singing and
telling stories, laughing heartily at what each other said. The country
looked very different to what it had done ten days before. Everything
was white, the boughs hung down with the weight of snow, and where in
some places it had melted and frozen again, the trees looked as if they
were covered with diamonds and rubies and other precious stones. The
horse went well, and they got on famously all day. Before it was dark
they reached the spot where Rob and Susan had camped.
The boys soon had a fire blazing in front of the hut Rob had built for
Susan. They hobbled the horse, and gave him some hay and oats, and then
they began to cook their own provisions. It would have been hard to
find a couple of more merry and happy fellows; not that they had forgot
the wolves, but they did not fear being attacked as long as they kept up
a good fire. This time, however, the one on the watch took care not to
fall asleep, and to keep the fire burning brightly. Now and then howls
were heard from far-off in the depths of the forest, which reminded them
of the visitors they might expect if they let the fire out.
Daylight came again; they and the horse breakfasted; and they were once
more gliding over the smooth snow, the sleigh-bells sounding merrily in
the fresh morning air. As the sun rose, the air became warmer and the
snow softer, which prevented them from getting on so well as they hoped.
As the sun went round, and the trees for a time were cast into shade,
long icicles formed on the boughs, which, as a stray beam found its way
through the wood, shone like masses of precious stones.
The snow had now lasted for some days, and at that early time of the
season a thaw might any hour begin. This made the two lads eager to
push on; but "too much haste is bad speed," and they almost knocked up
their horse before half the day's journey was over. The evening was
drawing on, and they were still a long way from Roland's shanty. Tony
was driving, and making their tired horse go on as fast as he could,
when Tommy, looking over his shoulder, saw a huge wolf following close
behind them. "Drive on fast," cried Tommy, pointing at the wolf, "I
don't like the looks of that chap."
"He's not a beauty, but he won't do us any harm as long as he's alone,"
said Tony, who was a brave little fellow.
"But he isn't alone," cried Tommy, "I see three or four other brutes
skulking there among the trees--Push on! push on!"
It was high time, indeed, to push on, for the big wolf was drawing
nearer and nearer, and his followers seemed only to be waiting his
signal to begin the attack. As the horse, knowing his own danger,
galloped on faster, the wolves set up a hideous howl, fearful that their
prey would escape them. Tommy seized the whip from Tony and began to
lash away at them.
"If I had Rob's gun I'd pay off those brutes," cried Tony, "slash away
Tommy! keep them off! it won't be pleasant if they catch hold of us."
On went the horse; he did not think of being tired now. It was hard
work to guide him between the stumps and fallen trees. Tommy lashed and
lashed away, and shouted at the top of his voice. An overturn would
have caused their death, as the wolves would have set on them before
they had time to get upon their feet. They were coming to a bad bit of
the road where they would have to drive down some steep and rugged
places to avoid fallen logs. The wolves seemed to think that this would
be their time, for all the pack made a dash at the sleigh. Tommy lashed
with his whip with all his might. One big beast was on the point of
springing into the sleigh, and the boys, with reason, gave up all for
lost. Still, like brave fellows, they strove to the last. "Hit him
with the butt end," cried Tony.
Tommy struck the brute with all his might between the eyes. The wolf
fell back, but others were coming on. A moment afterwards two more
sprang up at the sleigh. One of them Tommy treated as he had done the
first, but the other was just seizing him by the leg, and a third was
flying at Tony, who, having to guide the horse, could not defend
himself, when a bullet whistled by and knocked over one of the animals.
The others, frightened by the report, stopped short, and Tommy had time
to hit the wolf just going to lay hold of Tony.
"Well done, youngster, well done," cried a man who just then stepped out
of the bush. "If I hadn't come just in the nick of time it would have
been the worse for you, though."
The boys saw that the man was their friend Danby Marks. Tony had hard
work to stop the frightened horse, and could not have done it if the old
man had not caught the reins and soothed the animal. A second shot from
his rifle, by which another wolf was killed, sent the whole cowardly
pack howling back into the forest. "You must let me go as your guard
for the rest of the way," said the old hunter, as he stepped into the
sleigh and bade Tony drive on, "Don't suppose, though, I came here by
chance," he added; "nothing ever does happen by chance, and I am here
to-day because I met Rob, and as his mind misgave him, he begged that I
would come and look after you."
Tony and his friend thanked the old man heartily for the help he had
given them. "Yes, indeed, Mr Marks: we should have been made into
mince-meat by this time if it hadn't been for you," said Tony.
It was, indeed, a good thing for the lads that the old trapper found
them when he did, even if there had been no wolves; for the night came
on very dark, and without him they could not have found their way to
Roland's shanty. In the night the wind changed, the rain came down in
torrents, and the remainder of the road along the banks of the river and
the shore of the lake was impassable. They had, therefore, to follow
Mr Landon's orders, to leave the sleigh under Roland's care, and to go
home in the canoe.