No one finds settling in a new country all smooth work; and if a man
cannot look ahead and think of what his labour is sure to produce, he
will often be very much down-hearted. Some people give up when, if they
had held on, they would have succeeded at last. Michael Hale was not
one of the give-in sort. The winter in Canada lasts a long time, but
most people who have plenty to do like it very much. Michael Hale's
public room was a good large one, and as soon as the day's work was
over, and supper eaten, he set everybody to doing something or other.
The girls had always plenty to do to spin and knit and sew. The boys,
too, learned to knit, so that they could knit their own stockings.
There was a hand-loom weaver among the settlers, and from him David
learned to weave what his sisters spun. From this time, except a little
calico, there was very little in the way of clothing the family had to
buy. Tony learned cobbling, and, in time, to make shoes. Rob was a
first-rate carpenter. The younger boys helped their brothers. Those
were pleasant evenings, as they sat round the blazing fire which made
amends for the poor light of the tallow lamps.
One evening Rob and David had to go out to look after one of the cows
which was sick. They did not much like leaving the cozy fireside for
the freezing night air. "It must be done though," said Rob; "come
along, David." No sooner did they open the door than they heard a
strange squeaking from the pig-sty, which, they had wisely built at some
little distance from the house. It was a bitter night. They stopped an
instant to listen, and in that instant their hair and eyebrows and
eyelashes were frosted over. The squeaking went on. "Some creature
must be among the pigs," cried Rob. "Run back for the gun, David, I'll
go and see."
While David went in to get the gun, Rob, with a thick stick and a
lantern in his hand, hurried down to the pig-sty. One fine porker lay
bleeding on the ground, and another was not to be seen. A faint squeak
from the forest on one side showed where he was gone. Rob calling on
David to follow, ran on in the hopes of catching the thief. He hadn't
got far when the light of the lantern fell on the back of a
shaggy-haired beast, which he at once knew to be that of a bear. In its
fore-paws it carried the missing porker, which still sent forth a
piteous cry for help. Rob soon overtook the bear and gave him a no
gentle tap on the back of his head. Bruin, not liking this, dropped the
pig and turned round to face Rob, while piggie, having still the use of
his legs, ran off towards his sty. The bear seemed resolved to vent his
rage on Rob, who stood ready to receive him with his thick stick,
flourishing it before his face. With a loud growl the angry bear sprang
on Rob. "Fire! fire!" cried Rob, "he is biting my shoulder."
David was afraid of hitting his brother, he did not therefore fire till
he got close up to them, and then, putting the gun to the bear's head,
he pulled the trigger. Over rolled the creature, and Rob was set free.
He was much hurt, but his thick coat had saved him from a worse wound.
The snow was hard, so that they were able to drag the carcase over it to
the house. One of the pigs was so much hurt that Rob was obliged to
kill it, while the other, which had been carried off, escaped without
much damage. After doctoring the cow they appeared at home with their
prize. It made more than amends for the loss of the pig; for in Canada,
in winter, it matters not how much meat is in store, as once frozen it
will keep till the warm weather returns. Often people have a dozen
turkeys and twice as many fowls, and small animals, and fish hanging up
in their larders, at once. In the markets, fish, flesh, and fowl are
also sold in a frozen state. The bear was quickly skinned and cut up,
but he was frozen almost hard before the work was finished.
The next day Rob's shoulder hurt him so much that he was obliged to stay
at home. Susan and his mother doctored it as best they could, but he
did not get better. At last they went up to Mr Landon's house, to ask
what they ought to do. Though it was one of the coldest days, Mrs and
Miss Landon hurried down to the hut. They soon saw that, without great
care, the matter might become serious. Having left a lotion and some
medicine, with directions how to treat Rob, they were on their way, home
when they saw a thick smoke curling up into the sky above where their
house stood. Mary hurried on till she could see the house itself. Fire
was coming out of the roof.
"Oh, mother, do you go back to the Hales and ask for help, and I will
run on and see what can be done at once," she exclaimed.
As soon as Mrs Landon reached the Hales, Tommy ran to call Michael and
his two boys, and Pat Honan, who was working for them. Mr Landon and
his only son, George, was away. Mary found Biddy McCosh, the
servant-girl, wringing her hands and running about not knowing what to
do, while her youngest sister was asleep, and the next was crying,
seeing that something was the matter but not knowing what it was, Mary's
first thought was to place her little sisters in safety, the next was
how to put out the fire and save the furniture. The children she
carried, with some bedding, to an outhouse, and wrapped them up warmly.
While doing this, she sent Biddy in search of a ladder. By it she
bravely mounted to the roof. Biddy had made up too large a fire in the
stove and heated the flue. This had set fire to the wooden roof. No
water was to be had; every drop around was frozen.
"Biddy, a shovel!" cried Mary. With it she shovelled the snow over the
roof, but it did little even in checking the flames. While she was so
employed, her mother and Mrs Hale and Susan arrived. Rob followed--
nothing would stop him. Susan climbed, up to the roof, with her, and
the two girls worked bravely together. Rob said that he must go up and
help them, but his mother held him back.
"It will be his death if he goes up there," said Mrs Landon. "If you
must work, Rob, help us to get out the furniture."
While they were thus employed, Michael Hale and his two sons and Honan
and other neighbours arrived. The two girls came down from their post
of danger and the men took their places, but they could not with the
snow alone stop the flames. There seemed every chance of Mr Landon's
house being burnt down.
"I've seen salt melt snow. If there is in the house a cask of meat in
brine that may help us," exclaimed Rob.
There was one. It was brought out, the head knocked in, and the brine
poured out in small quantities on the snow. Wherever the brine dropped
the snow melted, and the fire was put out. It was some time, however,
before all danger was passed. A large part of the roof was damaged and
the house made unfit to be inhabited.
"Oh, Mrs Landon, ma'am, I hope that you will honour us by coming down
and taking up your abode with us till the roof is on again," said Mrs
Hale in a kind voice. "Susan will take care of Miss Mary and the little
ones, and Mr Landon and your son George will be sure to find lodgings
with other friends till the house is set to rights again."
Mr Landon had suffered so many ups and downs in life that when he
arrived he was not very much put out at the injury done to his house.
He was only thankful that his wife and children had escaped injury.
A bee was formed, and in a couple of days the roof was replaced, and in
less than a week the house again habitable.