"I think," McBain continued, "if anything has happened to poor Allan, it
will be our duty to get back as speedily as may be to Scotland, and
forego our voyage farther north."
Now, at that very moment Allan and his dog were within sight of the camp
fire; he was holding Oscar by the collar, and meditating what would be
the best and least startling way to make known his presence.
Should he fire his rifle in the air? That would be better than suddenly
appearing like a ghost among them.
But Oscar settled the difficulty in a way of his own. He bounded away
from his master's grasp with a joyful bark, and next moment was
careering like a mad thing round and round the group at the fire.
This way of breaking the intelligence of Allan's safety was very abrupt,
but it was very satisfactory.
When the surprised greetings with which Allan was hailed had in some
measure subsided--when he had explained the part that Oscar had played,
and told them that but for the great fire he never would have believed
that he had been going eastwards instead of west--then McBain said, in
his old quiet manner,--
"You see, boys, there is a Providence in all things, and, on the whole,
I'm not sorry that this should have happened."
But twenty years at the very least seemed to have fallen off the load of
the trapper's age.
Seth knew what men were, and so he heaped more wood on the fire, and set
about at once getting supper ready.
Sapper would never have suggested itself to anybody if Allan had not
returned.
The journey "home," as the good yacht was always called, was commenced
the very next morning, and accomplished in eight-and-forty hours.
A red deer fell to Allan's gun by the way.
"I do believe," said Allan, "it is the self-same rascal that led me such
a dance."
"We'll have a haunch off him, then," said McBain, "to roast when we go
back, and so celebrate your return."
"The chief's return," said Ralph, laughing.
"The prodigal son's bedad," said Rory; "but I'm going to have that
stag's head. Isn't he a lordly fellow, with his kingly antlers! I'll
stuff it, an oh! sure, if we ever do get back to Arrandoon, it's myself
will hang it in the hall in commemoration of the great wild-goose
chase."
By means of their compasses and trapper Seth's skill they were able to
march in almost a bee-line upon what they termed their own ravine. But
not during any portion of the journey was Seth idle. He was scanning
every yard of the ground around him, studying every feature of the
landscape, and making so many strange marks upon the trees, that at last
Rory asked him,--
"Whatever are you about, friend Seth? Is it a button off your coat
you've lost, or what is the meaning of your strange earnestness?"
Seth smiled grimly.
"I guess," he replied, "we may have to make tracks across this bit of
country once or twice after the snow is on the ground. Shouldn't like
to be lost, should you?"
Rory shrugged his shoulders.
When they were having their mid-day meal Rory returned to the charge.
"Were ever you lost in the snow?" he said to Seth.
"More'n once," replied Seth.
"Tell us."
"Once in partikler," said Seth, "three of us were movin' around in a
wild bit o' country. It were skootin' after the b'ars we were, with our
snow-shoes on, for the snow were plaguey deep. I was a bit younger
then, and I calculate that accounted for a deal of my headlong
stupidity. Anyhow, we lost our way, and when we got our bearings again,
night was beginning to fall, and as we didn't fancy passing it away from
the log fire, we just made about all the haste we knew how to. I knew
every tree, even with snow on 'em, but I hadn't taken correct note of
the rocks and gullies and such. And presently, blame me, gentlemen, if
I didn't miss my footing and go tumbling down to the bottom of a pit,
twenty feet deep if it were an inch. I didn't go quite alone, though.
No, I just drops my gun and clutches Jager by the hand, and down we goes
together in the most affectionate manner ever you could wish to see.
"Nat Weekley was a-comin' sliding up some ways in the rear. He was
lookin' at his toes like, and didn't see us disappear, but he told us
afterwards he kind o' missed us all of a suddint, you see, and guessed
we'd gone somewheres down into the bowels o' the earth. He was an
amoosin kind of a 'possum, was old Nat. Presently he discovered our
hole, and laying himself cautiously down on the lower side of it, so's
he shouldn't fall, he peers over the brink. He couldn't see us for a
bit, with the blinding snow-powder we'd raised. But Nat wasn't going to
be done.
"`Anybody down there?' says Nat, quite unconcernedly.
"`To be sure there is,' says we; `didn't you see us go in?'
"`No,' said Nat; `what did you go in for?'
"`Don't know,' said I, sulkily.
"`How are you going to get out?' says Nat.
"`Nary a bit o' me knows,' I says; `we came down so plaguey fast we
didn't take time to consider.'
"`Went to look for summut, I reckon?'
"`Oh!' cries Jager, `cease your banter, Nat.'
"`A pretty pair o' babes in the wood you'll make, won't you! Do you
know it'll soon be dark?'
"`Poor consolation that,' I says.
"`Pitch dark,' roars Nat, `and nary a morsel o' fire you'll be able to
light. And I reckon too it's in a b'ar's hole you are, and presently
the b'ar will be coming home, and then there'll be the piper to pay.
There'll be five minutes of a rough house down there, I can tell ye.'
"We felt kind o' riled now, and didn't reply, and so Nat went on:
"`I kind o' sees ye now,' he says. `I can just dimly descry ye, you
looks about as frisky as a pair o' bull buffaloes. Ha! ha! ha! You'll
be precious cold before long, though,' Nat continues. `Now don't say
Nat's a bad old sort. He's going to throw ye down his flask; maybe ye
can't catch it, so behold, Nat puts it in the pocket of his big skin
coat, and pitches it down into your hole. Don't think it's the b'ar,
cause he won't come home till it's just a trifle darker, and then--ha!
ha! ha!--I thinks I sees the dust he'll raise. Good-bye, my sylvan
beauties. Good night, babies. Take care of your little selves; don't
catch cold whatever ye do.'
"But all this was only Nat's fun, ye see. He carried a right good heart
within him, I can tell you, and he wasn't above five hours gone when
back he comes with two more of our friends carrying a big lantern, a
long rope, and an axe, and in about ten minutes more Jager and I were
both on the brink; but I can tell ye, gentlemen, it was about the
coldest five hours ever trapper Seth spent in his little existence."
The anxiety on board the yacht for the past few days had been very deep
indeed, but as our heroes drew once more near to their home, and
Stevenson made sure they were all there, dogs and all.
"Hurrah, boys!" he cried to his men; "man the rigging!"
Ay, and they did too, and it would have done your heart good to have
heard that ringing cheer, and it wasn't one cheer either, but three
times three, and one more to keep them whole.
McBain and his little party made noble response, you may be well sure;
and meanwhile Peter, with his bagpipes, had mounted into the foretop and
played them Highland welcome as they once more jumped on board of the
saucy _Snowbird_.
What a delightful evening they spent afterwards in the snuggery! They
were often in the habit of inviting one of the mates aft, or even weird
little Magnus, with his budget of wonderful tales, but to-night they
must needs have it all to themselves, and it was quite one bell in the
middle watch ere they thought of retiring, and even after that they must
all go on deck to have a look around.
Not a breath of wind, not a cloud in the sky, and stars as big as
saucers.
"Jack Frost has come while we've been talking," said McBain. "Look
here, boys."
He threw a bit of wood overboard as he spoke; it rang as it alighted on
the surface of the ice.