A CONVIVIAL MORNING.
It must have been an hour past midnight when we broke from the forest
into the clearing, and as we strode across toward the stockade we noted
with relief that all was still and peaceful. Malcolm Cameron greeted us
at the gate, and we passed on to receive a hearty welcome at the house.
With the exception of Pemecan, our comrades were all awake, sprawled
about a blazing tire, and at sight of the meat we carried they set up a
great shout.
"Hush! you will rouse Miss Hatherton!" said I, for I saw that she had
retired.
However, I doubt if she had slept a wink; and no sooner was there a lull
in the conversation than she called from the little room adjoining, in a
hesitating voice:
"Have you returned, Denzil?"
"Yes," I replied. "I am back, safe and sound, and with a fat deer for
breakfast. But go to sleep at once; it is very late."
"I will," Flora answered. "Good-night, Denzil."
"Good-night," I responded, and then my face grew hot as I saw Captain
Rudstone regarding me with half-veiled amusement.
"You are a lucky chap, Carew," he said; "but you have well earned your
happiness."
I never quite knew how to take the captain's words, so I merely nodded
in reply. We were all sleepy, and without delay we completed the
preparations for the night. Two men were chosen for sentry duty at the
gate--Luke Hutter and Baptiste, and the latter at once relieved
Cameron and sent him in. Carteret and I had a look about the inclosure,
and then, after putting a great beam on the fire, we rolled ourselves in
our blankets and laid down beside our companions.
I must have fallen asleep as soon as my eyes closed, for I remembered
nothing until I was roused by a hand on my shoulder. Luke Hutter was
standing over me, and from head to foot he was thickly coated with snow.
The gray light of dawn glimmered behind the frosted windows, and I heard
a hoarse whistling noise. The fire was blazing cheerily, for
Baptiste had replenished it when he came off duty. Several of the men
were stirring; the others were sound asleep.
"A bad day to travel, Mr. Carew," said Hutter.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
For answer he led me to the door, and as he opened it a fine cloud of
snow whirled into the room. I cried out with astonishment, for one of
those rapid changes of weather so common in northern latitudes had taken
place during the night. A storm of wind and snow, much like a blizzard,
was raging violently. The cold was intense, and it was impossible to see
more than a yard or two in front of one's face.
"It began several hours ago," said Hutter, "and it is good to last until
night. If we set out for Fort Charter we shall lose our way, sir, and
perhaps become exhausted and freeze to death."
I agreed with Hutter, and after some reflection I hit upon a plan that
afforded me no little pleasure. My companions were by this time awake
and up, and I called their attention to the storm. As to the danger and
impossibility of proceeding on our journey, they were all of one mind.
"We need a rest," said I, "and here is a chance to take it, with a bit
of recreation and enjoyment thrown in. There is not the slightest risk
of an attack by Indians. We can spare a day, and we have snug quarters
and enough to eat. The storm will doubtless abate by to-morrow morning,
and then we will push on. What do you say, men?"
They assented readily, even with enthusiasm, and I saw that they entered
fully into the spirit which had prompted me to make the proposal.
"I'm thinking it will be like old times," said Cameron. "It was a happy
life at Fort Royal, on the whole, sir. There's one thing we'll be
lacking for the day's pleasure--a stiff glass of grog all round."
"We'll manage to get along without it," I replied. "And now let's finish
up the work; there is plenty to do."
First of all we made a kettleful of warm water by melting snow, and I
handed a pannikin of it in to Flora, whom I had heard stirring for some
time. She bade me a sweet good-morning, and showed me a glimpse of her
pretty face round the corner of the door. Then some of us began to
prepare breakfast--we had found an ample supply of dish ware in the
fort--and others demolished a part of the stockade and brought the
timbers in for fuel. Captain Rudstone and I busied ourselves by making
the crevices of the door and windows secure against wind and sifting
snow. For once we dispensed with sentry duty, thinking it to be
unnecessary.
As breakfast was ready to be served, Flora tripped out of her little
room looking radiantly beautiful. When she learned that we were to stop
at the fort that day her eyes glowed with pleasure, and what I read in
them set my heart beating fast. Seated about the fire on benches and
rickety stools, we attacked the delicious slices of venison, the
steaming coffee, and the crisp cakes of cornmeal. Then, the dishes
washed and the room tidied a bit, we heaped the fire high and settled
ourselves for a long morning. Outside the wind howled and the whirling
snow darkened the air; inside was warmth and cheer and comfort.
Looking back to that day over the gulf of years, I can recall few
occasions of keener enjoyment. The security and comfort were in such
strong contrast to what we had lately suffered, that we abandoned
ourselves wholly to the pleasure of the passing moment. We forgot the
tragedies and sufferings that lay behind us, and gave no thought to what
the uncertain future might hold in store. For me the horizon was
unclouded. Flora was by my side, and I looked forward to soon calling
her my wife.
Luckily, we had plenty of tobacco, and wreaths of fragrant smoke curled
from blackened pipes. Baptiste and Carteret sang the dialect songs of
the wilderness; Duncan Forbes amused us with what he called a Highland
fling, and Pemecan, to the accompaniment of outlandish chanting, danced
an Indian war-dance. Captain Rudstone and Christopher Burley, who were
rarely anything but quiet and reserved, showed us sides of their
characters that we had not suspected before; they clapped their hands
and joined in the laughter and merriment. And in Flora's unfeigned
happiness and light spirits I took my greatest enjoyment.
"Comrade, it's your turn," said Forbes, addressing old Malcolm Cameron.
"Maybe you'll be giving us your imitation of the skirl of the bagpipes."
"Man, it's too dry work," Cameron replied. "If I had a wee drop of
liquor--But it's no use asking for that."
"By the way, Carew," said Captain Rudstone, "as I was overhauling that
heap of rubbish in the cellar this morning, I pulled out a small cask.
Could it contain anything drinkable?"
I was on my feet like a shot.
"Come; we'll see!" I cried. "Lead the way!"
I followed the captain to the cellar and we found the cask. I quickly
broached it, and to my delight it, contained what I had scarcely
ventured to hope for--a fine old port wine.
"Where did it come from?" asked the captain, smacking his lips.
"My father used to have it sent to him from England," I replied, "and
this cask must have been mislaid and covered up."
"Your father?" muttered the captain: and he gave me one of those strange
looks that had so mystified me in the past.
"Yes, he was a judge of wine, I believe," I answered. "Come, we'll go
up. Cameron can wet his whistle now, and we'll all be the better for a
little sound port."
When we returned to our companions with the cask, and told them what it
held, they gave us an eager and noisy welcome. We rummaged about until
we found a sufficient number of cracked glasses and cups, and then we
filled them with the fragrant, ruddy beverage.
"Miss Hatherton shall drink first," said I, as I sat down beside her and
handed her a glass.
My own I held up with a little nod, and she partly understood me. Such a
roguish look twinkled in her eyes that I carried out my purpose.
"Attention!" I cried, standing up. "A toast, comrades! to my promised
wife!"
With an earnestness that I liked, the men drank, one and all, and Flora
smiled very prettily through her confusion and blushes.
"Ah, she's a bonnie lady," old Malcolm Cameron said bluntly.
"And with the spirit of a man," added Luke Hutter.
I acknowledged these compliments with a bow as I sat down. Most of the
drinking vessels were emptied and passed to Carteret to be filled. That
done, at a sign from me he carried the cask to a closet at the other
side of the room. Some of the men were bibulously inclined, and for
Flora's sake I had to be cautious.
Of a sudden Captain Rudstone rose, his handsome, stern face almost
transformed by an expression of genial good will.
"Mr. Carew," he began, "on such an occasion as this I feel that I must
say a word. Indeed you have won a prize. 'Tis an old proverb that a man
married is a man marred, but in you I see an exception. Were I a few
years younger I should have ventured to enter the lists against you. I
have knocked about the world, and I can pay Miss Hatherton no higher
compliment than to say that she is equally fitted to be queen of a
London drawing room or mistress of a factor's humble house. But enough.
I wish you every prosperity and happiness, and a long career in the
service of the company."
The captain was evidently sincere, and I had never liked him so well as
now, though I must confess that I felt a spark of jealousy when Flora
made him a smiling courtesy.
He was no sooner down in his seat than Christopher Burley stood up. The
law clerk's face was flushed, and his eyes had an unwonted sparkle. He
had drunk but two glasses of port, yet he was a different man to look
at.
"Mr. Carew and Miss Hatherton, my compliments," he said. "I shall think
of this convivial gathering when I am back in London--in that crowded,
bustling heart of the world, and I hope some day to have the pleasure of
seeing you there--of seeing all of you, my friends. I will take you to
my favorite haunt, the Cheshire Cheese, in Fleet Street, where the great
and learned Dr. Johnson was wont to foregather. But I have much to do
before I can return to England. The task that brought me to this
barbarous country--this land of snow and ice--is of a most peculiar and
difficult nature. I will take the present opportunity to inquire--"
"Enough!" suddenly interrupted Captain Rudstone in a harsh voice. "Your
tongue is rambling sir. I am doing you a service by requesting you to
sit down."
"Sir, do you mean to insinuate--" began Christopher Burley.
But at that instant voices were heard outside and the door was thrown
open.