IN THE NORTH WOODS
"Come on, Doc," said Ronald.
"Where?" asked Norton, lazily.
"Across the river, of course; don't you see the mob over there?"
The large yard in front of the Mackenzie house was fairly well filled
with people when they arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie, Forsyth,
Chandonnais, Lieutenant and Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Franklin were
standing behind Beatrice, who was painting in water colours. Black
Partridge, in all the glory of his feather head-dress and his most
gorgeous blanket, was posing for his picture. The chief endeavoured to
preserve the appearance of calm, but in reality he was greatly excited.
Doctor Norton and the Lieutenant exchanged cool salutations, and
Katherine was scarcely more cordial. All three of them had decided
to ignore past events, but there was an element of difficulty in the
situation, none the less.
"How do you suppose Birdie can wear a blanket in July?" asked Ronald.
"I should think he'd be roasted to a turn."
"It's his best blanket," explained Beatrice, selecting another brush,
"and he wants it in his picture."
"I'd rather my clothes would be painted separately on a day like
this," murmured Ronald.
"I didn't know you had more than one suit," remarked the artist, with
a flourish of her brush; "you can't properly say 'clothes.'"
"Well, 'clo', then," retorted the Ensign, "if it suits you better; but
some day you'll see me in a brand-new uniform."
"It's what I'm living for," answered Beatrice. "Somebody get me some
more water."
A dozen hands were outstretched, but it was Forsyth who secured the
cup, and he was rewarded with a radiant smile when he returned.
"Ain't that smart, now!" exclaimed the trader, delightedly, as the
unmistakable features of Black Partridge appeared upon the paper.
Chandonnais was grinning broadly, and even Ronald and the Lieutenant
condescended to praise.
"To think that we've had a real artist here for months and never knew
it!" exclaimed Mrs. Franklin. "Why didn't you let us know about it
before?"
"Because," answered the girl, "as an old lady at Fort Mackinac would
have said, I didn't 'feel to paint.'"
Mrs. Mackenzie was restraining the children with difficulty, for
each and every one of them yearned to take a brush and assist in the
delicate task. At last she took the baby and went into the house,
leaving Maria Indiana to Katherine, and the two older children to
their father and Forsyth.
"There," said Beatrice, with a critical squint at her work; "it's
almost done."
Against a background of delicate green, the Indian, in his scarlet
blanket, stood boldly and properly pictured. The colouring was very
good and she had caught the spirit of the pose.
"Let me show it to him," suggested Robert.
She was wiping her brushes and did not see the expression of dismay
on the chief's face when he beheld his counterfeit presentment, but
she saw him snatch the picture out of Robert's hand and heard his
indistinct mutterings when he fled like a deer.
"Well, what do you think of that!" she gasped. "What was he saying,
Uncle John?"
"I didn't catch it, Bee--did you, Rob?"
Forsyth had made a little progress in the language, but had understood
only a word or two. "It was something about the 'Great Spirit,' I
think, but I didn't get the connection."
"That's gone, anyhow," said the Doctor. "You meant it for him, didn't
you?"
"Why, yes, eventually; but it wasn't done."
"It was done enough for him, evidently," observed Ronald; "he seems to
prefer his pictures a little rare. Are you ready to make mine now?"
"Indeed, I'm not going to paint you. I'm going in to help Aunt
Eleanor."
Mrs. Howard followed her. The Doctor offered to row Mrs. Franklin
across the river, Chan disappeared, and the Lieutenant went over to
the Agency House with Mackenzie. Ronald looked at Forsyth and laughed.
"Everybody's moving," he said. "Let's go over and get Major and go
swimming."
"You go after Major," suggested Robert, "and I'll get some towels of
Aunt Eleanor. We'll go up north."
Ronald embarked in a pirogue and Forsyth went into the house. "I don't
see where it's gone to," Mrs. Mackenzie was saying. "Are you sure you
haven't it, Katherine?"
"What have you lost, Aunt Eleanor?" he asked.
"Why, my blue-and-white patchwork quilt--a white one with blue stars
in it. It was washed and put away clean last Fall, and now it's gone."
Beatrice was looking at him in a way that puzzled him. "I'm sure I
haven't seen it," he hastened to say. "Am I suspected?"
"Of course not," returned Mrs. Mackenzie; "but it's a strange thing to
happen right here in the house. I wish you'd go up to the loft and see
if it's on Chan's bed--he may have taken it by mistake."
Forsyth climbed the ladder to the empty loft, but no quilt was to
be seen. The rude shakedown on which the half-breed slept had only
blankets for covering. He looked around curiously, for he had never
been in the loft before, but he did not envy Chan his quarters. There
was only one window in the desolate place, and that scarcely deserved
the name, for it was merely a small aperture in the front of the
house. The floor was comparatively clean, but there was a pile of
rubbish in one corner, which he promptly investigated. He had hardly
expected to find the quilt, but he was surprised when he discovered
a ham, a side of bacon, and a large piece of dark blue calico hidden
under the nondescript heap.
"I expect he gets hungry in the night," thought Robert, remembering
Chan's ferocious appetite.
"No quilt there, Aunt Eleanor," he said, when he went down. "May I
have some towels?"
"The Indians must have taken it," she sighed, "but I don't know when
nor how."
Beatrice was in a brown study, but Robert, even though he was gifted
with rather more than the average man's discernment, did not know what
she was thinking about. Remembering the conversation he had overheard
the night of the barbecue, he had thought it likely that the cross
over the door of the house in the woods had been stolen from the
half-breed by an Indian, or else, after the manner of others somewhat
higher in the social scale, Chan had taken unto himself an Indian wife.
Except as it concerned Beatrice, the matter did not interest him, and
he forbore to tell her what he knew, lest the "secret" between them
should come to an end. Her curiosity about the mysterious cabin had
increased rather than diminished; but Robert had refused to go with
her when she wanted to investigate it again, and she did not quite
dare to go alone.
Ronald was waiting for him outside, and the dog trotted along beside
them in high spirits, lavishing moist caresses upon his master, and
punctuating his expressions of affection with exuberant barks.
"Down, Major, down!" commanded Ronald, "or I'll throw you into the
lake."
The shadowy coolness of the woods was invigorating, and they walked
on, heedless of the distance. "When we find a deep place," said
Forsyth, "we'll dive into it from the bluff."
"No we won't," returned Ronald, conclusively. "I knew a fool once who
broke his neck in just that way. No loss to the world particularly,
but unpleasant. They'd miss us mightily at the Fort."
When Robert saw that they were approaching the neighbourhood of the
cabin, he said that he was tired.
"So 'm I," answered the other. "Let's sit down and get cooled off
before we go in."
Major was far ahead, ranging back and forth eagerly in pursuit of some
small animal that had escaped him. "Something has happened," continued
Ronald; "guess!"
"Couldn't guess--what is it?"
"That's right," laughed the Ensign, slapping his knee; "nobody could
guess. We've actually got our new uniforms!"
"You don't say so! Where are they?"
"At Fort Wayne."
"Oh, you haven't got them, then?"
"No, but we've almost got 'em. Some of the boys are going this
week sometime, as soon as the Captain can make up his mind to
send 'em. I wish I could go, too, but they'll need nearly all the
horses--fifty-eight new uniforms, you know. I've thought seriously of
borrowing Miss Manning's horse and taking the trip--I need a change."
"She wouldn't let you have it."
"I hadn't intended to ask her," explained Ronald. "Lord, but she'd be
mad! I'd give a pretty penny to see her when she found out I'd done
it! I'd really rather see her good and mad than to take the trip, but
I can't do both. If I have one pleasure, you'll have the other."
"I'd rather not, thank you--I'd much prefer to be out of the way of
the storm. I hope you won't do it."
"Well, I'm not going to," said the Ensign; "at least, I don't think I
am. I'm more or less subject to impulses, however."
A shrill feminine scream brought both men to their feet. "What was
that?" cried Forsyth.
Major came toward them from the north, on a dead run, with his
tail between his legs and panting for breath. "What's the matter,
old boy?" shouted Ronald. The dog took shelter behind his master,
trembling violently.
"He isn't hurt," said the Ensign, after looking him over carefully,
"he's just scared. Do you think we'd better go up and see what's
wrong?"
"No," answered Forsyth; "everything is quiet now. Major probably got
into trouble with a squaw. It was a woman's scream."
"Maybe so," assented Ronald, sitting down again. "Anyhow, it was none
of the women at the Fort, and I'm in favour of letting the Indians
fight their own battles."
The dog, still frightened, insisted on lying uncomfortably close to
his master. "Move over a bit, Major," he suggested; "you're too warm
to sit by."
"He's all right," laughed Forsyth, as the dog refused to move; "let
him alone."
"Do you know," said Ronald, after a silence, "that scream sounded like
Mad Margaret's voice. Don't you think so?"
"Perhaps, now that you speak of it; but I haven't seen her for a long
time."
"Neither have I, and I don't want to. Do you remember the night you
came?"
Forsyth nodded.
"I can't get that out of my head--the way she looked at me when she
told me I should never have my heart's desire. Someway, it sticks."
"You're not superstitious, are you?"
"Not exactly, but it was rather uncanny, if you remember,--at least it
would have seemed so if she had said it to you."
"That's true," admitted Robert.
"I'm not afraid of anything in this world," resumed the Ensign; "but
I don't want to tackle the next before I get to it--if there is any
next."
"What do you think about the next world, anyway?"
"Well," answered Ronald, seriously, "I don't think much about it,
and that's a fact. Nobody knows any more about it than anybody else,
and I don't see why one man's opinion isn't as good as another's.
Personally, I have always felt that if I was decent and honest and
minded my own business, I'd get my share of anything good that night
be coming after I got through here. Actions, to my mind, are a good
deal more important than beliefs."
"That's so, too, but I've learned to keep pretty still about those
things, for I've been accused more than once of too much liberality."
"The chaplain at West Point was a nice old fellow, and he used to tell
us that if we were good soldiers and abided by the army regulations,
we wouldn't get into trouble after we died. I've always remembered it
and I've marched by it ever since."
"Let's go in now," suggested the other, after a long silence.
"All right--come on, Major!"
The sun was shining brightly on the water, and the dog barked joyously
as they plunged in. "Keep him here," said Ronald, "I'm going on out."
Robert watched him enviously as he swam north-east with a long, free
stroke, until he was almost out of sight. The dog was eager to be
after him, and, having no collar, was not easily controlled. When he
came back, aglow with life, it seemed to the other that he had the
clean-limbed beauty of a young Greek god.
"You go now," shouted Ronald, "and I'll amuse the pup."
Forsyth swam straight out, with an exultant sense of power in
breasting the waves, and his pulses thrilled with something so vital,
keen, and elemental that it seemed as if he could go on forever. When
he turned back, he saw the gleam of light far to the northward, where
the sun shone on the cross, and thought of Beatrice, happily, and of
the day in the woods. He was well in toward shore when his muscles
suddenly lost their strength--as if he had forgotten how to swim. He
called once, but faintly, then unutterable darkness surrounded him.
When he came to his senses he was lying on the sand, and Ronald was
rolling him over and over and pounding him vigorously. A whine sounded
indistinct and far, as if it were leagues away, even while the dog was
licking his face.
"My God, man," said the Ensign, with white lips, "I'd almost given you
up!"
The voice beat painfully upon his ears and his senses were confused,
but he tried to sit up. "What was the matter?" he gasped.
"Cramps, I guess--that's the usual thing. We'd better have let Major
drown and gone out together. I had a nice time getting both of you
back to shore."
Ronald continued his violent treatment until the other protested.
"Don't hit me again," he said faintly, "I'm all right!"
"Pile into your clothes, then, or you'll take cold."
He obeyed, but slowly, for he was thoroughly exhausted and movement
was difficult. Ronald was dressed long before he was, and insisted
upon helping him.
"There, now you're fixed," he said, at length; "and if you're good for
it, we'll go back to the bank and sit down a bit. There's no hurry
about going home."
Forsyth was faint when they reached the tall tree they had started
from, and was more than willing to rest. His speech was still thick,
but he stammered his thanks.
"You owe it to Major," explained Ronald, diffidently, "for I never
would have seen you. He started out, all of a sudden, and I went after
him. Of course I wondered what had happened when I didn't see you, but
I thought you were swimming under water. He found you, though. Good
old boy," he added, patting the dog.
"I'm much obliged to both of you," said Robert weakly. "I've been
in the water more or less all my life, and nothing like that ever
happened to me before."
"Hope it won't again--the first time came mighty near being the last."
Forsyth had more strength than he appeared to have, but the shock was
severe. "There's no hurry," said George, "and we won't go back till
you're ready for a long walk. Say, how did you feel?"
"Why, I don't know exactly. I was all right, and I was thinking what
a glorious swim I was having and how fine the water was, when all at
once I couldn't move, and everything was black. I think I called you,
though."
"Didn't hear you, but I guess the dog did. Queer, isn't it, that
it should come just after we had been talking about death and the
hereafter and so on?"
"Perhaps it was a warning."
"You're superstitious, now," returned Ronald; "but there's no getting
out of it--when we get near the jumping-off place it makes us feel
devilish queer. I was nearly crazy when I got you to shore and found
you were dead--the thing came so quick, why, it was like a stroke of
lightning."
"If that's death, though, it's nothing to be afraid of. Everything was
black and soft, and there was no hurt to it--just a stop."
"Do you know," said the Ensign, "I've never seen very many dead
people, and I've never seen anybody who had been killed in an
accident--suddenly, you know. Those fellows up at Lee's were the
nearest to it, but I didn't see them." His face whitened and his hands
clenched instinctively. "God!" he breathed, between his set teeth, "I
hope I'll be spared a death like that, at the hands of the red devils.
I want to die like a soldier--in battle!"
"Come," said Forsyth, smiling, "we're getting serious--let's go back."
"Do you feel all right?"
"Yes; I'm a little shaky, but I guess I'm good for it. Don't say
anything about it at the Fort, nor anywhere else--the women would make
a great row."
"As you say--it's your business, you know."
In spite of Forsyth's valiant efforts, his progress was slow. "I'm as
weak as a woman," he complained, when he was forced to stop and rest
for the fourth time.
"You'll make it all right," said the other, cheerily; "take your time.
And say, when we get back, come on over to the Fort and get a good
stiff drink of whisky--that will set you on your pegs as quickly as
anything."
When they came to the river Forsyth sat down and waited until Ronald
went down to Mackenzie's, got a pirogue, and came up after him.
"Didn't see anybody," said Ronald, in answer to a question, "and it's
just as well. You're pretty white around the gills yet."
"Steady," he continued, as the boat grazed the shore, "and in ten
minutes you'll be a new man."
Mrs. Franklin and Mrs. Howard were playing battledore on the
parade-ground, while Beatrice and the Lieutenant watched them from
the piazza. Captain Franklin, Mackenzie, and a couple of Indians were
standing in front of the Captain's quarters, and Ronald yearned to
join the group and see what was going on. He gave Robert his flask,
bade him take it slowly, and rushed out.
The Indians were just leaving, and Captain Franklin had started back
to the house, when one of them turned back and said something.
"What did he say?" he asked of Mackenzie.
"Nothing," replied the trader, with the dull colour bronzing his face;
"they ain't our folks, you know."
"I insist upon knowing," said Franklin, peremptorily.
Mackenzie came nearer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "He said
something about the women over there,"--indicating Mrs. Franklin and
Mrs. Howard. "He said 'the white chief's wives are amusing themselves
very much. It will not be long before they are hoeing in our
corn-fields.'"
"Humph!" snorted the Captain.
"Oh!" laughed Ronald, "I must tell 'em!"
"Shut up," said the Captain; "you will do no such thing!"
"All right," returned the younger officer, good humouredly, "they're
not my wives!"