OLD FACES UPON NEW NEIGHBOURS.
Now, while Arthur devoted himself chiefly to the interior carpentering,
Robert burned and cleared a patch of fallow to be a garden. Their good
friend Hiram Holt, among his other useful gifts, had sent with them in
the waggon a stock of young apple trees, which had lain all winter half
buried in a corner of the hut, to be grubbed up in spring and planted
out in rows four rods apart. Beds of potatoes and turnips, set at the
edges with pumpkin seeds and squares of Indian corn, filled the garden
space in an orderly manner before the end of May; then rail fences
sprang up about it, and the first bit of forest was fairly reclaimed.
During breakfast one morning, Andy rushed in, proclaiming that a raft
was in sight on the lake, 'one 'most as big as a five-acre field,' he
said. This proved rather an imaginative description on Andy's part, like
many other of his verbal sketches; for the raft was infantine compared
with its congeners of the great lake and the St. Lawrence. A couple
of bonds lashed together--that was all; and a bond containeth twenty
cribs, and a crib containeth a variable amount of beams, according to
lumberers' arithmetical tables. Arthur recognised his acquaintance,
the Scotch foreman, pacing the deck; he hailed the unwieldy craft,
and shipped himself aboard for a voyage to the 'Corner,' where he had
business at the store.
'Wid a horn in front, an' a tail behind, there it goes,' observed Andy,
in allusion to the long oars projecting from rowlocks at each end. 'An'
now, Masther Robert, what'll become o' that in the rapids below the
sawmill? Sure 'twill be batthered in pieces, an' the water so mighty
coorse intirely there; enough to make chaneys of any raft.'
''Twill be taken asunder, and the cribs sent down separately over the
falls,' replied Mr. Wynn.
Arthur saw the operation by and by, and the hardy raftsmen shooting the
rapids in what appeared to him circumstances of exciting peril. While he
and all the disengaged dwellers at the 'Corner' were as yet looking on,
a waggon came in sight from among the trees, and turned their curiosity
into another channel.
Gradually it drew near, stumbling among the stumps and ruts, with all
sorts of language applied to the oxen. Arthur thought he had formerly
seen that figure marching by the off-wheel. That peculiar gentleman-like
and military air, even shouldering a handspike, could not be mistaken.
'I guess as how 'tis the Britisher officer as has took Davidson's
betterments,' said 'cute Zack; 'an' thar's womanfolks behind the waggon
afoot. Wal, now, but I say I _do_ pity them Britisher ladies a-coming
into the bush--them that hain't never in their hull life as much as
baked a biscuit. I ha' seen the like o' such in Montreal--delicate
critters, that you wouldn't hardly think knowed the use of a fryin'-pan
when they see'd it, an' couldn't lift one if they was to git a handful
o' dollars. I guess these ain't much betterer nohow.'
It was a homily on the appearance of Edith Armytage and the child Jay
picking their steps along after the waggon; while within, on hampers and
boxes, stretched heavily, lay their brother, taking things easy by means
of sleep. The captain's salute to Arthur was most cordial.
'So, my dear young friend! What most fortunate fate has thrown us
together again? A very pleasant freak of destiny, truly. I left you last
with an uncomfortable old gentleman, who was particularly obstinate in
his opinions about the seignorial system, as I remember. He was right,
my young friend, in condemning that system, eh? Perfectly right. I left
it in disgust. Incompatible with a British officer's feelings, eh?'
Here his monologue was disturbed by little Jay's running up to Arthur
very joyously. 'I told Edith we should meet you. I knew we should. And
how is Robert and your funny servant? Ah, I am very glad!'
'Jane, my dear, I have repeatedly told you not to be so boisterous,' put
in her father. 'Go back, and walk with your sister Edith.'
The little girl tried to withdraw her hand and obey, though with a
wistful look; but Arthur detained it, and went with her the few steps to
meet Miss Armytage:
'Edith, are you not glad? They all live at Cedar Creek, quite close to
Daisy Burn, and we can see them every day; and he says Daisy Burn is a
very nice place'--
'I have had some experience of children,' began Captain Armytage
stiffly, 'but one so talkative as Jane I have seldom met. You should
correct her, Edith, my dear.' For the man's voice was what he wished to
hear. Edith's hand was most gently laid on the dear little sister's arm
as a caution; but at this juncture both gentlemen were obliged to press
forward and help the oxen out of some critical situations, and Jay could
whisper her delight and her anticipations without fear of reprimand for
a few minutes at least.
Then, when the waggon brought up in front of Mr. Bunting's store, young
Armytage woke up with a mighty yawn and stretch to declare that bush
travelling was the greatest bore--would they ever reach the farm? And
he thereupon arose to the exertion of kindling his pipe.
'Nonsense, Wynn, can that be you? Glad to see some face I know among
these endless trees. They're nearly as sickening to me as waves to a
fellow in his first voyage. Hope the farm has been well cleared of them.
You know the ground, eh?'
'Not all cleared by any means; but if you had to take the axe in hand as
we have'--
'Gentlemen, are you going to liquor?' said Zack in a persuasive tone,
marshalling the way into his bar. 'Almeria, tell your ma to bring here
some of her best beer to treat these gentlemen--partic'lar friends. Be
spry, will you?'
The tawny black-eyed young lady answering to the above high-sounding
cognomen returned in a few moments with a jug, whence her father poured
forth three horn goblets of dark fluid. Arthur, through superior knowledge
not touching his, was highly amused by the grimaces of the others.
Indeed, the captain had swallowed a huge gulp of it before he realized
fully its strange flavour, and then could but sputter and scour his
moustache and lips with his handkerchief. Mr. Bunting looked on with
exemplary gravity.
'Thar! I told th' ole woman that spruce beer ain't so good as usual this
brewin'.'
'Good! the vilest compound. A fir-tree steeped in a stagnant pool!'
exclaimed the irate captain, with considerable warmth of colouring.
'Bring me something, sirrah, to take away the odious taste--anything you
like.'
Mr. Bunting obeyed with alacrity. Arthur left father and son over their
pipes and glasses, and went outside to join Miss Armytage and Jay, who
had declined various overtures to enter the store, and were the cynosure
of all eyes in the 'Corner' as they walked to and fro on the stumpless
strip of ground in the place--a fair child and a pale girl. Presently
forth came the captain.
'Edith, my dear,' he said blandly, 'I may be detained here for half an
hour; I find that mine host, Mr. Bunting, has a very exact knowledge of
the locality to which we are going. I think you both might be going on
with the waggon; your brother will follow in a minute or so when his
smoke is finished, he says. Driver, you may go forward; _au revoir_,
Edith.'
He kissed the tips of his fingers to his daughter gallantly, and passed
into the bar again with a jaunty air.
'If you will allow me to accompany you,' said Arthur, seeing that she
hesitated, 'you will do me a kindness, for I have rather a large pack to
carry going home; I can rest it on the waggon; and Daisy Burn is more
than half-way to Cedar Creek.'
'Did I not tell you we would find out Arthur and Robert?' said the child
Jay, with an ecstatic clasp of her fingers upon young Wynn's. 'You said
you were afraid we should have no friends in the woods, but I knew that
God would not let us be so forsaken as that.'
And the three walked on into the long vista of the concession line.