Corporal Cameron of the North West Mounted Police Part 22

"His sister could come with him!" argued the boy.

"What about his father?"

Rob had been close enough to events to know that the Captain const.i.tuted something of a difficulty in the situation.

"Well, won't he have business to attend to?"

His brother laughed. "Good idea, Rob, let us hope so! At any rate we will do our best to get Cameron and his sister to come to us. We want them, don't we?"

"We do that!" said the boy fervently; "only I'm sure something will happen! There," he exclaimed a moment later, in a tone of disappointment and disgust, "I just knew it! There is Miss Brodie and some one else; they will get after him, I know!"

"So it is," said Dunn, with a not altogether successful attempt at surprise.

"Aw! you knew!" said Rob reproachfully.

"Well! I kind of thought she might turn up!" said his brother, with an air of a convicted criminal. "You know she is quite a friend of Cameron's. But what is Sir Archibald here for?"

"They will just get him, I know," said Rob gloomily, as he followed his brother to meet Miss Brodie and her uncle.

"We're here!" cried that young lady, "to join in the demonstration to the hero! And, my uncle being somewhat conscience-stricken over his tardy and unwilling acceptance of our superior judgment in the recent famous case, has come to make such reparation as he can."

"What a piece of impertinence! Don't listen to her, Sir!" cried Sir Archibald, greeting Dunn warmly and with the respect due an International captain. "The truth is I have a letter here for him to a business friend in Montreal, which may be of service. Of course, I may say to you that I am more than delighted that this letter of Potts has quite cleared the young man, and that he goes to the new country with reputation unstained. I am greatly delighted! greatly delighted! and I wish the opportunity to say so."

"Indeed, we are all delighted," replied Dunn cordially, "though, of course, I never could bring myself to believe him guilty of crime."

"Well, on the strength of the judgment of yourself and, I must confess, of this young person here, I made my decision."

"Well," cried Miss Brodie, "I gave you my opinion because it was my opinion, but I confess at times I had my own doubts--"

Here she paused abruptly, arrested by the look on young Rob's face; it was a look of surprise, grief, and horror.

"That is to say," continued Miss Brodie hastily, answering the look, and recognising that her high place in Rob's regard was in peril, "the whole thing was a mystery--was impossible to solve--I mean," she continued, stumbling along, "his own att.i.tude was so very uncertain and so unsatisfactory--if he had only been able to say clearly 'I am not guilty' it would have been different--I mean--of course, I don't believe him guilty. Don't look at me like that, Rob! I won't have it! But was it not clever of that dear Mr. Rae to extract that letter from the wretched Potts?"

"There's the train!" cried Dunn. "Here, Rob, you stay here with me!

Where has the young rascal gone!"

"Look! Oh, look!" cried Miss Brodie, clutching at Dunn's arm, her eyes wide with terror. There before their horrified eyes was young Rob, hanging on to the window, out of which his friend Cameron was leaning, and racing madly with the swiftly moving train, in momentary danger of being dragged under its wheels. With a cry, Dunn rushed forward.

"Merciful heavens!" cried Miss Brodie. "Oh! he is gone!"

A porter, standing with his back towards the racing boy, had knocked his feet from under him. But as he fell, a strong hand grabbed him, and dragged him to safety through the window.

Pale and shaking, the three friends waited for the car door to be opened, and as Rob issued in triumphant possession of his friend, Miss Brodie rushed at him and, seizing him in her strong grasp, cried:

"You heartless young rascal! You nearly killed me--not to speak of yourself! Here," she continued, throwing her arms about him, and giving him a loud smack, "take that for your punishment! Do you hear, you nearly killed me! I had a vision of your mangled form ground up between the wheels and the platform. Hold on, you can't get away from me! I have a mind to give you another!"

"Oh, Miss Brodie, please," pleaded Cameron, coming forward to Rob's rescue, "I a.s.sure you I was partly to blame; it is only fair I should share his punishment."

"Indeed," cried Miss Brodie, the blood coming back into her cheeks that had been white enough a moment before, "if it were not for your size, and your--looks, I should treat you exactly the same, though not with the same intent, as our friend Mr. Rae would say. You did that splendidly!"

"Alas! for my size," groaned Cameron--he was in great spirits--"and alas! for my ugly phiz!"

"Who said 'ugly'?" replied Miss Brodie. "But I won't rise to your bait.

May I introduce you to my uncle, Sir Archibald Brodie, who has a little business with you?"

"Ah! Mr. Cameron," said that gentleman, "that was extremely well done. Indeed, I can hardly get back my nerve--might have been an ugly accident. By the way, Sir," taking Cameron aside, "just a moment. You are on your way to Canada? I have a letter which I thought might be of service to you. It is to a business friend of mine, a banker, in Montreal, Mr. James Ritchie. You will find him a good man to know, and I fancy glad to serve any--ah--friend of mine."

On hearing Sir Archibald's name, Cameron's manner became distinctly haughty, and he was on the point of declining the letter, when Sir Archibald, who was quick to observe his manner, took him by the arm and led him somewhat further away.

"Now, Sir, there is a little matter I wish to speak of, if you will permit. Indeed, I came specially to say how delighted I am that the--ah--recent little unpleasantness has been removed. Of course you understand my responsibility to the Bank rendered a certain course of action imperative, however repugnant. But, believe me, I am truly delighted to find that my decision to withdraw the--ah--action has been entirely justified by events. Delighted, Sir! Delighted! And much more since I have seen you."

Before the overflowing kindliness of Sir Archibald's voice and manner, Cameron's hauteur vanished like morning mist before the rising sun.

"I thank you, Sir Archibald," he said, with dignity, "not only for this letter, but especially for your good opinion."

"Very good! Very good! The letter will, I hope, be useful," replied Sir Archibald, "and as for my opinion, I am glad to find not only that it is well founded, but that it appears to be shared by most of this company here. Now we must get back to your party. But let me say again, I am truly glad to have come to know you."

BOOK TWO

CHAPTER I

HO FOR THE OPEN!

Mr. James Ritchie, manager of the Bank of Montreal, glanced from the letter in his hand to the young man who had just given it to him. "Ah!

you have just arrived from the old land," he said, a smile of genial welcome illuminating his handsome face. "I am pleased to hear from my old friend, Sir Archibald Brodie, and pleased to welcome any friend of his to Canada."

So saying, with fine old-time courtesy, the banker rose to his splendid height of six feet two, and shook his visitor warmly by the hand.

"Your name is--?"

"Cameron, Sir," said the young man.

"Yes, I see! Mr. Allan Cameron--um, um," with his eyes on the letter.

"Old and distinguished family--exactly so! Now, then, Mr. Cameron, I hope we shall be able to do something for you, both for the sake of my old friend, Sir Archibald, and, indeed, for your own sake," said the banker, with a glance of approval at Cameron's upright form.

"Sit down, Sir! Sit down! Now, business first is my motto. What can I do for you?"

"Well, first of all," said Cameron with a laugh, "I wish to make a deposit. I have a draft of one hundred pounds here which I should like to place in your care."

"Very well, Sir," said the banker, touching a b.u.t.ton, "my young man will attend to that."

"Now, then," when the business had been transacted, "what are your plans, Mr. Cameron? Thirty-five years ago I came to Montreal a young man, from Scotland, like yourself, and it was a lonely day for me when I reached this city, the loneliest in my life, and so my heart warms to the stranger from the old land. Yes," continued Mr. Ritchie, in a reminiscent tone, "I remember well! I hired as errand boy and general factotum to a small grocer down near the market. Montreal was a small city then, with wretched streets--they're bad enough yet--and poor buildings; everything was slow and backward; there have been mighty changes since. But here we are! Now, what are your plans?"