The Settlers in Canada Part 39

"Tell him that there are several Indian women about the fort, who will take any message he may send to the Angry Snake."

The Young Otter made no reply to any thing said by Malachi, but looked around him very impatiently.

"Be off as fast as you can," said Malachi, "for depend upon it the Angry Snake was to meet him after his talk with me; I see it by his wandering eye, and his looking round for a.s.sistance. I will go with you, and return with Alfred and Martin, for I have no rifle."

"You can take mine, Malachi, as soon as we come up to the soldiers."

This was done in a few minutes. Captain Sinclair then took charge of the Indian, and set off with his party for the fort. Malachi, Alfred, and Martin returned to the house, and before they entered the prairie, Martin detected the tall form of an Indian at a short distance, in the shade of the trees.

"Yes, I was sure of it," said Malachi. "It was well that I did not go back without you. After all, in the woods, a man's no man without his rifle."

CHAPTER x.x.xV.

Martin was right when he stated that he perceived the form of the Angry Snake under the shade of the trees. The chief was then watching what occurred, and had been witness to the capture of his emissary, and, following those who had the Young Otter in charge, saw him conveyed to the fort. In the meantime, Malachi, Martin, and Alfred went home, without any suspicion being raised among the other branches of the family of what had occurred. This gave them great satisfaction.

"Well, Malachi," said Alfred the next morning, as they were all busily employed getting the seed into the new cleared land; "what do you imagine will be the steps now taken by the Angry Snake?"

"It's hard to say, sir," replied Malachi; "for he well deserves the name of a snake, if, as the Scripture says, it's the subtlest thing on earth: he will try all he can, you may be sure; and if it were not that he is afraid of us, he would attack us immediately; but that I have no idea that he will venture upon."

"No, for your letter says, that he has only two rifles in his band, which are not enough to give him any chance of success."

"Very true, sir. I hear that the _bateaux_ are coming from the fort for the plank and flour."

"Yes, to-morrow, if there is not so much wind as there is to-day; it blows very fresh. Where is John?"

"I left him with the Strawberry, sir; they were busy with the sugar."

"By the by, how much have you got, Malachi?"

"About three or four hundred pounds, sir, as near as I can reckon; quite as much as madam will require."

"Yes, I should think so; now we shall have preserves of all sorts and the fruit for nothing; the wild raspberries are nearly ripe, and so are the cherries; my cousins want John to help to gather them."

"Well, sir, I dare say he will do so, although I believe that he would rather do any thing else. He said he was going to fish this morning."

"The water is too rough, and he will not be able to manage the punt by himself."

"Then that's the very reason why he'll go out," replied Malachi; "he don't like easy jobs like picking raspberries. Is it true, Mr. Alfred, that we are to have some more settlers come here?"

"Yes, I believe so; my father is very anxious to have them; he thinks it will be a great security, and he has offered very advantageous terms; you won't much like that, Malachi?"

"Well, sir, I dare say you may think so, but it is not the case; if any one had told me, two years ago, that I could have remained here, I would have said it was impossible, but we are all creatures of habit. I had been so used to my own company for so long a time, that when I first saw you I couldn't bear the sight of you; no, not even that of your pretty cousins, Miss Mary and Emma, although, Heaven knows, they might tame a savage; but now, sir, I feel quite changed; I have first borne with company, because I fancied the boy, and then I felt no dislike to it, and now I like it. I believe that in my old age I am coming back to my feelings as a boy, and I think very often of my father's farm, and the little village that was close to it; and then I often fancy that I should like to see a village rise up here, and a church stand up there upon the mount; I think I should like to live on till I saw a church built and G.o.d wors.h.i.+ped as He ought to be."

"This is indeed a change, Malachi; well, I hope you will see a church on the mount, and live many years afterward to be present at the weddings and christenings."

"As it pleases G.o.d, sir. There's one thing, Mr. Alfred, that has given me great content, and more than any thing, perhaps, reconciled me to my new way of living; and that is, that the Strawberry, by the blessing of G.o.d and the labor of your mother and cousins, has become a good Christian; you don't know how pleased I am at that."

"She's an excellent little creature, Malachi; every one is fond of her, and I believe Martin is very strongly attached to her."

"Yes, sir, she's a good wife, for she never uses her tongue, and obeys her husband in all things. I think Martin has now become quite steady, and you might send him to Montreal, or any where else, without fear of his getting into the prison for making a disturbance.--I see that a bear has been over into the maize-field last night."

"What! did he climb the snake-fence?"

"Yes, sir, they climb any thing; but I have got his tracks, and this night I think that I shall get hold of him, for I shall lay a trap for him."

Malachi and Alfred continued to work for two or three hours, when they were summoned by Emma to go in to dinner. "I can not find John," said Emma, as they walked home; "Strawberry says that he left her some time back, and went to fish; have you seen him pa.s.s by the river's side?"

"No," replied Alfred; "but, Malachi, you said that he was going to fish in the punt, did you not?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you see the punt on the beach, Emma?"

"No, I do not," replied Emma; "but it may be behind the point."

"Nor can I; I hope he has not been carried away by the wind, for it blows very hard; I'll run down, and see if he is there."

Alfred ran down to the beach; the punt was gone from the sh.o.r.e, and after looking for some time to leeward, which was to the eastward, in the direction of the rapids, Alfred thought that he perceived something like a boat at a distance of three or four miles; but the water of the lake was much ruffled by the strong wind, and it was not easy to distinguish.

Alfred hastened back, and said to Emma, "I really am afraid that John is adrift. I think I see the boat, but am not sure. Emma, go in quietly and bring out my telescope, which is over my bed-place. Do not let them see you, or they will be asking questions, and your aunt may be alarmed."

Emma went to the house, and soon returned with the telescope. Alfred and Malachi then went down to the beach, and the former distinctly made out that what he had seen was the punt adrift, with John in it.

"Now, what is to be done?" said Alfred. "I must take a horse, and ride off to the fort, for if they do not see him before he pa.s.ses, he may not be picked up."

"If he once gets into the rapids, sir," said Malachi, "he will be in great danger; for he may be borne down upon one of the rocks, and upset in a minute."

"Yes; but he is some way from them yet," replied Alfred.

"Very true, sir; but with this strong wind right down to them, and helping the current, he will soon be there. There is no time to be lost."

"No; but I'll go in to dinner, and as soon as I have taken a mouthful, just to avoid creating any alarm, I will slip out, and ride to the fort as fast as I can."

"Just so; you will be there in good time, for he is now three miles above the fort; indeed, he can not well pa.s.s it without their seeing him."

"Yes, he can, now that the water is so rough," replied Alfred; "recollect that they are soldiers in the fort, and not sailors, who are accustomed to look on the water. A piece of drift timber and a punt is much the same to their eyes. Come, let us in to dinner."

"Yes, sir; I'll follow you," replied Malachi; "but, before I come in I'll catch the horse and saddle him for you. You can tell Miss Emma to hold her tongue about it."

Alfred rejoined Emma, whom he cautioned, and then they went in to their dinner.

"Where's John?" said Mr. Campbell; "he promised me some lake fish for dinner, and has never brought them in; so you will not have such good fare as I expected."

"And where's Malachi?" said Alfred.