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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..872f132 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53220 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53220) diff --git a/old/53220-0.txt b/old/53220-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4d0dce6..0000000 --- a/old/53220-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4164 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The House of Cariboo and Other Tales from -Arcadia, by A. Paul Gardiner - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The House of Cariboo and Other Tales from Arcadia - -Author: A. Paul Gardiner - -Illustrator: Robert A. Graef - -Release Date: October 6, 2016 [EBook #53220] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOUSE OF CARIBOO, TALES FROM ARCADIA *** - - - - -Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Susan Theresa Morin and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - See Transcriber’s Notes at end of text. - - - - - [Illustration: “Lucy * * * watched intently a boat pushing out from - a bay farther up the shore.” (Page 159.)] - - - - - _The House of Cariboo - - AND OTHER - - Tales from Arcadia, - - BY - - A. PAUL GARDINER. - - Author of “Vacation Incidents,” “The Fifth - Avenue Social Trust,” etc. - - Illustrated by Robert A. Graef. - - A. P. Gardiner, Publisher, New York. - - 1900._ - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY - A. P. GARDINER. - - - - - _CONTENTS._ - - - PAGE - - THE ARCHIPELAGO, 11 - - ALONG THE FRONT, 16 - - THE HOUSE OF CARIBOO. - - CHAP. I. THE CAMERONS AT THE FRONT, 31 - - CHAP. II. BARBARA AND DAN AT HOME, 43 - - CHAP. III. ON THE WAY TO THE GOLD FIELDS, 46 - - CHAP. IV. INTO THE CARIBOO MOUNTAINS, 50 - - CHAP. V. AT THE FOUR CORNERS, 54 - - CHAP. VI. DONALD VISITS THE GOSSIP CLUB, 63 - - CHAP. VII. IN THE MINING CAMP, 72 - - CHAP. VIII. LECLARE’S STORY: THE INITIALED TREE, 80 - - CHAP. IX. LECLARE’S STORY: THE CHRISTMAS TREE, 89 - - CHAP. X. ADIEU TO THE MINING CAMP, 96 - - CHAP. XI. NICK PERKINS THE MONEY LENDER, 101 - - CHAP XII. BARBARA IN THE CHILCOTEN VALLEY, 110 - - CHAP. XIII. THE MORTGAGE COMES DUE, 115 - - CHAP. XIV. BLAKELY CONSULTS CAMERON’S LAWYER, 121 - - CHAP. XV. CAMERON’S RESOLVE, 126 - - CHAP. XVI. THE RETURN OF THE GOLD DIGGERS, 131 - - CHAP. XVII. CAMERON OUTLINES HIS POLICY, 136 - - CHAP. XVIII. THE ICE RAFT, 143 - - CHAP. XIX. LECLARE TO PROSPECT IN ARCADIA, 153 - - CHAP. XX. LUCY VISITS THE ARCHIPELAGO, 157 - - CHAP. XXI. UNDER THE INITIALED TREE, 166 - - CHAP. XXII. THE MYSTERY OF THE CORNER STONES, 171 - - CHAP. XXIII. FRASER CONFERS WITH PERKINS, 175 - - CHAP. XXIV. PERKINS AGAIN OUTWITTED, 182 - - CHAP. XXV. DONALD BAN AT THE FRONT, 188 - - CHAP. XXVI. CAMERON’S TASK COMPLETED, 195 - - THE GROWING MASKINONGE, 200 - - - - - List of Full Page Illustrations. - - - “Lucy * * * watched intently a boat pushing out - from a bay farther up the shore.” (Page 159.) _Frontispiece._ - - - “I had run across Jimmie, one day, while prospecting - for water lilies,” 22 - - “‘Now, Nick Perkins, if you have got anything to - say to me personally, just come down here in - the road and I’ll talk to you,’” 68 - - “‘Speak, Edmond!’ gasped Cameron. ‘What have - you behind your back? It’s gold! gold!—I - know it!’” 76 - - “As the hour of the sale approached, they assembled - at the east end of the broad veranda,” 188 - - “‘Well, it’s pretty bad,’ said Du Ponté, ‘but Ribbon - needs you the worst of any of us,’” 212 - - - - -_The Archipelago._ - - -As the eagle stirs up her nest upon the crags and forces her young -over the confines of the inadequate abode, it is then that they spread -their wings and soar away to freedom and independence. So is it with -the great river of rivers, the St. Lawrence. Born among the Northwest -Lakes, and sheltered there for a time, resenting intrusion, it steals -away unnoticed from the watershed expanse. Threading its course through -the marshes and lowlands, it gathers momentum as it speeds onward, -till, the volume growing too great for its confining banks, its waters -rebel, and breaking from control, spread forth into the boisterous -storm-tossed Erie. Here they are disrupted and buffeted about, driven -by the winds and carried onward by a terrible undertow. Now drawn -through a narrow, deep channel, swiftly they pass the cities on the -shore. Too quickly they are speeding to heed or be disturbed longer -by the warring of the elements. Down to the very brink of the awful -precipice ahead they charge with ever-increasing speed, then over the -Niagara, pouring far beneath into the seething, boiling caldrons. - -After surging still onward through jagged, walled raceways, then -emerging into a lake of whirling eddies, till finally fought out -to exhaustion, the once rampant waters of the tumultuous Erie flow -peacefully into the haven of the Lake of Ontario. Here at rest, -landlocked by the grape-bearing vineyards of the Niagara and the -peach groves of the Canadian Paradise of the West, the St. Lawrence -is again reinforced, and again its voyage onward to the sea is begun, -this time marked by the dignity of a well-organized body. The blue -waters, through their separate channels, glide majestically down their -course, passing the islands in their midst with a happy smile and -ripples of sunlight laughter. Touching at the wharfs of the numerous -cottagers and lapping the white shining sides of the pleasure craft -among the Thousand Islands, onward heedlessly flows the beautiful river -increasing in strength. - -Once more before reaching the haven of the Archipelago, the water -channels of the great river are bidden to struggle with one another, -to fight for supremacy and swiftness, and demonstrate to the other -creatures of nature the mighty forces hidden at other times beneath the -tranquil surface of her smiling face. The rapids of the Sioux are now -left behind and we come to that part of the majestic river included -in these sketches, which territorial lines have placed within the -borders of our friendly Canadian ally, the Lake St. Francis. Beginning -immediately after the subsiding of the waters from their turbulent -passage through the rapids of the Sioux, the river spreads out till -its confining banks are in places ten miles apart. There in this wide -expanse stretching across toward the blue irregular mountain line of -the Adirondacks, far to the southward, then eastward till the vision -meets the water line, lie the islands grouped for beauty by nature’s -gardener, called by the writer the Arcadian Archipelago. - -The very atmosphere of this enchanted region compels the thoughts of -peace and freedom. A restful idleness pervades the life of its people; -and while they fish and row about through the islands of the group, -picnicking with their friends of the Cameron or McDonald Clan from the -“Gore,” little do they care for the tending of the farm, the harvesting -of the crops, or the speeding of time. The only “walking delegate” -whose ruling they recognize, is the rising or setting sun. Upon the -interval of time, for them there are no restrictions. - -Free from the cares of business, ignorant of the affairs of political -intriguing, and shielded by happiness from all social strife, these -primitive inhabitants of the Archipelago live on as does the flowering -plant-life of the district. They bask in the sun of the Spring and -Summer seasons, only to hide away again for months from the Winter’s -snows and the icy winds of December and March. As life among the people -of Glengarry and the settlers at the “Front” over on the mainland, -goes happily on, unchanged by the passing social fads of the century, -so also upon the St. Francis Islands nature still retains her original -tenants and social customs. The Indians from the tribe of St. Regis at -the reservation on the mainland guard with a jealous care their coveted -hunting grounds from possession by the white men; and neither thus far -has the woodsman’s axe nor the painted cottage of the “first settler” -succeeded in gaining an entree into the sacred confines of the St. -Francis Archipelago. - - - - -_Along the Front._ - -[Illustration: _ALONG THE FRONT_] - - -Along The Front the north bank of the river skirting the Arcadian -Archipelago is high and terraced up from the water’s edge to the -roadway, which follows the indentations of the shore line westward to -the county seat of Glengarry. Over this road the country folk from the -interior townships make their weekly pilgrimages to market the products -of their farms. Facing this road also, and looking out upon the broad -river, dotted with wooded islands, are the farm-houses, the small -church, and the dilapidated remains of what was once a prosperous boat -landing called The Front. In the palmy days of river freighting this -little weather-beaten hamlet had some excuse for a hope of life, but -now that river navigation all over the world has been paralleled with -the modern steel-winged carriers, time and neglect have stamped their -impress upon the deserted buildings and docks, which at one time in the -long ago had shown fair signs of a prolonged life. - -From Castle Island, as we look across the boat channel and over the -intervening strips of rush banks to the mainland, the remains of the -business part of The Front present a deserted and uninviting appearance. - -First we see the dilapidated dock; then a disheveled freight building; -near by in a small bay, is a broken-down boat house, sadly twisted by -the “ice shoves” in the Spring of the year. Next we can see the old -brown, weather-discolored tavern with an extension reaching out toward -the east. A dance hall it was, and below, the beaux of old Glengarry -stabled their horses, while they danced overhead to the music of the -bagpipes until dawn of day. Sad, as he views the scene, must be the -thoughts of one of these gallants returning to his native home. In the -palmy days of The Front he had proudly escorted the farmer’s comely -lassie through the corridors of the tavern and up the broad stairs -to the dance hall, pleased with his choice of a partner and happy in -the simplicity of his surroundings. To-day, the name on the sign-board -over the entrance is no longer readable. The plank steps, once strong -and unbending, have rotted away at the ends and the centre, until -now, for the use of the laborer’s family who occupy the old shell as -their living apartments, broken pieces of plank for steps are held up -by stones placed one upon the other. The dance hall in the extension -presents the sorriest appearance to the visitor approaching from the -water’s side. A woodyard with jagged, uncut logs and little heaps of -chips picked up here and there from the chopper’s axe, fills the yard -and what was once the stabling-shed for the chafing steeds of the -Glengarry lads. The gable end of the hall is all awry; the archways -beneath and the supporting posts have leaned over, tired as it were, -of the long, weary wait against the time when they will be no longer -asked to support their useless burden. Doves, unmolested, fly in and -out through the broken panes of the windows, and strut and coo along -the weather-checked vane of the roof. Where once the droning of the -bagpipes re-echoed through the full length of the building, it is now -the buzzing of the bumble-bee and the tenor singing wasps that we hear -as they swarm around their hive-nests suspended from the rafters. -Gone forever from the old tavern are the good times of yore, and like -the business prosperity at the landing, they have followed the noisy -rivermen down the stream to return again no more to The Front. - -To describe the surviving enterprises at The Front—there are, first, -the government post-office; then the buckboard stage line plying -between The Front and the station to the railway two miles inland; and, -lastly, the boat builder’s plant in the bay. It would seem that the -traveling public were charitably inclined toward the ancient buckskin -mare and the driver of the mail coach, for daily the old nag is hitched -to the buckboard; the canvas mail-sack is rolled up and tucked into -the pocket of the driver’s linen-dusterlike coat, and without ever a -passenger to tax the strength of the old mare or the comfort of the -driver, they jog along together to the station, then back. The return -pouch is extracted from the folds of the accommodating coat, handed -over to the official postmaster, and the business event of the day at -The Front is closed. - -Down by the water’s edge, with one corner of its base, as if from -a misstep, dipping down into the stream, is the plant of the boat -builder. Across at Castle Island each season his couple of boats, -the result of his Winter’s employment, are disposed of; then after -re-calking the two which he had sold the previous season, and had -re-purchased at secondhand prices, he awaits through the long Summer -days, the arrival of trade. - -Each day as I looked across at The Front, my field glasses refused -to change the sameness of the scene or setting by even discovering -a venturesome pedestrian sauntering down the dusty road, or a child -running an errand for an industrious housewife to the post-office -or general store. Curiosity had about decided me to make a visit of -investigation, but before an opportunity to act came, I was told a -caller wished to see me. - -“I am from The Front, aye, sir, just yonder acrost, and three farms -up from the post-office is where I live. Jimmie MacPherson—James T. -MacPherson is my right name, but they call me Jimmie around here. Of -course, I mean,” he added apologetically, “they do over at the cheese -factory and the wheelwright shop. You city folks here on the island, -from New York, don’t know me, so I’m telling you my full name, but you -can call me Jimmie, too, if you like that better.” - -“All right, Jimmie,” said I, “that sounds more like getting on -together. Have a seat here on the veranda, or we will go down on the -dock, just as you say.” I thought the presence of ladies near by might -interfere with the free discussion of the subject about which Jimmie -had thought it necessary to call. - -[Illustration: “I had run across Jimmie, one day, while prospecting for -water lilies.”] - -“On the veranda,” replied Jimmie, and a mischievous twinkle was in -his eyes, as he shaded them from the glare of the morning sun with -the rough fingers of his right hand. “You will see by my complexion,” -he continued in a humorous strain, “that I am not used to being out -in the sun. The field corn grows so fast along The Front that we are -constantly in the shade while out promenading.” Then he turned his -shining countenance on me to confirm what he had said. An honest face -it was, covered with an unkempt, fiery red beard. His skin was burned -and blistered in spots extending from the shade mark on the forehead -made by his greasy felt hat till lost in perspective in the dense -undergrowth of the lower chin and neck. - -I had run across Jimmie one day while prospecting for water lilies, at -the mouth of a small creek which emptied its waters by a circuitous -route into one of the channels of the large river, to be found over -in the region of Hoag Island and the Dead Channel. Jimmie on that -morning was cocked up in the stern seat of his flat-bottomed punt. Two -wooden pins acting as oar locks, stuck into the sides of the boat and -recently whittled to a whiteness of the wood, were the only relief in -color to that of the boat and crew. Jimmie was the captain and the -crew consisted of the spaniel dog, whose brown coat corresponded so -closely to the coloring of the metal and stock of the beautiful modern -shot gun, and the entire costume of Jimmie and his river craft, that as -he lay alongside of a reed-bank filled with dried cat-tail I had nearly -run him down before making the discovery. - -“Good morning, stranger,” said Jimmie, in a calm, well-inflected voice. -A smile seemed to be playing all about his face. Bristling in the -sun was his red kinky beard, shining his face as though rubbed to a -polish, the shabby felt hat reaching out modestly to the line in the -middle of his forehead. He was perched on the seat, crowded back into -the stern of the boat, and the water spaniel, proud and important, -moved with ease between the rowing seat and the perch upon which his -master sat making observations. Looking more closely at my discovery -before making any reply to his salutation, I saw on his feet a pair -of “contract-made” shoes, rivets and buckles prominently in sight, -which had from long usage taken on a shape resembling an elephant’s -foot in miniature, all instep and few toes; a pair of blue jeans, a -negligee shirt, a leather strap making upward and diagonally across -the chest for a wire nail on the band of the trousers at the back, and -a four-in-hand tie of undefinable pattern, the quilting of which had -suffered a sad displacement and was clinging in shreds to the original -band encircling his neck, which had been tenderly preserved by the -spinach-fringe of unfading brightness. - -“Hello,” said I, in return of salute. “Shooting out of season?” - -At that instant I was not conscious of the significance of my remark, -which had popped out spontaneously with my first sight of Jimmie and -his crew. - -“No,” he replied. “I heard up along The Front that there were some good -dory holes in this channel, so I thought I would come up in here and -see if I could find the fish weeds. Then I would know for myself.” - -“Oh, I see!” said I. “Good scheme, isn’t it?” Then we each laughed a -little and seemed to understand each other better after that. My boat -had drifted up alongside, and curiosity led me to ask permission to -examine the modern gun of beautiful finish and workmanship, a striking -contrast to the attire, at least, of the owner. - -“A good gun, stranger,” remarked Jimmie. - -“Yes, and an expensive one, I should think, any way. What use have you -for such a gun?” I said, as I returned it to him. - -“Well, you see,” began Jimmie, “a gun is like some other things. When -you need one, you need it pretty bad, and then you can’t have too good -a one, and that’s why I have one like this.” For an instant I imagined -I was out in the Pan Handle country of Texas and that the advice of -my friend would be good to follow. But, no! Here I was in a boat in -Arcadia on the peaceful Lake St. Francis. Then looking again quickly -toward the boat and crew at my left, I was met by a broad grin from its -occupant. - -“Jimmie,” I said, “you’re the sort I always want to know. Come over to -Castle Island to-morrow and we will ‘talk it over.’” - -Since meeting Jimmie down in the rush banks, I had heard more about him -from the guides on the Island, and I knew his call this morning would -prove both interesting and entertaining. - -Jimmie, they told me, had at one time directed the political affairs -of the County Glengarry. That is, he had been employed as secretary -by the representative in Parliament from his district. This gentleman -could neither read nor write nor compose a speech to be delivered -before his constituents. With him Jimmie spent several months at the -Canadian Capital, where in his capacity as secretary, he had been -writing speeches for his chief which were supposed to be delivered -before the representatives in Parliament, but which instead, his wily -employer had directed should be sent home for publication in the county -newspaper for the edification of the voters who had made him their -representative. Jimmie had schooled his charge “The Member” in the -civilities and court etiquette necessary to be employed toward his -brother “members.” He had also trained him, the while exercising great -tact and patience, how to make use of the most approved mannerisms -and figures of speech while addressing the speaker of the house. The -extent of the oratorical effort, Jimmie insisted with his pupil, must -not exceed the few phrases necessary for the seconding of a motion put -by a colleague, or a perfunctory motion to adjourn. - -Then with the “spread-eagle” speeches he had prepared for the press -agents of the counties which he and his employer were representing, -affairs at the Capital, Jimmie had congratulated himself, were going on -swimmingly. - -One night, however, as the Quixotic member came to Jimmie’s room -for final directions as to his movements in Parliament for the next -day’s session, he found his instructor boisterously delivering before -an imaginary audience, one of his pet political speeches. Paying no -attention to his caller, Jimmie proceeded with the speech—the needed -appropriations which he demanded from the government to benefit the -industries situated in the great manufacturing town, The Front, which -he had the honor to represent, and the extensive dredging operations -which were necessary to widen the channel to accommodate the lake and -river craft, constantly increasing their volume of business, which -could be proven by the congested condition of the docks, to be seen any -day in the boating season at The Front, etc. - -Poor Jimmie! The strain on his mental faculties had been too great. -“Crazy,” the doctors were cruel enough to say. So they took him back to -The Front, gentle of manner, but the enlarged idea he had created in -his brain of the condition of the business affairs at The Front never -parted company with him. - -“I have come over this morning,” began Jimmie, after we had seated -ourselves by the woodbine, “to extend to you a welcome and the -courtesies of the people of The Front. I have been instructed by -the members of the Board of Trade to offer you and your friends the -free use of the docks of the port opposite here. The use of the -Assembly Hall attached to the Hustings has been unanimously granted -by the members of the Town Council, and also arrangements have been -consummated whereby passes can be secured to visit the extensive -boat-building plant situated directly opposite on the mainland. I -am also authorized to say that between the hours of ten and twelve, -morning, the cheese manufacturing industry, during week days, and -the church at Glen Water, Sundays, will be open to visitors from the -Island. Now, my friend,” continued Jimmie, rising and placing his -hand upon the back of the chair for good oratorical effect, “come -over to The Front. You are welcome, we are not too busy a people to -miss seeing you when you do come. In fact, I can assure you that you -will feel well repaid for the effort. Why, stop and think, my dear -sir,” he went on, his eyes snapping with excitement and his features -twitching with nervousness, “progress and prosperity are within our -grasp. The grandest water-way of the whole world passes our very door. -Manufactories are already at work in our midst, and the eye of Capital -is upon us. Great, I say, yes, wonderful are the inducements we offer -for visitors coming among us. Again I say, come over to The Front. You -will not find yourself alone. Leading capitalists from all over the -world have been to see us. The truth is you can’t tell whom you may -meet while you are over there.” - -“Thank you, Jimmie, thank you. Good morning,” I said. “You can expect -me.” Then bowing and hesitating as though he had received an unexpected -check from the Speaker of the House of Parliament, he seemed to wish to -say more, but with a rare courtesy of manner, he bowed himself out of -my presence, then joining his brown spaniel dog, who awaited his master -on the shore, they got into their boat and rowed back to The Front. - -[Illustration] - - - - -_The House of Cariboo._ - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -_The Camerons at the Front._ - - -On a rise of ground at “The Front” called the “Nole” stands the Cariboo -House, conspicuously alone. - -There, fronting the river channel which separates Castle Island from -the mainland, its tinned mansard roof and the golden ball on the summit -of the flag-staff blazing in the morning’s sun, the marble castle of -the Archipelago shares with the mighty St. Lawrence, the admiration of -the tourists. - -Then as the guests at the Island gather upon the quay at sunset, the -tall marble columns and overhanging gables of the House of Cariboo, -frown down upon the waters of the placid river, casting shadows of -ugly proportions that reach across to the very pier upon which the -spectators are standing, and as they linger, fascinated by the glories -of nature, they look again, and behold! outlined against the gold and -copper edged clouds strewn over the horizon, they see projecting itself -heavenward, the green-latticed observatory, and from its vane reaching -up into the clouds is the gilded sphere on the flag-pole still blazing -from the setting sun, while all else on earth below has grown dark and -silent. - -Years have passed since the older inhabitants of Glengarry paused -and looked in bewilderment as they traveled the roadway on The Front -past the House of Cariboo. Even now, after listening to the preceding -generation tell and retell stories of Aladdin interest of the House of -Cariboo, the children of the countryside pass hurriedly on their way to -the district school, never once turning to gaze at the mansion, brought -as if from fairyland and put down in the midst of their unpretentious -rural surroundings, till at a safe distance, when they loiter and, -looking backward, unconsciously relieve their disturbed little minds by -breaking off the heads of the bobbing daisies, till urged further along -on their way by the passing of time. - -There are in Glengarry County, as you might reasonably suppose, many -families whose direct ancestors, if you cared to trace them, would lead -you at once to the lochs, lowlands or mountain passes of the Scottish -Isle. The Clans of the McDonalds, the Camerons and the MacPhersons, -have each sent a goodly representation to sustain in the new land of -the Canadas the glory of their families in the Scottish hills of their -fathers. - -There were in the beginning, at The Front in Glengarry, one Andy -Cameron, and his two brothers, called “Andy’s Dan,” and “Laughing -Donald Cameron.” Many another family of Camerons lived in Glengarry, -but there was no mistaking these three brothers. Dan, who made his home -with Andy Cameron and his wife, never left the premises of the little -farm on the “Nole” unless Andy and his wife went along too, and this -becoming the understood thing among the neighbors at The Front and the -storekeepers at the county town of Glengarry, Dan Cameron came to be -known as Andy’s Dan. The distinction was understood, his pedigree was -recorded in the minds of the people of the neighborhood, and he was -forever out of danger of being confused with the other Dan Camerons of -his neighborhood. Simple Dan, kind-hearted Dan, and most of all Andy’s -Dan. - -Laughing Donald had taken up a small farm from the government when he -and his timid, frail wife first came to Glengarry, and poor Donald -never seemed to be any more successful in getting clear from the taxes -levied each year upon him than he was in clearing the few acres he -possessed of the tree stumps, that were the bane of his life during -seed-time and harvesting. - -A few years of land holding by Laughing Donald in Glengarry had been -an added expense to Andy, who loaned from his own little store of -savings each year to keep his brother from the long-reaching clutch of -the county tax gatherer; but always laughingly indifferent when he knew -his crop yield was miserably poor, Donald became known to the country -people, and at the village where he and his sickly wife went to trade -their dried apples and carpet-rags for groceries, as Laughing Donald -Cameron. He laughed if he was greeted kindly, and he also laughed with -the same apparent degree of happiness if a hard-hearted merchant told -him his produce was not worth the buying. So Laughing Donald filled -a niche, whose personality was all his own, and neither was he ever -confounded with others of his name in the County Glengarry. - -Tilling the ground on his small farm on The Front seemed very hard -work to Donald Cameron. His gentle wife, since their coming to the new -land of the Canadas, had pined for the associations of her Scottish -hills; her health had failed with the broken spirit till she was now -pronounced an invalid. For her, the delicacies of life could not be -provided, and sickness and misfortune speedily came to their humble -home. Soon two of the children of Laughing Donald were buried in the -churchyard at The Front and the illness of his wife continued. - -Andy Cameron had noted with increasing solicitude the inroads being -made by sickness and death into the home of his brother. Unpaid bills -were accumulating and the hand of misfortune was close upon the head of -the luckless Donald. Andy had seen his lawyer friend up at the county -village, then consulting his wife Barbara, a mortgage was first made on -his own farm at the “Nole,” and Donald’s obligations were paid in full. -But then the doctor’s bill came next to Donald, for weeks and months of -medical attendance upon his invalid wife, and, still laughing in his -childish way, he brought it, as if amused at the impossible amount, and -handed it to Andy. - -“Go back home, Donald,” was Andy’s reply. “Take good care of your poor -wife. The doctor must be paid.” And then Andy made another trip up to -the village. At the lawyer’s he arranged for the money and then for -the mortgage which was this time to be placed upon Donald’s little farm. - -That night, as Andy journeyed homeward from the town, he recalled how -he and his wife and Dan, his simple-minded brother, had struggled to -clear their little farm of debt; how they had stumped the land and -builded barns and stables, and fenced in the meadows for their cattle; -how happy they had been when they had paid off the last of the tax -debt; and how proudly he walked up the church aisle upon a Sunday, -and sat in the end of the pew at the head of his little family and -afterwards greeted his neighbors around the church door, as they stood -gossiping after service. But now to think what he had been compelled to -do. Donald was his brother, though, and was not poor Donald in trouble? -And his invalid wife—Andy well knew that if a few of the luxuries of -life and the tender care which her timid, shrinking nature cried out -for, could only be given to her in ever so slight a degree, she would -no longer be a suffering invalid. - -“Two years,” Andy remarked to himself, “was the time set before the -lawyer could foreclose on his own homestead, and the same time was set -for his brother, Laughing Donald.” Andy recalled as he rode slowly -homeward, that the storekeeper hesitated as he gave him the pound of -tea to be charged as before, and when he had asked for a dollar’s worth -of brown sugar, he had only been given half that amount. It was to be -charged also. - -“Who were they that dared to think a Cameron would not pay a just bill! -Was not he a Cameron, the eldest of his brothers, and from the proudest -clan of all the Highland Tartans?” - -Andy felt as he had never felt before. The latent pride of his -forefathers was stirred within him. Should they take the farm from his -brother Donald? Should they take his farm and that of his wife and the -home of his simple-minded brother Dan? “No, never!” determined Andy, -“not while I live to protect the innocent,” the cry went up from his -very soul. There was money to be had, wealth to be gotten, for life -must be preserved. To the gold fields of California, to the mountain -passes of the Rockies, or the far British Columbias, he would go, and -before the expiration of the mortgages he would return, and in the eyes -of his neighbors in Glengarry and among the storekeepers of the town, -the name of Andy’s Dan, Laughing Donald or Andy Cameron would stand -good for a great deal more than the pound of tea or the paltry dollar’s -worth of sugar they had refused him this very night upon which he had -made his resolve. - -A day or two following the last trip Andy had made to the county town -in the interest of procuring more money, he thought it next important -that he consult his loyal but none too assertive spouse concerning the -execution of the resolve he had settled upon, through which he hoped to -clear the good name of Cameron in the county from the insults which had -been offered him, even so slightly, by the storekeepers in the town. - -Barbara Cameron, the faithful wife to whom Andy went for encouragement -when he found that the burdens heaped upon him by the unfortunate -members of his family were greater than the resources of the combined -farms could support, listened with a heart full of sympathy while her -husband unfolded the plan by which he hoped to retrieve their waning -fortunes. Quietly, at first, he began to tell of the circumstances -which compelled him to place a mortgage upon their own little farm and -homestead. Then, arising in his excitement, he proceeded to relate -to her the cruel indignities heaped upon his unfortunate brother by -the avaricious tax gatherer, who seemed to take a special delight in -hunting him to earth; and how, to satisfy his demands, and to meet the -bills of the doctors and druggists, he had last of all been compelled -to mortgage Donald’s home. For, he explained, as he sadly looked -from the window over in its direction, he could not remain a passive -onlooker while the cruel hand of fate still pursued the family of the -helpless Donald, and a low fever slowly burned out the wick of life in -the feeble frame of his gentle wife. - -Finally, with a rising inflection in his voice and a righteous -indignation of manner, Andy explained to his wife the nature of the -insults which he had had offered to him in the town, and that he, as a -Cameron, and the head of their little colony must resent the wrongs, -and maintain the dignity and pride of his forefathers. He would leave -her for perhaps two years, he said—he was going to the gold fields of -the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There in the Cariboo Hills, in the Canons -of the Rockies and in the shifting river beds of the melting glaziers, -he would dig for gold. He would hunt the shining flecks of dust, the -gold colored nuggets, seeking the wealth by which he hoped to retrieve -his darkening fortunes. - -“We will sell our cows, Barbara.” His voice was lowered almost to a -whisper. “You and Dan shall have the money. The team of roans we must -part with, too, Barbara. Laughing Donald and his frail wife, you will -be kind to—and poor Dan, tell him always, Barbara, that Andy is coming -back soon—coming soon.” - -With confiding faith, though she did not quite understand, Barbara felt -that if her husband said all this, it must be right for her to believe -it. Andy had brushed away with the back of his hand the tears upon his -weather-beaten cheeks awaiting her reply. She in her characteristic -way, made only this comment: “When will you start, Andy, think ye?” - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -_Barbara and Dan at Home._ - - -After wishing Godspeed to her venturesome husband, Barbara, with Andy’s -Dan, was returning to their little homestead. Barbara sat upright in -the wagon, now and then glancing backward over her shoulder toward -the railroad station they had just left behind. This act she quickly -excused by an attempt to arrange the shawl which she held tightly -clasped about her. No tears were in her eyes when she bade farewell -to her husband. Believing it to be her wifely duty to sustain him in -the extraordinary undertaking he was engaging in, she had strengthened -her courage to meet the final parting. From the neighbors’ gossip she -had come to understand that the chances were many that he might never -return to her alive, and she had said to him: “Do not stay to starve -in the mountains. Come away home, mun; there is nae place better than -Glengarry to dee in.” And he promised her to return. - -Andy’s Dan, faithful in his simple devotion to his brother, had -understood only in a vague sort of way the cause for his leaving home -and the reasons which made it necessary to sell the stock of the farm, -which for years he had loved as his only companions. They were gone, -taken from him, and so was his brother and protector. For weeks after -Andy’s departure he would be seen each evening at sunset, leaning over -the pair of horse bars at the back of the house, gazing absently toward -the western horizon. In that silence, too sacred to be disturbed, the -expression upon his soulful face answered all questions of the curious. - -Time wore slowly along at the farm on the “Nole.” Barbara each day -went industriously about her housework, and just as if her husband had -been home and the care of the dairy was still necessary, she washed -and rubbed to a polish the milk pans, and stood them on edge upon the -bench at the side of the woodshed, to glisten in the sun. At evening -time, Andy’s Dan would regularly take from its hiding-place on the -sill under the slanting roof of the milk-shed the crooked staff, and -whistling for his faithful collie dog, go down the lane to the pasture, -calling to the imaginary herd of cattle feeding upon the sloping -hills, then sadly return with the one lone cow reserved by Andy for -the faithful watchers left at home. The Summer advanced, and he mowed -the grass and weeds from the dooryards and dug down to the roots of -the pesky burdocks growing about the fences which inclosed the unused -farm-yards. Then as Autumn approached, poor Andy’s Dan silently awaited -the return of his beloved brother to commence again at harvest time the -duties of the husbandman. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -_On the Way to the Gold Fields._ - - -A year passed and no word came to the anxious hearts in the home -Cameron left behind when he went to hunt for gold in the far western -wilds of the British Columbias. - -Taking from the small store of money received from the sale of the farm -stock, just enough to pay his passage to the terminus of the railroad, -still a few hundred miles distant from the mountain ranges across which -he was to make his way, he soon found himself thrown upon his resources -face to face with the difficulties of the undertaking. Arriving at the -mountain pass of Ashcroft from Winnipeg, whence he and several other -venturesome companions bent upon the same mission had come by wagon -train over the prairies of Northwestern Canada, his meagre supply of -money nearly gone, it looked as if he was about to experience a defeat -from the very first set of difficulties which arose to beset his way in -reaching the gold fields. - -At Ashcroft, the most arduous and dangerous mountain climbing of the -entire trail presents itself. A supply of food for days must be carried -along, and pack mules and guides at an enormous wage are an absolute -necessity. Among the party of gold seekers which included Cameron, -was a young man of apparent culture and refinement, also from one of -the Eastern provinces. His reason for being found as a member of such -a daring and reckless band of prospectors, may have been simply for -the love of adventure, perhaps the healing of a broken heart, or for -the committing of a youthful indiscretion considered by his family a -sufficient reason for sending him to the undiscovered gold fields of -the far West. Thrown together during the tedious voyage of the pack -train across the plains, a natural inclination, a bond of sympathy, -had brought this young, inexperienced adventurer and Andy Cameron, -the tender hearted but determined emigrant farmer, into a congenial -acquaintance, and later into forming a partnership. The personal -capital of the new concern when inventoried showed these assets: that -put up by the latter, courage, strength, determination and honesty, -against that of his companion, money, mules, provisions, supplies, -and himself as a volunteer prospector. With this understanding, the -somewhat remarkable partnership was formed, and after the mules were -packed, the climb over the mountains began. - -Following the leadership of the guides, the small company made their -way slowly over the mountain trails and around the edges of the -precipices, avoiding only by careful footing a plunge to certain death -below. Sore of foot and wearied from climbing, the two prospectors -arrived at Quesnell Forks, the first station in the long tramp to the -Cassiar district of the Cariboo Mountains. Joining here a wagon train, -they pushed on again through the Chilcoten country. Passing Horse Fly, -a village of a vascillating population, they then proceeded up Soda -Creek till the aid of the caravan came abruptly to an end. Travel -by that method being no longer possible, Cameron and his companion -shouldered their rough mining kit and taking with them what provisions -they could carry, struck off into the mountains for a hundred miles -more, down through ravines and along Slate Creek bottoms, always -heading for the Cariboo. Buoyed up by the secret motive which had -driven each to endure such hardships in their hunt for the golden -reward they hoped to find in quantities when they should reach the land -filled with Aladdin riches, they struggled fearlessly onward. At the -head of Soda Creek they had labeled their surplus supplies and stored -them with a friendly native, promising to pay for the shelter, should -they ever return that way again. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -_Into the Cariboo Mountains._ - - -Four days distant from this camp, Cameron and his companion unloosed -their mining kit for the first time. Nowhere had they found any -evidences that human beings had ever before penetrated into this -region. They climbed the steep mountain sides only to descend again -through the darkest ravines. Unaccustomed to the points of the -compass, they were obliged to watch their course by the sun. Each -with his secret burning within his heart, they encountered bravely -the difficulties of their task. Many times on this hazardous journey -they were almost overcome by fatigue, and often saved from instant -death over the side of some unseen precipice by only the margin of a -step. Finally, as they emerged from the forest-clad mountains upon a -slight plateau, they reached the first slate bottoms, which gave the -well-nigh disheartened prospectors new courage, and the first view of -the uninterrupted rays of the sun that they had encountered since their -hunt through the wilderness. Here on this promontory, which sloped -gently down westward to what seemed to be a dried-up water course, Andy -and his companion built their miners’ cabin. Water they had discovered -trickling down the face of a steep rock at one side of the site they -had chosen for their home. And game they knew in the mountains was -plentiful, for at their approach the flight of the wild fowl had shaken -the overhanging branches of the evergreens and strange-looking animals -scudded beneath the underbrush and sprang into hiding behind the rocks -and boulders. - -Here at the close of the day, standing before the door of their -rudely-constructed hut, the two hopeful miners, already fast friends, -silently watched the setting of the sun. Neither had told of the -friends left at home; Andy had kept sacred within his heart the need, -the incentive, which drove him forward facing the desperate chances of -death by starvation or sickness, to discover the hidden treasures of -this almost impenetrable region, and his companion was equally reticent -as to his own counsels of the past. Willing to lead in the trail where -almost certain death seemed ahead, he had proved himself many times -in their short acquaintance a man of reckless daring. The look each -encountered in the other’s eyes upon this eve, as they watched the sun -go down behind the opposite hills, plainly said: “My secret is a sacred -one; ask me nothing.” - -On the morrow they were to begin their task of digging for the yellow -nuggets, in the search for which thousands of others had gone into the -same ranges, many to join the bandit gangs of roving miners, never -again to return to their loved ones, others to sicken and die with -the malignant fevers of camp life, and a few—a very few—to realize -their dreams, and return again to their homes, bearing with them the -shining golden nuggets, at the sight of which a new army of inspired -prospectors would soon be started upon its way to repeat the same acts -in the great drama entitled “The Hunt for Gold.” - - * * * * * - -And here we leave for the present, Andy and his youthful partner to -dig for the elusive golden specks which had drawn them onward with a -terrible fascination for thousands of miles. They are now securely -hidden away in the mountain fastnesses where never a human voice nor -the tread of man had yet fallen. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -_At the Four Corners._ - - -In the Arcadian neighborhood of our story, as is true of all rural -sections, there are at the four corners of the road the indispensable -blacksmith’s shop, the general store, the wheelwright’s place and the -creamery or the cheese factory. As places of business they always -flourish, not because of the enterprise or business tact of the -proprietors, but because, for the most part, of the natural demand -created by the wear and tear of implements used in pursuit of the -absolute necessities for the maintenance of life by the populace of the -district. - -First, at the four corners of the road at The Front, and a short -distance from the Cameron farms, is Davy Simpson’s blacksmith shop. -Adjoining this is the wheelwright’s place. The front of this building -when new had been partly painted a dull red color, and then left, -as though the workman had become disgusted with the color effect, -and had abandoned the task as an artist might a shapeless daub on a -half-finished canvas. The general store, with its lean-to porch, up to -which the farmers’ wagons drive and unload their produce to exchange -for merchandise, occupies at the four corners a conspicuous frontage on -the main road. - -Another industry of even greater moment to the community at The Front -is the cheese factory, which stands just past the corners and fronting -the road, jagged up on the side of a steep embankment, and resting -unsteadily upon crazy-looking standards. At the foot of the incline, -winding in its very uncertain course, is a small stream. Into this the -whey, escaping from the cheese vats, filters down the abutment spiles, -reeking in the Summer sun, to be gathered finally into the stream, -whose waters push quietly along beneath the overhanging weeds, then -crossing the roadway extending along its course, passes in the rear of -the farms of the adjoining township, The Gore. - -Unpretentious and surely uninviting is the cheese factory at The Front, -but in local history, in the stories of the feuds waged between the -clans of the farmers at The Front and those at The Gore, it plays a -vitally important part, for through the lands of the latter flow the -waters of the whey-tainted creek, endangering the products of their -dairies by polluting the source of the cattle’s water supply. - -At the close of each Summer’s day, regularly assembled in front of the -door to Davy Simpson’s blacksmith shop, the official gossips of the -neighborhood. - -Easy is the task to picture in one’s mind this group of characters. -Seated around the doorway of the smithy, and perched upon the cinder -heap, an accumulation of years from Davy’s forge, they discussed the -affairs of their neighborhood. There in his accustomed place was -William Fraser, the country carpenter, a bent-over, round-shouldered -little man with a fringe of red whiskers extending from ear to ear and -a mustache chopped off even with the mouth as if done by a carpenter’s -adze; a pair of blue eyes peered out at you from overhanging eyebrows, -and when in motion he glided along with a walk of meekness. A long -service among the families in Glengarry, while building for them a new -barn or stable, had taught him that an agreeable opinion to whatever -were their politics or views would greatly facilitate his comfort and -pleasure. He listened intently to all that was told him of the family -troubles of his employers, and with equal interest retailed for their -entertainment the latest gossip of their neighbors. It was because of -this accomplishment that William Fraser, the carpenter, could always -be relied upon to add a few words of interest to any subject up for -discussion at the shop. - -Another familiar figure was Angus Ferguson, he who had bought the -McDonald place, next to the cheese factory, a well-meaning and very -respectable man, whose wife insisted that he be back at the house each -night at eight o’clock, and she never hesitated, when he failed to -obey, to go out into the middle of the road fronting their house, and, -with her arms akimbo, call to him to “come away home.” Angus was tall, -slender and awkward. His features were kindly and the mutton-chop cut -to his whiskers and his high, bald forehead gave him more the look of a -clergyman than of a Glengarry farmer. Angus Ferguson was at all times -a listener only in the councils before the blacksmith’s. If he had -opinions, he never expressed them, and when his time would arrive to -go, without a good-night wish to his companions he slid down from the -plank placed upon the coal barrels, which was his particular seat, and, -crushing his straw hat down upon his head, started up the road, his -long, awkward arms and legs as he retreated through the darkness making -a pantomime figure in the gathering shadows. - -Old Bill Blakely was the unique figure in these nightly councils of -the gossips. He came originally from no one knew where; was not of any -particular descent; knew no religious creed and respected no forms -of social etiquette. His remarks at the discussions held before the -blacksmith’s shop were always emphatic and punctuated with copious -expectorations from tobacco, followed by a line of adjectives admitting -of no uncertain meaning. Old Bill lived at quite a distance from -the meeting place of the gossip club and was always late in putting -in an appearance. He was never counted upon, though, as one of the -“regulars,” and only came when he thought there might be a chance of -picking a row with some visitor happening along from The Gore. He -would walk deliberately into the councils of the assembled habitues at -the shop, and, totally ignoring the courtesy due from a late arrival, -would proceed to act in direct violation of the club’s established -rules. Looking down upon the group of loungers, his blue eyes twinkling -and his tobacco-moistened lips quivering with a cynical smile, he -would steady himself by placing his legs at a wide angle apart, the -yellow-stained goatee of his chin bobbing an accompaniment to the -twitching of his tightly-compressed mouth. - -“Well,” he would begin, “hae ye lied all there is to tell aboot your -neighbors, William Fraser? And you, Angus,” motioning with his head -toward down the road, “had better gang your way home, fer I’m goin’ to -lick the first red-head that comes over from The Gore; the night.” - -Then Bill would let go a string of oaths that invariably brought the -frowning face of Davy Simpson from out of the darkness of the shop to -greet the newcomer. Dave at such times had nothing more to say than, -“Bill, that’s you, I see,”—but all was in the way he said it. The two -men appeared to understand each other very well, at least they did -since the time Dave ducked the incorrigible Bill head-first into the -puncheon of water by the side of the forge, just to show, as he said, -that there was no ill-feeling between them. - -Bill’s hair was as white as that of any patriarch the county could -boast; as an excuse for a cap he wore a faded brown affair, whose -shapeless peak was as often pointed sidewise and backward as it was -straight ahead. Always blinking with a mischievous twinkle in his -eyes, his lips moistened with the tobacco he was so fond of chewing, -and quivering as though he were about to address a remark to you, -his hands pushed down deep into his pockets, his square shoulders and -well-rounded body supported by a stocky pair of legs,—imagine all this, -and you will see Bill Blakely. - -For many Summers the feud of the creek existing between the men of the -two towns required the personal attention and made frequent claims -upon the fistic powers of Blakely. All the trouble had been caused by -the whey-tainted waters of the creek, which menaced the dairies of the -men at The Gore. Chuckling with great glee, old Bill would listen to -his neighbors repeat the story current over at The Gore, how upon a -certain dark night he (Blakely) had pulled the plug from the whey-tank -at the cheese factory on The Front and allowed its soured contents to -course slowly down through the stream. In the controversies with his -enemies following the perpetration of these midnight escapades at the -four corners Bill Blakely had heretofore by his convincing arguments -successfully combatted their charge. After one of these discussions -with him the men from The Gore returned to their clansmen bearing to -them, besides a pair of discolored optics, the best wishes of the men -at The Front. - -But of late the tables seemed to be turning. A new condition of affairs -had developed, and the arguments which hitherto had stood Blakely in -critical times successfully failed now to give him the same degree of -satisfaction over his foes from The Gore. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -_Donald Visits the Gossip Club._ - - -Up to this time the absence of Andy Cameron from The Front formed only -a topic of minor discussion before the smithy’s. It was on one of the -evenings which marked the end of the outdoor sessions of the gossip -club when Laughing Donald presented himself shyly at the outskirts of -the group. Weeks had elapsed since he had appeared there before. Until -of late, each night of the weary months and years of waiting for the -return of the absent brother, he had haunted the blacksmith’s shop, -where the group of news-gatherers met to exchange notes. At first they -welcomed him as a valuable addition to their circle. William Fraser, -the carpenter, found in him an attentive listener to the “small talk” -he gathered from the country side. The remarks Donald overheard upon -his early visits at the four corners concerning his family he carried -to his invalid wife, and then to Barbara and Dan up at the Nole. - -Upon this night he came slowly down the hill along the road which -partially hid the blacksmith’s shop from view. The group around the -smithy’s door was surprised at his coming. The timid nature of the man -showed itself in each hesitating step, while in his large, fawn-like -eyes was an appealing look, as if he were a pet animal wishing to be -taken by his master from the tormenting pranks of a gang of youthful -bandits. In his nervous excitement Donald always laughed—not loudly, -but in showing his perfect, white teeth, he gurgled softly the sound -which was responsible for the distinguishing feature of his name in -Glengarry, Laughing Donald. - -“Well! if here ain’t Laughing Donald,” exclaimed Fraser, the carpenter, -in an insinuating whisper, and a hush fell upon the group. “I wonder -if he would like to know,” he continued, in an undertone, “that Nick -Perkins, the tax collector, says all the Camerons on The Front will be -working the ‘county farm’ in six months’ time?” At that moment a large, -curly head, crowned by the remnants of a straw hat, was protruded -through the jamb of the half-opened door of the shop. - -“Well, now, you just be the first to tell that to Donald,” drawled -out Davy, the blacksmith, looking straight at the cringing little -carpenter, “and I’ll crimp your red whiskers with the hot tongs of my -forge.” Here was a friend to Donald and the missing Andy, till now -unannounced. No end of gossiping by the tattler of the neighborhood had -failed to prejudice the mind of the honest smith. - -Angus Ferguson had already humped off from his seat upon the coal -puncheon, and with his awkward strides was making rapidly toward the -scared Donald, extending his hand in such an enthusiastic welcome -that the poor fellow nearly mistook the demonstration for one of -unfriendliness. “How de doo, Donald! I am a-goin’ to tell you I am -a-comin’ over to-morrow to help ye draw in that grain over yonder by -the woods. It’s been there now nigh onto two weeks in the sun.” - -“Is it dry, Angus, think ye?” inquired Donald, brightening at the show -of friendship. Then an awkward silence followed. - -“Got a new horse, Donald,” blurted out Angus. - -“Aye,” returned Donald, the broad grin covering his face. - -“Want to see him?” urged Angus. Then they both started down the road -like the two overgrown country lads that they were. This spontaneous -act of kindness by Ferguson was prompted by his heart’s sympathy, -which had been penned up for weeks, rebelling constantly against the -insinuating remarks repeated by the carpenter. - -Fraser nursed his displeasure alone. Angus Ferguson, the silent, had -outwitted him. Davy Simpson had exposed his deceitfulness, and in a -short time his supposed strength as a member of the gossip club had -crumbled in a humiliating climax. - -At that moment, as he was regretfully acknowledging to himself the -failure he had made in gaining the confidence and respect of his -associates, his attention was drawn to a familiar vehicle which had -approached silently in the gathering darkness, and now stood in the -roadway before the blacksmith’s shop. “Good-evening, William Fraser,” -began Nicholas Perkins (for it was the polite tax gatherer, who lived -near The Gore), and Fraser walked out with his meekest walk to the side -of the wagon. Perkins patronized the shop over at The Gore, and like -all the rest from his town, halting before Davy’s place, kept upon -neutral ground, remaining in the middle of the road. - -“Fraser, I am told,” continued Perkins, as he hitched himself along to -the end of the wagon seat and leaned out over the wheel, to strike a -confidential attitude, “that there is no news from Cameron.” - -“Well, that’s about true, Mr. Perkins; no news, and they say that the -mortgage time is about up, too.” A little more encouragement, and the -carpenter’s sympathies were at once enlisted with the newcomer. - -“Well, it’s very bad, isn’t it, Fraser? They have been left to go to -the poorhouse. We didn’t think that of Cameron over at The Gore, but, -then, the expense will fall on your town, on The Front, of course,” -said Perkins, turning to get the full effect of his wise remark upon -Fraser. - -The two deceitful maligners were unconscious of the presence of a -figure which had come stealthily upon them in the darkness, and -standing in the shadow of the vehicle, was now listening to the -conversation. - -“Well, you ought to know, Mr. Perkins,” replied the carpenter in a -patronizing tone. “You will probably have the say in what will have to -be done,”—but before he could finish his remark, he had leaped into the -air, precipitated upon the toe of a heavy boot. - -[Illustration: “‘Now, Nick Perkins, if you have got anything to say to -me personally, just come down here in the road and I’ll talk to you.’”] - -“Oh, he _will_ have the say about whom they take to the county farm, -will he!” and Bill Blakely danced in a howling rage around the wagon of -his hated foe. “You hypocrite! You prowling tax-gatherer! You hunter of -the weak and homeless!” he yelled, and half climbing into the wagon, he -shook his fist in the face of the surprised tax collector, shouting -right into his ear, “Not while Bill Blakely lives and Andy Cameron is -away from The Front will you ever hitch your ring-boned and spavined -outfit to a post before the home of a Cameron on The Front! Now, Nick -Perkins, if you have got anything to say to me personally, just come -down here in the road and I’ll talk to you.” Bill was rolling up his -gingham shirt sleeves and again dancing around bear fashion, while the -discomfiture of the astonished Perkins was being hugely enjoyed by -the group, now enlarged by the return of Angus Ferguson and Laughing -Donald. Davy Simpson stood in the door of his shop watching the -proceedings over the rims of his spectacles. - -“Oh, you ain’t a-comin’ down, be you! Well, I didn’t expect you,” -retorted Bill. “Your kind fight the women only. You’re sneaking around -now to see if they ain’t a-gettin’ hungry, some on ’em over here. But -we’ll fool you, Perkins. Laughing Donald is a better man dead than -anything you can produce alive in your hull county at The Gore. And -Andy Cameron won’t let the wind blow a whiff of ye to the lee side -of his place when he comes back, neither. And that won’t be long from -now,” and old Bill threw his quid of tobacco after the retreating -wheels of the vehicle as Perkins drove away amid the jeering laughter -of the group. - -As soon as the tax gatherer was out of hearing distance, Bill turned to -Donald, and in a tone serious for him, said, “Donald, I am a-speakin’ -fer you. The Camerons are from The Front. Your brother Andy is a good -man; he is a friend of mine. He will be back soon, for that I am -telling ye. William Fraser, the carpenter, he’s been telling ye what -‘_they say_.’ Tell yer wife, Donald, when ye go home, what I say, -what Davy says, and what Angus’ wife says for him to say, and don’t -you worry about the mortgage.” Then Bill went over to the shop door, -and they thought he was going to confide something to Davy, but he -hesitated, finally bit off an enormous quid of tobacco and sauntered -slowly down the road homeward. - -Donald climbed the little hill by the shop, going away happier than he -had been in months. Angus Ferguson still stood in the road watching -him; then, looking behind him and catching sight of the carpenter -closing the door to the wheelwright shop, he turned his face to the -open meadow at the opposite side of the road, and slamming his straw -hat down upon his head, struck into his rapid circular gait down the -road, past the cheese factory toward his home. - -The quietness outside seemed unusual. Davy looked out of his shop door, -scanned the cinder heap, glanced at the puncheon seat, then at the -wagon parts: nothing was moving, nothing was doing, all was darkness. -The club had gone. He closed the door, put the bar across the staple, -inserted the padlock, turned the key, then climbed the hillside to the -back door of his house; his day’s labors were done. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -_In the Mining Camp._ - - -Time has sped all too swiftly at the little mining camp in the Cariboo -Valley. There is now only a month left of the two years set by Andy -Cameron for his return to his family, and all indications thus far -point to a tragic ending for the ambitions and loves of the unfortunate -Glengarry farmer. - -All this while the two persistent miners had worked with an unlessened -zeal at their unproductive diggings. Each night, by turn, one took from -the sluices the ore while the other climbed the hill overlooking the -scene of their daily toils and cooked before the cabin door the simple -evening meal. Many times since their coming into this mountain-locked -valley had the prospectors shifted the site of their gold diggings, -but to the little cabin, which stood at the foot of the steep rock -looking down into the gulch, they clung, held fast by many endearing -associations. Edmond LeClare,—for that was the name of Cameron’s -associate—had made a few excursions up the valley to another camp of -prospectors, who had come into the hills farther to the north, soon -after he and Cameron had settled upon their claim, now safely marked -from intruders by the evidence of their active operations. With these -new friends LeClare arranged that for an exchange in gold dust he was -to obtain from them the needed supplies of bacon and flour to replenish -from time to time the cuisine department of their household. - -Each night before the door of their cabin the miners discussed the -possibilities of their undertaking. Perhaps it was that they builded -their hopes upon the returns from a certain new lead they had struck in -the mountain’s side. The deposits of gold taken from the sluices that -day, if they should continue to be found, would surely bring to them -the wealth each sought so diligently. But alas, upon exploiting to -the finish each newly discovered vein of ore, the hopes of the unlucky -miners tumbled as did the castles builded by them with the toy blocks -of their childhood. - -Not a word of complaint was uttered by Andy in the presence of his -companion. His disappointment over the failure to obtain the coveted -wealth with which he had hoped to redeem his home and the happiness of -his wife and family was hidden within the recesses of his own breast, -though to the watchful eyes of the sympathetic Edmond the wretched -straits into which his friend had been thrust by the yet unprofitable -workings of their gold diggings were as easy to read as though they -had been in print upon the pages of an open book. While Andy toiled to -live and preserve his happiness, LeClare worked and courted hardships -and discouragements to deaden the misery of his soul. He had hidden his -secret well, but with Andy, as the end of the time of their compact -approached, the heart-breaking lack of success, the fading hope of his -cherished dream of wealth, the thought of having only a bitter tale of -failure to bear back to his faithful wife, Barbara,—each one of these -emotions had stamped their relentless impress upon his honest, bronzed -face, and while not a word had passed between the two prospectors on -the subject ever uppermost in the thoughts of each, yet for Edmond -LeClare, the unhappy plight of his companion was now the daily -inspiration which drove him on in renewed efforts. - -A few days more, thought Cameron, and he should tell his friend all. -Then they must divide the paltry store of gold dust between them, and -sadly at their parting and with a broken heart he would retrace his -steps as best he could to his home at The Front, and there tell of his -disappointment. - -[Illustration: “‘Speak. Edmond!’ gasped Cameron. ‘What have you behind -your back? It’s gold! gold!—I know it!’”] - -Thus Cameron argued as he sat upon the wood block before the cabin -stirring the fire, cooking the evening meal. He had thrown upon the -coals some dry branches, and through the gray smoke which enveloped him -he saw the figure of his companion coming toward him up the hill. “He -is early,” thought Andy, and he looked again, stepping aside out of the -blinding smoke. Edmond had paused down the hill a few rods from the -cabin, his right hand behind him, his head thrown back and eyes wide -open, glaring with excitement. - -“Speak, Edmond!” gasped Cameron. “Speak to me, boy. My God, speak! -What have you behind your back? It’s gold! gold!—I know it!” Rushing -together, the two companions sobbed in each other’s arms. - -“Look, Andy!” cried LeClare, through his tears of joy. “There are two -of them,” and he held up nuggets of gold larger than their combined -fists, “and there are plenty more of them in the same spot where these -came from.” - -Poor Andy sobbed in his happiness upon the shoulder of his mining -partner, and then, clutching him by the arm as though awakening from -a dream, he half sobbed, half cried: “He won’t get them now, Edmond; -he won’t get them now! Laughing Donald stays on where he is, and his -invalid wife will have a servant to wait on her. And Barbara—my wife, -Edmond, my wife, do you hear?—she shall have a new silk dress, a new -straw bonnet, Edmond, with red posies in it, and a new yarn carpet to -put in the parlor, my boy. And you shall come and live at The Nole. -You and Dan can go fishing, rain or shine, and I will get my lawyer -friend from the village to come out and see us; I’ll hire a carriage -for him, too, Edmond. And Nick Perkins, the tax collector——” Then, at -the mention of that name, Cameron slowly regained his composure, and a -stern, cold look passed over his features. “What day of the month did -you say it was, Edmond?” He had lowered his voice almost to a whisper. -Then, as LeClare answered, he continued: “The time will soon be up. -To-morrow, Edmond, to-morrow we must start for home—to-morrow we must -go.” - -LeClare half carried his companion, who was exhausted by the excitement -over the discovery, to the seat by the cabin door. The sun had now -gone down behind the mountain opposite, and in the autumn glow of this -golden sunset, alone with their Maker, they offered a silent prayer -over their evening meal. - -The miners sat facing each other at their scant repast. Their menu, at -all times limited, had now become stale and unappetizing. The salted -meats and hard, dried breadstuffs, to which was added the badly mixed -coffee, would no longer suffice. - -“We are rich, Andy,” laughed LeClare. “We haven’t much to boast about -on top of the table, but there’s a hundred thousand beneath it, old -fellow, and in the morning I will show you a crevice in the rocks down -there on the side hill where there’s twice as much more as we have here -waiting for you to take it out.” - -Cameron was at once happy and sad. Now that the great wealth in gold -had been found, his thoughts of home were strangely affecting him. “Two -years,” he murmured over and over again to himself. “Could his wife, -Barbara, have kept their little colony together during his absence? Had -Nick Perkins, the money lender, harassed his brother Donald or annoyed -Barbara for the payment of interest money, or could any of his beloved -have died?” A shudder at this thought shook his frame. Looking across -the table he encountered the kind, inquiring smile on the face of his -companion. “You are coming with me, my boy. Edmond, this is no place -for you;” but he saw the smile on the handsome, youthful face before -him fade into an expression of sorrow. “Cheer up,” he continued. “I -have no fine words for telling you what it’s in my heart to say, but, -though you never have told me why you came out here, I know you could -never have done wrong to anybody, and to Barbara’s home and mine you -are welcome as long as you can find it comfortable.” Tears were in the -eyes of the two strong men, but the darkness had hidden the signs of -their emotions. - -“Why, Andy, my old friend, I have never told you, have I?” suddenly -exclaimed LeClare. - -“No, I guess you never did,” replied Andy. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -_LeClare’s Story: The Initialed Tree._ - - -“It’s only a boy and girl story, but, all the same, that’s why I’ve -been a gold digger. At our first meeting on the plains I said I was -from the Eastern provinces. That was all right for the time. The truth -happens to be, though, that our native homes are separated only by the -fifteen miles of intervening water channels of the Archipelago. When -you look to the southward from your farm on The Front, across the great -expanse of water, dotted here and there with wooded islands, and then -extend the view to the sloping sides of the irregular mountain range -which meets the eye, you may perhaps see there, reposing sleepily upon -the banks of the winding Salmon, a small American village. Four miles -down the river, after traversing for the full distance the cranberry -marshes of Arcadia, its waters are gathered into one of the nearest -channels of the St. Lawrence. The approach is so unpretentious that the -coming of its added volume is only recognized by the idler drifting in -his canoe along the shores of the Archipelago from the blue and gray -color line made by the mingling of the waters. For it is just here at -this line that the now docile mountain cataracts of the Adirondacks are -greeted by the turquoise-blue waters flowing seaward from the Great -Lakes. - -“In Darrington, this village on the Salmon, lived Lucy Maynard. Two -miles to the eastward, upon one of the fertile farms in the valley of -the St. Lawrence, was my home. There I was taught the law of the Ten -Commandments, living in the midst of sunshine and happiness and blest -with the love of a devoted father and mother. This is only a childish -romance, Andy, and perhaps you don’t care to hear it.” - -“Go on, Edmond,” came the reply. “You know my story. Now tell me -yours.” - -“At the age of seventeen I had been considered by my parents a graduate -from the district school, and at the beginning of the Autumn term I was -entered in the intermediate grade of the high school up in the village -of Darrington. This was an auspicious event in my hitherto uneventful -career. Living always upon the farm, my playmates and acquaintances -were of the neighboring farm children. Tramping the same way to the -district school-house, we had pelted the croaking frogs in the ditches -by the roadside, and fired stones at the rows of swallows swinging -upon the telegraph wires, and in the season we picked the daisies from -the nearby fields, handing them roughly, almost rudely, to the girl of -our choice amongst the strolling group of school children; while in -the Autumn, in the groves by the roadside, we hurled sticks high into -the chestnut trees, then scrambled upon our hands and knees at a lucky -throw we had made, each to pocket his catch. Simple and healthful were -our sports. Barefooted we stubbed our toes in the game of ‘tag’ and at -ball games in ‘Three Old Cats,’ where ‘over the fence is out.’ We were -each a star player of the national game. Happy children of the country, -Andy, primitive in thought, with gentle rural manners, acquired in the -religious homes of a Scotch Presbyterian settlement. Once a week upon -the Sunday, since childhood, I attended with my father and mother the -church at Darrington, and there wistfully, shyly, I looked across the -high backs of the family pews at the children of the villagers. In my -childish mind their lot in life was greatly to be envied and admired, -compared with mine. Their ‘store’ clothes and their pert, familiar -manner placed them in my estimation so far above my station in the -social scale that my deference toward them amounted to something like -worship. - -“In one of the family seats, across and several pews advanced from -ours, moving restlessly about between her father and mother, was a -handsome, large-eyed child, forever looking backward, and, of course -I fancied, often glancing in my direction. She was Lucy Maynard. For -years, and until I entered the village high school, we had seen each -other upon Sundays, across the backs of the seats, never a word -from either, nor a smile of recognition, Lucy’s large, brown eyes -looking toward me as she knelt on her knees upon the seat; then, as I -returned her wistful gaze, she would sink slowly down upon her mother’s -shoulder, burying her face from view. I saw her grow to be a young -lady, a village lady; she saw me an awkward country boy. In childhood I -dared to return her glances. As a boy of seventeen, when I found myself -that autumn in the village high school, in the same class with the girl -always before me in my youthful day dreams, I had not the courage even -to look in the direction of the seat which she occupied. - -“Everything seemed strange to me, Andy. I knew nothing in common with -the village boys. They played ball differently; they called their game -of ‘hide and seek’ by another name, and they didn’t even throw stones -at a mark as we had done in the country. Some of the boys tolerated my -backwardness and others turned up their noses at my awkward attempts -at being agreeable. But one silent champion I felt I always had during -those first weeks of my introduction into that school. Standing near -in the hallways, with others girls in our class, at recess, Lucy -Maynard, with that soulful look from those large, brown eyes, reproved -the boy whose rude remark was aimed at the defenseless, or the one -slowest at repartee in the gossip under discussion. - -“A few weeks of the Autumn term had passed, and the class in -mathematics had been requested to remain after the grades had been -dismissed, to receive further instruction from the professor. A board -walk extends the full length of the campus from the school-house, -ending in a turnstile at the street. The class dismissed, I hurried out -of the building. Rustling behind me in a quick step came a young lady. -I knew instinctively it was Lucy. - -“‘Don’t you think it is about time you had something to say to me, Mr. -LeClare?’ she said, as she came beside me. ‘I won’t think you are a bit -nice if you go on like this.’ I felt my face turning red, and I forgot -everything I had learned a thousand times before to say to her. Then -I begged her pardon for nearly stepping upon her, and I felt that I -was about to collapse. The turnstile came to my assistance, and, as -Lucy lived in an opposite direction from that in which I had to go, we -parted. I had regained enough of my scattered senses, though, to thank -her for having spoken to me. - -“The Winter term of school had come and gone, and the Summer closing -was at hand. The other boys in my class had soon overlooked my -misfortune, as they considered it, of having lived in the country, and -I was proud of the devotion of Lucy, whose name was now paired off with -mine, as were the other boys and girls paired off in our same class. To -celebrate the close of the school, the class proposed a basket party -to be held upon the bank of the St. Lawrence, each male member of the -party offering to row his share of the ladies in his separate boat down -the winding Salmon, a five miles jaunt. With Lucy at the helm, my craft -sped down stream propelled by a youthful spirit of pride and enthusiasm. - -“Dinner under the trees on Tyno’s Point was quickly over, and the young -admirers soon found some interesting object to engage their attention -in pairs. Lucy and I, always quieter when alone, had realized that -very shortly we would not see each other as often, and that perhaps in -the next year we should be sent away to different colleges. - -“And thus it came about that as we knelt carving our initials, one -above the other, on the trunk of a basswood tree, we queried: ‘Shall -we always grow up together in life as our names will always remain -together on this tree?’ Lucy said: ‘I will cut one stroke in the -frame to inclose our names which says we will,’ and she cut a strip -in the bark over the initials. Then she looked into my eyes with that -soul-pleading look, and I at once cut a line down one side. Lucy -immediately cut the mark for the opposite side, and three sides of the -frame were then formed. It was my turn, and I hesitated, for I knew -what it meant to both of us. I thought it too early for an engagement. -Lucy sank slowly down by the side of the tree, as she used to do from -the back of the seat in church upon her mother’s shoulder, and waited -for me to say something. I was wrong, Andy. I said we’d better wait -before we made the other stroke to complete the frame. There was an -awkward silence; Lucy toyed with the penknife she held in her hand, but -looked no more at the initials cut into the bark of the tree.” - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -_LeClare’s Story: The Christmas Tree._ - - -“The next Autumn she went away to the State Normal School, and -at vacation time a strange young man visited her at her home in -Darrington. Then, at the end of the Spring term, when she returned, one -of the boys in my class of the year before wrote me to the city where I -had gone to acquire a business training, that Lucy was engaged, and was -to be married in the fall. How many times I cannot tell you during my -first year in the city I had composed the letter to Lucy which I never -sent. At night, seated at the small stand I used as a writing table, in -the hall room, top floor, back, I went over for the thousandth time -the thought uppermost in my mind. Should I write to her and say, ‘Wait -for me, Lucy. I am working hard for the position in business which -will give me the right to claim you from the comfortable home of your -parents. You are my constant inspiration. For you I toil the whole day -with ceaseless energy. For you, to claim as my prize at the end, I have -sacrificed the associations of home, accepted the challenge thrown down -before me by the ambitious who, like myself, are striving to gain that -same position which would give to them the opportunity to say, “I have -won the race, I have reached the goal first, now I am entitled to the -prize.” For you, Lucy, one day I hope to return, and then to the music -of the old church organ, which we both have known from childhood, to -walk arm in arm from the scene of our innocent love-making to brave -together life’s voyage.’ - -“But no, Andy, I never sent this letter. Was it pride, I wonder,—were -my acts of silence dictated by an over-cautious mind, or were the -subtle workings of my heart’s emotions stayed by the reports which -had reached me that Lucy, my loved one, my ideal, could so doubt my -integrity, could so disregard the sacred ties of our friendship, -hallowed by the memories of sweet, childish innocence, as to accept the -attentions of another? I could not return at the Christmas holiday and -see another at the side of my beloved. At the summer vacation I still -clung to my work, mastering the details of the business with such an -alarming rapidity that the management would soon be forced to place -me in control of more important affairs. My incentive now for greater -efforts had changed from that which first had inspired me. Now I worked -to accomplish great successes, that, indirectly, Lucy might come to -hear my name mentioned, that she might be proud to say, if only in her -own heart, that she had once known me, and as boy and girl we had been -sweethearts. - -“True enough, Andy, she was married that Autumn. My invitation to -their wedding came, and with it a short note saying to try and come if -possible, and if not, she wished me all success in business, and that -my share of happiness might be as great as she had heard my career -was proving successful. Love with pride was contending in my heart. I -should not attend the wedding, I finally decided. She had heard about -my success. Did she not know I had done all this for her sake? Why, -then, could she not have waited a short two years? - -“Then love would steal quietly to the door of my troubled heart and -say, ‘You never told her of your resolves. You have never explained the -reason why you wished to postpone the carving of the line which would -have fully inclosed the initials in the bark upon the basswood tree -at Tyno’s Point. You have asked her to guess too much. You have been -unreasonable.’ - -“But pride would return, and, roughly pushing love out of the door, -proclaim in a loud, harsh voice, ‘She took up with another while I have -been true to her, and I am through. I have no care. One day she shall -hear, she shall know of my prominence, of my success.’ Then pride was -joined by selfishness within the chambers of my heart. The door closed, -and there they held control for a whole year. - -“Lucy and her husband were now living in Darrington, at the home of her -parents. Mother wrote me that the Sunday school to which I had belonged -all the years I had spent at home would celebrate the eve of Christmas -with the unloading of a Christmas tree, and wouldn’t I come home for -that and gladden the hearts of my father and mother, now growing old so -fast without me? That evening, the same day upon which I had received -the letter, love came tapping again at the door of my heart. This time -I opened to welcome the timid caller. ‘We are going home together,’ it -said, ‘to mother and to father, to Lucy and her husband. We will bring -the good words of cheer. This Christmas shall see a reunion at the old -home. It will seem good to be there, and to meet Lucy with her husband -at the church, and to see them happy in their love for each other will -put my soul at rest, and give me another chance to meet happiness -should the fates favor me.’ - -“A three years’ absence from the old place had made changes, and -most of all in myself. The change of dress from country to city, -the mannerisms acquired by constant mingling with strangers, had -given me the air which in the country is interpreted as being akin to -presumptuousness. My school friends approached me with an uneasiness -of manner, while the conversation with the older members of families -was limited to a few questions concerning my arrival and departure. -The ladies of the committee in charge of the entertainment flitted -about the Christmas tree, which was placed in front of the pulpit at -the head of the main aisle and at the end of the edifice opposite the -entrance. I had not yet removed my great coat, and, hat in hand, was -strolling with mother up the aisle to the family pew. We were very -early, and but a few had taken their seats. Some one of the group of -ladies surrounding the tree had called the attention of her co-workers -to the approaching stranger. At the instant one of their number darted -down the aisle. A cry of joy had escaped her lips, and in a frenzy of -hysteria she fell into my arms. It was Lucy Maynard. Tenderly I placed -her in the very pew from where I had so often stolen the childish -glances at the same brown, curly head and beautiful eyes of my Lucy, -who now lay in a dead faint upon the cushions. - -“‘You must care for her, mother,’ I said, as I turned hastily to leave. -‘I am going away; and, now that you know my secret, you must always -pray that my happiness may some time be returned.’” - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -_Adieu to the Mining Camp._ - - -“Soon after I gave up my position in the city. The money which I had -accumulated I determined to spend in trying to forget, to stamp out of -my life the truth of the love which existed between Lucy and me. She -was married—I was a gentleman. It was too late. God might right the -wrong which had been done, but in the meantime two souls were to suffer -apart. For another two years I kept away from home, my dear old parents -never urging me to return. I was successful in my business ventures. -Then sad news again came to me. A fatal illness had attacked my father. -I reached his bedside in time to hear him say, ‘Edmond, I would have -done the same were I in your place.’ We buried him in a plot by the -church, in the shadow of the steeple at the bidding of whose bell he -had so many years come to meeting, and now from the old belfry tower it -tolled the last sad notes for the departed. - -“Lucy and her husband had been traveling for her health, under the -advice of the old village doctor. A change of scene, he told her -husband, would do her good. A month I spent at the old homestead. -Mother had taken my hand in hers one evening, as we sat under the -porch, I in the same chair where, at the same time of the evening, -father read the weekly paper, and many a time, with his spectacles -pushed up on his forehead, and in his shirt sleeves, had engaged in a -heated discussion with mother over some editorial comment favorable -to his views on one of his pet subjects. ‘Stay with me, Edmond,’ she -said. ‘It won’t be long now. For nearly sixty years we have never been -separated for more than a day—your father from me. It—won’t—be—long.’ -I felt her grasp of my hand loosen, and she sank back into her chair. -Her left hand lay limp in the folds of her dress, an ashy whiteness had -suffused her face, a sweet, heavenly smile rested over her features. -Then I knew she had joined my father. Side by side their bodies rest in -the shadow of the village church, while their spirits have joined the -angels and are looking down at us now. - -“No one at the homestead nor in the village of Darrington knows of my -whereabouts, and to them I am as though I had joined my father and -mother. Now, Andy, you know my story. If you think I should return -with you to your home, I will—but on one condition—that my secret, my -identity, be sacred between us.” - -Andy promised. They arose to seek their couch of cedar boughs, but a -strange gray light was creeping through the valley. “Look, Andy,” cried -LeClare. “It’s morning!” - - * * * * * - -LeClare at once piloted his partner down to the cave-like opening in -the cliff. There he drew from a ledge in the shelving rocks at his -side, the loose earth and small stones he had placed there the night -before, covering from sight the rich deposits which were now plainly -to be seen fastened to the solid rock in great pockets of nearly pure -gold. Cameron was stunned at the sight. Wealth of such magnitude he -could not comprehend. Two days they worked to take from the ledge their -treasure. Then, having made ready, they bid adieu to the scenes of -their recent struggles and hastened on their way. They chose the same -direction through the mountains as that by which they had reached the -Cariboo Valley, heading, of course, for the house of the native at the -head of Soda Creek with whom they had left a part of their belongings -upon entering the ranges nearly two years previous. - -Cameron had explained to his friend the necessity that haste govern -their every act in their exit from the mountainous district, that even -at great inconvenience to themselves they must hurry with all possible -speed, first to overtake the wagon trains going down through the valley -on the western side of the range to the passes at Ashcroft; then, after -crossing the Rockies to the eastern slope, to join the pack train, this -to carry them farther homeward, till at Winnipeg they would reach the -railway. Then upon fleeing steeds of winged steel they would soon reach -home. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -_Nick Perkins the Money Lender._ - - -There is in every rural community one individual who in himself -represents an institution hated alike by the rich and poor, a necessary -evil, so to speak, and one for whom the law has had to define the -limits to which he may carry his questionable practices. The going and -coming of such a man in the community in which he lives is tolerated by -one class of residents who are familiar with his tactics, because of -the fear that some day they may be compelled to ask assistance from him. - -There is yet another class of the same populace by whom he is called -a great and good man; it is because of the power and influence the -possession of wealth has put in his hand, which he uses for his own -selfish advancement. Although these same people may at the very time -be paying him usury rates upon a valuation not half the true worth of -security, should they ask for a further advance, this suave citizen, -parading under the guise of a public benefactor, refuses them, and -continues subtly after the blight is upon them to weave his drag net -closer about the unwary victims, strangling them at last; then with a -well-feigned show of reluctance, he gathers in their property, which he -has obtained at one-half its correct value. - -Nicholas Perkins was the worthy exponent of this system in the Arcadian -district of which we are writing, and it was from him, through his -friend, the lawyer, that Cameron secured the loans of money for which -both his farm and that of his brother were pledged. - -Perkins lived over at The Gore, and through his office, as Government -tax collector for the county, he was afforded an excellent opportunity -to know of the business affairs of the people within his jurisdiction. -As a farmer at The Gore he was known to be prosperous. As a money -lender, there were many, both in his own town and through the county, -who had occasion to know of his shrewd bargaining, and as a Government -agent for the collection of the land-holders’ dues, his promptness and -diligence were unquestioned. He drove about the county in an open-back -light wagon, drawn by a bob-tailed, cream-colored nag. Behind the seat -a rope halter was traced diagonally across from side to side, fastening -to the iron braces which gave it support. A slightly corpulent man -was Perkins, and while jogging along the country roads his favorite -position was on the edge of the seat, one hand grasping the reins at -which he tugged at frequent intervals, and the other holding the iron -braces surmounting the seat’s back. He wore a faded brown derby hat, -and a few scattered reddish side-whiskers adorned his face. There was -no mustache which should have been there to hide the stingy, straight -lips, and an insinuating smile from which the children invariably -shrank played at the corners of his mouth. - -A social call from Nick Perkins was not taken as a pleasant surprise -in any of the homes throughout the county, and least of all in those -of the families at the rival town to his own, The Front. Perkins had a -very bad way about him, the neighbors said, because of the circumstance -that when a note he held—or it might be a mortgage upon a farm—was -overdue, they were sure to see the cream-colored, bob-tailed nag and -its owner driving slowly past, taking note of the condition of the land -and out-buildings. They said he counted the fence-rails so that he -would be sure they were all there when he got possession. Close with -his family and servants, a gift for charity’s sake would have been -considered a huge joke with him. A diversion in which he seemed most -to delight was that of keeping alive the dissensions existing between -the farmers of his own village and those whose lands met the river at -The Front. He was not a participator in any of their Saturday night -brawls,—not he,—and but for the suave, insinuating remarks he dropped -artfully in the hearing of certain ones at the two towns, their feuds -would long before have died out for lack of fuel. - -The rebuff administered to Perkins by Bill Blakely before the smithy -had smouldered in his mind, not dying out, but fanned by more recent -reverses to his plans till it had now blazed upward, determining to -consume for his personal satisfaction and the discomfiture of The -Front, the Camerons’ homesteads. With the head of the family away, and -no news of him in nearly two years, Laughing Donald unable at any time -to contend against him for his rights, and the stock and dairy sold -from the farms, he had figured, despite the fact that Barbara, the wife -of Andy Cameron, had paid the interest money promptly, that there could -be very little money left, and in a month more he himself would be in -possession. Thus he argued, but he reckoned alone and without a friend -of the absent Cameron, who lived a short distance from the smithy, -and to whose words of caution the self-important Perkins had given no -hearing. - -Almost daily now since the beginning of the month which marked the -end of the two years of the mortgage and the absence of Cameron, Nick -Perkins and his horse and buggy, known to every school child in the -country, drove along The Front. Turning upon the edge of his seat, -his disengaged arm extended along the brace surmounting its back, he -would deliberately look about him with that insolent proprietary air -so common among men of his class. Barbara Cameron witnessed this scene -for about a week. Laughing Donald, in his innocent way, had come over -from his place and inquired of her if she had any business with Nick -Perkins, because, he said, he drove past so often, he thought he might -have some “dealin’s with her.” - -[Illustration] - -The next day Andy’s Dan, simple-minded, but scenting trouble when he -saw Perkins drive past, hurried down to the gate at the road, and -closed and latched it securely. Inside of the house at the kitchen -table sat the silent figure of Barbara. Spread out before her was a map -of the British Columbias, showing the ranges of the Rocky Mountains. -Two years before, her husband had studied the same map, and hundreds -of times within the last few weeks she had pointed out to herself the -mountain passes through which he said he would journey in going to the -gold fields. For the thousandth time the thought came to her, Was he -dead? If he were alive and had found the hidden treasures he would have -returned to her before now. The cruel rumors which had reached her from -the neighbors that her husband had deserted her, she never allowed a -place in her troubled mind. If dead, she argued, then she could not -live there and see the poverty which must come to their families. She -would be happier to live anywhere else. Yes, happier to know for a -certainty that he was dead. - -Then the thought had come into her mind in a more definite form,—Why -not go to him? Perhaps, too, Andy were sick. A new thought this. A -strange light was now in the eyes of Barbara. Sickness she herself had -ever known, but the possibility of her husband’s robust constitution -succumbing to disease she had never imagined. Again she said over in -her mind. “He may have been on the way home. He may be lying with a -fever in one of those camps in the mountain passes he told me about, -which is here on the map.” - -In her excitement she arose and paced the floor: her features, set and -always stern, were now drawn hard. Looking from the window down to the -road, there she saw Nick Perkins passing, and looking, as she was able -to tell her husband later, as though he owned the farm already. She -stopped in the middle of the floor. With a quick movement she untied -the strings to her gingham apron, hung it on the peg by the kitchen -stove, told Dan to watch the biscuits baking in the oven, then retired -to her room. Soon she reappeared. Dan saw she had put on her Sunday -bonnet and her best frock. She held a tightly-rolled bundle under her -arm. Glancing quickly at the clock, as though her time was short, she -hurriedly told Dan to care for their one cow, and when he needed more -biscuits, to go down to Laughing Donald’s. Then, casting another hasty -glance around the rooms of the house, she went out at the back door and -down the road which led to the station. - -Dan did not watch her going. He knew where she had gone. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -_Barbara in the Chilcoten Valley._ - - -The Autumn rains had now set in, and all the way up through the -Chilcoten Valley from Quesnel, the wagon train groaned and pitched -from side to side. The wheels rolled in mud up to the very hubs, and -the horses lagged in their traces, wearied by the excessive burden -they were urged to drag. Sandwiched in with the baggage, providing for -their comfort as best they could, were the several passengers. Upon the -front seat with the driver sat the only woman passenger of the company. -A figure tall and spare, a face thin and drawn, lines that were deep -cut, marked the features of a determined character. Her manners -were not engaging, and her fellow travelers soon understood that she -preferred to be left alone, not to talk. But they had observed through -the tedious journey up from Quesnel to the terminus at the head of -Soda Creek, that she had at intervals questioned the driver, each time -making him confirm his answer by repeating it a second time. - -“Yes,” said he, “I am sure that I brought your husband up this valley. -It must be nigh two years ago this Fall, and if I ain’t mistaken, him -and another man left some truck over at Dan Magee’s place, across the -bridge at the head of the trail. If ye want, mum, I’ll take ye over -that soon as I put the horses up.” They had now reached the end of the -wagon route and the passengers had dismounted in front of the building -which served as a lodging house, but Barbara sat awaiting the return -of the driver, who by his positive answers to her questionings, had -kindled the dying flame of hope in her heart, and already through her -weak frame new life coursed with a quickened throb. Up to this time, -over the trails by which she had come no definite information could -she obtain that her husband had passed that way. No encouragement had -she received to inspire within her that fortitude which would aid her -to withstand all fatigue, knowing that at the end of the journey she -should meet her beloved; and now she sat transfixed, afraid to discover -the truth of the report, fearing there might be a sudden ending of the -hopes she had allowed to spring up in her heart, that soon she should -see her husband, and the longing of her soul to be at his side would be -satisfied. - -She was presently rejoined by the driver of the van, which was left -standing at the side of the hotel, the team of four horses having been -detached for stabling. Together they went toward the home of Magee. The -dim lights were beginning to show through the gathering darkness from -the cabins of the scattered settlement. A thin mist was rising from the -dampness, and but for the feeble rays which filtered through nothing -would have been visible to mark the exact location of the house. To one -of those lights, coming as if from out the side of the hill, Barbara -and her guide came. - -“This is the place, mum. Dan Magee is a friend of mine, so you needn’t -be afraid to tell him what you have come about.” The door opened -cautiously in answer to the knock. “It’s all right, Dan,” said the -driver of the stage wagon. “Here’s somebody wants to see you.” The door -opened wide. Barbara and her friend advanced into the light. - -Seated around a table at the side of the room opposite the door were -two men, one young, bronzed, but handsome, the other older and weather -beaten, his beard untrimmed and hair unkempt. They looked toward the -door as the strange visitor of the night entered, then quickly, as if -from a sudden impulse, the older man stood up. His hand shook, as it -rested upon the table, and his eyes stood out as if they would leap -from their sockets. The tall figure of this silent woman had advanced -to the middle of the room, her eyes fastened upon the man standing -by the table. Slowly her two arms were raised, and stepping quickly -forward, in a dreadful whisper she ejaculated, “Surely, Andy, it is -ye!” Cameron also had recognized his wife, but he caught her in his -arms only to lay her tenderly upon the couch, for she had swooned away. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -_The Mortgage Comes Due._ - - -On the first of October—at least so they said back at The Gore—Nick -Perkins was to take over as his own the Cameron farms at The Front. - -Since the flight of Barbara early in September Perkins had patrolled -the roadway almost daily, surveying from his wagon, as was his custom, -the home of Laughing Donald. Then continuing his round of inspection, -he would ride along past the farm at The Nole. There at the closed -gate, mute but defiant, guarding the house like a faithful dumb animal -in the absence of his master, Perkins found Andy’s Dan each time that -he passed. - -The cool evenings of the approaching Autumn had broken up the meetings -of the Gossip Club before the smithy, but the depression weighing upon -the sympathizers of their luckless neighbors at The Front was like the -ominous quiet preceding a storm which leaves disaster and despair in -its wake. - -Angus Ferguson had frequently lent a helping hand in the putting -away of the Winter’s supply up at Laughing Donald’s, and of late the -silence existing between Davy the blacksmith and Bill Blakely, and -their intense thoughtfulness whenever they met at the shop, was proof -positive to the observer that they understood that the responsibility -of averting the approaching trouble to their neighbor—which was also an -indignity aimed at the clans at The Front—devolved wholly upon them. As -the days passed the confident look on the face of Perkins so asserted -itself that at length while passing the shop he stared into the -blackness of the open door with the insinuating smile of the hypocrite. -Davy watched him from the grimy window nearest the forge, and by one of -his severe quieting looks he persuaded Bill Blakely to let him drive on -unmolested. After Perkins and his cream-colored nag had disappeared -up the roadway along The Front, Bill walked uneasily around the shop, -kicking about the floor the loose horse-shoes and fire tongs lying -at the foot of the anvil. Davy glanced at his friend over the steel -rims of his spectacles, awaiting an expression on the subject each had -silently argued for weeks, as he rounded the while on the anvil’s arm -the curve of a shoe to fit the farm horse lazily resting in the corner. -During the last minute before leaving Davy, the frowning wrinkles in -the face and forehead of Old Bill had disappeared, and encountering -the smith as he carried in the tongs, grasping by the red hot toe cork -the shoe to fit to the mare in the corner, his lips were copiously -moistened from the weed to which he was a pronounced slave. His goatee -was moving rapidly up and down, and Davy halted, for he knew a decision -had been reached. - -“To-morrow is the last day, Davy,” said Bill. “I’ll be on my way to -the town in the morning. If there’s no news from Andy Cameron it won’t -take you long to tell it to me when I’m passing.” Then he looked Davy -straight in the eye, winked his own blue eyes a few times, drew out -from his trousers pocket the plug of chewing tobacco, and was gone in -an instant. Davy made no remark to the neighbor who was the onlooker at -this little episode, the termination of a month of silent conferences -held between these two men, sturdy types of rural loyalty. - -“I thought Bill would do it,” mused the smith to himself. “He’s got -the heart, and a whole lot of other things that the people round here -don’t know much about. But Bill knows I know it, and that’s why he’s -been a-hanging around here a-wantin’ of me to say something. But I -knowed he’d say it all right,” and in his pleasure Davy hammered the -nail-clinches with double energy into the hoofs of the docile mare. - -Next morning, before the rays of the Autumn sun had changed the -whiteness of the hoar frost, shining like a coat of silver upon the -shingled roofs of the buildings, and covering with a mantel of gray the -green shrubbery and grass by the roadside, the smith unlocked the door -to his place, and stepped within its darkness. At the same early hour, -coming along by the cheese factory, down the side hill and through -the hollow, then over the plank bridge which crossed the whey-tainted -creek, the innocent cause of so much contention, now past the store at -the four corners, steadily there sounded in the early morning quiet the -echoing thump, thump, thump of the tread of Old Bill’s cowhide boots -on the hard roadbed. Davy recognized the step as it came nearer. Now -it was past the wheelwright’s place—he could see his old friend in the -roadway. - -“He’s not a-goin’ to stop,” thought Davy, but when nearly up to the -rise of ground just to the west of the shop, Bill half turned, and -with his hands deep into his trousers pockets, the peak of his faded -cloth cap pushed to one side, he stood half listening, half looking -for a sign from Davy. Anticipating the man, the smith had in his -characteristic way upon critical moments thrust his head around the -side of the open door, and with a nod motioned Bill onward. There was -no word from Cameron. - -Later in the day, driving along the road which turned at the four -corners into that which passed the smithy, was the familiar sight of -Nick Perkins and his bob-tailed horse. He sat as usual upon the edge -of the seat, his disengaged arm grasping the brace which formed its -back. He had put on his Sunday coat, and as he passed the door of the -shop Davy could see from his window by the forge the insolent smile of -triumph which Perkins cast in his direction. - -“When he meets Bill Blakely up there at the lawyer’s,” thought Davy, -“perhaps he’ll change that smile.” - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -_Blakely Consults Cameron’s Lawyer._ - - -In rooms upon the second floor of a business block, whose windows -looked down on the main thoroughfare of the country town, were the -offices of Cameron’s lawyer friend. The ground floor of this building -was occupied by firms in various lines of business, and for the -accommodation of the occupants overhead there was on the outside of -the building a stairway leading up from the street. Standing upon the -landing at the head of this stairway, outlined in shadow by the morning -sun against the whitewashed bricks of the wall, was the picturesque -figure of Bill Blakely, awaiting the lawyer’s arrival. - -“Ah, good morning, Bill!” said the latter as he reached the landing, -curiously eyeing his early caller. - -“Mornin’, Donald Ban,” returned Bill, as he followed him through the -door. Donald Ban was curious as to the nature of the business which -prompted this unexpected call from Bill. Often, to the discomfort of -Blakely, this same lawyer had opposed his counsel in the settlement -in court of the encounters he had figured in while disposing of the -men who came over from The Gore to argue the cause for the tainted -condition of the creek. Donald Ban had many times convinced the judge -and jury that Blakely had been the offender and must pay the costs, -at least, of the litigation. The lawyer had been impressed with the -candid, matter-of-fact way in which Bill had accepted these verdicts. -His manner upon each occasion seemed to indicate,—“Well, if the judge -and jury say so, I’m willing to pay the fees of a lawyer smart enough -to make them say so. Besides, I have had my fun out of it, too.” Then -he paid up without an objection. - -“Sit down, Bill,” said the lawyer in an encouraging tone, for down in -his heart he liked the man. Bill had removed his peaked cloth cap, -showing an intelligent head, covered with a heavy crop of unkempt, -straight, white hair. Donald Ban moved about the room making comments -on general topics, calculated to put his visitor at ease, but still -he was at a loss to account for the appearance of Bill at his office. -Suddenly Bill blurted out this question: “You are a friend of Andy -Cameron, ain’t you, Donald Ban?” - -“Yes,” replied the lawyer. “He is a client, and a friend of mine, also.” - -“Well, so am I a friend of Cameron, and you can write that in the -papers, too, when you make them out,” and Bill turned in his chair -facing the lawyer, who had now seated himself at the opposite side of -the office table. “Nick Perkins from The Gore,—you know him, too, I -suppose, don’t ye?” - -“Yes, I know him,” answered the other, still waiting for his clue to -the situation. Bill during his last question had reached down into -the lining of his vest and had taken therefrom an oblong package, -inclosed in a wrapping which showed the signs of much handling and -tied about with a soiled string. He laid it on the table before him, -then continued: “Donald Ban, you are a good lawyer, and for that reason -I never wanted you on my side. Mine was always the wrong side, and I -was a-feared that you would make the jury say it was the right side, -when I knew all the time it wasn’t. This is the time, though, Donald -Ban, that I am here to see you the first thing.” Bill had risen and -was leaning forward, his two hands resting upon the table. “In these -papers,” he continued, “these papers that Nick Perkins holds against -Andy Cameron, do they mention ‘on or before,’ or only mention that it -is ‘on’ the certain day they are due?” The lawyer, noting the intense -earnestness and excitement of Blakely, answered at once that the form -of the mortgage held by Perkins against the Cameron properties read -that “on or before the first day of October of that year, they were due -and payable, and——” - -“That’s enough, Donald Ban—all I wanted to know. It is now one day -before, and you write it down in the papers and tell Andy when he comes -back that a friend of his—you needn’t mind putting it down there as -who it was—put up the cash and beat the hypocrite Perkins out at his -own game. Count out what you want from that package, Donald Ban, and -give the rest to me. Perkins will be along pretty soon now, and when -he comes I want you to have it all ready for him to sign off his claim -against the Camerons on The Front.” The lawyer, taken so completely -by surprise, was at a loss to know what to say. “Cameron will be back -soon, mark what I am telling you,” Bill continued, “and if he has -made nothing, I will be a safer man for him to owe money to than Nick -Perkins.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -_Cameron’s Resolve._ - - -It was the end of September. The wind blew violently, the faint light -of the pale moon, hidden every other instant by the masses of dark -clouds that were sweeping across the sky, whitened the faces of the two -silent watchers in the chamber of the sick. Under the same hospitable -roof where Barbara had fallen exhausted at the feet of her husband, -she now lay prostrated by a raging fever. Standing near the foot -of the couch, alert for a sign of returning consciousness, Cameron -watched by turns with his friend the passing of the life of his devoted -wife, which now hung in the balance by only a slight thread. In her -rational moments during the days when the burning fever would be -lowest, Barbara had told the story of the persecution of the Cameron -family by Nick Perkins, the insinuating gossip set afloat by Fraser, -the carpenter, the defense in their behalf made by Bill Blakely and -the kindnesses offered them by Angus Ferguson and Davy Simpson, the -blacksmith. LeClare had divined the truth long before his friend -Cameron, that the relentless fever raging in the brain and body of the -proud, determined woman must soon burn her life’s taper to the end. - -All the available medical skill and the tenderest nursing would not -arrest the progress of the fever, and Cameron, too, at last despaired -of the life of his beloved. The doctors had told him that the end -was nearing, and now he sat by the side of the couch, never for a -moment removing his gaze from the face of the sick one. As the hour of -midnight approached, the eyes of the patient opened slowly, and the -look of intelligence brought a ray of joy to his heart. Feebly she -murmured as he bent over her to catch every precious syllable. - -“I am going now, Andy,” she whispered. “Say good-bye to Dan for me. I -loved you too much to hear them say you had deserted me, and that’s why -I came to find you. You won’t blame me, will you?” and he answered her -by smoothing her feverish brow. “Make me only this promise, Andy,” she -continued with great difficulty, for her strength was quickly going, -“that you take me back with you. And if Nick Perkins has taken our home -from us, then go direct to the graveyard by the little church.” - -Then the soft love light in her eyes faded out as she sank quietly -away into the pillows, her lips slightly parted and the long eyelashes -drooping from the half-closed lids. The proud spirit had taken its -flight. It was in the twilight of that mysterious country called -Death, and for a moment, as Cameron stood by the side of the cot, the -veil seemed to part from before the throne of Glory, and beckoning to -him to follow, he saw the spirit of his loved one borne safely hence -by the angels of peace. A great sob shook his frame, and as he stood -up, gazing at the lifeless form of his devoted wife, he exclaimed in -indignant agony: “Murdered! Their infernal gossip has done this, and -here, in the presence of the angel of death, I vow that I shall live to -avenge this innocent soul.” - - * * * * * - -Together they journeyed homeward. LeClare was greatly concerned over -the change which had taken place in his friend. The transformation so -suddenly accomplished in the man reminded him of the instances told of -how, from a terrible fright at the sudden approach of danger, reason -had been restored to the unbalanced mind. In the case of Cameron, -however, where before he had been content to follow, acquiescing -without objection or comment to the conditions which surrounded -him, awaiting always a suggestion from his partner to act out the -inclination which had arisen in his own mind, he had now suddenly -assumed the rôle of leader, and so naturally, it appeared, that no -indecision was manifest because of his recent acquirement of the -office. That primitive charm of manner, that honest, simple style -of the Glengarry farmer, which had so won the confidence of LeClare -when traversing the same route in going to the gold fields, had now -upon their return trip given place to personal traits of even greater -significance. The new development of character in his friend showed -LeClare at every turn the master mind awakening. Grief had rudely torn -away the mask from the uncharitable, had laid bare the deceit of the -untrue and the wickedness of the hypocrite. The death of his wife, -Barbara, had removed the object of his unselfish love, and to LeClare -it was very evident that the future had in store for those who figured -in the events consequent to Cameron’s leaving The Front, a destiny more -or less happy, according as they should be judged upon the return of -the prospector to his home. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -_The Return of the Gold Diggers._ - - -They were now nearing the station at a mile back from The Front. -Cameron had acquainted LeClare with the simple funeral arrangements -he wished carried out as soon after their arrival as possible. One -precaution he insisted must be taken, and that was, to allow no -indication to appear of their possession of wealth. The significance -of this request LeClare well understood. At the call of the station -stop for The Front, the two men alighted, and hurrying forward, -superintended the removal of the copper-lined casket beneath whose -sealed cover was the body of the courageous woman that so lately had -gone in search of the husband who now would live to do for those in -kind who had done for the departed. - -Cameron stood by the side of the rough box upon the platform, as the -noise from the fast disappearing express train grew faint and died away -in the distance. For a moment he was lost in thought. Knowing him to -be in the company of Cameron, the keeper of the small depot approached -LeClare, and with a jerk of his head toward a farm wagon and driver -cautiously nearing, as if fearing to obtrude, he said in a hushed -voice,— - -“It’s Andy’s Dan. He’s been a-waitin’ fer ’im.” - -Twice a week and sometimes oftener during the October month, so Cameron -was afterward told by the neighbors, Andy’s Dan was seen regularly to -drive back to the railroad station, and there remaining at a respectful -distance, watch for a passenger who might alight from the through train -from the West. Then seeing no familiar face to reward his coming, he -would turn away and drive back to the farm at The Nole to come again -another day. - -Startled from his reverie by the remark of the station master, Cameron -turned to see the conveyance drawn up by the platform at his side. -Andy’s Dan alighted from the vehicle and clasped the outstretched hand -of his bereaved brother in silence. Still without exchanging a word, -they walked over to the side of the long box. Then, as if suddenly -remembering, Dan looked into his brother’s face, a sad smile playing -upon his features. - -“We can take her home, Andy,” he said. “Bill Blakely told me to tell ye -that when you come.” - - * * * * * - -In the centre of the burying-ground, set back from the roadway and -raising its spire heavenward above the tombstones at either side, -the church at The Front reposes among the graves. One by one these -monuments had been reared, till now they marked a place where a loved -one had been taken to rest from each of the families at The Front. - -A mound of freshly dug earth, thrown up upon the sod in one corner of -the inclosure, told of a newly made grave. A cold November rain had -been falling, accompanied by a chilling wind, which came in fitful -gusts. The over ripe, deadened stalks of the golden-rod beat against -the board fence, rapping at intervals like the weather strips upon a -deserted house. The drops of water fell aslant from the eaves of the -church roof, and a horse, meagrely covered, shivered beneath the shed -at the rear. Bill Blakely had placed in a convenient corner of the -shed the pick and shovel he had been using, then backing his horse -from under cover, he drove over to the farm at The Nole. Information -had spread among the neighbors that Cameron had returned to The Front -bringing with him the remains of his wife. No further news were they -able to gather, but to Davy Simpson, Angus Ferguson, Bill Blakely and a -few others, Cameron had sent a special message, saying that as friends -to himself and the departed he wished them to be present at the funeral -to take place from The Nole the following afternoon. - -Meanwhile Cameron had also dispatched his friend LeClare with Dan -as his driver, bearing a note to his lawyer friend up at the county -village. To them the import of the note appeared to be nothing more -than a request for his friend to attend upon the following day, but -later, at the farm, as he saw the lawyer place upon the coffin in the -front room a beautiful wreath of the purest white lilies, LeClare -knew that Andy’s orders had been telegraphed to the city. The best -undertaker the county afforded was in charge of the details, with -instructions to slight nothing in the arrangements and the assurance -that his bill of expenses would be promptly met. - -Cameron greeted his friends by a cordial grasp of the hand. A new -dignity of manner impressed itself upon his old neighbors. His bearing -at this time was that of a man of a great reserve force, softened -through the medium of sorrow. Kindly he thanked the few friends who -had come to him, and together upon the arrival of the clergyman -they assembled in the front room to fulfill the last request of the -departed—that, surrounded by her friends and family, her pastor should -offer a prayer, and then in the graveyard by the small church near her -home they should lay her at rest. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -_Cameron Outlines His Policy._ - - -The Winter drew on apace. At Laughing Donald’s carpenters and workmen -had been busily employed within and without the house for weeks. Soon -the premises took on a finished look, and the workmen departed as -mysteriously as they had come. In the new home, the wife of Laughing -Donald presided, directing her servants with that natural grace and -dignity which is the certain indication of a lady born. Andy Cameron -since his return had not spent a night at his house at The Nole, and -now LeClare and Dan also joined the family at Laughing Donald’s. - -Soon after the return of Cameron, Bill Blakely and he drove to the -county town and to Donald Ban’s, the lawyer’s. Together they climbed -the stairway to the office each had sought before. Bill leading the way. - -“Morning to ye, Donald Ban,” said Bill, in a voice unusually soft for -him. The lawyer asked his callers to be seated. “You know, don’t ye,” -continued Bill, as he clutched his cloth cap, “that I said he’d be back -soon,”—nodding toward Cameron, who had seated himself comfortably by -the table, apparently having no uneasiness about the outcome of the -consultation. - -“Yes, Bill,” answered Donald Ban. “You have the right stuff in you to -make any man proud to be called your friend, and you not only outwitted -your old acquaintance, Nick Perkins from The Gore, causing him the -most bitter disappointment of his unenviable career, but you performed -a service which, at the time, you did for a poor but honest neighbor. -We have all understood your motives thoroughly, and in acting for Mr. -Cameron, when I return to you the amount of money which you advanced -to save for him his home and good name, I can truthfully say that with -it you have the gratitude of the wealthiest and most distinguished -citizen of the County Glengarry.” - -Blakely looked from one to the other, not knowing whether he had heard -or understood aright. Cameron smiled assuringly as he slapped his old -fighting friend upon the shoulder. “Bill,” he said, “we will be very -busy this Winter and all next Summer, you and I. We will let the waters -of the creek flow on to The Gore unmolested. We will let Fraser, the -carpenter, go on with his tattling about the neighbors. We will keep -them all guessing, Bill. My friend LeClare and I want to see you very -soon at Laughing Donald’s—and, by the way, Bill, don’t mention the -remark you heard Donald Ban make about some friend of yours having a -little spare money.” - -Bill looked at Andy with the old mischievous twinkle in his eye, his -goatee began to move up and down, and he was in his old time mood -again. “Well, Andy,” he replied, “they say these lawyers often tell -more than the truth, but anyhow, when you and your friend run a little -short, you know where Bill Blakely lives,” and he went out of the door, -telling Cameron he could find him at the grocery when he was ready to -return. - -Cameron and his friend were left to themselves for the first time since -their home-coming. His visit to the lawyer was for a twofold purpose: -the first, to fulfill the legal requirements necessary in discharging -his money obligations to Blakely; that disposed of, he proceeded to lay -before the lawyer the plans he intended at once to put into execution. - -“Donald Ban, with your approval and under your suggestion, and also -urged by necessity, I made the venture against overwhelming odds which -fate has seen fit to reward by giving me the possession of a great -wealth in gold. You also know that in the obtaining of one coveted -means by which I am enabled to relieve the suffering and discomfort -of others, I have sacrificed the companionship of her through whom -the blessing to accrue from this new-found wealth would have been -dispensed; and now that my life has been clouded by sorrow, and -I shall no longer enjoy the home where together we strove in an -atmosphere hallowed by an unselfish love to help carry the burdens of -our fellow beings, this same injustice of things—the uncharitableness, -the unkindness from those of whom we expect comfort while in reverses, -only to be by them the most neglected—has aroused within me emotions -that have been the means of bringing before you to-day a different Andy -Cameron from the one who before was acting merely by the suggestion of -others. My purpose in the future at The Front and in Glengarry will be -to see justice charitably dispensed: the weak shall be made strong, and -from him at The Gore, who has grown powerful by his artful practices -against the unfortunates in our community, I will take and return to -them whom he has so oppressively wronged.” - -Donald Ban was astonished at the change in the man before him, but he -was quick to recognize the genius of a quickly developing brain. - -“I presume, Cameron, you have made reference to Nick Perkins, who has -been more or less successful in bringing a great deal of unhappiness -into the families residing in your neighborhood.” - -“Remarkably true you have guessed, Donald Ban, and as my legal adviser, -you are entitled to my confidence in so far as it pertains to the -expenditures I have in contemplation at my homestead on The Nole and -among some of my neighbors at The Front. Roughly speaking, you have -deposited for me in the several banks down in the city three hundred -thousand dollars. As nearly as LeClare and myself can figure, that -amount represents our individual worth. Donald Ban,” continued Cameron, -thoughtfully tapping the leathern topped desk at which they sat, “Nick -Perkins has extracted from the people of our town at The Front in the -neighborhood of thirty thousand dollars. That amount he shall pay back -to these same farmers during the present Winter and the coming Summer. -With fifty thousand dollars I can erect a mansion upon the site of my -farmhouse at The Nole. Upon its completion Nick Perkins will buy this -palace. He shall buy it, Donald Ban!”—Cameron banged the table with his -clenched fist—“and eighty thousand dollars will be my price. At that -time thirty thousand of the amount will already be in the pockets of -the people whom he has harassed for years, and the actual cost of the -house you will deposit for me again in the bank from which we will draw -for expenses during construction. This much you are to know from me, -and I am aware my confidence in you leaves it a secret between us. I -will bid you good morning, and thank you, Donald Ban. My home is with -Laughing Donald.” - -[Illustration: You know where Bill Blakely Lives.] - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -_The Ice Raft._ - - -The beginning of Winter found Cameron and LeClare comfortably settled -in the refitted home of Laughing Donald; and under the gentle yet -queenly direction of his wife the members of the new household lived -amidst surroundings of comfort and domestic happiness. - -In one end of the house a small room with windows looking out upon the -great river had been furnished as an office for business. In this room -many conferences with strangers to The Front had been held of late, and -here LeClare and the architect from the city carefully examined the -plans from which would be builded the House of Cariboo. To his friend -Cameron had given in charge that part of his project which required -the experience of one who was familiar with the accompaniments of homes -builded for beauty of architecture, displaying a refinement of taste; -but for himself, as he explained, he wished to reserve the privilege -of dispensing among his neighbors the expenditures for materials which -could be supplied from their farms while building the mansion as -proposed. - -In this same little room during the Winter days Cameron and LeClare -often visited together. They talked of their plans for the future, of -the task before them in the Springtime, but never of the camp in the -Cariboo, nor their returning, which so sadly had been ended. At one -of these conferences, on a stormy day of early Winter, as LeClare, -seated before the fire in the grate, was reading from a selection of -new books he had bought while upon one of his recent trips to the city, -he was suddenly interrupted by his friend, who till then had been idly -standing, one hand upon the window pane, the other fumbling the watch -chain at his vest. - -“I have just thought, Edmond,” he began, “as I have looked out upon -this icebound expanse, this great river which for months of the year -is the busy highway of so much traffic, that now it is bound, like -ourselves, to await the pleasure of the season, inactive, only waiting. -Perhaps you may think my deductions commonplace, Edmond; but hear me -through. Since the beginning of Glengarry’s history there have been, -to my knowledge at least, no innovations to disturb the serenity of -the established customs of our people, and these customs are few to -relate. In the Summer we labor a little and house our crops, that in -the Winter we may comfortably live to consume them. The following year, -and the years to come, the same highly exciting programme is certain to -be followed. For the coming Summer we have provided the diversion of -the building of our mansion, but for the lonesome days of our snowbound -season we have not provided. Why not advertise our Summer engagement at -The Nole, and interest our friends in advance?” - -Soon after the conversation held in the library at Laughing Donald’s -a team hitched to a farmer’s sled was slowly passing in the roadway. -The driver, carefully selecting an opening between the deep snowdrifts -piled high on the river embankment, turned his horses abruptly to the -left and drove them down the incline and out upon the frozen river. -Quickly he dumped the load of cobblestones in a heap upon the snow and -ice. Thus returning at intervals of an hour each day, Bill Blakely -was engaged throughout the week, till irregular lines of stone heaps -covering a considerable area of the river fronting Cameron’s house -stood as monuments to his labors. - -Since Cameron and LeClare had taken up their residence with Laughing -Donald speculation over their reported doings was at fever heat in -the neighborhood. Fraser, the carpenter, was frequently called on by -his friends from The Gore, but his own lack of information concerning -Cameron’s future plans aroused to a greater curiosity the contingent -from the adjoining town, of which Nick Perkins was the acknowledged -leader. Still smarting from the humiliating blow over his failure to -secure the Cameron homestead, Perkins nursed his wrath in silence. -A resolve had already formed in his evil mind to pursue even to the -finish the destinies of the Camerons at The Front, and already his -machinations could be seen at work in the questions he directed at -those he met as he drove along the snow-heaped roads. - -It was on a Saturday, and Perkins was on his way to the county town, -when he met Bill Blakely coming up into the roadway, after having -deposited a load of stones upon the ice. Filled with wonderment at what -he saw, he inquired of Bill in his blandest tones what he was drawing -the stones for. - -“Well, Perkins,” replied Bill, “to be truthful with you, it’s for a -dollar a load I am doing it principally, but another good reason is -that Cameron has asked me to do it. If you think you’d like the job, -go ask Cameron. They say his credit is good. Even you ought to know -that, Mr. Perkins,” and Bill passed on without saying good-day to him. -Perkins bit his lip and made no reply, but drove on to the village. - -Other farmers from the neighborhood soon began hauling to the dumping -grounds on the river facing the farm at The Nole. Angus Ferguson had -hauled to Cameron’s ice raft, as he called it, the old stone wall which -had for so long disfigured the view in front of his house. Stopping -each evening at the little office at Laughing Donald’s, he received, -like the rest, a dollar a load for the number of trips he had made -during the day. - -The work of the farmers whom Cameron had seen fit to employ, and who -seemed to vie one with another in quickly disposing of the useless -materials collected about their farm-yards and disfiguring their homes, -progressed so rapidly that ere long whole acres of the frozen river -front resembled a congested lumber yard. The fabulous prices paid to -them by Cameron for the worthless accumulations of their farm-yards, -which he had placed upon the ice to be carried away with the floods in -the Spring, caused a storm of comment, the echo of which came over from -The Gore in volumes of inquiries. - -“Where did Cameron get his money?” they queried. “And why can’t we get -a share of it while it lasts?” For Nick Perkins was heard to remark -that “a fool from his money was soon parted.” - -While the commotion among those engaged in hauling at The Front -was still in progress, Bill Blakely and Cameron were paying their -respects to certain residents of The Gore. To many of these gentlemen -favored by a call Bill was attached by tender recollections of former -fistic encounters at the four corners. His welcome, of course, was -not always the most cordial, but when Cameron announced very quietly -that Mr. Blakely wished to buy a few thousand of their best cedar -fence posts at a price which could not be disputed, they soon became -more communicative. “Deliver the posts at Mr. Blakely’s, beginning -to-morrow,” said Cameron, continuing without any further parleying: -“You will be paid by the hundred. We will drive, Bill,” and Cameron was -through with the bargaining. - -During the next week or two, from his old-time enemies at The Gore, -Blakely had purchased for himself, for Angus Ferguson and for Davy -Simpson a supply of the best fence posts the county could boast. -“Enough,” as Bill said, “to keep Nick Perkins busy for three months -a-countin’ them, the next time he found a mortgage due on a Cameron’s -farm over by the way of The Front.” - -In all the transactions of Cameron thus far since his return Nick -Perkins was able to discover a piercing dart, truly thrown at the -hypocrisy of his own career. The subjects he had chosen from among -the people upon whom to lavish such expenditures of money were always -certain to be those who had either been oppressed by him in the past -or else considered themselves his natural enemies. Perkins knew of -the housebuilding to commence in the Spring at The Nole, for already -Blakely was completing the contract he held to supply the stone for -the masonry of the foundation walls. Another fact which galled Perkins -to madness was that the farmers who had been kept constantly employed -were, in every case, those against whom he himself held a mortgage, and -he saw very plainly his prospects for eventually gaining their property -daily slipping more surely from his grasp. - -The Spring season had now arrived, and up at The Nole a small army of -workmen were engaged in removing the buildings which had once been -occupied by Cameron as his home. The return of April’s hot sun and warm -winds had loosened the grip which for months held the icebound river -captive between the islands and shore, and suddenly one day, as the -workmen had quit for midday lunch, the long-delayed alarm was sounded -that the river was breaking up. Down the main boat channel, as far as -the eye could see, a forward movement was on. Great squares and chunks -of ice lunged and dipped, then plunged forward again like the wheeling -and turning of an army of soldiers. Over on the shores of Castle Island -mammoth cakes the size of the roofs of the buildings climbed upward -till they broke and toppled over by their own weight, crunching and -thumping and groaning, till a dull, rumbling noise like the approach of -an earthquake could plainly be heard. - -Opposite to The Nole, extending in a zig-zag course through the piles -of debris, ran gaping cracks in the ice. All the Winter the irregular -heaps of ugliness which composed the freight on what was now called -“Cameron’s Charity Raft” had reminded those who passed that way of -the original methods employed by one man to relieve the condition of -his brother workers. The useless stone heaps served no purpose upon -the farms from whence they were taken, and the discarded wagon parts -and dilapidated farm implements which Cameron had purchased from his -neighbors had served them only as an encumbrance and nuisance. Now they -soon would be beyond annoying the sight, and their last opportunity for -usefulness had brought joy and peacefulness into many a home along The -Front. As the immense ice floe passed almost intact down the channel, -beating its way amidst the warring, jamming ice cakes, a ringing cheer, -led by old Bill Blakely and joined by the company of workmen, went up -for the man who had brought fortune and good cheer into their midst. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -_LeClare to Prospect in Arcadia._ - - -In the early months of Spring, LeClare was busily engaged with the -architects and builders at work upon the mansion at The Nole. He viewed -the undertaking from day to day, which for weeks seemed but a shapeless -pile of board and scantling; but, as the work progressed, from out the -chaos and confusion could be seen the growing outlines of the stately -columns and the extending roofs of many gables. - -Nature had spread her mantle of green abroad, and from the islands -of the Archipelago nearest the shore LeClare saw each evening, as he -strolled along The Front, the shadows of the dense foliage mirrored -upon the placid waters of the river. Then, as the sun sank lower in -the west, and in the gathering twilight, as the evening advanced, the -boats of the fishermen stole out from their sheltered coves and headed -for the spearing grounds away upon the shoals to the southward. - -Andy’s Dan was little concerned about the building operations going -on upon the site of his former abode. He held aloof from the workmen, -who were strangers to him, and in his silent, reticent way he resented -the intrusion upon the quiet and primitiveness of the neighborhood. In -LeClare, however, he had found a congenial companion, and upon several -occasions he had confided to his new friend, whom he bound over to -secrecy, the exact spot over by the dead channel where he hooked the -shining maskinonge as he rowed near the rushes by the deep waters. - -At this time in their undertaking LeClare was finished with the details -of the work upon the mansion which he had agreed with his friend to -superintend. A few days since a beautifully designed river skiff had -come up from the city, and as Cameron and LeClare stood talking upon -the veranda at Laughing Donald’s, they could see at a distance of a few -boat lengths from the shore Andy’s Dan rowing the new craft up and down -the channel. Now it flew through the waters in answer to the long, low -sweep of the spoon-shaped oars, and now like a race-horse, responding -to the spurs in his side, it sprang ahead in quick bounds as the short -strokes of the oarsman grappled with the surface of the water. After -they had viewed for a time the skill of the aquatic sportsman, LeClare -turned to his friend Cameron and thoughtfully said: - -“Andy, should you wander over there to the southward, past the islands -of the Archipelago and the shoals of the marshes, and then follow -the mountain streams up their circuitous windings, you will come at -last to their head, the fountain from which continually spring the -waters, clear and pure, which unite to form the rivers. Down the course -toward the finish of their run sometimes the sparkling clearness -of these streams has become changed to a dullness of color by the -conditions of the country through which they have passed, and their -life and transparency are gone. So it must be with the streams of -life. At first the waters down which we glide are clear and bright, -but later our course perchance may lie through a troubled country, -and in the shallows we encounter the snags which wreck our pleasures -in passing. For a time we endeavor to clear the stream down which we -have been floating by throwing about us on every side that panacea to -unhappiness, speculation or adventure. With me, Andy, the fountain of -my happiness lies in the direction of the brooks from the mountains. -You are at home, and you have been drinking each day of the clear -waters from the springs of true life, and now it’s my turn. I’m going -back, following the stream up to that fountain where my first happiness -began. Out there on the river my craft awaits me, and with your Dan and -mine we will prospect this time in Arcadia.” - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -_Lucy Visits the Archipelago._ - - -As the best laid plans of man fail often to succeed against the -inevitable, so, too, it is often that the intervention of time makes -possible what before Fate had willed otherwise. - -Lucy Maynard still resided with her parents in the village of -Darrington. Her married existence had been punctuated by the fatal -illness of her husband, leaving her widowed while yet in the first year -of her wedded life. Seeking no new acquaintances, she sweetened the -atmosphere of her home, while her presence spread an angelic glow among -the circle of her friends. Hers was now a sad, sweet face, illumined -by a smile which ever quickly sprang to her lips and as fitfully died -away. In those large, hopeful eyes, so frankly turned upon you, was a -look of sadness, as of a love unrequited. - -Early Summer had come again, the schools were closing, and with the -returning of friends who had been at colleges in distant cities a flood -of sweet recollections of years not so long past came to Lucy. - -“It was down the winding Salmon,” she mused to herself. “Oh, how well I -remember, Edmond at the oars and I in the stern of the boat, trailing -my fingers in the water and thinking of the future—yes, that same -future which has brought me so much unhappiness already. But it was -of my own bringing. Pique and disappointment, they, too, played their -share in my short drama. That love which was the cause of urging me on -into the bonds that restrained me from turning back again to the object -of my only true affection is the same love which now is fanned into a -new life as often as the incidents arise which bring back the memories -of the past. On the morrow I will indulge my longing. It will be the -anniversary of that day when cruel fate changed love into foolish -resentment, so that we drifted apart, Edmond from me. With Caleb, our -old family servant, my confidant, my trusted friend, I will follow the -winding Salmon to the same point of land, and there, resting within the -basswood grove, as we did on that day, I will look to find again the -tree upon which we carved our initials as we sat beneath its shade.” - -The sun shone bright upon this day in June, and as Caleb rounded the -point of land which lay in the shoals by the marshes he looked backward -over the shoulder nearest shore, carefully selecting a landing. Lucy -the while watched intently a boat pushing out from a bay farther up -the shore. A swiftly gliding boat it was, long and set low in the -water. Graceful lines swept from the bow, and, touching the waves at -the oar-locks, rose again to gently curve into the rudder posts at the -stern. Two men were occupants of the boat, which Caleb assured Lucy -was new in those waters. The man at the oars bent to his work, and in -response to his long, swinging strokes the boat quickly disappeared -from sight, passing through a line of thin rushes and making for an -island across the Schneil Channel. - -Lucy appeared strangely affected. Caleb had now beached his skiff in a -sheltered cove, and was waiting, after having called to his mistress -the second time to step ashore. The man lounging in the boat of the -strangers, and guiding at the stem the craft as it stole swiftly away -from shore, Lucy followed, held by a strange fascination, till he was -lost to view. - -Upon Tyno’s Point there was a small tavern run for the accommodation -of people fishing and hunting thereabouts, and a few cottages were set -back from the shore fronting out upon the expanse of water looking -toward the north bank of the Archipelago. Caleb went to exchange gossip -with the fishermen standing about the shore, while Lucy strolled alone -toward the basswood grove. - -Still and quiet was everything in Nature. The bright beams of the -noonday sun fell in quivering rays across the sight. Out upon the river -not a ripple disturbed its glassy surface. From up the Schneil Channel -came the chattering noises of a water hen, and the piping of snipes, -who called from the rush beds farther up the river. Overhead in the -trees a pair of golden robins sang as they builded their nest far out -on an overhanging limb. The bumblebees hurried past on their way to the -blossoming clover patch, and the distant call of a loon came from over -the waters. Lucy stood beneath the high branching trees, and in the -distance, toward the village of Darrington, she saw the weather-vane of -the church steeple glistening in the sun. - -“It must be near here,” she thought. “Yes, it was at a tree-trunk like -the one in yonder clump,” and thither she went, trailing her leghorn -hat by the ribbon strings through the tall grasses. Sweet was the -picture of grace and beauty left alone with her thoughts of love. “Yes, -it was here. Yes, yes, this is the tree, for there are the marks, the -initials we cut.” - -Suddenly she paused in her delight, for she had made another discovery. -Some one had been before her. Around the foot of the very tree, and -leading away from it toward the river bank, the grass had been recently -trampled. Still in her surprise, curiosity led her to follow the path -through the grass to the shore. There she saw the fresh imprints upon -the sand. Immediately she recognized the small bay, whose extending -bank had partially concealed the strangers as they rowed away earlier -in the day. - -A wistful, excited look had come over the childlike face of Lucy. One -hand pressed her heaving bosom, while with the other she clung for -support to a bending alder tree. Thoughts were in her mind that she -dared not entertain—an apprehension that she had but just missed seeing -the lover of her childhood, who possibly had returned like a spirit -from heaven to renew the anniversary of a time long past, but ever -fresh in memory. It was then as she stood, her frail figure swayed to -and fro by the flood of passionate recollections, that coming from -behind her sounded the voice of Caleb, her protector. - -“We will row away by the Schneil Channel, Lucy,” he said, “and, going -by the rush banks, touch at the Caristitee Island. The old chief of the -tribe of the St. Regis will be glad at our coming, and once more he -will say to us that he is the friend of the palefaces.” - -Caleb True lived quietly on in his way, which called for no criticism, -aroused no comment, enjoying the while the respect of those who knew -him. He might have been the miller, the town gardener or an unassuming -deacon in one of the churches, but, as it was, he had lived very long -in the family of Lucy’s father, tended the garden and cared for the -household during the week, and upon the Sunday he proudly officiated -as sexton in one of the village churches. To Lucy he had been a second -father, and to him in childhood she went for sympathy as she grieved -over some fancied injustice done her. Caleb had known the romance of -her school days, and he was now in full possession of the innermost -thoughts of her soul, although she had not confided to him that the -longing of the returned love of her girlhood was driving her forward in -a mad desire to discover his whereabouts. - -While Caleb chatted with the fishing guides and river men at Tyno’s -Point he gained the information that for several days past the same -quickly speeding boat observed by Lucy had passed and re-passed -among the islands, going from place to place with a restlessness and -uncertainty of route altogether unusual among the frequenters of the -perch banks or the haunts of the wily pike. Once they had touched at -the Point, but only to inquire of the landlord for a lodging should -they wish to return. “Handsome and strong,” they said that he was, “and -with the air of a city stranger; but again swiftly they glided away, -and into the nearest rushes, where soon was hid from them the beautiful -skiff of the boatmen, but they saw over the tops of the swaying reeds -the heads of the wandering oarsmen as they crossed to the Caristitee, -and from there later, as the darkness came upon them, the light of -their camp fire shone on the point of the island.” - -At once Caleb confided to Lucy the hopes which had risen within him, -and together they hurried to pursue them. Soon they had crossed the -Schneil Channel. Onward they sped, in their haste going through the -narrow passes cut by a current of swift running waters feeding the -expanse of a broad lagoon. Meanwhile Caleb, a poor match for the -fleet-winged oarsmen who unconsciously fled away in the distance, was -fast exhausting his strength. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -_Under the Initialed Tree._ - - -Coming at last to the island, they saw the remains of a camp fire, -and fluttering by the side of the charred rocks Lucy discovered among -the ashes the remains of a half-burnt parchment, upon which had been -written an address, and still upon the fragment, but discolored, was -a name which to Lucy had been lost but never forgotten. To Caleb in -breathless haste she ran with the paper. - -“Look,” she cried, “‘tis the name of LeClare, of my Edmond! My heart -tells me truly, he is here in the lakes of St. Francis. Among the -islands of the Archipelago we must go search for him. True love will -seek out the path of his wanderings, and before the passing of another -sun two thirsting spirits shall unite, to wander no more in darkness.” - -Among the trees on the point of the island, curling upwards in -ringlets of blue, rose the smoke from the tepees of the Indians. Old -and decrepit, but ever a friend to the white man, their chieftain, -Caristitee, sat in the smoke of his camp fire. - -“Two suns gone by, my daughter, he sat where you are now reclining, -a paleface wearied of rowing, another sad-hearted and restless. At -dawn very early they departed. Down past the islands and marshes their -boat glides on like a phantom, and only at night are they seen, by the -blazing camp fires, as they rest from their endless going.” - -Lucy listened, her heart filled with sweetness, to the sayings of the -good Caristitee. Overhead the skies shed a lustrous light, and out -on the waters around them a stillness had come with the darkness. -Filled was her heart with sweet dreams of love, and till the dawn of -the coming day Lucy slept, her head upon the shoulder of Caleb, not -awakening till the sun in the east came up in the midst of Arcadia. At -this early hour in the hazy light of dawn they saw a column of smoke -away on a distant island. Thither they headed their course. Drawing -nearer among the cluster of islands, they watched for the camp of the -strangers. Quickly the day was passing; no sight had they caught of the -boatmen, and Caleb had tired of the rowing. Lucy scanned closely every -island in passing, piercing with a searching look the rush banks that -lined the channels through which the boat silently glided. Hopefully -she encouraged poor Caleb, saying love would reward his exertions -and lighten the way of their going. At last they turned their boat -homeward, through lakes where myriads of water lilies swayed and dipped -with the waves as they came, then reaching the shoals of the Salmon, -the sand bars across which they were passing shone white through the -clear, limpid waters. Soon Caleb, wearied of rowing, threw himself down -at last to rest himself upon the banks of the Point of old Tyno. - -Restless, still following her heart’s longing, Lucy sought out again -the grove and the tree where before she had missed her lover by only -a minute too late. In a moment of passionate abandon she threw herself -at the foot of the tree, held by memories strong, so closely were they -linked with the past. - -Into the same bay, coming nearer, ever nearer, darted the boat which -moved so swiftly, urged on its course by the sinewy arms of the -oarsman. Lightly from the seat in the stern sprang the athletic figure -of the stranger. Hurriedly he looked about the shore, then leisurely -sauntered toward the grove, where upon another day he had come and gone -so mysteriously. Not far had he been when before him he saw, extended -at the foot of a basswood tree, the figure of a girlish maiden. One arm -encircled the tree trunk, while the other lay limp at her side. - -At a respectful distance stood the stranger. “She is asleep—it is -Lucy,” he stammered, “and under this tree! What can it mean? Lucy, I -love you! My darling! why can’t I tell it you now?” he exclaimed, and -unconsciously he outstretched his arms. - -By the angel of love she had been awakened and told that her lover was -near. In an instant his manly form was before her. “It is I, Lucy. Be -not afraid, but first tell me, why are you here?” - -“I am free, Edmond,” she cried, “and I love you, and I came here to -tell it alone, that I should wait for you now and forever.” With a -great flood of joy, Edmond clasped to the heart his Lucy. Then they -knelt as on that day of yore, and the stroke which then was omitted now -they cut in the frame on the tree. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -_The Mystery of the Corner Stones._ - - -Blakely, with the neighbors whom he employed, had completed the -excavations for the foundation walls and hauled the stone and mortar in -readiness for the masons. Four squares of granite had been drawn to The -Nole from the railroad station, and it was whispered among the workmen -that their employer would personally direct the setting of the corner -stones. - -For several days, four of the master masons were engaged in carefully -cutting into the center of each of the squares of granite a bowl-shaped -cavity. Cameron, who had usually busied himself in other things which -kept him away from The Nole, came frequently now to inspect the -mysterious hollows being made in the granite boulders. - -Soon the work of the masons was completed; then by the aid of crane -and derrick, they lowered into position the corner stones just as the -hour arrived for labor to cease. Cameron remained till the last man had -gone, examining the granite blocks, which he found were placed securely -in position, resting upon their cement foundation. - -Next morning when the men came to resume work, they saw two others -there before them, Cameron and the tall, erect figure of Donald Ban, -his lawyer friend. The wonder at finding their employer so early at the -works was quickly followed by a second surprise, more startling than -the first. The cavities in the corner stones had been filled during the -night and a layer of cement covered the tops of the hollow openings and -was spread evenly with the surface of the granite rock. - -“Lay the wall, men,” Cameron ordered in his calm, inflexible voice. “We -wish to remain here till the corner stones have been walled under.” - -At noon hour the burden of the discussion among the assembled laborers -was to ascribe a reason for Cameron and the lawyer being among them in -the morning. In the midst of the debate, an exclamation of delight came -from one of their number, who had been apart from his fellows in the -basement, and he held up to view a ten-dollar gold piece he had found -in the dirt at his feet. Immediately a mad hunt was in progress around -the foundation walls, and particularly at the corner stones. Other gold -pieces were discovered, and among them a twenty-dollar gold piece was -taken from the miniature gold diggings. - -When the excitement had abated somewhat, the foreman of the gang -of laborers, with a wise and important look on his face, the while -assuming a dramatic pose, pointed to the corner stones, and in tragic -tones, he said: “Boys, they are full of ’em!” and a quiet akin to that -resting over a haunted house fell upon the superstitious laborers. - -The trick had worked well, for very soon the whole county would hear -that their mysterious neighbor had buried a fortune in gold in each -corner stone of the House of Cariboo. Cameron quickly heard of the -gold finds made up at the works at The Nole and he smiled with great -pleasure when he thought of the look of blank despair which would -come over the face of Nick Perkins, on his finding that the worthless -bits of scrap iron which filled the cavities of the four corners of -the mansion were all that represented the vast sums in gold that he -imagined reposed in the foundation walls of his purchase. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -_Fraser Confers with Perkins._ - - -The eccentric methods which Cameron had employed since his return to -The Front had put the people of Glengarry into a state of excitement -and wild speculation, which was greatly interfering with the wonted -quiet and decorum of its peaceably inclined citizens. While the House -of Cariboo, as it was now generally called, neared completion, and -the majestic columns which supported the high arched domes of its -rotunda stood out in bold relief against the scaffolding surrounding -the unfinished parts, extravagant reports were being circulated abroad -in Glengarry, even reaching to the distant city, of the enormous -expenditures made by Cameron on the mansion he was about to occupy. - -As the undertakings of Cameron assumed form, and the motive for many -of his peculiar trades with his neighbors became apparent, another -individual of whom we have frequently spoken also began to figure -conspicuously before the people of the county. - -The purposes of Nick Perkins for the past few months had suffered so -many humiliating defeats before his constituents at The Gore and his -enemies at The Front, that even his sympathizers and old time henchmen -of his town, of late had shunned meeting him as he went about at his -home. Every note and mortgage which he held against the farmers and -neighbors of the two towns had been paid back to him with interest to -date, and in every case the proceeds had come to his debtors through -the liberal wages paid by Cameron for work upon the undertakings he had -put under way. Thirty thousand dollars had been paid out for various -kinds of work done, either directly by Cameron, or through his friends, -Blakely, Simpson or Ferguson. Happiness reigned supreme in the -families of the two towns, and each neighbor felt that he could look -the other full in the face with a frankness which meant freedom from -the depressing coils of debt. - -Perkins, they said, could no longer impose himself upon them. His -money-getting, money-lending and hypocritical pose among the people of -the two towns would no longer be tolerated. By Cameron, the man whom he -had sought so diligently to enclose in his net, he had been thrown from -his pedestal of deceit, and at present he was the object of ridicule -throughout the county. - -William Fraser, the carpenter, still continued to employ himself in -the capacity of the official gossip of Glengarry, but the interested -listeners among his neighbors who would bid him welcome had become so -few that like his patron, Nick Perkins, he found the vocation which -once had placed him in popular demand, was at present in rank disfavor. -His neighbors had remarked that even though great activity was apparent -in the building trades at The Front, Fraser remained unemployed. Bill -Blakely sarcastically queried of him one day, as a number of men of -a like occupation from an adjoining town stood about the door to Davy -Simpson’s busy forge, “Whether he didn’t think that in balancing on the -top rail, speculating on the return of Cameron from the gold fields, -he had jumped off upon the wrong side of the fence? Of course,” Bill -added with a chuckle as his goatee moved up and down, “you had the hull -county with you, for Perkins had jumped the same way before you.” - -As near as could be observed, the shrine to which Fraser had come with -his troubles, and the confession of the failure of his accomplishments -to charm as of yore his susceptible hearers, was the Court of Perkins. -Deserted as he knew it to be, nevertheless here we find him come again, -but this time a smile, a grin, covered his face, for he had a choice -bit of gossip for Perkins—a pretty little ambush arranged by Cameron -into which Fraser and Perkins fell without the least suspicion. Perkins -bade his caller welcome, and in his usual cringing, insinuating manner, -noiselessly sliding in his peculiar gait about the room, he finally -sat down on the edge of his chair, tipping it forward. - -“Mr. Perkins,” he said, rubbing his hands together in glee, “our time -has come. It’s all up with Cameron. Just as you said, Mr. Perkins, just -as you always said, a fool from his money is easy to part, and that’s -what it’s come to now, and I come right over to tell you, Mr. Perkins, -for I knew they would have to come to you yet.” - -Meanwhile Perkins drew a chair to the centre of the room and seated -himself before his caller. Every movement he made showed the intense -interest Fraser had aroused. “Is it something about Cameron’s finances -giving out, you have heard, Fraser, or is it something else we both -ought to know? We are alone in this, Fraser—alone, you understand.” - -“Yes, yes, Mr. Perkins,” eagerly replied the tattling carpenter. “I -heard it by a mere chance. Why, they don’t think I know a word about -it. You see,” he went on, leaning farther forward toward his eager -listener, “I heard that some mouldings for the new house were coming -up from the city last night, and I thought I would go back to the -station and see what they looked like. Well, a couple of tall city men -got off the train, and while I was looking over the cabinet work which -come up to the station, one of them comes over and reads the tag on the -bundles, and says he to the other one, ‘Well, here is some more of our -firm’s stuff sent up for this job of Cameron’s, but I guess we will -cabbage this lot,’ says he, ‘till we see the color of his money for -what he’s already put into that house,’ and the other chap up and says, -‘The best thing we can do is to get this man Cameron to consent to a -public sale of this house to satisfy the claims of his creditors. There -will be no one here except a few of the largest creditors who will have -money enough to bid on the property, and some one of us will get a -beautiful house cheap. We can keep this thing quiet, and there will be -at least thirty thousand dollars to divide up between us.’” - -“Where did they go?” asked Perkins, eagerly. - -“Well, they come over to The Front in one of Cameron’s wagons and the -last I see of them was down by Laughing Donald’s. They weren’t there -this morning, so I guess they went up to the town last night.” - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -_Perkins Again Outwitted._ - - -For several minutes after Fraser the carpenter had finished telling -his story, Perkins was silent. From force of habit he ran his fingers -upward through the scant growth of reddish side whiskers upon his -face, and by the changes in expression passing continually over his -countenance, Fraser was aware that the information he brought had -greatly interested him. - -“There can be no doubt, I suppose, Fraser,” began Perkins, very slowly -pronouncing his words, “about there being a large amount of gold -deposited in the foundations of the house?” - -“There is no doubt of it, Mr. Perkins,” eagerly answered Fraser, again -tipping forward upon the front legs of the chair. “Cameron didn’t want -it known, you see, but it’s the gold pieces they lost in the cellar -that spoiled his plan, and now it seems he isn’t worth the half he -thought he was.” - -“That’s it, Fraser, about as I thought it would be,” continued -Perkins, well satisfied with the turn Cameron’s affairs seemed to -have taken. “His gold that he brought back from the Cariboo Mountains -has not turned out at the government mint to be near what he thought, -so his creditors in the city are going to close in on him quick and -get what they can. That’s about the case as I see it, Fraser, and -I think our turn has come, just as you have said. Oh, by the way, -Fraser,” as if suddenly recollecting, “where is the young friend of -Cameron—LeClare—the city chap who came back with him?” - -“Oh, he’s gone. Went away to see his people, they say over at The -Front, but I guess he’s a wise one, eh, Perkins? Saw what was coming -and got out in time.” - -“It has been pretty rough sailing for us, Fraser, since Cameron -returned, and although I have gotten back through him from the farmers -around here over thirty thousand dollars, yet I am poorer by not being -able to let the loans rest. You understand?” - -“Yes, I see, Mr. Perkins. Bill Blakely says you have lost fifty -thousand by being beat out on foreclosing, and they all seem to be -laughing about it.” - -“Yes, and they think they had a big joke on you and me, eh, Fraser? -Well, now we will see who will laugh loudest and the last.” - -With this last thrust Perkins bounded up, and hurrying to the door in -his waddling gait, he shaded his eyes with his hands and scanned the -cloudless sky. Turning again to Fraser, he said: “I will have that -Cameron house before the week is out. My reputation has been hurt by -Cameron. My business is gone, and he has made me a joke for the whole -county. Now I’ll turn the laugh on him. I will go up to the county -clerk at once, and if there have been arrangements made for a sale of -the property or a transfer to his creditors, I will soon know it. Now -you go back to The Front, Fraser, and find out what you can. I will -meet you at the four corners on my return.” - -The twilight of the June evening had faded into the darkness of night -and Fraser still waited by the door to his shop. Presently a familiar -rattle of the wheels of an approaching wagon announced the coming of -Perkins. Fraser advanced from the door of his carpenter shop and met -the tardy Perkins in the road. - -“Ah, good evening, Fraser,” began the money lender in his blandest -tones, and Fraser knew his trip to the county town had placed him -in possession of favorable facts concerning the supposed financial -embarrassment of Cameron. “Anything new, Fraser?” - -“Nothing much, Mr. Perkins, but more strangers were hanging about The -Nole to-day. I couldn’t get near enough to hear what was up. They -looked over the new house and then went down the road to Laughing -Donald’s. They are staying there to-night.” - -“Very good, very good, Fraser. Now about LeClare. Have you seen him, or -do you know where he is?” - -“I don’t know exactly, Mr. Perkins, but I am told that Andy’s Dan is -away with him.” - -“There is a doubt there, Fraser, the only weak spot in our scheme. -Up at the county seat I see where they have arranged for a quick -sale. They were to do it on the quiet. They have advertised according -to law, and with the consent of Cameron’s lawyer, Donald Ban, the -city creditors are to meet at The Nole, and by an arrangement among -themselves, will bid in the house, and just enough to cover current -bills on hand. Now Cameron is in a pinch. They have sprung this thing -on him suddenly. He can’t locate his friend LeClare, and these city -chaps are after his house at half the cost. Here is our plan, Fraser. -Say not a word of what we know. The sale is on Thursday at ten in -the morning. This is Tuesday. I want the house. These men from the -city want about thirty thousand between them as their share of their -slick game. I can afford to overbid that amount because it is in the -foundation and they don’t know it. I have found that a receipt is on -file in the government mint down in the city, that this amount was -drawn out by Cameron and we have evidence that it was placed there. It -is a sure thing, Fraser, that I get Cameron’s house Thursday morning. -His only hope is that his friend LeClare may turn up before the sale. -You must be careful and quiet, Fraser, and leave the rest to me. I will -meet you at The Nole Thursday morning a few minutes only before ten.” - -They bade each other a half-whispered good night, but as their shadows -retreated in the darkness, another dark object jumped up out of the -ditch at the opposite side of the roadway. It was the figure of a man, -cloth cap in hand, who, waiting only long enough to take an enormous -chew out of a plug of tobacco, then sauntered at a safe distance from -the others down the roadway, past the store, the cheese factory, and on -toward home. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -_Donald Ban at The Front._ - - -Meanwhile, at Laughing Donald’s, Cameron had carefully concealed the -accomplices he had brought up from the city to aid him in fulfilling -the most delicate part of his whole undertaking. Through Bill Blakely -he knew positively of the moves to be made by Perkins that morning at -the sale, and further, he had arranged with LeClare, who, accompanied -by Andy’s Dan, was spending the night upon the accommodating banks of -Castle Island, opposite The Front in the Archipelago about a quarter of -a mile distant from the mainland. By a signal from Blakely, displayed -at The Nole, LeClare was to pull over in haste to The Front or remain -where he was till the sale had been completed. - -[Illustration: “As the hour of the sale approached, they assembled at -the east end of the broad veranda.”] - -Thursday morning had arrived and the strangers from the city, -representing the supposed creditors who had forced Cameron into -premature bankruptcy, were roaming at large over the House of Cariboo. -Then as the hour of the sale approached, they assembled at the east end -of the broad veranda, from whence an uninterrupted view of the river -and islands of the expanse of the Lake St. Francis stretches away to -the eastward. - -Gathered about the house and standing in groups around the veranda were -the workmen who were still engaged at The Nole. They talked in a hushed -undertone, and as Cameron and the tall, erect figure of Donald Ban came -slowly up the hill, the hum of their voices died away entirely. A few -of the near neighbors were present, and as Donald Ban, who was to act -as the referee agreed upon by both sides, took up his position upon the -veranda, he saw nearing the outskirts of the assembled group our worthy -friend Nicholas Perkins and his companion Fraser, the carpenter. Mr. -Cameron had selected an inconspicuous place from where he could easily -witness the proceedings without himself being too much in evidence. - -Baring his head, beginning his introductory remarks, Donald Ban spoke -quietly: “Gentlemen, neighbors, and friends:—I am here before you -in the capacity of my profession as a lawyer. I am here also as the -confidant of one of the most interested parties to this proceeding, and -I am also come to see justice fairly dispensed. We in Glengarry are -more familiar with the circumstances which have led up to the building -of this magnificent structure, than those among us who are recently -come from a distant city. The motives which my worthy friend Cameron -may have had in mind while rearing before the public gaze this house -of stately proportions, he has succeeded pretty well in keeping to -himself. However unfortunate and disappointing the termination of his -project may seem, we, who have carefully watched the workings of the -heart which has dictated the directions in which these expenditures -have gone, must easily have discovered the philanthropic intent of Mr. -Cameron, who has been to us the greatest benefactor our county has -ever known. Now, gentlemen, the facts I have the honor to put before -you this morning I hope will inspire within you the spirit of fairness -and of charity toward a brother. I am authorized to sell this house to -the highest bidder. For the benefit of those wishing to bid I will read -the following inventory: For material, labor, trucking, etc., expended -in Glengarry for the constructing of this house, and which has been -paid, thirty thousand dollars. For fixtures, decorating and furnishing, -forty thousand dollars. One-half of this amount has also been paid. You -will readily see, gentlemen, that Cameron has a paid-up equity of fifty -thousand dollars in this property, and you are easily secured on the -twenty thousand dollars unpaid amount, and we hope your bidding will -indicate that you have this fact in mind. Now, what is your first bid?” - -“Forty thousand,” came in a clear set voice from the centre of a group -of strangers on the left, and a stillness settled upon the group of men -surrounding the lawyer. As soon as Donald Ban had allowed sufficient -time to pass in which to recover naturally from what ought to seem -an unexpectedly high offer, he continued: “It is to be presumed, -gentlemen, that a figure covering the indebtedness of the individual -firms which you represent should satisfy your employers.” - -“Fifty thousand,” yelled the man with the high silk hat standing -over in the midst of an excited group, and Perkins again drew up his -shoulders as at the first bid and moved out to the edge of interested -bidders. Almost immediately another bid was recorded, a new contestor -with a sixty thousand offer, and Perkins looked badly discouraged, for -he pulled his side whiskers continually. Then sixty-five and seventy, -and seventy-five thousand were finally recorded from the same three -strangers, and the bidding seemed to be over. A slight commotion in the -neighborhood of Perkins was noticed by Donald Ban, and inclining his -head in his direction, the lawyer forced out his first bid, making it -now seventy-six thousand. An excited movement was noticeable throughout -the assembled company. Donald Ban repeated the offer, and while the -crowd surged about the money lender, Donald Ban added a few remarks to -stimulate the interest already at the snapping tension. - -“Gentlemen, to those of us who know, this property is exceedingly cheap -at eighty thousand dollars.” Perkins and Fraser had caught at once the -trend of Donald Ban’s remarks, and they feared the disclosure of the -contents of the corner stones. “Another unfortunate happening at this -time is the absence from The Front of the former partner and friend of -Mr. Cameron, whose presence here would be an assurance of this house -never passing under the hammer for less than a hundred thousand.” -Another thousand was added by the man wearing the high silk hat. -Seventy-eight quickly followed from his rival bidder, and the lawyer -turned again to Perkins. - -At that instant Fraser had pushed quickly through the crowd and -whispered something in the ear of Perkins. Blakely had displayed the -signal, and coming across the Channel, speeding on toward The Nole, was -seen the long, low, swiftly-going boat of LeClare making straight for -the landing. - -“Eighty thousand, gentlemen, we must have. Who says the price, and the -house goes to him!” - -“I do,” came in a defiant voice, and Perkins pranced into the space -about the end of the veranda where stood Donald Ban, and the crowd fell -back from him in awe. “Here’s your deposit, and I’ll sign the bill of -sale at once. Now then, who is there here to oppose Nicholas Perkins -again at The Front?” He turned with this challenge to survey the crowd, -and for his answer he met a chill of distrust which struck at the -very vitals of life, for he saw there, smilingly before him, standing -shoulder to shoulder, as if greatly pleased at the outcome of the sale, -his tormentors, Blakely, Cameron and LeClare. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -_Cameron’s Task Completed._ - - -No sooner had the lawyers completed the legal details for the transfer -of the House of Cariboo to the purchaser, Nick Perkins, than rumors -were afloat that all was not as it seemed about Cameron’s having to -sell the mansion to satisfy his creditors. Strange, if it were so, -mused Fraser the carpenter, for the day following the sale he saw from -his wheelwright’s place the strangers from the city grouped before -the door of the smithy, around Bill Blakely and Laughing Donald. The -jesting and laughter which he could plainly hear were joined in by -Blakely and even Davy Simpson, who left his blazing forge to appear at -the door of the shop to witness the pleasure of his friends. - -A feeling of uneasiness took possession of the little undersized -carpenter, and he drew back from the door and shuffled around among -the shavings upon the floor of his workshop. Fear and apprehension had -closed in around him so surely that there was no chance of evading the -awful certainty of the truth that Perkins had been most artistically -duped, and that he had been the one through whom the scheme was -so successfully worked. Nick Perkins had acted entirely upon the -information he had carried to him, and now as he looked through the -dimmed window panes of his workshop and recognized the same men who had -so flippantly discussed the affairs of Cameron back from The Front at -the station, the extent of the humiliation and expense he had forced -upon Perkins, and the extreme satisfaction he had given his enemies, -dawned unmercifully upon him. - -Again he squirmed in his peculiar sliding fashion around the extent of -his place. Stopping at the carpenter’s bench, he took up his plane and -tried to forget his predicament in violent muscular exertions. Soon a -knock came at the door. At first he paid no attention to it, thinking -Bill Blakely had come over to poke fun at him in his very provoking -manner. Another knock followed, and the door opened to admit the -short, officious personage of Perkins. At sight of his caller, Fraser -collapsed into a frightened, shrinking heap, sorrowful to see. Slamming -to the door, Perkins glared at the cringing object before him. - -“A nice mess you have made of it, Fraser! It’s a wonder you were not -in the trick with the rest of them, but they wanted you where you -were to do just what you have done—to ruin me, to put every dollar I -am worth in the world into that useless house, a monument to Cameron. -Every dollar I ever made in the county I have given to Cameron, and -he has paid it back to the same people I got it from. The entire -cost of that house is not more than fifty thousand. I have paid that -back to Cameron. He did not owe a cent to those people you said -were representing his creditors in the city, and what is more, I am -satisfied now that the talk of the gold in the corner stones is a hoax, -like all the rest put up by Cameron to use me in carrying out his -philanthropy, which has not cost him a dollar. Yet he has the glory, -while I am ridiculed!” - -Poor Fraser, confronted by such a terrible arraignment of what he knew -to be facts, was utterly confounded. He made no answer, but as Perkins -turned in resentment and disgust to go, Fraser, in a weak, thin voice, -like a wail of despair, said: “I thought I was doing you a service, -Mr. Perkins.” Again Perkins turned, but with a look of dark hatred and -disgust cast in his direction, he went out, slamming the door to after -him. - - * * * * * - -It was possibly a week or ten days later when Cameron and LeClare stood -again upon the veranda at Laughing Donald’s. Andy’s Dan awaited his -passenger at the boat landing for the leave taking of the two friends. - -“Lucy and I will expect you, Andy,” earnestly pleaded LeClare. “With -you present we shall want for nothing to make our wedding a union of -complete happiness.” - -Mr. Cameron grasped the extended hand of his faithful associate and -friend, saying in his quiet, determined way, “LeClare, we have faced -disappointment together, we have endured hardships of a kind to test -the merits of our friendship many times before. Defeat we have never -acknowledged; sorrow we have borne together side by side in the -valley of death. Success and wealth are ours, and happiness, sweetest -happiness, Edmond, is yours. Wherever I may be at the call of your -wedding bells I will go to add one more good wish for a long journey of -life and joy to you.” - -At another conference held in the office of Donald Ban, Mr. Cameron had -told of his plans for the future. Addressing his friend the lawyer, he -had said: “My mission at The Front is finished. The death of Barbara -has been avenged. The hypocrites, her tormentors, have been brought -very low, the weak are much stronger in person, and justice at last has -prevailed. I ask for no thanks or recognition but from our children in -Arcadia; in the generations to come may they look awe-inspired as they -pass the strange mansion, and be mindful of the moral which was taught -when we builded the House of Cariboo.” - - - - -THE GROWING MASKINONGE - - -[Illustration] - - - - -It was Sunday morning at the “Point.” And over across the bay the last -of the phantoms in “Ghost Hollow” had crept up the lampless posts -of the walk through “Spook Grove,” and, vaulting in an uncanny way, -reached cover in the branches of the birch trees that were thickly -clustered around the cottages lining “Spirit Lane” west to the bowling -alley. It was through “Ghost Hollow” that the cottagers living to the -westward passed while going to and returning from the boat landing and -the hotel over at the Point. - -At the misty dawn on this Sunday morning the forlorn spectres of the -spirits which frequented the small bay were stalking from the water, -answering from the hidden abode among the dark cottages of the lane -the homing call of the doleful strains of a “chella.” In obedience to -their spirit queen they wafted wearily through the rushes and ferns -upon the bank; borne by the receding shades of darkness, they sought -their resting places under the rafters and the eaves of the gruesome -roof of the bowling alley, which crouched along by the vine-covered -wall at the brow of the hill. It was then an Indian, from the tribe of -St. Regis, on the mainland, stole unnoticed upon the scene and beached -his canoe upon the east shore of the bay. He looked about for signs of -the awakening day, then stealthily he dropped on his knees, and from -beneath a covering in the bow of his “dug-out” dragged up upon the bank -a forty-pound maskinonge. - -“Hi! hi!” he cackled in the weird voice of his race. “Hotel man like -much Injun.” Then disappearing to the rear of the out buildings, life -to him soon became brighter by visions of “fire water” and a warm -breakfast—he had sold the fish. - -There was an ominous quiet hanging upon the early sunlight. The -suppressed calm was something greater than that inspired by the sight -of a few devout people starting out upon the yacht for early mass. The -guests were appearing singly upon the broad verandas of the hotel. -Each in turn as he appeared seemed possessed of the same apprehension, -a nervousness of manner. The sleep of this Sunday morning was the -closing of a week of wild and reckless dissipation among the guests. -Such intense excitement at the island had not been experienced in many -summers. From the wharf of the castle across the bay at the other side -of “Ghost Hollow” the gramophone had sung “coon songs” and recited at -length for several evenings in succession, and a music box in the main -corridor of the hotel had given a continuous performance from twelve to -twelve, till the nerves of the martyred guests had reached a state fit -to be recited in a patent medicine advertisement. - -“What’s that I don’t know, a big fish?” And Mr. Hot Water, dressed -in his new bicycle suit, strode excitedly a few steps forward on the -veranda, then backed up, balanced himself and side-stepped a little to -get a fresh start. Then he came on again, with his meerschaum pipe -tightly grasped in his right hand. - -“By Gum! That’s a terror. If it isn’t a pickerel it’s a maskinonge. -It’s either one, anyway, if it isn’t a maskinonge. Who caught it?” -Then he looked at the three individuals before him for the first time. -What he saw made him change the meerschaum quickly from the right -to the left hand, and then he blinked his eyes till recalled by Mr. -Du Ponté. When Mr. Hot Water (a regular patron of the hotel, known -to be threatened musically, and also as a local weather authority) -comprehended the outfit before him he saw a large fish, of the -maskinonge family, strung on an inch pole suspended between two trees -eight feet apart. He saw, also, three of his fellow guests at the Point -strangely arrayed before him, one dressed in white duck trousers, -with a red silk scarf tightly knotted above the knee, another with -hand and fore-arm wound with linen handkerchiefs and hung in a sling -across his breast, while the third, Mr. Du Ponté, was, aside from his -loquaciousness, apparently in his normal condition, i. e., he had -escaped from the terrible catastrophe that had overtaken his friends -with no severe injuries to his person. - -Mr. Hot Water, being somewhat of a “sport” himself, was led to inquire -for the particulars of the landing of the large fish. After stepping -cautiously around the group for a few minutes, he placed the meerschaum -between his teeth again and began to mutter questions which showed him -to be in a credulous state of mind. “By Gum! I don’t know, by Gum! Now, -I have been here, and I’ve been down to my club fishin’, fishin’; I’ve -been down to Kitskees Island, too. That’s right. My guide—my guide -rowed me down there and all the way back, too. I had out a thousand -feet of line, but I never caught anything like that.” He looked -cunningly out of the corner of his eye toward Mr. Du Ponté and inquired -again what the fish weighed. Three other guests filled with curiosity -had now joined the group, and Ponté began to explain. - -“Fifty-seven pounds is the weight of this fish. He has just been -weighed in the ice-house around there back of the hotel, near the -landing.” (Thirty-seven pounds had been the original quotation.) “You -see, Mr. Hot Water, this is no ordinary maskinonge. Take, for instance, -the back extension from shoulder to shoulder, which denotes a terrible -propelling force, and then if you notice these spots (pointing with a -twig he had cut for the purpose) they are not the marks of a common -fish. This ‘ere fish was a leader of his tribe; a king, so to speak, -among his fellows.” - -“Perhaps he’s a ‘King Fish’,” suggested Mr. Hot Water, with apparent -concern, at the same time winking both eyes at the “cottager” with the -red handkerchief tied about the trousers at the knee. - -“No,” returned Du Ponté; “we have looked him up and we find that having -those spots, and the second bicuspid tooth being black, prove him to be -a regular ‘King Filipino’ maskinonge.” - -“By Gum! that’s funny—I wonder how he got here. Must have followed the -‘line boat’ up the Suez Canal, I guess, or p’raps he didn’t. He must -weigh more than fifty-seven pounds—though I don’t know. I guess not, -though those fish grow, those Filipino fish grow very fast. They say -they do, though I couldn’t say myself. I should think he would weigh -more, though, being a king. Here’s Mr. Mac, he ought to know a ‘King -Filipino,’ he goes to the market every day,” continued Mr. Hot Water. -Again he blinked both eyes at the “cottager” with the red handkerchief -about the knee, and the laugh didn’t seem to be on Mr. Hot Water. - -Mr. Mac was another weekly visitor at the Island, spending the half -holiday about the rush beds and channels in quest of the sly “Wall -Eye.” For many seasons he had been doing this sort of thing. The -distinguishing mark of the pickerel, the pike and the maskinonge were -as familiar to him as were the quotations on the Exchange, upon which -he was an active operator six days of the week. The responsibility of -Mac’s habit of listening courteously to what a fellow had to say, for -the time carefully concealing his final verdict, dates back for its -origin to the conservative atmosphere of old Glengarry County, where he -had spent the days of his boyhood. - -“Good morning, gentlemen,” said Mr. Mac, in a slow, deliberate voice, -slightly pitched, as he reached the inner circle surrounding the -fish suspended between the two small hickory trees. The peak of his -blue yachting cap was pulled well down over his nose, which shielded -from the principals in the “fish game” the twinkle in the eye which -would have been the only clue detectable upon his imperturbable -features to indicate his belief, skeptical or otherwise, concerning -the proceedings. “Well, now, that is a pretty good morning’s catch, -that one fish is. Where did you get him, might I ask?” and Mac raised -his head slowly backward till his eyes from under the shield of his -cap rested on the level of the faces of the three bandaged principals -guarding the fish. “Must have had some trouble, too, in landing him,” -and he indicated with an inclination of the yachting cap toward the red -bandage around the white duck trousers at the knee of the “cottager.” - -“Yes,” quickly responded Du Ponté, “I hooked him on a small perch line -out there,” indicating the spot near shore, “in front of my friend’s -cottage, not more than three rods from shore. He can tell you”—nodding -to the “cottager”—“he saw me from his gallery, which is over the small -dock near where I was fishing, throw the pole overboard and heard me -shout for help. Now, friend,” nodding to the man with the wounded limb, -“tell Mr. Mac how we got him ashore.” - -“There isn’t much to say about what we did,” began the “cottager,” “but -it’s what the fish did to us. Look at Ribbon Gibbon! His hand lacerated -to the wrist; Du Ponté, here, with a dislocated shoulder, while I have -a jagged wound at the knee.” Mac viewed them as requested, his features -at the time screwed up as though a bright sunlight were shining on his -face. - -“I had just finished dressing,” the “cottager” continued, “and had -stepped out on the balcony to see what the weather was to be, before -I went into the tower to run up the flag. Then it was I saw Du Ponté -at his regular trick of fishing the perch bank dry before anybody else -was up and stirring. The next instant I heard a despairing yell, and, -looking in the direction from whence it came, I saw Du Ponté making -frantic efforts to raise the stone anchor to his boat, and calling at -the same time for help to capture his fishing pole, which was making -down stream in a zig-zag course at lightning speed. As I watched the -pole it came, now and then, to the surface. I saw that its mysterious -kidnapper was making for the small bay which lay where you see, there, -between my cottage and the hotel here. An idea seized me, and, with -swiftness born only of excitement, I sped down the stairs, out into the -roadway which leads through ‘Ghost Hollow,’ shouting as I ran to Ribbon -Gibbon, who had just emerged from the hotel, to meet me at the bend of -the bay in ‘Ghost Hollow.’ - -“‘Who’s drowning?’ said Ribbon. - -“‘Nobody,’ said I, all out of breath with excitement; ‘Du Ponté has -hooked a sturgeon, and he made off into the bay here with his pole and -line. Look!’ says I. ‘There it goes again,’ and the bamboo pole shot -inward a couple of rods nearer shore. Ribbon saw the pole this time, -and we set out together to capture the fish. - -“‘Let’s take that boat lying over there on the other shore,’ said he, -and we made a run for it. I jumped at once into the boat in my haste -to reach the runaways, but Ribbon stopped to push off from the rocks. -I lost my balance and fell over the sharp end of the oar-lock, and -that’s how I cut my leg. Before I had got righted up again I heard a -terrible splashing, and, looking over the end of the boat into the -bay, I saw Ribbon with an oar striking wildly at something in the -water, a boat length from shore. ‘We’ve got him, we’ve got him!’ he -wailed, hysterically, but suddenly losing his footing he fell full -length upon the monster as he lay struggling to free himself from the -maze of twisted fishlines with which he found himself securely tied. -Immediately a cry of pain came from the water, and Ribbon held up a -bleeding hand. In his fall he had encountered the sharp teeth of the -fish you see here before you in full view.” - -At this point in the narrative Ribbon groaned, and, holding his injured -arm at the elbow, turned slowly away. “Stunned by the beating he had -received from Ribbon with the oar,” continued the “cottager,” “and -exhausted by his efforts to free himself from the coils of the line, -Mr. Fish gave up the struggle, and with the aid of Ponté, who had now -reached the shore, we rolled him up upon the beach. We have weighed him -over at the ice-house, and he tips the scales at exactly eighty-seven -pounds and one-quarter.” - -The “cottager” then limped to the side of Du Ponté, Ribbon Gibbon edged -up beside the “cottager,” then Mac, after placing his thumbs in the -sleeve-holes of his vest and elevating his head till his eyes had a -chance from under the peak of his cap, a cunning smile o’erspreading -his face, spoke quietly and deliberately. - -“Well, gentlemen,” said he, “it is remarkable, and only that I have -the honor of knowing you three chaps, and know you to be absolutely -truthful, I might say to you that you are the best trio of liars I have -ever met.” Then he made a catlike grin at the “cottager,” and, keeping -his thumbs in the arm-holes of his vest, he turned and sauntered out of -the group. - -The number of people who now stood gaping with undisguised wonder -pictured on their faces edged in closer, forming a compact circle -surrounding the terrible monster of the deep, and viewing the disabled -subjects of his vicious attack. - -Du Ponté was about to order the fish returned to the ice-house, when he -espied emerging from the doorway of the stairs leading to the sleeping -apartments in the annex the tall, graceful figure of Harry Weiner -Sneitzel. “Here is a rare chance,” thought Du Ponté to himself. “Why, -boys,” in an undertone, aside, “the fun is only beginning; now, Ribbon, -it’s your turn. Give it to him good.” - -Harry Weiner Sneitzel was a general favorite at the “Point.” He was -endowed with a liberal share of good looks, a fine form, with graceful -movements, and possessed of a rare interpretation of what a courteous -manner should be. His bearing, too, was further dignified by a three -years’ course at a medical college. When Harry stepped out upon the -gravel walk in front of the hotel that Sunday morning, his white canvas -shoes shining with a fresh coat of pipe clay, and his tall, erect -figure swaying to his easy strides, he truly looked “a winner.” - -[Illustration: “‘Well, it’s pretty bad,’ said Du Ponté, ‘but Ribbon -needs you the worst of any of us.’”] - -As he turned toward the group surrounding the suspended fish and saw -his friends in such evident distress, he hastened his steps in their -direction. An expression of deep sympathy and concern had o’erspread -his classic features, and he elbowed himself quickly to the side of -his companions. “By Jove, old man, it’s pretty tough! Where have you -been?” Ribbon was speaking in an accusing tone, holding his bandaged -arm tenderly to his breast. Harry quickly looked from Du Ponté to the -“cottager” for an explanation. “Well, it’s pretty bad,” said Du Ponté, -“but Ribbon needs you the worst of any of us; his hand is in a bad -shape.” “Oh, you don’t tell me!” replied Harry, sorrowfully. “Can I do -anything for you?” he eagerly inquired. - -“By Jove, old chap,” went on Ribbon, with apparent difficulty, “I -thought you had gone away last night on the ‘liner,’ or I would have -been after you sooner. I’m all done up. My hand is in a bad way. This -confounded fish has chewed me up. The fellows here tied this bandage -all about, but it hurts like the deuce, and I’m afraid of blood -poisoning.” “Better do something for him,” muttered Du Ponté. Harry -was deeply impressed with the responsibility that was being heaped -upon him. He placed the palms of his hands over his hips and drew up -his shoulders till they rested akimbo, and then he was completely -confused by the suddenness of the call upon his professional skill. -“Quick, Harry,” snapped the “cottager,” “that hand needs to be dressed -immediately, then afterward you can take a look at the cut in my -leg.” “Say, old chap,” complained Ribbon, “mother will be down here -in a minute; then there will be a deuced row if she sees this.” And -he gingerly handled the bandaged arm for effect. “But I have no—no -medicines,” stammered Harry, just recovering his composure. “Medicine!” -shouted Du Ponté. “Don’t need medicines; get some cotton batting, get -lint, get any old thing—but hustle; there’ll be trouble here soon!” -“That’s right, Harry,” spoke the “cottager” assuringly. “Find the -cotton batting; then we’ll get to work.” “Cotton batting will be good -for that—first rate for a wound,” replied Harry, suddenly awakening. -“Why, we had some yesterday over at your cottage, fixing up your rig -for the masquerade. It’s in the extension; I know where to get it,” and -he bolted through the crowd over the side hill and down through “Ghost -Hollow,” up again on the opposite rise of ground, and fled through the -white birch grove, disappearing into the grounds of the castle across -the bay. Before the arch conspirators could hold a conference as to -their further conduct of the “fish case,” which was now assuming an -alarming aspect, Harry was flying back through “Spirit Lane,” his arms -flapping up and down, his long legs dangling, in his haste resembling -the flight of a water crane startled from a reed bank. - -“Spread it out here,” suggested Du Ponté, and he guided Harry to -the edge of the veranda, where he unfolded the roll of cotton. The -“cottager” had limped to the veranda and seated himself. Ribbon -followed him reluctantly. “Go lightly now, old chap; I am afraid it’s -pretty bad,” said Ribbon. “Better dampen that cotton in witch hazel or -Pond’s extract,” suggested the “cottager,” “for, if it’s blood poison -you need an antiseptic.” “Excuse me, old chap, won’t you,” interrupted -Ribbon; “this is quite serious, I fear. Would you mind getting that -bottle of Pond’s extract up on your dresser? It would be safer for you -to use it, don’t you know.” “Oh, of course, I never thought of that.” -And Harry was off again, up the stairway this time, four steps at a -bound, out again on the gravel walk, the bottle of extract clinched -in his excited grasp. As Harry hurried to the side of his suffering -patient to proceed with the bandaging, Mr. Mac had quietly reached the -front. “If you will allow me to offer a suggestion,” he began, in his -cautious, convincing way, “my family physician will arrive here in -half an hour from the city; he will have all the necessaries, which I -believe you require for this job, and it might be safer all around to -postpone this operation till he comes.” “Quite right, quite right,” -Du Ponté replied at once. “Mind you,” continued Mac, “I only wish to -suggest; I am not interfering with your case, Harry.” “Oh, that’s all -right, Mr. Mac,” said Harry; “the doctor probably has antiseptics, and -that will be very necessary in this case.” “You had better go in to -your breakfast, Harry,” suggested Ribbon; “I can stand this for half an -hour, and the other doctor will need you when he comes.” Harry, still -under the mesmeric spell, obeying orders, hurried into the hotel for -breakfast. - -The principals fell back, again surrounding the maskinonge, which was -now stiffening in the sun. They were considering the plan of their -escape from the Island in whispered consultation. In the meantime Harry -Weiner Sneitzel had swallowed his first cup of coffee, and began to -think. At the second thought he looked out of the window toward the -suspended fish, then he sank back in his chair; an expression of fear -and incredulity was forming upon his countenance. - -“Scamps,” he was heard to remark, as he gazed for the second time out -through the window at the group upon the lawn. Then, quickly rising, he -headed for the office. Hatless he sprang out upon the veranda. Grabbing -up a sabre which was thrown aside by a masquerader of the night before, -he bore down upon the three conspirators who had made him the victim of -their practical joke. As he leaped in one mad stride from the piazza to -the ground his long, thin front locks stood straight up in the wind -like the scalp feathers of an Indian. - -“Sneak!” yelled Du Ponté. In a flash the conspirators were out of the -crowd which surrounded the fish. Over the side hill they scampered, -Harry in pursuit, swinging the flashing sabre in the air. Down through -the Hollow they sped, and in their flight, as did the ghost spirits -of the bay, they mysteriously disappeared into the mazes of the dark -cottages, amidst the white birch grove in “Spirit Lane.” - -[Illustration] - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Quotation marks have been standardized. - - Page 7. Chap. VIII _changed to_ - Chap. VIII. - - Page 8. Chap. XVIX. LeClare to _changed to_ - Chap. XIX. LeClare to - - Page 14. the group, picnicing with their friends _changed to_ - the group, picnicking with their friends - - Page 54. the wheelright’s place _changed to_ - the wheelwright’s - - Page 60. just to show, as he said that there _changed to_ - just to show, as he said, that there - - Page 108. Barbara Sickness she herself had ever known _changed to_ - Barbara. Sickness she herself had ever known - - Page 139. the fulfill the legal requirements _changed to_ - to fulfill the legal requirements - - Page 201. dark cottages of the lane the homeing _changed to_ - dark cottages of the lane the homing - - Page 206. and the laught didn’t seem to be _changed to_ - and the laugh didn’t seem to be - - Page 213. “Better do something for him.” _changed to_ - “Better do something for him,” - - Page 214. at the cut in my leg,” “Say, old chap,” _changed to_ - at the cut in my leg.” “Say, old chap,” - - Page 215. it’s pretty bad.” said Ribbon. _changed to_ - it’s pretty bad,” said Ribbon. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The House of Cariboo and Other Tales -from Arcadia, by A. 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Paul Gardiner - </title> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1 -{ - text-align: center; - font-size: 2.0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.6; -} - -h1 small -{ - font-size: small; -} - - -.center -{ - text-align: center; -} - -.spaced -{ - line-height: 1.5; -} - -.space-above -{ - margin-top: 3em; -} - - -h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - - - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; - } - - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} - - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - - .tdl {text-align: left;} - .tdr {text-align: right;} - - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-weight: normal; /* to avoid bold */ - font-style: normal; /* to avoid italics */ - } /* page numbers */ - - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - - - -.caption p -{ - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0; - margin: 0.25em 0; -} - - - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -.smaller {font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold;} -.big {font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;} -.font-size18 {font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: bold;} - - -/* Images */ - -img { - max-width: 100%; /* no image to be wider than screen or containing div */ - height:auto; /* keep height in proportion to width */ -} - -div.figcenter { - clear: both; - margin: 2em auto; - text-align: center; - max-width: 100%; /* div no wider than screen, even when screen is narrow */ -} - -@media handheld /* Place this at the end of the CSS */ -{ - body - { - margin: 0; - padding: 0; - width: 95%; - } - -.chapter - { - page-break-before: always; - } - -hr.chap { - border-width: 0; margin: 0; - } - -table { - width: 98%; margin-left: 1%; margin-right: 1%; - } -} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The House of Cariboo and Other Tales from -Arcadia, by A. Paul Gardiner - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The House of Cariboo and Other Tales from Arcadia - -Author: A. Paul Gardiner - -Illustrator: Robert A. Graef - -Release Date: October 6, 2016 [EBook #53220] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOUSE OF CARIBOO, TALES FROM ARCADIA *** - - - - -Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Susan Theresa Morin and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" width="500" height="704" alt="Book cover" /> -</div> - -<p class="center smaller"><a href="#Transcribers_Notes">See Transcriber’s Notes at end of text.</a></p> - - - - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="frontispiece" id="frontispiece"></a> -<img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" width="500" height="358" alt="Lucy watched intently" /> -<div class="caption"><p>“Lucy * * * watched intently a boat pushing out from a -bay farther up the shore.” (Page 159.)</p></div> -</div> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1><i>The House of Cariboo</i><br /> - -<small><i>AND OTHER</i></small><br /> - -<i>Tales from Arcadia,</i></h1> -</div> - -<p class="center font-size18"> - -<small><i>BY</i></small><br /> - -<i>A. PAUL GARDINER</i>.</p> - - - - - - -<p class="center spaced space-above"><b><i>Author of “Vacation Incidents,” “The Fifth<br /> -Avenue Social Trust,” etc.</i></b></p> - -<p class="center spaced space-above"><b><i>Illustrated by Robert A. Graef.</i></b></p> - -<p class="center spaced space-above"><b><i>A. P. Gardiner, Publisher, New York.<br /> -1900.</i></b></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center spaced space-above"><b><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1900, by<br /> -A. P. Gardiner.</span></b></p> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="5" summary="toc"> - -<tr> - <th class="tdl" colspan="3"> </th> - <th class="tdr"><span class="smcap">Page</span></th> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"><span class="smcap">The Archipelago</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"><span class="smcap">Along The Front</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl" colspan="3"><span class="smcap">The House of Cariboo.</span></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">I.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Camerons at The Front</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_31">31</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">II.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Barbara and Dan at Home</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_43">43</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">III.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">On the Way to the Gold Fields</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_46">46</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">IV.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Into the Cariboo Mountains</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">V.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">At the Four Corners</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">VI.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Donald Visits the Gossip Club</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_63">63</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">VII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">In the Mining Camp</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">VIII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">LeClare’s Story: The Initialed Tree</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">IX.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">LeClare’s Story: The Christmas Tree</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_89">89</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">X.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Adieu to the Mining Camp</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XI.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Nick Perkins the Money Lender</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Barbara in the Chilcoten Valley</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XIII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Mortgage Comes Due</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_115">115</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XIV.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Blakely Consults Cameron’s Lawyer</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_121">121</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XV.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Cameron’s Resolve</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_126">126</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XVI.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Return of the Gold Diggers</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XVII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Cameron Outlines His Policy</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XVIII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Ice Raft</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XIX.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">LeClare to Prospect in Arcadia</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_153">153</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XX.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Lucy Visits the Archipelago</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XXI.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Under the Initialed Tree</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_166">166</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XXII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Mystery of the Corner Stones</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_171">171</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XXIII.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Fraser Confers with Perkins</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_175">175</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XXIV.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Perkins Again Outwitted</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_182">182</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XXV.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Donald Ban at The Front</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_188">188</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> - <td class="tdr">XXVI.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Cameron’s Task Completed</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_195">195</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"><span class="smcap">The Growing Maskinonge</span>,</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_200">200</a></td> -</tr> -</table></div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h2 id="List_of_Full_Page_Illustrations.">List of Full Page Illustrations.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="5" summary="LOI"> - -<tr><td class="tdl">“Lucy * * * watched intently a boat pushing out from a -bay<br /> farther up the shore.” (Page 159.)</td> - <td class="tdr"><i><a href="#frontispiece">Frontispiece.</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl">“I had run across Jimmie, one day, while prospecting<br /> -for water lilies,”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_022a">22</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl">“‘Now, Nick Perkins, if you have got anything to<br /> -say to me personally, just come down here in<br /> -the road and I’ll talk to you,’”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_068">68</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl">“‘Speak, Edmond!’ gasped Cameron. ‘What have<br /> -you behind your back? It’s gold! gold!—I<br /> -know it!’”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_076a">76</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl">“As the hour of the sale approached, they assembled<br /> -at the east end of the broad veranda,”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_188a">188</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl">“‘Well, it’s pretty bad,’ said Du Ponté, ‘but Ribbon<br /> -needs you the worst of any of us,’”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_212a">212</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2><i>The Archipelago.</i></h2> - - -<p>As the eagle stirs up her nest upon the -crags and forces her young over the confines -of the inadequate abode, it is then that they -spread their wings and soar away to freedom -and independence. So is it with the great -river of rivers, the St. Lawrence. Born among -the Northwest Lakes, and sheltered there for -a time, resenting intrusion, it steals away unnoticed -from the watershed expanse. Threading -its course through the marshes and lowlands, -it gathers momentum as it speeds onward, -till, the volume growing too great for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> -its confining banks, its waters rebel, and -breaking from control, spread forth into the -boisterous storm-tossed Erie. Here they are -disrupted and buffeted about, driven by the -winds and carried onward by a terrible undertow. -Now drawn through a narrow, -deep channel, swiftly they pass the cities on -the shore. Too quickly they are speeding -to heed or be disturbed longer by the warring -of the elements. Down to the very brink of -the awful precipice ahead they charge with -ever-increasing speed, then over the Niagara, -pouring far beneath into the seething, -boiling caldrons.</p> - -<p>After surging still onward through jagged, -walled raceways, then emerging into a lake of -whirling eddies, till finally fought out to exhaustion, -the once rampant waters of the tumultuous -Erie flow peacefully into the haven -of the Lake of Ontario. Here at rest, landlocked -by the grape-bearing vineyards of the -Niagara and the peach groves of the Canadian -Paradise of the West, the St. Lawrence is again -reinforced, and again its voyage onward to the -sea is begun, this time marked by the dignity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> -of a well-organized body. The blue -waters, through their separate channels, glide -majestically down their course, passing the -islands in their midst with a happy smile and -ripples of sunlight laughter. Touching at the -wharfs of the numerous cottagers and lapping -the white shining sides of the pleasure craft -among the Thousand Islands, onward heedlessly -flows the beautiful river increasing in -strength.</p> - -<p>Once more before reaching the haven of -the Archipelago, the water channels of the -great river are bidden to struggle with one another, -to fight for supremacy and swiftness, -and demonstrate to the other creatures of nature -the mighty forces hidden at other times -beneath the tranquil surface of her smiling -face. The rapids of the Sioux are now left -behind and we come to that part of the majestic -river included in these sketches, which -territorial lines have placed within the borders -of our friendly Canadian ally, the Lake St. -Francis. Beginning immediately after the subsiding -of the waters from their turbulent passage -through the rapids of the Sioux, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> -river spreads out till its confining banks are -in places ten miles apart. There in this wide -expanse stretching across toward the blue irregular -mountain line of the Adirondacks, far -to the southward, then eastward till the vision -meets the water line, lie the islands -grouped for beauty by nature’s gardener, -called by the writer the Arcadian Archipelago.</p> - -<p>The very atmosphere of this enchanted region -compels the thoughts of peace and freedom. -A restful idleness pervades the life of -its people; and while they fish and row about -through the islands of the group, picnicking -with their friends of the Cameron or McDonald -Clan from the “Gore,” little do they care -for the tending of the farm, the harvesting of -the crops, or the speeding of time. The only -“walking delegate” whose ruling they recognize, -is the rising or setting sun. Upon the -interval of time, for them there are no restrictions.</p> - -<p>Free from the cares of business, ignorant of -the affairs of political intriguing, and shielded -by happiness from all social strife, these primitive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> -inhabitants of the Archipelago live on as -does the flowering plant-life of the district. -They bask in the sun of the Spring and Summer -seasons, only to hide away again for -months from the Winter’s snows and the icy -winds of December and March. As life among -the people of Glengarry and the settlers at -the “Front” over on the mainland, goes happily -on, unchanged by the passing social fads -of the century, so also upon the St. Francis -Islands nature still retains her original tenants -and social customs. The Indians from -the tribe of St. Regis at the reservation on -the mainland guard with a jealous care their -coveted hunting grounds from possession by -the white men; and neither thus far has the -woodsman’s axe nor the painted cottage of -the “first settler” succeeded in gaining an entree -into the sacred confines of the St. Francis -Archipelago.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2><i>Along the Front.</i></h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_016.jpg" width="500" height="254" alt="" /> -</div> - - -<p>Along The Front the north bank of the river -skirting the Arcadian Archipelago is high and -terraced up from the water’s edge to the roadway, -which follows the indentations of the -shore line westward to the county seat of Glengarry. -Over this road the country folk from the -interior townships make their weekly pilgrimages -to market the products of their farms. -Facing this road also, and looking out upon -the broad river, dotted with wooded islands, -are the farm-houses, the small church, and -the dilapidated remains of what was once a -prosperous boat landing called The Front. In -the palmy days of river freighting this little -weather-beaten hamlet had some excuse for -a hope of life, but now that river navigation -all over the world has been paralleled with the -modern steel-winged carriers, time and neglect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> -have stamped their impress upon the deserted -buildings and docks, which at one time -in the long ago had shown fair signs of a -prolonged life.</p> - -<p>From Castle Island, as we look across the -boat channel and over the intervening strips -of rush banks to the mainland, the remains of -the business part of The Front present a -deserted and uninviting appearance.</p> - -<p>First we see the dilapidated dock; then a -disheveled freight building; near by in a small -bay, is a broken-down boat house, sadly -twisted by the “ice shoves” in the Spring of -the year. Next we can see the old brown, -weather-discolored tavern with an extension -reaching out toward the east. A dance hall -it was, and below, the beaux of old Glengarry -stabled their horses, while they danced -overhead to the music of the bagpipes until -dawn of day. Sad, as he views the scene, -must be the thoughts of one of these gallants -returning to his native home. In the palmy -days of The Front he had proudly escorted -the farmer’s comely lassie through the corridors -of the tavern and up the broad stairs<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> -to the dance hall, pleased with his choice of a -partner and happy in the simplicity of his -surroundings. To-day, the name on the -sign-board over the entrance is no longer -readable. The plank steps, once strong -and unbending, have rotted away at the -ends and the centre, until now, for the use -of the laborer’s family who occupy the -old shell as their living apartments, broken -pieces of plank for steps are held up by stones -placed one upon the other. The dance hall in -the extension presents the sorriest appearance -to the visitor approaching from the water’s -side. A woodyard with jagged, uncut logs and -little heaps of chips picked up here and there -from the chopper’s axe, fills the yard and what -was once the stabling-shed for the chafing -steeds of the Glengarry lads. The gable end -of the hall is all awry; the archways beneath -and the supporting posts have leaned over, -tired as it were, of the long, weary wait against -the time when they will be no longer asked to -support their useless burden. Doves, unmolested, -fly in and out through the broken -panes of the windows, and strut and coo along<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> -the weather-checked vane of the roof. Where -once the droning of the bagpipes re-echoed -through the full length of the building, it is -now the buzzing of the bumble-bee and the -tenor singing wasps that we hear as they -swarm around their hive-nests suspended from -the rafters. Gone forever from the old tavern -are the good times of yore, and like the -business prosperity at the landing, they have -followed the noisy rivermen down the stream -to return again no more to The Front.</p> - -<p>To describe the surviving enterprises at -The Front—there are, first, the government -post-office; then the buckboard stage line plying -between The Front and the station to the -railway two miles inland; and, lastly, the boat -builder’s plant in the bay. It would seem -that the traveling public were charitably inclined -toward the ancient buckskin mare and -the driver of the mail coach, for daily the -old nag is hitched to the buckboard; the canvas -mail-sack is rolled up and tucked into -the pocket of the driver’s linen-dusterlike -coat, and without ever a passenger to tax -the strength of the old mare or the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> -comfort of the driver, they jog along together -to the station, then back. The return -pouch is extracted from the folds of the accommodating -coat, handed over to the official -postmaster, and the business event of the day -at The Front is closed.</p> - -<p>Down by the water’s edge, with one corner -of its base, as if from a misstep, dipping down -into the stream, is the plant of the boat -builder. Across at Castle Island each season -his couple of boats, the result of his Winter’s -employment, are disposed of; then after re-calking -the two which he had sold the previous -season, and had re-purchased at secondhand -prices, he awaits through the long Summer -days, the arrival of trade.</p> - -<p>Each day as I looked across at The Front, -my field glasses refused to change the sameness -of the scene or setting by even discovering -a venturesome pedestrian sauntering -down the dusty road, or a child running an -errand for an industrious housewife to the -post-office or general store. Curiosity had -about decided me to make a visit of investigation,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> -but before an opportunity to act came, -I was told a caller wished to see me.</p> - -<p>“I am from The Front, aye, sir, just yonder -acrost, and three farms up from the post-office -is where I live. Jimmie MacPherson—James -T. MacPherson is my right name, but -they call me Jimmie around here. Of course, -I mean,” he added apologetically, “they do -over at the cheese factory and the wheelwright -shop. You city folks here on the island, from -New York, don’t know me, so I’m telling -you my full name, but you can call me Jimmie, -too, if you like that better.”</p> - -<p>“All right, Jimmie,” said I, “that sounds -more like getting on together. Have a seat -here on the veranda, or we will go down on the -dock, just as you say.” I thought the presence -of ladies near by might interfere with the -free discussion of the subject about which -Jimmie had thought it necessary to call.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_022a" id="i_022a"></a><img src="images/i_022a.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p>“I had run across Jimmie, one day, while prospecting -for water lilies.”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“On the veranda,” replied Jimmie, and a -mischievous twinkle was in his eyes, as he -shaded them from the glare of the morning -sun with the rough fingers of his right hand. -“You will see by my complexion,” he continued<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> -in a humorous strain, “that I am not -used to being out in the sun. The field corn -grows so fast along The Front that we are -constantly in the shade while out promenading.” -Then he turned his shining countenance -on me to confirm what he had said. An -honest face it was, covered with an unkempt, -fiery red beard. His skin was burned and -blistered in spots extending from the shade -mark on the forehead made by his greasy felt -hat till lost in perspective in the dense undergrowth -of the lower chin and neck.</p> - -<p>I had run across Jimmie one day while prospecting -for water lilies, at the mouth of a -small creek which emptied its waters by a circuitous -route into one of the channels of the -large river, to be found over in the region of -Hoag Island and the Dead Channel. Jimmie -on that morning was cocked up in the stern -seat of his flat-bottomed punt. Two wooden -pins acting as oar locks, stuck into the sides of -the boat and recently whittled to a whiteness -of the wood, were the only relief in color to -that of the boat and crew. Jimmie was the -captain and the crew consisted of the spaniel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> -dog, whose brown coat corresponded so -closely to the coloring of the metal and stock -of the beautiful modern shot gun, and the entire -costume of Jimmie and his river craft, -that as he lay alongside of a reed-bank filled -with dried cat-tail I had nearly run him down -before making the discovery.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, stranger,” said Jimmie, in -a calm, well-inflected voice. A smile seemed -to be playing all about his face. Bristling in -the sun was his red kinky beard, shining -his face as though rubbed to a polish, the -shabby felt hat reaching out modestly to the -line in the middle of his forehead. He was -perched on the seat, crowded back into the -stern of the boat, and the water spaniel, proud -and important, moved with ease between the -rowing seat and the perch upon which his master -sat making observations. Looking more -closely at my discovery before making any reply -to his salutation, I saw on his feet a pair of -“contract-made” shoes, rivets and buckles -prominently in sight, which had from long -usage taken on a shape resembling an elephant’s -foot in miniature, all instep and few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> -toes; a pair of blue jeans, a negligee shirt, a -leather strap making upward and diagonally -across the chest for a wire nail on the band of -the trousers at the back, and a four-in-hand tie -of undefinable pattern, the quilting of which -had suffered a sad displacement and was clinging -in shreds to the original band encircling his -neck, which had been tenderly preserved by -the spinach-fringe of unfading brightness.</p> - -<p>“Hello,” said I, in return of salute. “Shooting -out of season?”</p> - -<p>At that instant I was not conscious of the -significance of my remark, which had popped -out spontaneously with my first sight of Jimmie -and his crew.</p> - -<p>“No,” he replied. “I heard up along The -Front that there were some good dory holes -in this channel, so I thought I would come up -in here and see if I could find the fish weeds. -Then I would know for myself.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I see!” said I. “Good scheme, isn’t -it?” Then we each laughed a little and seemed -to understand each other better after that. -My boat had drifted up alongside, and curiosity -led me to ask permission to examine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> -the modern gun of beautiful finish and workmanship, -a striking contrast to the attire, at -least, of the owner.</p> - -<p>“A good gun, stranger,” remarked Jimmie.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and an expensive one, I should think, -any way. What use have you for such a gun?” -I said, as I returned it to him.</p> - -<p>“Well, you see,” began Jimmie, “a gun is -like some other things. When you need one, -you need it pretty bad, and then you can’t -have too good a one, and that’s why I have -one like this.” For an instant I imagined I -was out in the Pan Handle country of Texas -and that the advice of my friend would be -good to follow. But, no! Here I was in a -boat in Arcadia on the peaceful Lake St. -Francis. Then looking again quickly toward -the boat and crew at my left, I was met by a -broad grin from its occupant.</p> - -<p>“Jimmie,” I said, “you’re the sort I always -want to know. Come over to Castle Island to-morrow -and we will ‘talk it over.’”</p> - -<p>Since meeting Jimmie down in the rush -banks, I had heard more about him from the -guides on the Island, and I knew his call this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> -morning would prove both interesting and -entertaining.</p> - -<p>Jimmie, they told me, had at one time directed -the political affairs of the County Glengarry. -That is, he had been employed as -secretary by the representative in Parliament -from his district. This gentleman could neither -read nor write nor compose a speech to be -delivered before his constituents. With him -Jimmie spent several months at the Canadian -Capital, where in his capacity as secretary, he -had been writing speeches for his chief which -were supposed to be delivered before the representatives -in Parliament, but which instead, -his wily employer had directed should be sent -home for publication in the county newspaper -for the edification of the voters who -had made him their representative. Jimmie -had schooled his charge “The Member” -in the civilities and court etiquette necessary -to be employed toward his brother “members.” -He had also trained him, the while exercising -great tact and patience, how to make -use of the most approved mannerisms and figures -of speech while addressing the speaker of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> -the house. The extent of the oratorical effort, -Jimmie insisted with his pupil, must not exceed -the few phrases necessary for the seconding -of a motion put by a colleague, or a perfunctory -motion to adjourn.</p> - -<p>Then with the “spread-eagle” speeches he -had prepared for the press agents of the counties -which he and his employer were representing, -affairs at the Capital, Jimmie had congratulated -himself, were going on swimmingly.</p> - -<p>One night, however, as the Quixotic member -came to Jimmie’s room for final directions -as to his movements in Parliament for -the next day’s session, he found his instructor -boisterously delivering before an imaginary -audience, one of his pet political -speeches. Paying no attention to his caller, -Jimmie proceeded with the speech—the needed -appropriations which he demanded from -the government to benefit the industries situated -in the great manufacturing town, The -Front, which he had the honor to represent, -and the extensive dredging operations which -were necessary to widen the channel to accommodate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> -the lake and river craft, constantly -increasing their volume of business, which -could be proven by the congested condition of -the docks, to be seen any day in the boating -season at The Front, etc.</p> - -<p>Poor Jimmie! The strain on his mental -faculties had been too great. “Crazy,” the -doctors were cruel enough to say. So they -took him back to The Front, gentle of manner, -but the enlarged idea he had created in -his brain of the condition of the business affairs -at The Front never parted company with -him.</p> - -<p>“I have come over this morning,” began -Jimmie, after we had seated ourselves by -the woodbine, “to extend to you a welcome -and the courtesies of the people of The -Front. I have been instructed by the members -of the Board of Trade to offer you and -your friends the free use of the docks of the -port opposite here. The use of the Assembly -Hall attached to the Hustings has been -unanimously granted by the members of the -Town Council, and also arrangements have -been consummated whereby passes can be secured<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> -to visit the extensive boat-building plant -situated directly opposite on the mainland. I -am also authorized to say that between the -hours of ten and twelve, morning, the cheese -manufacturing industry, during week days, -and the church at Glen Water, Sundays, will -be open to visitors from the Island. Now, my -friend,” continued Jimmie, rising and placing -his hand upon the back of the chair for good -oratorical effect, “come over to The Front. -You are welcome, we are not too busy a people -to miss seeing you when you do come. In -fact, I can assure you that you will feel well -repaid for the effort. Why, stop and think, -my dear sir,” he went on, his eyes snapping -with excitement and his features twitching -with nervousness, “progress and prosperity -are within our grasp. The grandest water-way -of the whole world passes our very door. -Manufactories are already at work in our -midst, and the eye of Capital is upon us. -Great, I say, yes, wonderful are the inducements -we offer for visitors coming among us. -Again I say, come over to The Front. You -will not find yourself alone. Leading capitalists<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> -from all over the world have been to -see us. The truth is you can’t tell whom you -may meet while you are over there.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Jimmie, thank you. Good -morning,” I said. “You can expect me.” -Then bowing and hesitating as though he had -received an unexpected check from the -Speaker of the House of Parliament, he -seemed to wish to say more, but with a rare -courtesy of manner, he bowed himself out -of my presence, then joining his brown spaniel -dog, who awaited his master on the shore, -they got into their boat and rowed back to -The Front.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_030.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Jimmie back in boat with dog" /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<p class="center font-size18"><a name="The_House_of_Cariboo" id="The_House_of_Cariboo"></a> -<i>The House of Cariboo.</i></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center big"><i>The Camerons at the Front.</i></p> - - -<p>On a rise of ground at “The Front” called -the “Nole” stands the Cariboo House, conspicuously -alone.</p> - -<p>There, fronting the river channel which -separates Castle Island from the mainland, its -tinned mansard roof and the golden ball on the -summit of the flag-staff blazing in the morning’s -sun, the marble castle of the Archipelago -shares with the mighty St. Lawrence, the -admiration of the tourists.</p> - -<p>Then as the guests at the Island gather -upon the quay at sunset, the tall marble columns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> -and overhanging gables of the House -of Cariboo, frown down upon the waters of -the placid river, casting shadows of ugly proportions -that reach across to the very pier -upon which the spectators are standing, and as -they linger, fascinated by the glories of nature, -they look again, and behold! outlined -against the gold and copper edged clouds -strewn over the horizon, they see projecting -itself heavenward, the green-latticed observatory, -and from its vane reaching up into the -clouds is the gilded sphere on the flag-pole -still blazing from the setting sun, while all -else on earth below has grown dark and silent.</p> - -<p>Years have passed since the older inhabitants -of Glengarry paused and looked in bewilderment -as they traveled the roadway on -The Front past the House of Cariboo. Even -now, after listening to the preceding generation -tell and retell stories of Aladdin interest -of the House of Cariboo, the children of the -countryside pass hurriedly on their way to -the district school, never once turning to gaze -at the mansion, brought as if from fairyland<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> -and put down in the midst of their unpretentious -rural surroundings, till at a safe distance, -when they loiter and, looking backward, -unconsciously relieve their disturbed little -minds by breaking off the heads of the bobbing -daisies, till urged further along on their -way by the passing of time.</p> - -<p>There are in Glengarry County, as you -might reasonably suppose, many families -whose direct ancestors, if you cared to trace -them, would lead you at once to the lochs, -lowlands or mountain passes of the Scottish -Isle. The Clans of the McDonalds, the Camerons -and the MacPhersons, have each sent a -goodly representation to sustain in the new -land of the Canadas the glory of their families -in the Scottish hills of their fathers.</p> - -<p>There were in the beginning, at The Front -in Glengarry, one Andy Cameron, and his -two brothers, called “Andy’s Dan,” and -“Laughing Donald Cameron.” Many another -family of Camerons lived in Glengarry, -but there was no mistaking these three brothers. -Dan, who made his home with Andy -Cameron and his wife, never left the premises<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> -of the little farm on the “Nole” unless Andy -and his wife went along too, and this becoming -the understood thing among the neighbors -at The Front and the storekeepers at the -county town of Glengarry, Dan Cameron -came to be known as Andy’s Dan. The distinction -was understood, his pedigree was recorded -in the minds of the people of the -neighborhood, and he was forever out of danger -of being confused with the other Dan -Camerons of his neighborhood. Simple Dan, -kind-hearted Dan, and most of all Andy’s -Dan.</p> - -<p>Laughing Donald had taken up a small -farm from the government when he and his -timid, frail wife first came to Glengarry, and -poor Donald never seemed to be any more -successful in getting clear from the taxes levied -each year upon him than he was in clearing -the few acres he possessed of the tree -stumps, that were the bane of his life during -seed-time and harvesting.</p> - -<p>A few years of land holding by Laughing -Donald in Glengarry had been an added expense -to Andy, who loaned from his own little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> -store of savings each year to keep his brother -from the long-reaching clutch of the county -tax gatherer; but always laughingly indifferent -when he knew his crop yield was miserably -poor, Donald became known to the country -people, and at the village where he and -his sickly wife went to trade their dried apples -and carpet-rags for groceries, as Laughing -Donald Cameron. He laughed if he was -greeted kindly, and he also laughed with the -same apparent degree of happiness if a hard-hearted -merchant told him his produce was -not worth the buying. So Laughing Donald -filled a niche, whose personality was all -his own, and neither was he ever confounded -with others of his name in the County Glengarry.</p> - -<p>Tilling the ground on his small farm on -The Front seemed very hard work to Donald -Cameron. His gentle wife, since their coming -to the new land of the Canadas, had pined -for the associations of her Scottish hills; her -health had failed with the broken spirit till -she was now pronounced an invalid. For -her, the delicacies of life could not be provided,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> -and sickness and misfortune speedily -came to their humble home. Soon two of the -children of Laughing Donald were buried in -the churchyard at The Front and the illness -of his wife continued.</p> - -<p>Andy Cameron had noted with increasing -solicitude the inroads being made by sickness -and death into the home of his brother. -Unpaid bills were accumulating and the hand -of misfortune was close upon the head of the -luckless Donald. Andy had seen his lawyer -friend up at the county village, then consulting -his wife Barbara, a mortgage was first -made on his own farm at the “Nole,” and -Donald’s obligations were paid in full. But -then the doctor’s bill came next to Donald, -for weeks and months of medical attendance -upon his invalid wife, and, still laughing in -his childish way, he brought it, as if amused -at the impossible amount, and handed it to -Andy.</p> - -<p>“Go back home, Donald,” was Andy’s reply. -“Take good care of your poor wife. The -doctor must be paid.” And then Andy made -another trip up to the village. At the lawyer’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> -he arranged for the money and then for -the mortgage which was this time to be placed -upon Donald’s little farm.</p> - -<p>That night, as Andy journeyed homeward -from the town, he recalled how he and his wife -and Dan, his simple-minded brother, had -struggled to clear their little farm of debt; -how they had stumped the land and builded -barns and stables, and fenced in the meadows -for their cattle; how happy they had -been when they had paid off the last of the -tax debt; and how proudly he walked up the -church aisle upon a Sunday, and sat in the -end of the pew at the head of his little family -and afterwards greeted his neighbors around -the church door, as they stood gossiping after -service. But now to think what he had been -compelled to do. Donald was his brother, -though, and was not poor Donald in trouble? -And his invalid wife—Andy well knew that if -a few of the luxuries of life and the tender -care which her timid, shrinking nature cried -out for, could only be given to her in ever -so slight a degree, she would no longer be a -suffering invalid.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Two years,” Andy remarked to himself, -“was the time set before the lawyer could foreclose -on his own homestead, and the same -time was set for his brother, Laughing Donald.” -Andy recalled as he rode slowly homeward, -that the storekeeper hesitated as he gave -him the pound of tea to be charged as before, -and when he had asked for a dollar’s worth -of brown sugar, he had only been given half -that amount. It was to be charged also.</p> - -<p>“Who were they that dared to think a Cameron -would not pay a just bill! Was not he -a Cameron, the eldest of his brothers, and -from the proudest clan of all the Highland -Tartans?”</p> - -<p>Andy felt as he had never felt before. The -latent pride of his forefathers was stirred within -him. Should they take the farm from his -brother Donald? Should they take his farm -and that of his wife and the home of his -simple-minded brother Dan? “No, never!” determined -Andy, “not while I live to protect -the innocent,” the cry went up from his very -soul. There was money to be had, wealth -to be gotten, for life must be preserved. To<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> -the gold fields of California, to the mountain -passes of the Rockies, or the far British Columbias, -he would go, and before the expiration -of the mortgages he would return, and in -the eyes of his neighbors in Glengarry and -among the storekeepers of the town, the name -of Andy’s Dan, Laughing Donald or Andy -Cameron would stand good for a great deal -more than the pound of tea or the paltry dollar’s -worth of sugar they had refused him -this very night upon which he had made his -resolve.</p> - -<p>A day or two following the last trip Andy -had made to the county town in the interest -of procuring more money, he thought it next -important that he consult his loyal but none -too assertive spouse concerning the execution -of the resolve he had settled upon, through -which he hoped to clear the good name of -Cameron in the county from the insults which -had been offered him, even so slightly, by -the storekeepers in the town.</p> - -<p>Barbara Cameron, the faithful wife to whom -Andy went for encouragement when he found -that the burdens heaped upon him by the unfortunate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> -members of his family were greater -than the resources of the combined farms -could support, listened with a heart full of -sympathy while her husband unfolded the plan -by which he hoped to retrieve their waning -fortunes. Quietly, at first, he began to tell of -the circumstances which compelled him to -place a mortgage upon their own little farm -and homestead. Then, arising in his excitement, -he proceeded to relate to her the cruel -indignities heaped upon his unfortunate -brother by the avaricious tax gatherer, who -seemed to take a special delight in hunting -him to earth; and how, to satisfy his demands, -and to meet the bills of the doctors -and druggists, he had last of all been compelled -to mortgage Donald’s home. For, he -explained, as he sadly looked from the window -over in its direction, he could not remain -a passive onlooker while the cruel hand -of fate still pursued the family of the helpless -Donald, and a low fever slowly burned -out the wick of life in the feeble frame of -his gentle wife.</p> - -<p>Finally, with a rising inflection in his voice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> -and a righteous indignation of manner, Andy -explained to his wife the nature of the insults -which he had had offered to him in the -town, and that he, as a Cameron, and the head -of their little colony must resent the wrongs, -and maintain the dignity and pride of his forefathers. -He would leave her for perhaps two -years, he said—he was going to the gold fields -of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There in -the Cariboo Hills, in the Canons of the Rockies -and in the shifting river beds of the melting -glaziers, he would dig for gold. He would -hunt the shining flecks of dust, the gold colored -nuggets, seeking the wealth by which he -hoped to retrieve his darkening fortunes.</p> - -<p>“We will sell our cows, Barbara.” His -voice was lowered almost to a whisper. “You -and Dan shall have the money. The team of -roans we must part with, too, Barbara. Laughing -Donald and his frail wife, you will be -kind to—and poor Dan, tell him always, Barbara, -that Andy is coming back soon—coming -soon.”</p> - -<p>With confiding faith, though she did not -quite understand, Barbara felt that if her husband<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> -said all this, it must be right for her to -believe it. Andy had brushed away with the -back of his hand the tears upon his weather-beaten -cheeks awaiting her reply. She in her -characteristic way, made only this comment: -“When will you start, Andy, think ye?”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_042.jpg" width="500" height="453" alt="Andy talking to Barbara" /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Barbara and Dan at Home.</i></p> - - -<p>After wishing Godspeed to her venturesome -husband, Barbara, with Andy’s Dan, was returning -to their little homestead. Barbara sat -upright in the wagon, now and then glancing -backward over her shoulder toward the railroad -station they had just left behind. This act she -quickly excused by an attempt to arrange the -shawl which she held tightly clasped about her. -No tears were in her eyes when she bade farewell -to her husband. Believing it to be her -wifely duty to sustain him in the extraordinary -undertaking he was engaging in, she had -strengthened her courage to meet the final parting. -From the neighbors’ gossip she had come -to understand that the chances were many that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> -he might never return to her alive, and she had -said to him: “Do not stay to starve in the -mountains. Come away home, mun; there is -nae place better than Glengarry to dee in.” -And he promised her to return.</p> - -<p>Andy’s Dan, faithful in his simple devotion -to his brother, had understood only in a vague -sort of way the cause for his leaving home -and the reasons which made it necessary to sell -the stock of the farm, which for years he had -loved as his only companions. They were gone, -taken from him, and so was his brother and -protector. For weeks after Andy’s departure -he would be seen each evening at sunset, leaning -over the pair of horse bars at the back of -the house, gazing absently toward the western -horizon. In that silence, too sacred to be disturbed, -the expression upon his soulful face answered -all questions of the curious.</p> - -<p>Time wore slowly along at the farm on the -“Nole.” Barbara each day went industriously -about her housework, and just as if her husband -had been home and the care of the dairy -was still necessary, she washed and rubbed to -a polish the milk pans, and stood them on edge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> -upon the bench at the side of the woodshed, to -glisten in the sun. At evening time, Andy’s -Dan would regularly take from its hiding-place -on the sill under the slanting roof of the milk-shed -the crooked staff, and whistling for his -faithful collie dog, go down the lane to the -pasture, calling to the imaginary herd of cattle -feeding upon the sloping hills, then sadly return -with the one lone cow reserved by Andy -for the faithful watchers left at home. The -Summer advanced, and he mowed the grass -and weeds from the dooryards and dug down -to the roots of the pesky burdocks growing -about the fences which inclosed the unused -farm-yards. Then as Autumn approached, -poor Andy’s Dan silently awaited the return of -his beloved brother to commence again at harvest -time the duties of the husbandman.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_045.jpg" width="500" height="195" alt="Andy’s Dan with cow and dog" /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>On the Way to the Gold Fields.</i></p> - - -<p>A year passed and no word came to the anxious -hearts in the home Cameron left behind -when he went to hunt for gold in the far western -wilds of the British Columbias.</p> - -<p>Taking from the small store of money received -from the sale of the farm stock, just -enough to pay his passage to the terminus of -the railroad, still a few hundred miles distant -from the mountain ranges across which he was -to make his way, he soon found himself thrown -upon his resources face to face with the difficulties -of the undertaking. Arriving at the -mountain pass of Ashcroft from Winnipeg, -whence he and several other venturesome companions -bent upon the same mission had come -by wagon train over the prairies of Northwestern -Canada, his meagre supply of money -nearly gone, it looked as if he was about to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> -experience a defeat from the very first set of -difficulties which arose to beset his way in -reaching the gold fields.</p> - -<p>At Ashcroft, the most arduous and dangerous -mountain climbing of the entire trail presents -itself. A supply of food for days must -be carried along, and pack mules and guides at -an enormous wage are an absolute necessity. -Among the party of gold seekers which included -Cameron, was a young man of apparent -culture and refinement, also from one of the -Eastern provinces. His reason for being found -as a member of such a daring and reckless band -of prospectors, may have been simply for the -love of adventure, perhaps the healing of a -broken heart, or for the committing of a youthful -indiscretion considered by his family a sufficient -reason for sending him to the undiscovered -gold fields of the far West. Thrown together -during the tedious voyage of the pack -train across the plains, a natural inclination, a -bond of sympathy, had brought this young, inexperienced -adventurer and Andy Cameron, -the tender hearted but determined emigrant -farmer, into a congenial acquaintance, and later<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> -into forming a partnership. The personal capital -of the new concern when inventoried -showed these assets: that put up by the latter, -courage, strength, determination and honesty, -against that of his companion, money, mules, -provisions, supplies, and himself as a volunteer -prospector. With this understanding, the -somewhat remarkable partnership was formed, -and after the mules were packed, the climb -over the mountains began.</p> - -<p>Following the leadership of the guides, the -small company made their way slowly over the -mountain trails and around the edges of the -precipices, avoiding only by careful footing a -plunge to certain death below. Sore of foot -and wearied from climbing, the two prospectors -arrived at Quesnell Forks, the first station -in the long tramp to the Cassiar district of the -Cariboo Mountains. Joining here a wagon -train, they pushed on again through the Chilcoten -country. Passing Horse Fly, a village of -a vascillating population, they then proceeded -up Soda Creek till the aid of the caravan came -abruptly to an end. Travel by that method -being no longer possible, Cameron and his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> -companion shouldered their rough mining kit -and taking with them what provisions they -could carry, struck off into the mountains for -a hundred miles more, down through ravines -and along Slate Creek bottoms, always heading -for the Cariboo. Buoyed up by the secret -motive which had driven each to endure such -hardships in their hunt for the golden reward -they hoped to find in quantities when they -should reach the land filled with Aladdin -riches, they struggled fearlessly onward. At -the head of Soda Creek they had labeled -their surplus supplies and stored them with a -friendly native, promising to pay for the shelter, -should they ever return that way again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_049.jpg" width="500" height="302" alt="Cameron and LeClare in the mountains" /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Into the Cariboo Mountains.</i></p> - - -<p>Four days distant from this camp, Cameron -and his companion unloosed their mining kit -for the first time. Nowhere had they found -any evidences that human beings had ever -before penetrated into this region. They -climbed the steep mountain sides only to -descend again through the darkest ravines. -Unaccustomed to the points of the compass, -they were obliged to watch their course by the -sun. Each with his secret burning within his -heart, they encountered bravely the difficulties -of their task. Many times on this hazardous -journey they were almost overcome by fatigue, -and often saved from instant death over the side -of some unseen precipice by only the margin<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> -of a step. Finally, as they emerged from the -forest-clad mountains upon a slight plateau, -they reached the first slate bottoms, which gave -the well-nigh disheartened prospectors new -courage, and the first view of the uninterrupted -rays of the sun that they had encountered since -their hunt through the wilderness. Here on -this promontory, which sloped gently down -westward to what seemed to be a dried-up -water course, Andy and his companion built -their miners’ cabin. Water they had discovered -trickling down the face of a steep rock at -one side of the site they had chosen for their -home. And game they knew in the mountains -was plentiful, for at their approach the flight of -the wild fowl had shaken the overhanging -branches of the evergreens and strange-looking -animals scudded beneath the underbrush and -sprang into hiding behind the rocks and -boulders.</p> - -<p>Here at the close of the day, standing before -the door of their rudely-constructed hut, the -two hopeful miners, already fast friends, silently -watched the setting of the sun. Neither -had told of the friends left at home; Andy had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> -kept sacred within his heart the need, the incentive, -which drove him forward facing the -desperate chances of death by starvation or -sickness, to discover the hidden treasures of -this almost impenetrable region, and his companion -was equally reticent as to his own counsels -of the past. Willing to lead in the trail -where almost certain death seemed ahead, he -had proved himself many times in their short -acquaintance a man of reckless daring. The -look each encountered in the other’s eyes upon -this eve, as they watched the sun go down behind -the opposite hills, plainly said: “My secret -is a sacred one; ask me nothing.”</p> - -<p>On the morrow they were to begin their task -of digging for the yellow nuggets, in the search -for which thousands of others had gone into the -same ranges, many to join the bandit gangs of -roving miners, never again to return to their -loved ones, others to sicken and die with the -malignant fevers of camp life, and a few—a -very few—to realize their dreams, and return -again to their homes, bearing with them the -shining golden nuggets, at the sight of which -a new army of inspired prospectors would soon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> -be started upon its way to repeat the same acts -in the great drama entitled “The Hunt for -Gold.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And here we leave for the present, Andy and -his youthful partner to dig for the elusive golden -specks which had drawn them onward with -a terrible fascination for thousands of miles. -They are now securely hidden away in the -mountain fastnesses where never a human -voice nor the tread of man had yet fallen.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_053.jpg" width="488" height="500" alt="In the mining camp." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>At the Four Corners.</i></p> - - -<p>In the Arcadian neighborhood of our story, -as is true of all rural sections, there are at the -four corners of the road the indispensable -blacksmith’s shop, the general store, the -wheelwright’s place and the creamery or the -cheese factory. As places of business they always -flourish, not because of the enterprise or -business tact of the proprietors, but because, -for the most part, of the natural demand -created by the wear and tear of implements -used in pursuit of the absolute necessities for -the maintenance of life by the populace of the -district.</p> - -<p>First, at the four corners of the road at The -Front, and a short distance from the Cameron<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> -farms, is Davy Simpson’s blacksmith shop. -Adjoining this is the wheelwright’s place. The -front of this building when new had been partly -painted a dull red color, and then left, as -though the workman had become disgusted -with the color effect, and had abandoned the -task as an artist might a shapeless daub on a -half-finished canvas. The general store, with -its lean-to porch, up to which the farmers’ -wagons drive and unload their produce to exchange -for merchandise, occupies at the four -corners a conspicuous frontage on the main -road.</p> - -<p>Another industry of even greater moment to -the community at The Front is the cheese factory, -which stands just past the corners and -fronting the road, jagged up on the side of a -steep embankment, and resting unsteadily upon -crazy-looking standards. At the foot of the -incline, winding in its very uncertain course, is -a small stream. Into this the whey, escaping -from the cheese vats, filters down the abutment -spiles, reeking in the Summer sun, to be gathered -finally into the stream, whose waters push -quietly along beneath the overhanging weeds,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> -then crossing the roadway extending along its -course, passes in the rear of the farms of the -adjoining township, The Gore.</p> - -<p>Unpretentious and surely uninviting is the -cheese factory at The Front, but in local history, -in the stories of the feuds waged between -the clans of the farmers at The Front and those -at The Gore, it plays a vitally important part, -for through the lands of the latter flow the -waters of the whey-tainted creek, endangering -the products of their dairies by polluting the -source of the cattle’s water supply.</p> - -<p>At the close of each Summer’s day, regularly -assembled in front of the door to Davy -Simpson’s blacksmith shop, the official gossips -of the neighborhood.</p> - -<p>Easy is the task to picture in one’s mind this -group of characters. Seated around the doorway -of the smithy, and perched upon the cinder -heap, an accumulation of years from -Davy’s forge, they discussed the affairs of their -neighborhood. There in his accustomed place -was William Fraser, the country carpenter, a -bent-over, round-shouldered little man with a -fringe of red whiskers extending from ear to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -ear and a mustache chopped off even with the -mouth as if done by a carpenter’s adze; a pair -of blue eyes peered out at you from overhanging -eyebrows, and when in motion he glided -along with a walk of meekness. A long service -among the families in Glengarry, while -building for them a new barn or stable, had -taught him that an agreeable opinion to whatever -were their politics or views would greatly -facilitate his comfort and pleasure. He listened -intently to all that was told him of the -family troubles of his employers, and with -equal interest retailed for their entertainment -the latest gossip of their neighbors. It was -because of this accomplishment that William -Fraser, the carpenter, could always be relied -upon to add a few words of interest to any -subject up for discussion at the shop.</p> - -<p>Another familiar figure was Angus Ferguson, -he who had bought the McDonald place, -next to the cheese factory, a well-meaning and -very respectable man, whose wife insisted that -he be back at the house each night at eight -o’clock, and she never hesitated, when he failed -to obey, to go out into the middle of the road<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> -fronting their house, and, with her arms -akimbo, call to him to “come away home.” Angus -was tall, slender and awkward. His features -were kindly and the mutton-chop cut to -his whiskers and his high, bald forehead gave -him more the look of a clergyman than of a -Glengarry farmer. Angus Ferguson was at -all times a listener only in the councils before -the blacksmith’s. If he had opinions, he never -expressed them, and when his time would arrive -to go, without a good-night wish to his -companions he slid down from the plank -placed upon the coal barrels, which was his -particular seat, and, crushing his straw hat -down upon his head, started up the road, his -long, awkward arms and legs as he retreated -through the darkness making a pantomime -figure in the gathering shadows.</p> - -<p>Old Bill Blakely was the unique figure in -these nightly councils of the gossips. He came -originally from no one knew where; was not of -any particular descent; knew no religious creed -and respected no forms of social etiquette. His -remarks at the discussions held before the -blacksmith’s shop were always emphatic and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> -punctuated with copious expectorations from -tobacco, followed by a line of adjectives admitting -of no uncertain meaning. Old Bill -lived at quite a distance from the meeting place -of the gossip club and was always late in putting -in an appearance. He was never counted -upon, though, as one of the “regulars,” and -only came when he thought there might be a -chance of picking a row with some visitor happening -along from The Gore. He would walk -deliberately into the councils of the assembled -habitues at the shop, and, totally ignoring the -courtesy due from a late arrival, would proceed -to act in direct violation of the club’s established -rules. Looking down upon the group -of loungers, his blue eyes twinkling and his -tobacco-moistened lips quivering with a cynical -smile, he would steady himself by placing his -legs at a wide angle apart, the yellow-stained -goatee of his chin bobbing an accompaniment -to the twitching of his tightly-compressed -mouth.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he would begin, “hae ye lied all -there is to tell aboot your neighbors, William -Fraser? And you, Angus,” motioning with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> -his head toward down the road, “had better -gang your way home, fer I’m goin’ to lick the -first red-head that comes over from The Gore; -the night.”</p> - -<p>Then Bill would let go a string of oaths that -invariably brought the frowning face of Davy -Simpson from out of the darkness of the shop -to greet the newcomer. Dave at such times -had nothing more to say than, “Bill, that’s you, -I see,”—but all was in the way he said it. The -two men appeared to understand each other -very well, at least they did since the time Dave -ducked the incorrigible Bill head-first into the -puncheon of water by the side of the forge, -just to show, as he said, that there was no ill-feeling -between them.</p> - -<p>Bill’s hair was as white as that of any patriarch -the county could boast; as an excuse for -a cap he wore a faded brown affair, whose -shapeless peak was as often pointed sidewise -and backward as it was straight ahead. Always -blinking with a mischievous twinkle in -his eyes, his lips moistened with the tobacco -he was so fond of chewing, and quivering as -though he were about to address a remark to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> -you, his hands pushed down deep into his -pockets, his square shoulders and well-rounded -body supported by a stocky pair of legs,—imagine -all this, and you will see Bill Blakely.</p> - -<p>For many Summers the feud of the creek -existing between the men of the two towns -required the personal attention and made frequent -claims upon the fistic powers of Blakely. -All the trouble had been caused by the whey-tainted -waters of the creek, which menaced the -dairies of the men at The Gore. Chuckling -with great glee, old Bill would listen to his -neighbors repeat the story current over at The -Gore, how upon a certain dark night he -(Blakely) had pulled the plug from the whey-tank -at the cheese factory on The Front and -allowed its soured contents to course slowly -down through the stream. In the controversies -with his enemies following the perpetration -of these midnight escapades at the four -corners Bill Blakely had heretofore by his convincing -arguments successfully combatted -their charge. After one of these discussions -with him the men from The Gore returned to -their clansmen bearing to them, besides a pair<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> -of discolored optics, the best wishes of the men -at The Front.</p> - -<p>But of late the tables seemed to be turning. -A new condition of affairs had developed, and -the arguments which hitherto had stood Blakely -in critical times successfully failed now to -give him the same degree of satisfaction over -his foes from The Gore.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_062.jpg" width="500" height="472" alt="Laughing Donald visits the gossips." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Donald Visits the Gossip Club.</i></p> - - -<p>Up to this time the absence of Andy Cameron -from The Front formed only a topic of -minor discussion before the smithy’s. It was -on one of the evenings which marked the end -of the outdoor sessions of the gossip club -when Laughing Donald presented himself -shyly at the outskirts of the group. Weeks had -elapsed since he had appeared there before. -Until of late, each night of the weary months -and years of waiting for the return of the absent -brother, he had haunted the blacksmith’s -shop, where the group of news-gatherers met -to exchange notes. At first they welcomed -him as a valuable addition to their circle. -William Fraser, the carpenter, found in him an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> -attentive listener to the “small talk” he gathered -from the country side. The remarks -Donald overheard upon his early visits at the -four corners concerning his family he carried -to his invalid wife, and then to Barbara and -Dan up at the Nole.</p> - -<p>Upon this night he came slowly down the hill -along the road which partially hid the blacksmith’s -shop from view. The group around -the smithy’s door was surprised at his coming. -The timid nature of the man showed itself in -each hesitating step, while in his large, fawn-like -eyes was an appealing look, as if he were -a pet animal wishing to be taken by his master -from the tormenting pranks of a gang of -youthful bandits. In his nervous excitement -Donald always laughed—not loudly, but in -showing his perfect, white teeth, he gurgled -softly the sound which was responsible for the -distinguishing feature of his name in Glengarry, -Laughing Donald.</p> - -<p>“Well! if here ain’t Laughing Donald,” exclaimed -Fraser, the carpenter, in an insinuating -whisper, and a hush fell upon the group. “I -wonder if he would like to know,” he continued,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> -in an undertone, “that Nick Perkins, -the tax collector, says all the Camerons on The -Front will be working the ‘county farm’ in six -months’ time?” At that moment a large, curly -head, crowned by the remnants of a straw hat, -was protruded through the jamb of the half-opened -door of the shop.</p> - -<p>“Well, now, you just be the first to tell that -to Donald,” drawled out Davy, the blacksmith, -looking straight at the cringing little carpenter, -“and I’ll crimp your red whiskers with the -hot tongs of my forge.” Here was a friend to -Donald and the missing Andy, till now unannounced. -No end of gossiping by the tattler -of the neighborhood had failed to prejudice the -mind of the honest smith.</p> - -<p>Angus Ferguson had already humped off -from his seat upon the coal puncheon, and with -his awkward strides was making rapidly toward -the scared Donald, extending his hand -in such an enthusiastic welcome that the poor -fellow nearly mistook the demonstration for -one of unfriendliness. “How de doo, Donald! -I am a-goin’ to tell you I am a-comin’ over to-morrow -to help ye draw in that grain over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> -yonder by the woods. It’s been there now -nigh onto two weeks in the sun.”</p> - -<p>“Is it dry, Angus, think ye?” inquired Donald, -brightening at the show of friendship. -Then an awkward silence followed.</p> - -<p>“Got a new horse, Donald,” blurted out -Angus.</p> - -<p>“Aye,” returned Donald, the broad grin covering -his face.</p> - -<p>“Want to see him?” urged Angus. Then -they both started down the road like the two -overgrown country lads that they were. This -spontaneous act of kindness by Ferguson was -prompted by his heart’s sympathy, which had -been penned up for weeks, rebelling constantly -against the insinuating remarks repeated by -the carpenter.</p> - -<p>Fraser nursed his displeasure alone. Angus -Ferguson, the silent, had outwitted him. Davy -Simpson had exposed his deceitfulness, and in -a short time his supposed strength as a member -of the gossip club had crumbled in a humiliating -climax.</p> - -<p>At that moment, as he was regretfully acknowledging -to himself the failure he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> -made in gaining the confidence and respect of -his associates, his attention was drawn to a -familiar vehicle which had approached silently -in the gathering darkness, and now stood in -the roadway before the blacksmith’s shop. -“Good-evening, William Fraser,” began Nicholas -Perkins (for it was the polite tax gatherer, -who lived near The Gore), and Fraser -walked out with his meekest walk to the side -of the wagon. Perkins patronized the shop -over at The Gore, and like all the rest from -his town, halting before Davy’s place, kept -upon neutral ground, remaining in the middle -of the road.</p> - -<p>“Fraser, I am told,” continued Perkins, as -he hitched himself along to the end of the -wagon seat and leaned out over the wheel, to -strike a confidential attitude, “that there is no -news from Cameron.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s about true, Mr. Perkins; no -news, and they say that the mortgage time is -about up, too.” A little more encouragement, -and the carpenter’s sympathies were at once -enlisted with the newcomer.</p> - -<p>“Well, it’s very bad, isn’t it, Fraser? They<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> -have been left to go to the poorhouse. We -didn’t think that of Cameron over at The -Gore, but, then, the expense will fall on your -town, on The Front, of course,” said Perkins, -turning to get the full effect of his wise remark -upon Fraser.</p> - -<p>The two deceitful maligners were unconscious -of the presence of a figure which had -come stealthily upon them in the darkness, and -standing in the shadow of the vehicle, was now -listening to the conversation.</p> - -<p>“Well, you ought to know, Mr. Perkins,” -replied the carpenter in a patronizing tone. -“You will probably have the say in what will -have to be done,”—but before he could finish -his remark, he had leaped into the air, precipitated -upon the toe of a heavy boot.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_068" id="i_068"></a><img src="images/i_068.jpg" width="362" height="500" alt="Fraser confronts Perkins" /> -<div class="caption"><p>“‘Now, Nick Perkins, if you have<br /> - got anything to say to me personally, just come down here in the road<br /> -and I’ll talk to you.’”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Oh, he <i>will</i> have the say about whom they -take to the county farm, will he!” and Bill -Blakely danced in a howling rage around the -wagon of his hated foe. “You hypocrite! You -prowling tax-gatherer! You hunter of the -weak and homeless!” he yelled, and half climbing -into the wagon, he shook his fist in the -face of the surprised tax collector, shouting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> -right into his ear, “Not while Bill Blakely lives -and Andy Cameron is away from The Front -will you ever hitch your ring-boned and spavined -outfit to a post before the home of a -Cameron on The Front! Now, Nick Perkins, -if you have got anything to say to me personally, -just come down here in the road and -I’ll talk to you.” Bill was rolling up his gingham -shirt sleeves and again dancing around -bear fashion, while the discomfiture of the astonished -Perkins was being hugely enjoyed by -the group, now enlarged by the return of Angus -Ferguson and Laughing Donald. Davy -Simpson stood in the door of his shop watching -the proceedings over the rims of his spectacles.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you ain’t a-comin’ down, be you! Well, -I didn’t expect you,” retorted Bill. “Your kind -fight the women only. You’re sneaking -around now to see if they ain’t a-gettin’ hungry, -some on ’em over here. But we’ll fool -you, Perkins. Laughing Donald is a better -man dead than anything you can produce alive -in your hull county at The Gore. And Andy -Cameron won’t let the wind blow a whiff of ye<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> -to the lee side of his place when he comes back, -neither. And that won’t be long from now,” -and old Bill threw his quid of tobacco after -the retreating wheels of the vehicle as Perkins -drove away amid the jeering laughter of the -group.</p> - -<p>As soon as the tax gatherer was out of hearing -distance, Bill turned to Donald, and in a -tone serious for him, said, “Donald, I am a-speakin’ -fer you. The Camerons are from -The Front. Your brother Andy is a good -man; he is a friend of mine. He will be back -soon, for that I am telling ye. William Fraser, -the carpenter, he’s been telling ye what -‘<i>they say</i>.’ Tell yer wife, Donald, when ye go -home, what I say, what Davy says, and what -Angus’ wife says for him to say, and don’t -you worry about the mortgage.” Then Bill -went over to the shop door, and they thought -he was going to confide something to Davy, but -he hesitated, finally bit off an enormous quid of -tobacco and sauntered slowly down the road -homeward.</p> - -<p>Donald climbed the little hill by the shop, -going away happier than he had been in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> -months. Angus Ferguson still stood in the road -watching him; then, looking behind him and -catching sight of the carpenter closing the door -to the wheelwright shop, he turned his face to -the open meadow at the opposite side of the -road, and slamming his straw hat down upon -his head, struck into his rapid circular gait -down the road, past the cheese factory toward -his home.</p> - -<p>The quietness outside seemed unusual. Davy -looked out of his shop door, scanned the cinder -heap, glanced at the puncheon seat, then -at the wagon parts: nothing was moving, nothing -was doing, all was darkness. The club -had gone. He closed the door, put the bar -across the staple, inserted the padlock, turned -the key, then climbed the hillside to the back -door of his house; his day’s labors were done.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>In the Mining Camp.</i></p> - - -<p>Time has sped all too swiftly at the little -mining camp in the Cariboo Valley. There is -now only a month left of the two years set by -Andy Cameron for his return to his family, -and all indications thus far point to a tragic -ending for the ambitions and loves of the unfortunate -Glengarry farmer.</p> - -<p>All this while the two persistent miners had -worked with an unlessened zeal at their unproductive -diggings. Each night, by turn, one -took from the sluices the ore while the other -climbed the hill overlooking the scene of their -daily toils and cooked before the cabin door the -simple evening meal. Many times since their -coming into this mountain-locked valley had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> -the prospectors shifted the site of their gold -diggings, but to the little cabin, which stood -at the foot of the steep rock looking down into -the gulch, they clung, held fast by many endearing -associations. Edmond LeClare,—for -that was the name of Cameron’s associate—had -made a few excursions up the valley to another -camp of prospectors, who had come into -the hills farther to the north, soon after he and -Cameron had settled upon their claim, now -safely marked from intruders by the evidence -of their active operations. With these new -friends LeClare arranged that for an exchange -in gold dust he was to obtain from them the -needed supplies of bacon and flour to replenish -from time to time the cuisine department of -their household.</p> - -<p>Each night before the door of their cabin -the miners discussed the possibilities of their -undertaking. Perhaps it was that they builded -their hopes upon the returns from a certain -new lead they had struck in the mountain’s -side. The deposits of gold taken from the -sluices that day, if they should continue to be -found, would surely bring to them the wealth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> -each sought so diligently. But alas, upon exploiting -to the finish each newly discovered -vein of ore, the hopes of the unlucky miners -tumbled as did the castles builded by them with -the toy blocks of their childhood.</p> - -<p>Not a word of complaint was uttered by -Andy in the presence of his companion. His -disappointment over the failure to obtain the -coveted wealth with which he had hoped to redeem -his home and the happiness of his wife -and family was hidden within the recesses of -his own breast, though to the watchful eyes of -the sympathetic Edmond the wretched straits -into which his friend had been thrust by the yet -unprofitable workings of their gold diggings -were as easy to read as though they had been -in print upon the pages of an open book. -While Andy toiled to live and preserve his happiness, -LeClare worked and courted hardships -and discouragements to deaden the misery -of his soul. He had hidden his secret well, -but with Andy, as the end of the time of their -compact approached, the heart-breaking lack of -success, the fading hope of his cherished -dream of wealth, the thought of having only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> -a bitter tale of failure to bear back to his faithful -wife, Barbara,—each one of these emotions -had stamped their relentless impress upon his -honest, bronzed face, and while not a word had -passed between the two prospectors on the subject -ever uppermost in the thoughts of each, yet -for Edmond LeClare, the unhappy plight of his -companion was now the daily inspiration which -drove him on in renewed efforts.</p> - -<p>A few days more, thought Cameron, and he -should tell his friend all. Then they must -divide the paltry store of gold dust between -them, and sadly at their parting and with a -broken heart he would retrace his steps as best -he could to his home at The Front, and there -tell of his disappointment.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_076a" id="i_076a"></a><img src="images/i_076a.jpg" width="363" height="500" alt="It’s gold!" /> -<div class="caption"><p>“‘Speak. Edmond!’ gasped Cameron. ‘What have you behind your -back?<br /> It’s gold! gold!—I know it!’”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Thus Cameron argued as he sat upon the -wood block before the cabin stirring the fire, -cooking the evening meal. He had thrown -upon the coals some dry branches, and through -the gray smoke which enveloped him he saw -the figure of his companion coming toward him -up the hill. “He is early,” thought Andy, and -he looked again, stepping aside out of the -blinding smoke. Edmond had paused down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> -the hill a few rods from the cabin, his right -hand behind him, his head thrown back and -eyes wide open, glaring with excitement.</p> - -<p>“Speak, Edmond!” gasped Cameron. “Speak -to me, boy. My God, speak! What have you -behind your back? It’s gold! gold!—I know -it!” Rushing together, the two companions -sobbed in each other’s arms.</p> - -<p>“Look, Andy!” cried LeClare, through his -tears of joy. “There are two of them,” and -he held up nuggets of gold larger than their -combined fists, “and there are plenty more of -them in the same spot where these came from.”</p> - -<p>Poor Andy sobbed in his happiness upon the -shoulder of his mining partner, and then, -clutching him by the arm as though -awakening from a dream, he half sobbed, half -cried: “He won’t get them now, Edmond; he -won’t get them now! Laughing Donald stays -on where he is, and his invalid wife will have a -servant to wait on her. And Barbara—my -wife, Edmond, my wife, do you hear?—she -shall have a new silk dress, a new straw bonnet, -Edmond, with red posies in it, and a new yarn -carpet to put in the parlor, my boy. And you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> -shall come and live at The Nole. You and -Dan can go fishing, rain or shine, and I will -get my lawyer friend from the village to come -out and see us; I’ll hire a carriage for him, -too, Edmond. And Nick Perkins, the tax collector——” -Then, at the mention of that name, -Cameron slowly regained his composure, and a -stern, cold look passed over his features. -“What day of the month did you say it was, -Edmond?” He had lowered his voice almost -to a whisper. Then, as LeClare answered, he -continued: “The time will soon be up. To-morrow, -Edmond, to-morrow we must start for -home—to-morrow we must go.”</p> - -<p>LeClare half carried his companion, who was -exhausted by the excitement over the discovery, -to the seat by the cabin door. The sun had -now gone down behind the mountain opposite, -and in the autumn glow of this golden sunset, -alone with their Maker, they offered a silent -prayer over their evening meal.</p> - -<p>The miners sat facing each other at their -scant repast. Their menu, at all times limited, -had now become stale and unappetizing. The -salted meats and hard, dried breadstuffs, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> -which was added the badly mixed coffee, would -no longer suffice.</p> - -<p>“We are rich, Andy,” laughed LeClare. -“We haven’t much to boast about on top of -the table, but there’s a hundred thousand beneath -it, old fellow, and in the morning I will -show you a crevice in the rocks down there on -the side hill where there’s twice as much more -as we have here waiting for you to take it out.”</p> - -<p>Cameron was at once happy and sad. Now -that the great wealth in gold had been found, -his thoughts of home were strangely affecting -him. “Two years,” he murmured over and -over again to himself. “Could his wife, Barbara, -have kept their little colony together -during his absence? Had Nick Perkins, the -money lender, harassed his brother Donald or -annoyed Barbara for the payment of interest -money, or could any of his beloved have died?” -A shudder at this thought shook his frame. -Looking across the table he encountered the -kind, inquiring smile on the face of his companion. -“You are coming with me, my boy. -Edmond, this is no place for you;” but he saw -the smile on the handsome, youthful face before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> -him fade into an expression of sorrow. “Cheer -up,” he continued. “I have no fine words for -telling you what it’s in my heart to say, but, -though you never have told me why you came -out here, I know you could never have done -wrong to anybody, and to Barbara’s home and -mine you are welcome as long as you can find -it comfortable.” Tears were in the eyes of the -two strong men, but the darkness had hidden -the signs of their emotions.</p> - -<p>“Why, Andy, my old friend, I have never -told you, have I?” suddenly exclaimed -LeClare.</p> - -<p>“No, I guess you never did,” replied Andy.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_079.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="... I have never told you ..." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>LeClare’s Story: The Initialed Tree.</i></p> - - -<p>“It’s only a boy and girl story, but, all the -same, that’s why I’ve been a gold digger. At -our first meeting on the plains I said I was -from the Eastern provinces. That was all right -for the time. The truth happens to be, though, -that our native homes are separated only by -the fifteen miles of intervening water channels -of the Archipelago. When you look to the -southward from your farm on The Front, -across the great expanse of water, dotted here -and there with wooded islands, and then extend -the view to the sloping sides of the irregular -mountain range which meets the eye, you -may perhaps see there, reposing sleepily upon -the banks of the winding Salmon, a small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> -American village. Four miles down the river, -after traversing for the full distance the cranberry -marshes of Arcadia, its waters are -gathered into one of the nearest channels of -the St. Lawrence. The approach is so unpretentious -that the coming of its added volume -is only recognized by the idler drifting in his -canoe along the shores of the Archipelago -from the blue and gray color line made by the -mingling of the waters. For it is just here at -this line that the now docile mountain cataracts -of the Adirondacks are greeted by the turquoise-blue -waters flowing seaward from the -Great Lakes.</p> - -<p>“In Darrington, this village on the Salmon, -lived Lucy Maynard. Two miles to the eastward, -upon one of the fertile farms in the valley -of the St. Lawrence, was my home. There -I was taught the law of the Ten Commandments, -living in the midst of sunshine and -happiness and blest with the love of a devoted -father and mother. This is only a childish romance, -Andy, and perhaps you don’t care to -hear it.”</p> - -<p>“Go on, Edmond,” came the reply. “You<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> -know my story. Now tell me yours.”</p> - -<p>“At the age of seventeen I had been considered -by my parents a graduate from the district -school, and at the beginning of the Autumn -term I was entered in the intermediate grade -of the high school up in the village of Darrington. -This was an auspicious event in my -hitherto uneventful career. Living always -upon the farm, my playmates and acquaintances -were of the neighboring farm children. -Tramping the same way to the district school-house, -we had pelted the croaking frogs in the -ditches by the roadside, and fired stones at the -rows of swallows swinging upon the telegraph -wires, and in the season we picked the daisies -from the nearby fields, handing them roughly, -almost rudely, to the girl of our choice amongst -the strolling group of school children; while in -the Autumn, in the groves by the roadside, we -hurled sticks high into the chestnut trees, then -scrambled upon our hands and knees at a -lucky throw we had made, each to pocket his -catch. Simple and healthful were our sports. -Barefooted we stubbed our toes in the game -of ‘tag’ and at ball games in ‘Three Old Cats,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>’ -where ‘over the fence is out.’ We were each -a star player of the national game. Happy -children of the country, Andy, primitive in -thought, with gentle rural manners, acquired -in the religious homes of a Scotch Presbyterian -settlement. Once a week upon the Sunday, -since childhood, I attended with my father and -mother the church at Darrington, and there -wistfully, shyly, I looked across the high backs -of the family pews at the children of the villagers. -In my childish mind their lot in life -was greatly to be envied and admired, compared -with mine. Their ‘store’ clothes and -their pert, familiar manner placed them in my -estimation so far above my station in the social -scale that my deference toward them amounted -to something like worship.</p> - -<p>“In one of the family seats, across and several -pews advanced from ours, moving restlessly -about between her father and mother, -was a handsome, large-eyed child, forever looking -backward, and, of course I fancied, often -glancing in my direction. She was Lucy Maynard. -For years, and until I entered the village -high school, we had seen each other upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> -Sundays, across the backs of the seats, never -a word from either, nor a smile of recognition, -Lucy’s large, brown eyes looking toward me as -she knelt on her knees upon the seat; then, as -I returned her wistful gaze, she would sink -slowly down upon her mother’s shoulder, burying -her face from view. I saw her grow to be -a young lady, a village lady; she saw me an -awkward country boy. In childhood I dared -to return her glances. As a boy of seventeen, -when I found myself that autumn in the village -high school, in the same class with the girl -always before me in my youthful day dreams, -I had not the courage even to look in the direction -of the seat which she occupied.</p> - -<p>“Everything seemed strange to me, Andy. I -knew nothing in common with the village boys. -They played ball differently; they called their -game of ‘hide and seek’ by another name, and -they didn’t even throw stones at a mark as we -had done in the country. Some of the boys -tolerated my backwardness and others turned -up their noses at my awkward attempts at being -agreeable. But one silent champion I felt I -always had during those first weeks of my introduction<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> -into that school. Standing near in -the hallways, with others girls in our class, at -recess, Lucy Maynard, with that soulful look -from those large, brown eyes, reproved the boy -whose rude remark was aimed at the defenseless, -or the one slowest at repartee in the gossip -under discussion.</p> - -<p>“A few weeks of the Autumn term had -passed, and the class in mathematics had been -requested to remain after the grades had been -dismissed, to receive further instruction from -the professor. A board walk extends the full -length of the campus from the school-house, -ending in a turnstile at the street. The class -dismissed, I hurried out of the building. -Rustling behind me in a quick step came a -young lady. I knew instinctively it was Lucy.</p> - -<p>“‘Don’t you think it is about time you had -something to say to me, Mr. LeClare?’ she said, -as she came beside me. ‘I won’t think you are -a bit nice if you go on like this.’ I felt my face -turning red, and I forgot everything I had -learned a thousand times before to say to her. -Then I begged her pardon for nearly stepping -upon her, and I felt that I was about to collapse.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> -The turnstile came to my assistance, -and, as Lucy lived in an opposite direction -from that in which I had to go, we parted. I -had regained enough of my scattered senses, -though, to thank her for having spoken to me.</p> - -<p>“The Winter term of school had come and -gone, and the Summer closing was at hand. -The other boys in my class had soon overlooked -my misfortune, as they considered it, of having -lived in the country, and I was proud of the -devotion of Lucy, whose name was now paired -off with mine, as were the other boys and girls -paired off in our same class. To celebrate the -close of the school, the class proposed a basket -party to be held upon the bank of the St. Lawrence, -each male member of the party offering -to row his share of the ladies in his separate -boat down the winding Salmon, a five miles -jaunt. With Lucy at the helm, my craft sped -down stream propelled by a youthful spirit of -pride and enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>“Dinner under the trees on Tyno’s Point -was quickly over, and the young admirers soon -found some interesting object to engage their -attention in pairs. Lucy and I, always quieter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> -when alone, had realized that very shortly we -would not see each other as often, and that perhaps -in the next year we should be sent away -to different colleges.</p> - -<p>“And thus it came about that as we knelt -carving our initials, one above the other, on the -trunk of a basswood tree, we queried: ‘Shall we -always grow up together in life as our names -will always remain together on this tree?’ -Lucy said: ‘I will cut one stroke in the frame -to inclose our names which says we will,’ and -she cut a strip in the bark over the initials. -Then she looked into my eyes with that soul-pleading -look, and I at once cut a line down -one side. Lucy immediately cut the mark for -the opposite side, and three sides of the frame -were then formed. It was my turn, and I -hesitated, for I knew what it meant to both of -us. I thought it too early for an engagement. -Lucy sank slowly down by the side of the tree, -as she used to do from the back of the seat in -church upon her mother’s shoulder, and waited -for me to say something. I was wrong, Andy. -I said we’d better wait before we made the -other stroke to complete the frame. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> -was an awkward silence; Lucy toyed with the -penknife she held in her hand, but looked no -more at the initials cut into the bark of the tree.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_088.jpg" width="500" height="266" alt="... I said we’d better wait ..." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>LeClare’s Story: The Christmas Tree.</i></p> - - -<p>“The next Autumn she went away to the -State Normal School, and at vacation time a -strange young man visited her at her home in -Darrington. Then, at the end of the Spring -term, when she returned, one of the boys in -my class of the year before wrote me to the -city where I had gone to acquire a business -training, that Lucy was engaged, and was to -be married in the fall. How many times I -cannot tell you during my first year in the -city I had composed the letter to Lucy which I -never sent. At night, seated at the small stand -I used as a writing table, in the hall room,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> -top floor, back, I went over for the thousandth -time the thought uppermost in my mind. -Should I write to her and say, ‘Wait for me, -Lucy. I am working hard for the position in -business which will give me the right to claim -you from the comfortable home of your parents. -You are my constant inspiration. For -you I toil the whole day with ceaseless energy. -For you, to claim as my prize at the end, I -have sacrificed the associations of home, accepted -the challenge thrown down before me -by the ambitious who, like myself, are striving -to gain that same position which would give to -them the opportunity to say, “I have won the -race, I have reached the goal first, now I am -entitled to the prize.” For you, Lucy, one day -I hope to return, and then to the music of the -old church organ, which we both have known -from childhood, to walk arm in arm from the -scene of our innocent love-making to brave -together life’s voyage.’</p> - -<p>“But no, Andy, I never sent this letter. Was -it pride, I wonder,—were my acts of silence -dictated by an over-cautious mind, or were the -subtle workings of my heart’s emotions stayed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> -by the reports which had reached me that -Lucy, my loved one, my ideal, could so doubt -my integrity, could so disregard the sacred ties -of our friendship, hallowed by the memories of -sweet, childish innocence, as to accept the attentions -of another? I could not return at the -Christmas holiday and see another at the side -of my beloved. At the summer vacation I still -clung to my work, mastering the details of the -business with such an alarming rapidity that -the management would soon be forced to place -me in control of more important affairs. My -incentive now for greater efforts had changed -from that which first had inspired me. Now -I worked to accomplish great successes, that, -indirectly, Lucy might come to hear my name -mentioned, that she might be proud to say, if -only in her own heart, that she had once known -me, and as boy and girl we had been sweethearts.</p> - -<p>“True enough, Andy, she was married that -Autumn. My invitation to their wedding came, -and with it a short note saying to try and come -if possible, and if not, she wished me all success -in business, and that my share of happiness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> -might be as great as she had heard my career -was proving successful. Love with pride was -contending in my heart. I should not attend -the wedding, I finally decided. She had heard -about my success. Did she not know I had -done all this for her sake? Why, then, could -she not have waited a short two years?</p> - -<p>“Then love would steal quietly to the door -of my troubled heart and say, ‘You never told -her of your resolves. You have never explained -the reason why you wished to postpone -the carving of the line which would have fully -inclosed the initials in the bark upon the basswood -tree at Tyno’s Point. You have asked -her to guess too much. You have been unreasonable.’</p> - -<p>“But pride would return, and, roughly pushing -love out of the door, proclaim in a loud, -harsh voice, ‘She took up with another while -I have been true to her, and I am through. I -have no care. One day she shall hear, she shall -know of my prominence, of my success.’ Then -pride was joined by selfishness within the -chambers of my heart. The door closed, and -there they held control for a whole year.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Lucy and her husband were now living in -Darrington, at the home of her parents. -Mother wrote me that the Sunday school to -which I had belonged all the years I had spent -at home would celebrate the eve of Christmas -with the unloading of a Christmas tree, and -wouldn’t I come home for that and gladden the -hearts of my father and mother, now growing -old so fast without me? That evening, the -same day upon which I had received the letter, -love came tapping again at the door of my -heart. This time I opened to welcome the timid -caller. ‘We are going home together,’ it said, -‘to mother and to father, to Lucy and her husband. -We will bring the good words of cheer. -This Christmas shall see a reunion at the -old home. It will seem good to be there, and to -meet Lucy with her husband at the church, -and to see them happy in their love for each -other will put my soul at rest, and give me another -chance to meet happiness should the fates -favor me.’</p> - -<p>“A three years’ absence from the old place -had made changes, and most of all in myself. -The change of dress from country to city, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> -mannerisms acquired by constant mingling -with strangers, had given me the air which in -the country is interpreted as being akin to presumptuousness. -My school friends approached -me with an uneasiness of manner, while the -conversation with the older members of families -was limited to a few questions concerning -my arrival and departure. The ladies of the -committee in charge of the entertainment flitted -about the Christmas tree, which was placed in -front of the pulpit at the head of the main aisle -and at the end of the edifice opposite the entrance. -I had not yet removed my great coat, -and, hat in hand, was strolling with mother up -the aisle to the family pew. We were very -early, and but a few had taken their seats. -Some one of the group of ladies surrounding -the tree had called the attention of her co-workers -to the approaching stranger. At the -instant one of their number darted down the -aisle. A cry of joy had escaped her lips, and -in a frenzy of hysteria she fell into my arms. -It was Lucy Maynard. Tenderly I placed her -in the very pew from where I had so often -stolen the childish glances at the same brown,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> -curly head and beautiful eyes of my Lucy, who -now lay in a dead faint upon the cushions.</p> - -<p>“‘You must care for her, mother,’ I said, as -I turned hastily to leave. ‘I am going away; -and, now that you know my secret, you must -always pray that my happiness may some time -be returned.’”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_095.jpg" width="500" height="296" alt="You must care for her, mother" /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Adieu to the Mining Camp.</i></p> - - -<p>“Soon after I gave up my position in the city. -The money which I had accumulated I determined -to spend in trying to forget, to stamp -out of my life the truth of the love which existed -between Lucy and me. She was married—I -was a gentleman. It was too late. -God might right the wrong which had been -done, but in the meantime two souls were to -suffer apart. For another two years I kept -away from home, my dear old parents never -urging me to return. I was successful in my -business ventures. Then sad news again came -to me. A fatal illness had attacked my father. -I reached his bedside in time to hear him say,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> -‘Edmond, I would have done the same were I -in your place.’ We buried him in a plot by -the church, in the shadow of the steeple at the -bidding of whose bell he had so many years -come to meeting, and now from the old belfry -tower it tolled the last sad notes for the departed.</p> - -<p>“Lucy and her husband had been traveling -for her health, under the advice of the old village -doctor. A change of scene, he told her -husband, would do her good. A month I spent -at the old homestead. Mother had taken my -hand in hers one evening, as we sat under the -porch, I in the same chair where, at the same -time of the evening, father read the weekly -paper, and many a time, with his spectacles -pushed up on his forehead, and in his shirt -sleeves, had engaged in a heated discussion -with mother over some editorial comment favorable -to his views on one of his pet subjects. -‘Stay with me, Edmond,’ she said. ‘It won’t be -long now. For nearly sixty years we have -never been separated for more than a day—your -father from me. It—won’t—be—long.’ -I felt her grasp of my hand loosen, and she sank<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> -back into her chair. Her left hand lay limp -in the folds of her dress, an ashy whiteness had -suffused her face, a sweet, heavenly smile rested -over her features. Then I knew she had joined -my father. Side by side their bodies rest in the -shadow of the village church, while their spirits -have joined the angels and are looking down at -us now.</p> - -<p>“No one at the homestead nor in the village -of Darrington knows of my whereabouts, and -to them I am as though I had joined my father -and mother. Now, Andy, you know my story. -If you think I should return with you to your -home, I will—but on one condition—that my -secret, my identity, be sacred between us.”</p> - -<p>Andy promised. They arose to seek their -couch of cedar boughs, but a strange gray light -was creeping through the valley. “Look, -Andy,” cried LeClare. “It’s morning!”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>LeClare at once piloted his partner down to -the cave-like opening in the cliff. There he -drew from a ledge in the shelving rocks at his -side, the loose earth and small stones he had -placed there the night before, covering from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> -sight the rich deposits which were now plainly -to be seen fastened to the solid rock in great -pockets of nearly pure gold. Cameron was -stunned at the sight. Wealth of such magnitude -he could not comprehend. Two days -they worked to take from the ledge their treasure. -Then, having made ready, they bid adieu -to the scenes of their recent struggles and hastened -on their way. They chose the same direction -through the mountains as that by which -they had reached the Cariboo Valley, heading, -of course, for the house of the native at the -head of Soda Creek with whom they had left a -part of their belongings upon entering the -ranges nearly two years previous.</p> - -<p>Cameron had explained to his friend the necessity -that haste govern their every act in their -exit from the mountainous district, that even at -great inconvenience to themselves they must -hurry with all possible speed, first to overtake -the wagon trains going down through the valley -on the western side of the range to the -passes at Ashcroft; then, after crossing the -Rockies to the eastern slope, to join the pack -train, this to carry them farther homeward, till<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> -at Winnipeg they would reach the railway. -Then upon fleeing steeds of winged steel they -would soon reach home.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Nick Perkins the Money Lender.</i></p> - - -<p>There is in every rural community one individual -who in himself represents an institution -hated alike by the rich and poor, a necessary -evil, so to speak, and one for whom the law -has had to define the limits to which he may -carry his questionable practices. The going -and coming of such a man in the community -in which he lives is tolerated by one class of -residents who are familiar with his tactics, because -of the fear that some day they may be -compelled to ask assistance from him.</p> - -<p>There is yet another class of the same populace -by whom he is called a great and good -man; it is because of the power and influence -the possession of wealth has put in his hand,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> -which he uses for his own selfish advancement. -Although these same people may at the very -time be paying him usury rates upon a valuation -not half the true worth of security, should -they ask for a further advance, this suave citizen, -parading under the guise of a public benefactor, -refuses them, and continues subtly after -the blight is upon them to weave his drag net -closer about the unwary victims, strangling -them at last; then with a well-feigned show of -reluctance, he gathers in their property, which -he has obtained at one-half its correct value.</p> - -<p>Nicholas Perkins was the worthy exponent -of this system in the Arcadian district of which -we are writing, and it was from him, through -his friend, the lawyer, that Cameron secured the -loans of money for which both his farm and -that of his brother were pledged.</p> - -<p>Perkins lived over at The Gore, and through -his office, as Government tax collector for the -county, he was afforded an excellent opportunity -to know of the business affairs of the -people within his jurisdiction. As a farmer at -The Gore he was known to be prosperous. As -a money lender, there were many, both in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> -own town and through the county, who had -occasion to know of his shrewd bargaining, -and as a Government agent for the collection of -the land-holders’ dues, his promptness and diligence -were unquestioned. He drove about the -county in an open-back light wagon, drawn by -a bob-tailed, cream-colored nag. Behind the -seat a rope halter was traced diagonally across -from side to side, fastening to the iron braces -which gave it support. A slightly corpulent -man was Perkins, and while jogging along the -country roads his favorite position was on the -edge of the seat, one hand grasping the reins at -which he tugged at frequent intervals, and the -other holding the iron braces surmounting the -seat’s back. He wore a faded brown derby -hat, and a few scattered reddish side-whiskers -adorned his face. There was no mustache -which should have been there to hide the -stingy, straight lips, and an insinuating smile -from which the children invariably shrank -played at the corners of his mouth.</p> - -<p>A social call from Nick Perkins was not -taken as a pleasant surprise in any of the homes -throughout the county, and least of all in those<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> -of the families at the rival town to his own, -The Front. Perkins had a very bad way about -him, the neighbors said, because of the circumstance -that when a note he held—or it might be -a mortgage upon a farm—was overdue, they -were sure to see the cream-colored, bob-tailed -nag and its owner driving slowly past, taking -note of the condition of the land and out-buildings. -They said he counted the fence-rails so -that he would be sure they were all there when -he got possession. Close with his family and -servants, a gift for charity’s sake would have -been considered a huge joke with him. A diversion -in which he seemed most to delight was -that of keeping alive the dissensions existing -between the farmers of his own village and -those whose lands met the river at The Front. -He was not a participator in any of their -Saturday night brawls,—not he,—and but for -the suave, insinuating remarks he dropped artfully -in the hearing of certain ones at the two -towns, their feuds would long before have died -out for lack of fuel.</p> - -<p>The rebuff administered to Perkins by Bill -Blakely before the smithy had smouldered in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> -his mind, not dying out, but fanned by more -recent reverses to his plans till it had now -blazed upward, determining to consume for his -personal satisfaction and the discomfiture of -The Front, the Camerons’ homesteads. With -the head of the family away, and no news of -him in nearly two years, Laughing Donald unable -at any time to contend against him for his -rights, and the stock and dairy sold from the -farms, he had figured, despite the fact that -Barbara, the wife of Andy Cameron, had paid -the interest money promptly, that there could -be very little money left, and in a month more -he himself would be in possession. Thus he -argued, but he reckoned alone and without a -friend of the absent Cameron, who lived a short -distance from the smithy, and to whose words -of caution the self-important Perkins had given -no hearing.</p> - -<p>Almost daily now since the beginning of the -month which marked the end of the two years -of the mortgage and the absence of Cameron, -Nick Perkins and his horse and buggy, known -to every school child in the country, drove -along The Front. Turning upon the edge of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> -his seat, his disengaged arm extended along the -brace surmounting its back, he would deliberately -look about him with that insolent proprietary -air so common among men of his class. -Barbara Cameron witnessed this scene for -about a week. Laughing Donald, in his innocent -way, had come over from his place and inquired -of her if she had any business with Nick -Perkins, because, he said, he drove past so -often, he thought he might have some “dealin’s -with her.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_106.jpg" width="500" height="316" alt="Andy’s Dan closed the gate securely." /> -</div> - -<p>The next day Andy’s Dan, simple-minded, -but scenting trouble when he saw Perkins drive -past, hurried down to the gate at the road, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> -closed and latched it securely. Inside of the -house at the kitchen table sat the silent figure -of Barbara. Spread out before her was a map -of the British Columbias, showing the ranges -of the Rocky Mountains. Two years before, -her husband had studied the same map, and -hundreds of times within the last few weeks -she had pointed out to herself the mountain -passes through which he said he would journey -in going to the gold fields. For the thousandth -time the thought came to her, Was he dead? -If he were alive and had found the hidden -treasures he would have returned to her before -now. The cruel rumors which had reached her -from the neighbors that her husband had deserted -her, she never allowed a place in her -troubled mind. If dead, she argued, then she -could not live there and see the poverty which -must come to their families. She would be happier -to live anywhere else. Yes, happier to -know for a certainty that he was dead.</p> - -<p>Then the thought had come into her mind in -a more definite form,—Why not go to him? -Perhaps, too, Andy were sick. A new thought -this. A strange light was now in the eyes of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -Barbara. Sickness she herself had ever known, -but the possibility of her husband’s robust constitution -succumbing to disease she had never -imagined. Again she said over in her mind. -“He may have been on the way home. He may -be lying with a fever in one of those camps in -the mountain passes he told me about, which is -here on the map.”</p> - -<p>In her excitement she arose and paced the -floor: her features, set and always stern, were -now drawn hard. Looking from the window -down to the road, there she saw Nick Perkins -passing, and looking, as she was able to tell her -husband later, as though he owned the farm already. -She stopped in the middle of the floor. -With a quick movement she untied the strings -to her gingham apron, hung it on the peg by -the kitchen stove, told Dan to watch the biscuits -baking in the oven, then retired to her -room. Soon she reappeared. Dan saw she -had put on her Sunday bonnet and her best -frock. She held a tightly-rolled bundle under -her arm. Glancing quickly at the clock, as -though her time was short, she hurriedly told -Dan to care for their one cow, and when he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> -needed more biscuits, to go down to Laughing -Donald’s. Then, casting another hasty glance -around the rooms of the house, she went out -at the back door and down the road which led -to the station.</p> - -<p>Dan did not watch her going. He knew -where she had gone.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_109.jpg" width="500" height="342" alt="She went out the back door towards thhe station." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Barbara in the Chilcoten Valley.</i></p> - - -<p>The Autumn rains had now set in, and all -the way up through the Chilcoten Valley from -Quesnel, the wagon train groaned and pitched -from side to side. The wheels rolled in mud -up to the very hubs, and the horses lagged in -their traces, wearied by the excessive burden -they were urged to drag. Sandwiched in with -the baggage, providing for their comfort as -best they could, were the several passengers. -Upon the front seat with the driver sat the -only woman passenger of the company. A -figure tall and spare, a face thin and drawn, -lines that were deep cut, marked the features<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> -of a determined character. Her manners were -not engaging, and her fellow travelers soon -understood that she preferred to be left alone, -not to talk. But they had observed through -the tedious journey up from Quesnel to the -terminus at the head of Soda Creek, that she -had at intervals questioned the driver, each -time making him confirm his answer by repeating -it a second time.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said he, “I am sure that I brought -your husband up this valley. It must be nigh -two years ago this Fall, and if I ain’t mistaken, -him and another man left some truck -over at Dan Magee’s place, across the bridge at -the head of the trail. If ye want, mum, I’ll -take ye over that soon as I put the horses up.” -They had now reached the end of the wagon -route and the passengers had dismounted in -front of the building which served as a lodging -house, but Barbara sat awaiting the return of -the driver, who by his positive answers to her -questionings, had kindled the dying flame of -hope in her heart, and already through her -weak frame new life coursed with a quickened -throb. Up to this time, over the trails by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> -which she had come no definite information -could she obtain that her husband had passed -that way. No encouragement had she received -to inspire within her that fortitude which -would aid her to withstand all fatigue, knowing -that at the end of the journey she should meet -her beloved; and now she sat transfixed, afraid -to discover the truth of the report, fearing -there might be a sudden ending of the hopes -she had allowed to spring up in her heart, that -soon she should see her husband, and the longing -of her soul to be at his side would be satisfied.</p> - -<p>She was presently rejoined by the driver of -the van, which was left standing at the side of -the hotel, the team of four horses having been -detached for stabling. Together they went toward -the home of Magee. The dim lights were -beginning to show through the gathering darkness -from the cabins of the scattered settlement. -A thin mist was rising from the dampness, -and but for the feeble rays which filtered -through nothing would have been visible to -mark the exact location of the house. To one -of those lights, coming as if from out the side<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> -of the hill, Barbara and her guide came.</p> - -<p>“This is the place, mum. Dan Magee is a -friend of mine, so you needn’t be afraid to tell -him what you have come about.” The door -opened cautiously in answer to the knock. “It’s -all right, Dan,” said the driver of the stage -wagon. “Here’s somebody wants to see you.” -The door opened wide. Barbara and her friend -advanced into the light.</p> - -<p>Seated around a table at the side of the room -opposite the door were two men, one young, -bronzed, but handsome, the other older and -weather beaten, his beard untrimmed and hair -unkempt. They looked toward the door as the -strange visitor of the night entered, then quickly, -as if from a sudden impulse, the older man -stood up. His hand shook, as it rested upon -the table, and his eyes stood out as if they -would leap from their sockets. The tall figure -of this silent woman had advanced to the middle -of the room, her eyes fastened upon the man -standing by the table. Slowly her two arms -were raised, and stepping quickly forward, in -a dreadful whisper she ejaculated, “Surely, -Andy, it is ye!” Cameron also had recognized<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> -his wife, but he caught her in his arms only to -lay her tenderly upon the couch, for she had -swooned away.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_114.jpg" width="500" height="427" alt="Andy and Barbara meet." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>The Mortgage Comes Due.</i></p> - - -<p>On the first of October—at least so they said -back at The Gore—Nick Perkins was to take -over as his own the Cameron farms at The -Front.</p> - -<p>Since the flight of Barbara early in September -Perkins had patrolled the roadway almost -daily, surveying from his wagon, as was his -custom, the home of Laughing Donald. Then -continuing his round of inspection, he would -ride along past the farm at The Nole. There -at the closed gate, mute but defiant, guarding -the house like a faithful dumb animal in the -absence of his master, Perkins found Andy’s -Dan each time that he passed.</p> - -<p>The cool evenings of the approaching Autumn<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> -had broken up the meetings of the Gossip -Club before the smithy, but the depression -weighing upon the sympathizers of their luckless -neighbors at The Front was like the ominous -quiet preceding a storm which leaves disaster -and despair in its wake.</p> - -<p>Angus Ferguson had frequently lent a helping -hand in the putting away of the Winter’s -supply up at Laughing Donald’s, and of late -the silence existing between Davy the blacksmith -and Bill Blakely, and their intense -thoughtfulness whenever they met at the shop, -was proof positive to the observer that they understood -that the responsibility of averting the -approaching trouble to their neighbor—which -was also an indignity aimed at the clans at -The Front—devolved wholly upon them. As -the days passed the confident look on the face -of Perkins so asserted itself that at length -while passing the shop he stared into the blackness -of the open door with the insinuating -smile of the hypocrite. Davy watched him -from the grimy window nearest the forge, and -by one of his severe quieting looks he persuaded -Bill Blakely to let him drive on unmolested.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> -After Perkins and his cream-colored -nag had disappeared up the roadway along -The Front, Bill walked uneasily around the -shop, kicking about the floor the loose horse-shoes -and fire tongs lying at the foot of the -anvil. Davy glanced at his friend over the steel -rims of his spectacles, awaiting an expression -on the subject each had silently argued for -weeks, as he rounded the while on the anvil’s -arm the curve of a shoe to fit the farm horse -lazily resting in the corner. During the last -minute before leaving Davy, the frowning -wrinkles in the face and forehead of Old Bill -had disappeared, and encountering the smith -as he carried in the tongs, grasping by the red -hot toe cork the shoe to fit to the mare in the -corner, his lips were copiously moistened from -the weed to which he was a pronounced slave. -His goatee was moving rapidly up and down, -and Davy halted, for he knew a decision had -been reached.</p> - -<p>“To-morrow is the last day, Davy,” said -Bill. “I’ll be on my way to the town in the -morning. If there’s no news from Andy Cameron -it won’t take you long to tell it to me when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> -I’m passing.” Then he looked Davy straight -in the eye, winked his own blue eyes a few -times, drew out from his trousers pocket the -plug of chewing tobacco, and was gone in an -instant. Davy made no remark to the neighbor -who was the onlooker at this little episode, the -termination of a month of silent conferences -held between these two men, sturdy types of -rural loyalty.</p> - -<p>“I thought Bill would do it,” mused the -smith to himself. “He’s got the heart, and a -whole lot of other things that the people round -here don’t know much about. But Bill knows -I know it, and that’s why he’s been a-hanging -around here a-wantin’ of me to say something. -But I knowed he’d say it all right,” and in his -pleasure Davy hammered the nail-clinches with -double energy into the hoofs of the docile mare.</p> - -<p>Next morning, before the rays of the Autumn -sun had changed the whiteness of the -hoar frost, shining like a coat of silver upon -the shingled roofs of the buildings, and covering -with a mantel of gray the green shrubbery -and grass by the roadside, the smith unlocked -the door to his place, and stepped within its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> -darkness. At the same early hour, coming -along by the cheese factory, down the side hill -and through the hollow, then over the plank -bridge which crossed the whey-tainted creek, -the innocent cause of so much contention, now -past the store at the four corners, steadily there -sounded in the early morning quiet the echoing -thump, thump, thump of the tread of Old Bill’s -cowhide boots on the hard roadbed. Davy -recognized the step as it came nearer. Now it -was past the wheelwright’s place—he could -see his old friend in the roadway.</p> - -<p>“He’s not a-goin’ to stop,” thought Davy, -but when nearly up to the rise of ground just -to the west of the shop, Bill half turned, and -with his hands deep into his trousers pockets, -the peak of his faded cloth cap pushed to one -side, he stood half listening, half looking for a -sign from Davy. Anticipating the man, the -smith had in his characteristic way upon critical -moments thrust his head around the side -of the open door, and with a nod motioned Bill -onward. There was no word from Cameron.</p> - -<p>Later in the day, driving along the road -which turned at the four corners into that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> -which passed the smithy, was the familiar sight -of Nick Perkins and his bob-tailed horse. He -sat as usual upon the edge of the seat, his disengaged -arm grasping the brace which formed -its back. He had put on his Sunday coat, and -as he passed the door of the shop Davy could -see from his window by the forge the insolent -smile of triumph which Perkins cast in his direction.</p> - -<p>“When he meets Bill Blakely up there at -the lawyer’s,” thought Davy, “perhaps he’ll -change that smile.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_120.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Bill Blakely heads for lawyers office." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Blakely Consults Cameron’s Lawyer.</i></p> - - -<p>In rooms upon the second floor of a business -block, whose windows looked down on the -main thoroughfare of the country town, were -the offices of Cameron’s lawyer friend. The -ground floor of this building was occupied by -firms in various lines of business, and for the -accommodation of the occupants overhead -there was on the outside of the building a stairway -leading up from the street. Standing -upon the landing at the head of this stairway, -outlined in shadow by the morning sun against -the whitewashed bricks of the wall, was the -picturesque figure of Bill Blakely, awaiting the -lawyer’s arrival.</p> - -<p>“Ah, good morning, Bill!” said the latter as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> -he reached the landing, curiously eyeing his -early caller.</p> - -<p>“Mornin’, Donald Ban,” returned Bill, as he -followed him through the door. Donald Ban -was curious as to the nature of the business -which prompted this unexpected call from Bill. -Often, to the discomfort of Blakely, this same -lawyer had opposed his counsel in the settlement -in court of the encounters he had figured -in while disposing of the men who came over -from The Gore to argue the cause for the -tainted condition of the creek. Donald Ban -had many times convinced the judge and jury -that Blakely had been the offender and must -pay the costs, at least, of the litigation. The -lawyer had been impressed with the candid, -matter-of-fact way in which Bill had accepted -these verdicts. His manner upon each occasion -seemed to indicate,—“Well, if the judge -and jury say so, I’m willing to pay the fees of -a lawyer smart enough to make them say so. -Besides, I have had my fun out of it, too.” -Then he paid up without an objection.</p> - -<p>“Sit down, Bill,” said the lawyer in an encouraging -tone, for down in his heart he liked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> -the man. Bill had removed his peaked cloth -cap, showing an intelligent head, covered with -a heavy crop of unkempt, straight, white hair. -Donald Ban moved about the room making -comments on general topics, calculated to put -his visitor at ease, but still he was at a loss to -account for the appearance of Bill at his office. -Suddenly Bill blurted out this question: “You -are a friend of Andy Cameron, ain’t you, Donald -Ban?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied the lawyer. “He is a client, -and a friend of mine, also.”</p> - -<p>“Well, so am I a friend of Cameron, and -you can write that in the papers, too, when -you make them out,” and Bill turned in his -chair facing the lawyer, who had now seated -himself at the opposite side of the office table. -“Nick Perkins from The Gore,—you know -him, too, I suppose, don’t ye?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know him,” answered the other, still -waiting for his clue to the situation. Bill -during his last question had reached down into -the lining of his vest and had taken therefrom -an oblong package, inclosed in a wrapping -which showed the signs of much handling and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> -tied about with a soiled string. He laid it on -the table before him, then continued: “Donald -Ban, you are a good lawyer, and for that reason -I never wanted you on my side. Mine was -always the wrong side, and I was a-feared that -you would make the jury say it was the right -side, when I knew all the time it wasn’t. This -is the time, though, Donald Ban, that I am here -to see you the first thing.” Bill had risen and -was leaning forward, his two hands resting -upon the table. “In these papers,” he continued, -“these papers that Nick Perkins holds -against Andy Cameron, do they mention ‘on or -before,’ or only mention that it is ‘on’ the certain -day they are due?” The lawyer, noting -the intense earnestness and excitement of -Blakely, answered at once that the form of the -mortgage held by Perkins against the Cameron -properties read that “on or before the first day -of October of that year, they were due and -payable, and——”</p> - -<p>“That’s enough, Donald Ban—all I wanted -to know. It is now one day before, and you -write it down in the papers and tell Andy -when he comes back that a friend of his—you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> -needn’t mind putting it down there as who it -was—put up the cash and beat the hypocrite -Perkins out at his own game. Count out what -you want from that package, Donald Ban, and -give the rest to me. Perkins will be along -pretty soon now, and when he comes I want -you to have it all ready for him to sign off his -claim against the Camerons on The Front.” -The lawyer, taken so completely by surprise, -was at a loss to know what to say. “Cameron -will be back soon, mark what I am telling -you,” Bill continued, “and if he has made nothing, -I will be a safer man for him to owe money -to than Nick Perkins.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Cameron’s Resolve.</i></p> - - -<p>It was the end of September. The wind -blew violently, the faint light of the pale moon, -hidden every other instant by the masses of -dark clouds that were sweeping across the sky, -whitened the faces of the two silent watchers -in the chamber of the sick. Under the same -hospitable roof where Barbara had fallen exhausted -at the feet of her husband, she now lay -prostrated by a raging fever. Standing near -the foot of the couch, alert for a sign of returning -consciousness, Cameron watched by turns -with his friend the passing of the life of his -devoted wife, which now hung in the balance -by only a slight thread. In her rational moments -during the days when the burning fever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> -would be lowest, Barbara had told the story of -the persecution of the Cameron family by Nick -Perkins, the insinuating gossip set afloat by -Fraser, the carpenter, the defense in their behalf -made by Bill Blakely and the kindnesses -offered them by Angus Ferguson and Davy -Simpson, the blacksmith. LeClare had divined -the truth long before his friend Cameron, -that the relentless fever raging in the -brain and body of the proud, determined -woman must soon burn her life’s taper to the -end.</p> - -<p>All the available medical skill and the tenderest -nursing would not arrest the progress -of the fever, and Cameron, too, at last despaired -of the life of his beloved. The doctors -had told him that the end was nearing, and -now he sat by the side of the couch, never for -a moment removing his gaze from the face of -the sick one. As the hour of midnight approached, -the eyes of the patient opened slowly, -and the look of intelligence brought a ray -of joy to his heart. Feebly she murmured as -he bent over her to catch every precious syllable.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I am going now, Andy,” she whispered. -“Say good-bye to Dan for me. I loved you too -much to hear them say you had deserted me, -and that’s why I came to find you. You won’t -blame me, will you?” and he answered her by -smoothing her feverish brow. “Make me only -this promise, Andy,” she continued with great -difficulty, for her strength was quickly going, -“that you take me back with you. And if Nick -Perkins has taken our home from us, then go -direct to the graveyard by the little church.”</p> - -<p>Then the soft love light in her eyes faded out -as she sank quietly away into the pillows, her -lips slightly parted and the long eyelashes -drooping from the half-closed lids. The proud -spirit had taken its flight. It was in the twilight -of that mysterious country called Death, -and for a moment, as Cameron stood by the -side of the cot, the veil seemed to part from -before the throne of Glory, and beckoning to -him to follow, he saw the spirit of his loved -one borne safely hence by the angels of peace. -A great sob shook his frame, and as he stood -up, gazing at the lifeless form of his devoted -wife, he exclaimed in indignant agony: “Murdered!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> -Their infernal gossip has done this, -and here, in the presence of the angel of death, -I vow that I shall live to avenge this innocent -soul.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Together they journeyed homeward. LeClare -was greatly concerned over the change -which had taken place in his friend. The -transformation so suddenly accomplished in -the man reminded him of the instances told of -how, from a terrible fright at the sudden approach -of danger, reason had been restored to -the unbalanced mind. In the case of Cameron, -however, where before he had been content to -follow, acquiescing without objection or comment -to the conditions which surrounded him, -awaiting always a suggestion from his partner -to act out the inclination which had arisen in -his own mind, he had now suddenly assumed -the rôle of leader, and so naturally, it appeared, -that no indecision was manifest because of his -recent acquirement of the office. That primitive -charm of manner, that honest, simple style -of the Glengarry farmer, which had so won the -confidence of LeClare when traversing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> -same route in going to the gold fields, had now -upon their return trip given place to personal -traits of even greater significance. The new -development of character in his friend showed -LeClare at every turn the master mind awakening. -Grief had rudely torn away the mask -from the uncharitable, had laid bare the deceit -of the untrue and the wickedness of the hypocrite. -The death of his wife, Barbara, had removed -the object of his unselfish love, and to -LeClare it was very evident that the future had -in store for those who figured in the events -consequent to Cameron’s leaving The Front, a -destiny more or less happy, according as they -should be judged upon the return of the prospector -to his home.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>The Return of the Gold Diggers.</i></p> - - -<p>They were now nearing the station at a mile -back from The Front. Cameron had acquainted -LeClare with the simple funeral arrangements -he wished carried out as soon after their -arrival as possible. One precaution he insisted -must be taken, and that was, to allow no indication -to appear of their possession of wealth. -The significance of this request LeClare well -understood. At the call of the station stop for -The Front, the two men alighted, and hurrying -forward, superintended the removal of the -copper-lined casket beneath whose sealed cover -was the body of the courageous woman that so -lately had gone in search of the husband who -now would live to do for those in kind who had -done for the departed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span></p> - -<p>Cameron stood by the side of the rough box -upon the platform, as the noise from the fast -disappearing express train grew faint and died -away in the distance. For a moment he was -lost in thought. Knowing him to be in the -company of Cameron, the keeper of the small -depot approached LeClare, and with a jerk of -his head toward a farm wagon and driver cautiously -nearing, as if fearing to obtrude, he said -in a hushed voice,—</p> - -<p>“It’s Andy’s Dan. He’s been a-waitin’ fer -’im.”</p> - -<p>Twice a week and sometimes oftener during -the October month, so Cameron was afterward -told by the neighbors, Andy’s Dan was seen -regularly to drive back to the railroad station, -and there remaining at a respectful distance, -watch for a passenger who might alight from -the through train from the West. Then seeing -no familiar face to reward his coming, he -would turn away and drive back to the farm at -The Nole to come again another day.</p> - -<p>Startled from his reverie by the remark of -the station master, Cameron turned to see the -conveyance drawn up by the platform at his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> -side. Andy’s Dan alighted from the vehicle -and clasped the outstretched hand of his bereaved -brother in silence. Still without exchanging -a word, they walked over to the side -of the long box. Then, as if suddenly remembering, -Dan looked into his brother’s face, a -sad smile playing upon his features.</p> - -<p>“We can take her home, Andy,” he said. -“Bill Blakely told me to tell ye that when you -come.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In the centre of the burying-ground, set back -from the roadway and raising its spire heavenward -above the tombstones at either side, the -church at The Front reposes among the graves. -One by one these monuments had been reared, -till now they marked a place where a loved one -had been taken to rest from each of the families -at The Front.</p> - -<p>A mound of freshly dug earth, thrown up -upon the sod in one corner of the inclosure, -told of a newly made grave. A cold November -rain had been falling, accompanied by a chilling -wind, which came in fitful gusts. The over -ripe, deadened stalks of the golden-rod beat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> -against the board fence, rapping at intervals -like the weather strips upon a deserted house. -The drops of water fell aslant from the eaves -of the church roof, and a horse, meagrely covered, -shivered beneath the shed at the rear. -Bill Blakely had placed in a convenient corner -of the shed the pick and shovel he had been -using, then backing his horse from under -cover, he drove over to the farm at The Nole. -Information had spread among the neighbors -that Cameron had returned to The Front -bringing with him the remains of his wife. No -further news were they able to gather, but to -Davy Simpson, Angus Ferguson, Bill Blakely -and a few others, Cameron had sent a special -message, saying that as friends to himself and -the departed he wished them to be present at -the funeral to take place from The Nole the -following afternoon.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Cameron had also dispatched his -friend LeClare with Dan as his driver, bearing -a note to his lawyer friend up at the county -village. To them the import of the note appeared -to be nothing more than a request for -his friend to attend upon the following day,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> -but later, at the farm, as he saw the lawyer -place upon the coffin in the front room a beautiful -wreath of the purest white lilies, LeClare -knew that Andy’s orders had been telegraphed -to the city. The best undertaker the county afforded -was in charge of the details, with instructions -to slight nothing in the arrangements -and the assurance that his bill of expenses -would be promptly met.</p> - -<p>Cameron greeted his friends by a cordial -grasp of the hand. A new dignity of manner -impressed itself upon his old neighbors. His -bearing at this time was that of a man of a -great reserve force, softened through the medium -of sorrow. Kindly he thanked the few -friends who had come to him, and together -upon the arrival of the clergyman they assembled -in the front room to fulfill the last request -of the departed—that, surrounded by her -friends and family, her pastor should offer a -prayer, and then in the graveyard by the small -church near her home they should lay her at -rest.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Cameron Outlines His Policy.</i></p> - - -<p>The Winter drew on apace. At Laughing -Donald’s carpenters and workmen had been -busily employed within and without the house -for weeks. Soon the premises took on a finished -look, and the workmen departed as mysteriously -as they had come. In the new home, the -wife of Laughing Donald presided, directing -her servants with that natural grace and dignity -which is the certain indication of a lady -born. Andy Cameron since his return had not -spent a night at his house at The Nole, and -now LeClare and Dan also joined the family -at Laughing Donald’s.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span></p> - -<p>Soon after the return of Cameron, Bill -Blakely and he drove to the county town and -to Donald Ban’s, the lawyer’s. Together they -climbed the stairway to the office each had -sought before. Bill leading the way.</p> - -<p>“Morning to ye, Donald Ban,” said Bill, in -a voice unusually soft for him. The lawyer -asked his callers to be seated. “You know, -don’t ye,” continued Bill, as he clutched his -cloth cap, “that I said he’d be back soon,”—nodding -toward Cameron, who had seated himself -comfortably by the table, apparently having -no uneasiness about the outcome of the -consultation.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Bill,” answered Donald Ban. “You -have the right stuff in you to make any man -proud to be called your friend, and you not -only outwitted your old acquaintance, Nick -Perkins from The Gore, causing him the most -bitter disappointment of his unenviable career, -but you performed a service which, at the time, -you did for a poor but honest neighbor. We -have all understood your motives thoroughly, -and in acting for Mr. Cameron, when I return -to you the amount of money which you advanced<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> -to save for him his home and good -name, I can truthfully say that with it you -have the gratitude of the wealthiest and most -distinguished citizen of the County Glengarry.”</p> - -<p>Blakely looked from one to the other, not -knowing whether he had heard or understood -aright. Cameron smiled assuringly as he -slapped his old fighting friend upon the shoulder. -“Bill,” he said, “we will be very busy -this Winter and all next Summer, you and I. -We will let the waters of the creek flow on to -The Gore unmolested. We will let Fraser, the -carpenter, go on with his tattling about the -neighbors. We will keep them all guessing, -Bill. My friend LeClare and I want to see -you very soon at Laughing Donald’s—and, by -the way, Bill, don’t mention the remark you -heard Donald Ban make about some friend of -yours having a little spare money.”</p> - -<p>Bill looked at Andy with the old mischievous -twinkle in his eye, his goatee began to move -up and down, and he was in his old time mood -again. “Well, Andy,” he replied, “they say -these lawyers often tell more than the truth,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> -but anyhow, when you and your friend run a -little short, you know where Bill Blakely lives,” -and he went out of the door, telling Cameron -he could find him at the grocery when he was -ready to return.</p> - -<p>Cameron and his friend were left to themselves -for the first time since their home-coming. -His visit to the lawyer was for a twofold -purpose: the first, to fulfill the legal requirements -necessary in discharging his money obligations -to Blakely; that disposed of, he proceeded -to lay before the lawyer the plans he -intended at once to put into execution.</p> - -<p>“Donald Ban, with your approval and under -your suggestion, and also urged by necessity, -I made the venture against overwhelming odds -which fate has seen fit to reward by giving me -the possession of a great wealth in gold. You -also know that in the obtaining of one coveted -means by which I am enabled to relieve the suffering -and discomfort of others, I have sacrificed -the companionship of her through whom -the blessing to accrue from this new-found -wealth would have been dispensed; and now -that my life has been clouded by sorrow, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> -I shall no longer enjoy the home where together -we strove in an atmosphere hallowed -by an unselfish love to help carry the burdens -of our fellow beings, this same injustice of -things—the uncharitableness, the unkindness -from those of whom we expect comfort while -in reverses, only to be by them the most neglected—has -aroused within me emotions that -have been the means of bringing before you -to-day a different Andy Cameron from the -one who before was acting merely by the suggestion -of others. My purpose in the future -at The Front and in Glengarry will be to see -justice charitably dispensed: the weak shall be -made strong, and from him at The Gore, who -has grown powerful by his artful practices -against the unfortunates in our community, I -will take and return to them whom he has so -oppressively wronged.”</p> - -<p>Donald Ban was astonished at the change in -the man before him, but he was quick to recognize -the genius of a quickly developing brain.</p> - -<p>“I presume, Cameron, you have made reference -to Nick Perkins, who has been more or -less successful in bringing a great deal of unhappiness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> -into the families residing in your -neighborhood.”</p> - -<p>“Remarkably true you have guessed, Donald -Ban, and as my legal adviser, you are entitled -to my confidence in so far as it pertains to the -expenditures I have in contemplation at my -homestead on The Nole and among some of -my neighbors at The Front. Roughly speaking, -you have deposited for me in the several -banks down in the city three hundred thousand -dollars. As nearly as LeClare and myself can -figure, that amount represents our individual -worth. Donald Ban,” continued Cameron, -thoughtfully tapping the leathern topped desk -at which they sat, “Nick Perkins has extracted -from the people of our town at The Front in -the neighborhood of thirty thousand dollars. -That amount he shall pay back to these same -farmers during the present Winter and the -coming Summer. With fifty thousand dollars -I can erect a mansion upon the site of my -farmhouse at The Nole. Upon its completion -Nick Perkins will buy this palace. He shall -buy it, Donald Ban!”—Cameron banged the table -with his clenched fist—“and eighty thousand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> -dollars will be my price. At that time -thirty thousand of the amount will already be -in the pockets of the people whom he has -harassed for years, and the actual cost of the -house you will deposit for me again in the bank -from which we will draw for expenses during -construction. This much you are to know -from me, and I am aware my confidence in you -leaves it a secret between us. I will bid you -good morning, and thank you, Donald Ban. -My home is with Laughing Donald.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_142.jpg" width="500" height="313" alt="Lawyer's office" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">You know -where Bill Blakely Lives.</p></div> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>The Ice Raft.</i></p> - - -<p>The beginning of Winter found Cameron -and LeClare comfortably settled in the refitted -home of Laughing Donald; and under -the gentle yet queenly direction of his wife the -members of the new household lived amidst -surroundings of comfort and domestic happiness.</p> - -<p>In one end of the house a small room with -windows looking out upon the great river had -been furnished as an office for business. In -this room many conferences with strangers to -The Front had been held of late, and here -LeClare and the architect from the city carefully -examined the plans from which would be -builded the House of Cariboo. To his friend -Cameron had given in charge that part of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> -project which required the experience of one -who was familiar with the accompaniments of -homes builded for beauty of architecture, displaying -a refinement of taste; but for himself, -as he explained, he wished to reserve the -privilege of dispensing among his neighbors -the expenditures for materials which could be -supplied from their farms while building the -mansion as proposed.</p> - -<p>In this same little room during the Winter -days Cameron and LeClare often visited together. -They talked of their plans for the -future, of the task before them in the Springtime, -but never of the camp in the Cariboo, -nor their returning, which so sadly had been -ended. At one of these conferences, on a -stormy day of early Winter, as LeClare, seated -before the fire in the grate, was reading from a -selection of new books he had bought while -upon one of his recent trips to the city, he was -suddenly interrupted by his friend, who till -then had been idly standing, one hand upon -the window pane, the other fumbling the -watch chain at his vest.</p> - -<p>“I have just thought, Edmond,” he began,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> -“as I have looked out upon this icebound expanse, -this great river which for months of the -year is the busy highway of so much traffic, -that now it is bound, like ourselves, to await -the pleasure of the season, inactive, only waiting. -Perhaps you may think my deductions -commonplace, Edmond; but hear me through. -Since the beginning of Glengarry’s history -there have been, to my knowledge at least, no -innovations to disturb the serenity of the established -customs of our people, and these -customs are few to relate. In the Summer we -labor a little and house our crops, that in the -Winter we may comfortably live to consume -them. The following year, and the years to -come, the same highly exciting programme is -certain to be followed. For the coming Summer -we have provided the diversion of the -building of our mansion, but for the lonesome -days of our snowbound season we have not -provided. Why not advertise our Summer -engagement at The Nole, and interest our -friends in advance?”</p> - -<p>Soon after the conversation held in the -library at Laughing Donald’s a team hitched<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> -to a farmer’s sled was slowly passing in the -roadway. The driver, carefully selecting an -opening between the deep snowdrifts piled -high on the river embankment, turned his -horses abruptly to the left and drove them -down the incline and out upon the frozen -river. Quickly he dumped the load of cobblestones -in a heap upon the snow and ice. Thus -returning at intervals of an hour each day, Bill -Blakely was engaged throughout the week, till -irregular lines of stone heaps covering a considerable -area of the river fronting Cameron’s -house stood as monuments to his labors.</p> - -<p>Since Cameron and LeClare had taken up -their residence with Laughing Donald speculation -over their reported doings was at fever -heat in the neighborhood. Fraser, the carpenter, -was frequently called on by his friends -from The Gore, but his own lack of information -concerning Cameron’s future plans -aroused to a greater curiosity the contingent -from the adjoining town, of which Nick -Perkins was the acknowledged leader. Still -smarting from the humiliating blow over his -failure to secure the Cameron homestead,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> -Perkins nursed his wrath in silence. A resolve -had already formed in his evil mind to pursue -even to the finish the destinies of the Camerons -at The Front, and already his machinations -could be seen at work in the questions he directed -at those he met as he drove along the -snow-heaped roads.</p> - -<p>It was on a Saturday, and Perkins was on -his way to the county town, when he met Bill -Blakely coming up into the roadway, after having -deposited a load of stones upon the ice. -Filled with wonderment at what he saw, he inquired -of Bill in his blandest tones what he -was drawing the stones for.</p> - -<p>“Well, Perkins,” replied Bill, “to be truthful -with you, it’s for a dollar a load I am doing -it principally, but another good reason is that -Cameron has asked me to do it. If you think -you’d like the job, go ask Cameron. They say -his credit is good. Even you ought to know -that, Mr. Perkins,” and Bill passed on without -saying good-day to him. Perkins bit his -lip and made no reply, but drove on to the -village.</p> - -<p>Other farmers from the neighborhood soon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> -began hauling to the dumping grounds on the -river facing the farm at The Nole. Angus -Ferguson had hauled to Cameron’s ice raft, as -he called it, the old stone wall which had for -so long disfigured the view in front of his -house. Stopping each evening at the little office -at Laughing Donald’s, he received, like the -rest, a dollar a load for the number of trips he -had made during the day.</p> - -<p>The work of the farmers whom Cameron -had seen fit to employ, and who seemed to vie -one with another in quickly disposing of the -useless materials collected about their farm-yards -and disfiguring their homes, progressed -so rapidly that ere long whole acres of the -frozen river front resembled a congested lumber -yard. The fabulous prices paid to them -by Cameron for the worthless accumulations of -their farm-yards, which he had placed upon the -ice to be carried away with the floods in the -Spring, caused a storm of comment, the echo -of which came over from The Gore in volumes -of inquiries.</p> - -<p>“Where did Cameron get his money?” they -queried. “And why can’t we get a share of it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> -while it lasts?” For Nick Perkins was heard -to remark that “a fool from his money was -soon parted.”</p> - -<p>While the commotion among those engaged -in hauling at The Front was still in progress, -Bill Blakely and Cameron were paying their -respects to certain residents of The Gore. To -many of these gentlemen favored by a call Bill -was attached by tender recollections of former -fistic encounters at the four corners. His -welcome, of course, was not always the most -cordial, but when Cameron announced very -quietly that Mr. Blakely wished to buy a few -thousand of their best cedar fence posts at a -price which could not be disputed, they soon -became more communicative. “Deliver the -posts at Mr. Blakely’s, beginning to-morrow,” -said Cameron, continuing without any further -parleying: “You will be paid by the hundred. -We will drive, Bill,” and Cameron was -through with the bargaining.</p> - -<p>During the next week or two, from his old-time -enemies at The Gore, Blakely had purchased -for himself, for Angus Ferguson and -for Davy Simpson a supply of the best fence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> -posts the county could boast. “Enough,” as -Bill said, “to keep Nick Perkins busy for three -months a-countin’ them, the next time he -found a mortgage due on a Cameron’s farm -over by the way of The Front.”</p> - -<p>In all the transactions of Cameron thus far -since his return Nick Perkins was able to discover -a piercing dart, truly thrown at the -hypocrisy of his own career. The subjects he -had chosen from among the people upon whom -to lavish such expenditures of money were -always certain to be those who had either been -oppressed by him in the past or else considered -themselves his natural enemies. Perkins -knew of the housebuilding to commence in the -Spring at The Nole, for already Blakely was -completing the contract he held to supply the -stone for the masonry of the foundation walls. -Another fact which galled Perkins to madness -was that the farmers who had been kept constantly -employed were, in every case, those -against whom he himself held a mortgage, and -he saw very plainly his prospects for eventually -gaining their property daily slipping more -surely from his grasp.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Spring season had now arrived, and up -at The Nole a small army of workmen were -engaged in removing the buildings which had -once been occupied by Cameron as his home. -The return of April’s hot sun and warm winds -had loosened the grip which for months held -the icebound river captive between the islands -and shore, and suddenly one day, as the workmen -had quit for midday lunch, the long-delayed -alarm was sounded that the river was -breaking up. Down the main boat channel, as -far as the eye could see, a forward movement -was on. Great squares and chunks of ice -lunged and dipped, then plunged forward -again like the wheeling and turning of an army -of soldiers. Over on the shores of Castle -Island mammoth cakes the size of the roofs of -the buildings climbed upward till they broke -and toppled over by their own weight, crunching -and thumping and groaning, till a dull, -rumbling noise like the approach of an earthquake -could plainly be heard.</p> - -<p>Opposite to The Nole, extending in a zig-zag -course through the piles of debris, ran gaping -cracks in the ice. All the Winter the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> -irregular heaps of ugliness which composed -the freight on what was now called “Cameron’s -Charity Raft” had reminded those who -passed that way of the original methods employed -by one man to relieve the condition of -his brother workers. The useless stone heaps -served no purpose upon the farms from -whence they were taken, and the discarded -wagon parts and dilapidated farm implements -which Cameron had purchased from his neighbors -had served them only as an encumbrance -and nuisance. Now they soon would be beyond -annoying the sight, and their last opportunity -for usefulness had brought joy and -peacefulness into many a home along The -Front. As the immense ice floe passed almost -intact down the channel, beating its way amidst -the warring, jamming ice cakes, a ringing -cheer, led by old Bill Blakely and joined by -the company of workmen, went up for the -man who had brought fortune and good cheer -into their midst.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>LeClare to Prospect in Arcadia.</i></p> - - -<p>In the early months of Spring, LeClare was -busily engaged with the architects and builders -at work upon the mansion at The Nole. He -viewed the undertaking from day to day, which -for weeks seemed but a shapeless pile of board -and scantling; but, as the work progressed, -from out the chaos and confusion could be -seen the growing outlines of the stately -columns and the extending roofs of many -gables.</p> - -<p>Nature had spread her mantle of green -abroad, and from the islands of the Archipelago -nearest the shore LeClare saw each -evening, as he strolled along The Front, the -shadows of the dense foliage mirrored upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> -the placid waters of the river. Then, as the -sun sank lower in the west, and in the gathering -twilight, as the evening advanced, the -boats of the fishermen stole out from their -sheltered coves and headed for the spearing -grounds away upon the shoals to the southward.</p> - -<p>Andy’s Dan was little concerned about the -building operations going on upon the site of -his former abode. He held aloof from the -workmen, who were strangers to him, and in -his silent, reticent way he resented the intrusion -upon the quiet and primitiveness of -the neighborhood. In LeClare, however, he -had found a congenial companion, and upon -several occasions he had confided to his new -friend, whom he bound over to secrecy, the -exact spot over by the dead channel where he -hooked the shining maskinonge as he rowed -near the rushes by the deep waters.</p> - -<p>At this time in their undertaking LeClare -was finished with the details of the work upon -the mansion which he had agreed with his -friend to superintend. A few days since a -beautifully designed river skiff had come up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> -from the city, and as Cameron and LeClare -stood talking upon the veranda at Laughing -Donald’s, they could see at a distance of a few -boat lengths from the shore Andy’s Dan rowing -the new craft up and down the channel. -Now it flew through the waters in answer to -the long, low sweep of the spoon-shaped oars, -and now like a race-horse, responding to the -spurs in his side, it sprang ahead in quick -bounds as the short strokes of the oarsman -grappled with the surface of the water. After -they had viewed for a time the skill of the -aquatic sportsman, LeClare turned to his -friend Cameron and thoughtfully said:</p> - -<p>“Andy, should you wander over there to -the southward, past the islands of the Archipelago -and the shoals of the marshes, and then -follow the mountain streams up their circuitous -windings, you will come at last to their -head, the fountain from which continually -spring the waters, clear and pure, which unite -to form the rivers. Down the course toward -the finish of their run sometimes the sparkling -clearness of these streams has become changed -to a dullness of color by the conditions of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> -country through which they have passed, and -their life and transparency are gone. So it -must be with the streams of life. At first the -waters down which we glide are clear and -bright, but later our course perchance may lie -through a troubled country, and in the shallows -we encounter the snags which wreck our -pleasures in passing. For a time we endeavor -to clear the stream down which we have been -floating by throwing about us on every side -that panacea to unhappiness, speculation or -adventure. With me, Andy, the fountain of -my happiness lies in the direction of the brooks -from the mountains. You are at home, and -you have been drinking each day of the clear -waters from the springs of true life, and now -it’s my turn. I’m going back, following the -stream up to that fountain where my first -happiness began. Out there on the river my -craft awaits me, and with your Dan and mine -we will prospect this time in Arcadia.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XX.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Lucy Visits the Archipelago.</i></p> - - -<p>As the best laid plans of man fail often to -succeed against the inevitable, so, too, it is -often that the intervention of time makes possible -what before Fate had willed otherwise.</p> - -<p>Lucy Maynard still resided with her parents -in the village of Darrington. Her married existence -had been punctuated by the fatal illness -of her husband, leaving her widowed -while yet in the first year of her wedded life. -Seeking no new acquaintances, she sweetened -the atmosphere of her home, while her presence -spread an angelic glow among the circle -of her friends. Hers was now a sad, sweet -face, illumined by a smile which ever quickly -sprang to her lips and as fitfully died away.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> -In those large, hopeful eyes, so frankly turned -upon you, was a look of sadness, as of a love -unrequited.</p> - -<p>Early Summer had come again, the schools -were closing, and with the returning of friends -who had been at colleges in distant cities a -flood of sweet recollections of years not so -long past came to Lucy.</p> - -<p>“It was down the winding Salmon,” she -mused to herself. “Oh, how well I remember, -Edmond at the oars and I in the stern of -the boat, trailing my fingers in the water and -thinking of the future—yes, that same future -which has brought me so much unhappiness -already. But it was of my own bringing. -Pique and disappointment, they, too, played -their share in my short drama. That love -which was the cause of urging me on into the -bonds that restrained me from turning back -again to the object of my only true affection is -the same love which now is fanned into a new -life as often as the incidents arise which bring -back the memories of the past. On the morrow -I will indulge my longing. It will be the -anniversary of that day when cruel fate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> -changed love into foolish resentment, so that -we drifted apart, Edmond from me. With -Caleb, our old family servant, my confidant, -my trusted friend, I will follow the winding -Salmon to the same point of land, and there, -resting within the basswood grove, as we did -on that day, I will look to find again the tree -upon which we carved our initials as we sat -beneath its shade.”</p> - -<p>The sun shone bright upon this day in June, -and as Caleb rounded the point of land which -lay in the shoals by the marshes he looked -backward over the shoulder nearest shore, -carefully selecting a landing. Lucy the while -watched intently a boat pushing out from a -bay farther up the shore. A swiftly gliding -boat it was, long and set low in the water. -Graceful lines swept from the bow, and, touching -the waves at the oar-locks, rose again to -gently curve into the rudder posts at the stern. -Two men were occupants of the boat, which -Caleb assured Lucy was new in those waters. -The man at the oars bent to his work, and in -response to his long, swinging strokes the -boat quickly disappeared from sight, passing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> -through a line of thin rushes and making for -an island across the Schneil Channel.</p> - -<p>Lucy appeared strangely affected. Caleb -had now beached his skiff in a sheltered cove, -and was waiting, after having called to his -mistress the second time to step ashore. The -man lounging in the boat of the strangers, and -guiding at the stem the craft as it stole swiftly -away from shore, Lucy followed, held by a -strange fascination, till he was lost to view.</p> - -<p>Upon Tyno’s Point there was a small tavern -run for the accommodation of people fishing -and hunting thereabouts, and a few cottages -were set back from the shore fronting out -upon the expanse of water looking toward the -north bank of the Archipelago. Caleb went -to exchange gossip with the fishermen standing -about the shore, while Lucy strolled alone -toward the basswood grove.</p> - -<p>Still and quiet was everything in Nature. -The bright beams of the noonday sun fell in -quivering rays across the sight. Out upon the -river not a ripple disturbed its glassy surface. -From up the Schneil Channel came the chattering -noises of a water hen, and the piping of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> -snipes, who called from the rush beds farther -up the river. Overhead in the trees a pair of -golden robins sang as they builded their nest -far out on an overhanging limb. The bumblebees -hurried past on their way to the blossoming -clover patch, and the distant call of a -loon came from over the waters. Lucy stood -beneath the high branching trees, and in the -distance, toward the village of Darrington, she -saw the weather-vane of the church steeple -glistening in the sun.</p> - -<p>“It must be near here,” she thought. “Yes, -it was at a tree-trunk like the one in yonder -clump,” and thither she went, trailing her leghorn -hat by the ribbon strings through the tall -grasses. Sweet was the picture of grace and -beauty left alone with her thoughts of love. -“Yes, it was here. Yes, yes, this is the tree, -for there are the marks, the initials we cut.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly she paused in her delight, for she -had made another discovery. Some one had -been before her. Around the foot of the very -tree, and leading away from it toward the river -bank, the grass had been recently trampled. -Still in her surprise, curiosity led her to follow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> -the path through the grass to the shore. There -she saw the fresh imprints upon the sand. Immediately -she recognized the small bay, whose -extending bank had partially concealed the -strangers as they rowed away earlier in the -day.</p> - -<p>A wistful, excited look had come over the -childlike face of Lucy. One hand pressed her -heaving bosom, while with the other she clung -for support to a bending alder tree. Thoughts -were in her mind that she dared not entertain—an -apprehension that she had but just missed -seeing the lover of her childhood, who possibly -had returned like a spirit from heaven to renew -the anniversary of a time long past, but -ever fresh in memory. It was then as she -stood, her frail figure swayed to and fro by the -flood of passionate recollections, that coming -from behind her sounded the voice of Caleb, -her protector.</p> - -<p>“We will row away by the Schneil Channel, -Lucy,” he said, “and, going by the rush banks, -touch at the Caristitee Island. The old chief -of the tribe of the St. Regis will be glad at -our coming, and once more he will say to us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> -that he is the friend of the palefaces.”</p> - -<p>Caleb True lived quietly on in his way, -which called for no criticism, aroused no comment, -enjoying the while the respect of those -who knew him. He might have been the -miller, the town gardener or an unassuming -deacon in one of the churches, but, as it was, -he had lived very long in the family of Lucy’s -father, tended the garden and cared for the -household during the week, and upon the -Sunday he proudly officiated as sexton in one -of the village churches. To Lucy he had been -a second father, and to him in childhood she -went for sympathy as she grieved over some -fancied injustice done her. Caleb had known -the romance of her school days, and he was -now in full possession of the innermost -thoughts of her soul, although she had not -confided to him that the longing of the returned -love of her girlhood was driving her -forward in a mad desire to discover his -whereabouts.</p> - -<p>While Caleb chatted with the fishing guides -and river men at Tyno’s Point he gained the -information that for several days past the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> -same quickly speeding boat observed by Lucy -had passed and re-passed among the islands, -going from place to place with a restlessness -and uncertainty of route altogether unusual -among the frequenters of the perch banks or -the haunts of the wily pike. Once they had -touched at the Point, but only to inquire of the -landlord for a lodging should they wish to return. -“Handsome and strong,” they said that -he was, “and with the air of a city stranger; -but again swiftly they glided away, and into -the nearest rushes, where soon was hid from -them the beautiful skiff of the boatmen, but -they saw over the tops of the swaying reeds the -heads of the wandering oarsmen as they -crossed to the Caristitee, and from there later, -as the darkness came upon them, the light of -their camp fire shone on the point of the -island.”</p> - -<p>At once Caleb confided to Lucy the hopes -which had risen within him, and together they -hurried to pursue them. Soon they had -crossed the Schneil Channel. Onward they -sped, in their haste going through the narrow -passes cut by a current of swift running waters<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> -feeding the expanse of a broad lagoon. -Meanwhile Caleb, a poor match for the fleet-winged -oarsmen who unconsciously fled away -in the distance, was fast exhausting his -strength.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_165.jpg" width="500" height="315" alt="Dan and LeClare camping." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXI.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Under the Initialed Tree.</i></p> - - -<p>Coming at last to the island, they saw the -remains of a camp fire, and fluttering by the -side of the charred rocks Lucy discovered -among the ashes the remains of a half-burnt -parchment, upon which had been written an -address, and still upon the fragment, but discolored, -was a name which to Lucy had been -lost but never forgotten. To Caleb in breathless -haste she ran with the paper.</p> - -<p>“Look,” she cried, “‘tis the name of LeClare, -of my Edmond! My heart tells me -truly, he is here in the lakes of St. Francis. -Among the islands of the Archipelago we must -go search for him. True love will seek out -the path of his wanderings, and before the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> -passing of another sun two thirsting spirits -shall unite, to wander no more in darkness.”</p> - -<p>Among the trees on the point of the island, -curling upwards in ringlets of blue, rose the -smoke from the tepees of the Indians. Old -and decrepit, but ever a friend to the white -man, their chieftain, Caristitee, sat in the -smoke of his camp fire.</p> - -<p>“Two suns gone by, my daughter, he sat -where you are now reclining, a paleface -wearied of rowing, another sad-hearted and -restless. At dawn very early they departed. -Down past the islands and marshes their boat -glides on like a phantom, and only at night -are they seen, by the blazing camp fires, as they -rest from their endless going.”</p> - -<p>Lucy listened, her heart filled with sweetness, -to the sayings of the good Caristitee. -Overhead the skies shed a lustrous light, and -out on the waters around them a stillness had -come with the darkness. Filled was her heart -with sweet dreams of love, and till the dawn of -the coming day Lucy slept, her head upon the -shoulder of Caleb, not awakening till the sun -in the east came up in the midst of Arcadia.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> -At this early hour in the hazy light of dawn -they saw a column of smoke away on a distant -island. Thither they headed their course. -Drawing nearer among the cluster of islands, -they watched for the camp of the strangers. -Quickly the day was passing; no sight had -they caught of the boatmen, and Caleb had -tired of the rowing. Lucy scanned closely -every island in passing, piercing with a -searching look the rush banks that lined the -channels through which the boat silently -glided. Hopefully she encouraged poor Caleb, -saying love would reward his exertions -and lighten the way of their going. At last -they turned their boat homeward, through -lakes where myriads of water lilies swayed -and dipped with the waves as they came, then -reaching the shoals of the Salmon, the sand -bars across which they were passing shone -white through the clear, limpid waters. Soon -Caleb, wearied of rowing, threw himself down -at last to rest himself upon the banks of the -Point of old Tyno.</p> - -<p>Restless, still following her heart’s longing, -Lucy sought out again the grove and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> -tree where before she had missed her lover by -only a minute too late. In a moment of passionate -abandon she threw herself at the foot -of the tree, held by memories strong, so closely -were they linked with the past.</p> - -<p>Into the same bay, coming nearer, ever -nearer, darted the boat which moved so swiftly, -urged on its course by the sinewy arms of -the oarsman. Lightly from the seat in the -stern sprang the athletic figure of the stranger. -Hurriedly he looked about the shore, then -leisurely sauntered toward the grove, where -upon another day he had come and gone so -mysteriously. Not far had he been when before -him he saw, extended at the foot of a -basswood tree, the figure of a girlish maiden. -One arm encircled the tree trunk, while the -other lay limp at her side.</p> - -<p>At a respectful distance stood the stranger. -“She is asleep—it is Lucy,” he stammered, -“and under this tree! What can it mean? -Lucy, I love you! My darling! why can’t I -tell it you now?” he exclaimed, and unconsciously -he outstretched his arms.</p> - -<p>By the angel of love she had been awakened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> -and told that her lover was near. In an instant -his manly form was before her. “It is I, -Lucy. Be not afraid, but first tell me, why -are you here?”</p> - -<p>“I am free, Edmond,” she cried, “and I love -you, and I came here to tell it alone, that I -should wait for you now and forever.” With -a great flood of joy, Edmond clasped to the -heart his Lucy. Then they knelt as on that -day of yore, and the stroke which then was -omitted now they cut in the frame on the tree.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_170.jpg" width="500" height="366" alt="They cut the last side of the frame." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>The Mystery of the Corner Stones.</i></p> - - -<p>Blakely, with the neighbors whom he employed, -had completed the excavations for the -foundation walls and hauled the stone and -mortar in readiness for the masons. Four -squares of granite had been drawn to The -Nole from the railroad station, and it was -whispered among the workmen that their employer -would personally direct the setting of -the corner stones.</p> - -<p>For several days, four of the master masons -were engaged in carefully cutting into the center -of each of the squares of granite a bowl-shaped -cavity. Cameron, who had usually -busied himself in other things which kept him -away from The Nole, came frequently now to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> -inspect the mysterious hollows being made in -the granite boulders.</p> - -<p>Soon the work of the masons was completed; -then by the aid of crane and derrick, -they lowered into position the corner stones -just as the hour arrived for labor to cease. -Cameron remained till the last man had gone, -examining the granite blocks, which he found -were placed securely in position, resting upon -their cement foundation.</p> - -<p>Next morning when the men came to resume -work, they saw two others there before them, -Cameron and the tall, erect figure of Donald -Ban, his lawyer friend. The wonder at finding -their employer so early at the works was -quickly followed by a second surprise, more -startling than the first. The cavities in the -corner stones had been filled during the night -and a layer of cement covered the tops of the -hollow openings and was spread evenly with -the surface of the granite rock.</p> - -<p>“Lay the wall, men,” Cameron ordered in his -calm, inflexible voice. “We wish to remain -here till the corner stones have been walled -under.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> - -<p>At noon hour the burden of the discussion -among the assembled laborers -was to ascribe a reason for Cameron -and the lawyer being among them in -the morning. In the midst of the debate, -an exclamation of delight came from one of -their number, who had been apart from his -fellows in the basement, and he held up to view -a ten-dollar gold piece he had found in the dirt -at his feet. Immediately a mad hunt was in -progress around the foundation walls, and particularly -at the corner stones. Other gold -pieces were discovered, and among them a -twenty-dollar gold piece was taken from the -miniature gold diggings.</p> - -<p>When the excitement had abated somewhat, -the foreman of the gang of laborers, with a -wise and important look on his face, the while -assuming a dramatic pose, pointed to the corner -stones, and in tragic tones, he said: “Boys, -they are full of ’em!” and a quiet akin to that -resting over a haunted house fell upon the -superstitious laborers.</p> - -<p>The trick had worked well, for very soon the -whole county would hear that their mysterious<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> -neighbor had buried a fortune in gold in -each corner stone of the House of Cariboo. -Cameron quickly heard of the gold finds made -up at the works at The Nole and he smiled -with great pleasure when he thought of the -look of blank despair which would come over -the face of Nick Perkins, on his finding that -the worthless bits of scrap iron which filled the -cavities of the four corners of the mansion -were all that represented the vast sums in gold -that he imagined reposed in the foundation -walls of his purchase.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_174.jpg" width="500" height="353" alt="What was made to look like gold in the foundation." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Fraser Confers with Perkins.</i></p> - - -<p>The eccentric methods which Cameron had -employed since his return to The Front had -put the people of Glengarry into a state of excitement -and wild speculation, which was -greatly interfering with the wonted quiet and -decorum of its peaceably inclined citizens. -While the House of Cariboo, as it was now -generally called, neared completion, and the -majestic columns which supported the high -arched domes of its rotunda stood out in bold -relief against the scaffolding surrounding the -unfinished parts, extravagant reports were -being circulated abroad in Glengarry, even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> -reaching to the distant city, of the enormous -expenditures made by Cameron on the mansion -he was about to occupy.</p> - -<p>As the undertakings of Cameron assumed -form, and the motive for many of his peculiar -trades with his neighbors became apparent, -another individual of whom we have frequently -spoken also began to figure conspicuously -before the people of the county.</p> - -<p>The purposes of Nick Perkins for the past -few months had suffered so many humiliating -defeats before his constituents at The Gore and -his enemies at The Front, that even his sympathizers -and old time henchmen of his town, -of late had shunned meeting him as he went -about at his home. Every note and mortgage -which he held against the farmers and neighbors -of the two towns had been paid back to -him with interest to date, and in every case the -proceeds had come to his debtors through the -liberal wages paid by Cameron for work upon -the undertakings he had put under way. -Thirty thousand dollars had been paid out for -various kinds of work done, either directly by -Cameron, or through his friends, Blakely,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> -Simpson or Ferguson. Happiness reigned supreme -in the families of the two towns, and -each neighbor felt that he could look the other -full in the face with a frankness which meant -freedom from the depressing coils of debt.</p> - -<p>Perkins, they said, could no longer impose -himself upon them. His money-getting, -money-lending and hypocritical pose among -the people of the two towns would no longer -be tolerated. By Cameron, the man whom he -had sought so diligently to enclose in his net, -he had been thrown from his pedestal of deceit, -and at present he was the object of ridicule -throughout the county.</p> - -<p>William Fraser, the carpenter, still continued -to employ himself in the capacity of the official -gossip of Glengarry, but the interested listeners -among his neighbors who would bid him welcome -had become so few that like his patron, -Nick Perkins, he found the vocation which -once had placed him in popular demand, was at -present in rank disfavor. His neighbors had -remarked that even though great activity was -apparent in the building trades at The Front, -Fraser remained unemployed. Bill Blakely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> -sarcastically queried of him one day, as a number -of men of a like occupation from an adjoining -town stood about the door to Davy -Simpson’s busy forge, “Whether he didn’t -think that in balancing on the top rail, speculating -on the return of Cameron from the gold -fields, he had jumped off upon the wrong side -of the fence? Of course,” Bill added with a -chuckle as his goatee moved up and down, -“you had the hull county with you, for Perkins -had jumped the same way before you.”</p> - -<p>As near as could be observed, the shrine to -which Fraser had come with his troubles, and -the confession of the failure of his accomplishments -to charm as of yore his susceptible -hearers, was the Court of Perkins. Deserted -as he knew it to be, nevertheless here we find -him come again, but this time a smile, a grin, -covered his face, for he had a choice bit of -gossip for Perkins—a pretty little ambush arranged -by Cameron into which Fraser and Perkins -fell without the least suspicion. Perkins -bade his caller welcome, and in his usual cringing, -insinuating manner, noiselessly sliding in -his peculiar gait about the room, he finally sat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> -down on the edge of his chair, tipping it -forward.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Perkins,” he said, rubbing his hands -together in glee, “our time has come. It’s all -up with Cameron. Just as you said, Mr. Perkins, -just as you always said, a fool from his -money is easy to part, and that’s what it’s come -to now, and I come right over to tell you, Mr. -Perkins, for I knew they would have to come -to you yet.”</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Perkins drew a chair to the centre -of the room and seated himself before his -caller. Every movement he made showed the -intense interest Fraser had aroused. “Is it -something about Cameron’s finances giving -out, you have heard, Fraser, or is it something -else we both ought to know? We are alone in -this, Fraser—alone, you understand.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes, Mr. Perkins,” eagerly replied the -tattling carpenter. “I heard it by a mere -chance. Why, they don’t think I know a word -about it. You see,” he went on, leaning farther -forward toward his eager listener, “I heard -that some mouldings for the new house were -coming up from the city last night, and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> -thought I would go back to the station and see -what they looked like. Well, a couple of tall -city men got off the train, and while I was -looking over the cabinet work which come up -to the station, one of them comes over and -reads the tag on the bundles, and says he to the -other one, ‘Well, here is some more of our -firm’s stuff sent up for this job of Cameron’s, -but I guess we will cabbage this lot,’ says he, -‘till we see the color of his money for what he’s -already put into that house,’ and the other chap -up and says, ‘The best thing we can do is to get -this man Cameron to consent to a public sale -of this house to satisfy the claims of his creditors. -There will be no one here except a few -of the largest creditors who will have money -enough to bid on the property, and some one of -us will get a beautiful house cheap. We can -keep this thing quiet, and there will be at least -thirty thousand dollars to divide up between -us.’”</p> - -<p>“Where did they go?” asked Perkins, -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Well, they come over to The Front in one -of Cameron’s wagons and the last I see of them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> -was down by Laughing Donald’s. They -weren’t there this morning, so I guess they -went up to the town last night.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_181.jpg" width="449" height="500" alt="Perkins listened closely." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Perkins Again Outwitted.</i></p> - - -<p>For several minutes after Fraser the carpenter -had finished telling his story, Perkins -was silent. From force of habit he ran his -fingers upward through the scant growth of -reddish side whiskers upon his face, and by the -changes in expression passing continually over -his countenance, Fraser was aware that the information -he brought had greatly interested -him.</p> - -<p>“There can be no doubt, I suppose, Fraser,” -began Perkins, very slowly pronouncing his -words, “about there being a large amount of -gold deposited in the foundations of the -house?”</p> - -<p>“There is no doubt of it, Mr. Perkins,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span>” -eagerly answered Fraser, again tipping forward -upon the front legs of the chair. “Cameron -didn’t want it known, you see, but it’s the -gold pieces they lost in the cellar that spoiled -his plan, and now it seems he isn’t worth the -half he thought he was.”</p> - -<p>“That’s it, Fraser, about as I thought it -would be,” continued Perkins, well satisfied -with the turn Cameron’s affairs seemed to have -taken. “His gold that he brought back from -the Cariboo Mountains has not turned out at -the government mint to be near what he -thought, so his creditors in the city are going -to close in on him quick and get what they -can. That’s about the case as I see it, Fraser, -and I think our turn has come, just as you have -said. Oh, by the way, Fraser,” as if suddenly -recollecting, “where is the young friend of -Cameron—LeClare—the city chap who came -back with him?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, he’s gone. Went away to see his people, -they say over at The Front, but I guess -he’s a wise one, eh, Perkins? Saw what was -coming and got out in time.”</p> - -<p>“It has been pretty rough sailing for us,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> -Fraser, since Cameron returned, and although -I have gotten back through him from the farmers -around here over thirty thousand dollars, -yet I am poorer by not being able to let the -loans rest. You understand?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I see, Mr. Perkins. Bill Blakely says -you have lost fifty thousand by being beat out -on foreclosing, and they all seem to be laughing -about it.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and they think they had a big joke on -you and me, eh, Fraser? Well, now we will -see who will laugh loudest and the last.”</p> - -<p>With this last thrust Perkins bounded up, -and hurrying to the door in his waddling gait, -he shaded his eyes with his hands and scanned -the cloudless sky. Turning again to Fraser, -he said: “I will have that Cameron house -before the week is out. My reputation has -been hurt by Cameron. My business is gone, -and he has made me a joke for the -whole county. Now I’ll turn the laugh on -him. I will go up to the county clerk at once, -and if there have been arrangements made for -a sale of the property or a transfer to his creditors, -I will soon know it. Now you go back to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> -The Front, Fraser, and find out what you can. -I will meet you at the four corners on my return.”</p> - -<p>The twilight of the June evening had faded -into the darkness of night and Fraser still -waited by the door to his shop. Presently a -familiar rattle of the wheels of an approaching -wagon announced the coming of Perkins. -Fraser advanced from the door of his carpenter -shop and met the tardy Perkins in the road.</p> - -<p>“Ah, good evening, Fraser,” began the -money lender in his blandest tones, and Fraser -knew his trip to the county town had placed -him in possession of favorable facts concerning -the supposed financial embarrassment of -Cameron. “Anything new, Fraser?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing much, Mr. Perkins, but more -strangers were hanging about The Nole to-day. -I couldn’t get near enough to hear what -was up. They looked over the new house and -then went down the road to Laughing Donald’s. -They are staying there to-night.”</p> - -<p>“Very good, very good, Fraser. Now about -LeClare. Have you seen him, or do you know -where he is?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I don’t know exactly, Mr. Perkins, but I am -told that Andy’s Dan is away with him.”</p> - -<p>“There is a doubt there, Fraser, the only -weak spot in our scheme. Up at the county -seat I see where they have arranged for -a quick sale. They were to do it on -the quiet. They have advertised according -to law, and with the consent -of Cameron’s lawyer, Donald Ban, the city -creditors are to meet at The Nole, and by an -arrangement among themselves, will bid in the -house, and just enough to cover current bills -on hand. Now Cameron is in a pinch. They -have sprung this thing on him suddenly. He -can’t locate his friend LeClare, and these city -chaps are after his house at half the cost. Here -is our plan, Fraser. Say not a word of what -we know. The sale is on Thursday at ten in -the morning. This is Tuesday. I want the -house. These men from the city want about -thirty thousand between them as their share of -their slick game. I can afford to overbid that -amount because it is in the foundation and -they don’t know it. I have found that a receipt -is on file in the government mint down in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> -the city, that this amount was drawn out by -Cameron and we have evidence that it was -placed there. It is a sure thing, Fraser, that I -get Cameron’s house Thursday morning. His -only hope is that his friend LeClare may turn -up before the sale. You must be careful and -quiet, Fraser, and leave the rest to me. I will -meet you at The Nole Thursday morning a few -minutes only before ten.”</p> - -<p>They bade each other a half-whispered good -night, but as their shadows retreated in the -darkness, another dark object jumped up out -of the ditch at the opposite side of the roadway. -It was the figure of a man, cloth cap in -hand, who, waiting only long enough to take -an enormous chew out of a plug of tobacco, -then sauntered at a safe distance from the -others down the roadway, past the store, the -cheese factory, and on toward home.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXV.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Donald Ban at The Front.</i></p> - - -<p>Meanwhile, at Laughing Donald’s, Cameron -had carefully concealed the accomplices he had -brought up from the city to aid him in fulfilling -the most delicate part of his whole undertaking. -Through Bill Blakely he knew -positively of the moves to be made by Perkins -that morning at the sale, and further, he had -arranged with LeClare, who, accompanied by -Andy’s Dan, was spending the night upon the -accommodating banks of Castle Island, opposite -The Front in the Archipelago about a -quarter of a mile distant from the mainland. -By a signal from Blakely, displayed at The -Nole, LeClare was to pull over in haste to The -Front or remain where he was till the sale had -been completed.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_188a" id="i_188a"></a><img src="images/i_188a.jpg" width="500" height="366" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p>“As the hour of the sale approached, they assembled at -the east end of the broad veranda.”</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p> - -<p>Thursday morning had arrived and the -strangers from the city, representing the supposed -creditors who had forced Cameron into -premature bankruptcy, were roaming at large -over the House of Cariboo. Then as the hour -of the sale approached, they assembled at the -east end of the broad veranda, from whence an -uninterrupted view of the river and islands of -the expanse of the Lake St. Francis stretches -away to the eastward.</p> - -<p>Gathered about the house and standing in -groups around the veranda were the workmen -who were still engaged at The Nole. They -talked in a hushed undertone, and as Cameron -and the tall, erect figure of Donald Ban came -slowly up the hill, the hum of their voices died -away entirely. A few of the near neighbors -were present, and as Donald Ban, who was to -act as the referee agreed upon by both sides, -took up his position upon the veranda, he saw -nearing the outskirts of the assembled group -our worthy friend Nicholas Perkins and his -companion Fraser, the carpenter. Mr. Cameron -had selected an inconspicuous place from -where he could easily witness the proceedings<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> -without himself being too much in evidence.</p> - -<p>Baring his head, beginning his introductory -remarks, Donald Ban spoke quietly: “Gentlemen, -neighbors, and friends:—I am here before -you in the capacity of my profession as a -lawyer. I am here also as the confidant of one -of the most interested parties to this proceeding, -and I am also come to see justice fairly -dispensed. We in Glengarry are more familiar -with the circumstances which have led up to -the building of this magnificent structure, than -those among us who are recently come from -a distant city. The motives which my worthy -friend Cameron may have had in mind while -rearing before the public gaze this house of -stately proportions, he has succeeded pretty -well in keeping to himself. However unfortunate -and disappointing the termination of his -project may seem, we, who have carefully -watched the workings of the heart which has -dictated the directions in which these expenditures -have gone, must easily have discovered -the philanthropic intent of Mr. Cameron, who -has been to us the greatest benefactor our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> -county has ever known. Now, gentlemen, the -facts I have the honor to put before you this -morning I hope will inspire within you the -spirit of fairness and of charity toward a brother. -I am authorized to sell this house to the -highest bidder. For the benefit of those wishing -to bid I will read the following inventory: -For material, labor, trucking, etc., expended in -Glengarry for the constructing of this house, -and which has been paid, thirty thousand dollars. -For fixtures, decorating and furnishing, -forty thousand dollars. One-half of this -amount has also been paid. You will readily -see, gentlemen, that Cameron has a paid-up -equity of fifty thousand dollars in this property, -and you are easily secured on the twenty thousand -dollars unpaid amount, and we hope your -bidding will indicate that you have this fact in -mind. Now, what is your first bid?”</p> - -<p>“Forty thousand,” came in a clear set voice -from the centre of a group of strangers on the -left, and a stillness settled upon the group of -men surrounding the lawyer. As soon as Donald -Ban had allowed sufficient time to pass in -which to recover naturally from what ought to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> -seem an unexpectedly high offer, he continued: -“It is to be presumed, gentlemen, -that a figure covering the indebtedness of the -individual firms which you represent should -satisfy your employers.”</p> - -<p>“Fifty thousand,” yelled the man with the -high silk hat standing over in the midst of an -excited group, and Perkins again drew up his -shoulders as at the first bid and moved out to -the edge of interested bidders. Almost immediately -another bid was recorded, a new -contestor with a sixty thousand offer, and Perkins -looked badly discouraged, for he pulled -his side whiskers continually. Then sixty-five -and seventy, and seventy-five thousand were -finally recorded from the same three strangers, -and the bidding seemed to be over. A slight -commotion in the neighborhood of Perkins was -noticed by Donald Ban, and inclining his head -in his direction, the lawyer forced out his first -bid, making it now seventy-six thousand. An -excited movement was noticeable throughout -the assembled company. Donald Ban repeated -the offer, and while the crowd surged about the -money lender, Donald Ban added a few remarks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> -to stimulate the interest already at the -snapping tension.</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen, to those of us who know, this -property is exceedingly cheap at eighty thousand -dollars.” Perkins and Fraser had caught -at once the trend of Donald Ban’s remarks, and -they feared the disclosure of the contents of -the corner stones. “Another unfortunate happening -at this time is the absence from The -Front of the former partner and friend of Mr. -Cameron, whose presence here would be an assurance -of this house never passing under the -hammer for less than a hundred thousand.” -Another thousand was added by the man wearing -the high silk hat. Seventy-eight quickly -followed from his rival bidder, and the lawyer -turned again to Perkins.</p> - -<p>At that instant Fraser had pushed quickly -through the crowd and whispered something -in the ear of Perkins. Blakely had displayed -the signal, and coming across the Channel, -speeding on toward The Nole, was seen the -long, low, swiftly-going boat of LeClare making -straight for the landing.</p> - -<p>“Eighty thousand, gentlemen, we must have.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> -Who says the price, and the house goes to -him!”</p> - -<p>“I do,” came in a defiant voice, and Perkins -pranced into the space about the end of the -veranda where stood Donald Ban, and the -crowd fell back from him in awe. “Here’s -your deposit, and I’ll sign the bill of sale at -once. Now then, who is there here to oppose -Nicholas Perkins again at The Front?” He -turned with this challenge to survey the crowd, -and for his answer he met a chill of distrust -which struck at the very vitals of life, for he -saw there, smilingly before him, standing -shoulder to shoulder, as if greatly pleased at -the outcome of the sale, his tormentors, Blakely, -Cameron and LeClare.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2> - -<p class="center big"><i>Cameron’s Task Completed.</i></p> - - -<p>No sooner had the lawyers completed the legal -details for the transfer of the House of -Cariboo to the purchaser, Nick Perkins, than -rumors were afloat that all was not as it seemed -about Cameron’s having to sell the mansion to -satisfy his creditors. Strange, if it were so, -mused Fraser the carpenter, for the day following -the sale he saw from his wheelwright’s -place the strangers from the city grouped before -the door of the smithy, around Bill Blakely -and Laughing Donald. The jesting and laughter -which he could plainly hear were joined in -by Blakely and even Davy Simpson, who left -his blazing forge to appear at the door of the -shop to witness the pleasure of his friends.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - -<p>A feeling of uneasiness took possession of -the little undersized carpenter, and he drew -back from the door and shuffled around among -the shavings upon the floor of his workshop. -Fear and apprehension had closed in around -him so surely that there was no chance of evading -the awful certainty of the truth that Perkins -had been most artistically duped, and that -he had been the one through whom the scheme -was so successfully worked. Nick Perkins -had acted entirely upon the information he had -carried to him, and now as he looked through -the dimmed window panes of his workshop and -recognized the same men who had so flippantly -discussed the affairs of Cameron back from -The Front at the station, the extent of the humiliation -and expense he had forced upon Perkins, -and the extreme satisfaction he had -given his enemies, dawned unmercifully upon -him.</p> - -<p>Again he squirmed in his peculiar sliding -fashion around the extent of his place. Stopping -at the carpenter’s bench, he took up his -plane and tried to forget his predicament in -violent muscular exertions. Soon a knock came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> -at the door. At first he paid no attention to it, -thinking Bill Blakely had come over to poke -fun at him in his very provoking manner. -Another knock followed, and the door opened -to admit the short, officious personage of Perkins. -At sight of his caller, Fraser collapsed -into a frightened, shrinking heap, sorrowful to -see. Slamming to the door, Perkins glared -at the cringing object before him.</p> - -<p>“A nice mess you have made of it, Fraser! -It’s a wonder you were not in the trick with -the rest of them, but they wanted you where -you were to do just what you have done—to -ruin me, to put every dollar I am worth in the -world into that useless house, a monument to -Cameron. Every dollar I ever made in the -county I have given to Cameron, and he has -paid it back to the same people I got it from. -The entire cost of that house is not more than -fifty thousand. I have paid that back to -Cameron. He did not owe a cent to those people -you said were representing his creditors in -the city, and what is more, I am satisfied now -that the talk of the gold in the corner stones is -a hoax, like all the rest put up by Cameron to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> -use me in carrying out his philanthropy, which -has not cost him a dollar. Yet he has the glory, -while I am ridiculed!”</p> - -<p>Poor Fraser, confronted by such a terrible -arraignment of what he knew to be facts, was -utterly confounded. He made no answer, but -as Perkins turned in resentment and disgust to -go, Fraser, in a weak, thin voice, like a wail of -despair, said: “I thought I was doing you a -service, Mr. Perkins.” Again Perkins turned, -but with a look of dark hatred and disgust cast -in his direction, he went out, slamming the -door to after him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was possibly a week or ten days later -when Cameron and LeClare stood again upon -the veranda at Laughing Donald’s. Andy’s -Dan awaited his passenger at the boat landing -for the leave taking of the two friends.</p> - -<p>“Lucy and I will expect you, Andy,” earnestly -pleaded LeClare. “With you present -we shall want for nothing to make our wedding -a union of complete happiness.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Cameron grasped the extended hand of -his faithful associate and friend, saying in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> -quiet, determined way, “LeClare, we have -faced disappointment together, we have endured -hardships of a kind to test the merits of -our friendship many times before. Defeat we -have never acknowledged; sorrow we have -borne together side by side in the valley of -death. Success and wealth are ours, and happiness, -sweetest happiness, Edmond, is yours. -Wherever I may be at the call of your wedding -bells I will go to add one more good wish for a -long journey of life and joy to you.”</p> - -<p>At another conference held in the office of -Donald Ban, Mr. Cameron had told of his plans -for the future. Addressing his friend the lawyer, -he had said: “My mission at The Front -is finished. The death of Barbara has been -avenged. The hypocrites, her tormentors, -have been brought very low, the weak are -much stronger in person, and justice at last has -prevailed. I ask for no thanks or recognition -but from our children in Arcadia; in the generations -to come may they look awe-inspired as -they pass the strange mansion, and be mindful -of the moral which was taught when we builded -the House of Cariboo.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> -</div> - - - - -<h2>THE GROWING MASKINONGE</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_200.jpg" width="500" height="287" alt="" /> -</div> - - -<p>It was Sunday morning at the “Point.” And -over across the bay the last of the phantoms in -“Ghost Hollow” had crept up the lampless -posts of the walk through “Spook Grove,” and, -vaulting in an uncanny way, reached cover in -the branches of the birch trees that were -thickly clustered around the cottages lining -“Spirit Lane” west to the bowling alley. It -was through “Ghost Hollow” that the cottagers -living to the westward passed while going -to and returning from the boat landing and -the hotel over at the Point.</p> - -<p>At the misty dawn on this Sunday morning -the forlorn spectres of the spirits which frequented -the small bay were stalking from the -water, answering from the hidden abode<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> -among the dark cottages of the lane the homing -call of the doleful strains of a “chella.” In -obedience to their spirit queen they wafted -wearily through the rushes and ferns upon the -bank; borne by the receding shades of darkness, -they sought their resting places under the -rafters and the eaves of the gruesome roof of -the bowling alley, which crouched along by the -vine-covered wall at the brow of the hill. It -was then an Indian, from the tribe of St. Regis, -on the mainland, stole unnoticed upon the scene -and beached his canoe upon the east shore of -the bay. He looked about for signs of the -awakening day, then stealthily he dropped on -his knees, and from beneath a covering in the -bow of his “dug-out” dragged up upon the -bank a forty-pound maskinonge.</p> - -<p>“Hi! hi!” he cackled in the weird voice of -his race. “Hotel man like much Injun.” Then -disappearing to the rear of the out buildings, -life to him soon became brighter by visions of -“fire water” and a warm breakfast—he had -sold the fish.</p> - -<p>There was an ominous quiet hanging upon -the early sunlight. The suppressed calm was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> -something greater than that inspired by the -sight of a few devout people starting out upon -the yacht for early mass. The guests were appearing -singly upon the broad verandas of the -hotel. Each in turn as he appeared seemed -possessed of the same apprehension, a nervousness -of manner. The sleep of this Sunday -morning was the closing of a week of wild and -reckless dissipation among the guests. Such -intense excitement at the island had not been -experienced in many summers. From the -wharf of the castle across the bay at the other -side of “Ghost Hollow” the gramophone had -sung “coon songs” and recited at length for -several evenings in succession, and a music -box in the main corridor of the hotel had given -a continuous performance from twelve to -twelve, till the nerves of the martyred guests -had reached a state fit to be recited in a patent -medicine advertisement.</p> - -<p>“What’s that I don’t know, a big fish?” And -Mr. Hot Water, dressed in his new bicycle suit, -strode excitedly a few steps forward on the -veranda, then backed up, balanced himself and -side-stepped a little to get a fresh start. Then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> -he came on again, with his meerschaum pipe -tightly grasped in his right hand.</p> - -<p>“By Gum! That’s a terror. If it isn’t a -pickerel it’s a maskinonge. It’s either one, -anyway, if it isn’t a maskinonge. Who caught -it?” Then he looked at the three individuals -before him for the first time. What he saw -made him change the meerschaum quickly from -the right to the left hand, and then he blinked -his eyes till recalled by Mr. Du Ponté. When -Mr. Hot Water (a regular patron of the hotel, -known to be threatened musically, and also as -a local weather authority) comprehended the -outfit before him he saw a large fish, of the -maskinonge family, strung on an inch pole suspended -between two trees eight feet apart. He -saw, also, three of his fellow guests at the -Point strangely arrayed before him, one -dressed in white duck trousers, with a red silk -scarf tightly knotted above the knee, another -with hand and fore-arm wound with linen -handkerchiefs and hung in a sling across his -breast, while the third, Mr. Du Ponté, was, -aside from his loquaciousness, apparently in his -normal condition, i. e., he had escaped from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> -terrible catastrophe that had overtaken his -friends with no severe injuries to his person.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hot Water, being somewhat of a “sport” -himself, was led to inquire for the particulars -of the landing of the large fish. After stepping -cautiously around the group for a few -minutes, he placed the meerschaum between his -teeth again and began to mutter questions -which showed him to be in a credulous state of -mind. “By Gum! I don’t know, by Gum! -Now, I have been here, and I’ve been down to -my club fishin’, fishin’; I’ve been down to Kitskees -Island, too. That’s right. My guide—my -guide rowed me down there and all the way -back, too. I had out a thousand feet of line, but I -never caught anything like that.” He looked -cunningly out of the corner of his eye toward -Mr. Du Ponté and inquired again what the fish -weighed. Three other guests filled with curiosity -had now joined the group, and Ponté -began to explain.</p> - -<p>“Fifty-seven pounds is the weight of this -fish. He has just been weighed in the ice-house -around there back of the hotel, near the -landing.” (Thirty-seven pounds had been the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> -original quotation.) “You see, Mr. Hot Water, -this is no ordinary maskinonge. Take, for -instance, the back extension from shoulder to -shoulder, which denotes a terrible propelling -force, and then if you notice these spots (pointing -with a twig he had cut for the purpose) -they are not the marks of a common fish. This -‘ere fish was a leader of his tribe; a king, so to -speak, among his fellows.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps he’s a ‘King Fish’,” suggested Mr. -Hot Water, with apparent concern, at the same -time winking both eyes at the “cottager” with -the red handkerchief tied about the trousers at -the knee.</p> - -<p>“No,” returned Du Ponté; “we have looked -him up and we find that having those spots, and -the second bicuspid tooth being black, prove -him to be a regular ‘King Filipino’ maskinonge.”</p> - -<p>“By Gum! that’s funny—I wonder how he -got here. Must have followed the ‘line boat’ -up the Suez Canal, I guess, or p’raps he didn’t. -He must weigh more than fifty-seven pounds—though -I don’t know. I guess not, though -those fish grow, those Filipino fish grow very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> -fast. They say they do, though I couldn’t say -myself. I should think he would weigh more, -though, being a king. Here’s Mr. Mac, he -ought to know a ‘King Filipino,’ he goes to -the market every day,” continued Mr. Hot -Water. Again he blinked both eyes at the -“cottager” with the red handkerchief about the -knee, and the laugh didn’t seem to be on Mr. -Hot Water.</p> - -<p>Mr. Mac was another weekly visitor at the -Island, spending the half holiday about the -rush beds and channels in quest of the sly -“Wall Eye.” For many seasons he had been -doing this sort of thing. The distinguishing -mark of the pickerel, the pike and the maskinonge -were as familiar to him as were the -quotations on the Exchange, upon which he -was an active operator six days of the week. -The responsibility of Mac’s habit of listening -courteously to what a fellow had to say, for the -time carefully concealing his final verdict, dates -back for its origin to the conservative atmosphere -of old Glengarry County, where he had -spent the days of his boyhood.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, gentlemen,” said Mr. Mac,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> -in a slow, deliberate voice, slightly pitched, as -he reached the inner circle surrounding the fish -suspended between the two small hickory trees. -The peak of his blue yachting cap was pulled -well down over his nose, which shielded from -the principals in the “fish game” the twinkle -in the eye which would have been the only clue -detectable upon his imperturbable features to -indicate his belief, skeptical or otherwise, concerning -the proceedings. “Well, now, that is a -pretty good morning’s catch, that one fish is. -Where did you get him, might I ask?” and -Mac raised his head slowly backward till his -eyes from under the shield of his cap rested -on the level of the faces of the three bandaged -principals guarding the fish. “Must have had -some trouble, too, in landing him,” and he indicated -with an inclination of the yachting cap -toward the red bandage around the white duck -trousers at the knee of the “cottager.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” quickly responded Du Ponté, “I -hooked him on a small perch line out there,” -indicating the spot near shore, “in front of my -friend’s cottage, not more than three rods from -shore. He can tell you”—nodding to the “cottager”—“he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> -saw me from his gallery, which is -over the small dock near where I was fishing, -throw the pole overboard and heard me shout -for help. Now, friend,” nodding to the man -with the wounded limb, “tell Mr. Mac how we -got him ashore.”</p> - -<p>“There isn’t much to say about what we -did,” began the “cottager,” “but it’s what the -fish did to us. Look at Ribbon Gibbon! His -hand lacerated to the wrist; Du Ponté, here, -with a dislocated shoulder, while I have a -jagged wound at the knee.” Mac viewed them -as requested, his features at the time screwed -up as though a bright sunlight were shining on -his face.</p> - -<p>“I had just finished dressing,” the “cottager” -continued, “and had stepped out on the balcony -to see what the weather was to be, before -I went into the tower to run up the flag. Then -it was I saw Du Ponté at his regular trick of -fishing the perch bank dry before anybody else -was up and stirring. The next instant I heard -a despairing yell, and, looking in the direction -from whence it came, I saw Du Ponté making -frantic efforts to raise the stone anchor to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> -boat, and calling at the same time for help to -capture his fishing pole, which was making -down stream in a zig-zag course at lightning -speed. As I watched the pole it came, now -and then, to the surface. I saw that its mysterious -kidnapper was making for the small -bay which lay where you see, there, between -my cottage and the hotel here. An idea seized -me, and, with swiftness born only of excitement, -I sped down the stairs, out into the roadway -which leads through ‘Ghost Hollow,’ -shouting as I ran to Ribbon Gibbon, who had -just emerged from the hotel, to meet me at the -bend of the bay in ‘Ghost Hollow.’</p> - -<p>“‘Who’s drowning?’ said Ribbon.</p> - -<p>“‘Nobody,’ said I, all out of breath with excitement; -‘Du Ponté has hooked a sturgeon, -and he made off into the bay here with his pole -and line. Look!’ says I. ‘There it goes again,’ -and the bamboo pole shot inward a couple of -rods nearer shore. Ribbon saw the pole this -time, and we set out together to capture the -fish.</p> - -<p>“‘Let’s take that boat lying over there on -the other shore,’ said he, and we made a run<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> -for it. I jumped at once into the boat in my -haste to reach the runaways, but Ribbon -stopped to push off from the rocks. I lost my -balance and fell over the sharp end of the oar-lock, -and that’s how I cut my leg. Before I -had got righted up again I heard a terrible -splashing, and, looking over the end of the -boat into the bay, I saw Ribbon with an oar -striking wildly at something in the water, a -boat length from shore. ‘We’ve got him, we’ve -got him!’ he wailed, hysterically, but suddenly -losing his footing he fell full length upon the -monster as he lay struggling to free himself -from the maze of twisted fishlines with which -he found himself securely tied. Immediately a -cry of pain came from the water, and Ribbon -held up a bleeding hand. In his fall he had -encountered the sharp teeth of the fish you see -here before you in full view.”</p> - -<p>At this point in the narrative Ribbon -groaned, and, holding his injured arm at the -elbow, turned slowly away. “Stunned by the -beating he had received from Ribbon with the -oar,” continued the “cottager,” “and exhausted -by his efforts to free himself from the coils of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> -the line, Mr. Fish gave up the struggle, and -with the aid of Ponté, who had now reached -the shore, we rolled him up upon the beach. -We have weighed him over at the ice-house, -and he tips the scales at exactly eighty-seven -pounds and one-quarter.”</p> - -<p>The “cottager” then limped to the side of Du -Ponté, Ribbon Gibbon edged up beside the -“cottager,”then Mac, after placing his thumbs -in the sleeve-holes of his vest and elevating his -head till his eyes had a chance from under the -peak of his cap, a cunning smile o’erspreading -his face, spoke quietly and deliberately.</p> - -<p>“Well, gentlemen,” said he, “it is remarkable, -and only that I have the honor of knowing -you three chaps, and know you to be -absolutely truthful, I might say to you that -you are the best trio of liars I have ever met.” -Then he made a catlike grin at the “cottager,” -and, keeping his thumbs in the arm-holes of his -vest, he turned and sauntered out of the group.</p> - -<p>The number of people who now stood gaping -with undisguised wonder pictured on their -faces edged in closer, forming a compact circle -surrounding the terrible monster of the deep,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> -and viewing the disabled subjects of his vicious -attack.</p> - -<p>Du Ponté was about to order the fish returned -to the ice-house, when he espied emerging -from the doorway of the stairs leading to -the sleeping apartments in the annex the tall, -graceful figure of Harry Weiner Sneitzel. -“Here is a rare chance,” thought Du Ponté to -himself. “Why, boys,” in an undertone, aside, -“the fun is only beginning; now, Ribbon, it’s -your turn. Give it to him good.”</p> - -<p>Harry Weiner Sneitzel was a general favorite -at the “Point.” He was endowed with a -liberal share of good looks, a fine form, with -graceful movements, and possessed of a rare -interpretation of what a courteous manner -should be. His bearing, too, was further dignified -by a three years’ course at a medical college. -When Harry stepped out upon the gravel -walk in front of the hotel that Sunday morning, -his white canvas shoes shining with a -fresh coat of pipe clay, and his tall, erect figure -swaying to his easy strides, he truly looked “a -winner.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_212a" id="i_212a"></a><img src="images/i_212a.jpg" width="500" height="327" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">“‘Well, it’s pretty bad,’ said Du Ponté, ‘but Ribbon -needs you the worst of any of us.’”</div> -</div> - -<p>As he turned toward the group surrounding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> -the suspended fish and saw his friends in such -evident distress, he hastened his steps in their -direction. An expression of deep sympathy -and concern had o’erspread his classic features, -and he elbowed himself quickly to the side of -his companions. “By Jove, old man, it’s pretty -tough! Where have you been?” Ribbon was -speaking in an accusing tone, holding his bandaged -arm tenderly to his breast. Harry -quickly looked from Du Ponté to the “cottager” -for an explanation. “Well, it’s pretty -bad,” said Du Ponté, “but Ribbon needs you -the worst of any of us; his hand is in a bad -shape.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you don’t tell me!” replied -Harry, sorrowfully. “Can I do anything for -you?” he eagerly inquired.</p> - -<p>“By Jove, old chap,” went on Ribbon, with -apparent difficulty, “I thought you had gone -away last night on the ‘liner,’ or I would have -been after you sooner. I’m all done up. My -hand is in a bad way. This confounded fish -has chewed me up. The fellows here tied this -bandage all about, but it hurts like the deuce, -and I’m afraid of blood poisoning.” “Better do something for him,” -muttered Du Ponté.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> -Harry was deeply impressed with the responsibility -that was being heaped upon him. He -placed the palms of his hands over his hips -and drew up his shoulders till they rested -akimbo, and then he was completely confused -by the suddenness of the call upon his professional -skill. “Quick, Harry,” snapped the -“cottager,” “that hand needs to be dressed immediately, -then afterward you can take a look -at the cut in my leg.” “Say, old chap,” complained Ribbon, -“mother will be down here in a minute; then there will be a deuced row if -she sees this.” And he gingerly handled the -bandaged arm for effect. “But I have no—no -medicines,” stammered Harry, just recovering -his composure. “Medicine!” shouted Du -Ponté. “Don’t need medicines; get some cotton -batting, get lint, get any old thing—but -hustle; there’ll be trouble here soon!” -“That’s right, Harry,” spoke the “cottager” assuringly. -“Find the cotton batting; then we’ll get to -work.” “Cotton batting will be good for that—first -rate for a wound,” replied Harry, suddenly -awakening. “Why, we had some yesterday -over at your cottage, fixing up your rig for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> -the masquerade. It’s in the extension; I know -where to get it,” and he bolted through the -crowd over the side hill and down through -“Ghost Hollow,” up again on the opposite rise -of ground, and fled through the white birch -grove, disappearing into the grounds of the -castle across the bay. Before the arch conspirators -could hold a conference as to their -further conduct of the “fish case,” which was -now assuming an alarming aspect, Harry was -flying back through “Spirit Lane,” his arms -flapping up and down, his long legs dangling, -in his haste resembling the flight of a water -crane startled from a reed bank.</p> - -<p>“Spread it out here,” suggested Du Ponté, -and he guided Harry to the edge of the -veranda, where he unfolded the roll of cotton. -The “cottager” had limped to the veranda and -seated himself. Ribbon followed him reluctantly. -“Go lightly now, old chap; I am afraid -it’s pretty bad,” said Ribbon. “Better dampen -that cotton in witch hazel or Pond’s extract,” -suggested the “cottager,” “for, if it’s blood -poison you need an antiseptic.” “Excuse me, old chap, -won’t you,” interrupted Ribbon; “this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> -is quite serious, I fear. Would you mind getting -that bottle of Pond’s extract up on your -dresser? It would be safer for you to use it, -don’t you know.” “Oh, of course, I never thought -of that.” And Harry was off again, -up the stairway this time, four steps at a bound, -out again on the gravel walk, the bottle of extract -clinched in his excited grasp. As Harry -hurried to the side of his suffering patient to -proceed with the bandaging, Mr. Mac had -quietly reached the front. “If you will allow -me to offer a suggestion,” he began, in his -cautious, convincing way, “my family physician -will arrive here in half an hour from -the city; he will have all the necessaries, which -I believe you require for this job, and it might -be safer all around to postpone this operation -till he comes.” “Quite right, quite right,” Du Ponté -replied at once. “Mind you,” continued Mac, -“I only wish to suggest; I am not interfering -with your case, Harry.” “Oh, that’s all - right, Mr. Mac,” said Harry; “the doctor probably -has antiseptics, and that will be very necessary -in this case.” “You had better go in to - your breakfast, Harry,” suggested Ribbon; “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> -can stand this for half an hour, and the other -doctor will need you when he comes.” Harry, -still under the mesmeric spell, obeying orders, -hurried into the hotel for breakfast.</p> - -<p>The principals fell back, again surrounding -the maskinonge, which was now stiffening in -the sun. They were considering the plan of -their escape from the Island in whispered consultation. -In the meantime Harry Weiner -Sneitzel had swallowed his first cup of coffee, -and began to think. At the second thought he -looked out of the window toward the suspended -fish, then he sank back in his chair; an expression -of fear and incredulity was forming -upon his countenance.</p> - -<p>“Scamps,” he was heard to remark, as he -gazed for the second time out through the window -at the group upon the lawn. Then, quickly -rising, he headed for the office. Hatless he -sprang out upon the veranda. Grabbing up a -sabre which was thrown aside by a masquerader -of the night before, he bore down -upon the three conspirators who had made him -the victim of their practical joke. As he leaped -in one mad stride from the piazza to the ground<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> -his long, thin front locks stood straight up in -the wind like the scalp feathers of an Indian.</p> - -<p>“Sneak!” yelled Du Ponté. In a flash the -conspirators were out of the crowd which surrounded -the fish. Over the side hill they -scampered, Harry in pursuit, swinging the -flashing sabre in the air. Down through the -Hollow they sped, and in their flight, as did the -ghost spirits of the bay, they mysteriously disappeared -into the mazes of the dark cottages, -amidst the white birch grove in “Spirit Lane.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i_218.jpg" width="500" height="339" alt="Harry chased them with his sabre." /> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="Transcribers_Notes">Transcriber’s Notes:</h2> -</div> - - -<p class="center">Quotation marks have been standardized.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="5" summary="tn"> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_7">Page 7.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">Chap. VIII <i>changed to</i><br /> - Chap. VIII.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_8">Page 8.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">Chap. XVIX. LeClare to <i>changed to</i><br /> - Chap. XIX. LeClare to</td></tr> - - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_14">Page 14.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">the group, picnicing with their friends <i>changed to</i><br /> - the group, picnicking with their friends</td></tr> - - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_54">Page 54.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">the wheelright’s place <i>changed to</i><br /> - the wheelwright’s</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_60">Page 60.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">just to show, as he said that there <i>changed to</i><br /> - just to show, as he said, that there</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_108">Page 108.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">Barbara Sickness she herself had ever known <i>changed to</i><br /> - Barbara. Sickness she herself had ever known</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_139">Page 139.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">the fulfill the legal requirements <i>changed to</i><br /> - to fulfill the legal requirements</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_201">Page 201.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">dark cottages of the lane the homeing <i>changed to</i><br /> - dark cottages of the lane the homing</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_206">Page 206.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">and the laught didn’t seem to be <i>changed to</i><br /> - and the laugh didn’t seem to be</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_213">Page 213.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">“Better do something for him.” <i>changed to</i><br /> - “Better do something for him,”</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_214">Page 214.</a></td> -<td class="tdl">at the cut in my leg,” “Say, old chap,” <i>changed to</i><br /> - at the cut in my leg.” “Say, old chap,”</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#Page_215">Page 215.</a></td> - <td class="tdl">it’s pretty bad.” said Ribbon. <i>changed to</i><br /> - it’s pretty bad,” said Ribbon.</td></tr> -</table></div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The House of Cariboo and Other Tales -from Arcadia, by A. 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