IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

■- lilM

mit

3.2

2.5

■^ lis IM 1 2.2

m m

I.I

I? .

1.25

U 1111.6

r/^/

c^l

^># '^

Cj?1

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

^9)

«^ ^

^^^

-L

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4.S03

■Bi

CIHM/ICMH
Microfiche

CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

1980

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques

The Institute has attempted to obtain the best
original opy available for filming. Features of thfs
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly charie
the usual method ov filming, are checked below.

D
D
D
D
D
D
D

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur

Covers damaged/
Couverture endommag^e

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaur6e et/ou pelliculde

Cover title missing/

Le titre de couverture manque

Coloured maps/

Cartes gdographiques en couleur

Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)

Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur

Bour.d with other material/
Reli6 avec d'autres documents

Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge int^rieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes
lors d'une restauration apparaisseiic dans le texte,
mais, lorsque cela dtait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas 6t6 filmdes.

Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppl6mentaires:

L'institut a microfilm^ le m^illeur exomplaire
qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la mdthode normale de filmage
sont indiqu6s ci-dessous.

□ Coloured pages/
Pages de couleur

D
D
D
D
D

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes

Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaurdes et/ou pelMculdes

Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages d6color6es, tachetdes ou piqudes

Pages detached/
Pages d6tach6es

Showthrough/
Transparence

I I Quality of print varies/

Qualitd inegale de I'impression'

Includes supplementary material/
Co..iprend du materiel suppldmentaire

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible !mage/
Les pages totalement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont 6t6 film6es d nouveau de fagon d
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

10X

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous.

14X

18X

22X

26X

30X

— 7 I I I I I I I I I I

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks
to the generosity of:

National Library of Canada

L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grdce d la
gdndrositd de:

Bibiiothdque nationale du Canada

The images appearing here are tha best quality
possible considering the condition and legibility
of the original copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.

Les images suivantes ont 6td reproduites avec le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et
de la netfitd de l'exemplaire filmd, et en
conformity avec les conditions du contrat de
filmage.

Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the last page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All
other original copies are filmed beginning on the
first page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, and ending on the last page with a printed
or illustrated impression.

The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol — ^ (meaning "CON-
TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END"),
whichever applies.

Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en
papier est imprimis sont fiimds en commengant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires
originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la
premidre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la dernidre page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la
dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbole — *> signifie "A SUIVRE", le
symbole V signifie "FIN".

Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required The following diagrams illustrate the
method:

Les cartes, planches, tableaux, «)tc., peuvent dtre
film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre
reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir
de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants
illustrent la m6thode.

■■..f-^.JlllJ'

I <i

Frontispiece.— 'rn'Fl FIRST DEER. See page 80.

THE~"CREW

THE WATER WAGTAIL

A STOEY OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

EY R. M. BALLANTYNE,

AUTHOR OF "blue LIGHTS, OR HOT WORK IN THE SOUDAN J " "THE FUGITIVES ;"

"uedrooney;" "the rover op the andes ;" "the wild man of the west;'

THE RED eric;

' freaks on the fells

" "the young trawler;"

'DUSTY diamonds;

" "the BATTERY AND THE BOILER;" "

POST

haste;" " black IVORY ; " "the iron horse;" "kiohting
THE flames;" "the lifeboat;" "the coral

ISLAND ;

' UNOAVA ; etc. etc.

eSith Illuetrjttiona.

SIXTH THOUSAND.

LONDON:
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BEENERS STREET.

[All rights re.ierv^'d.]

MsssgsSm

fiisC

5=33S5S8B5Sa

120612

CONTENTS."

CHAP, I.

II.

III.

IV.

VII.

VIII.

— A ROUGH BEGINNING,

— THK ADVENTURERS LAND ON THE ISLAND,

—FIRST EXPERIENCES

—STRANGE VISITORS— DARK PLOTS— AND EVIL PURPOSKS.
—TURNED ADRIFT IN A FOREIGN LAND,
—DIFFICULTIES MKT AND OVERCOME, ....
— THKY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST, .

BEAUTIFUL SCEXES AND STRANGE EXPERTENCB8,

—THEIR NEW ACQUAINTANCB BICCOMES INTKRESTKD AN
PRACTICAL, ....

XIL

MIL

XIV.

—OLLV's FIRST SALMON AND HENDRICK'S HOME,

—THK hunter's HOME, ......

—A SURPRISE, A FIGHT, AND A WAR PARTY

-UNLOOKED-FOR INTERRUPTIONS AND DIFFICULTIES,

-TELLS OP A TREMENDOUS STORM AND A STRANGE SHKI
TER, ETC.,

XV. —

GRUMMIDGE ASSERTS HIMSELF-GREAT DISCOVERIES AR
MADE AND THE CREW FLITS, ....

XVI.—

A GIANT DISCOVERED— NEW HOME AT WAGTAIL BAY— A
STRANGE ADDITION TO THE SETTLEMENT,

PAOK
1

41
53
C3

»-->
/-

i::

141
154

■ ■

CONTKNTS.

CHAP. XVir. -HAS HEFKUENCK TO FOOD AND A GREAT KIGHT,
XVllI, — TELLS OP DEATH AND DISASTER, .
XIX.— A NEW FRIEND WITH STARTLING NEWS

XX.- THE RESCUE PARTT-A RENCONTRE AND BAD NEWS,
XXL— OLD FRIENDS IN A SAD PLIGHT,

XXIL -TELLS OF TERRIBLE SUSPENSE-VIOLENT INTENTIONS

AND RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION, .... 214

XXIIL— DELIYBBANCE. . ««.

224

XXIV.— THE LAST, . ' »„

• 234

PAGE

164
174
184
194

204

ILL'USTKATIONS.

if- I

THE FIRST B^ER-Iruntufiiece (seep 80).

HE PLUNGED OVER THE SIDE, . . . to/ace pa,eU
OLLY STRUGGLED, BUT GARNET HELD HIM PAST, „ 44

THE HUNTER'S HOME, ...

PAOK

164

IONS

174

184
194

204

214
224
234

^e pafje 14

102

THE CREW OF THE "WATER
WAGTAIL."

CHAPTER I.

A ROUOH BBOTNNINO.

IT is well that mankind cannot pry into the secrefo
of . futurity.

At all events, it is certain that if the crew of the
Water Wagtail had known what was in store for them
when they set sail from Bristol, one fine spring morning
at the beginning of the sixteenth century, most of them
would have remained at home — though it is not im-
probable that, even with full knowledge of coming
events, some of the romantic among them, and a few
of the reckless, might have decided to go on.

Undoubtedly Paul Burns would liave scorned to
draw back, for he was a " hero of romance ; " an en-
thusiast of the deepest dye, with an inquiring mind,
a sanguine disposition, and a fervent belief in all things
great and good and grand. He was also a six-footer
in his socks, a horse in constitution, a Hercules in
frame, with a hook nose and a hawk eye and a strong

■^T?

^■t'^

2 THE CUEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

jaw — and all the rest of it. Paul had a good brain,
too, and was well educated — as education went in those
days. Yes, there can be little doubt that even though
Paul Burns had been able to see into the future, he
would have deliberately chosen to go on that voyage.

So would Oliver Trench, for Oliver worshipped Paul !
He loved him as if he had been an elder brother. He
admired him, afar off, as a rare specimen of human per-
fection. He looked up to him, physically as well as
mentally, for Oliver was at that time little more than a
boy of medium size, but bold as a bull-dog and active
as a weasel. Yes, we are safe to say that a revelation
oF the disasters, dangers, sufferings, etc., in store, would
not have deterred Oliver Trench. He would have gone
on that voyage simply because Paul Burns went. That
was reason enough for him. The devotion of Ruth to
Naomi was mild compared with that of Oliver to Paul
— if words are a test of feelings — for Ruth's beautiful
language could not compare with the forcible expres-
sions with which Oliver assured his friend that he
would stick to him, neck or nothing, through thick and
thin, to the latest hour of life !

As for the rest of the crew — Big Swinton, Little
Stubbs, George Blazer, Squill, and the like — it was well.,
as we have said, that they could not see into the future.

There were forty of them, all told, including the cook
and the cabin-boy. We do not include Paul Burns or
Oliver Trench, because the former was naturalist to the
expedition — a sort of semi-scientific free-lance ; and the
latter, besides being the master's, or skipper's, son, was

^tv|

A ROUGH BEGINNING.

a free-and-easy lance, so to speak, whose duties were
too numerous to mention, and too indefinite to under-
stand. Most of the men were what is expressed by the
phrase "no better than they should be." Some of
them, indeed, were even worse than that. The wars of
the period had rendered it difficult to obtain good sea-
men at that particular time, so that merchant skippers
had to content themsel . es with whatever they could
get. The crew of the Water Wagtail was unusually
bad, including, as it did, several burglars and a few
pickpockets, besides loafers and idlers ; so that, before
leaving Bristol, a friend of the skipper whose imagina-
tion was lively styled it a crew of forty thieves.

'StiB "oast of Norway was the destination of the
Water Wagtail. She never reached the coast of — but
we must not anticipate. What her object was in
reference to Norway we cannot tell. Ancient records
are silent on the point.

The object of Paul Burns was to gather general in-
formation. At that period the world was not rich in
general information. To discover, to dare, to do — if
need were, to die — was the intention of our big hero.
To be similarly circumstanced in a small way was our
little hero's ambition.

" Goin' to blow," remarked Skipper Trench, on the
evening of the day on which he sailed, as he paced the
deck with his hands in his pockets, aud, as his son
Oliver said, his " weather-eye " open.

It seemed as though the weather, having overheard
the prophecy, was eager to fulfil it, for a squall

if ill

4 Tlllii CHEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

could be seen bearing down on the ship even while the
words were being uttered.

" Close reef to-o-o-p-s'ls 1 " roared Master Trench, with
the energy of a man who means what he says.

We are not sure of the precise nautical terms used,
but tlie result was a sudden und ext tsive reduction of
canvas ; and not a moment too soon, for the operation
had scarcely been completed when the squall rtiUck
the ship, almost capsized her, and sent her careering
over the billows " like a thing of life."

This was the first of a succession of squalls, or gales,
which blew the Water Wagtail far out upon the
Atlantic Ocean, stove in her bulwarks, carried away
her bowsprit and foretopmast, damaged her sky-
lights, strained her rudder, and cleared her decks of
loose hamper.

After many days the weather moderated a little and
cleared up, enabling Master Trench to repair damages
and shape his course for Norway. But the easterly
gales returned with increased violence, undid all the
repairs, carried away the compass, and compelled these
ancient mariners to run westward under bare poles —
little better than a wreck for winds and waves to play
with.

In these adverse circumstances the skipper did what
too many men are apt to do in their day of sorrow — he
sought comfort in the bottle.

Love of strong drink was Master Trench's weakest
point. It was one of the few points on which he and
his friend Burns disagreed.

V \ \i'

A UOUGH BKOINNINO. 5

" Now, my dear man," said Paul, seatin<T himself one
evening at the cabin table and laying his hand impres-
sively on his friend's arm, "do let me lock up this
bottle. You can't navigate the ship, you know, when
you 've got so much of that stuff under your belt."

" yes, I can," said the skipper, with an imbecile
smile, for his friend had a winning way with him that
conciliated even while he rebuked. "Don't you fear,
Paul, I— I 'm all right ! "

The half-offended idiotic expression of the man's face
was intensely ludicrous, but Paul could not see the
ludicrous at that time. He only saw his usually sedate,
manly, generous friend reduced to a state of imbecility.

" Come, now, Master Trench," he said persuasively,
taking hold of the case-bottle, " let me put it away."

" N — no, I won't," said the captain sharply, for he
was short of temper.

The persuasive look on Paul's face suddenly vanished.
He rose, grasped the bottle firmly, went to the open
hatch, and sent it whizzing up into the air with such
force that it went far over the stern of the ship and
dropped into the sea, to the unutterable amazement of
the man at the helm, who observed the bottle's unac-
countable flight with an expression of visage all his own.

There is no accounting for the rapid transitions ot
thought and feeling in drunken men. The skipper
sprang up, clenched his right hand, and gazed in fierce
astonishment at his friend, who advanced towards him
with a benignant smile, quite regardless of conse-
quences. Even in the act of striking, the captain

.l\

\\ H*

THE OKBW OF THF, " WATEH WAGTAIL.

restrained his arm and opened his hand, Paul met it
with a friendly grasp, while the faces of both men
axpanded in smiling goodwill.

" Y — you *re a trump, P — Paul," said the captain.
" I — I — won't drink a — another d'op ! "

And Master Trench kept his word. From that day
forth, till circumstances rendered drinking impossible,
he drank nothing stronger than water.

Soon after this event the weather improved, damages
were again repaired, and the skipper — in whom there
was much of the spirit of the old vikings — once more
laid his course for Norway, resolving to steer, as the
said vikings were wont to do, by the stars. But a spirit
of mutiny was abroad in the forecastle by that time.
If hard work, hard fare, and hard fortune are trying
even to good men and true, what must they be to bad
men and false ?

" Here 's how it lays, men," said Big Swinton, in a
subdued voice, to a knot of friends around him.
" Blowin' hard as it has bin ever since we left England,
it stands to reason that we must have pretty nigh got
across the western sea to that noo land discovered by
that man wi* the queer name — I can't remember
rightly "

" Columbus, you mean," cried George Blazer. "Why,
my father sailed with Columbus on his first voyage."

"No, it wasn't Columbus," returned Swinton, in a
sharp tone, "9 a* you needn't speak as if we was all deaf,
Blazer. It was John Cabot I was thinkin' of, who,
with his sou Sebastian, discovered land a long way

A ROUGH BEGINNING.

to the noi'ard o' Columbus's track. They called it
Newfoundland. Well, as I was say in', we must be a
long way nearer to that land tlian to Norway, an* it will
be far easier to reach it. Moreover, the Cabots said
that the natives there are friendly and peaceable, so it 's
my opinion that we should carry on as we go till we
reach Newfoundland, an' see whether we can't lead a
jollier life there than we did in Old England."

"But it's my opinion," suggested Little Stubbs,
" that the skipper's opinion on that point will have to
be found out first, Swinton, for it 's of more importance
than yours. You ain't skipper yet, you know."

" That 'o so, Stubbs," said Squill, with a nod.

"Let your tongues lie still," retorted Swinton, in
an underto led growl. " Of course I know I 'm not
skipper yet, but if you men have the courage of rabbits
I'll be skipper before another sun rises — or whoever
you choose to appoint."

A sudden silence ensued for a few moments, for,
although there had been mutinous whisperings before,
no one had, up to that time, ventured to make a distinct
proposal that action should be taken.

" What I steal the ship ? " exclaimed a huge black-
bearded fellow named Grummidge. " Nay — I '11 liave
no hand in that."

" Of course not ; we have no intention to steal the
ship," retorted Swinton, before any one else had time to
express an opinion ; " we are all upright, honourable
mivL here. We only mean to take the loan of her.
After all we have suffered we are entitled surely to a

■f

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

pleasure-trip, and when that 's over we can return the ship
to the owners — if so disposed. You '11 join us in that,
Grummidge, won't you ? And we *11 make you skipper
— or first mate, if you 're too modest to *u,ke command."

This sally was received with a subdued laugh, and
with marks of such decided approval, that Grummidge
was carried with the current — at all events, he held his
tongue after that.

An earnest undertoned discussion followed, and it
was finally arranged that Big Swinton should sound
Master Trench about the propriety of running to New-
foundland instead of returning on their track to
Norway. ' The seaman was not slow to act. That
afternoon, while at the helm, he made the suggestion
to the skipper, but met with a sharp rebuke and an
order to attend to his duty.

No word did Big Swinton reply, but that very night
he entered the cabin with a dozen men and seized the
skipper, his son, and Paul Burns, while they slept. Of
course, being greatly outnumbered, they were overcome
and bound. The two officers of the vessel were also
seized by another party on deck, and all the five were
imprisoned in the hold.

Next morning they were brought on deck, and made
to stand in a row before Big Swinton, who had, in the
meantime, been appointed by the mutineers to the
command of the ship.

" Now, Master Trench," said Swinton, " we are no
pirates. We have no desire to kill you, so that whether
you are killed or not will depend on yourself. If you

A KOUGH BEGINNIKO.

agree to navigate this ship to Newfoundland — ^good ; if
not, we will heave you overboard."

" Heave away then," growled the skipper, his nature
being such that the more he was defied the more defiant
he became.

"Well, Master Trench, you shall have your way.
Get the plank ready, boys," said Swinton, turning to
the men. "Now stand aside and let the first mate
choose."

The same question being put to the two mates, they
returned similar answers, and were ordered to prepare
to walk the plank.

" You don't understand navigation, I fancy, Master
Burns," said Swinton to Paul, "but as you can set
broken bores, and things of that sort, we will spare you
if you agree to serve us."

" Thank you," replied Paul, with quiet urbanity. " I
prefer to accompany Master Trench, if you have no
objection."

There was a slight laugh at the coolness of this reply,
which enraged the new skipper.

" Say you so ? " h^ exclaimed, jumping up. " Come,
then, shove out the plank, lads, and bring them on one
at a time."

" Stop ! " cried little Oliver, at this point. " You 've
forgot me."

" No, my little man, I haven't," returned Swinton,
with a cynical smile. " You shall accompany your
amiable father ; but first I '11 give you a fair chaLoe," he
added, in a bantering tone : "will you navigate the ship?"

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

" Yes, I will," answered Oliver promptly.

" Indeed I " exclaimed the new skipper, taken aback
by the boy's boldness, and at a loss for a reply.

" Yes, indeed," retorted Oliver, " only put me in
command, with an auger, and I '11 navigate the ship to
the bottom of the sea, with you and all your cowardly
crew on board of her ! "

" Well said, little master," cried Grummidge, while a
general laugh of approval went round.

Seeing that there was a symptom of better feeling
among some of the men, Master Trench was about to
make an appeal to them, when —

" Land ho ! " was shouted by the look-out, in sten-
torian tones.

I f

THE adventuhers land on the island.

CHAPTEK II.

THE ADVBNTURERS LKSD ON THE ISLAND.

THE excitement caused by the sight of land was
tremendous. Nearly every one ran to the bow
or leaped on the bulwarks, and the prisoners were left
unguarded.

Seeing this, Grummidge quietly cut their bonds
unobserved, and then hurried forward to gaze with the
rest. Even the man at the tiller left his post for a
moment to get a better view of the land. On returning,
he found Master Trench occupying his place, and Paul
Burns standing beside him with a handspike in his
grasp. Oliver had also armed himself with a marline-
spike in default of a better weapon.

" Go for'ard, my man," said the skipper, in a quiet
voice, "an' tell your mates to get ready the anchor and
stand by the cable. Haste ye, if you value life."

The man slunk away without a word.

" We seem far from land yet. Master Trench ; why
such haste ? " asked Paul.

" Look over the stern," was the skipper's curt
reply.

Paul and Oliver both did so, and saw that another
squall was bearing down on them.

III I

■

T[IE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

" Is it Newfoundland ? " asked Paul.

" Ay, and an ugly coast to make in a squall. Hallo !
there — if ye would not be food for fishes lay aloft and
take in all sail ! "

The skipper, as his wont was, gave the order in a
stern tone of command, and resigned the tiller to Grum-
midge, who came aft at the moment. The men saw
with surprise that a heavy squall was bearing down on
them from the eastward. Mutiny flew, as it were, out
at the hawseholes, while discipline re-entered by the
cabin windows. Even Big Swinton was cowed for the
moment. It may be that the peculiar way in which
P.'uil Burns eyed him and toyed with the handspike
had some effect on him. Possibly he was keenly aliva
to the danger which threatened them. At all events,
he went to work like the rest !

And there was occasion for haste. Before the sails
were properly secured, the squall struck them ; the fore-
mast was snapped off close to the deck ; for a time the
ship became unmanageable and drifted rapidly towards
the land.

" Is that a small island that I see on the weather
bow, Oily ? " said the skipper to his son. " Look, your
eyes are better than mine."

" Yes, father. It looks like a small one."

" Steer for that, Grummidge. We '11 take shelter in
its lee."

The sails were braced, and the direction of the vessel
was changed, while the wreck of the foremast was being
cleared away ; but, just as they were drawing near to

THE ADVENTURERS LAND ON THE ISLAND.

the island, the wind chopped round, and the hoped-for
shelter they were approaching became suddenly a lee
shore.

" Nothing can save us now," muttered Grummidge,
" the Water Wagtail is going to her doom."

" You 're right, my man. Before another hour goes
by she will have wagged her tail for the last time," said
Master Trench, somewhat bitterly.

They were both right. In less than an hour after
that the ship was hurled upon the outlying rocks of a
low island. Shaken and strained as she had been
during her disastrous voyage, it took but a short time
to break her up, but the bow had been thrust high
between two rocks and remained fast.

Circumstances do not change character, but they
often bring it to the front. Heroes and poltroons may
remain unknown until a sudden incident or change of
condition reveals them. As the crew of the wracked
ship clustered on the fragment of the bow, and gazed
oil the tumultuous flood of foaming water that seethed
between them and the shore, their hearts failed them
for fear. Some sternly compressed their lips, and
looked like men who had made up their minds to " die
game." A few even looked defiant, as if daring Fate
to do her worst, though the pallor of their countenances
gave the lie to the expression of their features, but
many of them, in the terror of the moment, cried aloud
for mercy, and wildly promised amendment if their
lives should be spared. A few were composed and
grave. Brave men, though bad. Possibly some of

flM ^Mr

' I i

ill '

'if III

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

■ T "^

'- ' ■ 1

1 '1

1 ;!:l

" 'i

^^4

these prayed. If so, they had the sense to do it silently
to Him who knows the secrets of all hearts.

"No man can cross that and live," said the skipper,
in a low, sad tone.

" It is my intention to try, Master Trench," said Paul
Burns, grasping the end of a light line and tying it
round his waist.

Little Oliver looked quickly and anxiously at his
friend. His heart sank, for he saw at a glance that it
was not possible to follow him. The deed, if done at all,
must -be done by his friend alone. Great, therefore, was
the rebound of joy in the boy's heart when Paul said —

"Now, Oily, attend to me. My life, under God,
may depend on close attention to my signals and the
management of the line. I can trust your father and
the men to haul me back to the ship if need be, but I
will trust only you to pay out and read my signals.
Observe, now, let there be no slack to the line ; keep it
just taut, but without any pull on it, so that you may
feel the signals at once. One pull means ^ay out faster,
two pulls mean haul me aboard, three pulls is all right
and fix the hig hawser to the line so that I may haul it
ashore. Now, Oily, I trust to you to read my signals
and act promptly."

Oliver's heart was too full to speak. He looked at
his friend with swimming eyes and nodded his head.

"Men," said Paul to the crew, "let me beg you to
obey the boy's orders smartly. If God wills it so, we
shall all be saved."

He leaped over the side as he concluded. Another

■:^''^:f^v^

m '^jf^M

\^ .s

"HE PLUNGED OVER THE SIDK"

Faqs 15.

-^g|| ,|„Hil|l|ir r ' ""^''l

' ^

=i i i

iii

•t

THE ADVENTURERS LAND ON THE ISLAND.

moment and he was seen to rise and buffet the plung-
waters manfully. Great as was the muscular

iiig

trength of the young man, it seemed absolute feeble-
aess to those who looked on ; nevertheless he made
Headway towards the shore, which was strewn with
great boulders with a low cliff behind them. It was
among these boulders that his chief danger and difii-
3ulty lay, for his strong frame would have been as
noth'ng if dashed against them.

Quickly he was lost to view in the hurly-burly of
foam and spray.

With the utmost care did Oliver Trench perform his
duty. It required both vigour of hand and delicacy
of touch to keep the line right, but it was manipulated
by hands whose vigour and touch were intensified by
love.

"Ease off!" he cried, looking back impatiently at the
strong fellows who held the slack of the line.

The men obeyed so readily that the line ran out
too fast, and the boy had much ado to check it. Just
as he got it sufficiently taut, he felt what seemed to
him like two pulls — "haul me in!" Could it be?
He was not certain. In an agony of anxiety he held
on, and was about to give the signal to haul in, when
his father, who watched his every movement, instantly
said, "Give him another second or two. Oily."

Just then there was a strong single pull at the line.

"Pay out !— faster ! " shouted Oliver, and, at the
same moment he eased off his own feelings in a tre-
mendous sigh of relief.

THE CREW OP THE " WATEU WAGTAIL."

After that the line ran steadily for a few seconds,
and no signals came. Tlien it ceased to run, and poor
Oliver's fears began to rush in upon him again, but
ho was speedily relieved by feeling three distinct and
vigorous pulls.

"Thank God, he's safe," cried the boy. "Now then,
pass along the hawser — quick ! "

Tliis was done, the light line was attached to a
three-i'ich rope, and the party on the wreck waited
anxiously.

" Give it a pull, Oily, by way of signal," suggested
Master Trench.

" He did not tell me to do that, father," returned the
boy, hesitating.

" No doubt he forgot it in the hurry — try it, any-
how."

A hearty pull on the line was accordingly given,
and they soon had the satisfaction of seeing the hawser
move over the side and run towards the shore. When
it ceased to run out they knew that Paul must have
got hold of the end of it, so, making their end fast to
the heel of the bowsprit, they waited, for as yet the
rope lay deep in the heaving waters, and quite useless
as a means of escape.

Presently the rope began to jerk, then it tightened,
soon the bight of it rose out of tlie sea and remained
there — rigid.

•■* Well done, Paul," exclaimed the skipper, when this
was accomplished. "Now, Oily, you go first, you're
liflht."

THE ADVENTUREUS LAND ON THE ISLAND.

But the boy hesitated. " No, father, you first," he said.

" Obey orders, Oily," returned tlie skipper sternly.

Without another word Oliver got upon the rope and
proceeded to clamber along it. The operation was by
no means easy, but tho boy was strong and active,
and the water not very cold. It leaped up and
drenched him, however, as he passed the lowest point
of the bight, and thereafter the weight of his wet
garments delayed him, so that on nearing the shore
he was pretty well exhausted. There, however, he
found Paul up to tlie waist in the sea waiting for him,
and the last few yards of the journey were traversed
in his friend's arms.

By means of this rope was every man of the Water
Wagtail's crew saved from a watery grave.

They found that the island on which they had been
cast was sufficiently large to afford them shelter, and a
brief survey of it proved that there was both wood and
water enough to serve them, but nothing of animal or
vegetable life was to be found. This was serious, be-
cause all their provisions were lost with the wrecked
portion of the ship, so that starvation stared them in
the face.

" If only the rum kegs had been saved," said one of
the men, when they assembled after searching the
island to discuss their prospects, " we might, at least,
have led a merry life while it' lasted."

"Humph I Much good that would do you when

you came to think over it in the next world," said

Grummidge contemptuously.

:il

THE CREW OF THE "WATER WAGTAIL.'

" I don't believe in the next world," returned the
first speaker gruffly.

" A blind man says he doesn't see the sun, and don't
believe in it," rejoined Grummidge : " does that prove
that there *s no sun ?"

Here Master Trench interposed.

" My lads," he s^tid, " don't you think that instead
of talking rubbish It would I j wise to scatter yourselves
along the coast and see what you can pick up from the
wreck ? Depend on 't some of the provisions have been
stranded among the rocks, and as they will be smashed
to pieces before long the sooner we go about it the better.
The truth is, that while you have been wastin' your
time running about the island, Master Burns and I have
been doin' this, an' we 've saved some things already —
among them a barrel of pork. Come, rouse up and
go to work — some to the shore, others to make a camp
in the bush."

This advice seemed so good that the men acted on
it at once, with the result that before dark they had
rescued two more barrels of pork and a barrel of flour
from the grasp of the sea, besides some cases of goods
which they had not taken time to examine.

Keturning from the shore together, laden with
various rescued articles, Paul and Oliver halted and
sat down on a rock to rest for a few minutes.

" Oily," said the former, " what was that I saw you
wrapping up in a bit of tarred canvas, and stuffing so
carefully under the breast of your coat, soon after the
ship struck ?"

THE ADVENTURERS LAND ON THE ISLAND.

" Mother's last letter to me," said the boy, with a
flush of pleasure as he tapped his breast. " I have it
safe here, and scarcely damaged at all."

"Strange," remarked Paul, as he pulled a well-
covered packet from his own breast-pocket ; " strange
that your mind and mine should have been running on
the same subject. See here, this is my mother's last
gift to me before she died — a letter, too, but it is God's
letter to fallen man."

With great care the young man unrolled the packet
and displayed a well-worn manuscript copy of a por-
tion of the Gospel of John.

"This is copied," he said, "from the translation of
God's Word by the great Wycliffe. It was given to
my mother by an old friend, and was, as I have said,
her parting gift to me."

The friends were interrupted in their examination
of this interesting MS. by the arrival of one of the
sailors, with whom they returned to the encampment
in the bush.

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.'

CHAPTEE III.

FIRST EXPERIENCES ON THB ISLAND.

A WONDERFULLY picturesque appearance did
these shipwrecked mariners present that night
when, under the shelter of the shrubbery that crowned
their small island, they kindled several camp-fires, and
busied themselves in preparing supper.

As there was no law in the island — and our skipper,
having lost his ship, forbore to assert any right to com-
mand — every one naturally did what seemed right in
his own eyes.

As yet there had arisen no bone of contention among
them. Of food they had secured enough for at least a
few days. Fire they had procured by means of flint,
steel, and tinder. A clear spring furnished them with
water, and ships' buckets washed ashore enabled them
to convey the same to their encampment. Fortunately,
no rum-kegs had been found, so that evil passions were
not stirred up, and, on the whole, the first night on the
island was spent in a fair degree of harmony — consider-
ing the character of the men.

Those who had been kindred souls on board ship
naturally drew together on shore, and kindled their
several fires apart. Thus it came to pass that the

FIRST EXPERIENCES ON THE ISLAND.

skipper and his son, the two mates, and Paul Burns
found themselves assembled round the same fire.

But the two mates, it is right to add, were only sym-
pathetic in a small degree, because of their former
position as officers, and their recent imprisonment to-
gether. In reality they were men of no principle and
of weak character, whose tendency was always to throw
in their lot with the winning side. Being a little un-
certain as to which was the winning side that night,
they had the wisdom to keep their own counsel.

Oliver presided over the culinary department.

"You see, I'm rather fond of cookin'," he said,
apologetically, " that 's why I take it in hand."

" Ah, that comes of his bein' a good boy to his mother,"
said Master Trench in explanation, and with a nod of
approval. "Oily was always ready to lend her a
helpin' hand in the house at anything that had to be
done, which has made him a Jack-of-all-trades — cookin*
among the rest, as you see."

" A pity that the means of displaying his powers are
80 limited," said Paul, who busied himself in levelling
the ground beside the fire for their beds.

"Limited!" exclaimed Trench, "you are hard to
please, Master Paul ; I have lived on worse food than
salt pork and pancakes."

"If so, father," said Oliver, as he deftly tossed one of
the cakes into the air and neatly caught it on its other
side in the pan, "you must either have had the pork
without the pancakes or the pancakes without the
pork."

24 THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

" Nay, Master Shallowpate, I had neither."

" "What 1 did you live on nothing ? "

"On nothing better than boiled sheepskin — and
it was uncommon tough as well as tasteless; but
it is wonderful what men will eat when they're
starving."

" I think, father," returned the boy, as he tossed and
deftly caught the cake again, " that it is more wonder-
ful what men will eat when they re not starving ! Of
all the abominations that mortal man ever put between
his grinders, I think the worst is that vile stuff "

He was interrupted by a sudden outbreak of wrath
at the fire next to theirs, where Big Swinton, Grura-
midge, and several others were engaged, like themselves,
in preparing supper.

" There will be trouble in the camp before long, I see
plainly enough," remarked Paul, looking in the direc-
tion of the disputants. " These two men, Swinton and
Grummidge, are too well-matched in body and mind and
self-will to live at peace, and I foresee that they will
dispute your right to command."

"They Wv._it do that, Paul," returned Trench quietly,
" for I have already given up a right which I no longer
possess. When the Water Wagtail went on the rocks,
my reign came to an end. For the future we have no
need to concern ourselves. The man with the most
powerful will and the strongest 'iiind will naturally
come to the top — and that 's how it should be. I think
that all the troubles of mankind arise from our inter-
fering with the laws of Nature,''

'is^mmmimmtmmm

FIRST EXPERIENCES ON THE ISLAND.

"Agreed, heartily," replied Paul, "only I would
prefer to call them the laws of God. By the way,
Master Trench, I have not yet told you that I have in
my possession some of these same laws in a book."

" Have you, indeed ? — in a book ! That's a rare and
not altogether a safe possession now-a-days."

"You speak the sober truth, Master Trench," re-
turned Paul, putting his hand into a breast-pocket and
drawing forth the packet which contained the fragment
of the Gospel of John. Persecution because of our
beliefs is waxing hotter and hotter just now in unfor-
tunate England. However, we run no risk of being
roasted alive in Newfoundland for reading God's blessed
Word — see, there it is. A portion of the Gospel of
John in manuscript, copied from the English transla-
tion of good Master Wycliffe."

" A good and true man, I 've heard say," responded
the skipper, as he turned over the leaves of the precious
document with a species of solemn wonder, for it was
the first time he had either seen or handled a portion of
the Bible. "Pity that such a friend of the people
should not have lived to the age o' that ancient fellow
— what's his name — Thoosle, something or other? "

" Methuselah," said Paul ; " you 're right there. Master
Trench. What might not a good man like Wycliffe
have accomplished if he had been permitted to live
and teach and fight for the truth for nine hundred and
sixty-nine years ? "

" You don't mean to say he lived as long as that ? "
exclaimed the boy, looking up from his pots and pans.

Ill :

. !/

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

•I

" Indeed I do."

" Well, well ! he must have been little better than a
live mummy by the end of that time ! " replied Oliver,
resuming his interest in his pots and pans.

" But how came you to know about all that. Master
Paul, if this is all the Scripture you Ve had ? " asked
Trench.

" My mother was deeply learned in the Scriptures,"
answered Paul, " and she taught me diligently from
my boyhood. The way she came to be so learned is
curious. I will tell you how it came about, while we
are doing justice to Oliver's cookery."

" You must know. Master Trench," continued Paul,
after the first demands of appetite had been appeased,
" that my dear inother was a true Christian from her
youth. Her father was converted to Christ by one of
that noble band of missionaries who were trained by
the great Wycliffe, and whom he sent throughout Eng-
land to preach the Gospel to the poor, carrying in their
hands manuscript portions of that Gospel, translated by
Wycliffe into plain English. You see, that curious in-
vention of the German, John Gutenberg — I mean
printing by movable types — was not known at that
time, and even now, although half a century has passed
since the Bible was printed abroad in Latin, no one
with means and the power to do it has yet arisen to
print an English Bible, but the day is not far distant
when that work shall be done, I venture to prophesy,
though I make no pretence to be among the prophets !

" Well, as I was going to say, the missionary was a

FIRST EXPERIENCES ON THE ISLAND.

hoary old man when he preached the sermon that
turned my grandfather from darkness to light. My
grandfather was just fifteen years old at that time. Ten
years later the same missionary came to grandfather's
house, worn out with years and labours, and died there,
leaving all his treasure to his host. That treasure was
a small portion of the New Testament in English, copied
from Wycliffe's own translation. You may be sure
that my grandfather valued the legacy very highly.
When he died he left it to my mother. About that
time my mother married and went to live on the banks
of the Severn. Not far from our farm there dwelt a
family of the name of Hutchins. The father had
changed his name and taken refuge there during the
recent civil wars. This family possessed a Latin Bible,
and the head of it was well acquainted with its con-
tents. It was through him that my mother became
well acquainted with the Old as well as the New
Testament, and thus it was that I also came in course
of time to know about Methuselah, and a good many
more characters about whom I may perhaps tell you
one of these days."

" So, then, this is the manuscript the old missionary
carried about, is it ? " said Trench, fingering the frag-
ment tenderly.

" Ay, and a good translation it is, I have been told
by one whom most people would think too young to be
a judge. You must know that this Mr. Hutchins has a
son named William, who is considerably younger than I
am. but he is such a clever, precocious fellow, that before

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

' 1

he left home for college I used to find him a most inter-
esting companion. Indeed, I owe to him much of what
little I have learned, for he is a wonderful linguist, being
able to read Hebrew and Greek about as easily as Latin
or English. He is at Oxford now — at least he was
there when I last heard of him. Moreover, it was
through the Hutchins' family, in a roundabout way,
that your mother, Oily, came to learn to write such
letters as you have got so carefully stowed away there
in your breast-pocket."

'* Good luck to the Hutchins' family then, say I," re-
turned Oily, " for I 'm glad to be able to read, though, on
account of the scarcity and dearness of manuscripts, I
don't have the chance of makin' much use of my know-
ledge. But you puzzle me, Paul. It was poor Lucy
Wentworth who used to live with us, and who died
only last year, that taught me to read, and I never
heard her mention the name of Hutchins. Did you,
father ? "

"No, I never did, Oily. She said she had lived with
a family named Tyndale before she came to us, poor
thing ! She was an amazin' clever girl to teach, and
made your mother good at it in a wonderful short time.
She tried rae too, but it was of no use, I was too tough
an* old!"

" Just so, Master Trench," rejoined Paul. " Hutchins*
real name was Tyndale, and he had resumed the name
before Lucy Wentworth went to live with the family.
So, you see, Oily, you are indebted, in a roundabout
way, as I said, to the Tyndales for your mother's letter.

FIRST EXPERIENCES ON THE ISLAND.

»st inter-
of what
st, being
as Latin
he was
it was
ut way,
te such
ly there

I»
> re-

>ugh, on

Jripts, I

/^know-

•r Lucy

bo died

t never

id you,

id with
s, poor
;h, and
b time.

■m

William will make his mark pretty deeply on the gene-
ration, I think, if God spares him."

Little did Paul Burns think, when he made this
prophetic speech by the camp-fire on that distant isle
of the sea, that even while he spoke William Tyndale
was laying the foundation of that minute knowledge of
the Greek and Hebrew languages, which afterwards en-
abled him to give the Bible to England in her own
tongue, and that so ably translated, that, after numerous
revisions by the most capable of scholars, large portions
of his work remain unaltered at the present day.

The night was far spent, and the other members of
the camp had been long buried in slumber before Paul
and Trench and Oliver could tear themselves away from
the manuscript Gospel of John. The latter two, who
knew comparatively little of its contents, were at first
inpressed chiefly with the fact that they were examin-
ing that rare and costly article a book, and a forbidden
book, too, for the reading of which many a man and
woman had been burned to death in times past, but
they became still more deeply impressed as Paul went
on reading and commenting and pointing out the value
of the Book as God's own " Word " to fallen man.

" Here is a promise to rest upon," said Paul, as he
finally closed the book and repeated the verse from
memory, " Jesus said. If ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free."

"Ay, that's it, Vaul— free ! We're all slaves, more
or less, to something or other What wa all want is to

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

be free" said Master Trench, as he drew his blanket
round him, pillowed his head on his cloak, and went to
sleep.

Silently Paul and Oliver followed his example, the
fires died out, and in a few minutes the slumbering
camp was shrouded in the mantle of night.

Energetic action was the order of the next day, for
those shipwrecked mariners knew well enough that
nothing but hard and steady labour could enable them
to live on an apparently desolate island.

By daybreak most of the crew had scattered them-
selves along the sh ji js, or over the interior, to spy out
the land. About two hours later they began to drop
into camp as hungry as hawks, each carrying the result
of his researches in his arms or on his shoulders.

" Well done, Squill ! " said Paul, who chanced to be
first back in camp, with a huge sail bundled up on his
shoulder, and who, just then, was busy blowing up his
fire ; " got another barrel of pork, eh ? "

"It's myself as doesn't know, sur," answered Squill,
" and it wasn't me as found it, but Jim Heron there.
I only helped to sling it on the pole, and shoulder an
end. It 's aither pork or gunpowther, so if it ain't good
for a blow out it '11 be good for a blow up, anyhow."

" Did you see little Oliver anywhere ? " asked Paul.

" Ay, sur, I saw him on the shore, bringing up what
seemed to me the ship's bowsprit — anyhow, a spar o*
some sort, about as big as he could haul along."

" Just so," returned Paul, with a laugh, " a ridge pole
for our tent. He 's a smart boy, little Oily."

FIRST EXPERIENCES ON THE ISLAND.

" Sure he 's all that, sur, and more. Here he comes,
blowin' like a porpoise."

Sure enough, Oliver appeared at the moment, dragging
a heavy spar behind him. Several of the men appeared
at the same time, staggering through the bushes, with
various loads of wreckage, which they flung down, and
noisily began discussing their experiences as they
lighted the fires and prepared breakfast.

"Here comes Little Stubbs," cried Jim Heron. "What
fortune, comrade ? "

" Good fortune, though my load is the lightest yet
brought in."

He flung down a small piece of wood with an air of
satisfaction.

" Why, it 's only a boat's rudder ! " said Olivar.

" Ay, so it is, and the boat lies where I picJced it up,
but it was too heavy to bring into camp without your
assistance, boy. And the best of it is that it's not
much damaged. Very little repair will make her fit
for sea again."

This was indeed a find of immense importance, and
the assembled party discussed the event in all its bear-
ings till their mouths were partially stopped by pork
and pancakes.

In the midst of this they were interrupted by the
arrival of Big Swinton, George Blazer, and Grummidge
with another find, which afterwards cost them much
trouble and regret — namely, a couple of young lads,
natives, whom they led into camp with their wrists
tightly bound behind their backs.

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.*

- I

CHAPTER IV.

BTRANQB VISITORS— DARK PLOTS— AND BVIL PDRrOSEi.

THE youths who had been captured were simple
savages, with very little clothing, and with an
expression of considerable alarm on their faces. As
was afterwards learned, they had been coasting along
the shore of the large neighbouring island in a canoe ;
had observed the strange fires in the night-time, and
had crossed over the channel to see what could be the
cause thereof. On reaching the highest part of the
island they discovered some of the sailors, and turned
to fly to their canoe, but Blazer had observed them,
their retreat»was cut off, and they were captured — not
without a severe struggle, however, in which they were
very roughly handled.

Big Swinton, still smarting under the bruises and
bites he had received in the scuffle, dragged them for-
ward, and demanded angrily what was to be done to
them.

" What have they done ? " asked Trench.

" Done ! — why, they have kicked and bitten like wild-
cats, and I doubt not have come over here to see what
they can steal. In my opinion a thief deserves keel-
hauling at the very least."

STRANOE VISITORS, DARK PLOTS, EVIL PUBP08E8. 33

Master Trench's mouth expanded into a very broad
smile as he looked round the group of men. " D' ye
hear that, lads, what Master Swinton thinks ought to
be done to thieves ? "

The men broke into a loud laugh, for even the most
obtuse amcng them could not fail to perceive the
humour of the skipper's look and question.

" You have nothing more to do wi' the matter, Trench,
than any one else has," returned Swinton. " I claim
these lads as my prisoners, and I *11 do with them what
I please. No man is master now. Might is right on
this island ! "

The words had scarcely been uttered when Big
Swinton felt his right shoulder grasped as if in a vice,
and next moment he was flung violently to the ground,
while Paul Burns stood over him with a huge piece of
wood in his hand, and a half-stern, half-smiling look on
his countenance.

The men were taken completely by surprise, for
Paul had, up to this time, shown such a gentle unwar-
like spirit that the crew had come to regard him as
" a soft lump of a fellow."

" Big Swinton," he said, in the mildest of voices, " as
you have laid down the law that ' might is right,' you
cannot, of course, object to my acting on it. In virtue
of that law, I claim these prisoners as mine, so you
may get up and go about your business. You see,
lads," he added, turning to the men, while Swinton
rose and retired, " though I have no wish to domineer
over you or to usurp authority, I have a right to claim

THE CKEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

that my voice shall be heard and my reasons weighed.
As Swinton truly remarked, no man is master now,
but as he followed this remark by making himself
master, and laying down a law for us, I thought it
might be complimentary to him just to act, for once,
under his law, and show him how well it works!
Now, let me have a word with you.

"It is evident that the land over there is peopled
with savages who, probably, never saw white men
before. If we treat these young fellows kindly, and
send them away with gifts in their hands, we shall,
no doubt, make friends of the savages. If we treat
them ill, or kill them, their relations will come over,
mayhap in swarms, and drive us into the sea. I drop
the Swinton law of might being right, and ask you
— who are now the law-makers — which is it to . be —
kindness or cruelty ? "

" Kindness ! " shouted by far the greater number of
the audience, for even bad men are ready enough to
see and admit the beauty of truth and justice when
they are not themselves unpleasantly affected b} these
principles.

The decision being thus made, Paul took the c.rm of
one of the young Indians and led him gently towards
his fire, while the men scattered to their several camps.
Master Trench led the other youth in the same kindly
way, and little Oliver, motioning to them to sit down,
set before them two platters of pork and pancakes.
This he did with such a benignant smile that the poor
youths were obviously relieved from the dread of

STUANGE VISITOKS, DARK PLOTS, EVIL PUKPOSES. 35

immediate and personal violence. After some glances
of timid uncertainty they began to eat.

" That's right," said Oliver, patting the bigger of the
two on the shoulder, " you '11 find the victuals pretty
good, though you're not much used to 'em, mayhap."

Of course the youths did not understand the words,
but they understood and fully appreciated the feeling
with which they were expressed. They also appreciated
most powerfully the viands. At first they were greatly
perplexed by the offer of knives and forks ; but, after
looking at these implements gravely for a few moments,
they laid them gently down, and went to work in the
natural way with fingers and teeth.

After they had finished the food, and licked the
platters clean, they were presented with several bright
brass buttons, an old clasp-knife, a comb, and a ker-
chief or two, with which inestimable gifts they em-
barked in their canoe, and returned to the opposite
shore.

That day a most important discovery was made
among the wreckage, namely, a case containing fish-
hooks of various sizes and a number of lines. With
these, and the boat repaired, Master Trench saw his
way to prolonged existence on the island.

" To tell ye the plain truth," he remarked to Little
Stubbs, with whom he fell in while searching on the
shore, " before this case of tackle was found, I had no
liope at all of surviving here, for a few barrels of pork
and flour could not last long among so many, and our
end would have bin something awful ; but now, with

■rfi ww w*wi i m m t »ii!*i ^ 'ii\ ' r^t^t i T ii^t^ n

THE CREW OF THE " WATEli WAGTAIL."

God's blessing, we may do well enough until we have
time to think and plan for our escape."

"But d'ye think, master," said Stubbs. "that we
shall find fish in them waters ? "

"Find 'em ! Ay, I make no doubt o* that, but we
shall soon put it to the test, for the boat will be ready
by to-morrov/ or next day at furthest, and then we
shall see what the fish hereabouts think o' salt pork.
If they take to it as kindly as the Indians did, we shall
soon have grub enough and to spare."

The natural tendency of man to bow to the best
leader was shown immediately after the incident of the
capture of the Indians, for Paul Burns was thence-
forward quietly appealed to by most of the crew in
all circumstances which required much consideration.
Paul, being a law-respecting man, naturally turned to
the skipper, whose decision was usually final, and thus
Master Trench dropped, by general consent, into his
old position of commander.

But it must not be supposed that all the party ac-
quiesced in this arrangement. There were men among
that crew — such as Swinton, Blazer, Garnet, and others
— who, either from false training, bad example, or
warped spirits, had come to the condition of believing
that the world was made for their special behoof ; that
they possessed that "divine ."ight" to rule which is
sometimes claimed by kings, and that whoever chanced
to differ from them was guilty of arrogance, and required
to be put down ! These men were not only bad, like
most of the others, but revengeful and resolute. They

STBA.NGE VISITORS, DARK PLOTS, EVIL PURPOSES. 3^

submitted, in the meantime, to the "might" of Paul
Burns, backed as he was by numbers, but they nursed
their wrath to keep it warm, and, under the leadership
of Big Swinton, plotted the downfall of their rivals.

Meanwhile, being unquestionably " in power," Master
Trench, Paul, Oliver, Grummidge, Stubbs, and several
of the well -affected, took possession of the boat when
ready, and, inviting Swinton to join them — as a stroke
of policy — pushed off, M'ith hooks and lines, to make the
first essay in the way of fishing on the now famous
Banks of Newfoundland.

Anchoring the boat in what they deemed a suitable
spot they went to work.

" I wonder if they '11 take to pork," remarked Stubbs,
as he baited a large hook.

" If they take to it as you do, we shall soon run short
o' that article," said Swinton, dropping his hook into
the water.

"I have brought off some shellfish," remarked Master
^Vench. " They may prefer that."

" bo have I, father," said Oliver, whose bait was already
at the Dttom, " and if —hallo ! hold on ! hi ! Oh ! I say ! "

While the boy was thus ejaculating, in a state of
blazing excitement, his arms, and indeed his body, to
say nothing of his spirit, were being jerked violently
by his line in a way that suggested something awful at
the other end !

"Have a care, Oily!" "Gently, lad!" "Hold on,
boy 1 " " Let 'im run ! " were among the contradictory
pieces of advice given in various tones of warning,

THE CKEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

remonstrance, or simple recommendation ; but Oliver
heeded them not. Acting on his own judgment he
drew his fish, or whatever it might be, gradually and
carefully from the deep.

" A mermaid it must be, to tug so hard," muttered
Stubbs, as he and the others looked on with eager
interest.

"A meTinan if it's anything," said Squill; "sure
there was never a maid in the say, or out of it, as would
tug like that."

" That depends," said Grummidge. " I 've had 'em tug-
gin' at my heart-strings worse than that many a time."

" Look out ! Here it comes," cried Oliver, as some-
thing huge and white was seen to flash wildly in the
green depths. " Have the cleek ready."

" All ready, my boy," said his father, in a low voice,
leaning over the side with a stick, at the end of which
was a large iron hook.

"Now then, father! Quick! Missed it? No!
Hurrah!"

For a moment it seemed as if Master Trench had got
Neptune himself on his cleek, so severely did his stout
frame quiver. Then he gave a tremendous heave — " ya
— hoy ! " and up came a magnificent cod— the first of a
grand hecatouib of cod fish which have since that day
enriched the world, nauseated the sick with " liver oil,"
and placed Newfoundland among the most important
islands of the British Empire.

" Well done, Oily ! " exclaimed the delighted father ;
but he had barely time to open his mouth for the next

STRANGE VISITORS, DARK PLOTS, EVIL PURPOSES. 39

remark, wheu Squill uttered an Irish yell, and was seen
holding on to his line with desperate resolve stamped
on every feature.

" That 's the merman this time," cried Stubbs.

"His gran'mother, no less," muttered Squill, in a
strongly suppressed voice, while he anxiously hauled in
the line.

A shout from the other side of the boat here diverted
attention.

" Attacked front and rear 1 " cried Paul, with a hilari-
ous laugh, " I shouldn't wonder if — hallo ! N — no, it
was only a nib — ha ! there he is ! "

And, truly, there he was in a few minutes, another
splendid cod in the bottom of the boat.

To make a long story short, the boat was nearly
filled with cod before the sun set, and that night was
spent in general rejoicing and feasting on fish — with a
second course of pork and pancakes for those who were
insatiable.

But t>.e state of contentment did not last long. The
very next day there was quarrelling as to who should
go in the boat. To allay the contention. Trench and
Paul volunteered to stay in camp and help the party
that should be left to split and clean the fish, and erect
tents and booths. Again the fishing was successful,
but dissensions about the use of the boat soon became
more violent than ever.

Of course, in all this Master Trench and his friend
Paul took a prominent part in trying to smooth matters,
to the intense jealousy of Big Swinton and his sym-

THE CREW OF a'HE " WATER WAGTAIL.

pathisers. In short, the camp ere long was divided
into two hostile bands — the moderately bad ^nd the
immoderately wicked, if we may so put it. The first,
who were few in number, sided with Trench and his
friends; the second declared for Swinton. But the
resolute bearing of Paul and the skipper, and the fact
that the whole party was destitute of weapons (except
clubs cut out of the bush, and a few clasp-knives), kept
the larger and more vicious party in check.

Swinton and his friends, therefore, had recourse to
secret plotting ; but, plot as they would, they had not
sufficient brain-power among them to devise a method
by which to free themselves of the men they envied.

At last circumstances favoured them. It was found
necessary to send men to the other side of the island to
cut and fetch over some small trees that grew there, in
order to make stages on which to dry their fish. As
the operation would require part of two days, it was
proposed to spend the night there. Swinton was to
command the party, and Master Trench said, jestingly,
that he and Master Burns, with Oily, would stay to
guard the camp ! The wood-cutting party was to start
early the next day.

Then a plan of revenge flashed into Big Swinton's
mind. That night he revealed it to those of his friends
whom he could trust, and who were necessary to his
purpose. The night following — while the men around
them should be sleeping at the other side of the island,
and their enemies were alone in the camp — was fixed
on for the execution of their purpose.

TUliNED AD15IFT IN A FOKEIGN LAND.

divided
f^.nd the
The first,
and his
But the
the fact
IS (except
ves), kept

course to
y had not
a method
envied,
ras found
J island to
V there, in
fish. As
ys, it was
)n was to
jestingly,
d stay to
.8 to start

Swinton's
lis friends
ry to his
n around
he island,
was fixed

CHAPTER V.

TURNED ADRIFT IN A FOREIGN LAND.

• v^fl

IT was a calm Lut very dark night when Swinton,
Blazer, Garnet, Heron, Taylor, and several other
men of kindred spirit, rose from their couches at the
further end of the island, and, stealthily quitting the
place, hastened back to their original camp.

They reached it about midnight, and, as they had
expected, found all quiet, for the so-called " guard " of
the camp had been hard at work all day and were at
that moment fast asleep. Paul and the captain, with
Oliver, lay side by side under a tent which they had
constructed out of broken spars and a piece of sail-cloth.

Their foes drew together not far from the spot

"Now, men," said Swinton, "this is a tough job we
have in hand, for they are strong men, and the boy,
albeit not big, is a very tiger-cat to fight. You see, if
our plan was murder we could easily settle their busi-
ness while they slept, but that 's not our plan. We are
710^ murderers — by no means ! "

"Certainly not," growled Blazer, with virtuous
solemnity.

"Well, that bei ' so, we must take them alive. I
will creep into the tent with you, Jim Heron, for you 're

•tK[

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

big and strong enough. You will fall on Trench and
hold *im down. I'll do the same to Burns. Garnet
will manage the boy. The moment the rest of you hear
the row begin, you will jump in and lend a hand wi' the
ropes. After we 've got 'em all safe into the boat, we
will pull to the big island — land them there, an' bid
them a tender farewell ! "

" But surely you won't land them without a morsel to
eat ? " said Taylor.

" Why not ? They 're sure to fall in wi' their dear
friends the savages, who will, doubtless, be very grateful
to 'em, an' supply grub gratis ! Now, lads, you under-
stand what you *ve got to do ? "

* Ay, ay," was the response, in a low tone, as they
moved cautiously away, like evil spirits, to carry out
their wicked plans.

" Fortune," it is said, " favours the brave," but in this
case she did not thus bestow her favours, for the
cowardly plan was successfully carried out. Before the
sleepers were well awake, they were overwhelmed by
numbers, secured and bound. They were not gagged,
however, as no one was near to hear even if they
shouted their loudest, which they knew it was useless
to do. In a few minutes the three prisoners were
hurried into the boat and rowed across the wide channel
that separated the islet from the opposite shore.

At that time it was not supposed, either by the
original discoverers or those who immediately followed
them, that Newfoundland was one large island — con-
siderably larger than Ireland. Not till many a year

TURNED ADlllFT IN A FOREIGN LAND.

afterwards did explorers ascertain that it was an island
of about three hundred and seventeen miles in length,
by about the same in breadth ; but so cut up by deep
bays, inlets, and fiords as to have much the appearance
of a group of islands.

During their passage across the channel both Trench
and Paul attempted to reason with Swinton, but that
hardened villain refused to utter a word till their pri-
soners were marched up the shingly beach, and told to sit
down on a ledge of rock under the steep cliffs, where
innumerable sea-birds were screaming a clamorous
welcome, or, perchance, a noisy remonstrance.

" Now, my friends," said their foe, " as you are fond
of commanding, you may take command o* them there
sea-birds — they won't object! — and if ye fall in wi*
your friends the savages, you may give them my love
an' good wishes."

" But surely you don't mean to leave us here without
food and with our hands tied behind us ? " fiercely ex-
claimed Master Trench, whose wrath at anything like
injustice was always prone to get the better of his
wisdom.

" As to grub," answered Swinton, " there 's plenty of
tliat around, if you only exert yourself to find it. I
won't cut your lashin's, however, till we are fairly in the
boat, for we can't trust you. Come along, lads ; and,
Garnet, you bring the boy with ye."

Under the impression that he was to be separated
from his father and friend, and taken back again to the
islet, poor Oliver, whom they had not thought it worth

TIIK CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

while to bind, struggled with a ferocity that would have
done credit to the wild-cats with which he had been
compared ; but Garnet was a strong man, and held him
fast.

"Take it easy, my boy," said Paul, who, being help-
less, could only look on with intense pity. " Submit to
God's will — we will pray for you."

But OUy's spirit could by no means reach the sub-
mitting point until he was fairly exhausted. While
they dragged him towards the boat, Taylor turned back
and flung a small canvas bag at the captain's feet.

*' There, Master Trench," he said, "you'll find a lump
o' pork in that bag to keep you goin' till ye get hold o'
somethin' else. An' don't take on about the boy. We
don't want 'im, bless you. Why, we only want to pre-
vent him settin' you free before we gets fairly away."

This was true. When the boat was reached and the
men were on board, ready to shove off. Garnet, still
holding Oily fast by the arm, said, "Keep still, will
you, and hear what Master Swinton has got to say ? '*

" Now, you fiery polecat," said Swinton, " you may
go and cut their lashin's, and take that as a parting
gift."

The gift was a sounding box on the ear; but Oily
minded it not, for while Garnet was speaking, as he
stood knee-deep in the water close to the boat, he had
observed an axe lying on one of the thwarts near to
him. The instant he was se free, therefore, he seized
the axe, and, flourishing it close past Garnet's nose, with
a cheer of defiance he sprang towards the beach. Garnet

"TAKE IT EASY, MY BOY," SAID PAUL.

Page 46.

TUUNED ADRIFT IN A FOREIGN LAND.

leaped after hiin, but he was no match for the agile boy,
who ill another minute had severed Paul's bonds and
phiced the weapon in his hands.

" Hallo ! lii, you 've forgot me. Cut my — ho 1 "

But there was no occasion for Master Trench to cry
out and struggle with the cords that bound him. A
iurious rush of Paul with the axe caused Garnet to
double with the neatness of a hunted hare. He bounded
into the boat, which was immediately shoved off, and
the sailors rowed away, leaving Paul to return and
liberate the captain at leisure.

Silently the trio stood and watched the receding boat,
until it was lost in the darkness of the night. Then
they looked at each other solemnly. Their case was
certainly a grave one.

"Cast away on an unknown shore," murmured the
captain, in a 1 w tone, as if he communed with his own
spirit rather th i with Ins companions, " without food,
without a ship or boat — without hope ! "

" Nay, Master Trench," said Paul, " not without hope ;
for * God is our refuge and our strength, a very present
help in trouble,' so says His own Word, as my mother
has often read to me."

" It is well for you, Paul, returned the captain,
" that you can find comfort in such words — I can find
none. Stern realities and facts are too strong for me.
How can I take comfort in unfulfilled promises?
Here we are in trouble enough, surely. In what sense
is God a * refuge ' to us — or * strength,' or a * present
help'? Why, we are left absolutely destitute here,

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

P f

without so much as a bite of food to keep our bodies
and souls together."

He spoke with some bitterness, for he was still
chafing under the sense of the wrong which he had
sufifexcd at the hands of men to whom he had been
invariably kind and forbearing. As he turned from
Paul with a gesture of impatience his foot struck
against the canvas bag of pork which the man Taylor
had flung to him on leaving, and which had been
forgotten. He stopped suddenly and gazed at it* so
did Paul.

" Looks like as if God had already helped us — at
least to food — does it not?" said the latter.

" It was Taylor helped us to that," objected Trench.

"And who put it into Taylor's heart to help us?"
asked Paul. " He is one of tlie worst men of our crew,
so we can hardly say it was his own tenderness, and
certainly it was not the devil who moved him to it.
Am I wrong in holding that it was * Our Father ' ? "

"I believe you are right, Paul. Anyhow, I have
neither the capacity nor the inclination to dispute the
point now. Pick up the bag, Oily, and come along.
We must try to find some sort of shelter in which to
spend the rest o' the night and consider our future
plans."

With a lighter heart and firmer faith, Paul Burns
followed his leader, silently thanking God as he went
along for thus far, and so opportunely, demonstrating
His own faithfulness.

They had to wander some time before a suitable

TURNED ADRIFT IN A FOREIGN LAND.

camping spot was found, for that part of the New-
foundland coast on which they had been landed was
almost inaccessible. The cliffs in many places rose
sheer out of the water to a height of full three hundred
feet. Only in a few places little strips of shingly beach
lay between the base of the cliffs and the sea, so that
the finding of an opening in those stupendous ram-
parts of rock was no easy matter in a dark night.

At last they came to a place where the cliffs appeared
to rise less precipitously. After careful clambering for
some minutes they discovered a sort of gap in the ram-
part, up which they climbed, amid rugged and broken
masses, until they reached a somewhat level plateau, or
shelf, covered with small bushes. Here they resolved
to encamp.

" Whether it *s the top o* the cliffs or not, there 's no
findin' out," remarked Trench, as he tried to survey the
ground ; " but whether or not don't matter, foi it looks
level enough to lie on, an' we 're as like as not to break
our necks if we try to go further."

" Agreed," said Paul ; "but now it occurs to me that
our pork may be raw, and that we shall want fire to
cook it. Have you got flint and steel in your pocket,
Master Trench?"

" Ay — never travel without it ; but by ill-luck I 've
got no tinder. Flint and steel are useless, you know,
without that."

" If ill-luck troubles you" returned Paul, " good luck
favours me, for I have got a bit of tinder, and "

"The pork's raw," exclaimed Oliver, who had been

•'iMjrt

THF CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

hastily investigating the contents of the canvas bag;
•* but, I say, there 's more than pork here. There 's a
lot o' the little flour-cakes our cook was so fond of
niakin'."

" Good. Now then let us have a search for wood,"
said Paul. " If we find that, we shall get along well
enough till morning. But have a care, Oily, keep from
the edge of the cliff. The ledge is not broad. Have an
eye too, or rather an ear, for water as you go along."

Success attended their search, for in a few minutes
Paul and the captain returned with loads of dry
branches, and Oily came back reporting water close
at hand, trickling from a crevice in the cliffs.

" Your shirt-front tells the tale, Oily. You 've been
drinking," said Paul, who was busy striking a light at
the. time.

"Indeed I have; and we shall all be obliged to
drink under difficulties, for we have neither cup nor
mug with as."

"Neither is wanted, boy, as I'll soon show you,"
said Paul. " Why, a bit of birch-bark, even a piece of
paper, forms a good drinking vessel if you only know
how to use it. Ha ! caught at last," he added, referring
to some dry grasses and twigs which burst into flame
as he spoke.

Another moment and a ruddy glare lit up the spot,
giving to things near at hand a cosy, red-hot appear-
ance, and to more distant objects a spectral aspect,
while, strangely enough, it seemed to deepen to pro-
founder darkness all else around. Heaping on fresh

TURNED ADRIFT IN A FOREIGN LAND.

fuel and pressing it down, for it consisted chiefly of
small branches, they soon had a glowing furnace, in
front of which the pork ere long sputtered pleasantly,
sending up a smell that might have charmed a gour-
mand.

" Now, then, while this is getting ready let us examine
our possessions," said the captain, " for we shall greatly
need all that we have. It is quite clear that we could

not return to our shipmates even if we would "

. " No, and I would not even if I could," interrupted
Oliver, while busy with the pork chops.

"And," continued his father, regardless of the inter-
ruption, " it is equally clear that we shall have to earn
our own livelihood somehow."

Upon careful examination it was found that their
entire possessions consisted of two large clasp-knives;
a sheath hunting-knife ; flint, steel, and tinder ; the
captain's watch ; a small axe ; a large note-book, belong-
ing to Paul ; three pencils ; bit of indiarubber ; several
fish-hocks; a long piece of twine, and three brass
buttons, the property of Oliver, besides the manuscript
Gospel of John, and Olly's treasured letter from his
mother. These articles, with the garments in which
they stood, constituted the small fortune of our wan-
derers, and it became a matter of profound specula-
tion, during the progress of the supper, as to whether
it was possible to exist in an unknown wilderness on
such very slender means.

Oily thought it was — as a matter of course.

Master Trench doubted, and shook his head with

THE CREW OP THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

an air of much sagacity, a method of expressing an
opinion which is eminently unassailable. Paul Burns
condescended on reasons for his belief — which, like
Olly's, was favourable.

" You see," he said, wiping his uncommonly greasy
fingers on the grass, "we have enough of pork and
cakes here for several days — on short allowance. Then
it is likely that we shall find some wild fruits, and
manage to kill something or other with stones, and it
cannot be long till we fall in with natives, who will
be sure to be friendly — if not, we will make them so —
and where thei^ can live, we can live. So I am going to
turn in and dream about it. Luckily the weather is
warm. Good-night."

Thus did our three adventurers, turning in on that
giddy ledge, spend their first night iu Newfoundland.

-llV

DIFFICULTIES MET AND OVERCOME.

CHAPTEE VL

DIFFICULTIES MET AND OVERCOME,

THE position in which the trio found themselves
next morning, when daylight revealed it, was, we
might almost say, tremendously romantic.

The ledge on which they had passed the night was
much narrower than they had supposed it to be, and
their beds, if we may so call them, had been dangerous-
ly near to the edge of a frightful precipice which
descended sheer down to a strip of sand that looked
like a yellow thread two hundred feet below. The cliff
behind them rose almost perpendicularly another hun-
dred feet or more, and the narrow path or gully by
which they had gained their eyrie was so steep and
rugged that their reaching the spot at all in safety
seemed little short of a miracle. The sun was brighten-
ing with its first beams an absolutely tranquil sea when
the sleepers opened their eyes, and beheld what seemed
to them a great universe of liquid light. Their ears at
the same time drank in the soft sound of murmuring
ripples far below, and the occasional cry of sportive sea-
birds.

"Grand ! glorious ! " exclaimed Trench, as he sat up
and gazed with enthusiasm on the scene.

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

Paul did not speak. His thoughts were too deep for
utterance, but his mind reverted irresistibly to some of
the verses in that manuscript Gospel which he carried
so carefully in his bosom.

As for Oliver, his flushed young face and glittering
eyes told their own tale. At first he felt inclined to
shout for joy, but his feelings choked him ; so he, too,
remained speechless. The silence was broken at last
by a commonplace remark from Paul, as he pointed to
the horizon —

"The home of our shipmates is further off than I
thought it was."

" The rascals ! " exclaimed the captain, thinking of
the shipmates, not of the home ; " the place is too good
for 'em."

" But all of them are not equally bad," suggested
Paul gently.

" Humph ! '' replied Trench, for kind and good-
natured though he was he always found it difficult to
restrain his indignation at anything that savoured of
injustice. In occasionally giving way to this temper,
he failed to perceive at first that he was himself some-
times guilty of injustice. It is only fair to add, how-
ever, that in his cooler moments our captain freely
condemned himself.

" ' Humph ! ' is a very expressive word," observed
Paul, "and in some sense satisfactory to those who
utter it, but it is ambiguous. Do you mean to deny.
Master Trench, that some of your late crew were very
good fellows ? and don't you admit that Little Stubbs

DIFFICULTIES MET AND OVERCOME.

and Squill and Grummidge were first-rate specimens
of "

" I don't admit or deny anything ! " said the captain,
rising, with a light laugh, '* and I have no intention of
engaging in a controversy with you before breakfast.
Come, Oily, blow up the fire, and go to work with your
pork and cakes. I '11 fetch some more wood, and Paul
will help me, no doubt."

With a good grace Paul dropped the discussion and
went to work. In a few minutes breakfast was not
only ready, but consumed ; for a certain measure of
anxiety as to the probability of there being an avail-
able path to the top of the cliffs tended to hasten their
proceedings.

The question was soon settled, foi aitor ascending a
few yards above their encampment, they found an in-
dentation or crevice in the cliff which led into an open
spot — a sort of broader shelf — which sloped upwards,
and finally conducted them to the summit.

Here, to their surprise, they discovered that their new
home, instead of being, as they had supposed it, one of
a series of large islands, was in truth a territory of vast,
apparently boundless, extent, covered with dense forests.
Far as the eye could reach, interminable woods pre-
sented tliemselves, merging, in the far distance, into
what appeared to be a range of low hills.

"Newfoundland is bigger than we have been led to
believe," said Paul Burns, surveying the prospect \\ Jth
great satisfaction.

"Ay is it," responded Trench. "The fact is that

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

Kf' it

discoverers of new lands, bein' naturally in ships, have
not much chance to go far inland. In a country like
this, with such a wild sea-board, it 's no wonder they
have made mistakes. We will find out the truth about
it now, however, for we '11 undertake a land voyage of
discovery."

" What ! without arms or provisions, father ? " asked
Oliver.

"What d'ye call the two things dangling from your
shoulders, boy?" returned the captain, with some
severity ; " are these not * arms * ? and have not woods
generally got lakes in 'em and rivers which usually
swarm with provisions ? "

"That's so, father," returned the lad, somewhat
abashed ; " but I did not raise the question as a diffi-
culty, only I 've heard you sometimes say that a ship is
not fit for sea till she is well armed and provisioned, so I
thought that it might be the same with land expeditions."

Before the skipper could reply, Paul drew attention
to an opening in the woods not far from them, where an
animal of some kind was seen to emerge into an open
space, gaze for a moment around it, and then trot
quietly away.

"Some of our provisions— uncooked as yet," re-
marked Oliver.

"More of them" returned his father, pointing to a
covey of birds resembling grouse, which flashed past
them at the moment on whirring wings. " How we are
to get hold of 'em, however, remains, of course, to be

seen.

DIFFICULTIES MET AND OVERCOME.

** There are many ways of getting hold of them, and
with some of these I am familiar/' said Paul. "For
instance, I can use the long-bow with some skill — at
least I could do so when at school. And I have no
doubt, captain, that you know how to use the cross-
bow ? "

"That I do," returned Trench, with a broad grin.
" I was noted at school as bein* out o' sight the worst
shot in the neighbourhood where I lived. Indeed, I 've
bin known to miss a barn-door at twenty yards ! "

" Well, well, you must learn to shoot, that 's all," said
Paul, " and you may, perchance, turn out better with
the sling. That weapon did great execution, as no
doubt you know, in the hands of King David."

" But where are we to get long-bows and cross-bows
and slings ? " asked Oliver eagerly.

" Why, Oily, my boy, excitement seems to have con-
fused your brain, or the air of Newfoundland disagrees
with you," said Paul. " We shall make them, of course.
But come," he added, in a more serious tone, " we have
reached a point — I may say a crisis — in our lives,
for we must now decide definitely what we shall do,
and I pray God to direct us so that we may do only
that which is right and wise. Are you prepared, cap-
tain, to give up all hope of returning to our shipmates ? "

" Of course I am," returned Trench firmly, while a
slight frown gathered on his brow. " The few who are
on our side could not make the rest friendly. They
may now fight it out amongst themselves as best they
can, for all that I care. We did not forsake them

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

They sent us away. Besides, we could not return, if we
wished it ever so much. No ; a grand new country lias
been opened up to us, and I mean to have a cruise of
exploration. Wliat say you, Oily ? "

" I *m with 'ee, father ! " answered the boy, with a nod
of the head that was even more emphatic than the tone
of his voice.

With a laugh at Oliver's enthusiasm, Paul declared
himself to be of much the same mind, and added that,
as they had no boxes to pack or friends to bid farewell
to, they should commence the journey there and then.

" I don't agree with that," said the captain.

*' Why not. Master Trench ? "

" Because we have not yet made our weapons, and it
may be that we shall have some good chances of
getting supplies at the very beginning of our travels.
My opinion is that we should arm ourselves before
starting, for the pork and cakes cannot last long."

This being at once recognised as sound advice, they
entered the forest, which was not so thick at that place
as it at first appeared to be. They went just far enough
to enable them to obtain a species of hardwood, which
the experienced eye of Paul Burns told them was suit-
able for bow-making. Here they pitched their camp.
Paul took the axe and cut down several small trees ;
the captain gathered firewood, and Oliver set about the
fabrication of a hut or booth, with poles, bark, turf, and
leaves, which was to shelter them from rain if it should
fall, though there was little chance of that, the weather
being fine and settled at the time.

hey
ace
igh
ich
it-

P-
es;

the

luld

her

The work which they had undertaken was by no
means as easy as they had anticipated. Paul had
indeed made bows and arrows in former years, bub
then all the materials had been furnished " in the
rough " to his hands, whereas he had non- not only to
select the tree best adapted to his purpose, but had to
choose the best part of it, and to reduce that portion
from a massive trunk to suitably slender proportions.
It was much the same with the arrows and cross-bow
bolts. However, there was resolution and perseverance
in each member of the party far more than sufficient to
overcome such little difficulties ; only, as we have said,
they were slower about it than had been expected, and
the work was far from completed when the descent of
night obliged them to seek repose.

" Not a bad little bower," remarked Paul, as they sat
down to supper in the primitive edifice which Oliver
had erected.

The said bower was about four feet high, eight wide,
and five deep, of irregular form, with three sides and a
roof; walls and roof being of the same material —
branchy, leafy, and turfy. The fourth side was an
open space in which the inhabitants sat, facing the
fire. The latter, being large enough to roast a sheep
whole, was built outside.

" Why, Oily, you 're a selfish fellow," said the captain,
during a pause in the meal ; " you 've thought only of
yourself in building this bower. Just look at Paul's
feet. They are sticking out ten or twelve inches beyond
our shelter!"

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

•

" That comes of his being so tall, daddy. But it does
not matter much. If it should come on to rain he can
draw his feet inside; there's room enough to double
up. Don't you think so, Paul ? "

But Paul replied not save by a gentle snore, for he
was a healthy man, and child-like in many respects,
especially in the matter of going off to the land of Nod
the moment his head touched his pillow. Possibly the
fresh air, the excitement, the energy with which he had
wrought, and the relish with which he had supped,
intensified this tendency on the present occasion.
Oliver very soon followed his friend's example, and so
Captain Trench was left ':^ meditate beside the fire.
He gazed into its glowing embers, or sometimes glanced
beyond it towards an open space where a tiny rivulet
glittered in the moonlight, and a little cascade sent its
purling music into the still air.

Ere long he passed from the meditative to the blink-
ing stage. Then he turned his eyes on the sleepers,
smiled meekly once or twice and nodded to them —
quite inadvertently ! After that he stretched his bulky
frame betude them, and resigned himself to repose.

Now, it is probable that we should have had nothing
more to record in reference to that first night in 'N'ew-
foundland if Captain Trench had been in t' labit of
taking his rest like ordinary mortah ;' .ot

his habit. He bounced in his sle ' i so

no one could ever find out. T aiseii .aiea the
" soft impeachment," and, in his wu.dng ^ .oments, was
wont to express disbelief as well as profound ignorance

DIFFICULTIES MET AND OVERCOME.

in regard to the subject. Several broken beds, however,
liad, in the course of his career, testified against him ;
but, like the man who blamed " the salmon," not " the
whisky," for his headaches. Trench blamed " the beds,"
not " the bouncing," for his misfortunes.

One might have counted him safe with the solid
earth of Newfoundland for his bed, but danger often
lurks where least expected. Oliver Trench was not an
architect either by nature or training. His bower had
been erected on several false principles. The bouncing
of a big man inside was too much for its infirm con-
Btitution. Its weak points were discovered by the
captain. A bounce into one of its salient supports
proved fatal, and the structure finally collapsed, bury-
ing its family in a compost of earth and herbage.

With a roar that would have done credit to a native
walrus, the captain struggled to free himself, under the
impression that a band of savages had attacked them.
All three quickly threw off the comparatively light
material that covered them, and stood in warlike
attitudes for a few seconds, glancing around for foes
who did not exist ! Then the roar of alarm was trans-
formed into shouts of laughter, but these were quickly
checked by a real foe who crept up insidiously and
leaped on them unexpectedly. The half-extinguished
fire, having been replenished by the falling structure —
much of which was dry and inflammable — caught on
the roof and flashed down into the interior.

"Save the pork, lad!" shouted the captain, as he
sprang out of the kindling mass.

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

" Ay, ay, father," replied the son.

Paul meanwhile grasped the half-finished bows and
arrows in his arms, and thus their little all was rescued
from the flames. Of course, the bower was utterly
consumed, but that caused them little grief. Having
extinguished the flames, they all lay down to finish off
the night under a neighbouring tree, and even its
architect became so oblivious of what had occurred
that he employed the remainder of his slumbering
hours in dreaming of the home in old England, and of
that dear mother whose last letter was still carefully
guarded in thj pocket of the coat that covered his
ardent little bosom.

THEY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EAUNEST.

CHAPTEK VII.

THET BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST.

WHEN their weapons were complete our three
travellers started on their journey of exploration
in the new-found land.

Captain Trench armed himself with a strong, heavily-
made cross-bow, and a birch-bark quiver full of bolts.
Paul Burns carried a bow as long as himself, with a
quiver full of tho orthodox " cloth-yard shafts." Oliver
provided himself with a bow and arrows more suited to
his size, and, being naturally sanguine, he had also
made for himself a sling with the cord he chanced to
possess and the leathern tongue of one of his shoes.
He likewise carried a heavy bludgeon, somewhat like a
policeman's baton, which was slung at his side. Not
content with this, he sought and obtained permission
to carry the axe in his belt Of course, none of the
bolts or arrows had metp^ points ; but that mattered
little, as one wood of whic ley were made was very
hard, and could be sharpened to a fine point ; and, being
feathered, the missiles flew straight to the mark when
pointed in the right direction.

" Now, captain," said Paul, on the morning they set
out, " let's see what you can do with your cross-bow at

THE CREW OF THE "WATER WAGTAIL."

the first bird you meet. I mean the first eatable bird ;
for I have no heart to kill the little twitterers around
us for the mere sake of practice."

" That will I right gladly," said Trench, fixing his
bow and string, and inserting a bolt with a confident
air.

"And there's a chance, daddy! See! a bird that
seems to wish to be shot, it sits so quietly on the tree."

The seaman ic;,lsed his weapon slowly to his shoulder,
shut the wrong eye, glared at the bird with the other,
took a long unsteady aim, and sent his bolt high over
the creature's head, as well as very much to one side.

" Might have been worse ! " said the captain.

" Might have been better," returned Paul, with equal
truth. " Now it 's my turn."

The bird, all ignorant of the fate intended for it, sat
still, apparently in surprise.

Paul drew his cloth-yard shaft to his ear and let fly.
It went apparently in search of the captain's bolt.

" Now me ! " cried the impatient Oily, in a hoarse
whisper, as he placed a stone in the sling and whirled
it round his head. His companions drew off! There
was a " burring " noise as the stone sped on its mission
and struck the tree-stem with a sounding crack, three
yards from the bird, which, learning wisdom from ex-
perience, at last took wing.

In anticipation of their chance coming round again,
both Paul and the captain had got ready their artillery,
and Oliver ^testily put another stone in his sling. A
look and exclamation of disappointment were given by

THEY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST.

each as the bird vanished, but just at that moment a
large rabbit darted across their path. Whiz ! twang !
burr ! went bolt and bow and stone, and that rabbit,
pierced in head and heart, and smitten on flank, fell to
rise no more.

" Strange ! " said Trench, in open-mouthed surprise,
" I 've often heard of coincidences, but I never did see
or hear of the like of that."

" All three to hit it at once ! " exclaimed Paul.

" Ay, and all three of us doiu' our best to hit it, too,"
exclaimed Oliver.

" Just so — that 's the puzzle, lad," rejoined the captain.
" If we had been try in' to hit something else now, there
would have been nothing strange about it ! But to hit
what we all aimed at "

Apparently the captain failed to find words ade-
quately to express his ideas, for he did not finish the
sentence ; meanwhile Paul picked up the rabbit and
attached it to his belt. After this, advancing through
the woods in a north-westerly direction, they made for
a somewhat elevated ridge, hoping to obtain from that
point a more extended view of the land.

Towards noon, feeling hungry, they began to look
out for a suitable spot whereon to lunch, or rather to
dine ; for while travelling on foot in wild countries men
usually find it convenient to take a very substantial
meal about, or soon after, noon.

"To have water handy," remarked Paul, as they
stopped to look round, " is essential to comfort as well
as cookery."

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIT-."

" Look there, away to the nor' west o' that bunch o'
trees," said the captain, pointing to a distant spot,
" there 's a depression in the ground there ; and from
the lie o' the land all round I should say we shall find a
stream o' some sort near it."

"I hope so," said Oliver; "for I shall want water to
wash the rabbit with, and I have a strong hope that we
may find fish in the rivers of this land, and although
my hooks are big, I think the fish may not be parti-
cular, seein' that they have never before been tempted
in that way."

" That 's true. Oily ; I hope you won't be disappointed.
But what makes you want to wash the rabbit, my
boy ? " asked the captain ; " it is not dirty ? "

"Perhaps not; but I don't quite relish the dirty
work of cleaning out a rabbit before cooking it, so I
want to try the plan of cutting it open, holding it
under water, and scraping out the inside while in that
position."

" My son, you won't be so particular when you 've
been a few weeks huntin' in the wild woods. But what
about the hair ? "

" Oh, we can singe that off, daddy."

" What ! singe off wet hair ? And the skin — I doubt
we might find that tough ? "

The young cook — for such he became to the exploring
expedition — loc^'ed puzzled.

" I never skinned a rabbit," he said, " but no doubt
it is easy enough. I'll just cut it open at the head
• — or tail — and pull it off like a glove."

THEY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST.

" Not quite so easily done as that," remarked Paul,
with a laugh ; " but I happen to know something about
skinning birds and beasts, Oily, so make your mind
easy. I will show you how to do it."

"You happen to know something about almost
everything, I think," said the captain. " Tell me now,
d' ye happen to know what sort o' beast it is that I see
starin' at us over the bushes yonder ? "

" No, Master Trench, I do not ; but it looks marvel-
lously like a deer of some sort," said Paul, as he hastily
fitted an arrow to his bow. But before he could dis-
charge it the animal wisely retired into the shelter of
its native wilds.

By this time, having walked smartly, they had gained
the crest of one of the lower ridges, or plateaus, that
rose in gentle slopes from the rocky shore, and there,
as had been anticipated, they found a small rivulet,
such as Americans would call a creek and Scotsmen a
burn. It flowed in a north-easterly direction, and was
broken by several small rapids and cascades.

With a little shout of satisfaction, Oliver ran down
to its banks, getting his hooks out as he went. Arriv-
ing at the margin of a deep pool, he bent over it and
gazed earnestly down. The water was as clear as
crystal, showing every .^tone at the bottom as if it had
been covered merely with a sheet of glass, and there,
apparently undisturbed by the intruder, lay several
large fish.

What they were he knew not — cared not. Sufficient
for him that they seemed large and fat. His first

,-**y

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

impulse was to turn and shout the discovery to his
companions ; but seeing that they had ah-eady set to
work to cut firewood a little higher up the stream, he
checked himself.

" I '11 catch a fish first, maybe," he muttered, as he
quickly adjusted to his piece of cord one of the smallest
cod-hooks he possessed. A few minutes sufficed for
this ; but when he was ready, it occurred to him that
he had no bait. He looked around him, but nothing
suitable was to be seen, and he was about to attempt
the all but hopeless task of tearing up the soil with his
fingers in search of a worm, when his eyes fell on a
small bright feather that had been dropped by some
passing bird. "Happy thoughts" occurred to people
in the days of which we write, even as now, though
they were not recognised or classified as such.

Fly-fishing was instantly suggested to the eager boy.
He had often tried it in Old England ; why not try it
in Newfoundland ? A very brief period sufficed to
unwind a thread from the cord, and therewith to attach
the feather to the hook. He had no rod, and neither
time nor patience to make one. Gathering the cord
into a coil, such as wharfmen form when casting ropes
to steamers, he swung it round his head, and hove his
hook half-way across the glassy pool.

The fish looked up at him, apparently in calm sur-
prise—certainly without alarm. Then Oily began to
haul in the hook. It was a fearful fly to look at, such
as had never desecrated those waters since the days of
Adam, yet those covetous fish rushed at it in a body.

THEY BEGIN THEIR TllAVELS IN EARNEST.

The biggest caught it, and found himself caught! The
boy held on tenderly, while the fish in wild amazement
darted from side to side, or sprang high into the air.
Oliver was far too experienced a fisher not to know that
the captive might be but slightly hooked, so he played
it skilfully, casting a sidelong glance now and then at
his busy comrades in the hope that they had not ob-
served him.

At last the fish became tired, and the fisher drew it
slowly to the bank — a four- or five-pound trout at the
very least! Unfortunately the bank was steep, and
the boy found, to his distress, that the hook had only
caught hold slightly of the fish's lip. To lift out the
heavy creature with the line was therefore impossible,
to catch hold of it with the hand was almosc equally
so ; for when he lay down and stretched out his arm
as far as possible, he could scarcely touch it with the
end of his finger.

" If it makes another dash it '11 escape," muttered the
anxious boy, as he slid further and further down the
bank — a hairbreadth at a time.

Just then the fish showed symptoms of revival. Oily
could stand this no longer. He made a desperate grasp
and caught it by the gills just as the hook came away.
The act destroyed what little balance he had retained,
and he went with a sharp short yell into the pool.

Paul looked up in time to see his friend's legs dis-
appear. He ran. to the spot in considerable alarm,
supposing that the boy might have taken a fit, and not
knowing whether he could swim. He was relieved,

j ,

j, ;|

1 '^

■1 ^'

1 i^

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

however, to find that Oily on reappearing struck out
manfully with one hand for a shallow place at the
lower end of the pool, while with the other he pressed
some object tightly to his bosom.

"You don't mean to say," exclaimed Paul, as he
assisted his friend out of the water, " that you went in for
that splendid trout and caught it with your hands !"

" You saw me dive," replied the boy, throwing the
fish down with affected indifference, and stooping to
wring .the water from his garments as well as to hide
his face ; "and you don't suppose, surely, that I caught
it with my feet. Come, look at the depth I had to go
down to catch him ! "

Seizing his prize, Oily led his friend to the spot
where he had fallen in, and pointed with a look of
triumph to the clear, deep pool. At the moment
a smile of intelligence lit up Paul's features, and
he pointed to the extemporised iiy-liook which still
dangled from the bank.

Bursting into a hearty fit of laughter, the successful
fisher ran up to the encampment, swinging the trout
round his head, to the surprise and great satisfaction of
his father, who had already got the fire alight and the
rabbit skinned.

Need it be said that the meal which followed was
a hearty one, though there was no variety save roast
rabbit, roast trout, and roast pork, with the last of the
cakes as pudding ?

"A first-rate dinner!" exclaimed Paul, after swallow-
ing a draft of sparkling water from the stream.

THEY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST.

ras
ist
the

Iw-

" Not bad," admitted Captain Trench, " if we only
had something stronger than water to wash it down."

Paul made no reply to this remark, but he secretly
rejoiced in the necessity which delivered his friend
from the only foe that had power to overcome him.

"Now," remarked Paul, when he had finished
dinner, "I will strengthen my bow before starting,
for it does not send the arrows with sufficient force,
and the only way to do that, that I can think of, is to
shorten it."

"And I will feather the last arrow I made," said
Olivf r, drawing the shaft in question out of his quiver.
' " Well, as my bow and bolts are all ship-shape ard
in perfect order, I will ramble to the top of the ridge
before us and take a look out ahead."

So saying the captain departed, and the other two
were soon so deeply absorbed in tlieir work and in
conversation about future plans that they had almost
forgotten him when a loud shout caused them to
start up. On looking towards t'.e ridge they beheld
Captain Trench tossing his arms wildly in the air and
shouting and gesticulating violently.

" Sees savages, I think," said Paul.

" Or gone mad !" cried Oily.

Catching up their arms, the two ran hastily to the
tup of the ridge, where they arrived perspiring and
panting, to find that their excitable comrade had only
gone into ecstacies about the magnificent scenery tiiat
had burst upon his sight.

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

CHAPTER VIII.

BFADTIPUL SOKNES AND STRANGE EXPERIENCES.

AND, truly^ the scene which met their gaze was
of a nature calculated to arouse enthusiasm in
a much less ardent bosoju than that of Captain Trencli.
A wide undulating country, studded with lakelets and
rich with verdure, stretched away from their feet to
the horizon, where a range of purple hills seemed to
melt and mingle with cloudland, so that the eye was
carried, as it were, by imperceptible gradations from
the rugged earth up into the soft blue sky ; indeed, it
was difficult to distinguish where the former ended and
the latter began. The lakes and ponds were gay with
yellow water-lilies, and the air was musical with the
sweet cries of wild-fowl ; while the noon-tide sun
bathed the whole in a golden glory.

The effect of such a sight on our wanderers was at
first too powerful for words, and when words did burst
forth they served to show how wonderfully diverse are
the spirits of men. Capiain Trench, as we have seen,
was moved by this vision of beauty to shout, almost to
dance, with delight, while in thought he bounded over
the length and breadth of the new land, taking bear-
ings, and making notes and charts with the view of

BEAUTIFUL SCENES AND STRANGE EXPERIENCES. 73

|r-
of

extending the geographical knowledge of mankind!
His son Oliver, on the other hand, allowed his ima-
gination to revel freely through the forests and over
the hills and across lakes and savannahs in powerful
sympathy with the aspirations which must have ani-
mated Nimrod ; while to Paul Burns, whose tempera-
ment was sedate and earnest, as well as cheerful and
hearty, the glorious vision at once suggested thoughts
of that tranquil home in which man's lot was originally
cast by the loving heart of Gud.

" Now it is quite plain," said Trench, as they slowly
descended into this beautiful scene, "tliat this land is
no collection of small islands, as we have been led to
suppose, but a great land full of all that is needful to
make it the happy abode of man."

"Just so, daddy !" exclaimed the enthusiastic Oliver,
" and we have been sent to explore it and carry home
the news — perhaps to bring out the first settlers and
show them the way !"

" Why, Oily, you carry too much sail for so small a
craft; you look out rather too far ahead. And what
mean ye by saying we are sent ? Nobody sent us on
this journey that I know of, unless you mean that
Swinton — the big scoundrel ! — sent us."

"Whatever Oily meant by the expression," inter-
posed Paul, " I think he is right ; for all men are sent
by the Almighty, no matter where they go."

" What ! d' ye mean that men are sent by the
Almighty whether they go to do good or evil ?"

" Ay, Master Trench, that is what I mean ; they are

fHE CKEW OF THE " WATEU WAGTAIL."

■'■

sent by Him, tlioiigh not sent to do evil. Look here,
don't you admit that God created all men and seiU
them into this world ?"

"Ofcourseldo."

"And that he made you an Englishman, and so
sent you to England; and that He made you a sea-
captain, and among other places sent you to New-
foundland."

" Well — I — I suppose He did," returned the captain,
with that puzzled expression of countenance which
was wont to indicate that his mind was grappling
difficulties.

'• Well, then," continued Paul, " heing good, of course
the Almighty sent us to do good ; but He also gave us
free wills, which just means permission to do as we
please ; so it remains to be seen whether we will use
our free wills in working with Him, or in trying to
work against Him, for, strange to say, we cannot really
work against God, we can only try to do it, and in so
trying we establish the fact of our own wickedness;
but His grand and good purposes shall be carried out
in spite of us notwithstanding, for he can bring good
out of evil."

" Now, Paul, I 've lost soundings altogether, and it 's
my opinion that you are foolishly talking about things
that you don't understand."

" I never heard. Master Trench, that it was foolish
to talk about what one does not understand ! On the
contrary, it is by talking of things that we don't
understand that we manage at last to understand

BEAUTIFUL SCENES AND STRANGE EXPERIENCES. 75

them. You had a deal of talking about navigation,
had you not, before you understood it ?"

" Look 'ee here, lad," said Trench, stopping suddenly,
with his legs planted firmly apart as though on the
quarter-deck of his ship in a cross sea, while he drove
his right fist into the palm of his left hand argumenta-
tively. " Look *ee here. How can it be possible that
— that — pooh ! Come along, we '11 never get on with
our survey of the land if we dispute at this rate."

The stout mariner turned away with an air of ex-
asperation, and resumed his walk at a rapid pace, closely
followed by his amused friend and son.

This irreverent mode of dismissing a grave and diffi-
cult subject was not peculiar to Captain Trench. It
has probably been adopted by those who shrink from
mental effort ever since the days of Adam and Eve.
Minds great and small have exercised themselves since
the beginning of time on this perplexing subject —
God's sovereignty and man's free w'll — with benefit,
probably, to themselves. We recommend it in passing,
good reader, to your attention, and we will claim to
be guiltless of presumption in thus advising, so long
as the writing stands, " Prove all things, and hold fast
tluit which is good."

Before the sun went down that night our explorers
had plunged into the very heart of the beautiful
country which we have described — now pushing
through tangled underwood, or following the innumer-
able deer-tracks with which the country was seamed,
or breasting the hill-sides, or making detours to get

rHE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

■■

round small lakes, being guided, in a westerly direc-
tion, by a small pocket-compass which Captain Trench
^ as fortunately in the habit of carrying with hira
Wi. jiever he went. No largf^ Jakes or broad rivers had
yet been met with, so that up to this point the diver-
gencies from the direct line had not been great.

Thus they advanced for several days, subsisting on
game and fish, chiefly the last, however ; for their
shooting powers were very defective, and Oliver was
an ardent — too ardent — fisher. Their inability to shoot
became at last a serious matter, for many arrows and
bolts wore lost, as well as muv.h game.

" Look, now, there 's another chance," whispered
Paul, pointing to a plump willow-grouse that sat
in a bush in front of them. 'You try first, Master
Trench."

"An* don't miss, daddy," s?.id Oliver entreatingly ;
"there's only the bones of a rabbit left from this
morning's breakfast."

The captain took a fervently careful aim, but went
far wide of the mark, to his intense chagrin. Paul then
bent his bow, but without success, though his arrows
stuck in a branch close under the bird, wliich, being
v-^r" tame, only glanced down inquiringly. Oliver's
arrow went over it, and the stone which he afterwards
slang made such a rattling in the bush tliat the puzzled
creature finally retired.

" This is becoming serious," remarked the captain,
with a face so solemn that Paul burst into a fit of
laughter.

BKAUTIFUL SCENES AND STRANGE EXPERIENCES. 77

" Ha ! you may laugh, lad," continued Trench, " but
if you were as hungry as I am you 'd be more inclined
to cry. D'ye think a stout man like me can sup
heartily on rabbit bones?"

" You 've forgot, daddy, the four big trout I caught
to-day."

" So I have. Oily ; well, come and let 's have 'em
cooked at once."

The fish, which were really more than sufficient
without the rabbit bones, were soon grilling over a
huge fire under the canopy of a spreading birch-tree.

V/hen the skipper had disposed of enough to allay
the pangs of hunger, he turned and said to his com-
rades, in a tone of marked decision —

"Now, mess-mates, I've been rummagin' my brains
a bit, and the outcome of it is as follows : — ' Whatever
is worth doin' is worth doin' well,' as the old proverb
puts it. If we are to explore this country, we Tuust
set about learning to shoot, for if we don't, we are
likely to starve in th midst of plenty, and leave our
bones to bleach in this beautiful wilderness."

" True, Master Trench," remarked Paul, for the sea-
man had paused at this point; ''thus far you and I
think alike. What more have you to say ?"

" This I have to say, that 1 am resolved not to ex-
plore another fathom o' this land until I can make sure
of hittin' the crown o' my cap with a cross-bow bolt at
a reasonable distance; and I would advise you both to
make the same resolution, for if you don't you will
have to do your exploring without me."

i »

t-r

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL

" Just so, captain," said Paul, putting the last morsel
of fish into his mouth, with a sigh of contentment ;
" you are commander of this expedition. I will obey
orders."

" But what do you call a * reasonable ' distance,
daddy ?" asked Oliver, with tliat pert cock of the head
peculiar to insolent youths ; " a yard, or a fathom ?"

"Well, now," continued Trench, ignoring the ques-
tion, " we will set about it to-morrow morning, first
thing after breakfast; stick up a target, retire to a
reasonable distance, and work away from morning till
night, and every day till we become perfect."

"Agreed, captain," said Paul; " but what about
food?"

" We will give Oily leave of absence for an hour or
two daily to go and fish," said the captain ; " that will
keep us alive, coupled with what birds or beasts may
come accidentally in front of our arrows."

This plan, although proposed at first half in jest, was
carried into operation next day, during the whole of
which they practised shooting at a mark most dili-
gently. At supper-time, over a couple of fine trout,
it was admitted sadly by each that the progress made
was very slight — indeed, scarcely perceptible. Next
night, however, the report was more favourable, and
the third nigh it was felt that the prospect ahead was
becoming hopefpl ; for, besides the improvement in
shooting, two rabbits graced their supper, one having
been arrested by an almost miraculous bolt when
bolting ; the other having been caught, unintentionally,

BEAUTIFUL SCENES AND STRANGE EXPERIENCES. 79

by a stone similar to that which brought down the
giant of Gath. Th3 fact that skill had nothing to
do with the procuring of either did not in the least
detract from the enjoyment with which they consumed
both.

"Nothing is denied," they say, "to well-directed
labour, and nothing can be done withouc it." Like
most of the world's maxims, this is a partially erroneous
statement ; for many things are denied to well-directed
labour, and sometimes amazing success is accorded to
ill-directed and blundering efforts. Still, what truth
does exist in the saying was verified by our three
friends ; for, after two weeks of unremitting, unwearied,
persistent labour, each labourer succeeded in raising
enormous blisters on two fingers of his right liand, and
in hitting objects the size of a swan six times out of
ten at a " reasonable distance I ''

Having arrived at this state of proficiency with their
weapons, they resumed their journey, fortified with a
hearty breakfast, the foundation of which was fish, the
superstructure willow-grouse interspersed with rabbit,
and the apex plover.

Not long after that the first deer was shot. It
occurred thus : — They were v/alking one beautiful morn-
ing slowly along one of the numerous deer-tracks of
which we have already made mention, and were ap-
proaching the summit of a ridge at the veiy time that
a herd of deer, headed by a noble stag, were ascending
the same ridge from the opposite side. The little air
that moved was blowing in the right direction — from

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

the deer towards the travellers. As they to))ped the
ridge about the same instant, the two parties stood
suddenly face to face, and it would hi difficult to deter-
mine which party looked mos^ amazel

Facility in fitting arrows, etc., had been acquired by
that time. The hunters were reaay in a couple of
seconds. The deer, recovering, wheeled about; but
before they could take the first bound, " burr, twang,
and whizz," sounded in their ears. The stone stn^.ok
an antler of the stag, the arrow pierced his riank, the
bolt quivered in his heart, and the monarch of the
woods, leaping wildly into the air, fell dead upon the
ground.

" Well done, Master Trench ! " shouted Paul, with
a hearty cheer. As for Oliver, he uttereu a squeal
of delight, threw an r.ncontrollable somersault, and
landed, sittingwise, on a bed of soft moss.

This was a tremendous triumph and source of jubila-
tion, and it soon became obvious to each that the other
two had a hard struggle to keep their expressions of
satisfaction within thw limits of moderation; for not
only had they now obtained the crowning evidence of
their skill, but they were provided with a supply of
meat which, if properly dried, would furnish them with
food for many days to come.

It was a striking and picturesque, though perhaps
not an agreeable, sight to witness the party tlia^ night,
in the ruddy light of the camp-fire, with sleeves rolled
to the shoulders, and bloody knives in hands, operating
on the carcase of the deer, and it was several houra

BEAUTIFUL SCENES AND STRANGE EXPERIENCES. 81

past their usual supper-time before they felt them-
selves at liberty to sit down on a bed of spruce-fir
branches and enjoy the luxury of rest and food.

Next day, while proceeding slowly through the
woods, chatting merrily over the incidents of the pre-
vious day, a sudden silence fell upon them ; for out of
the thick shrubbery there stalked a tall, noble-looking
man of middle age. He was dressed in the garb of a
hunter. Long yellow curls hung on his shoulders, and
a heavy beard and moustache of the same colour con-
cealed the lower part of a bronzed and handsome
countenance. His bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle
with good humour as he gazed inquiringly, yet sadly,
at t^e astonished faces of the three travellers.

• , ■>• w-

THE CHEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

CHAPTER IX.

THEIR NEW AOQUAINTANOB BECOMES INTERESTED AND PRACTICAL.

THE tall stranger who had thus suddenly presented
himself bore so strong a resemblance to the
vikings of old that Paul Burns, who was familiar with
tales and legends about the ancient sea-rovers, felt
stealing over him at the first glance a sensation
somewhat akin to awe, for it seemed as if cne of
the sea-kings had actually risen from his grave to
visit them.

This feeling was succeeded, however, by one of in-
tense surprise when the stranger addressed them in the
English tongue.

" I thought, years ago," he said, " that I had seen the
last of white faces ! "

It immediately occurred to Oliver Trench that, as
their faces were by that time deeply embrowned by the
sun, the stranger must be in a bantering mood, but
neither he nor his companions replied. They were too
much astonished to speak or even move, and waited for
more.

"This is not a land where the men whose ruling
ideas seem to be war and gold are likely to find what
they want," continued the stranger, somewhat sternly.

NEW ACQUAINTANCE BECOMES INTERESTED.

"Whence come ye? Are you alone, or only the
advance-guard of the bloodthirsty race ? "

There was something so commanding as well as courtly
in the tone and bearing of this extraordinary man, that
Paul half involuntarily removed his cap as he replied :

"Forgive me, sir, if astonishment at your sudden
appearance has made me appear rude. Will you sit
down beside 'u3 and share our ineal, while I answer
your questions ? "

With a quiet air and slight smile the stranger
accepted the invitation, and listened with profound
interest to Paul as he gave a brief outline of the wreck
of the Water Wagtail, the landing of the crew, the
mutinous conduct of Big Swinton and his comrades,
and the subsequent adventures and wanderings of him-
self, Master Trench, and Oliver.

" Your voices are like the echoes of an old, old song,"
said the stranger, in a low sad voice, when the narra-
tive was concluded. "It is many years since I heard
my native tongue from English lips. I had forgotten
it ere now if I had not taken special means to keep it
in mind."

" And pray, good sir," said Paul, " may I ask how it
happens that we should find an Englishman in this
almost unheard-of wilderness ? To tell you the truth,
my first impression on seeing you was that you were
the ghost of an ancient sea-king."

"I am the ghost of my former self," returned the
stranger, "and you are not far wrong about the sea-
kings, for 1 am in very truth a descendant of those

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

rovers who carried death and destruction round the
world in ancient times. War and gold — or what gold
represents — were their gods in those days."

** It seems to me," said Captain Trench, at last joining
in the conversation, " that if you were in Old England
just now, or any other part of Europe, you 'd say that
war and gold are as much worshipped now-a-days as
they ever were in the days of old."

" If you add love and wina to the catalogue," said
Paul, " you have pretty much the motive powers ihat
have swayed the world since the fall of man. But tell
us, friend, how you came to be here all alone."

" Not now — not now," replied the stranger hurriedly,
and with a sudden gleam in his blue eyes that told of
latent power and passion under his calm exterior.
"When we are better acquainted, perhaps you shall
know. At present, it is enough to say that I have
been a wanderer on the face of the earth for many
years. For the last ten years my home has been in
this wilderness. My native land is one of those rugged
isles which form the advance-guard of Scotland in the
Northern Ocean."

" But are you quite alone here ? " asked Captain
Trench, with increasing interest.

" Not quite alone. One woman has had pity on me,
and shares my solitude. We dwell, with our children,
on an island in a great lake, to which I will conduct you
if you will accept my hospitality. Red men have often
visited me there, but I had thought that the face of a
white man would never more grieve my sight."

NEW ACQUAINTANCE BECOMES INTERESTED.

" Is, then, the face of the white man so distasteful to
you ? " asked Paul.

" It ivas ; but some change must have come over me,
for while I hold converse with you the old hatred seems
melting away. If I had met you eight or ten years
ago, I verily believe that I would have killed you all
in cold blood, but now "

He stopped abruptly, and gazed into the flames of the
camp fire, witli a grave, almost tender air that seemed
greatly at variance with his last murderous remark.

" However, the feeling is past and gone — it is dead,"
he presently resumed, with a toss of his head which
sent the yellow curls back, and appeared at the same
time to cast unpleasant memories behind him, " and I
am now glad to see and welcome you, though I cannot
help grieving that the white race has discovered my
lonely island. They might have discovered it long ago
if they had only kept their ears open."

" Is it a big island, then — not a cluster of islands ? "
asked Trench eagerly.

" Yes, it is a large island, and there is a great con-
tinent of unknown extent to the westward of it."

" But what do ycu mean, stranger, by saying that it
might have been discovered long ago if people had
kept their ears open ? " asked Paul. " It is well known
that only a few years ago a sea-captain named Columbus
discovered the great continent of which you speak, and
that so recently as the year 1497 the bold mariner,
John Cabot, with his son Sebastian, discovered these
islands, which they have named Newfoundland."

THE CREW OF THE " WATEU WAGTAIL."

,•■.

The stranger listened with evident interest, not un-
miugled with surprise, to this.

" Of Columbus and Cabot I have never heard," he
replied, " having had no intercourse with the civilised
world for twenty years. I knew of tliis island and
dwelt on it long before the time you say that Cabot
came. But that reminds me that once, on returning
from a hunting expedition into the interior, it was
reported to me by Indians that a giant canoe had been
seen off the coaiit. That may have been Cabot's ship.
As to Columbus, my forefathers discovered the great
continent lying to the west of this about five hundred
years before he could have been born. When I was a
boy, my father, whose memory was stored with in-
numerable scraps of the old viking sagas, or stories,
used to tell me about the discovery of Vinland by the
Norsemen, which is just the land that seems to have
been re-discovered by Columbus and Cabot. My father
used to say that many of the written sagas were believed
to exist among the colonists of Iceland. I know not.
It is long since my tliouglits ceased to be troubled by
such matters, but what you tell me has opened up the
flood-gates of old memories that I had thought were
dead and buried for ever."

All that day the strange hunter accompanied them,
and encamped with them at night. Next morning he
resumed with ever-increasing interest the conversation
which had been interrupted by the necessity of taking
rest. It was evident that his heart was powerfully
stirred ; not so much by the news which he received,

f»

NEW ACQUAINTANCE BECOMES INTERESTED.

as by the old thoughts and feelings that had been
revived. ]Ie was very sociable, and, among other things,
showed his new friends how to slice and dry their
venison, so as to keep it fresh and make it convenient
for carriage.

"But you won't require to carry much with you,"
he explained, " for the country swarms with living
creatures at all times — especially just now."

On this head he gave them so much information,
particularly as to the habits and characteristics of birds,
beasts, and fishes, that Paul's natural-historic enthusiasm
was aroused; and Oliver, who had hitherto concerned
himself exclusively with the uses to which wild animals
might be applied — in the way of bone-points for arrows,
twisted sinews for bowstrings, flesh for the pot, and
furs for garments — began to feel considerable curiosity
as to what the creatures did when at home, and why
they did it.

"If wo could only find out what they think about,"
he remarked to the hunter, "we might become quite
sociable together."

What it was in this not very remarkable speech that
interested their new friend we cannot tell, but certain it
is that from the time it was uttered he took greater
interest in the boy, and addressed many of his remarks
and explanations to him.

There was a species of dignity about this strange
being which prevented undue familiarity either with
or by ^im; hence, he always addressed tbe boy by his
full name, and never condescended to "Oily I" The

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

f/j

1.0

I.I

1.25

|4S
1^

IM IIIIIZ5

?^? i?l

illM '""^
12.0

1.4

1.6

r» A>

///,.

'e.

'c3

»- ^^N

»■■; />

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

■^

«•

<^^>

c.\

<?>

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

name by which he himself chose to be called was
Hendrick, but whether that was a real or assumed
name of course they had no means of knowing.

Continuing to advance through a most beautiful
country, the party came at last to a river of consider-
able size and depth, up the banks of which they
travelled for several days. Hendrick had by tacit
agreement assumed the leadership of the party, because,
being intimately acquainted with the land, both as to
its character, form, and resources, he was naturally
fitted to be their guide.

" It seems to me," said Captain Trench, as they sat
down to rest one afternoon on a sunny bank by the
river side — out of which Oily had just pulled a magni-
ficent trout — " that the climate of this island has been
grossly misrepresented. The report was brought to us
th?t it was a wild barren land, always enveloped in
thick fogs; whereas, although I am bound to say we
found fogs enough on the coast, we have found nothing
but beauty, sunshine, and fertility in the interior."

" Does not this arise from the tendency of mankind to
found and form opinions on insufficient knowledge?"
said Hendrick. "Even the Indians among whom I
dwell are prone to this error. If your discoverer Cabot
had dwelt as many years as I have in this great island,
he would have told you that it has a splendid climate,
and is admirably adapted for the abode of man. Just
look around you — the region which extends from your
feet to the horizon in all directions is watered as you see
by lakes and rivers, which swarm with fish and are

NEW ACQUAINTANCE BECOMES INTRRESTED.

alive with wildfowl ; the ^ oods, which are largely com-
posed of magnificent and useful trees, give shelter
to myriads of animals suitable for food to man; the
soil is excellent, and the grazing lands would maintain
thousands of cattle — what more could man desire?"

"Nothing more," answered Paul, "save the oppor-
tunity to utilise it all, and the blessing of God upon
his efforts."

"The opportunity to utilise it won't be long of
coming, now that the facts about it are known, or soon
to be made known, by us," remarked Trench.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Paul. "It is
wonderful how slow men are to believe, and still more
wonderful how slow they are to act."

That the captain's hopes were not well founded,
and that Paul's doubts were justified, is amply proved by
the history of Newfoundland. At first its character
was misunderstood ; then, when its unparalleled cod-
fishing banks were discovered, attention was entirely
confined to its rugged shores. After that the trade fell
into the hands of selfish and unprincipled monopolists,
who wilfully misrepresented the nature of this island,
and prevailed on the British Government to enact
repressive laws, which effectually prevented colonisation.
Then prejudice, privileges, and error perpetuated the
evil state of things, so that the true character of the land
was not known until the present century; its giand
interior was not systematically explored till only a few
years ago, and thus it comes to pass that even at the
present day one of the finest islands belonging to the

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

British Crown — as regards vast portions of its interior —
atill remains a beautiful wilderness unused by man.

But with this we have nothing at present to do. Our
business is, in spirit, to follow Hendrick and his friends
through that wilderness, as it was at the beginning of
the sixteenth century.

Deer-tracks, as we ha\o said, were innumerable,
and along one of those tracks a herd of deer were
seen trotting one day about two bow-shots from the
party. With characteristic eagerness Oliver Trench
hastily let fly an arrow at them. He might as well
have let it fly at the pole-star. The only effect it had
was to startle the deer and send them galloping into
the shelter of the woods.

" What a pity ! " exclaimed Oliver.

" Not so, my boy," remarked his father. "Experience,
they say, teaches fools; and if experience has now
taught you that it is foolish to shoot at game out of
lange, you are no fool, which is not a pity, but matter
for congratulation."

" But what about practice, daddy ? Did you not
say only last n'qjht that there is nothing like practice
to make perfect ? "

"True, lad, but I did not recommend practising
at deer beyond range. Besides, you can practise at
stumps and stones."

" But stumps and stones don't afford running shots,"
objected Oily.

"Yes they do, boy. You can run past the stumps
while you shoot, and as to stones, you can roll them

NEW ACQUAINTANCE BECOMES INTERESTED.

down hill and let fly at them as they roll. Now clap
the hatches on your mouth ; you 're too fond of argu-
ment."

" I 'm only a chip of the ancient tree, father," retorted
the boy, with a quiet laugh.

How much further this little skirmish might have
proceeded we cannot tell, for it was brought to an
abrupt close by the sudden appearance of a black bear.
It was on turning a clifif which bordered the edge of a
stream that they came upon the monster — so close to it
that they had barely time to get ready their weapons
when it rose on its hind legs to attack them.

"Look out!" yelled Oliver, who, being in advance,
was the first to see the bear.

A stone from hi? sling was well though hastily
aimed, for it hit the animal fairly on the nose, thereby
rendering it particularly angry. Almost at the same
moment a bolt and an arrow flew from the weapons
of Paul and Trench ; but they flew wide of the mail,
and there is no saying what the result might have been
had not Hendrick bent his short but powerful bow, and
sent an arrow to the feather into the creature's breast.

The modern bullet is no doubt more deadly than the
ancient arrow, nevertheless the latter had some advan-
tages over the iormer. One of these was that, as it
transfixed several muscles, it tended to hamper the
movements of the victim shot. It also drew attention
in some degree from the assailant. Thus, on the present
occasion the bear, with a savage growl, seized the head
of the arrow which projected from the wound and

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

wrenched it off. This, although little more than a
momentary act, gave the hunter time to fit and dis-
charge a second arrow, which entered the animal's
throat, causing it to fall writhing on the ground, while
Oliver, who had gone almost mad with excitement,
grasped his axe, bounded forward, and brought it down
on bruin's skull.

Well was it for the reckless boy that Hendrick's
arrows had done their work, for, although his young
arm was stout and the axe sharp, little impression
was made on the hard-headed creature by the blow.
Hendrick's knife, however, completed the work and
despatched the bear. Then they all sat down to rest
while the hunter set to work to skin the animal

wmmmmrm

olly's first salmon and hendkick's home. 93

CHAPTEE X.

ollt's first salmon and hendbiok's home.

FROM this time forward the opportunities for
hunting and fishing became so numerous that
poor Oliver was kept in a constantly bubbling over con-
dition of excitement, and his father had to restrain him
a good deal in order to prevent the larder from being
greatly overstocked.

One afternoon they came to a river which their
guide told them was one of the largest in the country.

" It flows out of the lake, on one of the islands of
which I have built my home."

" May I ask," said Paul, with some hesitation, " if
your wife came with you from the Shetland Isles ? "

A profoundly sad expression flitted across the
hunter's countenance.

"No," he replied. "Trueheart, as she is named
in the Micmac tongue, is a native of this island — at
least her mother was ; but her father, I have been told,
was a white man — a wanderer like myself — who came
in an open boat from no one knows where, and cast his
lot among the Indians, one of whom he married. Both
parents are dead. I never saw them; but my wife,
I think, must resemble her white father in many

THIT ORBW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

respects. My children are like her. Look now,
Oliver/' he said, as if desirous of changing the subject,
"yonder is a pool in which it will be worth while to
cast your hook. You will find something larger there
than you have vet caught in the smaller streams. Get
ready. I will tind bait for you."

Oily needed no urging. His cod-hook and line,
being always handy, were arranged in a few minutes,
and his friend, turning up the sod with a piece of
wood, soon procured several large worms, which were
duly impaled, until they formed a bunch on the hook.
Witli this the lad hurried eagerly to the edge of a
magnificent pool, where the oily ripples and curling
eddies, as well as the great depth, effectually concealed
the bottom i'rom view. He was about to whirl the
bunch of worms round his head, preparatory to a grand
heave, when he was svrested by the guide.

"Stay, Oliver; you will need a rod for this river.
Without one you will be apt to lose your fish. I will
cut one."

So saying, he went into the woods that bordered
the pool, and soon returned with what seemed to
the boy to be a small tree about fourteen feet long.

*' Why, Hendrick, do you take me for Goliath, who
as Paul Burns tells us, was brought down by a stone
from the sling of David? I'll never be able to fish
with that."

"Oliver," returned the hunter gravely, as he con-
tinued the peeling of the bark from the rod, "a lad

with stroiift limbs and a

stout

heart should never

OLLY*S nRST SALMON AND II^-NDRICK'S HOME. 95

use the words * not able ' till he has tried. I have seen
many promising and goodly young men come to wreck
because ' I can't * was too often on their lips. You
never know wliat you can do till you try."

The boy listened to this reproof with a slight feeling
of displeasure, lor he felt in his heart that he was not
one of those lazy fellows to whom his friend referred,
However, he wisely said nothing, but Heudrick ob-
served, with some amusement, that his brow flushed
and his lips were firmly compressed.

" There now," he said in a cheery tone, being anxious
to remove the impression he had made, "you will find
the rod is lighter than it looks, and supple, as you
see. "We will tie your line half way down and run
it through a loop at the end — so ! — to prevent its being
lost if the point should break. Now, try to cast your
hook into the spot yonder where a curl in the water
meets and battles with an eddy. Do you see it 1 "

" Yes, I see it," replied Oily, advancing to the pool,
with the rod grasped in both hands.

"It would be better," continued Hendrick, "if you
could cast out into the stream beyond, but the line
is too short for that, unless you could jump on to
that big rock in the rapid, which is impossible with
the river so high."

Oliver looked at the rock referred to. It stood up
in the midst of foaming water, full twenty feet from
the bank. He knew that he might as well try to jump
over the moon as attempt to leap upon that rock;
nevertheless, without a moment's hesitation, he rushed

THE CREW OP THE "WATER WAGTAIL.'

down the bank, sprang furiously off, cleared consider-
ably more than half the distance, and disappeared in
the foaming flood !

Hendrick was suddenly changed from a slow and
sedate elephant into an agile panther. He sprang
along the bank to a point lower down the stream, and
was up to the waist in the water before Oily reached
the point — struggling to keep his head above the
surface, and at the same time to hold on to his rod.
Hendrick caught him by the collar, and dragged him,
panting, to land.

Paul and his father had each, with a shout of
surprise or alarm, rushed for the same point, but
they would have been too late.

"Oily, my son,'* said Trench, in a remonstrative
tone, " have you gone mad ? "

" No, father ; I knew that I could not jump it, but
I 've been advised never to say so till I have tried ! "

"Nay, Oliver, be just," said the guide, with a laugh.
"I did truly advise you never to say *I can't' till
you had tried, but I never told you to try the im-
possible. However, I am not sorry you did this, for
I'd rather see a boy try and fail, than see him fail
because of unwillingness to try. Come, now, I will
show you something else to try ! "

He took Oliver up the stream a few yards, and
pointed to a ledge of rock, more than knee-deep under
water, which communicated with the rock he had
failed to reach.

"The ledge is narrow/' he isftid, "and the current

OLLY'S FIRST SALMON AND UBNDBIGK'S UOME. 97

crossing it is strong, but from what I 've seon of you
I think you will manage to wade out if you go
cautiously, and don't lose heart I will go down
stream again, so that if you should slip I '11 be ready
to rescue."

Boldly did Oliver step out upon the ledge; cau-
tiously did he advance each foot, until he was more
than leg-deep, and wildly, like an insane semaphore,
did he wave his arms, as well as the heavy rod, in
his frantic efforts not to lose his balance! At last
he planted his feet, with a cheer of triumph, on the
rock.

" Hush, Oily, you '11 frighten the fish," cried Paul,
with feigned anxiety.

" You '11 tumble in again, if you don't mind," said his
cautious father.

But Oily heard not. The v/hole of his little soul
was centred on the oily pool into which be had just
cast the bunch of worms. Another moment, and the
stout rod was almost wrenched from his grasp.

" Have a care ! Hold on ! Stand fast ! " saluted
him in various keys, from the bank.

" A cod ! or a whale 1 " was the response from the
rock.

" More likely a salmon," remarked Hendrick, in an
undertone, while a sober smile lit up his features.

At the moment a magnificent salmon, not less than
twenty pounds weight, leapt like a bar of silver from
the flood, and fell back, with a mighty splash.

The leap caused a momentary and sudden removal

THE CHEW OP THE " WATER WAGTAII,

of the strain on the rod. Oliver stajzgered, hli[.pcfl, and
fell with a yell that told of anxiety more than alarm ;
but he got up smartly, still holding on by both hands.

In fishing with the tapering rods and rattling reels
of modern davs, fishers never become fully aware of
the strength ' salmon, unless, indeed, a hitch in their
line occurs, and everything snaps! It was otherwise
about the beginning of the sixteenth century. It is
otherwise still with primitive fishers everywhere.
Oliver's line could not run; his rod was rigid, save
at the point. The r'^sult was that it was all he could
do to stand and hold on to his captive. The rod, bent
down into the water, sprang up to the perpendicular,
flew hither and thither, jeiked and quivered, causing
the poor boy to jerk and quiver in irresistible sym-
pathy. At last a mighty rush of the fish drew the
fisher headlong ii:!.o the flood.

" He '11 be drowned or killed on the boulders below,"
gasped his father, running wildly down the bank of
the river.

" Don't fear," said Hendrick, as he ran beside him.
" There is a shallow just above the boulders. We will
stop him there."

Paul Burns was already abreast of the shallow in
question, and Oliver was stranded on it, but a deep
rapid stream ran between it and the bank, so that Paul
hesitated and looked eagerly about for the best spot to
cross. «

" Follow me," cried Hendrick, *' I know the ford."

He led his comrade swiftly to a point where the

I iii V I I 1 1 1 II

OLLY'S FIRST SALMON AND HENDRICK's HOME. 09

river widened and became shallow, enabling them to
wade to the tail of the bank at the top of which Oliver
stood engaged in a double struggle — with the water
that hissed and leaped around him, and the fish that
still surged wildly about in its vain efforts to escape.

As the three naen waded nearer to him they got into
shallower water, and then perceived that the boy
had not lost his self-possession, but was still tightly
grasping the butt of his rod. Just as they came up the
salmon, in its blind terror, ran straight against the boy's
legs. Oily fell upon it, let go the rod, and embraced it I
Happily, his friends reached him at the moment, else
the water that rushed over his head would have com-
pelled him to let go — or die !

Paul lifted him up. The great fish struggled in its
captor's arms. It was slippery as an eel, and its
strength tremendous. No digging of his ten nails into
it was of any use. Slowly but surely it was wriggling
out of his tight embrace when Hendrick inserted his
great thumbs into its gills, and grasped it round the
throat.

" Let go, Oliver," he said, " I 've got him safe."

But Oily would not let go. Indeed, in the state of
his mind and body at the moment it is probable that
he could not let go.

His father, having made some ineffectual attempts to
clear the line, with which, and the rod, they had got
completely entangled, was obliged to "stand by" and
see that the entanglement became no worse. Thus,
holding on each to the other and all together, they

ii~ !,

snsi

100

THE CEEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

Sitaggered slowly and safely to land with their beautiful
prize.

" Are there many fish like that in these rivers ? "
asked Paul, as they all stood contemplating the salmon
and recovering breath.

*' Ay, thousands of them in all the rivers, and the
rivers are numerous — some of them large," replied
Hendrick.

" This will be a great country some day, you take my
word for it," said the captain, in a dogmatic manner,
which was peculiar to hin^ when he attempted amateur
prophecy.

That prophecy, however, like many other prophecies,
has been only partly fulfilled. It has come true,
indeed, that Newfoundland now possesses the most
valuable cod-fishery in the world, and that her exports
of salmon are considerable, but as to her being a great
country — well, that still remains unfulfilled prophecy ;
for, owing to no fault of her people, but to the evils of
monopoly and selfishness, as we have already said, her
career has been severely checked.

Not many days after the catching of the salmon —
which remained a memorable point in the career of
Oliver Trench — the explorers were led by Hendrick to
the shores of a magnificent lake. It was so large
that the captain at first doubted whether it was not
the great ocean itself.

" It is not the sea," said their guide, as he surveyed
the watery expanse with evident enthusiasm. "It is a
lake full fifty miles long, yet it is not the largest lake

OLLr'S FIRST SALMON AND HENDRICK'S HOME. 101

in this island. Taste its waters and you will find them
sweet. " Here/' he added, v/ith a look of gratification,
"is my home."

" God has given you a wide domain," said Paul, gaz-
ing with pleasure on the verdant islets with which the
bay before him was studded. " Yet I cannot help
thinking that it is a waste of one's life to spend it in
a solitude, however beautiful, when the soiTowing and
the sufifering world around us calls for the active
energies of all good men."

The hunter seemed to ponder Paul's words.

" It appears to me," he said at last, " that our Creator
meant us to serve Him by making ourselves and those
around us happy. I have to do so here, and in some
degree have succeeded."

As he spoke he raised both hands to his mouth and
gave vent to a prolonged halloo that swept out over
the calm waters of the bay.

It was quickly replied to by a shrill cry, and in a few
minutes a canoe, emerging from one of the islets, was
seen paddling swiftly towards them.

102

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.'

CHAPTEE XL

THE hunter's home.

THE canoe, which approached the shores of the
lake where our explorers stood, was a large one,
built after the fashion of the coracle of the ancient
Britons, namely, with a frame of wicker-work covered
with deerskin. It was propelled with paddles by a
woman seated in the stern and a little girl in the bow.

"My wife is a woman of forethought," remarked
Hendrick, with a pleased expression. " Seeing that we
are a large party, she has not only brought our largest
canoe, but has made Oscar get out the small one."

He pointed to the island, from a creek in which a
little canoe of a reddish colour was seen to issue. It
was made of birch-bark, and was propelled by a small
boy, who seemed from his exertions to be in urgent
haste to overtake the other craft.

" Your son, I suppose ? " said Paul.

"Yes, my eldest. His younger brother is but a
babe yet. These, with my daughter Goodred, and my
wife Trueheart, who are now approaching, constitute
the family which God has given to me."

A feeling of satisfaction filled the heart of Paul Burns
as he listened to the last words, for they proved that

> \^

pa
o

H
>^

l^«^«WSW|P"

THE hunter's home.

105

their new friend was not among those who deem it
weakness or hypocrisy in men to openly acknowledge
their Maker as the Giver of all that they possess. This
feeling was merged in one of surprise when the canoe
touched the shore, and an exceedingly pretty child,
with fair complexion, blue eyes, and curling hair,
stepped lightly out, and ran to her father, who stooped
to kiss heron the cheek. Hendrick was not demon-
strative, that was evident ; neither was his wife, nor his
child. Whatever depth of feeling they possessed, the
surface ran smooth. Yet there was an air of quiet
gladness about the meeting which enabled Paul to
understand what the hunter meant when, in a former
conversation, he had said that he "made those around
him happy."

" Is baby well ? " he asked quickly.

"Yes, father, quite well, and I very sure wishing
much that you come home soon. You been long time
away."

"Longer than I expected, Goodred. And I have
brought friends with me," he added, turning to his
wife. " Friends whom I have found in the forest,
Trueheart."

"You friends be welcome," said Trueheart, with a
modest yet self-possessed air."

Tlie woman, who advanced and held out a small
hand to be shaken in European fashion, was obviously
of Indian extraction, yet her brown hair, refined cast of
features, and easy manner, showed as obviously the
characteristics of her white father. Though not nearly

mmm

106

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

SO fair as her child, she was still far removed from the
deep colour of her mother's race.

Before more could be said on either side the enthusi-
astic youngster in the bark canoe leaped ashore, burst
into the midst of the group with a cheer, and began
wildly to embrace one of his father's huge legs, which
was about as much of his person as he could con-
veniently grasp. He was a miniature Hendrick, clad
in leather from top to toe.

The whole party now entered the canoes, skimmed
over the lake, and past the wooded islets, towards the
particular island which the hunter called "home." ;

It was as romantic a spot as one could desire for a
residence. Though only a quarter of a mile or so in
diameter, the island, which was composed of granite,
was wonderfully diversified in form and character.
There was a little cove which formed a harbour for the
hunter's canoes.; bordering it was a patch of open
ground backed by shrubs, above which rose a miniature
precipica The ground in the centre of the isle was
rugged — as the captain remarked, quite mountainous in
a small way! Hendrick had taught his childreii to
call it the mountain, and in the midst of its miniature
fastnesses he had arranged a sort of citadel, to which
he and his family could retire in case of attack from
savages. One peak of this mountainette rose in naked
grandeur to a height of about fifty feet above the lake.
Elsewhere the islet was wooded to the water's edge
with spruce and birch trees, in some places fringed
with willows. On a few open patches were multitudes

THE hunter's home.

107

of ripe berries, which here and there seemed literally
to cover ths ground with a carpet of bright red. "

On the open ground, or lawn, beside the cove, stood
the hunter's hut, a small structure of rounded logs, with
a door, on either side of which was a window. From
those glassless windows there was a view of lake and
isles and distant woods, with purple mountains be-
yond, which formed a scene of indescribable beauty.
Close to the door, forming, as it were, a porch to it,
there stood a semi-circular erection of poles covered
with birch-bark and deerskins, in front of which blazed
the household fire, with a tripod over it, and a bubbling
earthen pot hanging therefrom. Around the inner side
of the fire, under the semi-circular tent, were spread a
number of deerskins to serve as couches. On one of
thes^ sat an Indian woman, with the family babe in
her arms.

It was a wonderful babe ! and obviously a wise one,
for it knew its own father directly, stretched out its
little arms, and shouted for instant recognition. Nor
had it to shout long, for Hendrick, being fond of it and
regardless of appearances, seized it in his arms and
smothered it in his beard, out of which retreat crows
and squalls of satisfaction thereafter issued.

" Excuse me, friends," said Hendrick at last, deliver-
ing the child to its mother. " I have been absent on
a visit to my wife's relations, and have not seen little
Ian for a long time. Sit down, ard we will see what
cheer the pot contains. I don't ask you to enter the
hut, because while the weather is mild it is pleasanter

108

THE CREW OF THE *' WATER WAGTAIL."

outside. When winter conies we make more use of
the house. My wife, you see, does not like it, having
been accustomed to tents all her life."

" But me — I — likes it when the snow fall," said True-
heart, looking up with a bright smile from the pot, into
which she had previously been making investigations.

" True— true. I think you like whatever I like ; at
least you try to ! " returned the hunter, as he sat down
and began to tie the feathers on the head of an arrow.
" You even try to speak good grammar for my sake ! "

Trueheart laughed and continued her culinary duties.

"You told us when we first met," said Captain
Trench, who had made himself comfortable on a deer-
skin beside the baby, "that you had taken special
means not to forget your naUve tongue. Do I guess
rightly in supposing that the teaching of it to your
wife and children was the means ? "

" You are right, captain. Of course, the language of
the Micmac Indians is more familiar and agreeable to
Trueheart, but she is obstinate, though a good creature
on the whole, and insists on speaking English, as you
hear."

Another little laugh in the vicinity of the earthen
pot showed that his wife appreciated the remark.

Meanwhile Goodred busied herself in preparing
venison steaks over the same fire, and Oscar undertook
to roast marrow bones for the whole party, as well as
to instruct Oliver Trench in that delicate operation.

While they were thus engaged the shades or evening
gradually descended on the scene, but tliat did not in-

THE HUNTER S HOME.

109

Hill

terfere with their enjoyment, for by heaping fresh
resinous logs on the fire they produced a ruddy light,
which seemed scarcely inferior to that of day; a light
which glowed on the pretty and pleasant features of
the wife and daughter as they moved about placing
plates of birch-bark before the guests, and ladling soup
and viands into trenchers of the same. Savoury smells
floated on the air and gradually expelled the scent of
shrub and flower from the banqueting-hall.

Truly, it was a right royal banquet ; fit for a king —
if not too particular a king — to say nothing of its being
spread before one who was monarch of all he surveyed,
and served by his queen and princess !

There was, first of all, soup of excellent quality.
Then followed boiled salmon and roast sea- trout. Next
came a course of boiled venison, fat and juicy, with an
alternative of steaks and grilled ribs. This was fol-
lowed by what may be styled a haunch of beaver, ac-
companied by the animal's tail — a prime delicacy — in
regard to which Captain Ti jnch, with his mouth full of
it, said —

"This is excellent eatin'. Master Hendrick. What
may it be — if I may presume to ask ? "

" Beaver's tail," replied the hunter.

" Dear me ! " exclaimed Oily, withdrawing a roast rib
from his mouth for the purpose of speech; "beavers
seem to have wonderfully broad and flat tails."

** They have, Oliver, and if you will try a bit you will
find that their tails are wonderfully good."

Oliver tried, and admitted that it was good; then,

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

observing that little Oscar had just finished his fourth
venison steak, he politely handed him the trencher.
The greasy-fingered boy gravely helped himself to num-
ber five, and assailed it as if he had only just begun to
terminate a long fast.

There were no vegetables at that feast, and instead
of bread they had cakes of hard deer's-fat, with scraps
of suet toasted brown intermi:.:ed — a species of plum-
cake, which was greatly relished by the visitors At
the last, when repletion seemed imminent, they finished
off with marrow bones. "With these they trifled far on
into the night. Of course as the demands of appetite
abated the flow of soul began.

" I see neither nets, hooks, nor lines about the camp,
Hendrick," said Paul Burns, after the queen and prin-
cess had retired into the hut for the night. " How do
you manage to catch salmon ? "

The hunter replied by pointing to a spear somewhat
resembling Neptune's trident, which stood against a
neighbouring tree.

" We spear them by torchlight," he said. " Oscar is
a pretty good hand at it now."

" You live well. Master Hendrick," remarked Trench,,
raising a bark flagon to his lips and tossing off a pint
of venison soup, with the memory of pots of ale strong
upon him. " Do you ever have a scarcity of food V "

" Never ; for the country, as you have seen, swarms
with game. "We dry the flesh of deer, otter, martens,
and musk-rats, and store it for winter, and during that
season we have willow-grouse and rabbits for fresh

THE hunter's home.

Ill

meat. Besides, in autumn we freeze both flesh and
fish, and thus keep it fresh till spring, at which time
the wild-fowl return to us. The skins and furs of these
creatures furnish us with plenty of clothing — in fact,
more than we can use. The question sometimes comes
into my mind, Why did the Great Father provide such
abundance for the use of man without sending men to
use it ? — for the few Micmacs who dwell in the land are
but as a drop in the ocean, and they totally neglect
some things while they waste others. I have seen
them slaughter thousands of deer merely for the sake
of their tongues and other tit-bits."

"There is much of mystery connected with that.
Master Hendrick, which we cannot clear up," remarked
Trench.

"Mystery there is, no doubt," said Paul quickly.
"Yet there are some things about it that are plain
enough to those who choose to look. The Word of God
(which, by the way, is beginning to be circulated now
among us in England in our mother tongue), that Word
tells man plainly to go forth and replenish the earth.
Common sense, from the beginning of time, has told us
the same thing, but what does man do ? He sticks to
several small patches of the earth, and there he trades,
and works, and builds, and propagates, until these
patches swarm like ant-hills, and then he wars, and
fights, and kills off the surplus population; in other
words, slays the young men of the world and sows
misery, debt, and desolation broadcast. In fact, man
seems to me to be mad. Rather than obey God and

THE CREW OF THE " VVATKR WAGTAIL.

the dictates of common sense, he will leave the fairest
portions of the world untenanted, and waste his life
and energies in toiling for a crust of bread or fighting
for a foot of land 1 " /

" Some such thoughts have passed through my mind,"
said Hendrick thoughtfully, "when I liave remembered
that my ancestors, as I have told you, discovered this
land, as well as that which lies to the west and south
of it, long before this Columbus you speak of was born.
But surely we may now expect that with all our
modern appliances and knowledge, the earth will soon
be overrun and peopled."

" I don't feel very sanguine about it," said Paul, with
a prophetic shake of the head.

That Paul was justified in his doubts must be obvious
to every reader who is aware of the fact that in the
present year of grace (1889) there are millions of the
world's fair and fertile acres still left untenanted and
almost untrodden by the foot of man.

"It's my opinion," remarked Captain Trench, with a
blink of the eyes, induced possibly by wisdom and
partly by sleep, "that you two are talking nonsense
on a subject which is quite beyond the reach of man's
intellect."

" It may be so," replied Paul, with a laugh whicn
merged into a yawn, " and perhaps it would be wiser
that we should go to rest Oily and Oscar have already
set us a good example. What say you, Hendrick ? "

"As you please," answered the polite hunter. "I am
ready either to sleep or to converse."

THE hunter's home.

113

•*Then I will not tax your good-nature. We will
seek repose. But what of our future movements?
My sleep will be sounder if I could lie down with
the assurance that you will continue to be our guide
into the fertile interior of which you have said so
much."

" I will go with you," returned Hendrick, after a few
moments' thought, " but I must ask you to spend a few
days in my camp to rest yourselves, while I provide a
supply of fresh meat and fish for my family ; for, will-
ing and able though Oscar is to provide for them, he is
yet too young to have the duty laid upon his little
shoulders."

This having been satisfactorily settled, the captain
and Paul wrapped themselves in deerskin blankets, and
lav down with their feet to the fire.

ft/

Hendrick, having heaped a fresh supply of fuel on
the embers, followed their example, and the camp was
soon buried in profound sikuce.

114

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAII./

• CHAPTEE XII.

A SUBPRISB, A FIGHT, AND A WAR PARTY,

AT this point in our tale we might profitably turn
aside for a little to dilate upon the interesting —
not to say exciting — proceedings of our explorers and
the hunter's family during the few days spent in the
island home and its neighbourhood, were it not that
incidents of a more stirring and important nature claim
our attention.

We might, if time and space permitted, tell how they
all went fishing in the lake with Oliver's cod-hooks,
which were, of course, greatly superior to the bone-
hooks which Hendrick had been accustomed to manu-
facture ; how they went salmon-spearing by torchlight
in a neighbouring stream, in which operation Oliver
soon became as expert as his entertainers, and even
more enthusiastic, insomuch that he several times met
wliat seemed to be his ordinary fate — a ducking in the
water ; I. ow, in consequence, he caught a bad cold, as
well as fish, and was compelled to lie up and be nursed
for several days, during which time of forced inaction
he learned to appreciate the excellent nursing qualities
of Trueheart and her daughter Goodred. He also
learned to estimate at its true value the yelling power

)

mimmm'

mr^mm^imfliifmHifmifmytl^'mmm

A SURPRISE, A FIGHT, AND A WAR PARTY.

115

of the family baby, whos3 will was iron and whose
luugs were leather, besides being inflated by the fresh,
wholesome air of the grand wilderness. "We might tell
of the short but thrilling expeditions undertaken by
the men and boys in pursuit of bears, otters, beaver,
and deer, in which Hendrick displayed the certainty of
his deadly aim, and Master Trench the uncertainty of
his dreadful shooting, despite all hig former " practice."
We might relate the interesting stories, anecdotes, and
narratives with which the explorers and the hunter
sought to beguile the pleasant periods that used to
follow supper and precede repose, and describe the tre^
mendous energy of Paul Burns in springing to the
rescue of the self-willed baby when it fell into the fire,
and the cool courage of Oliver Trench in succouring
the same baby when it tumbled into the water. All
this we might dilate on, and a great deal more — such
as the great friendship struck up between Oscar and
Oliver, and the intense interest expressed by Hendrick
on finding that his friend Paul possessed a manuscript
copy of the Gospel of John, and the frequent perusals
of that Gospel over the camp-fire, and the discussions
that followed on the great subjects of man's duty, the
soul's destiny, and the love of God, as shown in and by
Jesus Christ — but over all this we must unwillingly
draw a curtain and leave it to the courteous reader's
imagination, while we pass on to subjects which bear
more directly on the issues of our tale.

One day, soma time after leaving Hendrick's camp
on the great lake, Captain Trench and his son, with

116

THE CREW OF THE *♦ WATEll WA.GTATL."

Paul Burns and the hunter, halted to rest on the sum-
mit of a cliff from which they could obtain a magni-
ficent view of the country lying beyond.

They had by that time passed over the rich grass-
land with its park-like plains, its lakes and streams
and belts of woodland, and had entered upon that
mountainous region which lies towards the south-
westerly portion of the island.

" Hendrick," said Paul, as he gazed with admiration
on the wild scene before him, " I have now seen enough
to know that this land is most suitable for the abode
of man. The soil is admirable; the woods contain
magnificent timber ; fish, fiesh, and fowl are plentiful ;
coal exists in, I should think, extensive fields, while
there are indications in many places of great mineral
wealth, especially copper. Besides this, the land, you
tell me, is pierced by innumerable bays, inlets, fiords,
and natural harbours ; and, to crown aU, the climate,
except on some parts of the coast, is exceedingly good.
Now it seems to me that these facts ought to be made
known in England, and that our King should not only
take possession, but should send out colonists to settle
all over this island and develop its, resources. If per-
mitted, it will be my part to finish this exploration and
carry home the news."

Hendrick did not reply for a few minutes, then a
faint sigh escaped him as he replied —

" No doubt what you say is just, and I doubt not
that these plains and hills will one day resound with
the activities of civilised life : the plough will obliter-

iilMi

mmmm

A SURPRISE, A FIGHT, AND A WAR PARTY.

117

ate the deer-tracks, the axe will lay low the forests,
and the lowing of cattle and the bark of dogs will
replace the trumpeting of the wild-goose and the cry of
plover; but when the change begins to come, I will
strike my tent and go to the great unknown lands
of the west, for I cannot bear the clatter and the strife
of men."

Paul was about to reply, when an arrow whizzed
through the air, pierced the sleeve of his coat, scratched
his left arm slightly as it passed, and quivered in a .tree
behind them.

Leaping up, each member of the party sprang for
shelter behind a neighbouring tree.

At the same moment there arose a terrible cry, as of
men rushing to attack each other. The form of the
ground prevented our travellers from seeing the com-
batants, though the sound of their strife proved them
to be close at hand. Suddenly Hendrick left the tree
behind which he had taken shelter, and, running to-
wards a precipitous bank or cliff, called to his com-
panions to follow. They obeyed at once.

" I fear," he said, as Paul ran up alongside of him,
" that I know the meaning of this. Some of the voices
sound familiar to me. That arrow was not, I think,
discharged at us. We shall be wanted here. May I
count on you ? "

" You may," said Paul. " I cannot doubt that your
cause must be a just one."

" I 'm with you ! " exclaimed Master Trench, pluck-
ing the hatchet from his son's belt — a weapon that the

118

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

youngster could well spare, as the bludgeon and the
bow were still left to him. *

Hendrick had spoken in quick, sharp tones, for he
was evidently much excited. On reaching the crest of
a rising ground he looked cautiously over it.

" As I thought ! " he said ; " my wife's relations are
attacked by savages from Labrador. Come, follow
me!"

He ran swiftly round the base of the rising ground,
not giving his comrades time even to see the combatants
to whom he referred.

Suddenly they came in full sight of perhaps the most
terrible sight that our fallen world can present:— two
bands of armed men, mad with rage, engaged in the
fiendish work of butchering each other.

In the immediate foreground two powerful Indiana
were struggling each to plant a short spear in the other's
heart. One, who was shorter than the other but
equally powerful, was making a desperate effort to
wrench his right hand from his foe's grasp, and another
foe was on the point of stabbing the short man in the
back, when the white men appeared on the scene.
Paul, the captain, and Oliver, although ready with arrow
and bolt, hesitated, for they knew not which to regard
as foes, und which as friends. No such difficulty,
however, interfered with Hendrick, who sent an arrow
into the brain of the savage who meant to stiike from
behind. At the same ' instant the short warrior
succeeded in his effort ; his spear flashed upwards, and
the next moment his tall enemy fell to rise no more.

A SURPRISE, A FIGHT. AND A WAR PARTY.

119

Hendrick, who seemed to have been transformed into
a human tiger, rushed to the attack with a shout and a
display of fury that for a moment arrested the fight.
The short Indian, whose life he had just saved,
bestowed on him and his companions one look of
surprise, and joined him in the rush. Captain Trench,
whose combative tendencies were easily aroused, joined
them with a roar which was somewhat intensified by
the fact that he was still a little uncertain as to which
was " the enemy." Oliver relieved his overcharged bosom
by an involuntary shriek or howl, that rose high and
shrill above the tumult, as he followed suit whirling
his bludgeon with some difficulty round his head.

The combined effect of all this was to strike terror
into the enemy who, turning short round, fled precipi-
tately, and were followed for a considerable distance
by some of the victorious Indians.

On returning from the pursuit, Hendrick introduced
the short Indian as his wife's cousin, who, with a party
of hunters, had been out for a supply of fresh meat
when attacked by the Labrador savages.

" It is an old feud," remarked Hendrick, as he and
Paul sat a little apart that evening, while their com-
rades assisted the Indians to prepare supper ; " an old
feud. Oh ! war — war ! There is no place of rest from
it, I fear, in this world."

The hunter's tone was so sad that Paul looked at
him inquiringly.

"You are surprised," said his companion, "that I

should long thus for escape from the warring passions

1. .SipPII' (>»J:'i"i;"!'

mmm

120

THE CEEW OF THE "WA.TEB WAGTAIL."

of men, but if you knew what reason I have for hating
war, you would not wonder. Listen ! Many years ago
I went with my wife and child to visit a kinsman in
the Scottish Highlands. I need scarcely tell you that
it was not my present wife and child. She was young,
fair, faultless in person and disposition. Our little
daughter resembled her in all respects. There chanced
to be a miserable feud existing between my relative
and a neighbouring chief. It originated in some dis-
puted boundary, and always smouldered, like a subdued
volcano, but occasionally broke forth in open warfare.
At the time of my visit my kinsman, who was a
bachelor, had gone to transact some business at a town
not far distant, leaving a message for me to follow him
as he required my assistance in some family arrange-
ments, and meant to return home the same night. I.
went, leaving my wife and child in the castle. That
very night my kinsman's foe — knowing nothing of my
arrival — came to the castle, took the small body of
defenders by surprise, overcame them, and set the place
on fire. Fiendish and revengeful though the marauders
were, I believe they would not wantonly have murdered
the helpless ones, had they known of their being in the
place, but they knew it not until too late.

" When we returned that night the castle was a black
smoking ruin, and my wife and little one had perishedl
Can you wonder that I fled from the horrible spot ; that
I left my native land for ever, and that I shudder at
the veiy thought of strife ? "

" Nay, brother, I wonder not," said Paul, in a sym-

A SURPRISE, A FIGHT, AND A WAR PABTT.

121

pathetic tone ; " but I fear there is no region on the face
of this earth where the terrible war-spirit, or, rather,
war-fiend, is not alive."

" Why, the man whose life I took this very day," re-
sumed Hendrick, clenching his right hand almost
fiercely, '* has doubtless left a woman at home who is
now a widow, and it may be children, whom I have
rendered fatherless ! No rest — no rest anywhere from
this constant slaying of our fellow-men ; yet I was forced
to do it to save the life of my wife's kinsman 1 Oh !
is there no deliverance, no hope for this poor world ? "

" Hendrick," said Paul, laying his hand impressively
on his friend's arm, " there ia deliverance — there is hope.
See here."

He pulled out the manuscript Gospel as he spoke,
and turning over the well-thumbed leaves, read the
words —

" • Jesus saith ... A new commandment I give unto
you. That ye love one another . . . Let not your heart
be troubled : y^^ believe in God, believe also in me. In
My Father's nouse are many mansions.' Hendrick,
this same Jesus, who is Immanuel, God with us, has
said, * Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.' * Him that cometh unto
me I will in no wise cast out.* These latter words are
not here, but they are in other scriptures which I have
often heard read."

" But how shall I know," said the hunter earnestly,
"that these words are true — that they are the words of
God?"

122

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

I'or some time Paul made no reply, then suddenly,
to the surprise of his friend, he looked upwards, and, in
a low voice, said —

"0 Holy Spirit of God, convince my friend that
these words are Thine, — in Jesus* name ! "

Then, turning to the hunter, he continued : " Come,
let us examine this writing together."

" Something of this have I heard before," said Hen-
drick, " and, as I thirst for light and truth, I will gladly
examine it with you."

Need we say that those two earnest men were soon
engrossed in the study of the Word, and that the in-
terruption of the evening meal did not prevent them
from afterwards poring over the MS. far into the night
by . the light of the camp-fire. Hendrick was well
able to do so, for, like Paul, he had received a better
education than fell to the lot of most men in those
days.

At first Captain Trench and his son had listened to
the conversation and discussion of the students with
much interest, and the sturdy matter-of-fact mariner
even ventured to put one or two puzzling questions to
thein ; but by degrees their interest flagged, and at last,
taking example by the Indians, they rolled themselves
in deerskin robes and sought repose.

Continuing their journey next day, they were about
to part from their Indian friends on the m.ountain ridge,
from which a view of the Western ocean could be
obtained, when they observed a band of Indians in the
far distance travelling; eastward.

A SURPRISE, A FIGHT, AND A WAR PARTY.

128

" On the war-path ! " suggested Hendrick.

After a prolonged gaze the kinsman of Truehearb
came to the same conclusion, and said he felt sure that
they were not from Labrador, but were evidently men
of the Island.

" Can you guess what they are going to do ? " asked
Hendrick.

The Indian shook his head solemnly. " No, he did
did not know — he could not guess, and as they were
separated by some miles of valleys, precipices, and
mountain gorges, there was no possibility of finding
out."

After some time spent in speculation and guessing as
to the intention of the war party, our explorers, bidding
farewell to their red friends, proceeded on their journey,
while the latter diverged to the southward, and con-
tinued their hunt after fresh meat.

If Paul Burns and his friends had known the purpose
of the warriors whom they had just seen, it is probable,
that they might not have slept quite as soundly as they
did that night under the greenwood trees.

I<p If ■•u I

mum

124

THE GREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.'

CHAPTER XIII.

XmLOOKBD-FOB INTEBBUFTIONB AND DIFFIOULTIES.

nVTO elaborate dissertation is needed to prove that we
•^ are ignorant of what the morrow may bring
forth, and that the best-laid plans of men are at all
times subject to dislocation. It is sufficient here to
state that immediately after parting from the Indians,
Paul Burns and Captain Trench had their plans and
hopes, in regard to exploration, overturned in a sudden
and effective though exceedingly simple manner.

On the f^'ening of the day on wliich their travels
were resumed they halted sooner than usual in order to
have time to form their camp with some care, for the
weather had suddenly become cold, and that night
seemed particularly threatening.

Accordingly they selected a spot suiTOunded by dense
bushes, canopied by the branches of a wide-spreading
fir-tree, and backed by a precipitous cliff, which afforded
complete shelter from a sharp nor'- west gale that was
blowing at the time. In this calm retreat they erected
a rough-and-ready wall of birch-bark and branches,
which enclosed them on all sides except one, where a
glorious fire was kindled — a fire that would have roasted
anything from a tom-tit to an ox, and the roaiing

UKLOOKTO-rOR INTERRUPTIONS AND DIFFICULTIES. 125

llames of which had to be occasionally subdued lest
they should roast the whole encampment.

There, saturated, so to speak, with ruddy light and
warmth, they revelled in the enjoyment of a hearty
meal and social intercourse until the claims of tired
Nature subdued Captain Trench and Oliver, leaving
Paul and Hendrick to resume their eager and some-
times argumentative perusal of the Gospel according
to John.

At last, they also succumbed to the irresistible in-
fluences of Nature, and lay down beside their fellows.
Then it was that Nature — as if she had only waited for
the opportunity — began to unfold her " little game " for
overturning the sleepers* plans. She quietly opened
her storehouse of northern clouds, and silently dropped
upon them a heavy shower of snow.

It was early in the season for such a shower, con-
sequently the flakes were large. Had the cold been
excessive the flakes would have been small. As it was,
they covered the landscape by imperceptible but rapid
degrees until everything turned from ghostly grey to
ghastly white, which had the efiect of lighting, some-
how, the darkness of the night.

But in the midst of the effective though silent trans-
formation the camp of our explorers remained un-
changed ; and the dying embers of the slowly sinking
fire continued to cast their dull red glow on the re-
cumbent forms which were thoroughly protected by the
spreading fir-tree.

By degrees the morning light began to flow over the

126

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAOTAIL."

dreary scene, and at length it had the effect of rousing'
Oliver Trench from slumber. With the innate laziness
of youth the lad turned on his other side, and was
about to settle down to a further spell of sleep when
he chanced to wink. That wink sufficed to reveal
something that induced another wink, then a stare, then
a start into a sitting posture, a rubbing of the eyes, an
opening of the mouth, and a succession of exclamations,
of which "Oh! hallo! I say!" and "Hi— i— i— il"
were among the least impressive.

Of course every one started up and made a sudden
grasp at weapons, for the memory of the recent fight
was still fresh.

" Winter ! " exclaimed Paul and the captain, in the
same breath.

" Not quite so bad as that," remarked Hendrick, as
he stepped out into the snow and began to look round
him with an anxious expression ; " but it may, never-
theless, put an end to your explorations if the snow
continues."

"Never a bit on't, man!" exclaimed the captain
promptly. " What ! d' ye think we are to be frightened
by a sprinkling of snow ? "

To this Hendrick replied only with a gentle smile, as
he returned and set about blowing up the embers of
the fire which were still smouldering.

" There is more than a sprinkling. Master Trench,"
observed Paul, as he. began to overliaul the remnants
of last night's supper; "but I confess it would be
greatly against the grain were we to be beaten at

UNLOOKRD FOR DIFFICULTIES AND INTERRUPTIONS. 127

this point in our travels. Let us hope that the storm
won't last."

"Anyhow we Cita goon till we can't, daddy," said
Oliver, with a tremendous yawn and stretch.

" Well said, my sou ; as you once truly remarked you
are a chip of the ancient log."

"Just so, daddy. Don't quite finish that marrow
bone ; I want some of it."

"There, you young rascal, I leave you the lion's
share," returned the captain, throwing the bone in
question to his son. " But now, Ilendrick, what d' ye
really think o' this state of things ? Shall we be forced
to give in an' 'bout ship ? "

"No one can tell," an*: ■ red the hunter. "If the
snow stops and the weatl '^ets warm, all will be well.
If not, it will be useless to continue our journeying till
winter fairly sets in and the snow becomes deep, and
the rivers and lakes are frozen. In which case you
must come and stay with me in my island home."

" You are very good, Hendrick ; but don't let us talk
of givin' up till the masts go by the board. We will
carry all sail till then," said the captain, rather gloomily,
for he felt that the hunter knew best.

This first snowfall occuri-ed about the middle of
October ; there was, therefore, some reasonable prospect
that it might melt under an improved state of the
weather, and there was also the possibility of the fall
ceasing, and still permitting them to advance.

Under the impulse of hope derived from these con-
siderations, they set forth once more to the westward.

1 !

128

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

The prospect in that direction, however, was not
cheering. Mountain succeeded mountain in irregular
succession, rugged and bleak — the dark precipices and
sombre pine-woods looking blacker by contrast with the
newly-fallen snow. Some of the hills w^ere wooded to
their summits ; others, bristling and castellated in out-
line, afforded no hold to the roots of trees, and stood out
in naked sterility. Everywhere the land seemed to
have put on its winter garb, and all day, as they
advanced, snow continued to fall at intervals, so that
wading through it became an exhausting labour, and
Oliver's immatured frame began to suffer, though his
brave spirit forbade him to complain.

That night there came another heavy fall, and when
they awoke next morning it was found that the country
was buried under a carpet of snow full three feet deep.

" Do you admit now. Master Trench, that the masts
have gone by the board," asked Paul, " and that it is
impossible to carry sail any longer ? "

" I admit nothing," returned the captain grumpily.

"Thatb right, daddy, never give in!" cried Oliver;
" but what has Master Hendrick got to say to it ? "

"We must tuT"" in our tracks!" said the hunter
gravely, " and make for home."

" Home, indeed 1 " murmured the captain, whose mind
naturally flew back to old England. " If we are to get
to any sort of home at all, the sooner we set about
making sail for it the better."

There was something in the captain's remark, as well
as in his tone, which caused a slight flush on Hendrick's

UNLOOKED-FOR DIFFICULTIES AND INTERRUPTIONS. 129

brow, but he let no expression of feeling escape him.
He only said —

"You are right, Captain Trench. We must set off
with the least possible delay. Will you and your son
start off in advance to get something fresh for breakfast
while Master Paul and I remain to pack up and bring
on our camp equipage? Hunters, you know, should
travel light — we will do the heavy work for you."

The captain was surprised, but replied at once —

"Most gladly, Master Hendrick, will I do your
bidding; but as we don't know what course to steer,
won't we be apt to go astray ? "

" There is no fe<\r of that, captain. See you yonder
bluff with the b'ash on the top of it ? "

"Where away. Master Hendrick? D'ye mean the
one lyin' to wind'ard o' that cliff shaped like the side
of a Dutch galliot?"

" The same. It is not more than a quarter of a mile
off — make straight for that. You *11 be sure to fall in
with game of some sort between this and that. Wait
there till we come up, for we shall breakfast there. You
can keep yourself warm by cutting wood and kindling
a fire."

Eather pleased than otherwise with this little bit of
pioneer work that had been given him to do, Trench
stepped boldly into the snow, carrying his cross-bow in
one hand, and the hatchet over his shoulder with the
other. He was surprised, indeed, to find that at the' first
step beyond the encampment he sank considerably
above the knees, but, being wonderfully strong, he

130

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

dashed the snow aside and was soon hid from view
by intervening bushes. Oliver, bearing his bow and
bludgeon, followed smartly in his track.

When they were gone Paul turned a look of inquiry
on his companion. Hendrick returned the look with
profound gravity, but there was a faint twinkle in his
eyes which induced Paul to laugh.

" What mean you by this ? " he asked.

" I mean that Master Trench will be the better of a
lesson from experience. He will soon return — sooner,
perhaps, than you expect." .

"Why so — how? I don't understand."

"Because," returned the hunter, "it is next to im-
possible to travel over such ground in deep snow without
snow shoes. We must make these, whether we advance
or retreat. ]\Iean while you had better blow up the fire^
and I will prepare breakfast."

" Did you not tell the captain we were to breakfast
on the bluff?"

" I did ; but the captain will never reach the bluff.
Methinks I hear him returning even now 1 " . ,

The hunter was right. A quarter of an hour had
barely elapsed when our sturdy mariner re-eucered the
encampment, blowing like a grampus and perspiring at
cver}'^ pore ! Oliver was close at his heels, but not
nearly so much exhausted, for he had not been obliged
to " beat the track."

" Master Hendrick," gasped the captain, when he had
recovered breath, " it 's my opinion that we have only
come here to lay down our bones and give up the ghost

UNLOOKED-FOR DIFFICULTIES AND INTEUUUPTIONS. 131

— ay, and it's no laugliing business, Master Paul, as
you '11 find when you try to haul your long legs out of a
hole three futt deep at every step."

" Three futt deep ! " echoed Oliver, " why, it 's four
futt if it 's an inch — look at me. I 've been wadin' up
to the waist all the time I "

It need scarcely be said that their minds were much
relieved when they were made acquainted with the true
state of matters, and that by means of shoes that could
be made by Hendrick, they would be enabled to traverse
with comparative ease the snow-clad wilderness — which
else were impassable.

But this work involved several days' delay in camp.
Hendrick fashioned the large though light wooden frame-
work of the shoes — five feet long by eighteen inches
broad — and Oliver cut several deerskins into fine threads,
with which, and deer sinews, Paul and the captain, under
direction, filled in the net-work of the frames when ready.

" Can you go after deer on such things ? " asked the
captain one night while they were all busy over this
work.

" Ay, we can walk thirty or forty miles a day over deep
snow with these shoes," answered Hendrick.

"Where do the deer all come from? asked Oliver,
pausing in his work to sharpen his knife on a stone.

" If you mean where did the reindeer coine from at
first, I cannot tell," said Hendrick. "Perhaps they
came from the great unknown lands lying to the west-
ward. But those in this island have settled down here
for life, apparently like myself. I have hunted them in

133

TUB CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

every part of the island, and know their habits well.
Their movements are as regular as the seasons. The
winter months they pass in the south, where the snow
is not so deep as to prevent their scraping it away and
getting at the lichens on which they feed. In spring —
about March — they turn their faces northward, for then
the snow begins to be softened by the increased power
of the sun, so that they can get at the herbage beneath.
They migrate to the north-west of the island in in-
numerable herds of from twenty to two hundred each —
the animals following one another in single file, and each
herd being led by a noble stag. Thus they move in
thousands towards the hills of the west and nor'- west,
where they arrive in April. Here, on the plains and
mountains, they browse on their favourite mossy food
and mountain herbage ; and here they bring forth their
young in May or June. In October, when the frosty
nights set in, they again turn southward and march back
to winter quarters over the same tracks, with which, as
you have seen, the whole country is seamed. Thus they
prc^eed from year to year. They move over the land in
parallel lines, save where mountain passes oblige them
to converge, and at these points, I regret to say, my
kinsmen, the Bethuck Indians, lie in wait and slaughter
them in great numbers, merely for the sake of their
tongues and other tit-bits."

" There is no call for regret. Master Hendrick," said
Captain Trench. " Surely where the deer are in such
numbers, the killing of a few more or less don't matter
much."

UNLOOKED-FOR DIFFICULTIES AND INTERRUPTIONS. 133

"I think it wrong, captain, to slay God's cieatures
wantonly," returned the hunter. " Besides, if it is con-
tinued, I fear that the descendants of the present race
of men will suffer from scarcity of food."

That Hendrick's fears were not groundless has been
proved in many regions of the earth, where wanton
destruction of game in former days has resulted in great
scarcity or extinction at the present time.

In a few days a pair of snowshoes for each traveller
was completed, and the party was prepared to set out
with Kjoewed vigour on their return to the hunter's,
home

134

THE CREW OF THE " WATEK WAGTAIL.

CHAPTEK XIV.

TELLS OF A TREMENDOUS STORU AND A STRANGE SHELTER, ETC.

PEOVERBIAL philosophy teaches us that mis-
fortunes seldom come singly. Newfoundland, at
the beginning of the sixteenth century, does not seem
to have been a place of refuge from the operation of
that law.

On the morning of the day in which the explorers
meant to commence the return journey, a storm of
unwonted rigour burst upon them, and swept over
the land with devastating violence — overturning trees,
snapping off mighty limbs, uplifting the new-fallen
'/jow in great masses, and hurling it in wild confusion
'.Dto space, so that earth and sky seemed to commingle
in a horrid chaos.

The first intimation the travellers had of the impend-
ing storm was the rending of a limb of the tree under
which they reposed. The way in which Oliver Trench
received the rude awakening might, in other circum-
stances, have raised a laugh, for he leaped up like a
harlequin, with a glare of sudden amazement, and,
plunging headlong away from the threatened danger,
buried himself in the snow. From this he instantly
eineraed with an aspect similar to th?t of " Father

TREMENDOUS STORM AND STRANGE SHELTER. 135

Christmas," minus the good-natured serenity of that
liberal-hearted personage.

"Daddy ! " he gasped, " are you there ? "

The question was not uncalled for, the captain having
made a plunge like that of his son, but, unlike his son,
having found it difficult to extricate himself quickly,

Paul and Hendrick had also sprung up, but the latter,
remaining close to the stem of the tree, kept his eye
watchfully on the branches.

"Come here — quick!" he cried — "the stem is our
safeguard. Lookout!"

As he spoke his voice was drowned in a crash which
mingled with the shrieking blast, and a great branch fell
to the ground. Fortunately the wind blew it sufficiently
to one side to clear the camp. The air was so charged
with snow particles that the captain and his son seemed
to stagger out of a white mist as they returned to their
comrades who were clinging to the weather-side of the
tree.

" D* ye think it will go by the board ? " asked the
captain, as he observed Hendrick's anxious gaze fixed
on the swaying tree.

"It is a good stout stick," replied his friend, "but
the blast is powerful."

The captain looked up at the thick stem with a
doubtful expression, and then turned to Hendrick with
a nautical shake of the head.

" I never saw a stick," he said, " that would stand the
like o' that without fore an' back stays, but it may be
that shoregoin' sticks are "

136

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

He stopped abruptly, for a terrific crash almost
stunned him, as the tree by which they stood went
down, tearing its way through the adjacent branches in
its fall, and causing the whole party to stagger.

" Keep still ! " shouted Hendrick in a voice of stern
command, as he glanced critically at the fallen tree.

" Yes," he added, " it will do. Come here."

He scrambled quickly among the crushed branches
until he stood directly under the prostrate stem, which
was supported by its roots end stouter branches.
" Here," said he, " we are safe."

His comrades glanced upwards with uneasy expres-
sions that showed they did not quite share his feelings
of safety.

" Seems to me, Master Hendrick," roared the captain,
for the noise of the hurly-burly around was tremendous,
" that it was safer where we were. What if the stem
should sink further and flatten us ? "

"As long as we stood to windward of it," replied
Hendrick, "we were safe from the tree itself, though
in danger from surrounding trees, but now, with this
great trunk above us, other trees can do us no harm.
As for the stem sinking lower, it can't do that until
this solid branch that supports it becomes rotten.
Come now," he added, "we will encamp here. Give
me the axe, Oliver, and the three of you help to carry
away the branches as I chop them off."

In little more than an hour a circular space was
cleared of snow and branches, and a hut was thus
formoLl, with the great tree-stem for a ridge-pole, and

TREMENDOUS STORM AND STRANGE SHELTER. 137

innumerable branches, great and small, serving at once
for walls and supports. Having rescued their newly
made snow-shoes and brought them, with their other
property, into this place of refuge, they sat or reclined
on their deerskins to await the end of the storm. This
event did not, however, seem to be near. Hour after
hour they sat, scarcely able to converse because of the
noise, and quite unable to kindle a fire. Towards
evening, however, the wind veered round a little, and a
hill close to their camp sheltered them from its direct
force. At the same time, an eddy in the gale piled up
the snow on the fallen tree till it almost buried them ;
converting their refuge into a sort of snow-hut, with a
branchy frame-work inside. This change also permitted
them to light a small fire and cook some venison, so
that they made a sudden bound from a state of great
discomfort and depression to one of considerable com-
fort and hilarity.

"A wonderful change," observed Trench, looking
round the now ruddy walls of their curious dwelling
with great satisfaction. "About the quickest built
house on record, I should think — and the strongest."

" Yes, daddy, and built under the worst of circum-
stances too. "What puzzles me is that such a tree
should have given way at all."

" Don't you see, Oily," said Paul, " that some of its
roots are hollow, rotten at the core ? "

" Ah ! boy — same with men as trees," remarked the
captain, moralising. " Eotten at the core — sure to come
down, sooner or later. Lay that to heart, Oily."

■"^

138

THE CREW OP THE "WATER WAGTAIL."

[

" If ever I do come down, daddy, I hope it won't be
with 80 much noise. Why, it went off like a cannon,"

" A cannon ! " echoed the captain. " More like as if
the main-mast o' the world had gone by the board ! "

" What if the gale should last a week ? " asked Oily.

" Then we shall have to stay here a week," returned
Hendrick; "but there's no fear of that. The fiercer
the gale the sooner the calm. It won't delay us long."

The hunter was right. The day following found the
party en route, with a clear sky, bright sun, and sharp
calm air. But the art of snow-shoe walking, though
easy enough, is not learned in an hour.
• " They 're clumsy things to look at — more like small
boats flattened than anything else," remarked the
captain, when Hendrick had fastened the strange but
indispensable instruments on his feet — as he had
already fastened those of the other two.

"Now look at me," said Hendrick. "I'll take a
turn round of a few hundred yards to show you how.
The chief thing you have to guard against is treading
with one shoe on the edge of the other, at the same
time, you must not straddle. Just pass the inner edge
of one shoe over the inner edge of the other, and walk
very much as if you had no snow-shoes on at all —
so.

He stepped off at a round pace, the broad and long
shoes keeping him so well on the surface of the snow
that he sank only a few inches.

" Why, it seems quite easy," observed the captain.

" Remarkably so," said Paul.

TREMENDOUS STORM AND STRANGE SHELTER. 139

" Anybody can do that," cried Oliver.

"Now then, up anchor — here goesl" said the
captain.

He stepped out valiantly ; took the first five paces
like a trained walker ; tripped at the sixth step, and
went headlong down at the seventh, with such a wild
plunge that his anxious son, running hastily to his aid,
summarily shared his fate. Paul burst into an uncon-
trollable fight of laughter, lost his balance, and went
down — as the captain said — stern foremost!

It was a perplexing commencement, but, the ice
having been broken, they managed in the course of a
few hours to advance with only au occasional fall, and,
before the next day had closed, walked almost as easily
as their guide.

This was so far satisfactory. Our three travellers
were quite charmed with their proficiency in the new
mode of progression, when a sudden thaw set in and
damped not only their spirits but their shoes. The
netting and lines became flabby. The moccasins, with
which Hendrick had supplied them from the bundle he
carried for his own use, were reduced to something of
the nature of tripe. The damp snow, which when
rendered powdery by frost had fallen through the net-
work of the shoes, now fell upon it in soft heaps and
remained there, increasing the weight so much as to
wrench joints and strain muscles, while the higher
temperature rendered exertion fatiguing and clothing
unbearable. *

"I wonder how long I can stand this without my

THE CREW OF THE " WATKU WAGTAIL.'

'%*

legs coming off," said poor Oliver, giving way at last to
a feeling of despair.

" Seems to me to get hotter and hotter," growled his
father, as he wiped the perspiration from his face with
the tale o^* his coat — having lost the solitary handker-
chief wit iiich he had landed.

" I 'm glad the thaw is so complete," said Hendrick,
" for it may perhaps clear away the snow altogether. It
is too early for winter to begin in earnest. I would
suggest now that we encamp again for a few days, to
see whether the weather is really going to change ; hunt
a little, and rest a while. What say you ? "

With a sigh of contentment the captain answered,
" Amen ! " Paul said, " Agreed ! " and Oliver cried,
" Hurrah " at the same time throwing his cap in the
air.

Two days after that they were enabled to conti ue
the journey on snowless ground, with the unwielu/
shoes slung at their backs.

The change, although decidedly an improvement, was
not perfect, for the ground had been made soft, the
rivers and rills had been swollen, '.nd the conditions
altogether were rendered much less agreeable than they
had been on the outward journey. The travellers
enjoyed themselves greatly, notwithstanding, and the
captain added many important jottings in what he
styled the log-book of his memory as to bearings of
salient points, distances, etc., while Paul took notes of
the fauna and flora, soils, products, and geological
features of the country, on the same convenient tablets.

:ni

TREMENDOUS STORM AND STRANGE SHEF.TER. 141

"There can be no doubt about it," said the latter one
morning, as he surveyed the country around him.

"No doubt about what?" asked the captain.

"About the suitableness of this great island for the
abode of man," answered Paul ; and then, continuing to
speak with enthusiasm, " the indication of minerals is
undoubted. See you that serpentine deposit mingled
with a variety of other rocks, varying in colour from
darkest green to yellow, and from the translucent to the
almost transparent? Wherever that is seen, there
we have good reason to believe that copper ore will be
found."

" If so," observed Hendrick, " much copper ore will
be found on the sea-coast, on the north side of the
island, for I have seen the same rocks in many places
there."

"But there are indications of other metals," continued
Paul, "which I perceive; though my acquaintance with
geological science is unfortunately not sufficient to make
me certain, still, I think I can see that, besides copper,
nickel, lead, and iron may be dug from the mines of
Newfoundland ; indeed, I should not wonder if silver
and gold were also to be found. Of the existence of
coal-beds there can be no doubt, though what their
extent may be I cannot guess ; but of this I am certain,
that the day cannot be far distant when the mineral
and forest wealth of this land shall be developed by 9
large and thriving population."

" It may be as you say, Paul," remarked Captain
Trench, with a dubious shake of the head; "but if you

1
J

142

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

had lived as long as I have, and seen as much of the
world and its ways, you wouldn't be quite so sanguine
about the thriving population or the speedy develop-
ment. You see, hitches are apt to occur in the affairs
of men which cause wonderful delays, and tangle-
men ts come about that take years to unravel."

If Captain Trench had been a professional prophet
he could hardly have hit the nail more fairly on the
head, for he indicated exactly wh..t bad government
has actually done for Newfoundland — only he might'
have said centuries instead of years — for its internal
resources, even at the present time, remain to a very
great extent undeveloped. However, not being a pro-
fessional prophet, but merely an ancient mariner, the
captain wound up his remark with a recommendation
to hoist all sail and lay their course, as there was no
saying how long the mild weather would last.

For several days after this they plodded steadily on-
v'ard, sometimes over the mountains or across the grassy
plains, where migrating reindeer supplied them with
abundant venison ; at other times among lakelets and
streams, whose excellent fish and innumerable wild-
fowl provided them with variety for the table and
music for the ear. Now and then they saw the great
moose-deer, which rivals the horse in size, and once
Hendrick shot one, at a time when they chanced to
have consumed their last caribou steak, and happened
to enter a great forest without anything for supper in
their wallets. For, occasionally, circumstances may
render men supperless even when surrounded by plenty

•^^^^^

TllEMENDOUS STORM AND STRANGE SHELTER. 143

At last they reached the great lake, with its beauti-
ful islands, where Hendrick had set up his home.

The hunter became very silent as they drew near to
its shores.

"You seem anxious," remarked Paul, as they
approached the lake. "Have you reason to fear
aught?"

"None — none," replied his friend quickly; "but I
never return after a long absence without feeling
anxious."

A loud halloo soon brought the echoing answer in
the shrill voice of little Oscar, whose canoe quickly
shot out from the creek. It was speedily followed 'by
the deerskin boat, and, when near enough to be heard,
the reply to Hendrick's anxious inquiry was the grati-
fying assurance — " All 's well !"

144

THE CREW OP THE " WATER WAGTAIL.'

CHAPTER XV.

GRUMMIDOE ASSERTS HIMSELF— GREAT DISCCVERIB3 ARB MADB AND THB

CREW FLITS.

WE must turn aside now for a time to inquire into
the doings of the crew of the Water Wagtail,
whom we left on the little island off the eastern sea-
board of Newfoundland.

At first, when the discovery was made that the
captain, Paul, and Oliver had been put ashore and left
to take care of themselves without weapons or supplies,
there was a disposition on the part of the better men
of the crew to apply what we now style Lynch law to
Big Swinton, David Garnet, and Fred Taylor.

" Let 's hang 'em," suggested Grummidge, at a meeting
of the men when the culprits were not present.

" Sure an' I '11 howld the- rope wid pleasure," said
Squill.

"An' I'll help ye," cried Little Stubbs.

But Jim Heron shook his head, and did not quite
see his way to that, while George Blazer protested
against such violent proceedings altogether. As he
was backed up by the majority of the crew, the proposal
was negatived.

" But wliat are we to do, boys ? " cried Grummidge

GRUMMIDGE ASSERTS HIMSELF.

145

vehemently. " Are we goin' to be domineered over by
Swinton ? Why, every man he takes a dislike to, he '11
sneak into his tent when he 's asleep, make him fast,
heave him into the boat, pull to the big island, land
him there, and bid him good-bye. There won't be one
of us safe while he prowls about an' gits help from
three or four rascals as bad as himself."

" Ay, that 's it, boys," said Little Stubbs ; " it won't
be safe to trust him. Hang him, say I."

Stubbs was a very emphatic little man, but his em-
phasis only roused the idea of drollery in the minds of
those whom he addressed, and rather influenced them
towards leniency.

" No, no," cried the first mate of the Water Wagtail,
who, since the wreck, had seldom ventured to raise his
voice in council ; " I would advise rather that we should
give him a thrashing, and teach him that we refuse to
obey or recognise a self -constituted commander."

" Ah sure now, that 's a raisonable plan," said Squill,
with something of sarcasm in his tone ; " an' if I might
make so bowld I 'd suggist that yoursilf, sor, shud give
him the thrashin'."

" Nay, I am far from being the strongest man of the
crew. The one that is best able should do the job."

The mate looked pointedly at Grummidge as he
spoke ; but Grummidge, being a modest man, pretended
not to see him,

" Yes, yes, you 're right, sir, Grummidge is the very
man," cried Stubbs.

" Hear, hear," chorused several of the others. " Conie,

146

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

old boy, you '11 do it, won't you ? and we '11 all promise
to back you up."

"Well, look'ee here, lads," said Grummidge, who
seemed to have suddenly made up his mind, " this man
has bin quarrellin' wi' me, off an' on, since the beginning
of the voyage, whether I would or not, so it may be as
well to settle the matter now as at another time. I '11
do the job on one consideration."

" What 's that ? " cried several men.

" That you promises, on your honour (though none o*
you 's got much o* that), that when I 've done the job
you agree to make me captain of the crew. It's a
moral impossibility, d'ee see, for people to git along
without a leader, so if I agree to lead you in this, you
must agree to follow me in everything — is it so ? "

" Agreed, agreed ! " chorused his friends, only too glad
that one of the physically strongest among them — also
one of the best-humoured — should stand up to stem
the tide of anarchy which they all clearly saw was
rising among them.

" Well, then," resumed Grummidge, " I see Swinton
with his three friends a-comin'. 1 11 expect you to
stand by an' see fair play, for he 's rather too ready wi'
his knife."

While he spoke the comrade in question was seen
approaching, with Fred Taylor and David Garnet, carry-
ing a quantity of cod-fish that had just been caught.

" You 've been holding a meeting, comrades, I think,"
said Swinton, looking somewhat suspiciously at the
group of men, as he came up and flung down his load.

GKUMMIDGE ASSERTS HIMSEI.F.

147

" Yes, we have," said Grumraidge, advancing, hands
in pockets, and with a peculiar nautical roll which
distinguislied him. "You're right. Big Swinton,
we have bin havin' a meetin', a sort of trial, so to
speak, an' as you are the man what's bin tried, it
may interest you to know what sentence has bin passed
upon you."

" Oh indeed ! " returned Swinton, with a look of
cool insolence which he knew well how to assume, no
matter what he felt. "Well, yes, it would interest
me greatly to hear the sentence of the learned judge —
whoever he is."

The fingers of the man fumbled as he spoke at his
waist-belt, near the handle of his knife. Observing
this, Grummidge kept a watchful eye on him, but did
not abate his nonchalant free-and-easy air, as he stepped
close up to him.

" The sentence is," he said firmly but quietly, " that
you no longer presume to give orders as if you was the
captain o' this here crew ; that from this hour you fall
to the rear and undertake second fiddle — or fourth
fiddle, for the matter o' that ; and that you head a party
to guide them in a sarch which is just a-goin' to begin
for the two men and the boy you have so sneakingly
betrayed and put on shore — an' all this you '11 have to
do with a ready goodwill on pain o' havin' your brains
knocked out if you don't. Moreover, you may be
thankful that the sentence is so light, for some o' your
comrades would have had you hanged right off, if others
hadn't seen fit to be niavciful."

148

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

While this sentence was being pronounced, Swinton's
expression underwent various changes, and his face
became visibly paler under the steady gaze of Grum-
midge. At the last word he grasped his knife and
drew it, but his foe was prepared. Like a flash of
light he planted his hard knuckles between Swinton's
eyes, and followed up the blow with another on the
chest, which felled him to the ground.

There was no need for more. The big bully was
rendered insensible, besides being effectually subdued,
and from that time forward he quietly consented to
play any fiddle — chiefly, however, the bass one. But
he harboured in his heart a bitter hatred of Grum-
midge, and resolved secretly to take a fearful revenge
at the first favourable opportunity.

Soon after that the boat was manned by as many of
the crew as it could contain, and an exploring party
went to the spot where Captain Trench and his com-
panions had been landed, guided thereto by Swinton,
and led by his foe Grummidge, whose bearing indicated,
without swagger or threat, that the braining part of the
sentence would be carried out on the slightest symptom
of insubordination on the part of the former. While
this party was away, those who remained on the islet
continued to fish, and to preserve the fish for winter
use by drying them in the sun.

We need scarcely add that the exploring party did
not discover those for whom they sought, but they dis-
covered the true nature of the main island, which, up
to that time, they had supposed to be a group of isles.

GRUMMIDGE ASSERTS HIMSELF.

When the search was finally given up as hopeless, an
examination of the coast was made, with a view to a
change of abode.

" You see, lads," observed Grummidge, when discuss-
ing this subject, " it 's quite plain that we shall have
to spend the winter here, an' as I was a short bit to the
south of these seas in the late autumn one voyage, I
have reason to believe that we had better house our-
selves, an' lay in a stock o* provisions if we would
escape bein' froze an* starved."

"Troth, it's well to escape that, boys," remarked
Squills, " for it *s froze I was mesilf wance — all but —
on a voyage to the Baltic, an' it *s starved to death was
me owld grandmother — almost — so I can spake from
experience."

"An' we couldn't find a better place for winter-
quarters than what we see before us," said Garnet.
" It looks like a sort o' paradise."

We cannot say what sort of idea Garnet meant to
convey by this comparison, but there could be no
question that the scene before them was exceedingly
beautiful. The party had held their consultation on
the crest of a bluff, and just beyond it lay a magnificent
bay, the shores of which were clothed with luxuriant
forests, and the waters studded with many islets. At
the distant head of the bay the formation or dip of the
land clearly indicated the mouth of a large river, while
small streams and ponds were seen gleaming amid the
foliage nearer at hand. At the time the sun was
blaziu'4 in a cloudless skv, and those thick fo^s which

maimt

150

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

SO frequently enshroud the coasts of Newfoundland
had not yet descended from the icy north.

"I say, look yonder. What's Blazer about?"
whispered Jim Heron, pointing to his comrade, who
had separated from the party and was seen with a
large stone in each hand creeping cautiously round a
rocky point below them.

Conjecture was useless and needless, for, while they
watched him. Blazer rose up, made a wild rush forward,
hurled the stones in advance, and disappeared round
the point. A few moments later he reappeared, carry-
ing a large bird in his arms.

The creature which he had thus killed with man's
most primitive weapon was a specimen of the great
auk — a bird which is now extinct. It was the size of
a large goose, with a coal-black head and back, short
wings, resembling the flippers of a seal, which assisted
it wonderfully in the water, but were useless for flighty
broad webbed feet, and legs set so far back that on
land it sat erect like the penguins of the southern seas.
At the time of which we write, the great auk was found
in myriads on the low rocky islets on the eastern shores
of Newfoundland. Now-a-days there is not a single
bird to be found anywhere, and only a few specimens
and skeletons remain in the museums of the world
to tell that such creatures once existed. Their exter-
mination was the result of man's reckless slaughter ol
them when the Newfoundland banks became the resort
of the world's fishermen. Not only was the great
auk slain in vast numbers, for the sake of fresh food,

GRUMMIDGE ASSERTS HIMSELF.

151

but it was salted by tons for future use and sale. The
valuable feathers, or down, also proved a source of
temptation, and as the birds could not fly to other
breeding-places, they gradually diminished in numbers
and finally disappeared.

"Why, Blazer," exclaimed Heron, "that's one o* the
sodger-like birds we frightened away from our little
island when we first landed."

" Ay, an' there 's plenty more where this one came
from," said Blazer, throwing the bird down ; " an' they
are so tame on the rocks round the point that I do
believe we could knock 'em on the head with sticks, if
we took 'em unawares. What d'ee say to try, lads ? '*

"Agreed — for I'm gettin' tired o' fish now," said
Grummidge. " How should we set about it, think 'ee ? "

"Cut cudgels for ourselves, then take to the boat,
creep round to one o' the little islands in the bay, and
go at 'em ! " answered Blazer.

This plan was carried out with as little delay as pos-
sible. An islet was boarded, as Squill said, and the
clumsy, astonished creatures lost numbers of their
companions before making their escape into the sea.
A further treasure was found in a large supply of their
eggs. Laden almost to the gunwale with fresh pro-
visions, the searcli-pavty returned to tlieir camp — some
of them, indeed, distressed at having failed to find their
banished friends, but most of them elated bv their
success with the 'great auks, and the prospect of soon
going into pleasant winter-quarters.

So eager were they all to flit into this new region—

152

THE CUEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

this paradise of Garnet — that operations were com-
menced on the very next day at early morn. The boat
was launched and manned, and as much of their
property as it would hold was put on board.

" You call it paradise, Garnet," said Grummidge, as
the two carried a bundle of dried cod slung on a pole
between them, " but if you, and the like of ye, don't
give up swearin', an' try to mend your manners, the
place we pitch on will be more like hell than paradise,
no matter how comfortable and pretty it may be."

Garnet was not in a humour either to discuss this
point or to accept a rebuke, so he only replied to the
remark with a surly " Humph ! "

Landing on the main island to the northward of the
large bay, so as to secure a southern exposure, the boat-
party proceeded to pitch their camp on a lovely spot,
where cliff and coppice formed a luxuriant background.
Ilamparts of rock protected them from the nor'-west
gales, and purling rivulets hummed their lullaby. Here
they pitched their tents, and in a short space of time
ran up several log huts, the material for which was
supplied in abundance by the surrounding forest.

When the little settlement was sufficiently estab-
lished, and all the goods and stores were removed from
what now was known as Wreck Island, they once more
launched the boat, and turned their attention to fishing
— not on the Great Bank, about which at the time they
were ignorant, but on the smaller banks nearer shore,
where cod-fish were found in incredible numbers.
Some of the party, however, had more of tlie hunter's

ORUMMIDGE ASSERTS HIMSELF.

153

than the fisher's spirit in them, and prepared to make
raids on the homes of the great auk, or to ramble in
the forests.

Squill was among the latter. One day, while
rambling on the sea-sliore looking for shell-fish, he
discovered a creature which not only caused him to fire
off all the exclamations of his rich Irish vocabulary, but
induced him to run back to camp with heaving chest
and distended eyes — almost bursting from excitement.

" What is it, boy ? " chorused his comrades.

" Och ! musha ! I 've found it at long last ! — the great

say — sur no, not exactly that, but the — the great,

sprawlin', long-legged — och ! what shall I say ? The
great-grandfather of all the — the — words is wantin',
boys. Come an' see for yourselves 1 "

154

THE CREW OF THE " WATEU WAGTAIL.

;

CHAPTER XVI.

A GIANT DISCOVKRKD-NEW HOME AT WAGTAIL BAY— A STIIANGB
ADDITION TO THK SETTLEMENT.

THE creature which had so powerfully affected the
feelings of the Irishman was dead ; but, dead and
harmless though it was, it drew forth from his comrades
a shout of intense surprise when they saw it, for it was
no less than a cuttlefish of proportions so gigantic that
they ^'It themselves in the presence of one of those
terrible monsters of the deep, about which fabulous
tales have been told, and exaggerated descriptions given,
since the beginning of historical time.

" Av he 's not the say-sarpint himself, boys," panted
Squill, as he pointed to him with looks of unmitigated
admiration, " sure he must be his first cousin."

And Squill was not far wrong, for it was found that
the mon-t -oad fish measured fifty-two feet between the
jctf "ts outspread arms. Its body was about

-w and four feet broad. Its great arms, of

.vine en radiating from its body, varied in length

and -iiickness — tiie longest being about twenty-four
feet, and the shortest about eight. The under sides of
these arms were s^ )lied with innumerable suckers.

A GIANT DISCOVERED.

156

while from the body there projected p h/^'ny beak, like
the beak of a parrot.

"It's wisliiu', I am, that I might see wan o* yer
family alive," said Squill, as he turned over the dead
arms ; " but I *d rather not be embraced by ye. Och !
what a hug ye could give — an* as to howldin' on — a
thousand limpets would be nothiu' to ye."

" A miser grippin' his gold would be more like it,"
suggested Grummidge.

"I don't expect ever to see one alive," said Little
Stubbs, " an' yet there must surely be more where that
came from."

The very next day Squill had his wish gratified, and
Stubbs his unbelief rebuked, for, while they were out
in the boat rowing towards one of the fishing-banks
with several of their comrades, they discovered a living
giant-cuttlefish.

" What 's that, boys ? " cried the Irishman, pointing
to the object which was floating in the water not far
ahead of them.

" Seaweed," growled Blazer.

Blazer always growled. His voice was naturally low
and harsh — so was his spirit. Sometimes a grunt sup-
planted the growl, suggesting that he was porcine in
nature — as not a few men are.

But it was not seaweed. The thing showed signs of
life as the boat drew near.

" Starboard ! starboard hard I " shouted Little Stubbs,
starting up.

But the warning came too late. Next moment the

156

THE CREW OF THE " WAT^H WAGTAIL."

boat ran with a thud into a monster cuttlefish.
Grummidge seized a boat-hook, shouted, " Stern all!"
and hit the creature with all his might, while Stubbs
made a wild grasp at a hatchet which lay under one of
the thwarts.

Instantly the horny parrot-like beak, the size of a
man's fist, reared itself from among the folds of the
body and struck the boat a violent blow, while a pair
of saucer-like eyes, fully four inches in diameter,
opened and glared ferociously. This was terrifying
enough, but when, a moment later, two tremendous
arras shot out from the body near the eyes, flung them-
selves around the boat and held on tight, a yell of fear
escaped from several of the men, and with good reason,
for if the innumerable suckers on those slimy arms once
fairly attached themselves to the boat there seemed to
be no chance of escape from the deadly embrace. In
that moment of danger Little Stubbs proved himself
equal to the occasion. With the hatchet he deftly
severed the two limbs as they lay over the gunwale of
the boat, and the monster, without cry or sign of pain,
fell back into the sea, and mov^^d off, ejecting such a
quantity of inky fli\id as it went that the water was
darkened for two or three hundred yards around.

" Well done, Little Stubbs ! " cried Grunimiuge, as he
watched the creature disappearing. "You've often
worried our lives in time past, but this time you've
saved 'em. Coil away the limbs, boys. We '11 measure
'em and enter 'em in the log when we go ashore."

It may interest the reader to know that the measure,

NEW HOME AT WAGTAIL BAY. 157

iiients were as follows : — The longer and thinner arm was
nineteen feet in length ; about three and a half inches in
circumference ; of a pale pinkish colour, and exceedingly
strong and tough. As all the men agreed that more
than ten feet of the arm were left attached to the
monster's body, the total length must have been little
short of thirty feet. Towards the extremity it broadened
out like an oar, and then tapered to a fine tongue-like
point. This part was covered with about two hundred
suckers, having horny-toothed edges, the largest of the
suckers being more than an inch in diameter, the
smallest about the size of a pea. The short arm was
eleven feet long, and ten inches in circumference. It
was covered on the under side throughout its entire
length with a double row of suckers. C-rummidge, who
was prone to observe closely, counted them that night
with minute care, and came to the conclusion that the
creature must have possessed about eleven hundred
suckers altogether. There was also a tail to the fish
— which Squill called a " divil-fish " — shaped like a fin.
It was two feet in width.

Lest any reader should imagine that we are romanc-
ing here, we turn aside to refer liim to a volume entitled
Newfoundland, the oldest British Colony, written by
Joseph Hatton and the Rev. M. Harvey, in whicli
(pp. 238-42) he will find an account of a giant cuttle-
fish, devil-fish, or squid, very similar to that which we
have now described, and in which it io also stated that
Mr. Harvey, in 1873, obtained" possession of one cuttle-
fish arm nineteen feet long, which he measured and

15^8

THE CKEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

photographed, and described in various newspapers and
periodicals, and, finally, sent to the Geological Museum
in St. John's, where it now lies. The same gentleman
afterwards obtained an uninjured specime i of the fish,
and it is well known that complete specimens, as well
as fragments, of the giant cephalopod now exist in
several other museums.

Can any one wonder that marvellous tales of the sea
were told that night round the fires at supper-time ?
that Little Stubbs became eloquently fabulous, and that
Squill, drawing on his imagination, described witli
graphic power a monster before whose bristling horrors
the great sea-serpent himself would hide his diminished
head, and went into particulars so minute and complex
that his comrades set him down as " one o' the biggest
liars" that ever lived, until he explained that the
monster in question had only appeared to him " wance
in wan of his owld grandmother's dreams ! "

In fishing, and hunting with bows and arrows made
by themselves, as well as with ingenious traps and
weirs and snares of their own invention, the crew spent
their time pleasantly, and the summer passed rapidly
away. During this period the rude tents of spars and
sailcloth were supplanted by ruder huts of round logs,
calked with hay and plastered with mud. Holes in the
walls thereof did service as windows during the day,
and bits of old sails or bundles of hay stuffed into them
formed shutters at night. Sheds were also put up to
guard provisions and stores from the weather, and stages
were erected on which to r'ry the cod-fish after being

NEW HOME AT WAGTAIL BAY.

159

split and cleaned ; so that our shipwrecked crew, in their
new home, which they named Wagtail Bay, had thus
unwittingly begun that great industry for which New-
foundland has since become celebrated all the world over.

It is not to be supposed that among such men in
such circumstances everything went harmoniously. At
first, indeed, what with having plenty to do in fishing,
hunting, building, splitting and drying fish, etc., all day,
and being pretty well tired out at nights, the peace was
kept pretty easily; all the more that Big Swinton had
been quelled and apparently quite subdued. But as
the stores became full of food and the days shortened,
while the nights proportionately lengthened, time began
to hang heavy on their hands, and gradually the camp
became resolved into the two classes which are to be
found everywhere — the energetically industrious and
the lazily idle. Perhaps we should say that those two
extreme phases of human nature began to show them-
selves, for between them there existed all shades and
degrees, so that it was difficult to tell, in some cases, to
which class the men belonged.

The proverbial mischief, of course, was soon found
for the latter class to do, and Grummidge began to
discover that the ruling of his subjects, which sat lightly
enough on his shoulders during the summer, became a
matter of some trouble and anxiety in autumn. He
also found, somewhat to his surprise, that legislation
was by no means the easy — we might say free-and-
easy — business which he had supposed it to be. In
short, the camp presented the interesting spectacle of a

ICO

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

human society undergoing the process of mushroom
growth from a condition of chaotic irresponsibility to
that of civilised order.

The chaotic condition had been growing worse and
worse for some time before Grummidge. was forced
to take action, for Grummidge was a man of long-
suffering patience. One night, however, he lost all
patience, and, like most patient people when forced out
of their natural groove, he exploded with surprising
violence and vigour.

It happened thus: — The crew had built for them-
selves a hut of specially large dimensions, in which
they nightly assembled all together round the fires, of
which there were two — one at either end. Some of the
men told stories, some sang songs, others played at
draughts of amateur construction, and a good many
played the easy but essential part of audience.

The noise, of course, was tremendous, but they were
used to that, and minded it not. When, however, two
of the men began to quarrel over their game, with so
much anger as to interrupt all tho others, and draw
general attention to themselves, the thing became un-
bearable, and when one called the other "a liar," and
the other shouted with an oath, " You're another," the
matter reached a climax.

"Come, come, Dick Swan and Bob Crow," cried
Grummidge, in a stern voice ; " you stop that. Two
liars are too much in this here ship. One is one too
many. If you can't keep civil tongues in your heads,
we '11 pitch you overboard."

NEW HOME AT WAGTAIL BAY.

161

" You mind your own business," gruffly replied Dick
Swan, who was an irascible man and the aggressor.

"That's just what I'll do," returned Grummidge,
striding up to Swan, seizing him by the collar, and
hurling him to the other end of the room, where he lay
still, under the impression, apparently, that he had had
enough. " My business," said Grummidge, " is to keep
order, and I mean to attend to it. Isn't that so, boys ? "

" No — yes — no," replied several voices.

" Who said ' No * ? " demanded Grummidge.

Every one expected to see Big Swinton step forward,
but he did not. His revenge was not to be gratified
by mere insubordination. The man who did at last
step forward was an insignificant fellow, who had been
nicknamed Spitfire, and whose chief characteristics
were self-will and ill-nature. He did not lack courage,
however, for he boldly faced the angry ruler and defied
him. Every one expected to see Spitfire follow Dick
Swan, and in similar fashion, but they were mistaken.
They did not yet understand Grummidge.

" Well, Spitfire, what 's your objection to my keeping
order ? " he said, in a voice so gentle that the other took
heart.

" My objection," he said, " is that when you was
appinted capting there was no vote taken. You was
stuck up by your own friends, an* that ain't fair, an' T,
for one, refuse to knuckle under to 'ee. You may
knock me down if you like, for I ain't your match by a
long way, but you '11 not prove wrong to be right by
doin' that."

162

THE CUKW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL,

"Well spoken, Master Spitfire!" exclaimed a voice
from the midst of the crowd that encircled the speakers.

" Well spoken, indeed," echoed Grummidge, " and I
thank you, Master Spitfire, for bringin' this -here matter
to a head. Now, lads," he added, turning to the crowd,
" you have bin wrong an' informal, so to speak, in your
proceedin's when you appinted me governor o' this here
colony. There 's a right and a wrong in everything, an' I
do believe, from the bottom of my soul, that it 's — that
it's — that — well, I ain't much of a dab at preaching as
you know, but what I would say is this — it 's right to
do right, an' it ain't right for to do wrong, so we '11 krect
this little mistake at once, for I have no wish to rule,
bless you ! Now then, all what 's in favour o' my bein'
gov'nor, walk to the end o' the room on my right hand,
an' all who wants somebody else to be — Spitfire, for in-
stance — walk over to where Dick Swan is a-sittin'
enjo'in' of hisself."

Immediately three-fourths of the crew stepped with
alacrity to the right. The remainder went rather slowly
to the left. " The Grummidges has won ! " cried Squill,
amid hearty laughter.

The ruler himself made no remark whatever, but,
seating himself in a corner of the hut, resumed the
game which had been interrupted, quite assured that
the game of insubordination was finally finished.

The day following that on which the reign of King
Grummidge was established, a new menibcr of con-
siderable interest was added to the colony. Blazer,
Stubbs, and Squill chanced to be out that day along the

ADDITION TO THE SETTLEMENT.

163

shore. Squill, being in a meditative mood, had fallen
behind his comrades. They had travelled further than
usual, when the attention of the two in front was at-
tracted by what seemed to them the melancholy howl-
ing of a wolf. Getting their bows ready, they advanced
with caution, and soon came upon a sad sight — the
dead body of a native, beside which crouched a large
black dog. At first they thought the dog had killed
the man, and were about to shoot it, when Stubbs
exclaimed, " Hold on ! don't you see he must have
tumbled over the cliff? "

A brief examination satisfied them that the Indian,
in passing along the top of tlie cliffs, had fallen over, and
that the accident must have been recent, for the body
was still fresh. The dog, which appeared to be starving,
showed all its formidable teeth when they attempted to
go near its dead master. Presently SquiU came up.

" Ah, boys," he said, " ye don't onderstand the natur'
o' the baste — see here."

Taking a piece of dried fish from his pocket, he went
boldly forward and presented it. The dog snapped it
greedily and gulped it down. Squill gave him anotlier
and another piece ; as the fourth offering was preseu. d
he patted the animal quietly on its head. The victory
was gained. The dog suffered them to bury its master,
but for four clays it refused to leave his grave. During
that time Squill fed it regularly. Then he coaxed it
to follow him, and at last it became, under the name of
Blackboy, a general favourite, and a loving member of
the community.

*-*iwB»«W*'^*™^

164

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

CHAPTER XVIt

HAS REFERENCE TO FOOD AND A GREAT PIOHT.

THERE is always a certain amount of pleasure
to be derived from the tracing of any subject
of interest back to its origin. We have already seen
how — like a noble river, which hiis its fountain-
head in some mountain lakelet that would scarcely
serve as a washing-basin for a Cyclops — the grand
cod-fishing industry, which has enriched the world,
and found employment for thousands of men for
centuries, had its commencement in the crew of the
Water Wagtail ! we shall now show that another great
industry, namely, the Newfoundland seal-fishery, had
its origin in the same insignificant source.

King Grummidge was walking one morning along
the shore of Wagtail Bay, with hands in pockets, hat
on back of head, and that easy roll of gait so charac-
teristic of nautical men and royalty. He was evidently
troubled in mind, for a fiown rested on his brow, and
his lips were compressed. It might have been sup-
posed that the cares of state were beginning to tell
upon him, but such was not the case : food was the
cause of his trouble.

" Fish, fish, fish," he growled, to Little Stubbs, who

<f'

FRESH FOOD AND A GREAT FIGHT.

165

was his companion in the walk. " I *m sick tired o'
fish. It *s my opinion that if we go on eatin' fish like
we Ve bin doin' since we was cast away here, we will
turn into fish, or mermaids, if not somethin* worse.
— What are ye laughin' at?"

"At the notion o' you turnin' into a maid of any
sort," replied Stubbs.

" That's got nothin' to do wi' the argiment," returned
Grummidge sternly, for his anxieties were too serious
to permit of his indulging in levity at the tiue.
" What we 've got to do is to find meat, for them auks
are nigh as dry as the fish. Meat, lad, meat, wi' plenty
o' fat, that 's the question o' the hour."

" Yes, it 's our question, no doubt," rejoined Stubbs.

He might as well have bestowed his bad pun on a
rabbit, for Grummidge was essentially dense and sober-
minded.

" But w^e 've had a few rabbits of late, an' ducks an
partridges," he added.

" Kabbits ! ducks ! partridges !" repeated his com-
panion, with contempt. " How many of them delicacies
have we had ? That 's what I wants to know."

" Not many, I admit, for there 's none of us got much
to boast of as shots." .

" Shots ! " echoed Grummidge. " You 're right, Stubbs.
Of all the blind bats and helpless boys with the bow,
there 's not, I believe, in the whole world such a lot as
the popilation of Wagtail Bay. Why, there's not two
of ye who could hit the big shed at sixty paces, an' all
the fresh meat as you 've brought in yet has bin the

166

THE CREW OP THE "WATER WAGTAIL."

result 0* chance. Now look 'ee here, Stubbs, a notion
has entered my head, an' when a notion does that, I
usually grab that notion an' hold 'im a fast prisoner
until I've made soniethin' useful an' ship-shape of 'im.
If it works properly we '11 soon have somethin' better
to eat than fish, an* more substantial than rabbits,
ducks, partridges, or auks."

We may remark in passing that the animals which
those wrecked i^ailors called rabbits wore in reality
hares. Moreover, the men took an easy, pei'haps un-
scientific, method of classifying feathered game. Nearly
everything with wings that dwelt chiefly on lake, river,
or sea they called ducks, and all the feathered creatures
of the forest they styled partridges. From this simple
classification, however, were excepted swans, geese,
eagles, and hawks.

"Well, Grummidge, what may be your notion?"
asked Stubbs.

" My notion is — seals ! For all our hard rowin' and
wastin' of arrows we 've failed to catch or kill a single
seal, though there's such swarms of *em all about.
Now this is a great misfortin', for it's well known that
seals make first-rate beef — leastwise to them as ain't
partic'lar — so we '11 set about catchiu' of 'em at once."

"But how?" asked Stubbs, becoming interested
imder the influence of his comrade's earnest enthu-
siasm.

" This is how. Look there, d' ye see that small
island lyin' close to the shore with several seals' heads
appearin' in the channel between?"

FKESH FOOD AND A GREAT FIGUT.

167

"Yes— what then?"

" Well, then, what I mean to do is to have nets
made with big meshes, an' set 'em between that island
an' the shore, and see what comes of it."

" But where 's the twine to come from ?" objected
Stubbs.

"Twine I Ain't there no end o* cordage swashin
about the Water Wagtail ever since she went ashore ?
An' haven't we got fingers? Can't we undo the
strands an' make small cord ? Surely some of ye
have picked oakum enough to understand what that
means !"

Stubbs was convinced. Moreover, the rest of the
men were so convinced that the plan promised well,
when it was explained to them, that they set to work
with alacrity, and, in a brief space of time, made 8
strong net several fathoms in length, and with meshes
large enough to permit of a seal's head squeezing
through.

No sooner was it ready than the whole community
went down to see it set. Then, with difficulty, they
were prevented from waiting on the shore to watch
the result. In the afternoon, when Grummidge gave
permission, they ran down again with all the eagerness
of children, and were rewarded by finding six fat seals
entangled in the net, and inflated almost to bursting
with the water that had drowned them.

Thus they were supplied with " beef," and, what was
of almost equal importance, with ^il, which enabled
them to fry the leanest food, besides affording them the

■ JKO ■«- '■ * ' -- "Wmi l W

168

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL"

means of making a steadier and stronger light than
that of the log fires to which they had hitherto been
accustomed.

It may be here remarked by captious readers, if such
there be, that this cannot appropriately be styled the
beginning of that grand sealing, or, as it is now styled,
" swile huntin'," industry, which calls into action
every year hundreds of steam and other vessels, and
thousands of men, who slaughter hundreds of thousands
of seals ; which produces mints of money, and in the
prosecutions of which men dare the terrible dangers of
ice-drift and pack, in order that they may bludgeon the
young seals upon the floes.

As well might it be objected that a tiny rivulet on
the mountain-top is not the fountain-head of a mighty
river, because its course is not marked by broad ex-
panses and thundering cataracts. Grum midge's net
was undoubtedly the beginning, the tiny rill, of the
Newfoundland seal-fishery, and even the bludgeoning
was initiated by one of his party. It happened thus : —

Big Swinton went out one morning to try his
fortune with the bow and arrow in the neighbour-
hood of a range of cliffs that extended far away to the
northward. Swinton usually chose to hunt in solitude.
Having few sympathies with the crew he shut up his
feelings within his own breast, and brooded in silence
on the revenge he was still resolved to take when a safe
opportunity offered, for the man's nature was singularly
resolute and, at the same time, unforgiving.

Now it chanced that Grummidge, in utter ignorance

FRESH FOOD AND A GREAT FIGHT.

169

his
iiice
safe
arly

of where his foe had gone, took the same direction that
morning, but started some time later, intending to
explore the neighbourhood of the cliffs in search
of sea-fowls' eggs.

On reaching the locality, Swinton found that a largo
ice-floe had come down from the Arctic regions, and
stranded on the shore of the island. On the ice lay
a black object which he rightly judged to be a seal.
At first, he supposed it to be a dead one, but just as he
was about to advance to examine it, the animal raised
its head and moved its tail. Love of the chase was
powerful in Swinton's breast. He instantly crouched
behind a boulder, and waited patiently till the seal
again laid its head on the ice as if to continue its
nap.

While the seaman crouched there, perfectly motion-
less, his brain was active. Arrows, he feared, would be
of little use, even if he were capable of shooting well,
which he was not. Other weapon he had none, with
the exception of a clasp-knife. What was he to do ?
The only answer to that question was — try a club.
But how was he to get at the seal with a club ?

While pondering this question he observed that there
was another seal on the same mass of ice, apparently
sleeping, behind a hummock. He also noticed that
both seals were separated from the water by a consider-
able breadth of ice — especially the one behind the
hummock, and that there was a tongue of ice extending
from the floe to the shore by which it seemed possible
to reach the floe by patient stalking without disturbing

17a

THE CKEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

the game. Instantly Swinton decided on a plan, and
commenced by crawling into the bushes. There, with
his clasp-knife, he carefully cut and peeled a club which
even Hercules might have deigned to wield.

With this weapon he crawled en hands and kne^.s
slowly out to the floe, and soon discovered that the
seals were much larger than he had at first supposed,
and .were probably a male and a female. Being igno-
rant of the nature of seals, and only acquainted with
the fact that the tender nose of the animal is its most
vulnerable part, he crept like a cat after a mouse
towards the smaller seal, which he judged to be the
female, until near enough to make a rush and cut off
its retreat to the sea. He then closed with it, brought
his great club down upon its snout, and laid it dead
upon the ice. Turning quickly round, he observed, to
his surprise, that the male seal instead of making for
the water, as he had expected, was making towards
himself in floundering and violent bounds !

It may be necessary here to state that there are
several kinds of seals in the nortliern seas, and that
the " hood sepl" — or, as hunters call it, the "dog-hood"
— is among the largesc and fiercest of them all. The
male of this species is distinguished from the female by
a singular hood, or fleshy bag, on his nose, which he
has the power to inflate with air, so that it covers his
eyes and face — thus forming a powerful protection to
his sensitive nose, for, besides being elastic, the hood is
uncommonly tough. It is said that this i,uard will
even resist sliot, and that the only sure way of killing

FRESH FOOD AND A GREAT FIGHT.

171

the dog-hood seal is to hit him on the neck at the base
of the skull.

Besides possessing this safeguard, or natural buffer,
the dog-hood is full of courage, which becomes absolute
ferocity when he is defending the female. This is now
so well known that hunters always try to kill the male
first, if possible, when the female becomes an easy
victim.

Swinton saw at a single glance that he hau to deal
with a gigantic and furious foe, for the creahire had
inflated its hood and dilated its nostrils into two huge
bladders, as with glaring eyes it bounced rather than
rushed at him in terrific rage. Feeling that his arrows
would be useless, the man flung them nnd the bow
down, resolving to depend entirely on his mighty club.
Being possessed of a good share of brute courage, and
feeling confident in his great physical strength, Swinton
did not await tlie attack, but ran to meet his foe, swung
his ponderous weapon on high, and brought it down
with tremendous force on the seal's head, but the hood
received it and caused it to rebound — as if from india-
rubber — with such violence that it swung the man to
one side. So far this was well, as it saved him from a
blow of the dog-hood's flipper that would probably
have stunned him. As it was, it grazed his shoulder,
tore a great hole in his strong canvas jacket, and
wounded his arm.

Experience usually teaches caution. When the
seal turned with increased fury to renew the assault,
Swinton stood on the defensive, and as soon as it came

172

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

within reach brougrht his club down a second time on
its head with, if possible, greater force than before ; but
again the blow was broken by tlie hood, though not
again was the man struck by the flipper, for he was
agile as a panther and evaded the expected blow. His
foot slipped on the ice, however, and he fell so close to
the seal that it tumbled over him and almost crushed
him with its weight. At the same time the club flew
from his hand.

Though much shaken by the fall, the seaman
scrambled to his feet in time to escape another on-
slaught, but do what he would he could make no
impression on the creature's head, because of that mar-
vellous hood, and body blows were, of course, useless.
Still Big Swinton was not the man to give in easily to
a seal ! Although he slipped on the ice und fdll several
times, he returned ag/.in and again to the encounter
until he began to feel his strength going. As muscular
power was his sole dependence, a sensation of fear now
tended to make matters worse ; at last he tripped over
a piece of ice, and the seal fell upon him.

It was at this critical point that Grummidge came
in sight of the combatants, and ran at full speed to the
rescue. But he was still at a considerable distance, and
had to cross the tongue of ice before he could reach the
floe.

Meanwhile the seal opened its well-armed jaws to
seize its victim by the throat. Swinton felt that death
stared him in the face. Desperation sharpened his
ingenuity. He thrust his left hand as far as possible

V !

■A.i

FllESH FOOD AND A GREAT FIGHT.

173

sji'

down the throat of his adversary, and, seizing it with
the o^her arm round the neck, held on in a tight though
not loving embrace !

The struggle that ensued was brief. The seal shook
off the man as if he had been but a child, and was on
the point of renewing the attack when it caught sight of
Grummidge, and reared itself to meet this new enemy.

Grummidge possessed a fair-sized clasp-I:nife. Armed
with this, he rushed boldly in and made a powerful stab
at the creature's heart.

Alas! for the poor man even though his stabbing
powers had been good instead of bad, for he would only
have imbedded the short weapon in a mass of fat with-
out touching the heart. But Grummidge was a bad
stabber. He missed his aim so badly as to plunge his
weapon into the hood ! Nothing could have been more
fortunate. The air escaped and the hood collapsed.
At the same moment Grummidge received an ugly
scratch on the cheek which sent him sprawling. As he
rose quickly he observed Swinton's club, which he
grasped and brought vigorously down on the seal's now
unprotected nose, and felled it. Another effective blow
terminated its career for ever, and then the victor
turned to find that Big Swinton lay on the ice> quite
conscious of what was going on though utterly unable
to move hand or foot.

■pa

r!Crrrr3r-TTT3=-

W--B«P

174

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

;Si

If f

11 r I

CHAPTER XVIII.

TELLS OF

TH AND DISASTER,

TO bind up Svvintou's v/ouncls, some of which were
ugly ones, was the first business of Giummidge,
after he had hastily staunched the blood which was
flowing copiously fiom his own cheek. The stout sea-
man was well able to play the part of amj,teur surgeon,
being a handy fellow, and he usually carried about with
him two or three odd pieces of spun-yarn for emer-
gencies — also a lump of cotton-waste as a handkerchiel,
while the tail of his f;hirt served at all times as a con-
venient rag.

Having finished the job he looked earnestly at the
pale face and closed eyes of his old enemy, livI said —

"You've bin pretty much banged about, nld chap —
eh?"

As the wounded man made no reply, Grummidge rose
quickly, intending to run to the settlement for help,
knowing that no time should be lost. He was hasten-
ing a^'^ay when Swinton stopped him.

" Hallo ! hold on ! " he shouted.

Grummidge turned back.

'• You — you 're not goin' to leave me, are you ? " de-

I V

S! I

DEATH AND DISASTER.

176

manded his enemy, somewhat sternly, " I — I shall die
if you leave me here on the cold ice."

An involuntary shudder here bore testimony to the
probability of his fear being well grounded.

" Swinton," replied Grummidge, going down on one
knee, the" more conveniently to grasp the unwounded
hand of his foe, "you mistake my c'rackter entirely.
Tliough I 'm not much to boast on as a man, I ain't
quite a devil. I was only goin' to run to Wagtail Bay
to start some o' the boys with a stretcher to fetch ye —
an' it 's my belief that there 's no time to be lost."

" Eight you are, Grummidge," replied the poor man
in a faint voice, " so little time that if you leave me
here the boys will only find some human beef to carry
back, an' that won't be worth the trouble."

" Don't say that, old chap," returned the other, in a
low, gruff voice which was the result of tender feeling.
" Keep up heart — bless you. I '11 be back in no time."

"All right," said Swinton, with a resigned look, "go
an' fetch the boys. But I say, Grummidge, shake
hands before you go, I don't want to carry a grudge
agin you into the next world if I can help it. Good-
bye."

" No, no, mate, if that 's to be the way of it, I *11 stick
to 'ce. D' ye think you could manage to git on my
back ? "

" I '11 try."

With much heaving, and many half-suppressed groans
from the one, and "heave-ho's" from the other. Big
Swinton was at last mounted on his comrade's broad

176

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

shoulders, and the two started for home. It was a long
and weary journey, for Grummidge found the road
rough and the load heavy, but before night he deposited
his old enemy in a bunk in the large room of the settle-
ment, and then himself sank fainting on the floor — not,
we need scarcely add, from the effect of sentimental
feeling, but because of prolonged severe exertion,
coupled with loss of blood.

Two days later Grummidge sat by the side of
Swinton's bunk. It was early forenoon, and they were
alone — all the other men being out on various avoca-
tions.

Blackboy, the large dog, lay asleep on the floor beside
them.

Suddenly the dog jumped up, ran to the door, and
began to whine restlessly.

" Wolves about, I suppose," said Grummidge, rising
and opening the door.'

Blackboy bounded away in wild haste.

"H'm! he seems in a hurry. Perhaps it's a bear
this time. Well, mate, how d' ye feel now ? " he added,
closing the door and returning to his seat.

"Grummidge," said the sick man, in a low voice
" I '11 never git over this. That seal have done for me
There's injury somewheres inside o' me, I feel sure on
it. But that 's not v/hat I was going to speak about.
I want to make a clean breast of it, afore I goes. I 've
been a bad man, Grummidge, there 's no question about
that in my own mind, whatever may be in the mind
of others. I had even gone the length of making up

DEATH AND DISASTER.

177

my mind to murder you, the first safe chance I got, for
which, and all else I've done and thought agin ye, I ax
your pardon."

" You have it," said his friend earnestly.

" Thank 'ee. That's just what I expected, Grum-
midge. Now what I want to know is, d' ye think God
will forgive me ? "

liie seaman was perplexed. Such a question had
never been put to him before, and he knew not what
to answer. After a few moments' consideration, he
replied —

"What you say is true, Swinton. You've bin a bad
lot ever since I 've know'd ye. I won't go for to deny
that. As to what the Almighty will do or won't do,
how can I tell ? I wish I knew more about such things
myself, for I 'd like to help you, but I can't."

Suddenly an idea flashed into his mind and he con-
tinued : —

" But it do seem to me, Swinton, that if a poor sinner
like me is willin' to forgive ye, ain't the Almighty likely
to be much more willin' ? "

" There 's somethin' in that, Grummidge — somethin'
in that," said the sick man eagerly. Then the hopeful
look disappeared as he added slowly, "but I fear,
Grummidge, that what you say don't quite fit my case,
for I 've got a notion that the Almighty must have been
willin' all my life to save me from myself, and that all
my life I 've bin refnsin' to listen to Him."

'^ How d' ye make that out, boy ? "

" This way. There 's bin somethin' or other inside o'

178

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

me, as far back as I can remember, that somehow didn't
seem to be me, that has been always sayin' 'Don't'
to me, whenever I was a-goin* to do a mean thing.
Now, I can't help thinkin' that it must have bin God
that spoke, for a man would never say 'Don't' to
himself, an' then go right off an' do it, would he ?"

" That 's more than I can tell," answered Griinimidge.
'*I remember hearin' Master Burns a-talkin* on that
point wi' the cappen, an' he thought it was conscience
or the voice of God."

" Well, conscience or no conscience, I 've resisted it
all my life," returned the sick man, "an' it do seem a
mean, sneakin' sort o' thing to come to the Almighty
at the very last moment, when I can't help myself, an'
say, ' I 'm sorry.' "

" It would be meaner to say ' I 'm not sorry,' wouldn't
it ? *' returned Grummidge. " But, now I think of it,
Master Burns did read one or two things out o' that
writin' that he's so fond of, which he says is the Word
of God. If it 's true what he says, he may well be fond
of it, but I wonder how he has found that out. Anyway,
I remember that one o' the things he read out of it was
that the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world ;
an' he explained that Jesus is the Lamb of God, an'
that he stands in our place — takes our punishment
instead of us, an' fulfils the law instead of us."

The sick man listened attentively, even eagerly, but
shook his head.

" How can any man stand in my place, or take my
punishments ? " he said, in a tone savouring almost of

DEATH AND DISASTER.

179

contempt. " As far as I can see, every man will have
enough to do to answer for himself."

" That 's just what come into my mind too, when I
heard Master Burns speak," returned the other ; " but
he cleared that up by explainiu' that Jesus is God as
well as man — ' God with us,' he said."

" That do seem strange," rejoined the sick man, "and
if true," he added thoughtfully, "there's somethin'
in it, Grummidge, somethin' in it to give a man com-
fort."

" Well, mate, I *m of your mind about that, for if God
himself be for us, surely nobody can be agin us," said
the seaman, unconsciously paraphrasing the word of
Scripture itself. " Blow high or blow low, that seems
to me an anchor that you an' me's safe to hang on
to."

The conversation was interrupted at this point by
the sudden entrance of Jim Heron with an arrow stick-
ing in the fleshy part of his back.

" Attacked by savages ! " he gasped. " Here, Grum-
midge, lend a hand to haul out this — I can't well reach
it. They came on us behind the big store, t'other side
o' the settlement, and, after lettin' fly at us took to
their heels. The lads are after them. J got separated
from the boys, and was shot, as you see, so I came —
hall ! pull gently, Grummidge — came back here that
you might haul it out, for it 's hard to run an' fight
with an arrow in your back."

" Stay here, Jim," said Grummidge, after hastily
extracting the shaft. " You couldn't do much with a

180

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

wound like that, I '11 take your place and follow up the
men, and you '11 take mine here, as nurse to Swinton.
We mustn't leave him alone, you know."

Eager though Jim Heron was at first for the fray,
the loss of blood had reduced his ardour and made him
willing to fall in with this proposal.

" Good-bye, Grummidge," cried Swinton, as the for-
mer, having snatched up his knife and bow, was hast-
ening to the door.

" Good-bye — good-bye, mate," he responded, turning
back and grasping the proffered hand. " You '11 be all
right soon, old chap — and Jim 's a better nurse than I
am."

" I like what you said about that anchor, mate, I'll
not forget it," said Swinton, sinking back on his pillow
as Grummidge sallied forth to join in the pursuit of
the savages.

The stout seaman's movements were watched by
some hundreds of glittering black eyes, the owners of
which were concealed amid the brushwood of the ad-
joining forest.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the settlement, the
greater number of the shipwrecked mariners were en-
gaged in hot pursuit of the party of Indians who had
attacked them. They were very indignant, several of
their mates having been wounded, and a considerable
quantity of their stores carried off.

It quickly became apparent, however, that the sea-
men were no match for savages at a race through the
woods, therefore Grummidge, who soon overtook his

DEATH AND DISASTER.

181

comrades, called a halt, and gathered as many of his
men as possible around him.

" Now, lads," he said, " it 's plain that some of you
can't run much further. You ain't used to this sort o'
work. Besides, we have left our settlement undefended.
Most of you must therefore return, an' a few of the
smartest among you will follow me, for we must give
these rascals a fright by followin' 'em till we catch 'em
— if we can — or by drivin' 'em back to their own place,
wherever that may be."

Many of the men were more than willing to agree to
this arrangement, while others were quite ready to
follow their leader. The party, therefore, that finally
continued in pursuit of the Indians was composed of
Grummidge, George Blazer, Fred Taylor, Little Stubbs,
Garnet, Squill, and several others. Armed with bows,
arrows, short spears, and clubs, these set off without
delay into the forest, trusting to the sun and stars for
guidance. The remainder of the men returned to the
settlement, where they discovered that they had been
the victims of a ruse on the part of the savages. The
assault at the further end of the settlement proved to
be a mere feint, made by a comparatively small party,
for the purpose of drawing the seamen away, and leav-
ing the main part of the settlement undefended and
open to pillage. While^ the small detachment of
Indians, therefore, was doing its part, the main body
descended swiftly but quietly on Wagtail Bay, and
possessed themselves of all that was valuable there,
and carried it off.

Hl|

^> \^^

^^.

iMAG^ EVALUATION
TE5T TARGET (MT-3)

^^'-c?-

t!?

ffi^^

:/.

1.0

I.I

1.25

US ll9M 12 2

1.8

i-4 111.6

'V.

*" ^

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

vf^

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80

(716) 872-4503

■^

<(S^, «-

°<8^>.

<»

^«>

'<«k

'»'

f^^

Bal

<i^

:%'

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

Of course, Swinton and Jim Heron were found there.
Both had been beheaded, and their bodies stripped and
left on the floor. Heron seemed to have offered a stout
resistance, until overpowered by numbers and slain.
Poor Swinton, wlio could not have had much more life
remaining than enabled him to understand what was
occurring, had been stabbed to death where he lay.

Fortunately, it was not possible for the Indians to
carry off all the dried fish and other provisions, so that
the men were not reduced to absolute starvation.

All ignorant of what was going on at the settlement,
the avengers were pushing their way through the woods
in pursuit of the smaller body of savages. Nothing
could have been more satisfactory to these latter. From
every eminence and knoll unseen eyes watched the
movements of the white men, who remained under the
delusion that they were striking terro'^ '.nto the hearts
0^ a flying foe.

" Sure, we '11 have to take a rest soon," said Squill,
as they halted on the top of a mound, about sunset, to
breathe and wipe their heated brows.

" True, a short sleep we must have, but we '11 have to
take our rest without kindling a fire," said Grummidge.

"Ay, an' go supperless to bed, too," remarked Little
Stubbs ; " for we 've brought nothing to eat with us."

This fact had not struck any of the party till that
moment. They had been so eager in pursuit of the foe
that all prudential considerations had been thrown to
the winds. They now lay down, therefore, to the very
brief rest that was absolutely needful, not only with-

DEATH AND DISASTElt.

183

out supper, but with the prospect of starting again
without breakfast. However, each man felt bound in
honour not to damp his fellows by complaining.

** Now, boys," said Grummidge, "you lie down, an'
I '11 mount guard. Sleep . as fast as you can, for I '11
route ye out in an hour or so."

But Grummidge did not fulfil his promise. Seating
himself with his back to a tree, his bows and arrows
ready to hand, and actuated by a firm resolve to watch
with intense care, he fell fast asleep, and the whole
party snored in concert.

About fifty Indians, who had joined the original
attacking party, had waited patiently for this state
of affairs. When quite certam that the seamen were
all sleeping soundly, they crept silently forward, and
pounced upon them. The struggle was sharp, but
short. Courage and strength are futile when opposed
to overwhelming numbers. A few minutes later, and
the white men were led, with hands bound behind
them, into the depth of the unknown wilderness.

■ '

* ? 'S '

184

THE CHEW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.**

CHAPTER XIX.

▲ NEW FRIEND WITH STARTUNQ NEWS.

TURN" we now to the island in the great lake where
Hendrick, the hunter, had set up his romantic
home.

The premature touch of winter, which had put so
sudden a stop to the work of our explorers, gave way *^^o
a burst of warmth and sunshine almost as sudden, it
was that brief period of calm repose in which nature in-
dulges in some parts of the world as if to brace her-
self for the rough work of approaching winter. There
was a softness in the air which induced one to court its
embrace. Absolute stillness characterised the inani-
mate world. Clouds floated in the heavenly blue in
rotund masses, which seemed, to the careless glance, as
unchangeable as the hills, and the glassy water reflected
them with perfect fidelity. It also reflected gulls, ducks,
plover, and other wild-fowl, as they sailed, whirred, or
waded about, absorbed in the activities of their domestic
economy, or in the hilarious enjoyment of the sweet in-
fluences around them. Colours most resplendent dyed
the forest trees ; gentle sounds from bird and beast told
of joyous life everywhere, and the blessed sun threw a
Kolden haze over wood and lake and hill. It was as

A NEW FRIEND WITH STARTLING NEWS.

185

though Paradise had been restored to -man, and our
loving Creator had swept away every trace of evil and
misery from the beautiful eartli.

But altliough the day is surely coming when, through
Jesus Christ, "sorrow and sighing shall flee away,"
Paradise had certainly not returned to earth at the
date we write of. Doubtless, however, something which
seemed marvellously like it had reappeared round the
hunter's home, for, while all nature was peaceful as well
as beautiful, love was the grand motive-power wliich
actuated the hearts of those who dwelt there, and that
love had been greatly intensified, as well as purified,
since the advent of Paul Burns with the manuscript
Gospel of John in his bosom, and the Spirit of God in
his heart.

Besides being naturally sympathetic, Paul and Hen-
drick were thus drawn still more strongly together,
as they communed with each other — sometimes while
walking through the forest engaged in the chase ; often
beside the camp-fire after supper while others slept ;
and, not unfrequently, while paddling in their canoe
over the sleeping lake.

One evenihg they were in the latter position — return-
ing from a successful day's hunt in the canoe — wlien
Hendrick became more communicative than usual
about the Indian tribe to which his wife belonged, pnd
in regard to which subject he had hitherto been reticent.
The sun was setting; the island-home was not far dis-
tant. The total absence of wind and consequ.;nt still-
ness of the If.ke rendered it unnecessary to do more

b%fi<l

186

THE CRKW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

than make an occasional dip of thi^ paddles with which
the light craft was propelled — Paul using his in the
bow, while Hendrick sat in the stern and steered.
No one was with them — indeed the canoe was too
small to carry more than two when loaded with the
proceeds of the chase.

" I have often thought," said the hunter, dipping his
paddle lazily, " that you must wonder why one whose
position in the world warranted his looking forward to
a bright and prosperous career should inflict on himself
voluntary banishment and wed an Indian woman."

" Hendrick," returned Paul, " I wonder at few things
in this life, for I know something of the working of the
human mind and heart, and have ceased to judge other
men's feelings by my own. Besides, I criticise not the
actions of my friend. The motives of his acts are
known only to himself and his God. The Gospel tells
me to "judge not according to the appearance." More-
over, the longer I live with you, the more have I learned
to know that there are qualities in Trueheart which
would do honour to dames of the highest station."

A gleam of satisfaction lightened the hunter's face
for a moment as he exclaimed, with unwonted energy,
"You do her no more than justice, my friend. I have
lived to learn that love, truth, and every virtue are to
be found in every station — alike with the high-born
and the lowly ; also that the lack of these qualities is
common to both, and, to say truth, I had ratlier mate

with

a gentle savage

than with a civilised female

tiger!"

]

A NEW FRIEND WITH STARTLING NEWS.

187

"But Truehearb is not a gentle savage," returned
Paul, scarcely able to repress a smile at the tone in
which his friend uttered his sentiments ; " she is a
gentle woman."

" Of course, I know that," rejoined Hendrick ; " more-
over she is a half-caste ! I only used the word to
designate the class of humanity to which she belongs,
and to contrast her with that other class which deems
itself at the top of the civilised tree."

" But it seems to me, Master Hendrick, that you are
inclined to be too severe on the high-born. There are
those among them whose lives conform to the teachings
of the Gospel of Jesus."

"Do I not know it?" replied the hunter abruptly.
" Have I not told you that my murdered v/ife was high-
born and endowed with every grace ? "

" True, but what of this civilised female tiger whom
you would scorn to wed. Did not Christ die for her ?
May she not be saved by the same Power that drags
the tiger of the lower ranks — both male and female —
from the pit?"

" I doubt it not," answered Hendrick thoughtfully, as
he relapsed into his usual quiet manner, "and I am
glad you appreciate Trueheart, for she is worthy of your
regard. Her name was bestowed on her by her Indian
relations. My children I have named after some of my
kindred in the old country. The tribe to which my
wife belongs are called Bethucks. They are well-dis-
posed and kindly in disposition, and do not quarrel
among themselves more than other human beings

188

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

— indeed not so much as men in our own land ; pro-
bably because they have not so much to quarrel about,
and have more elbow-room. They are good kinsmen,
as I know ; good hunters also, and inclined for peace,
but the natives of Labrador render peace impossibl' ,
for they make frequent raids on our island, and of
course we have to drive them away. If white men
now come to Newfoundland, I fear that the poor
Bethucks will be exterminated." ^

" I trust not," said Paul

"So do I," returned Hendrick, "and if the Gospel
you have brought here only takes good root in our own
land all will be well, for if men acted on the command
* let us love one another,' war and robbery, murder and
strife, would be at an end."

" Can we expect all men to act upon that precept ? "
asked Paul.

"Apparently not; but we might at least expect
Christians to do so; those who accept the Gospel as
their book of law. I had expected to escape from war
and bloodshed when I left civilised lands and settled
here, but I have been disappointed. The necessity for
fighting still exists ! "

"And will exist until the reign of Jesus extends
to every human heart," returned Paul. " It seems to
me that what we have some right and ground to expect
is, not the stoppage of all war, but the abolition of war
between nations calling themselves Christian."

It is a curious circumstance that, only a few days

^ The Bethucks are nuw extinct.

A NEW FRIEND WITH STAKTLING NKWS.

189

after the above conversation, an incident occurred
which induced both Paul and Hendrick to buckle on
their armour and sally forth with a clear perception
that it was their bounden duty to engage in war !

That incident was the arrival of an Indian hunter
who was slightly known to Hendiick's wife.

He came in a canoe just as the family on the Island
were about to sit down to supper.

It was dark when his tall figure was seen to stalk
out of the surrounding gloom into the circle of firelight.
Trueheart recognised him at once, and a word from her
sufficed to inform her husband that the stranger was
a friend. He was welcomed of course cordially, and
made to sit down ?n the place of honour.

Every attention he accepted with the grave solemnity
of an owl, and without any other recognition than a
mild grunt, which was by no means meant as a surly
return of thanks, but as a quiet mode of intimating
that the attention was agreeable to his feelings.

It may, perhaps, be not unknown to the reader that
grave reticence is one of the characteristics of the Red
men of the west. They are never in a hurry to com-
municate their news, whether important or otherwise,
but usually, on arriving at any hospitable abode, sit
down with calm dignity and smoke a pipe, or make
slight reference to unimportant matters before coming
to the main point of their visit — if it have a main
point at all. As it is with the Eed men now, so was
it with the Bethucks at the time we write of. True,
the pernicious practice of smoking tobacco had not yet

190

THE CREW OF TME " WATER WAGTAIL."

been introduced among them, so that the social pipe
was neither offered, desired, nor missed ! but the Indian
accepted a birch-bark basket of soup with placid satis-
faction, and consumed it with slow felicity. Then,
being offered a formidable venison steak, he looked
calmly at his host, blinked his thanks — or whatever lie
felt — and devoured it.

"Has he got nothing to say for himself?" asked
Captain Trench, surprised at the man's silence.

"Plenty to say, I doubt not," answered Hendrick,
who then explained to the Captain the Indian charac-
teristic just referred to.

"What a power of suction he has got," oaid Oily,
referring not to the Indian, but to the family baby
which he had got on his knee, and was feeding with a
dangerously large lump of bear's fat.

" What does he say ? " asked Paul, referring to their
visitor, who, having come to a temporary pause, with
a sigh of contentment, had said something in his native
tongue to Hendrick.

" He asked me if the smging-birds will gladden his
ears and cause his heart to thrill."

" What means he by that ? "

"He only refers to a fact well known among the
Indians," replied the hunter, with a quiet smile, " that
Tvueheart and Goodred have such sweet voices that
they are known everywhere by the name of the singing-
birds. Happening to have some knowledge of music,
I have trained them to sing in parts one or two hymns
taught to me by my mother, and composed, I believe,

A NEW FRIEND WITH STARTLING NEWS.

191

by a good monk of the olden time. Some things in
the hymns puzzled me, I confess, until I had the good
fortune to meet with you. I understand them hotter
now. You shall hear one of them."

So saying, he turned and nodded to Trueheart, who
of course understood the conversation. With a slight
inclination of the head denoting acquiescence she began
to sing. At the same momjnt Goodred parted her
pretty lips and joined her. The result was to fill the
air with harmony so sweet that the captain and his
comrade were struck dumb with delight and surprise,
the Indian's jaw was arrested with an unchewed
morsel in the mouth, and the family baby gazing up-
ward in wonder, ceased the effort to choke itself on
bear's fat.

It need scarcely be said that the grunt of the Indian
was very emphatic when the sounds died away like
fairy-music, and tliat the hunter's white guests en-
treated for more. Trueheart and her daughter were
quite willing, and, for a considerable time, kept their
audience enthralled.

At last, having washed down his meal with a final
basketful of soup, the Indian began to unbosom himself
of his news — a few words at a time. It was soon found,
however, that he had no news of importance to tell.
He was a hunter ; he had been out with a party of his
tribe, but, having differed with them as to the best
district to be visited, he had left them and continued
the hunt alone. Being not far distant from the home
of the white hunter who had mated with the Bethuck

192

THE CIIKW OF THE "WATER WAGTAIL."

singing-bird, he had turned aside for no other purpose
than to have his ears gladdened and his heart tlirilled !

'• We are happy, " said Hendrick, " that our Bethuck
brother should have his ears gladdened and his heart
thrilled, and we trust that the spirit of the wolf
within him is subdued, now that his stomach is ; i,o
filled."

A polite grunt was the reply.

" Will our Bethuck brother tell us more news ?"

"There is no more," he answered, "Strongbow is
now an empty vessel."

" Considering that Strongbow has just filled himsell
with venison, he can hardly call himself an empty
vessel," responded the hunter, with intense gravity.

Strongbow turned his head quickly and gazed at the
speaker. His solemnity deepened. Could his white
brother be jesting ? The white brother s gravity forbade
the idea. In order to convey more strongly the fact
that he had no news to give the Indian touched his
forehead — " Strongbow is empty hei^e."

" That may well be," remarked Hendrick quietly.

Again the Indian glared. Solemnity is but a feeble
word after all I He said nothing, but was evidently
puzzled.

" Has our Bethuck brother seen no enemies from the
setting sun? Is all quiet and peaceful among his
friends ? " asked the hunter.

" All is peaceful — all is quiet. But we have news of
a war party that left us many days past. They had
gone, about the time that the deer begin to move, to

A NEW FItlEND WITH STARTLING NEWS.

1»8

punish some white men who were cast on shore by the
sea where the sun rises."

" What say you ? " cried Hendrick, starting. " Have
the Eed warriors been successful ? "

"They have. Some of the white men have been
killed, others caught and taken to our wigwams to be
made slaves or to die."

The consternation of Paul and his friends, on this
being translated to them, may be imagined. Past in-
juries vere forgotten, and instant preparations were
made to set off to the rescue at the earliest dawn of the
following day.

194

THE CREW OF THE " WATER Wa.GTAIL.

CHAPTEK XX.

I'HE nESCITE PARTY — A RENCONTRB AND BAD NEWS

HOT haste now marked the proceedings of the
rescue party, for Paul and his friends felt that
they had no time to lose. Fortunately the weather
favoured them. That very night a sharp frost set in,
hardening the moist and swampy grounds over which
they had to pass. Stvongbow, on being made acquainted
with the state of matters, willingly agreed to lead the
party to tlie place to which he thought it likely the
captives had been taken, or where, at least, information
about them might be obtained from members of his
own tribe.

Little Oscar, at his own urgent request, was allowed
to accompany them, and Trueheart, Goodred, and the
family baby and nurse were left in charge of an old
Indian whose life had once been saved by Hendrick,
and who, although too old to go on the war-path, was
jiill well able to keep the family in provisions.

Alihough the party was small — numbering only six,
two of whom were boys— it was nevertheless formidable,
each man being more than usually powerful, as well as
valiant, whilst the boys, although comparatively small,

THE RESCUE PARTY.

195

possessed so mucli of the unconquerable spirit of their
sires as to render them quite equal to average men.

The frost, which seemed to ha^^e fairly set in, kept
them cool during the day while walking, and rendered
their bivouac-fires agreeable at nights. Little time,
however, was allowed for rest or food. They pressed
on each day with unflagging energy, and felt little
disposition to waste time in conversation during the
brief halts for needed rest and food.

Occasionally, however, some of the party felt less
disposed than usual for sleep, and sought to drive away
anxiety regarding their old shipmates by talking of
things and scenes around them.

"Does Strongbow think that the frost will hold?"
asked Hendrick, one evening after supper, as he reclined
in front of the fi.'e on a pile of brushwood.

" Strongbow cannot tell," returned the Indian. " It
looks like thaw, but the Great Spirit sometimes changes
his mind and sends what we do not expect."

Having uttered this cautious reply with sententious
gravity he continued his supper in silence.

"The Great Spirit never changes his mind," said
Paul. " Perfection cannot change, because it need not."

" Waugh ! " replied the Indian. It was evident that
be did not agree with Paul, but was too polite to say so.

" I like this sort o' thing," remarked Captain Trench,
looking up from the rib on which he was encjnged, and
gazing round at the magnificent sweep of hill and
dale of which they had a bird's-eye view from their
camp.

196

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

( '.

" So do I, daddy ; with lots to eat an' a roarin' fire a
fellow feels as happy as a king," said Oliver.

" Happier than most kings, I doubt not," returned,
Hendrick.

"But, Oily, you have mentioned only two of the
things that go to produce felicity," said Paul. " Food
and fire are certainly important elements, but these
would be of little avail if we had not health, strength,
and appetite."

"To say nothiu' of the fresh air o' the mountains,
and the excitement o' the wilderness, and the enthusiasm
of youth," added the captain.

" Are you not as happy as we, daddy ? " asked the
boy, with a sudden glance of intelligence.

"Happier a great deal, I should say," replied the
father, " for I 'm not so much of a goose."

" Why then, daddy, if you are happier than we, what
you call the enthusiasm of youth can have nothing to
do with it, you know ! "

"You young rascal, the enthusiasm of middle age
is much more powerful than that of youth ! You let
your tongue wag too freely."

"D'ye hear that, Osky?" said Oliver to his little
companion in an audible whisper. "There's comfort
for you an' me. We'll be more enthusiastic and far
happier when we come to middle age ! What d' ye
think o'that?"

Oscar — who, although much inclined to fun and
humour, did not always understand the curious pliases
of them presented to him by his civilised friend — looked

/■I

A EENCONTRE AND BAD NEWS.

197.

innocently in his face and said, " Me no tink about it
at all!" Whereupon Oily burst into a short laugh,
and expressed his belief that, on the whole, that
state of mind was about the happiest he could come
to.

" How long, think you, will it take us to reach the
wigwams of your kindred from this point?" asked
Hendrick of their guide, as he prepared to lie down for
the night.

" Two days," answered the Indian.

"God grant that we may be in time," murmured
Paul, " I fear a thaw, for it would delay us greatly."

That which was feared came upon them the next day.
They were yet asleep when those balmy influences,
which alone have power to disrupt and destroy the ice-
king's reign, began to work, and when the travellers
awoke, the surface of the land was moist. It was not
soft, however, for time is required to draw frost out of
the earth, so that progress was not much impeded.
Still, the effect of the thaw depressed tlvSiT spirits a
good deal, for they were well aware that a, continuance
of it would render the low grounds, into which they
had frequently to descend, almost impassable.

It was, therefore, with anxious forebodings that they
lay down to rest that night, and Paul's prayer for
strength and guidance was more fervent than usual.

About this period of the year changes of temperature
are sometimes very abrupt, and their consequences
curious. During the niglit frost had tigain set in witli
great intensity. Eatigue had compelled the party to

198

THE CREW OF THE " WATEK WAGTAIL."

sleep longer than usual, despite their anxiety to press
forward, and when they awoke the rays of the rising
sun were sweeping over the whole landscape, and re-
vealing, as well as helping to create, a scene of beauty
which is seldom, if ever, witnessed elsewhere.

When rain falls with a low thermometer near the
earth it becomes frozen the moment it reaches the
ground, and thus a regular deposit of pure glassy ice
takes place on every branch and twig of the leafless
shrubs and trees. The layer of ice goes on increasing,
sometimes, till it attains the tlickness of half an inch
or more. Thus, in a few hours, a magical transforma-
tion is brought about. The trees seem to be hung
with glittering jewels ; the larger limbs are edged with
dazzling ice-ropes ; the minutest twigs with threads of
gleaming crystal, and all this, with the sun shooting
on and .arough it, presents a scene of splendour
before which even our most vivid conceptions of
fairy-land must sink into comparative insignificance.

Such, then, was the vision presented to the gaze of
the rescue-party on awaking that morning. To some
of them it was a new revelation of the wonderful works
of God. To Hendrick and the Indian it was familiar
enough. The Newfoundlanders of modern times know
it well by the name of a " silver thaw."

After the first gaze of surprise and admiration, our
travellers made hasty preparation to resume the journey,
and the frost told beneficially on them in more ways
than one, for while it hardened the ground it rendered
the atmosphere clear and exhilarating, thus raising

ifu

A RENCONTRE AND BAD NEWS.

199

their spirits and their hopes, which tended greatly to
increase their power of action and endurance.

That night they encamped again on a commanding
height, and prepared supper with the hopeful feelings
of men who expect to gain the end of their journey on
the morrow.

As if to cheer them still more, the aurora borealis
played in the heavens that night with unwonted mag-
nificence. It is said that the northern lights are grander
in Newfoundland even than in the Arctic regions.
At all events they were finer than anything of the kind
that had ever before been seen by Paul Burns or Cap-
tain Trench and his son, insomuch that the sight filled
them with feelings of awe.

The entire heavens seemed to be ablaze from horizon
to zenith, not as with the lurid fires of a great confla-
gration, which might suggest only the idea of universal
devastation, but with the tender sheen of varied half-
tints, playfully shooting athwart and intermingling
with brighter curtains of light of every conceivable hue.

The repose of the party was somewhat interfered
with by the wonders that surrounded them that night,
and more than once they were startled from slumber
by the loud report of great limbs of trees, which, strong
though they seemed to be, were torn off by the load of
ice that had accumulated on them.

Daybreak found the party again passing swiftly over
the land. It really seemed as if even the boys had
received special strength for the occasion, for they
neither lagged behind nor murmured, but kept well

200

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

up during the whole forced march. No doubt that
youthful enthusiam to which Captain Trench had
referred kept Oily up to the mark, while Osky — as his
friend called him — had been inured to hard labour of
every kind from infancy.

At last, about noon that day, their leader came to a
sudden lialu, and pointed to something on the ground
before him.

" What does he see ? " asked Paul, in a low voice.

" Footprints," said Hendrick.

" What of — deer ? " asked the captain, in a hoarse
whisper.

" No — natives. Perhaps his friends."

While they were whispering, the Indian was on his
knees examining the footprints in question. Eising
after a few minutes' survey, with a grave look he
said —

" Strongbow is not sure. The prints look like those
of his tribe, but — he is not sure ! "

" At all events we can follow them," said Hendrick.
" The land is open ; we cannot easily be surprised, and
we have our weapons handy."

As he spoke he drew an arrow from his quiver, and,
affixing the notch to the bow-string, carried the weapon
in his left hand. The others followed his example.
Oliver felt his belt behind, to make sure that the axe
was there, and glanced at the mighty club that hung
from his shoulder.

Oscar, regarding with a slight degree of wonder the
war-like arrangements of his friend, also fitted^ an arrow

A RENCONTRE AND BAD NEWS.

201

his

iple.
axe

to his little bow, and then, with cautious steps and in-
(iuiring glances, the party continued to advance.

But Hendrick was wrong in supposing that a sur-
prise was not probable, for suddenly from behind a
frowning rock or cliff there appeared a band of armed
men who confronted them and instantly raised their
bows to shoot. Quick as lightning the white men did
the same. Evidently both parties were taken by sur-
prise, for if the Indians had been a party in ambush
they would have shot at the others without showing
themselves. This or some such idea seemed to fla^h into
the minds of both parties, for there was a slight hesi-
tation on the part of each. Just at that moment a
large black dog which accompanied the Indians, and
had displayed all its formidable teeth and gums on
seeing the strangers, was observed to cover its teeth
and wag its tail interrogatively.

Hendrick gave a low whistle.

Instantly the dog bounded towards him, and began
to fawn and leap upon and around him with every
demonstration of excessive joy, at sight of which both
parties lowered their weapons.

" The dog is an old friend," explained Hendrick f-;0
Paul. " Good dog," he added, addressing the animal
in the Indian tongue, "you are a faithful friend —
faithful in time of need."

Then, dropping his bow and advancing unarmed to
the Indians, he said —

" This dog belongs to the Bethucks of Grand Lake.
Did you obtain him from them 1 "

202

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

I !

P •

" No, we did not," replied on© of the Indians, who
seemed from his bearing to be a chief, "but we are
kinsmen of the men of Grand Lake. One of their
braves, Little Beaver, took one of our girls, Rising Sun,
for his wife. We come from yonder (pointing north-
ward). Some moons have passed since Little Beaver,
who came to revisit us with his wife, left us to return
to his wigwam on Grand Lake."

" I know Little Beaver well," said Hendrick, as the
chief paused at this point; "the dog belongs to
him."

Without noticing the remark the chief continued —

"When Little Beaver and Rising Sun left us they
went on alone by the shores of the great salt lake.
We never saw our brave in life again. Some time
after, a party of our warriors came upon a grave. They
examined it, and found the dead body of Little Beaver.
It was bruised, and many bones ere broken. A party
of white men had built lodges neai ^^ ^he place. It was
they who had murdered Little Braver, we knew, for
there was no sign of others near, and his dog was with
them. So our braves went to the kinsmen of Rising
Sun, and we returned and attacke^^ the palefaces."

" Did you slay all the palefaces ?'" asked Hendrick
anxiously.

" No, some we slew, others we took prisoners."

Hendrick thought it best to reserve in the meantime
his communication of all this to Paul and his friends.

" 1 am your kinsman also," he said to the chief, " for
Trueheart is my wife. I have much to say to you, but

A KENCONTKE AND BAD NEWS.

203

our business is pressiug. Will you walk with me while
we talk?"

The chief bowed his head, and ordered his party to
fall to the rear aud follow, while he walked in advance
with the palefaced hunter.

Hendrick then explained to the Indian as much
about the wreck of the Water Wagtail and the dis-
missal of Captain Trench and his comrades as he
thought necessary, and then said that although his
three friends were indignant at the treatment they had
received from their comrades, they would be grieved to
hear that any of them were to be killed, and he greatly
wished to prevent that. Would the chief guide him to
the place where the prisoners were ? "

" I will guide you," said the chief, " but you will find
it hard to save them. Palefaces have slain Little
Beaver and stolen Risinfj Sun, and palefaces must die."

204

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

CHAPTER XXI.

OLD FRIENDS IN A SAD PLIOHT.

ANXIOUS although Paul Burns naturally was for
the fate of the crew of the Water Wagtail, he
could not help being interested in and impressed by
the fine country which he was thus unexpectedly obliged
to traverse. His mind being of a practical and utili-
tarian cast, as well as religious, he not only admired
the grand and richly diversified land as being part of
the works of God, but as being eminently suitable for
the use and enjoyment of man.

"Look there," he said to Captain Trencn, as they
plodded steadily along, at the same time pointing to a
break in a neighbouring cliff, which revealed the geo-
logical features of the land. " Do you see yonder beds
of rock of almost every colour in the rainbow ? These
are marblo-beds, and from the look of the parts that
crop out I should say they are extensive."

" But not of much use," returned the captain, " so
long as men are content to house themselves in huts
of bark and skins."

" So might some short sighted mortal among our own
savage forefathers have said long ago if the mineral
wealth of Britain had been pointed out to him," returned

OLD FRIENDS IN A SAD PLIGHT.

205

Paul. " Yet we have lived to see the Abbey of West-
minster and many other notable edifices arise in our
laud."

" Then you look forward to such-like rising in this
land?" said the captain, v/ith something of a cynical
smile.

" Well, not exactly, Master Trench; but our grand-
children may see them, if men will only colonise the
land and strive to develop its resources on Christian
principles."

" Such as ? " asked Trench.

" Such as the doing to others as one would have
others do to one's-self, and the enacting of equal laws
for rich and poor."

" Then will Newfoundland never be developed," said
the captain emphatically ; " for history tells us that
the bulk of men have never been guided by such
principles since the days of Adam."

" Since when were you enrolled among the prophets,
Master Trench?"

"Since you uttered the previous sentence, Master
Paul. I appeal to your own knowledge of history."

" Nay, I question not your historical views, but your
prophetical statements, as to tho fate of this island.
Have you not /heard of this writing — that 'the know-
ledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters
cover the sea ' ? Does not that signify completeness in
the spread of knowledge ? And when that comes to
pass, will ?t bear no good fruit ? If not, why is it re-
corded as a blessed state of things to which we may

I'i

206

TIIK CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

look forward, and towards wliich we may strive ? I
admit that the wickedness of man may delay the
desired end. Unj>ist laws, interference with freedom
of action, hatred of trutli, may check progress here as
it has done elsewhere ; but who can tell how soon the
kuth, as it is in Jesus, may begin to operate, or how
mpidly it may culminate ? "

" You may be right, Master Paul ; I kuow not. Any-
how I withdraw my claim to be numbered with the
prophets — all the more that I see Strongbow making
signals which I don't rightly understand."

The Indian guide, who had been walking somewhat
in advance of the party, was seen standing on the sum-
mit of a knoll making signals, not to his friends behind
him, but apparently to some one in front. Hastening
forward they soon found that he had discovered friends,
— a body of Indians, who were hurrying to meet him ;
while down in the valley beyond, which suddenly burst
upon their view, stood an extensive Indian village. It
was of that evanescent and movable kind, which con-
sists of cone-like tents made of skins and bark spread
upon poles.

" They are friends," said Strongbow, when Hendrick
and the others reached him ; " kinsmen of the murdered
' Little Beaver."

" Friends of Hendrick also, I see," said the captain
to Paul, as the hunter hastened forward to meet the
Indians and salute them.

He was right, and a few minutes' conversation with
his friends sufficed to put the guide in possession of all

^IM

OLD PKIEND3 IN A SAD PLIGHT.

207

he wished to know. Returning to his companions, he
at once relieved their minds, to some extent at least,
by telling them that it was indeed the tribe into whose
hands their old shipmates had fallen, and that the
sailors were still alive and well, though prisoners, and
lying under sentence of death.

" Come, that at all events is good news," said Paul.
"I thank God we are not too late, and I make no
doubt that we will persuade the Indians to delay execu-
tion of the sentence till we find out whether or not
they have been guilty of this murder. Some of our old
shipmates I know are capable of it, but others are
certainly innocent."

Hendrick did not at once reply. It was evident from
his looks that he had not much hope in the merciful
disposition of the Indians.

" I know some men of this tribe," he said, " but not
all of them — though they all know me by report. You
may at least depend on my influence being used to the
utmost in behalf of your friends. Come, we will descend."

A few minutes' walk brought them to the foot of the
hill where the Indian tents were pitched. Here they
found a multitude of men, women, and children watch-
ing them as they descended the hill, and, from the looks
of many of the former, it seemed not at all improbable
that a rough reception awaited them.

" You see," said Paul, in a low voice to the captain,
** they probably class us with the murderers, because of
our white skins. Our only hope, under God, rests in
Hendrick."

;, hi

ill

( I

^ 1—

208

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

That Paul's hope was not ill-founded became apparent
the moment the hunter made himself known. For the
scowling brows cleared at once, and one or two men,
who had formerly met with the white hunter, came
forward and saluted him in the European manner
which he had already taught to many of the red men,
namely, with a shake of the ]\riiC.

A great palaver followed in the wig^''i,m of the chief,
Bearpaw, in the course of which many things were
talked ^'.bout ; but we confine our record to that part of
the talk which bears specially on our tale.

" The men must die," said Bearpaw sternly. " What
you tell me about their harsh treatment of their chief
and his son and friend only proves them to be the
more deserving of death. My two young braves who
visited them on the island were treated like dogs by
some of them, and Little Beaver they have slain. It is
just that they should die."

"But my three friends here," returned Hendrick,
" treated your braves well, and they had no knowledge
or part in the killing of Little Beaver. Perhaps the pale-
faces did not kill him. Do they admit that they
did ? "

" How can we tell what they admit ? We know not
their language, nor thoy ours. But there is i o need to
palaver. Did not Strongbow and his braves find the dead
body of Little Beaver bruised and broken ? Did they
not see his black dog in the paleface camp, and has not
Kising Sun disappeared like the early frost before the
sun? Doubtless she is now in the camp with those

% \

OLD FRIENDS IN A SAD PLIGHT.

209

palefaces who have escaped us, but whom we will yet
hunt down and kill."

"Bearpaw is right," said Hendrick, "murderers
deserve to die. But Bearpaw is also just ; he will let
the men of the sea speak in their own defence now that
I am here to interpret ? "

" Bearpaw is just," returned the chief. " He will hear
what the palefaces have got to say. One of the young
men will take you to tlieir prison."

He signed as he spoke to a young Indian, who
instantly left the tent, followed by Hendrick and his
friends,.

Passing right through the village the party reached
a precipice, on the face of which was what appeared to
be the entrance to a cavern. Two Indians stood in
front of it on guard. A voice was heard within which
struck familiarly yet strangely on Paul and the
captain's ears. And little wonder, for it was the voice
of Grummidge engaged in the unaccustomed act of
prayer ! The young Indian paused, and, with a solemn
look, pointed upwards, as if to intimate that he under-
stood the situation, and would not interrupt. Those
whom he led also paused and listened — as did the
sentinels, though they understood no word of what was
said.

Poor clrummidge had evidently been brought very
low, for his once manly voice was weak and his tones
were desponding. Never before, perhaps, was prayer
offered in a more familiar or less perfunctory manner.

" Lord," he said, " du get us out o' this here scrape

,1 i '

ii '.:.'.

II l\
i i

^m i ii(|

'1 '■', ■

'ii

1 ! .

■ \ 1

' ii

. '; ! ■

i ik:

210.

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

if
jr

somehow ! We don't deserve it, though we are awful
sinners, for we 've done nothin* as I knows on to hurt
them savages. We can't speak to them an' they can't
speak to us, an' there 's nobody to help us. Won't you
doit, Lord?"

"Sure it's no manner o* use goin' on like that,
Grummidge," said another voice. " You *ve done it
more than wance a'ready, an' there 's no answer. Very
likely we 've bin too wicked intirely to deserve an
answer at all."

" Sj;>eak for yourself, Squill," growled a voice that
was evidently that of Little Stubbs. " I don't think
I 've been as wicked as you would make out, nor half
as wicked as yourself! Anyhow, I'm goin' to die
game, if it comes to that. We can only die once, an*
it '11 soon be over."-

" Ochone ! " groaned Squill, " av it wasn't for the
short allowance they 've putt us on, an' the bad walkin*
every day, an' all day, I wouldn't mind so much, but
I 've scarce got strength enough left to sneeze, an' as to
my legs, och ! quills they are instid of Squill's."

" For shame, man," remonstrated Grummidge, " to be
makin' your bad jokes at a time like this."

The tone of the conversation now led the young
Indian to infer that interruption might not be inap-
propriate, so he turned round the corner of rock that
hid the interior from view, and led his party in front of
the captives. They were seated on the ground with their
backs against the wall, and their arms tied behind them.

The aspect of the unfortunate prisoners was indeed

^.i^*ir^-- ■■'•■ ■-^i*--.ll^i" -■ .

OLD FRIENDS IN A SAD PLIGHT.

211

forlorn. It would have been ludicrous had it not been
intensely pitiful. So woe-begone and worn were their
faces that their friends might have been excused had
they failed to recognise them, but even in the depths of
his misery and state of semi-starvation it was impossible
to mistake the expressive visage of poor Squill, whose
legs were indeed reduced to something not unsuggestive
of " quills," to say nothing of the rest of his body.

But all the other prisoners, Grummidge, Stubbs,
Blazer, Taylor, and Garnet, were equally reduced and
miserable, for the harsh treatment and prolonged
journeying through forest and swamp, over hill and
dale, on insufficient food, had not only brought them to
the verge of the grave, but had killed outright one or
two others of the crew who had started with them.

The visitors, owing to their position with their backs
to the light of the cave's mouth, could not be recognised
by the prisoners, who regarded them with listless apathy
until Captain Trench spoke, swallowing with diiiiculty
a lump of some sort that nearly choked him.

" Hallo ! shipmates ! how goes it ? Glad to have
found ye, lads."

*' Och ! " exclaimed Squill, starting up, as did all his
companions ; but no other sound was uttered for a few
seconds. Then a deep "thank God" escaped from
Grummidge, and Little Stubbs tried to cheer, but with
small success; while one or two, sitting down again,
laid their thin faces in their hands and wept

Eeader, it were vain to attempt a description of the
scene that followed, for the prisoners were not only

213

THE CREW OP THE " WATER WAGTAIL.*

'it:

"'H 11

ill

overwhelmed with joy at a meeting so unexpected, but
were raised suddenly from the depths of despair to
the heights of confident hope, for they did not doubt
that the appearance of their mates as friends of the
Indians was equivalent to their deliverance. Even when
told that their deliverance was by no means a certainty,
their joy was only moderated, and their hope but
slightly reduced.

" But tell me," said Paul, as they all sat down together
in the cave, while the Indians stood by and looked
silently on, " what is the truth about this Indian who
was murdered, and the dog and the woman ? "

" The Indian was never murdered," said Grummidge
stoutly. " He had evidently fallen over the precipice.
We found him dead and we buried him. His dog came
to us at last and made friends with us, though it ran
away the day the settlement was attacked. As to the
woman, we never saw or heard of any woman at all till
this hour ! "

When Bearpaw was told how the matter actually
stood, he frowned and said sternly —

" The palefaces lie. If they never saw Eising Sun,
why did she not come back to us and tell what had
happened ? She was not a little child. She was strong
and active, like the young deer. She could spear fish
and snare rabbits as well as our young men. Why did
she not return? Where is she? Either she is dead
and the palefaces have killed her, or they have her still
among them. Not only shall the palefaces answer for
her with their lives, but the Bethucks will go jdu the

f w<ja^>*t Ji. y « w» | wiw;*iqWilwWj^Wttiji^j»W))|afi

OLD FRIENDS IN A SAD PLIGHT.

213

war-path to the coast and sweep the paleface settlement
into the sea ! "

It was of no avail that Hendrick pleaded the cause
of the prisoners earnestly, and set forth eloquently all
that could be said in their lavour, especially urging that
some of them had been kind to the two Indians who
first visited the white men. Eising Sun had been a
favourite with the chief; she was dead, and so — the
palefaces must die I

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

CHAPTER XXII.

iii't

'III'

iiii
jiii

li;

ii .

TELLS OP TEKRIBLB SUSPENSE— VIOLENT INTENTIONS AND RELIQIGUS

DISCUSSION.

" "VTOW I tell you what it is, Master Hendrick," said
-^^ Captain Trench, the day after their arrival at
the Indian camp. " I see this is goin' to be an ugly
business, an* I give you fair warning that I 'm goin' to
git surly. I won't stand by quietly and see Grummidge
and my men slanghterc i before my eyes without movin*
a finger. I '11 keep quiet as long as there 's any chance
of all your palaverin' resulting m anything, but if the
worst comes to the worst I'll show fight, even if I
should have to stand alone with all the red devils in
Newfoundland arrayed against me."

"I honour your feelings. Captain Trench, but doubt
your judgment. How do you propose to proceed ? "

"Will you join me? Answer me that question
first."

" I will join you in any scheme that is reasonable,'
returned Hendrick, after a pause, " but not in a useless
attempt to fight against a whole colony of Indians."

" Then I '11 keep my plans of procedure in my own
noddle," said the captain, turning away with an in-
dignant fling, and taking the path that led to the cave

TERRIBLE SUSPENSE.

215

or prison-house of his shipmates, for as yet they were
allowed free intercourse with their friends.

" Grummidge," said he, in a stern voice, as he
squatted down on the floor beside the unfortunate sea-
man, " things look bad, there 's no doubt about that, an'
it would be unkind deception to say otherwise, for that
villain Bearpaw seems to git harder and harder the more
they try to soften him. Now what I want to know is,
are you an* the others prepared to join me, if I manage
to cut your cords an* give you weapons, an* **

"Sh! clap a stopper on your mouth, cappen," said
Grummidge in an undertone, " the redskins are listen-

ing.

" An' what then ? They know no more about English
than I know about Timbuctoosh," returned the captain
irascibly. " Let 'em listen ! What I was agoin' to say
is, are you an' the other lads ready to follow me into
the woods an* bolt if we can, or fight to the death if we
can't ? **

" Sure an' I*m ready to fight,'* interposed Squill, " or
to follow ye to the end o* the world, an* further ; but if
I do I '11 have to leave my legs behind me, for they 're
fit for nothiu*. True it is, I feel a little stronger since
your friend Hendrick got the bastes to increase our
allowance o' grub, but I 'm not up to much yet. Hows-
iver, 1 'm strong enough p'r'aps to die fightin*. Any-
how, I '11 try."

" So will I," said Little Stubbs. " I feel twice the man
I was since you found us."

"Putt me down on the list too, cap'n," said Fred

216

THE CUKW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

I' I

iiif

Taylor, who was perhaps the least reduced in strength
of any of the prisoners. " I 'm game for anything short
o' murder."

Similar sentiments having been expressed by his
other friends, the captain's spirit was somewhat calmed.

Leaving them he went into the woods to ponder and
work out his plans. There he met Paul and Hendrick.

"We are going to visit the prisoners," said the
former.

" You *11 find 'em in a more liopeful frame of mind,"
observed the captain.

"I wish they had better ground for their hopes,'
returned his friend, " but Bearpaw is inexorable. "We
are to have a final meeting with him to-morrow. I go
now to have a talk with our poor friends. It may be
that something in their favour shall be suggested."

Nothing, however, was suggested during the interview
that followed, which gave the remotest hope that any-
thing they could say or do would influence the savage
chief in favour of his prisoners. Indeed, even if he
had been mercifully disposed, the anger of his people
against the seamen — especially the relatives of Little
Beaver and those who had been wounded during the
attack on Wagtail settlement — would have constrainea
him to follow out what he believed to be the course of
justice.

Wlien the final meeting between the visitors and the
chief took place, the latter was surrounded by his
principal warriors.

" Hendrick," he said, in reply to a proposal that exe-

TERRIBLE SUSPENSE.

217

Id the

his

exe-

cution should be at least delayed, " the name of the
white hunter who has mated with the Bethuck girl is
respected everywhere, and his wishes alone would move
Beavpaw to pardon his paleface foes, but blood has been
shed, and the price of blood must be paid. Hendrick
knows our laws — they cannot be changed. The rela-
tions of Little Beaver cry aloud for it. Tell your pale-
face friends that Bearpaw has spoken."

When this was interpreted to Paul Burns a sudden
thought flashed into his mind, and standing forth with
flushed countenance and raised arm, he said —

" Hendrick, tell the chief of the Bethucks that when
the Great Spirit formed man He made him without
sin and gave him a just and holy law to obey ; but man
broke the law, and the Great Spirit had said that the
price of the broken law is death. So there seemed no
hope for man, because he could not undo the past, and
the Great Spirit would not change His law. But he
found a way of deliverance. The Great Spirit himself
came down to earth, and, as the man Jesus Christ, paid
the price of the broken law with His own blood, so that
guilty, but forgiven, man might go free. Now, if the
Great Spirit could pardon the guilty and set them free,
would it be wrong in Bearpaw to follow His example ? "

This was such a new idea to the Indian that he did
not at first reply. He stood, with folded arms and
knitted brow, pondering the question. At last he
spoke slowly —

" Bearpaw knows not the thing about which his pale-
face brother speaks. It may be true. It seems very

218

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

1
it

liii

strange. He will inquire into the matter hereafter.
But the laws that guide the Great Spirit are not the
laws that guide men. What may be fit in Him, may
not be fit in them."

" My dark-skinned brother is wrong," said Hendrick.
" The law that guides the Great Spirit, and that should
guide all His creatures, is one and the same. It is the
law of love."

" Was it love that induced the palefaces to kill Little
Beaver and steal Kising Sun?" demanded the chief
fiercely.

" It was not," replied Hendrick ; " it was sin ; and
Bearpaw has now an opportunity to act like the Great
Spirit by forgiving those who, he thinks, have sinned
against him."

"Never!" returned the chief vehemently. "The
palefaces shall die ; but they shall live one day longer
while this matter is considered in council, for it is
only children who act in haste. Go! Bearpaw has
spoken."

To have secured even the delay of a single day was
almost more than the prisoners' friends had hoped for,
and they resolved to make the most of it.

" Now, Hendrick," said Paul, when they were in the
tent that had been set aside for their use, " we must be
prepared, you and I, to give the chief a full account of
our religion ; for, depend on it, his mind has been
awakened, and he won't rest satisfied with merely dis-
cussing the subject with his men of war."

" True, Paul; what do you propose to do ?"

l\ i;

VIOLENT INTENTIONS AND RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 219

" The first thing I shall do is to pray for guidance.
After that I will talk with you."

" For my part," said Captain Trench, as Paul rose and
left the tent, " I see no chance of moving that savage
by religion or anything else, so I '11 go an' make arrange-
ments for the carryin' out o* my plans. Come along to
the woods with me, Oily, I shall want your help."

"Father," said the boy, in a serious tone, as they
entered the forest, " surely you don't mean to carry out
in earnest the plan you spoke of to Grummidge and
the others yesterday ? "

" Why not, my son ? "

" Because we are sure to be all killed if you do. As
well might we try to stop the rising tide as to subdue a
whole tribe of savages."

" And would you. Oily," said the seaman, stopping
and looking sternly at the boy, " would you advise me
to be so mean as to look on at the slaughter of my ship-
mates without making one effort to save them ? "

" I would never advise you to do anything mean,
father ; an' if I did so advise you, you wouldn't do it ;
but the effort you think of makin* would not save the
men. It would only end in all of us bein' killed."

"Well, and what o' that? Would it be the first
time that men have been killed in a good cause ?"

" But a cause can't be a good one unless some good
comes of it ! If there was a chance at all, I would say
go at 'em, daddy, an' bowl 'em down like skittles, but
you know there's no chance in your plan. Boltin'
into the woods an' gittin' lost would be little use in the

220

THE CREW OF THE "WATER WAGTAIL."

I •

Till

face o' savages that can track a deer by invisible foot-
prints. An' fighting them would be like fighting mos-
kitoes — one thousand down, another thousand come on!
Besides, when you an' I are killed — which we *re sure
to be — what would come o' mother, sittin' there all
alone, day after day, wonderin' why we never come
back, though we promised to do so ? Think how
anxious it'll make her for years to come, an' how
broken-hearted at last; an' think how careful she
always was of you. Don't you remember in that
blessed letter she sent me, just before we sailed, how
she tells me to look well after you, an' sew the frogs on
your sea-coat when they git loose, for she knows you '11
never do it yourself, but will be fixin' it up with a
wooden skewer or a bit o* rope-yarn. An' how I was
to see an' make you keep your feet dry by changin'
your hose for you when you were asleep, for you'd
never change them yourself till all your toes an' heels
came through *em. Ah ! daddy, it will be a bad job for
mother if they kill you and me I "

"But what can I do. Oily?" said the mariner, in a
somewhat husky voice, when this pathetic picture was
presented to his view. "Your mother would be the
last to advise me to stand by and look on without
moving a finger to save 'em. What can I do, Oily ?
What can I do ? "

This question was more easily put than answered.
Poor Oliver looked as perplexed as his sire.

" Pr'aps," he said, " we might do as Paul said he 'd
do, an' pray about it."

VIOLENT INTENTIONS AND RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 221

" Well, we might do worse, my son. If I only could
believe that the Almighty listens to us an' troubles
Himself about our small affairs, I "

" Don't you think it likely, father," interrupted the
boy, " that if the Almighty took the trouble to make
us. He will take the trouble to think about and look
after us ?"

" There 's somethin* in that, Oily. Common sense
points out that there *s somethin' in that."

Whether or not the captain acted on his son's
suggestion, there is no record to tell. All we can say
is that he spent the remainder of that day in a very
disturbed, almost distracted, state of mind, now paying
short visits to the prisoners, anon making sudden rushes
towards the chief's tent with a view to plead their
cause, and checking himself on remembering that he
knew no word of the Indian tongue ; now and then
arguing hotly with Paul and Hendrick, that all had not
been done which might or ought to have been done, and
sometimes hurrying into the woods alone.

Meanwhile, as had been anticipated, the chief sent
for Hendrick and Paul to demand an explanation of
the strange words which they had used about forgive-
ness and the broken law of the Great Spirit and Jesus
Christ.

It would be out of place here to enter into the details
of all that was said on both sides, but it may not be
uninteresting to state that, during the discussion, both
the palefaces and the red men became so intensely
absorbed in contemplation of the vast region of com-

222

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

m^: \

pamtively new thought into which they were insensibly
led, that they forgot for the time being the main object of
the meeting, namely, the ultimate fate of the captives.

That the chief and his warriors were deeply impressed
with the Gospel message was evident, but it was equally
evident that the former was not to be moved from his
decision, and in this the warriors sympathised with
him. His strong convictions in regard to retributive
justice were not to be shaken.

" No," he said, at the end of the palaver, " the blood
of a Bethuck has been shed; the blood of the palefaces
must flow."

" But tell him that that is not just even according to
his own views," said Paul. " The blood of one paleface
ought to suffice for the blood of one Bethuck."

This was received in silence. Evidently it had some
weight with the chief.

"The paleface is right," he said, after a minute's
thought. "Only one shall die. Let the prisoners
decide among themselves who shall be killed. Go,
Bearpaw has spoken — waugh ! "

A few minutes later, and the prisoners, with their
friends, were assembled in the cave discussing this new
phase of their case.

" It 's horrible ! " said Grummidge. " D' ye think the
chief is really in earnest ? "

" There can be no doubt of it," said Hendrick.

" Then, my lads, I '11 soon bid ye all farewell, for as I
was your leader when the so-called murder was done,
I 'm bound in honour to take the consequences."

VIOLENT INTENTIONS AND RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 223

"Not at all," cried Squill, whose susceptible heart
was touched with this readiness to self-sacrifice. " You
can't be spared yet, Grummidge ; " if any man shud die
it's the Irishman. Shure it's used we are to bein'
kilt, anyhow ! "

" There '11 be none o' you killed at all," cried Captain
Trench, starting up with looks of indignation. " I '11 go
and carry out my plans— ah ! you needn't look like that,
Oily, wi' your poor mother's reproachful eyes, for I 'm
determined to do it, right or wrong I "

224

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

CHAPTER XXIII.

DEUVllUNCB.

i*t^

EORTUNATELY for Captain Trench, and indeed
for the whole party, the execution of his plan
was rendered unnecessary by an incident the full sig-
nificance of which requires that we should transport
the reader to another but not far distant part of the
beautiful wilderness of N iwfoundland.

Under the boughs of a spreading larch, on the summit
of a mound which commanded a wide prospect of plain
and morass, sat an Indian woman. She might have
been taken for an old woman, so worn and thin was
she, and so hollow were her cheeks; but the glossy
blackness of her hair, the smoothness of her brow, and
the glitter of b°-r dark eyes told that she was yet in
her youthful years.

She sat perfectly listless, with a vacant yet steadfast
expression on her thin features, as if she were dreaming
with her eyes open. The view before her was such as
might indeed arouse the admiration o! the most stolid ;
but it was evident that she took no notice of it, for her
eyes were fixed on the clouds above the horizon.

Long she sat, almost motionless, thus gazing into

i-l

DELIVERANCE.

225

space. Then she began to sing in a low sweet voice a
plaintive air, which rose and fell for some time more
like a tuneful wail than a song. Suddenly, and in the
very midst of her song, she burst into a wild laugh,
which increased in vehemence until it rang through
the forest in a scream so terrible that it could be
accounted for by nothing but insanity. That the poor
creature's reason was indeed dethroned became evident
from her subsequent movements, for after falling back-
wards from the exhaustion produced by her effort, or,
it might be, from the sheer weakness resulting from
partial starvation, she got up and began quietly to cut
up and devour raw a small bird which she had killed
with a stone. Strengthened a little by this food, she
rose and made a futile effort to draw more closely
around her a little shawl, or rather kerchief of deerskin,
which covered her shoulders, shuddering with cold as
she did so.

Her short leathern gown and leggings were so soiled
and torn that the ornamental work with which they
had been originally decorated was almost invisible, and
the naoccasins she had worn hung in mere shreds upon
hei ittle feet.

Rising slowly, and with a weary sigh, the poor
creature descended the side of the hill and entered the
forest at the foot of it.

Lying concealed in a neighbouring thicket an Indian
youth had watched the motions of the girl. It was
evident, from his gaze of surprise, that he had just dis-
covered her. It was equally evident, from his expression

l^WTI

226

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.

IMF'

of perplexity, that he hesitated to intrude upon one
who, he could not help seeing, was mad; but when
she moved forward he followed her with the soft wary
tread of a panther.

At first the girl's step was slow and listless. Then
it became rapid. A fit of excitement seemed to come
on, and she began to run. Presently the excitement
seemed to have passed, for she fell again into the list-
less walk. After a time she sat down, and recommenced
her low wailing song.

At this point, taking advantage of a neighbouring
thicket, the young Indian drew as near to the girl as
possible, and, in a low voice, uttered the Indian word
for— "Rising Sun 1"

Starting violently, the girl turned round, stretched
out both arms, and, with intense hope expressed in
every feature, took a step forward. In an instant the
expression vanished. Another terrible scream resounded
in the air, and, turning quickly away, she fled like a
hunted deer.

The young man pursued, but he evidently did not
try to overtake her — only to keep her in sight. The
maniac did not choose her course, but ran straight
before her, leaping over fallen trees and obstructions
with a degree of agility and power that seemed mar-
vellous. Sometimes she shrieked as she ran, sometimes
she laughed fiercely, but she never looked back. At
last she came to a small lake — about a quarter of a
mile wide. She did not attempt to skirt it, but went
straight in with a wild rush, and, being well able to

DELIVERANCE.

227

swim, struck out for the opposite shore. The young
man followed without hesitation, but could not overtake
her, and when he landed she had disappeared in the
woods beyond.

Skilled to follow a trail, however, the youth soon
recovered sight of her, but still did not try to overtake
her — only to keep her in view.

At length the fire which had sustained the poor
creature seemed to have burned itself out. In attempt-
ing to leap over a low bush Eising Sun stumbled, fell,
and lay as if dead.

The Indian youth came up and, raising her in his
arms, looked very sadly into her face. She still breathed,
but gave no other sign of life. The youth, therefore,
lifted her trom the ground. He was tall and strong.
She was small in person, and reduced almost to skin
and bone. He carried her in his arms as though she
had been but a little child, and, an hour later, bore her
into the Indian camp, for which for many days past
she had been making — straight as the arrow flies from
the bow.

He carried her at once to the chief's tent and laid
his burden softly down, at the same time explaining
how and where he had found her.

Bearpaw sprang up with an air of excitement which
an Indian seldom displays. Evidently his feelings
were deeply touched, as he knelt and raised the girl's
head. Then he ordered his chief squaw to supply
Eising Sun with some warm food.

It was evening when this occurred. Most of the

228

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL,

li\ !l'i' ll!l ■ I

I i,h

people were supping in their tents. No one was with
the chief save his own family and two of his braves.

When the poor maniac revived under the influence
of the warm food, she started up with wild looks and
sought again to fly, but was forcibly detained by one of
the braves.

"Oh, let me go — let me go!— to his mother!" she
wailed piteously, for she felt herself to be helpless
in the youth's strong grasp.

" Has Eising Sun forgotten Bearpaw ? " said the chief
tenderly, as he stood before her.

"Yes — yes — no. I have not forgotten," she said,
passing her hand over her brow ; " but, oh ! let me go
to her before I die ! "

"Eising Sun shall not die. She is among friends
now. The palefaced enemies who killed Little Beaver
can do her no harm."

" Killed him — enemies ! " murmured the poor girl, as
if perplexed; then, quickly, "Yes — yes — he is dead.
Does not Eising Sun know it ? Did she not see it with
her own eyes ? He was killed — killed ! "

The poor girl's voice rose as she spoke until it was
almost a shriek.

"Ei«^ng Sun," said the chief, in a tone which the
girl could not choose but obey, "tell us who killed
him ? "

" Killed him ? No one killed him ! " she answered,
with a return of the perplexed look. " He missed his
footing and fell over the cliff, and the Great Sp^'rit
took him."

DELIVERANCE.

229

"Then the palefaces had nothing to do with it?"
asked the chief eagerly.

" Oh ! yes ; the palefaces had to do with it. They
were there, and Rising Sun saw all that they did ; but
they did not see her, for when she saw them coming
she hid herself, being in great fear. And she knew
that Little Beaver was dead. No man could fall from
such a cliff and live. Dead — dead ! Yes, he is dead.
Oh! let me go."

" Not yet, Rising Sun. What did the palefaces do ?
Did they take his scalp ? "

" No ; oh ! no. The palefaces were kind. They lifted
him tenderly. They dug his grave. They seemed as
if they loved him like myself. Then they went away,
and then—

-Rising Sun forgets ! She remembers run-

-she

ning and bounding like the deer. She cannot—
forgets ! "

The poor girl stopped speaking, and put her hand to
her brow as if to restrain the tumult of her thoughts.
Then, suddenly, she looked up with a wild yet intelligent
smile.

" Yes, she remembers now. Her heart was broken,
and she longed to lay it on the breast of Little
Beaver's mother — who loved him so well. She knew
where the wigwams of Bearpaw stood, and she ran
for them as the bee flies when laden with honey to
its home. She forgets much. Her mind is confused.
She slept, she fell, she swam, she was cold — cold and
hungry — but — but now she has come home. Oh, let
me go ! "

ii II rt

230

THE CREW OP THE " WATER WAGTATL."

" liCt her go," said the chief, in a low voice.

The young brave loosed his hold, and Kising Sun
bounded from the tent.

It was dark by that time, but several camp-fires
threw a lurid glare over the village, so that she had no
difficulty in finding the hut of her dead husband's
mother, for, during the interchange of several visits
between members of the two tribes, she had become
very familiar with the camp. All ignorant of the poor
maniac's arrival, for the news had not yet spread, the
mother of Little Beaver sat embroidering a moccasin
with dyed quill-work. The traces of profound grief
were on her worn face, and her meek eyes were dim as
she raised them to see who lifted the curtain of the
tent so violently.

Only one word was uttered by Eising Sun as she
sprang in and fell on her knees before the old woman :
— " Mother ! "

No cry was uttered, not even an expression of sur-
prise moved the old woman's face ; but her ready arms
were extended, and the girl laid her head, with a long-
drawn sigh, upon the old bosom.

Long did she lie there that night, while a tender hand
smoothed her coal-black hair, and pressed the thin cheek
to a warm throbbing heart, which feared to move lest
the girl's rest should be disturbed; but there was no
need to fear that. Even the loving old heart could no
longer warm the cheek that was slowly but surely
growing cold. When the face was at last turned
anxiously towards the firelight it was seen that a rest

DELIVERANCE.

231

est
no
no

3ly
Ked
lest

which could not be disturbed had been found at last —
for Rising Sun was dead.

While this solemn scene was enacting in the old
mother's tent, a very different one was taking place in
the cave prison, where the ca[)tives still sat, bound hand
and foot, leaning against the wall.

Captain Trench and his son sat in front of them. A
small fire burned in the cave, the smoke of which found
an exit among the crevices of the high roof. It cast a
lurid light on the faces of the men and on projections
of the wall, but left the roof in profound darkness.

The captain was still much excited, for the moment
for his desperate venture was rapidly approaching.

"Now, Grummidge," he said, in a low but earnest
voice, " it 's of no use your objectin' any more, for I 've
made up my mind to do it."

" Which means," returned the seaman, " that for the
sake of savin' my life, you 're a-goin* to risk your own
and the lives of all consarned. Now it 's my opinion
that, as the sayin* goes, of two evils a man should
choose the least. It *s better that I should die quietly
than that the whole of us should die fightin', and, may-
be, killin' savages as well, which would be of no manner
of use, d' ye see. I can only die once, you know, so I
advise ye to give it up, an' leave the whole matter in
the hands of Providence."

" Not at all," said Squill stoutly. " It 's my opinion
that when they 've kilt you, Grummidge, they '11 be like
tigers when they 've tast^ blood : they '11 want to kill
the rest of us. No ; I 've made up me mind to bolt,

232

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

and, if need be, tight, an* so has all the rest on us — so
heave ahead, cappen, an' tell us what we 've got to do."

" W^ll, boys, here it is," said the captain. " You see
this weapon." He took up the heavy bludgeon that
Oliver had made for himself on commencing his travels
in Newfoundland. " Well, I 've brought this here every
time I 've come just to get the two sentries accustomed
to see me with it. This is your last night on earth,
Grummidge, so I'm goin' to pay you an extra visit
about midnight, by way of sayin* farewell. As I pass
the sentries — who are quite used to me now — I *11 fetch
the first one I come to such a crack with this here that
he will give no alarm. Before the other has time to
wink I *11 treat him to the same. It 's a mean sort o*
thing to do, but necessity has no law, so I've made
up my mind to go through with it."

" It '11 be a bad look-out if you do," said Grummidge.

"It'll be a worse look-out if I don't," replied the
captain. " Then, when that 's done," he continued, " I *11
cut your lashin's, an' we 'U crowd all sail for the woods,
where I have already concealed some arms an' dried
deer's-meat, an' if we can't get fair off and make for the
east coast, we '11 get on the top o' some mound or rock
an' show these Eedskins what English seamen can do
when they 're hard pressed."

" Not to mintion Irish wtins ! " said Squill

" An' have Master Paul an' Hendrick agreed to fall
in wi' this mad plan ? " asked G :um midge.

" No, I can't say they have. To say truth, considerin'
that Hendrick 's a relation o' the Kedskins an' that

DELIVEBANCE.

233

\ — 30

do."
u see
. that
•avels
every
Lomed
earth,
i visit
I pass
1 fetch
re that
ime to

sort 0*
5 made

Master Paul is his friend, I thought it best to say
nothing to them about it So I '11 "

He was interrupted here by the sudden entrance of
Hendrick and Paul themselves, accompanied by Bear-
paw and the sentries. To one of the latter the chief
gave an order, and the man, drawing his knife, advanced
to Grummidge. The seaman instinctively shrank from
him, but was agreeably surprised on having his bonds
cut. The others having also been liberated, the chief
said : —

" My palefaced brothers are free."

" Yes, lads," said Paul, heaitily grasping Grummidge
by the hand. " God has sent deliverance at the eleventh
hour — you are all free."

midge,
ied the

d,"ni

woods,
' dried
for the
or rock
can do

to fall

isiderin'
Ian* that

234

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL.'

CHAPTER XXIV.

THK LAST.

I !

THE joy with which the news was received by our
seamen and their friends was somewhat marred
by the death of the poor girl who liad unconsciously
been the means of their deliverance. During several
days there was profound grief in the Indian village, for
Rising Sun had been a favourite with every one.

About this time one or two scattered band:- of the
party which had gone to attack the paleface s ment
returned to the village, and when they found wuac had
occurred in their absence, their enmity was turned into
friendship, and general goodwill prevailed among all.

From the men just arrived Paul and his friends heard
of the fate of poor S win ton and Jim Heron, but at the
same time were relieved to find that none of the other
seamen had been slain.

A grand council and palaver was held in front of
Bearpaw's tent not long afterwards. It was a very
grave and orderly council — one which would contrast
favourably with many of our ninteenth century councils,
for those savages had not at that time acquired the
civilised capacity for open off-hand misrepresentation,
calumny, and personal abuse which is so conspicuous in

THE LAST.

235

of
fery
rast
5ils,
I the
|ioD,

these days, and which must be so gratifying to those
who maintain that civilisation is the grand panacea for
all the moral ills that flesh is heir to. Wliether the
Bethucks ever improved in this matter is not known,
for history is silent on the point ; but it is, perhaps, of
little consequence, the Bethuck lace having become
extinct.

" It is now a matter for our consideration, my friends
and warriors," said Bearpaw, in opening the palaver,
"whether the palefaces are to spend the winter here
and hunt with us, or to return to the Crooked Lake to
stay with our kinsman, the white hunter, and his wife,
the sweet singer. Of course, my warriors know well
that we could keep the palefaces by force just as easily
as we could take their scalps, if we were so disposed ;
but Bearpaw h not a tyrant. He will not inflict kind-
ness on his fr -^nds. His heart is great. It swells
within him. So ething inside of him whispers, ' Let
them do as they please.* That must be right, for if
circumstances were reversed, it would be right to let
Bearpaw do as he pleases."

The chief paused and looked sternly round, as if to
say, " Contradict that if you dare ! " Possibly he felt
that the " something inside of him " might have stated
the golden rule more simply. Returning to the point,
he continued —

*' Bearpaw is glad that Rising Sun came home before
he killed the palefaces, for her words have saved their
lives. He is also glad that the friends of the palefaces
came, for they have taught him wisdom. They have

236

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL." '

I I

shown him that he was going to act in haste ; they
have told him that the Great Spirit orders all events
here, and the Great Spirit himself has proved the truth
of what they said ; for, when Bearpaw refused to believe
the palefaces, He sent Eising Sun to confirm their words,
and to convince Bearpaw that he was wrong."

Again the chief paused and looked round upon his
men, some of whom appeared to dissent from what he
said in condemnation of himself by slightly shaking
their heads.

" Bethuck warriors," continued the chief, " have often
told Bearpaw that he is wise. Bearpaw now tells his
warriors that they are fools — fools for telling their chief
that he is wise ! If he had been wise he would not have
come so near to shedding the blood of innocent men ;
but the Great Spirit prevented him. If the Great Spirit
had not prevented him still that would have been right, ^
for the Great Spirit cannot do wr.ong, and He is not
bound to give explanations to His creatures ; though,
doubtless, He will do it in the end. The heart of
Bearpaw is grateful to his paleface brothers, and he
would be glad if they will stay to hunt over his lands
and palaver in his wigwam during the winter ; but if
they prefer to go, they may do as they please. Waugh !
Bearpaw has spoken."

The chief sat down with emphasis,'as if he felt that
he had done his duty, and his men uttered a decided
" Ho 1 " of approval.

Then Hendrick rose, and, looking round the circle
with that grave dignity of countenance and manner

iff

THE LAST.

237

which was not less natural to himself than character-
istic of his Indian friends, delivered himself as follows: —

" I and my friends are glad that Bearpaw recognises
the hand of the Great Spirit in all that has occurred,
for we rejoice to believe that He is the great First
Cause of all things, and that men are only second causes,
gifted, however, with the mysterious power to do evil.

" In thanking my Bethuck brother and his warriors
for their kind invitation — I speak for all my party — we
are all grateful, and we would greatly like to spend the
winter here, and enjoy the hospitality of our red
brothers. Especially would my friend Paul Burns re-
joice to read more to you from his wonderful writing
and explain it ; but we cannot stay. My paleface
brothers wish to return with me to Crooked Lake,
where the sweet singer and her little ones await the
return of the hands that feed and protect them."

Hendrick, pausing, looked round and received some
nods of approval at this point.

" The winter is long, however," he continued, " and
when the snow is deep over all the land we can put on
our snow-shoes and revisit Bearpaw ; or, better still,
Bearpaw and his warriors may come to Crooked Lake,
when the sweet singer and her daughter will give them
hearty welcome, supply them with more food than they
can consume, and cause their ears and hearts to thrill
with music."

Hendrick paused again, and decided marks of
approval greeted his last words.

" But. my friends and kinsmen," he rt.sunicd, " when

1J38

THE CKEW OP THE " WATEU WAGTAIL."

s 'II! ; ! 1

lit! ill!

winter draws to a close, the paletaces will go to the
coast to see how it fares with their comrades, and to
try whether it is not possible for ^^em. to make a big
canoe in which to cross the great Salt Lake, for some
of them have wives and mothers, sisters, fathers, and
other relations whom they love, in the mighty land that
lies far away where the sun rises — the land of my own
fathers, about which I have often talked to you. If
they cannot make a big enough canoe, they will wait
and hope till another great canoe, like the one they lost,
comes to this island — as come it surely will, .bringing
many palefaces to settle in the land."

** "When they come they shall be welcome," said Bear-
paw, as Heudrick sat down, " and we will hunt for them
till they learn to hunt for themselves ; we will teach
them how to capture the big fish with the red flesh, and
show them how to track the deer through the wilder-
ness — waugh ! But will our guests not stay with us till
the hard frosts set in ? "

" No ; we must leave before the deep snow falls," said
Hendrick. " Much of that which fell lately has melted
away ; so we will start for Crooked Lake .without
further delay."

The Indian chief bowed his head in acquiescence
with this decision, and the very next day Paul and the
captain and Oliver, with their rescued comrades and
Strongbow, set out for Hendrick's home, which they
reached not long after, to find that all was well, that
the old Indian servant had kept the family fully
supplied with fisli, Uc-ili, and fowl ; that no one had

THE LA.ST.

239

eiice

the

and

,hey

;hat

visited the islet since they left, that the sweet singers
were in good voice, and that the family baby was as
bright as ever, as great an anxiety to its mother, and as
terrible a torment to its idolising nurse !

Among others who took up their abode at that time
on the hunter's islet was the large dog Blackboy. That
faithful creature, having always had a liking for Hen-
drick, and finding that the old master and mistress
never came back, had attached itself to the party of
palefaces, and quietly accepted the English name of
Blackboy.

Now, it is impossible, with the space at our com-
mand, to recount all the sayings and doings of this
section of the Water Wagtail's crew during that
winter : how they built a hut for themselves close to
that of their host ; how they learned to walk on snow-
shoes wlien the deep snow came ; how, when the lake
set fast and the thick ice formed a highway to the
shore, little Oscar taught Oliver Trench how to cut
holes through to the water and fish under the ice ; how
hunting, sledging, football, and firewood-cutting became
the order of the day; supping, story-telling, singing,
and reading the MS. Gospel according to John, the
order of the evening, and sleeping like tops, with
occasional snoring, the order of the night, when the
waters were thus arrested by the power of frost, and
the land was smothered in snow. All this and a great
deal more must be left untold, for, as we have said, or
hinted, or implied before, matters of greater moment
claim our attention.

240

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAGTAIL."

t-yr i,|

One night, towards the close of that winter, Paul
Burns suggested that it was about time to go down to
the coast and visit their comrades there.

" So say I," remarked Grummidge, who at the time
was feeding the baby, to the grave satisfaction of
Blackboy.

" Sure, an' I 'm agreeable," said Squills, who was too
busy feeding himself to say more.

As Little Stubbs, George Blazer, Fred Taylor, and
David Garnet were of the same opinion, and Hendrick
had no objection, except that Trueheart, Goodrcd, and
Oscar would be very sorry to part with them, and the
family baby would be inconsolable, it was decided that
a start should be made without delay.

They set out accordingly, Hendrick and Strongbow
alternately leading, and, as it is styled, beating the
track, while the rest followed in single file. It was a
long, hard journey, but' our travellers were by that
time inured to roughing it in the cold. Every night
they made their camp by digging a hole in the snow
under the canopy of a tree, and kirMling a huge fire at
one end thereof. Every morning at dawn they re-
sumed the march over the snow-clad wilderness, and
continued till sun-down. Thus, day by day they ad-
vanced, living on the dried meat they carried on their
backs, and tlie fresh meat and ptarmigan they pro-
cured with bolt and arrow. At last they reached the
coast.

It was a clear, sharp, starry night when they arrayed
at "Wagtail Bay, with an unusually splendid aurora

•m-

THE LAST.

241

lighting them on their way. Anxious forebodings
filled the breasts of most of the party, lest they should
find that their comrades had perished ; but on coming
in sight of the principal hut, Oliver exclaimed, " There 's
a light in the window, and smoke coming from —
hurr— ! "

He would have cheered, but Grummidge checked
him.

** Shut up your hatchway, lad ! Let us see what they
are about before goin' in."

They all advanced noiselessly, Grummidge leading,
Strongbow bringing up the rear. The liut had two
windows of parchment, v>'hich glowed with the light
inside, but through which they could not see, except
by means of one or two very small holes, to which
eager eyes were instantly applied. A most comfortable
scene was presented, and jovial sounds smote the ears
of those who listened. As far as they could make out
every man of the crew was there, except, of course,
"Big Swinton and Jim Heron. Some were playing
draughts, some were mending nets or fashioning bows,
and others were telling stories or discussing the events
of the past day.

But a great change for the better was perceptible
both in words and manners, for some of the seed which
Paul Burns had let fall by the wayside, had, all unex-
pectedly, found good ground in several hearts, and was
already bearing fruit. Dick Swan and Spitfire no
longer quarrelled as they played together, and Bob
Crow no longer swore.

242

THE CREW OF THE " WATER WAtTTAIL,

l\\

"Heigho!" exclaimed the latter at the end of a
game, as he stretched his arms above his head, "I
wonder if we'll ever play draughts in Old England,
or see our friends again ! "

" You '11 see some of 'em to-night, anyhow, God bless
ye. Bob Crow," cried Grummidge, as he flung open the
door and sprang in, while his snow-besprinkled com-
rades came tramp, tramp, in a line behind him !

Who can describe that meeting as they shook hands,
gasped, exclaimed, laughed — almost cried ; while Black-
boy leaped around wildly joyful at the sight of so
many old friends? We will not attempt it; but,
leaving them there, we will conduct the reader down
to a small creek hard by, where a curious sight may
be seen — a small ship on the stocks nearly finished,
which will clearly be ready to launch on the first open
water.

From the wreck of the old ship, tools, and timber,
and cordage had been recovered. The forests of New-
foundland had supplied what was lacking. Ingenuity
and perseverance did the rest. Need we add that the
work went on merrily now that the wanderers had
returned ?

Hendrick stayed with them till the little ship was
launched. With pleased yet sorrowful expression he
watched as the eager men tested her stability and her
sailing powers, and rejoiced with them on finding that
she worked well and answered to her helm smartly.

" Good-bye, friends, and God watch over you and me
till that day after which there shall be no more part-

THE LAST.

243

ings," he said, as they all shook hands for the lasj
time.

He was left standing beside his Indian friend on the
rocks when the Morning Star finally set sail. The tall
forms of the two men were still visible when the little
vessel rounded the neighbouring headland and turned
its prow towards England. They stood there sadly
watching the lessening sails till the ship became a
mere speck on the horizon and finally disappeared.

Then Hendrick slowly re-entered the forest, and,
followed by Strongbow, returned to his own home in
the beautiful wilderness of Newfoundland,

THE END.

Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty,
at the Edinburgh UniversHy Presi.

i I

t '

WORKS BY R. M. BALLANTYNE.

" In his tales of the sea, of the forest and the flames, and in all
that he writes, there is a fidelity to nature and a knowledge of many
paths of life which are not SJirpassed by any author in his specia!
field of literature. " — Morning Post.

With Illustrations. Grown 8vo. 5a. each.

THE BUFFALO RUNNERS.

A Talk op the Red Riveb Plains.

"Mr. Ballantyne tells an admirable story of * the struggle for life
valiantly p,nd victoriously fought by the early colonists of the Red
River region in North-Western America. As the scene of this thril-
ling narrative he has chosen the very ground upon which the
populous and prosperous city of Winnepeg stands at the present
day." — Daily Telegraph.

" Exactly the book in which boys will revel. The adventures
never surpass the bounds of reality, and the tone of the book is
excellent. " — Record.

"In Mr. Ballantyne's work there is such a manly style about the
heroes, and their courage, truth, and devotion is such that any boy
might be proud of following their example." — Public Opinion.

" No more entertaining gift-book tor boys could possibly be
desired. " — Dundee Courier.

CHARLIE TO THE RESCUE.

A Tale op the Sea and the Rockies.

" In ' Charlie to the Rescue ' Mr. Ballantyne supplies his con-
stituency — which is now a large and well-satisfied one — with a
sufficiency of battles, sieges, and escapes ; the troubles of ranchmen,
whose lives are threatened both by white and by black scoundrels,
are admirably reproduced. It is a capital story. " — Spectcvtor.

BLOWN TO BITS;

Or, the Lonely Man op Rakata. A Tale of the
Malay Archipelago.

" A capital story, written in the author's old style, and full of
life and action from beginning to end. "—Standard.

" The book abounds in matter of exceptional interest, and should
find its way into the hands of all young people who would properly
estimate the wide-spreading and far-reaching influences and the
extraordinary character of the Krakatoa outburst." — Manofiesier
Courier.

Works by R. M. Ballantyne — continued.

illi

{

, ..^ — -^

■

With Illu8tratio7is. Crovm 8vo. 6«. each.

BLUE LIGHTS;

Or, Hot Work in the Soudan. A Tale of Soldier Life

IN SEVERAL OF ITS PHASES.

' ' An exciting story, full of excellent moral lessons. " — School
Board Chronicle.

" We heartily recommend 'Blue Lights.'" — Guardian.

"The soldier's career is graphically depicted, and the story is
every way a good one."— Literary Churchman,

TH E FUGITIVES;

Or, The Tyrant Qjeen of Madagascar.

" There is plenty of adventure in the shape of imprisonment and
combats with men and animals, and a negro and a sailor between
them supply a comic element of the best quality. Everything con-
sidered, this is one of the best stories even Mr. Ballantyne has
published. " — A cademy.

RED RODNEY;

Or, The Last of the Crew.

THE ROVER OF THE ANDES.

A Tale of Adventure in South America. '

** We commend it to boys fond of adventure and of natural pheno-
mena; a very fascinating book." — British Quarterly Review.
" An admirable boy's story." — Scotsman.

THE YOUNG TRAWLER.

. A SroBV OF Life and Death and Rescue in the

North Sea.

"Few men have laboured so steadfastly in their generation to
provide sound wholesome fare for * our boys ' as Mr. Ballantyne,
and the ' Young Trawler ' is worthy of his reputation. It is not a
whit less spirited than his former tales, and conveys a large amount
of useful information on a highly important subject." — Academy.

DUSTY DIAMONDS, CUT
POLISHED.
A Tale of City-Arab Life.

AND

fForks by B. M. Battantyne — continued.

With lUuatrationa. Orown Svo. 58. each.

THE BATTERY AND THE BOILER;

Or, Ths Elxotrioal Adventures or a Telegraph

Cable-Layer.

♦' There ia not a dull page in it." — Scotsman.
'^The intereat never flags." — Academy.

THE GIANT OF THE NORTH5

Or, PoKiNGs Round the Pols.

"Of variety of perilous adventures and peril, ingeniously sur-
mounted, there is no lack. " — Daily Neroa.

THE LONELY ISLAND;

Or, The Refuge or the Mutineers.

" Mr. Ballantyne weaves the romantic episode of the mutiny of
the • Bounty ' into a most effective narrative." — Qraphie,

POST HASTE.
A Tale or Heb Majesty's Mails.

" The book should find a place in every boy's library ; it is full
of interest." — Leeds Mercury.

IN THE TRACK OF THE TROOPS.

A Tale or Modern War.

" Mr. Ballantyne has blended with the incidents of war on the
Danube a story of personal adventure spiritedly told." — Daily News.

THE SETTLER AND THE SAVAGE.

A Tale or Peace and War in. South ArRiCA.

'• A capital story of South African life. Mr. Ballantyne, through
the medium of a thoroughly manly and healthy tale of sport and
war, frolic and danger, full of stirring yet not eiaggerateil scenes,
presents a sketch of a very important period of the early history of
our colony at the Cape of Good Hope."— Times.

Ml*

Works by R. M. Ballantyne — continued.

With Illustrations. Crown Svo. 5s. each.

UNDER THE WAV ES{

Or, DiviNO IN Dkbp Wateks.

" Mr. Ballantyne enlarges the already gigantic debt due to him
by the young, by his • Under the Waves,' a story meant to illustrate
the practice and peril of diving in deep water, wliich it does in not
only an interesting, but often in amusing manner." — TiviM.

RIVERS OF ICE.
A Tale Illustkativb of Alpine Adventure and Glacier

A.0TION.

' "A tale brimful of interest and stirring a.dvent\iTe."—Olaagoto
Herald.

THE PIRATE CITY.

An Alo^: '^e Tale.

"The story is told with Mr. Ba^'antyne's usual felicity, and, as
it is plentifully sprinkled with horrors, no doubt it will be greatly
enjoyed by some boys." — Athenctum.

BLACK IVORY.

A Tale dip Adventorb among the Slavers of fiAST Afrk a.
" A captivating story. We heartily recommend it," — Record.
"Boys will find the book about as delightful a story of adventure
as any of them could possibly desire." — Scotsman.

THE NORSEMEN IN THE WEST;

Or, America before Columbus.

" This thoroughly delightful book is an adaptation of the Saga of
Iceland, and also of Mr. Laing's ' Heimskingla ; or Chronicles of
the Kings of Norway,' supplemented by Mr. Ballantyne's o^-n
experience and adventures in the wilderness of America. These
ingredients are put together with the skill and spirit of »n - .com-

Elished story-teller ; and the result is a book that p"'^ noesibly
e laid down till the very last word of the la ■•'' ' '

—Athencxum.

i"e

THEIRONH

Or, Life on the Line. A vay Ta

'A captivating book for boys." — Otiardtan.

fForks by R. M. Ballantyns — continued.

With lUuBtratioTu. Orovm Svo. 6t. each.

ERLING THE BOLD.

A Talk ov thb Norsk Sea Kings.

"A capital tale of the Norse Sea Kings."— Tt'mM.

" The story is interesting and full of moving incidents by flood
and field, and it will therefore scarcely fail to be popular among
lads. " — Scolaman.

** The story is clearly designed, and abounds with elements of
romantic interest ; and the Author's illustrations are scarcely less
vigorous than his text." — AlhttujBum.

FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
A Talk of the London Fibk Brioadb.

" Many a schoolboy will find keen enjoyment in the perusal of
'Fighting the Flames,' and assure his little sisters with suitable
emphasis that Mr. Ballantyne is ' a stunning good story-teller.'"
— Athencntm.

DEEP DOWN.
A Tale of the Cornish Mines.

" Mr. Ballantyne's book will not fail to delight boys, for it is full
of deeds of daring and of ' hairbreadth escapes. ' " — Scotsman.

"By reading Mr. Ballantyne's admirable story a very large
amount of knowledge concerning Cornish mines may be acquired ;
whilst from the fact of the information being given in the form of
a connected narrative, it is not likely very soon to be forgotten.
... A book well worthy of being extensively read." — Mining
Journal.

bly

THE FLOATING LIGHT OF THE

GOODWIN SANDS.

" The tale will be especially interesting to adventure-loving boys. "
— Record.

SHIFTING WINDS.
A Tough Yarn.

" A hearty, vigorous, bracing story, fresh with the pure breezes,
and sparkling with the bright waters of the everlasting seas."
— Athenoium.

Works by B. M. BcUlantyne — continued.

With Illustrations. Grown 8vo. 58. each.

THE LIGHTHOUSE.

Bbino the Story of a Great Fight between Max
AND THE Sea.

Extract Letter from the Secretary of Northern Lighthoiises.

" . . . . They (the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses) have
been so much pleased with the way in which you have combined
the fiction of a tale with the popular but correct account of the
building of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, that they think it would be
an interesting work to transmit to their Lightkeepers, &nd I have
therefore to request that you will direct your publishers to transn;it
me — copies. (Signed) Alexr. Cunningham."

" Thoroughly at home in subjects of adventure, the Author has
made this, like al' his stories for boys, smart in style, thrilling in
interest, and aboujding in incidents of every kind." — Quiver.

THE LIFEBOAT.

A Tale of our Coast Heroes.

" Ro^AL National Lifeboat Institution.

"Dear Sir, — I am directed by the Committee to request your
acceptance of the accompanying Photograph of a Lifeboat proceed-
ing off to a wreck, as a small permanent acknowledgment of the
important service you have rendered to ohe Lifeboat cause by your
very interesting work entitled * The Lifeboat : a Tale of our Coa.st
Heroes.' I remain, yours faithfully,

(Signed) "Richard Lewis, (Secretary."

THE GOLDEN DREAM.
A Tale of the Diggings.

THE RED ERIC;

Or, The Whaler's Last Cruise.

GASOOYNE, THE SANDALWOOD

TRADER.

A Tale of the Pacific.

"Full of cleverly and impressively drawn pictures of life and
character in the Pacific." — Caledonian Mercury.

/.''

JVorks by E. M. Ball antifne— continued.

With Illustrations. Crown Bvo. 5s. each.

FREAKS ON THE FELLS,

AND

WHY I DID NOT BECOME A SAILOR.

THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST.

WUh Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6c?.

BATTLES WITH THE SEA;

Or, Heroes of the Lifeboat and the Rocket.

With Illustrations. Grown 8vo. 2«.

THE KITTEN PILGRIMS;

Or, Great Baitles and Grand Victories.

" We have copied the title-page of this amusing and instructive
quarto for little folks. Nothing further is necessary. Mr.
Ballautyne stands at the head of all our children's story-tellers
facile princeps." — Churchman.

With Illustrations. Crown Bvo. 2s. Qd. each.

NEW VOLUME.

A COXSWAIN'S BRIDE; Or, The Rising Tide:
And other Tales.

THE GARRET AND THE GARDEN ; Or, Low
Life High Up: And JEFF BENSON; Or, The
Young Coastguardsman.

THE CREW OF THE WATER^WAGTAIL.

A Story of Newfoundland.

THE MIDDY AND THE MOORS.

An Algeeine Tale.

THE PRAIRIE CHIEF.

■■ '

{•n

-ff

tiM

fVm'ks by R. M. Ballantyne— continued.

With IlluatrcUions. Grown Svo. 2«. 6d. mch.

LIFE IN THE RED BRIGADE.

A Fiery Tale. And Foet Desolation ; or, Solitude in the

Wilderness.

THE ISLAND QUEEN;

Or, Dethroned by Fire and Water, A Tale of tub
Southern Hemisphere.

TWICE BOUGHT.

A Tale of the Oregon Gold Fields.

THE MADMAN AND THE PIRATE.

PHILOSOPHER JACK.

A Tale of the Southern Seas.

THE ,RED MAN'S REVENGE.
MY DOGGIE AND L

SIX MONTHS AT THE CAPE.

Letters to Periwinkle from South Africa. A Record of
Personal Experience and Adventure.

Crovoii 8vo. Price 3s. 6d. each.

TALES OF ADVENTURE BY FLOOD,
FIELD, AND MOUNTAIN.

TALES OF ADVENTURE;

Or, Wild Work in Strange Places.

TALES OF ADVENTURE ON THE COAST.

LONDON : J.^'^ES NISBET & Co., il BERNERS STREET, W.

MR. R. M. BALLANTYNE'S

MISCELLANY OF ENTERTAINING
AND INSTRUCTIVE TALES.

With Illustrations. Is. each.
Also in a Uandsorne Cloth Case, Price 208.

The Athenceum says: — "There is no more practical way of
communicating elementary information than that which has been
adopted in this series. When we see contained in 124 small
pages (as in Fast in the Ice) such information as a man of fair
education should possess about icebergs, northern lights, Esquimaux,
musk-oxen, bears, walruses, etc., together with all the ordinary
incidents of an Arctic voyage woven into a clear connected narra-
tive, we must admit that a good work has been done, and that the
author deserves the gratitude of those for whom the books aro
especially designed, and also of young people of all classes.''

r 1.

Fighting the Whales ; or, Doings and Dangers on a Fishing
Cruise.

II.

Away in the Wilderness; or. Life among the Red Indians and
Fur Traders of North America.

III.
Fast In the Ice ; or. Adventures in the Polar Regions.

IV.
Chasing the Sun ; or, Rambles in Norway.

Sunk at Sea; or, The Adventures of Wandering Will in the
Pacific.

10 Mr. R. M. Ballantyne's Miscellany — continued.

VI.

Lost in the Forest ; or, Wandering Will's Adventures in South
America.

VII.

Over the Rocky Mountains; or, Wandering Will in the Land
of the Red Skin.

VIII.

Saved by the Lifeboat ; or, A Tale of Wreck and Rescue on
the Coast.

IX.

The Cannibal Islands i or, Captain Cook's Adventures in the
South Seas.

Hunting the Lions ; or, The Land of the Negro.

Digging for Gold ; or, Adventures in California.

XIL
Up In the Clouds; or, Balloon Voyages.

xin.

The Battle and the Breeze; or. The Fights and Fancies of a
British Tar.

XIV.

The Pioneers : A Tale of the Western Wilderness.

XV.

The Story of the Rock.

XVL
Wrecked but not Ruined.

XVII.
The Thorogood Family.

XVllL
The Lively Po' : A Tale of the North Sea.

London: JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 Bernebs Street, W.