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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s 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 symbolos suivants apparaitra s>ir la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ', le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s A des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, 11 est filmd A partir de I'angiie supdrieur gauche, de gauche ii droite, et de haut en has, en prenant le nombre d'imriges ndcossaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 T AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS I .-/ti'iM' /;; the H'i/Ji'r/u'SS, (. AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS LIFE AMONG THE RED INDIANS AND FUB-TRADERS OF NORTH AMERICA By R. M. BALLANTYNE LONDON JAMES NISBET & CO., LIMITED 22 BERNERS STREET, W. ^^1 c 1^ a I (civ; U 1313G2 \ v\ <-, , 1^ M ^i CONTENTS PAGE CiiAP. I.— The Hunter, H ,, II.— The Three Friends, 15 >> in. — The Encampment, 2I „ IV.— Mosquitoes— Camp-Fire Talk, ... 28 >> v.— Journeying in THE Wilderness, . . 33 ,, VI. — The Outpost, 42 „ VII.— A Savage Family, and i Fight with a Bear, 54 „ VIIL— Running the Falls— Wild Scenes and Men, 63 >> IX. — The Fort, and an Unexpected Meeting, 75 „ X.— Buffalo-Hunting on the Prairies, . . 84 M XI,— Winter— Sleeping in the Snow— A Night Alarm, 94 „ XII.— The Wedding, an Arrival, a Feast, and A Ball 106 „ XIII.— The Conclusion, . . . . ,115 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS CHAPTEB I THE HUNTKB ON a beautiful summer evening, not many years ago, a man was seen to ascend the side of a little mound or hillock, on the top of which he lingered to gaze upon the wild scenery that lay stretched out before him. The man wore the leathern coat and leggings of a North American hunc^, or trapper, or backwoods- man ; and well did he deserve all these titles, for Jasper Derry was known to his friends as the best hunter, the most successful trapper, and the boldest man in the backwoods. Jasper was big and strong as well as bold, but h* was not a bully. Men of true courage are in general peacefully disposed. Jasper could fiizht like a lion when there was occasion to do so; but he was 12 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS gentle and grave, and quiet by nature. He was also extremely good-humoured; had a low soft voice, and, both in mind and body, seemed to delight in a state of repose. We have said that his coat was m?de of leather ; the moccasins or Indian shoes on his feet were made of the same material. When Jasper first put them on they were soft like a glove of chamois leather, and bright yellow; but hard service had turned them into a dirty brown, which looked more business like. The sun had burned his face and hands to as deep a brown as his coat. On his head he wore a little round cap, which he had made with his own hands, after having caught the black fox that sup- plied the fur, in one of his own traps. A coloured worsted belt bound his coat round his waist, and be- neath the coat he wore a scarlet flannel shirt. A long knife and a small hatchet were stuck in the belt at his back, and in front hung a small cloth bag, which was so thickly ornamented with beads of many col- curs, that little of ^-he cloth could be seen. This last was a fire-bag — so called because it contained the flint, steel, and tinder required for making a fire. It also contained Jasper's pipe and tobacco — for he smoked, as a matter of course. Men smoke everywhere — more *3 the pity — and Jasper followed the example of those around him. Smok- ing was almost his only fault. He was a tremendous smoker. Often, when out of tobacco, he had smoked tea. Frequently he had tried bark and dried V ;*• \\ AWAY IN THE WILDEENKSS u leaves ; and once, when hard pressed, he had smoked oakum. He would rather have gone without his supper than without his pipe ! A powder horn and shot pouch were slung over his shoulders by two cross belts, and he carried a long single-barrelled gun. I have been thus particular in describing Jasper Derry, because he is our hero, and he is worth describing, being a fine, hearty, handsome fellow, who cared as little for a wild Indian or a grizzly bear as ne did for a butterfly, and who was one of the best of companions, as he was one of the best of hunters, in the wilderness. Having gained the top of the hillock, Jasper placed the butt of his long gun on the ground, and, crossing his hands over the muzzle, stood there for some time so motionless, that he might have been mistaken for a statue. A magnificent country was spread out before him. Just in front lay a clear lake of about a mile in extent, and the evenmg was so ptill that every tree, stone, and bush on its margin, was reflected as in a mirror. Here, hundreds of wild ducks and wild geese were feeding among the sedges of the bays, or flying to and fro mingling their cries with those of thousands of plover and other kinds of water-fowl that inhabited the place. At the lower end of this lake a small rivulet was seen to issue forth and wind its way through woods and plains like a silver thread, until it was lost to view in the far distance. On tb.e right and left and u AWAY IN THK WILDERNESS behind, the earth was covered with the dense foliage of the wildwoods. The hillock on which the western hunter stood, lay in the very heart of that great uncultivated wilderness which forms part of the British posses- sions in North America. This region lies to the north of the Canadas, is nearly as large as all Europe, and goes by the name of the Hudson's Bay Territory, or Kupert's Land. It had taken Jasper many long weeks of hard travel by land and water, in canoes and on foot, to get there; and several weeks of toil still lay before him ere he could attain the object for which his journey had been undertaken. Wicked people say that " woman is at the bottom of all mischief !" Did it never occur to these same wicked individuals, that woman is just as much at the bottom of all good ? Whether for good or for evil, woman was at the bottom of Jasper Derry's heart and affairs. The cause of his journey was love ; the aim and end of it was marriage ! Did true love ever run smooth ? " No, never," says the proverb. We shall see. n m AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 16 CHAPTER II THE THREE FRIENDS WHEN the hunter had stood for full five minutes gazing at the beautiful scenery by which he was surrounded, it suddenly occurred to him that a pipe would render him much more capable of enjoy- ing it ; so he sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree, leaned his gun on it, pulled the fire-bag from his belt, and began to fill his pipe, which was one of the kind used by the savages of the country, with a stone head and a wooden stem. It was soon lighted, and Jasper was thinking how much more clear and beautiful a landscape looked through tobacco smoke, when a hand was laid lightly on his shoulder. Looking quickly round, he beheld a tall dark-faced Indian standing by his side. Jasper betrayed neither alarm nor surprise; for the youth was his own comrade, who had merely come to tell him that the canoe in which they had been travelling together, and which had been slightly damaged, was repaired and ready for service. " Why, Arrowhead, you steal on me with the soft . -.1 16 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS tread of a fox. My ears are not dull, yet I did not hear your approach, lad." A smile lighted up the countenance of the young Indian for a moment, as he listened to a compliment which gratified him much ; but the grave expression which was natural to him instantly returned, as he said, " Arrowhead has hunted in the Rocky Moun- tains where the men are treacherous ; he has learned to tread lightly there." " No doubt, ye had need to be always on the look out where there are such varmints ; but hereaway, Arrowhead, there are no foes to fear, and therefore no need to take yer friends by surprise. But ye *re proud o' your gifts, lad, an' I suppose it 's natural to like to show them off. Is the canoe ready V The Indian replied by a nod. " That 's well, lad, it will be sun-down in another hour, an' I would like to camp on the point of pines to-night ; so come along." "Hist!" exclaimed the Indian, pointing to a flock of geese which came into view at that moment. " Ah I you come of a wasterful race," said Jasper, shaking his head gravely, "you're never content when ye 've got enough, but must always be killing God's creatures right and left for pure sport Haven't we got one grey goose already for supper, an* that 's enough for two men surely. Of course I make no account o' the artist, poor cratur', for he eats next to nothin'. Hows'ever, as your appetite I i i AWAY m THE WILDERNESS \1 may be sharper set than usual, I 've no objection to bring down another for ye." So saying the hunter and the Indian crouched behind a bush, and the former, while he cocked hia gun and examined the priming, gave utterance to a series of cries so loud and discordant, that any one who was ignorant of a hunter's ways must have thought he was anxious to drive all the living crea- tures within six mile i!i' AWAY IN THE WILDEKNESB 69 ' of its enormous size, its great strengtii, and its ugly appearance, he may well be excufied for feeling a little uncomfortable, and looking somewhat uneasy. When the bear rose, as I have said, Heywood's courage returned. His first act was to fling his sketch-book in Bruin's face, and then, uttering a loud yell, he sprang to his feet, intending to run away. But the violence of his action broke off the earth under his feet.^ He dropt into the river like a lump of lead, and was whirled away in a moment I What that bear thought when it saw the man vanish from the spot like a ghost, of course I cannot telL It certainly looked surprised, and, if it was a bear of ordinary sensibility, it must undoubtedly have felt astonished. At any rate, after standing there, gazing for nearly a minute in mute amazement at the spot where Heywood had disappeared, it let itself down on its forelegs, and, turning round, walked slowly back into the bushes. Pool Heywood could not swim, so the river did what it pleased with him. After swe" Jng him out into the middle of the stream, and rolUng him over five or six times, and whirling him round in an eddy close to the land, and dragging him out again into the main current, and sending him struggling down a rapid, it threw him at last, like a bundle of old clothes, on a shallow, where he managed to get od his feet, and staggered to the shore in a most melan- 1 See Frontispiece. ,1^ ,' iii i '. ll «■ 60 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS I choly plight. Thereafter he returned to the encamp- ment, like a drowned rat, with his long hair plastered to his thin face, and his soaked garments clinging tightly to his slender body. Had he been able to see himself at that moment, he would have laughed, but, not being able to see himself, and feeling very miserable, he sighed and shuddered with cold, and then set to work to kindle a fire and dry himself. Meanwhile the bear continued its walk up the river. Arrowhead, after a time, lost the track of the bear he was in searcli of, and, believing that it was too late to follow it up farther that night, he turned about, and began to retrace his steps. Not long after that, he and the bear met face to face. Of course, the Indian's gun was levelled in an instant, but the meeting was so sudden, that the aim was not so true as usual, and, although the ball mortally wounded the animal, it did not kill him outright. There was no time to re-load, so Arrowhead dropped his gun and ran. He doubled as he ran, and made for the encampment; but the bear ran faster. It was soon at the Indian's heels. Know- ing that farther flight was useless, Arrowhead drew the hatchet that hung at his belt, and, turn- ing round, faced the infuriated animal, which instantly rose on its hind legs and cloyed with him. The Indian met it with a tremendous blow of his axe, seized it by the throat with his left hand, and endeavoured to repeat the blow. But brave and AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 61 powerful though he was, the Indian was like a mere child in the paw of the bear. The axe descended with a crash on the monster's head, and sank into its skull. But bears are notoriously hard to kill. This one scarcely seemed to feel the blow. Next instant Arrowhead was down, and, with its claws fixed in the man's back, the bear held him down, while it began to gnaw the fleshy part of his left shoulder. No cry escaped from the prostrate hunter. He determined to lie perfectly still, as if he were dead, that being his only chance of escapf3 ; but the animal was furious, and there is little doubt that the Indian's brave spirit would soon have fled, had not God mercifully sent Jasper Derry to his relief. That stout hunter had been near at hand when the shot was fired. He at once ran in the direction whence the sound came, and ar'^'ved on the scene of the struggle just as Arrowhead fell. Without a moment's hesitation he dropt on one kuc j, took a quick but careful aim and fired. The ball entered the bear's head just behind the ear and rolled it over dead! Arrowhead's first act on rising was to seize the hand of his deliverei, and in a tone of deep feeling exclaimed, " My brother 1 " " Ay," said Jasper with a quiet smile, as he re- loaded his gun ; " this is not the first time that you and I have helped one another in the nick of time, Arrowhead ; we shall be brothers, and good friendi, to boot, I hope, as long as we live." 1 II n 62 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS " Good," said the Indian, a smile lighting up for one moment his usually grave features. " But my brother is wounded, let me see," said Jasper. "It will soon be well," said the Indian carelessly, as he took off his coat and sat down on the bank, while the white hunter examined his wounds. This was all that was said on the subject by these two men. They were used to danger in every form, and had often saved each other from sudden deaih. The Indian's wounds, though painful, were trifling. Jasper dressed them in silence, and then, drawing his long hunting knife, he skinned and cut up the bear, while his companion lay down on the bank, smoked his pipe, and looked on. Having cut off the best parts of the carcass for supper, the hun- ters returned to the canoe, carrying the skin along with them. r i:; AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 63 H: i« CHAPTER VIII RUNNING THE FALLS — WILD SCENES AND MEN "VTEXT (lay the travellers reached one of those -1.1 magnificent lakes of which there are so many in the wild woods of North America, and which are so like to the great ocean itself, that it is scarcely possible to believe them to be bodies of fresh water until they are tasted. The largest of these inland seas is the famous Lake Superior, which is so enormous in size that ships can sail on its broad bosom for several days out of sight of land. It is upwards of three hundred miles long, and about one hundred and fifty broad A good idea of its size may be formed from the fact, that it is large enough to contpm the whole of Scotland, and deep enough to cover her highest hills ! The lake on which the canoe was nc .7 launched, although not so large as Superior, was, nevertheless, a respectable body of water, on which the sun was shining as if on a shield of bright silver. There were numbers o^ amall islets scattered over its surface j •3X 64 AWAY m THE WILDERNESS some thickly wooded to the water's edge, others little better than bare rocks. Crossing this lake they came to the mouth of a pretty large stream and began to ascend it. The first thing they saw on rounding a bend in the stream was an Indian tent, and in front of this tent was an Indian baby, hang- ing from the branch of a tree. Let not the reader be horrified. The child was not hanging by the neck, but by the handle of its cradle, which its mother had placed there, to keep her little one out of the way of the dogs The Indian cradle is a very simple contrivance. A young mother came out of the tent with her child just as the canoe arrived, and began to pack it in its cradle. Jasper stopped for a few minutes to converse with one of the Indians, so that the artist had a good opportunity of witnessing the whole operation. The cradle was simply a piece of flat board, with a bit of scarlet cloth fastened down each side of it. First of all, the mother laid the poor infant, which was quite naked, sprawling on the ground. A dirty- looking dog took advantage of this to sneak forward and smell at it, whereupon the mother seized a heavy piece of wood, and hit the dog such a rap over the nose as sent it away howling. Then she spread a thick layer of soft moss on the wooden board. Above this she laid a very neat, small blanket, about two feet in length. Upon this she placed the baby, which objected at first to go to bed, squalled a good deal, and kicked a little. The mother therefore took it up. >i in AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 65 turned it over, gave it one or two hearty slaps, and laid it down again. This seemed to quiet it, tor it afterwards lay straight out, and perfectly still, with its coal-black eyes staring out of its fat brown face, as if it were astonished at receiving such rough treatment. The mother next spread a little moss over the child, and above that she placed another small blanket, which she folded and tucked in very comfortably, keeping the little one's arms close to its sides, and packing it all up, from neck to heels, so tightly that it looked more like the makini^ up of a parcel than the wrapping up of a child. This done, she drew the scarlet cloth over it from each side of the cradle, and laced it down the front. When all was done, the infant looked like an Egyptian mummy, nothing but the head being visible. The mother then leaned the cradle against the stem of a tree, and immediately one of the dogs ran against it, and knocked it over. Luckily, there was a wooden bar attached to the cradle, in front of the cliild's face, which bar is placed there on purpose to guard against injury from such accidents, so that the bar came first to the ground, and thus prex^ented the flattening of the child's nose, which, to say truth, was flat enough already ! Instead of scolding herself for her own carelessness, the Indian mother scolded the dog, and then hung the child on the branch of a tree, to keep it from further mischief. 66 AWAY IN THE WILDERNE3S I The next turn in the river revealed a large water- fall, up which it was impossible to paddle, so they prepared to make a portage. Bo tore arriving at the foot of it, however, Jasper landed Hey wood, to enable him to make a sketch, and then the two men shoved off, and proceeded to the foot of the fall. They were lying there in an eddy, considering where was the best spot to land, when a loud shout drew their attention towards the rushing water. Immediately after, a boat was seen to hover for a moment on the brink of the waterfall. Tliis fall, al- though about ten or fifteen feet high, had such a large body of water rushing over it, that the river, instead of falling straight down, gushed over in a steep incline. Down this incline the boat now darted with the opeed of lightning. It was full of men, two of whom stood erect, the one in the bow, the other in the stern, to control the movements of the boat. For a few seconds there was deep lence. The men held their breath as the boat leaped along with the boiling flood. There was a curling white wave at the foot of the fall. The boat cut through this like a knife, drenching her crew with spray. Next moment she swept rour i into the eddy where the canoe was floating, and the men gave vent to a loud cheer of satisfaction at having run the fall in safety. But this was not the end of that exciting scene. Scarcely had they gained the land, when another boat appeared on the crest of the fall. Again a shout was given and a dash made. For one moment there AWAY IN THE WILDEIINFS8 67 was a struggle with tlie raging flood, and then a loud cheer as the second boat swept into the eddy in safety. Then a third and a fourth boat went tlirough the same operation, and before the end of a quarter of an hour, six boats ran the fall. The bay at the foot of it, which had been so quiet and solitary when Jasper and his friends arrived, became tlie scene of the wildest confusion and noise, as the men ran about with tremendous activity, making preparations to spend the night there. Some hauled might and main at the boats ; some carried up the provisions, frying-pans, and kettles ; others cut down dry trees with their axes, and cut them up into logs from five to six feet long and as thick as a man's thigh. These were intended for six great fires, each boat's crew requiring a fire to them- selves. While this was going on, the principal guides and steersmen crowded round our three travellers, and plied them with questions ; for it was so unusual to meet with strangers in that far-ojff wilderness, that a chance meeting of this kind was regarded as quite an important event. "You're bound for York Fort, no doubt," said Jasper, addressing a tall handsome man of between forty and fifty, who was the principal guide. " Ay, that 's the end of our journey. You see we *re taking our furs down to the coast. Have you come from York Fort, friend!" " No, I 've come all the way from Canada," said ■i i i- e$ AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS in t\ I '1 ■; I Jasper, who thereupon gave them a short account of his voyage. " Well, Jasper, you '11 spend the night with U8, won't you ? " said vhe guide. "That will I, li'^^ht gladly." " Com(3, then, 1 see the fires are beginning to burn. Wo may as well have a pipe and a chat while supper is getting ready." The night was now closing in, and the scene in the forest, when the camp-fires began to blaze, was one of the most stirring and romantic sights that could be witnessed in that land. The men of the brigade were some of them French-Canadians, some natives of the Orkney Islands, who had been hired and sent out thsre by the Hudson's Bay Company, others were half-breeds, and a few were pure Indians. They were all dressed in what is called voyagcur costume — coats or capotes of blue or grey cloth, with hoods to come over their heads at night, and fastened round their waists with scarlet worsted belts ; corduroy or grey trousers, gartered outside at the knees, moccasins, and caps. But most of them threw off their coats, and appeared in blue and red striped cotton shirts, which were open at the throat, exposing their broad, sun-burned, hairy chests. There was variety, too, in the caps — some had Scotch bonnets, others red night- caps, a few had tall hats, ornamented with gold and silver cords and tassels, and a good many wore no covering at all except their own thickly-matted hair. Their faces were burned to every shade of red, brown, in "^,f \ >, • AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS J 1-1 - -i_ * j.-__i .1 ii_ 69 and black, from constant exposure, and they were strong as lions, wild as zebras, and frolicksome as kittens ! It was no wonder, then, that Haywood got into an extraordinary state of excitement and delight as he beheld these wild, fine-looking men smoking their pipes and cooking their suppers, sitting, lying, and standing, talking and singing, and laughing, with teeth glistening and eyes glittering in the red blaze of the fires — each of which fires was big enough to have roasted a whole ox ! The young artist certainly made good use of his opportunity. He went about from fire to fire, sketch- book in hand, sketching all the best-looking men in every possible attitude, sometimes singly, and some- times in groups of five or six. He then went to the farthest end of the encampment, and, in the light of the last fire, made a picture of all the rest. The kettles were soon steaming. These hung from tripods erected over the fires. Their contents were flour and pemican, made into a thick soup called Eubbiboo. As pemican is a kind of food but little known in this country, I may as well describ^i how it is made. In the first place, it consists of buffaU> meat. The great plains, or prairies, of Ameri^^a, which are like huge downs or commons hundreds of miles in extent, afford grass sufficient to support countless herds of deer, wild horses, and bisons. The bison« are called by the people there buffaloes. The buffalo is lomo- E mm TO AWAT IN THE WILDEKXESS what like an enormous ox, but its hind-quarters are smaller and its fore-quarters much larger than those of the ox. Its hair is long and shaggy, particularly about the neck and shoulders, where it becomes almost a mane. Its horns are thick and short, and its look is very ferocious, but it is in reality a timid creature, and will only turn to attack a man when it is hard pressed and cannot escape. Its flesh is first-rate for food, even better than beef, and there is a large hump on its shoulder, which is considered the best part of the animal. Such is the bison, or buffalo, from which pemican is made. When a man wishes to make a bag of pemican, he first of all kills the buffalo — not an easy thing to do by any means, for the buffalo runs well. Having killed him, he skins him and cuts up the meat — also a difficult thing to do, especially if one is not used to that sort of work. Then he cuts the meat into thin layers, and hangs it up to dry. Dried meat will keep for a long time. It is packed up in bales and sent about that country to be used as food. The next thing to be done is to make a bag of the raw hide of the buffalo. This is done with a glover's needle, the raw sinews of the animal being used instead of thread. The bag is msually about three feet long, and eighteen inches broad, and the hair is left on the outside of it. A huge pot is now put on the fire, and the fat of the buffalo is melted down. Then the dried meat is pounded between two stones, AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 71 until it is torn and broken up into shreds, after which it is put into the bag, the melted fat is poured over it, and the whole is well mixed. The last operation is to sew up the mouth of the bag and leave it to cool, after which the pemican is ready for use. In this state a bif of pemican will keep fresh and good for years. When the search was going on in the polar regions for the lost ships of Sir John Franklin, one of the parties hid some pemican in the ground, intending to return and take it up. They returned home, however, another way. Five years later some travellers discovered this pemican, and it was found, at that time, to be fit for food. Pemican is extensively used throughout Eupert's Land, especially during summer, for at that season the brigades of boats start from hundreds of inland trad- ing-posts to take the furs to the coast for shipment to England, and pemican is found to be not only the best of food for these hard-working men, but exceed- ingly convenient to carry. Supper finished, the wild-looking fellows of this brigade took to their pipes, and threw fresh logs on the fires, which roared, and crackled, and shot up their forked tongues of flame, as if they wished t - devour the forest. Then the song and the story went round, and men told of terrible fights with the red men of the prairies, and desperate encounters with grizzly bears in the Eocky Mountains, and narrow escapes among the rapids and falls, until the night I , 72 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS I was half spent. Then, one by one, each man wrapped himself in his blanket, stretched himself on the ground with his feet towards the fire and his head pillowed on a coat or a heap of brush- wood, and went to sleep. Ere long they were all down, except one or two long-winded story tellers, who went on muttering to their pipes after their comrades were asleep. Even these became tired at last of the sound of their own voices, and gradually every noise in the camp was hushed, except the crackling of the fires as they sank by degrees and went out, leaving the place in dead silence and total darkness. With the first peep of dawn the guide arose. In ten minutes after his first shout the whole camp was astir. The men yawned a good deal at first and grumbled a little, and streiKjhed themselves violently, and yawned again. But soon they shook off laziness and sprang to their work. Pots, pans, kettles, and pemican bags were tossed into the boats, and in the course of half-an-hour they were ready to continue the voyage. Jasper stood beside the guide looking osl at the busy scene. " Heard you any news from the Saskatchewan of late," said he. " l^ot much," replied the guide ; " thei^ *s little stirring there just now, except among the Indians, who have been killing and scalping each other as usual. But; by the way, that reminds me there has AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 73 . been a sort of row between the Indians and the Company's people at Fort Erie. " Fort Erie," said Jasper with a start. " Ay, that 's the name o' the fort, if I remember right," returned the guide. " It seems that one o' the men there, I think they call him Laroche — but what makes you start, friend Jasper ? Do you know any- thing of this man." " Yes, he *s a friend of mine. Go on, let me hear about it." " Well, there 's not much to tell," resumed the guide. "This Laroche, it would appear, has got into hot water. He has a daughter, a good lookin' wench I 'm told, and, better than that, a well-behaved one One o' the Indians had been impertinent to the girl so old Laroche, who seems to be a fiery fellow, up fist, hit him on the nose, and knocked the savage flat on his back. A tremendous howl was set up, and knives and hatchets were flourished ; but Mr. Pemberton, who is in charge of Fort Erie, ran in and pacified them. The Indian that was floored vows he '11 have the hair of old Laroche's head." This taking the hair off people's heads, or scalp- ing ,as it is called, is a common practice among the North American Indians. When a savage kills his enemy he runs his scalping knife round the dead man's head, seizes the hair with his left hand and tears the scalp off. Indeed this dreadful cruelty is sometimes practised before death has occured. ^ The scalp with it^ lock of hair is taken home by the 74 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS . victor, and hung up in his tent as a trophy of war. The man who can show the greatest number of scalps is considered the greatest warrior. The dresses of Indian warriors are usually fringed with liuman scalp-locks. "That's a bad business," said Jasper, who was concerned to hear such news of his intended father- in-law. " Do ye know the name o* this red-skinned rascal ? " " I heard it mentioned," said the guide, " but I can't remember it at this moment." *'The boats are ready to start," said one of the steersmen, coming up just then. " Very good, let the men embark. Now, Jasper, we must part. Give us a shake o* your hand. A pleasant trip to you." " The same to you, friend," said Jasper, return- ing the guide's squeeze. In another minute the boats were away. " Now, friends, we shall start," said Jasper, break- ing the deep silence which followed the departure of the brigade. " Good," said Arrowhead. " I 'm ready," said Hey wood. The canoe was soon in the water, and the men in their places ; but they started that morning with- out a song. Arrowhead was never inclined to be noisy, Hey wood was sleepy, and Jasper was rendered anxious by what he had heard of his friends at Fort Erie, so they paddled away in silence. AWA'i IN THE WILDERNESS T5 CHAPTER IX THE FORT, AND AN UNEXPECTED MEETING WE turn now to a very different scene. It is a small fort or trading-post on the banks of a stream which flows through the prairia The fort is very much like the one which has been already described, but somewhat stronger; and there are four block-houses or bastions, one at each corner, from which the muzzles of a few heavy guns may be seen protruding. The trees and bushes have been cleared away from around this fort, and the strips of forest-land which run along both sides of the river are not so thickly wooded as the country through which the reader has hitherto been travelling. In front of the fort rolls the river. Immediately behind it lies the boundless prairie, which extends like a sea of grass, with scarcely a tree or bush upon it, as fcr as the eye can reach. This is Fort Erie. You might ride for many days over that prairie without seeing anything of the forest, except a clump of trees and bushes here and there, and now and 76 AWa\ in the WILDERNnSS then a little pond. The whole region is extremely beautiful. One that ought to fill the hearts of men with admiration and love of the bountiful God who formed it. But men in those regions, at the time I write of, thought of little beauties of nature, and cared nothing for the goodness of God. At least this may be truly said of the red-skinnea owners of the soil. It was otherwise with some of the white people who dwelt there. Three weeks had passed away since the night spent by our friends with the brigade. It was now a beautiful evening, a little after sunset. The day's work at the fort had been finished, and the men were amusing themselves by racing their horses, of which fine animals there were great numbers at Fort Erie. Just a little after the sun had gone down, three horsemen appeared on the distant prairie and came bounding at full gallop towards the fort. They were our friends Jasper, Hey wood, and Arrowhead. These adventurous travellers had reached a fort far- ther down the river two days before, and, liaving been supplied with horses, had pushed forward by way of the plains. On entering the belt of woods close to the fort, the horsemen reined in, and rode among the trees more cautiously. " Here 's the end of our journey at last," cried Jas- per, on whose bronzed countenance there was a deep flush of excitement and a look of anxiety. AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 77 Just as he said this, Jasper's heart appeared to leap into his throat and almost choked him. Pull- ing up suddenly, he swallowed his heart, with some difficulty, and said — " Hold on, lads. I 'U ride round to the fort by way of the river, for reasons of my own. Push on, Heywood, with the Indian, and let Mr. Pemberton know I 'm coming. See, I will give you the packet of letters we were asked to carry from the fort below. Now, make haste." Heywood, though a little surprised at this speech, and at the manner of his friend, took the packet in silence and rode swiftly away, followed by the Indian. When they were gone, Jasper dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and walked quickly into the woods in another direction. Now this mysterious proceeding is not difficult to explain. Jasper had caught sight of a female figure walking under the trees at a considerable distance from the spot where he had pulled up. He knew that there were none but Indian women at Fort Erie at that time, and that, therefore, the only respectably dressed female at the place must needs be his own Marie Laroche. Overjoyed at the opportunity thus unexpectedly afforded him of meeting her alone, he hastened forward with a beating heart. Marie was seated on the stump of a fallen tree when the hunter came up. 3he was a fair, beautiful woman of about five-and-twenty, with an air of modesty about her which attracted love, yet repelled * it 78 AWAY IN THE WILDERNBS8 1 /5 I i tamiliarity. Many a good-looking and well-doing young fellow had attempted to gain the heart of Marie during the last two years, but without success — for this good reason, that her heart had been gained already. She was somewhat startled when a man appeared thus suddenly before her. Jasper stood in silence for a few moments, with his arms crossed upon his breast, and gazed earnestly into her face. As he did not speak, she said — "You appear to be a stranger here. Have you arrived 1 tely ? " Jasper was for a moment astonished that she did not at once recognise him, and yet he ^ad no reason to be surprised. Besides the alten.aon that two years sometimes makes in a man, Jasper had made a considerable alteration on himself. When Marie last saw him, he had been in the habit of practising the foolish and unnatural custom of shaving ; and he had carried it to such an extreme that he shaved off everything — whiskers, beard, and moustache. But within a year he had been induced by a wise friend to change his opinion on this subject. Tliat friend had suggested, that as Providence had caused hair to grow on his cheeks, lips, and chin, it waa intended to be worn, and that he had no more right to shave his face than a Chinaman had to shave his head. Jasper had been so far convinced, that he had suffered his whiskers to grow. These were now large and bushy, and had encroached so much on his chin as to have become almost a beard. KWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 79 Besides this, not having shaved any part of his face during the last three weeks, there was little of it visible except his eye^, forehead, and cheek-bones. All the rest was more or less covered with black hair. No wonder, then, that Marie, who believed him to be two thousand miles away at that moment, did not recognise him in the increasing darkness of evening. The lover at once understood this, and he resolved to play the part of a stranger. He hap- pened to have the power of changing his voice — a power possessed by many people — and, trusting to the increasing gloom to conceal him and to the fact that he was the last person in the world whom Marie might expect to see there, he addressed her as follows : — " I am indeed a stranger here ; at least I have not been at the post for a very long time. I have just reached the end of a long journey." " Indeed," said the girl, interested by the stranger's grave manner. " May I ask where you have come from ? " "I have cop"^ all the way from Canada, young woman, -^nd ount myself lucky in meeting with such a plea&aLiC face at the end of my journey." " From Canada I " exclaimed Marie, becoming still more interested in the stranger, and blushing deeply as she asked — " You have friends there, no doubt ? " " Ay, a few," said Jasper. " And what has brought you such a long way into this wild wilderness ? " asked Marie, sighing as she 80 AWAY IN THE WIIiDERNESS thought of the hundreds of miles that lay between Fort Erie and Canada, " I have come here to get me a wife," replied Jasper. " Tliat is strange," said the girl, smiling, " for there are few but Indian women here. A stout hunter like you might find one nearer home, I sliould think." Here Marie paused, for she felt that on such a sul)- ject she ought not to converse with a stranger. Yet she could help adding, " But perhaps, as you say, you liave been in this part of the world before, you may have some one in your mind ? " " I am engaged," said Jasper abruptly. On hearing this Marie felt more at hor ease, and, being of a very sympathetic nature, she at once courted the confidence of the stranger. " May I venture to ask her name ? " said Marie, with an arch smile. " I may not tell," replied Jasper ; " I have a comrade who is entitled to know this secret before any one else. Perhaps you may have heard of him, for he was up in these parts two years agone. His name is Jasper Derry." The blood rushed to Marie's temples on hearing the name, and she turned her face away to conceal her agitation, while, in a low voice, she said — " Is Jasper Derry, then, your intimate friend ? " " That is he — a very intimate friend indeed. But you appear to know him " AV7AY IN THE WILDKRNES3 81 " Yes, I — I know him — I have seen him. I hope he is well," said Marie ; and she listened *vith a beat- ing heart for the answer, though she still turned her face away. " Oh ! he 's well enough," said Jasper ; " sinkness don't often trouble him. He's going to be married." Had a bullet struck the girl's heart she could not have turned more deadly pale than she did on hear- ing this. She half rose from the tree stump, and would have fallen to the ground insensible, had not Jasper caught her in his arms. " My own Marie," said he fervently, " forgive me, dearest ; forgive my folly, my wickedness, in deceiv- ing you in this fashion. Oh, what a fool I am ! " he added, as the poor girl still hung heavily in his grasp — " speak to me Marie, my own darling." Whether it was the earnestness of his voice, or the kiss which he printed on her forehead, or the coolness of the evening air, I know not, but certain it is that Marie recovered in the course of a few minutes, and, on being convinced that Jasper really was her old lover, she resigned herself, wisely, to her fate, and held such an uncommonly long conversation with the bold hunter, that the moon was up and the stars were out before they turned their steps towards the Fort. " Why, Jasper Derry," cried Mr. Pemberton, as the hunter entered the hall of Fort Erie, " where have you been. I 've been expecting you every moment for the last two hours." " Well, you see, Mr. Pemberton. I just went down . f 82 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS i tlie river a short bit to see an old friend and I was kep* longer than I expected," said Jasper, with a cool, grave face, as he grasped and shook the hand which was held out to him. " Ah ! I see, you hunters are more like brothers than friends. No doubt you went to smoke a pipe with Hawkeye, or to have a chat with the Muskrat about old times," said the fur-trader, mentioning the names of two Indians who were celebrated as being the best hunters in the neignbourhood, and who had been bosom friends of Jasper when he resided there two years before. " No, I Ve not yet smoked a pipe with Hawkeye, neither have I seen Muskrat, but I certainly have had a pretty long chat with one o' my old friends," answered Jasper, while a quiet smile played on his face. '' Well, come along and have a pipe and a chat with me. I hope you count me one of your friends too," said Mr. I amberton, conducting Jasper into an inner room, where he found Hey wood and Arrowhead seated at a table, doing justice to a splendid supper of bufifalo-tongues, venison-steaks, and marrow-bones. " Here are your comrades, you see, hard at work. It 's lucky you came to-night, Jaaper, for I intend to be off to-morrow morning, by break of day, on a buffalo hunt. If you had been a few hours later of arriving, I should have missed you. Come, will you eat or smoke ? " AWAY m THE WILDERNESS 83 " I '11 eat first, if you have no objection," said Jasper, " and smoke afterwards." "Very good. Sit down, then, and get to work. Meanwhile, I '11 go and look after the horses that we intend to take with us to-morrow. Of course you '11 accom;mny us, Jasper ? " " I '11 be very glad, and so will Arrowhead, there. There 's nothing he likes so much as a chase after a buffalo, unless, it may be, the eating of him. But as for my friend and comrade Mr. Heywood, he must speak for himself." " I will be delighted to go," answered the artist, " nothing will give me more pleasure; but I fear my steed is too much exhausted to " " Oh I make your mind easy on that score," said the fur-trader, interrupting him. " I have plenty of capital horses, and can mount the whole of you, so that 's settled. And now, friends, do justice to your supper, I shall be back before you have done." So sa,ying, Mr. Pemberton left the room, and our three friends, being unusually hungry, fell vigorously to work on the good cheer of Fort Erie. i \i 64 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS CHAPTER X BUFFALO-HUNTING ON THE PRAIRIES V "VTEXT day most of the men of Fort Erie, headed -LM by Mr. Pemberton, rode away into the prairies on a buffalo-hunt. Jasper would willingly have re- mained with Marie at the fort, but, having promised to go, he would not now draw back. The band of horsemen rode for three hours, at a (juick pace, over the grassy plains, without seeing anything. Jasper kept close beside his friend, old Laroche, while Hey wood rode and conversed chiefly with Mr. Pemberton. There were about twenty men altogether, armed with guns, and mounted on their best buffalo-runners, as they styled the horses which were trained to hunt the buffalo. Many of these steeds had been wild horses, caught by the Indians, broken-in, and sold by them to the fur- traders. " I have seldom ridden so long without meeting buffaloes," observed Mr. Pemberton, as the party gallopad to the top of a ridge of land, from which they could see the plains far and wide around them. " There they are at last," said Hey wood eagerly, 1 = AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 85 pointing to a certain spot on the far-off horizon where living creatures of some sort were seen moving. " That must be a band o' red-skins," said Jasper, who trotted up at this moment with the rest of the party. "They are Sauteaux,"* observed Arrowhead quietly. "You must have good eyes, friend," said Pem- berton, applying a small pocket-telescope to his eye ; " they are indeed Sauteaux, I see by their dress, and they have observed us, for they are coming straight this way, like the wind." " Will they come as enemies or friends ? " inquired Heywood. " As friends, I have no doubt," replied the fur- trader. " Come, lads, we will ride forward to meet them." In a short time the two parties of horsemen met They approached almost at full speed, as if each meant to ride the other down, and did not rein up until they were so close that it seemed impossible to avoid a shock. " Have you seen the buffaloes lately ? " inquired Pemberton, after the first salutation had passed. "Yes, there are largo bands not an hour's ride from this. Some of our young warriors have re- mained to hunt. We are going to the fort to trade." " Good ; you will find tobacco enough there to keep ^ This word ia pronounced SoUea in the plural ; Sotoe in the singular. F 86 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS t'-' ^ \l i. 4 you smoking till I return with fresh meat," said Pemberton, in the native tongue, which he nould speak like an Indian. I'll not be long away. Farewell." No more words were wasted. The traders galloped away over the prairie, and the Indians, of whom there were about fifteen, dashed off in the direction of the fort. These Indians were a very different set of n n from those whom I have already introduced to t. ^ reader in a former chapter. There are many tribe > of Indians in the wilderness of Eupert's Land, and some of the tribes are at constant war with each other. But in order to avoid confusing the raader, it made be as well to divide the Indian race into two great classes — namely, those who inhabit the woods, and those who roam over the plains or prairies. As a general rule, the thickwood Indians are a more peaceful set of men than the prairie Indians. They are few in number, and live in a land full of game, where there is far more than enough of room for all of them. Their mode of travelling in canoes, and on foot, is slow, so that the different tribes do not often meet, and they have no occasion to quarrel. They are, for the most part, a quiet and harmless race of savag ■•nd being very dependent on the fur- traders for the necessaries of life, they are on their good behaviour, and seldom do much mischief. It is very different v*ith the plain Indians. These savages have numbers of fine horses, and live in a \i AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 87 spleudid open country, which is well-stocked with deer and buffaloes, beside other game. They are bold riders, and scour over the country in all direc- tions, consequently the different tribes often come across each other when out hunting. Quarrels and fights are the results, so that these savages are naturally a fierce and warlike race. They are inde- pendent too ; for although they get their guns and ammunition and other necessaries from the traders, they can manage to live without these things if need be. They uan clothe themselves in the skins of wild animals, and when they lose their guns, or wet their powder, they can kill game easily with their own bows and arrows. It was a band of these fellows that now went galloping towards Fort Erie, with tlie long manes and tails of the half- wild horses and the scalp-locks on their dresses and their own long black hair streaming in the wind. Pemberton and his party soon came up with the young Indians who had remained to chase the buffa- loes. He found them sheltered behind a little mound, making ; reparations for an immediate attack on the animals, which, however, were not yet vi^iible to the men from the fort. " I do believe they 've seen buffaloes on the other side of that mound," said Pemberton, as he rode forward. He was right. The Indians, of whom there were six, well mounted and armea with strong short bows, I'i 88 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS ,1 I pointed to the mound, and said tliat on the other side of it there were hundreds of buffaloes. As the animals were so numerous, no objection was made to the fur- traders joining in the hunt, so in another moment the united party leaped from their horses and prepared for action. Some wiped out and carefully loaded their guns, others examined the priming of their pieces, and chipped the edges off the flints to make sure of their not missing fire. All looked to the girths of their saddles, and a few threw off their coats and rolled their shirt-sleeves up to their shoulders, as if they were going to undertake hard and bloody work. Mr. Pemberton took in hand to look after our friend Heywood, the rest were well qualified to look after themselves. In five minutes they wer6 all remounted and rode quietly to the brow of the mound. Here an interesting sight presented itself. The whole plain was covered with the huge unwieldy forms of the buffaloes. They were scattered about, singly and in groups, grazing or playing or lying down, and in one or two places some of the bulls were engaged in single combat, pawing the earth, goring each other, and bellowing furiously. After one look, the hunters dashed down the hill and were in the midst of the astonished animals al- most before they could raise their heads to look at them. Now commenced a scene which it is not easy to describe correctly. Each man had selected his AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 89 own group of animals, so that the whole party was scattered in a moment. "Follow me," cried Pemberton to Heywood, "observe what I do, and then go try it yourself." The fur-trader gallopea at full speed towards a group of buffaloes wliich stood right before him, about two hundred yards off. He carried a single- barrelled gun with a flint lock in his rif^ht hand and a bullet in his mouth, ready to re-load. The buffdloes gazed at him for one moment in stupid surprise, and then, with a toss of their heads and a whisk of their tails, they turned and fled. At first they ran with a slow awkward gait, like pigs ; and to one who did not know their powers, it would seem that the fast- running horses of the two men would quickly over- take them. But as they warmed to the work their speed increased, and it required the horses to get up their best paces to overtake them. After a furious gallop, Pemberton's horse ran close up alongside of a fine-looking buffalo cow — so close that he could almost touch the side of the animal with the point of his gun. Dropping the rein, he pointed the gun without putting it to his shoulder and fired. The ball passed through the animal's heart, and it dropt like a stone. At the same moment Pemberton flung his cap on the ground be- side it, so that he might afterwards claim it as his own. The well-trained horse did not shy at the shot, nBJthei' ilhl \l (ihunlf ita pace for u niDinent, but ran aUai^ht 0.1 aud ouuu |)iucL'd its luuuiur ulonysjilH of 90 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS I f another buffalo cow. In the meantime, Pemberton loaded like lightning. He let the reins hang loose, knowing that the horse understood his work, and seizing the powder-horn at his side with his right hand, drew the wooden stopper with his teeth, and poured a charge of powder into his left — guessing the quantity, of course. Pouring this into the gun he put the muzzle to his mouth, and spat the ball into it, struck the butt on the pommell of the saddle to send it down, as well as to drive the powder into the pan, and taking his chance of the gun priming itself, he aimed as before, and pulled the trigger. The explosion followed, and a second buffalo lay dead upon the plain, with a glove beside it to show to whom it belonged. Scenes similar to this were being enacted all over the plain, with this difference, that the bad or im- patient men sometimes fired too soon and missed their mark, or by only wounding the animals, infuriated tluiiii and caused them to run faster. One or two ill-trained horses shied when the guns were fired, and left tlieir riders sprawling on the ground. Others stumbled into badgor-holes and rolled over. The Indians did their work well. They were used to it, and did not bend tlieir bows until their horses almost brushed the reeking sides of the huge brutes. Then lliey drew to the arrow headi, and, loaning forward, burled the shafts up to the feathers. The arrow is said to be evun more deadly than the bullet. 1 !■ AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS n Already the plain was strewn with dead or dying buffaloes, and the ground seemed to tremble with the thunder of the tread of the affrighted animals. Jasper had * dropt * three, and Arrowhead had slain two, yet the pace did not slacken — still the work of death went on. Having seen Pemberton shoot another animal, Heywood became fired with a desire to try his own hand, so he edged away from his companion. See- ing a very largo monstrous-looking bufiblo flying away by itself at no great distance, he turned his horse towards it, grasped his gun, shook the reins, and gave chase. Now poor Heywood did not know that the animal he had made up his mind to kill was a tougli old bull ; neither did he know that a bull is bad to eat, and dangerous to follow; and, worse than all, he did not know that when a bull holds his tail sciff and straight up in the air, it is a sign that he is in a tre- mendous rage, and that the wisest thing a man can do is to let him alone. Heywood* in fuct, knew nothing, so he rushed blindly on his fate. At first the bull did not raise his tail, but, as the rider drew near, he turned his enormous shaggy head a little to one side, and looked at him out of the corner of his wicked little eye. When Heywood came within a few yards and, in attempting to take aim, fired oil his gun by accident straight into the face of the sun, the tail went up and the bull began to growl. The fer(jci(>u8 aspect of the creature alarmed the artist, 92 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS li If ■ * but he had made up his mind to kill it, so he attempted to re-load, as Peraberton had done. Ho succeeded, and, as he was about to turn his attention again to the bull, he observed one of the men belong- ing to the fort making towards him. This man saw and knew the artist's danger, and meant to warn him, but his horse unfortunately put one of its feet into a hole, and sent him flying head over heels through the air. Ileywood was now so close to the bull that he had to prepare for another shot. The horse he rode was a thoroughly good buffalo- runner. It knew the dangerous charactar of the bull, if its rider did not, and kept its eye watchfully upon it. At last the bull lost patience, and, suddenly wheeling round, dashed at the horse, but the trained animal sprang nimbly to one side, and got out of the way. Heywood was all but thrown. Ha clutched the mane, however, and held on. The bull then continued its flight. Determined not to be caught in this way again, the artist seized the reins, and ran the horse close alongside of the buffalo, whose tail was now as stiff as a poker. Once more the bull turned suddenly round. Heywood pulled the reins violently, thus confusing his steed which ran straight against the bufialo's big hairy forehead. It was stopped as violently as if it had run against the side of a house. But poor Heywood was not stopped. He left the saddle like a rocket, flew right over the bull's back, came down on his It AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 93 face, ploughed up the land with his nose— and learned a lesson from experience ! Fortunately the spot on which he fell happened to be one of those soft muddy places in which the buffaloes are fond of rolling their huge bodies in the heat of summer, so that, with the exceptio of a bruised and dirty face, and badly soiled clothes, the bold artist was none the worse for his adventure. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // W •fe'/ f/. 1.0 I.I ■^ 1^ 112.2 - lis IIIM 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 .. 6" ► V] <^ 7] ? Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4&03 ^:v^ .A* Wo C^ H AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS CHAPTER XI WINTER — SLEEPING IN THE SNOW — A NIGHT ALABM III SUMMER passed away, autumn passed away, and winter came. So did Christmas, and so did Jasper's marriage-day. Now the reader must understand that there is a wonderful difference between the winter in that part of the North American wilderness called Rupert's land, and winter in our own happy island. Winter out there is from six to eight months long. The snow varies from three to four feet deep, and in many places it drifts to fifteen or twenty feet deep. The ice on the lakes and rivers is sometimes above six feet thick ; and the salt sea itself, in Hudson's Bay, is frozen over to a great extent. Nothing like a thaw takes place for many months at a time, and the frost is so intense that it is a matter of difficulty to prevent one's-self from being frost-bitten. The whole country, during these long winter months, appears white, desolate, and silent. Yet a good many of the birds and animals keep moving about, though most of them do so at night, S AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 95 and do not often meet the eye of man. The bear goes to sleep all winter in a hole, but the wolf and the fox prowl about the woods at night. Ducks, geese, and plover no longer enliven the marshes with their wild cries ; but white grouse, or ptarmigan, fly about in immense flocks, and arctic hares make many tracks in the deep snow. Still, these are quiet creatures, and they scarcely break the deep dead silence of the foresta in winter. At this period the Indian and the fur-trader wrap themselves in warm dresses of deer-skin, lined with the thickest flannel, and spend their short days in trapping and shooting. At night the Indian piles logs on his fire to keep out the frost, and adds to the warmth of his skin-tent by heaping snow up the outside of it all round. The fur-trader puts double window-frames and double panes of glass in his windows, puts on double doors, and heats his rooms with cast-iron stoves. But do what he will, the fur-trader cannot keep out the cold altogether. He may heat the stove red-hot if he will, yet the water in the basins and jugs in the corner of his room will be frozen, and his breath settles on the window-panes, and freezes there so thickly that it actually dims the light of the sun. This crust on the windows inside is sometimes an inch thick ! Thermometers in England are usually filled with quicksilver. In Bupert's Land quicksilver would be frozen half the winter, so spirit of wine is used ^1 h I 96 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 'f instead, because that liquid will not freeze with any ordinary degree of cold. Here, the thermometer sometimes falls as low as zero. Out there it does not rise so high as zero during the greater part of the winter, and it is often as low as twenty, thirty, and even fifty degrees helow zero. If the wind should blow when the cold is intensd no man dare face it — he would be certain to be frost-bitten. The parts of the body that are most easily frozen are the ears, the chin, the cheek-bones, the nose, the heels, fingers, and toes. The freezing of any part begins with a pricking sensation. When this occurs at the point of yoi.r nose, it is time to give earnest attention to that feature, els-e you run the risk of having it shortened. The best way to recover it is to rub it well, and to keep carefully away from the fire. The likest thing to a frost-bite is a burn. In fact, the two things are almost the same. In both cases the skin or flesh is destroyed, and becomes a sore. In the one case it is destroyed by fire, in the other by frost ; but in both it is painful and dangerous, according to the depth of the frost-bite or the burn. Many a poor fellow loses joints of his toes and fingers — some have even lost their hands and feet by frost. Many have lost their lives. But the most common loss is the loss of the skin of the point of the nose, cheek-bones, and chin — a loss which is indeed painful, but can be replaced by nature in the course of time. i' AWAY IN THE WILDEKNESS 97 Of course curious appearances are produced by such intense cold. On going out into the open air, the breath settles on the breast, whiskers, and eye- brows in the shape of hoar-frost ; and men who go out in the morning for a ramble with black or brown locks, return at night with what appears to be grey hair — sometimes with icicles hanging about their faces. Horses and cattle there are seldom without icicles hanging from their lips and noses in winter. Poor Mr. Pemberton was much troubled in this way. He was a fat and heavy man, and apt to per- spire freely. When he went out to shoot in winter, the moisture trickled down his face and turned his whiskers into two little blocks of ice ; and he used to be often seen, after a hard day's walk, sitting for a long time beside the stove, holding his cheeks to the fire, and gently coaxing the icy blocks to let go their hold ! But for all this, the long winter of those regions is a bright enjoyable season. The cold is not felt so much as one would expect, because i^ is not damp, and the weather is usually bright and sunny. Prom what I have said, the reader v/ill understand that summer in those regions is short and very hot ; the winter long and very cold. Both seasons have their own peculiar enjoyments, and, to healthy men, both are extremely agreeable. I have said that Jasper's marriage day had arrived. New Year's Day was fixed for his union with the fair and gentle Marie. As is usual at this festive f |! II' ?il s 4 V 98 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS ,i '■ t '1 season of the year, it was arranged that a ball should be given at the fort in the large hall to all the people that chanced to be there at the time. Old Laroche had been sent to a small hut a long day's march from the fort, where he was wont to spend his time in trapping foxes. He was there alone, so, three days before New Year's Day, Jasper set out with Arrowhead to visit the old man, and bear %:*m company on his march back to the fort There are no roads in that country. Travellers have to plod through the wilderness as they best can. It may not have occurred to my reader that it would be «>. difficult thing to walk for a day through snow so deep, that, at every step, the traveller would sink the whole length of his leg. The truth is, that travelling in Rupert's Land in winter would be impossible but for a machine which enables men to walk on the surface of the snow without sinking more than a few inches. This machine is the snow* shoe. Snow-shoes vary in size and form in different parts of the country, but they are all used for the same purpose. Some are long and narrow; others are nearly round. They vary in size from three to six feet in length, and from eight to twenty inches in breadth. They are extremely light — made of a frame work of hard wood, and covered with a network of deer-skin, which, while it pre- vents the wearer from sinking more than a few inches, allows any snow that may ohance to fall on the top of the shoe to pass through the netting. ii f AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 99 The value of this clumsy looking machine may be imagined, when I say that men with them will easily walk twenty, thirty, and even forty miles across a country over which they could not walk three miles without such helps. It was a bright, calm, frosty morning when Jasper and his friend set out on their short journey. The sun shone brilliantly, and the hoar-frost sparkled on the trees and bushes, causing them to appear as if they had been covered with millions of diamonds. The breath of the two men came from their mouths like clouds of steam. Arrowhead wore the round snow-shoes which go by the name of bear's paws- he preferred these to any others. Jasper wore the snow-shoes peculiar to the Chipewyan Indians. They were nearly as long as himself, and turned up at the point. Both men were dressed alike, in the yellow leathern costume of winter. The only dififer- ence being that Jasper wore a fur cap, while Arrow- head sported a cloth head-piece that covered his neck and shoulders, and was ornamented with a pair of horns. All day the two men plodded steadily over the country. Sometimes they were toiling through deep snow in. wooded places, sinking six or eight inches in spite of their snow-shoes. At other times they were passing swiftly over the surface of the open plains, where the snow was beaten so hard by exposure to the sun and wind that the shoes only iust broke the crust and left their outlines behind. I. i I ^ ! I I f 100 AWAY IN THk WILDERNESS m -? ' Then they reached a bend of the river, where they had again to plod heavily through the woods on its banks, until they came out upon its frozen surface. Here the snow was so hard, that thev took off their snow-shoes and ran briskly along without them for a long space. Thus they tra, veiled all day, without one halt, and made such good use of their time, that they arrived at the log-hut of old Laroche early in the evening. "Well met, son-in-law, that is to he" cried the stout old man heartily, as the two hunters made their appearance before the low door- way of his hut, which was surrounded by trees and almost buried in snow. " If you had been half an hour later, I would have met you in the woods." " How so, father-in-law, that is to he" said Jasper, " were ye goin' out to your traps so late as this ? " " Nay, man, but I was startin' for the fort. It 's a long way, as you know, and my old limbs are not just so supple as yours. I thought I would travel to-night, and sleep in the woods, so as to be there in good time to-morrow. But come in, come in, and rest you. I warrant me you '11 not feel inclined for more walkin* to-night." " Now my name is net Jasper Derry if I enter your hut this night," said the hunter stoutly. " If I could not turn round and walk straight back to the fort this night, I would rot be worthy of your daughter, old man. So come along with you. ) AWAY m THE WILDERNESa 101 What say you, Arrowhead; shall we go straight back ? " " Good," answered the Indian. " Well, well," cried Laroche, laughing, " lead the way, and I will follow in your footsteps. It becomes young men to beat the track, and old ones to take it easy." The three men turned their faces towards Fort Erie, and were soon far away from the log hut. They walked steadily and silently along, without once halting, until the night became so dark that it was difi&ciit to avoid stumps and bushes. Then they prepared to encamp in the snow. Now it may seem to many people a very disagree- able idea, that of sleeping out in snow, but one who has tried it can assure them that it is not so bad as it seems. No doubt, when Jasper halted in tne cold dark woods, and said, " I think this will be a pretty good place to sleep," any one unacquainted with the customs of that country would have thought the man was jesting or mad ; for, besides being very dismal, in consequence of its being pitch dark, it was excessively cold, and snow was falling steadily and softly on the ground. But Jasper knew what he was about, and so did the others. Without say- ing a word, the three men flung down their bundles of provisions, and each set to work to make the en- campment. Of course they had to work in darkness so thick that even the white snow could scarcely be seen. G h I 102 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS \ vi ^■ First of all they selected a tree, the brauchea of which were so thick aud spreading as to form a good shelter fiom the falling snow. Here Jasper and Laroche used their snow-shoes as shovels, while Arrowhead plied his axe and soon cut enough of fire- wood for the night. He also cut a large bundle of small branches for bedding. A space of about twelve feet long, by six broad, was cleared at the foot of the tree in half an hour. But the snow was so deep that they had to dig down four feet before they reached the turf. As the snow taken out of the hole was thrown up all round it, the walls rose to nearly seven feet. Arrowhead next lighted a roaring fire at one end of this cleared space, the others strewed the branches over the space in front of it, and spread their blankets on the top, after which the kettle was put on to boil, buffalo steaks were stuck up before the fire to roast, and the men then lay down to rest and smoke, while supper was preparing. The intense cold prevented the fire from melting the snowy walls of this encampment, which shone and sparkled in the red blaze like pink marble studded all over with diamonds, while the spreading branches formed a ruddy-looking ceiling. When they had finished supper, the heat of the fire and the heat of their food made the travellers feel quite warm and com- fortable, in spite of John Frost ; and when they at last wrapped their blankets' round them and laid their heads together on the branches, they fell into AWAY IN THE WILDKKNESS 103 a sleep more sound and refresliing than tliey would have enjoyed had they gone to rest in a warm house upon the best bed in En^^Oand. But when the fire went out, about the middle of the night, the cold became so intenr^e that they were awakened by it, so Jasper rose and blew up the fire, and the other two sat uj) iind filled their pipes, while their teeth chattered in their heads. Soon the blaze and the smoke warmed them, and again they lay down to sleep comfortably till morning. Before daybreak, however. Arrowhead — who never slept so soundly but that he could be wakened by the slightest unusual noise— slowly raised his head and touched Jasper on the shoulder. The hunter was too well trained to the dangers of the wilderness to start up or speak. He uttered no word but took up his gun softly and looked in the direction in which the Indian's eyes gazed. A small red spot in the ashes served to reveal a pair of glaring eye-balls among the bushes. " A wolf," whispered Jasper, cocking his gun. " No ; a man," said Arrowhead. At the sound of the click of the lock the object in the bushes moved. Jasper leaped up in an instant, pointed his gun, and shouted sternly — " Stand fast and speak, or I fire ! " At the same moment Arrowhead kicked the logs of the fire, and a bright flame leapt up, showing that the owner of the pair of eyes was an Indian. Seeing that he was discovered, and that if he turned to run f;'tei.; 104 AWAY IN THE WILDEllNESS he would certainly be shot, the savage came forward sulkily and sat down beside the fire. Jasper asked liim why he came there in that stealthy manner like a sly fox. The Indian said he was merely travelling by night, and had come on the camp unexpectedly. Not knowing who was there, he had come forward witli caution. Jasper was not satisfied with this reply. He did not like the look of the man, and he felt sure that he had seen him somewhere before, but his face was disfigured with war paint, and he could not feel cer- tain on that point until he remembered the scene in the trading store at Jasper's House. " What — Darkeye ! " cried he, " can it be you ? " " Darkeye!" shouted Laroche, suddenly rising from his reclining position and staring the Indian in the face with a dark scowl. " Why, Jasper, this is the villain who insulted my daughter, and to whom I taught the lesson that an old man could knock him down. The surprise and indignation of Jasper on hearing this was great, but remembering that the savage had already been punished for his offence, and that it would be mean to take advantage of him when there were three to one, he merely said — " Well, well, I won't bear a grudge against a man who is coward enough to insult a woman. I would kick you out o* the ca?np, Darkeye, but as you might use your gun when you got into the bushes, I won't give you that nhance. At the sam^ time, we can't a£ford to lose l AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 105 the rest of our nap for you, so Arrowhead will keep you sate here and watch you, while Larocho and I sleep. We will let you go at daybreak." Saying this Jasper lay down beside his i'ather-in- law, and they were both asleep in a few minutes, leaving the two Indians to sit and scowl at each other beside the Qre. ^ I I 106 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS I, f i ■ ■ ; ■■ ^' ' 1'' 14 il i: / CHArTEE XII THE WEDDING, AN ARRIVAL, A FEAST, AND A BALL "VTEW Year's Day came at last, and on the morning X\ of that day Jasper Derry Lind Marie Laroche were made man and wife. They were married by the Eev. Mr. Wilson, a Wesleyan missionary, who had come to Fort Erie, a few days before, on a visit to the tribes of Indians in that neighbourhood. The North American Indian has no religion worthy of the name ; but he has a conscience, like other men, which ells him that it is wrong to murder and to steal. Yet, although he knows this, he seldom hesitates to do both when he is tempted thereto. Mr. Wilson was one of those earnest mis- sionaries who go to that wilderness and face its dangers, as well as its hardships and sufferings, for the sake of teaching the savage ,that the mere know- ledge of right and wrong is not enough — that the love of God, wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Spirit, alone can enable him to resist evil and AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 107 do good — that belief in the Lord Jesus Christ alone can save the soul. There are several missionaries of this stamp — men who love the name of Jesus — in that region, and there are a number of stations where the good seed of God's Word is being planted in the wilderness. But I have not space, and this is not the place, to enlarge on the great and interesting subject of mis- sionary work in Kupert's Land. I must return to my narrative. It was, as I have said, New Year's day when Jasper and Marie were married. And a remarkably bright, beautiful morning it was. The snow appeared whiter than usual, and the countless gems of hoar- frost that hung on shrub and tree seemed to sparkle more than usual ; even the sun appeared to shine more brightly than ever it did before — at least it seemed so in the eyes of Jasper and Marie. •' Everything seems to smile on us to-day, Marie," said Jasper, as they stood with some of their friends at the gate of the fort, just after the ceremony was concluded. " I trust that God may smile on you, and bless your union, my friends," said Mr. Wilson, coming forward with a small Bible in his hand. " Here is a copy of God's Word, Jasper, which I wish you to accept of and keep as a remembrance of me and of this day." " I '11 keep it, sir, and I thank you heartily," said 108 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 51,! 1 I . ^ In I '4 • f< \ Jasper, taking the book and returning the grasp of the missionary's hand. " And my chief object in giving it to you, Jasper, is, that you and Marie may read it often, and find joy and peace to your souls." As the missionary said this a faint sound, like the tinkling of distant bells, was heard in the frosty air. Looks of surprise and excitement showed that this was an unwonted sound. And so it was ; for only once or twice during the long winter did a visitor gladden Fort Erie with his presence. These sweet sounds were the tinkling of sleigh-bells, and they told that a stranger was approaching — that letters, perhaps, and news from far-distant homes, might be near at hand. Only twice in Ihe year did the Europeans at that lonely outpost receive letters from home. Little wonder that they longed for them, and that they went almost wild with joy when they came. Soon the sleigh appeared in sight, coming up the river at full speed, and a loud " hurrah ! " from the men at the gate, told the visitor that he was a welcome guest. It was a dog-sleigh — a sort of con- veyance much used by the fur-traders in winter- travelling. In form, it was as like as possible to a tin slipper bath. It might also be compared to a shoe. If the reader will try to conceive of a shoe large enough to hold a mar sitting with his legs out before him, that will give 1 m a good idea of the shape of a II ?(' AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 109 dog cariole. There is sometimes an ornamental curve in front. It is made of two thin hardwood planks curled up in front, with a light frame- work of wood, covered over with deer or buffalo skin, and painted in a very gay manner. Four dogs are usually harnessed to it, and these are quite sufficient to drag a man on a journey of many days, over every sort of country, where there is no road whatever. Dogs are much used for hauling little sledges in that country in winter. The traveller sits wrapped up so com- pletely in furs, that nothing but his head is visible. He is attended by a driver on snow-shoes, who is armed with a large whip. No reins are used. If the snow is hard, as is usually the case on the surface of a lake or river, the driver walks behind and holds on to a tail-line, to prevent the dogs from running away. If the traveller's way lies through the woods, the snow is so soft and deep that the poor dogs are neither willing nor able to run away. It is as much as they can do to walk ; so the driver goes before them, in this case, and beats down the snow with his snow-shoes — " beats the track," as it is called. The harness of the dogs is usually very gay, and covered with littie bells which give forth a cheerful tinkling sound. "It's young Cameron," cried Mr. Pemberton, hastening forward to welcome the new comer. Cameron was the gentleman in charge of the nearest outpost — two hundred and fifty miles down the river. "Welcome, Cameron, my boy, welcome to Fort ill I 110 AWA.Y IN TUB WILDERNESS ) fl Erie. You are the pleasantest sight we have seen here for many a day," said Pemberton, shaking the young man heartily by the hand as soon as he had jumped out of his sleigh. . " Come, Pembertou, you forget Miss Marie Loroche when you talk of my being the pleasantest sight/' said Cameron, laughing. ** Ah ! true. Pardon me, Marie " — " Excuse me, gentlemen," interrupted Jasper, with much gravity, " I know of no such person as Miss Marie Laroche ! " " How ? what do you mean ? " said Cameron, with a puzzled look. " Jasper is right," explained Pemberton, " Marie was Miss Laroche yesterday ; she is Mrs. Berry to- day." " Then I salute you, Mrs. Derry, and congratulate you both," cried the young man, kissing the bride's fair cheek, " and I rejoice to find that I am still in time to dance at your wedding." " Ay," said Pemberton, as they moved up to the hall, " that reminds me to ask you why you are so late. I expected you before Christmas Day." " I had intended to be here by that day," replied Cameron, " but one of my men cut his foot badly with an axe, and I could not leave him ; then my dogs broke down on the journey, and that detained me still longer. But you will forgive my being so late, I think, when I tell you that I have got a packet of letters with m«." AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 111 " Letters 1 " shouted every one. " Ay, letters and newspapers from England." A loud cheer greeted this announcement. The packet was hauled out of the sleigh, hurried up to the fort, torn open with eager haste, and the fur- traders of Fort Erie were soon devouring the contents like hungry men. And they were hungry men — they were starving ! Those who see their kindred and friends daily, or hear from them weekly, cannot understand the feel- ings of men who hear from them only twice in the year. Great improvements have taken place in this matter of late years ; still, many of the Hudson Bay Company's outposts are so distant from the civilised world, that they cannot get news from "home" oftener than twice a year. It was a sight to study and moralise over — the countenances of these banished men. The trem- bling anxiety lest there should be " bad news." The gleam of joy, and the deep " thank God," on reading " all well." Then the smiles, the sighs, the laughs, the exclamations of surprise, perhaps the tears that would spring to their eyes as they read the brief but, to them, thrilling private history of the past half year. There was no bad news in that packet, and a feel- ing of deep joy was poured into the hearts of the people of the fort by these " Good news from a far country." Even the half-breeds and Indians, who could not share the feeling, felt the sweet influence 112 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS t 'i: !v of the general happiness that was diffused among the fur-traders on that bright New Year's Day in the wilderness. What a dinner they had that day to be sure 1 What juicy roasts of buffalo beef ; what enormous steaks of the same; what a magnificent venison pasty; and what glorious marrow-bones — not to mention tongues, and hearts, and grouse, and other things ! But the great feature of tiie feast was the plum-pudding. It was like a huge cannon-ball with the measles ! There was wine, too, on this occasion. Not much, it is true, but more than enough, for it had been saved up all the year expressly for the Christmas and New Year's festivities. Thus they were enabled to drink to absent friends, and bring up all the old toasts and songs that used to be so familiar long ago in the " old country." But these sturdy traders needed no stimulants. There were one or two who even scorned the wine, and stuck to water, and to their credit be it said, that they toasted and sang with the best of them. At night there was a ball, and the ball beat the dinner out of sight. Few indeed were the women, but numerous were the men. Indian women are not famous for grace or cleanliness, poor things. But they enjoyed the ball, and they did their best to dance. Such dancing! They seemed to have no joints. They stood up stiff as lamp-posts, and went with an up-and-down motion from side to side. But the men did the thing bravely, especially the Indians. \ AWAY IN THE WILDERNLoi 113 The only dances attempted were Scotch reels, and the Indians tried to copy the fur-traders ; but on finding this somewhat difficult, they introduced some surprising steps of their own, which threw the others entirely into the shade ! There was unfortunately no fiddler, but there was a fiddle— one made of pine wood by an Indian, with strings of deer-skin sinew. Some of the boldest of the party scraped time with- out regard to twne, and our friend Hey wood beat the kettle-drum. The tones of the fiddle at last became so horrible that it was banished altogether, and they danced that night to the kettle-drum I Of course the fair bride was the queen of that ball. Her countenance was the light of it, and her modest, womanly manner had a softening influence on the rough men who surrounded her. When the ball was over, a curious thing occurred in the hall in which it had taken place. The room was heated by a stove, and as a stove dries the air of a room too much, it was customary to keep a pan of water on the stove to moisten it a little. This moisture was increased that night by the steam of the supper and by the wild dancing, so that, when all was over, the walls and ceiling were covered with drops of water. During the night this all froze in the form of small beautifully-shaped crystals, and in the morning they found themselves in a crystal palace of nature's own formation, which beat all the crystal palaces that ever were heard of — at least in origin- ality, if not in splendour. 114 AWAY IN THE WILDEKNESS Ij- Thus happily ended the marriage-day of honest Jasper Deny and sweet Marie Laroche, and thus pleasantly began the new year of 18 — . But as surely as darkness follows light, and night follows day, so surely does sorrow tread on the heels of joy in the history of man. God has so ordained it, and he is wisa who counts upon experiencing both. AWAY IN IHE WILDERNESS 115 CHAPTER XIII THE CONCLUSION A WEEK after the events narrated in the last chapter, Jasper Derry was sitting beside the stove in the hall at Fort Erie, smoking his pipe and conversing with his father-in-law about his intention of going to Lake Winnipeg with the brigade in spring and proceeding thence to Canada in a Ijark canoe. " Of course," said he, " I will take Marie with me, and if you *11 take my advice, father, you *11 come too." " No, my son, not yet a while," said old Laroche, shaking his head ; " I have a year yet to serve the Company before my engagement is out. After that I may come, if I'm spared ; but you know that the Indians are not safe just now, and some of them, I fear, bear me a grudge, for they 're a revengeful set. " That 's true, father, but supposin' that all goes well with you, will ye come an' live with Marie and me?" "We shall see, lad; we shall see," replied La- roche, with a pleased smile ; for the old guide evidently enjoyed the prospect of spending the even- , 116 AWAY IN THE WILDERNErf8 < i :. i I ing of life in the land of his fathers, and under the roof-tree of his son and daughter. At that moment the report of a gun was heard outside the house. One of the window panes was smashed and at the same instant Laroche fell heavily forwaitl on the floor. Jasper sprang up and endeavoured to raise him, but found that he was insensible. He laid him care- fully on his back, and hastily opened the breast of his coat. A few drops of blood showed where he had been wounded. Meanwhile several of the men who had been attracted by the gunshot so close to the house burst into the room. " Stand back, stand back, give him air," cried Jas- per ; stay, God help us ! the old man is shot clean through the heart ! " For one moment Jasper looked up with a be- wildered glance in the faces of the men, then, uttering a wild cry of mingled rage and agony, he sprang up, dashed them aside, and catching up his gun and snow-shoes rushed out of the house. He soon found a fresh track in the snow, and the length of the stride, coupled with the manner in which the snow was cast aside, and the smaller bushes were broken and trodden down, told him that the fugitive had made it. In a moment he was following the track with the utmost speed of which he was capable, He never once halted, or faltered, or turned aside, all that day. His iron frame seemed to be incapable of fatigue. He went with his body 1 -* h AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS iir bent forward, his brows lowering, and his lips firmly compressed; but he was not successful. The murderer had got a sufilciently long start of him to render what sailors call a stern chase a long one. Still Jasper never thought of giving up the pursuit, until he came suddenly on an open space, where the snow had been recently trodden down by a herd of buffaloes, and by a band of Indians who were in chase of them. Here he lost the track, and although he searched long and carefully ho could not find it. Late that night the baffled hunter returned to the fort. "You have failed— I see by your look," said Mr. Pemberton, as Jasper entered. " Ay, I La\ 3 failed," returned the other gloomily. " He must have gone with the band of Indians among whose tracks I lost his footsteps." "Have you any idea who can have done this horrible deed ? " said Pemberton. " It was Darkcye," said Jasper in a stern voice. Some of the Indians who chanced to be in the hall were startled, and rose on hearing this. " Be not alarmed, friends," said the fur-trader. ** You are the guests of Christian men. We will not punish you for the deeds of another man of your tribe." "How does the white man know that this was done by Darkeye ? " asked a chief haughtily. " I know it," said Jasper angrily; " I feel sure of it ; but I cannot prove it — of course. Does Arrowhead agree with me?" H »t I.'l 118 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS W^ " He does ! " replied the Indian, " and there may- be proof. Does Jasper remember the trading store and the bitten bullet ? " A gleam of intelligence sliot across the countenance of the white hunter as his comrade said this. " True, Arrowhead, true." He turned, as he spoke, to the body of his late father-in-law, and examined tlie wound. The ball, after passing through the heart, had lodged in the back, just under the skin. " See," said he to the Indians, " I will cut out this ball, but before doing so I will tell how I think it is marked." He then related the incident in the trading store, with which the reader is already acquainted, and afterwards extracted the ball, which, although much flattened and knocked out of shape, showed clearly the deep marks made by the Indian's teeth. Thus, the act which had been done slyly but boastfully before the eyes of a comrade, probably as wicked as himself, became the means whereby Darkeye's guilt was clearly proved. At once a party of his own tribe were directed by their chief to go out in pursuit of the murderer. It were vain for me to endeavour to describe the anguish of poor Marie on being deprived of a kind and loving father in so awful and sudden a manner. I will drop a veil over her grief, which was too deep and sacred to be intermeddled with. On the day following the murder, a band of AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 119 Indians arrived at Fort Erie with buffalo skins for Bale. To the amazement of every one Darkeye him- self was among them. The wily savage — knowing that his attempting to quit that part of the country as a fugitive would be certain to fix suspicion on him as the murderer — resolved to face the fur-traders as if he were ignorant of the deed which had been done. By the very boldness of this step he hoped to disarm suspicion; but he forgot the bitten hall. It was therefore a look of genuine surprise that rose to Darkeye's visage, when, the moment he entered the fort, Mr. Pemberton seized him by the right arm, and led him into the hall. At first he attempted to seize the handle of his knife, but a glance at the numbers of the white men, and the indifference of his own friends, showed him that hip best chance lay in cunning. The Indians who had arrived with him were soon informed by the others of the cause of this, and all of them crowded into the hall to watch the proceed- ings. The body of poor Laroche was laid on a table, and Darkeye was led up to it. The cunning Indian put on a pretended look of surprise on beholding it, and then the usual expression of stolid gravity settled on his face as ha turned to Mr. Pemberton for infor- mation, " Your hand did this," said the fur-trader. ** Is Darkeye a dog that he should slay an old man ? " said the savage. M 120 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS ?n! I ^ '^i ** No, you 're not a dog," cried Jasper fiercely " you are worse — a cowardly murderer ? " " Stand back, Jasper," said Mr. Pemberton, laying his hand on the shoulder of the excited hunter, and thrusting him firmly away. " This is a serious charge. The Indian shall not be hastily condemned. He shall have fair play, and justice." " Good ! " cried several of the Indians on hearing this. Meanwhile the principal chief of the tribe took up his stand close beside the prisoner. " Darkeye," said Mr. Pemberton, while he looked steadfastly into the eyes of the Indian, who returned the look as steadily — " Darkeye, do you remember a conversation you had many weeks ago in the trading store at Jasper's House ? " The countenance of the Indian was instantly troubled, and he said with some hesitation, " Darkeye has had many conversations in that store ; is he a medicine-man^ that he should know what you mean ? " " I will only put one other question," said the fur- trader. " Do you know this bullet with the marJcs of teeth in it 1" Darkeye's visage fell at once. He became deadly pale, and his limbs trembled. He was about to speak when the chief, who had hitherto stood in silence at his side, suddenly whirled his tomahawk in the air, and, bringing it down on the murderer's skull, cleft him to the chin 1 A fierce yell followed this act, and several scalp- * A cooiurer. AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 121 ing knives reached the dead man's heart before his body fell to the ground. The scene that followed was terrible. The savages were roused to a state of frenzy, and for a moment the white men feared an attack, but the anger of the Indians was altogether directed against their dead comrade, who had been disliked by his people, while his poor victim Laroche had been a universal favourite. Seizing the body of Darkeye, they carried it down to the banks of the river, hooting and yelling as they went; hacked and cut it nearly to pieces, and then, kindling a large fire, they threw the mangled corpse into it, and burned it to ashes. It was long before the shadow of this dark cloud passed away from Fort Erie ; and it was longer still before poor Marie recovered her wonted cheerfulness. But the presence of Mr. Wilson did much to comfort her. Gradually time softened the pang and healed the wound. And now, little remains to be told. Winter passed away and spring came, and when the rivers and lakes were sufificiently free from ice, the brigade of boats left Fort Erie, laden with furs, for the seacoast. On arriving at Lake Winnipeg, Jasper obtained a small canoe, and, placing his wife and Heywood in the middle of it, he and Arrowhead took the paddles, seated themselves in the bow and stem, and guided their frail bark through many hundreds of miles of wilderness — over many a rough portage, across many \1 ■ III hi i . ,1 \Vl'-' f ill ' It . :f'- 122 AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS a beautiful lake, and up many a roaring torrent, until, finally, they arrived in Canada. Here Jasper settled. His farm prospered — his family increased. Sturdy boys, in course of time, ploughed the land and blooming daughters tended the dairy. Yet Jasper Derry did not cease to toil. He was one of those men yvho feel that they were made to work, and that much happiness flows from working. He often used to say that if it was God's will, he would " like to die in harness." Jasper's only weakness was the pipe. It stuck to him and he stuck to it to the last. Marie, in course of time, came to tolerate it, and regularly filled it for him every night. Evening was the time when the inmates of Erie Cottage (as their residence was named) enjoyed them- selves most; for it was then that the stalwart sons and the blooming daughters circled round the great fire of wood that roared, on winter nights, up the chim- ney ; and it was then that Jasper received his pipe from his still good-looking, though rather stout, Marie, and began to spin yarns about his young days. At this time, too, it was, that the door would fre- quently open, and a rugged old Indian would stalk in like a mahogany ghost, and squat down in front of the fire. He was often followed by a tall thin old gentleman, who was extremely excitable, but good humoured. Jasper greeted these two remarkable looking men by the names of Arrowhead and Hey- wood. AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS 123 And glad were the young people when they saw their wrinkled faces, for then, they knew from ex- perience, their old father would become more lively than usual, and would go on for hours talking of all the wonders and dangers that he had seen and encountered long, long ago, when he and his two friends were away in the wilderness. Printed by T. tmd A. Constablk, rrintors to His Majesty at tho Edinburgh University Press : LIST OF WORKS IT 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 surpassed by any author in his special field of literature." — Morning Pod. Large Croion 8vo. 2s. Qd. Fully illustrated. THE WALRUS HUNTERS. A Tale of Esquimaux Land. "Admirably diversified in incident, and full of interest in all respects. "—Saturday Review. ERLING THE BOLD. A Tale op Norse SsA-KiNaa. '•A capital tale of the Norse Sea-Kiugs."— Times. CHARLIE TO THE RESCUE. A Tale of 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 black scoundrels, are admirably reproduced. It is a capital story." — Spectator. BLOWN TO BITS; Or, The Lonely Man of Rakata. A Tale op the Malay Archipelago. " A capital story, written in the author's old style, and full of life and action from beginning to end. " — Standard. BLUE LIGHTS; Or, Hot Work in the Soudan. A Tale of Soldier Life IN several of its Phases. "The soldier's career is graphically depicted, and the story is in every way a good one. " — Literary Churchman. 3 Large Crown Svo. 2s. 6d. Fully illustrated. THE YOUNG TRAWLER. A Story of Life and Death and Rescue in thk North Sea. "Few men have laboured so steadfastly in their generation to provide sound, wholesome fare for ' our boys ' as Mr. Ballantyne, and 'The Youug Trawler' is worthy of his reputation." — Ac.ade7ny. RIVERS OF ICE. A Tale Illustrative of Alpine Adventdre and Glacier Action. "A tale brimful of interest and stirring adventure." — Glasgow Herald. THE FLOATING LIGHT OF THE GOODWIN SANDS. "The tale will be especially interesting to adventure-loving boys. "—Record. i'!' , THE BUFFALO RUNNERS. A Tale of the Red River Plains. "Mr. Ballantyne tells an admirable story of 'the struggle for life ' valiantly and vicLoriously fought by the early colonists of the Red River region in North- Western America. " — Daily Telegraph. FIGHTING THE FLAMES. A Tale of the Fire-Brigade. " Many a schoolboy will find keen enjoyment :n the perusal of 'Fighting the Flames,' and assure hia little sisters with suitable emphasis that Mr. Ballantyne is ' a stunning good story-teller. ' " — Athtnxum. on to ityne, iemy. Large Grown Hvo. 2s. Qd. Fully illmlrated. THE NORSEMEN IN THE WEST; Or, America before Columbus. " This thcoughly delightful book is an adaptation of the Saga of Iceland, and also of Mr. Laing'a ' Heiniskingla; or, Chroniclea of the Kings of Norway,' supplemented by Mr. Ballantyne's own experience and adventures in the wilderness of America. These ingredients are put together witli the skill and spirit of an accom- Elished story-teller; and the result is a book tliat cannot possibly e laid down till the very last word of the last line has been read." —Athenaeum. R isgow THE SETTLER AND THE SAVAGE. A Tale of Peace and War tn South Africa. " 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 exaggerated scenes, presents a sketch of a very important period of the early history of our colony at the Cape of Good Hope," — Times. >vuig UNDER THE WAVES; Ofj Diving in Deep Waters. " 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, which it does in not only an interesting, but often in an amusing manner."— 2'mes. » for the ph. BLACK IVORY. A Tale ov Adventure among the Slavers of East Africa. " A captivating story. We heartily recommend if'—Eecord. " Boys will find the book about as delightful a story of adventure as any of them could possibly desire. " — Scotsman. dof ible THE FUGITIVES; Or, The Tyrant Queen 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." — Academy. ■I: ii! I fi m liif ^' Ii !■■ !|: Ii.! H' « :■ it! 'Ii II Large Crown %vo. 2a. 6d. 2^u?Zy »7?M«anube a story of personal adventure spiritedly told. "—Daily News. THE PIRATE CITY. Ax Aloerinb Tale. "The story is told with Mr. Ballantyue's usual felicity, and, as It la plentifully sprinkled with horrors, no doubt it will be creatlv enjoyed by some boys."— ^^Acjicenw. ' THE HOT SWAMP. A Romance ok Old Albion. •'Full of action and adventure. "—^co^swan. (< THE IRON HORSE; Or, Life on the Line. A Railway Tale. A captivating book for boys. "—Guardian. DEEP DOWN. A Tale of the Cornish Mines. "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. "— il/miwy Journal. ' GASCOYNE. The Sandalwood Trader. THE BIG OTTER A Talb of the Gbbat Nob'- West. ' Large Crown 8vo, 2s, Qd. Fully illustrated. THE YQUNG FUR TRADERS. U N G A V A. THE CORAL ISLAND. THE GOLDEN DREAM. A Talb of tub Diggings. THE RED ERIC. Tub Whaler.^ Last Cruise. THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST. A Tale of tub Rocky Mountains, THE LIFEBOAT. A Talk of our Coast Hbroe3. THE LIGHTHOUSE. A FiGUT BETWEEN MaN AND THE SeA. SHIFTING WINDS. A Tough Yarn. TH E DOG CRUSOE A Tale of the Western Prairies. THE GORILLA HUNTERS. With Illustrations. Croivn 8vo. Is. THE KITTEN PILGRIMS; Or, Great Battles and Grand Victories. "We have copied the title-page of this amusing and instructive quarto for little folks. Nothing further is necessary. Mr. Ballan- tyne stands at the head of all our children's story-tellers /ac*7« princeps ." — Churchman. fi BY MR. R. M. BALLANTYNE. Thia well-known edition of Stories of Adventure is issued hound in cloth, with attractive colour design. Crown 8 wo. 1«. 6d. each. HUNTED AND HARRIED. The Scottish Covbvanters. A COXSWAIN'S BRIDE; And other Tales. THE GARRET AND THE GARDEN : Ami JEFF BENSON. THE CREW OF THE WATER WAGTAIL. THE MIDDY AND THE MOORS. An Algerine Tale. THE PRAIRIE CHIEF. LIFE IN THE RED BRIGADE, Etc. THE ISLAND QUEEN; Or, Dethronbti by Fire and Water. TWICE BOUGHT. A Tale of the Oregon Gold Fiiaua. THE MADMAN AND THE PIRATE. PHILOSOPHER JACK. A Tale of the Southern Seas. THE RED MAN'S REVENGE. MY DOGGIE AND I. SIX MONTHS AT THE CAPE. A Story op Adventure. AN AUTHOR'S ADVENTURES ; Or, Personal Reminiscences. BATTLES WITH THE SEA; Or, Heroes of the Lifeboat. THE CORAL ISLAND. A Tale op the Pacific Ocean. THE GOLDEN DREAM. A Tale of the Diggings. THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST. THE RED ERIC. The Whaler's last Cruise. MARTIN RATTLER. His Travels and Adventures, THE DOG CRUSOE. A Tale of the Western Prairies. THE LIFEBOAT. Our Coast Heroes. GASCOYNE. The Sandalwood Trader. THE LIGHTHOUSE. SHIFTING WINDS. A Tough Yarn. FIGHTING THE FLAMES. THE GORILLA HUNTERS. DEEP DOWN. A Tale OF the Cornish Mines. ERLING THE BOLD. THE YOUNG FUR-TRADERS. FREAKS ON THE FELLS. m 'y 1 R. M. BALLANTYNE'S MISCELLANY OF ENTERTAINING AND INSTRUCTIVE TALES. "With Illustrations. Is. each. The Athf.nceum aays : — "There ia no more practical way of communicating elemontary information than that whicli has Ijeon adopted in this series. When wo see contained in 124 small pages (as in Fast in the Ice) siicli 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 are especially designed, and also of young people of all classes." 1. Fighting the Whales; or. Doings and Dangers on a Fishing Cruise. 2. Away in the Wilderness; or, Life among the Red Indians and Fur Traders of North America. 8. Fast in the Ice; or, Adventures in the Polar Regions. i. Chasing the Sun ) or, Ramldes in Norway. 6. Sunk at Sea; or, The Adventures of Wandering Will in tho Pacific. 6. Lost in the Forest ; or. Wandering Will's Adventures in South America. 7. Over the Rocky Mountains; or. Wandering Will in the Land of the Red Skins. 8. Saved by the Lifeboat; or, A Tale of Wreck and Rescue on the Coast. 9. The Cannibal Islands; or, Captain Cook's Adventures in the South Seas. 10. Hunting the Lions; or, The Land 'if the Negro. 11. Digging for Gold; or, Adventure; in California. 12. Up in the Clouds; or, Balloon Voyages. 18. The Battle and the Breeze; or, The Fights and Fancies of a British Tar. H. The Pioneers I A Tale of the Western Wilderness. 18. The Story of the Rock. 16. Wrecked but not Ruined. 17. The Thopogood Family, 18. The Lively Poll: A Tale of the North Sea. JAMES NISBET AND CO., LIMITED, 22 BEBNBBS STBSBT, LONDON, W. p By R. 31. "Ballantyne FAMOUS STORIES FOR BOYS Thi Copyright Edition Each volume has about 400 pages of letterpress. The majority of these books arc copyright, and only obtainable from James Nisbet & Co., Ltd. Modern Illustrations. Large crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. A SALE OF OVER A MILLION AND A HALF COPIES Sir Jambs Barrib writes: "I am very interested to bear of the new edition. Such is the charm of Ballantyne that his readers, when they grow up, marry and have children ia order to watch their boys revelling in ' The Coral Island.' ... I have a great regard for the man who gave me such intense pleasure in my youth, and will take off my hat to him as long as I live. It is delightful to hear that they (the books) are to be published uniformly." I. THE HOT SWAMP. A Romance of Old Albion. a. THE BUFFALO RUNNERS. •3. CHARLIE TO THE RESCUE. A Tale of the Sea and the Rockies. 4. BLOWN TO BITS ; or, The Lonely Man of Rakata. 5. BLUE LIGHTS ; or, Hot Work in the Soudan. 6. THE FUGITIVES ; or, The Tyrant Queen of Madagascar. 7. RED ROONEY; or, The Last of the Crew. 8. THE ROVER OF THE ANDES. Adventures in South America. 9. THE YOUNG TRAWLER. A Story of the North Sea. 11. THE BATTERY AND THE BOILER; or, Adventures in the Laying of Submarine Electric Cables. 12. THE GIANT OF THE NORTH ; or, Adventures round the Pole. •13. THE LONELY ISLAND; or, The Refuge of the Mutineers. 14. POST HASTE. 16. THE SETTLER AND THE SAVAGE. Peace and War in South Africa. V0ium«s starrtd (*) may b« had full gilt at 3s. I By R. M. Ballantyne — continued ■ \ i8. RIVERS OF ICE. A Tale of Alpine Adventure and Glaciei Action. •19. THE PIRATE CITY. An Algerine Tale. 20. BLACK IVORY. Adventures among the Slavers of East Africa. ♦21. THE NORSEMEN IN THE WEST ; or» America before Columbus. ♦2a. THE IRON HORSE. ♦23. ERLING THE BOLD. A Tale of the Norse Sea-Kings. 24. DEEP DOWN. A Tale of the Cornish Mines. ♦25. FIGHTING THE FLAMES. A Tale of the London Fire Brigade. Also at 2s. 26. THE WALRUS HUNTERS. 27. GASCOYNE. The Sandalwood Trader. *28. THE BIG OTTER. A Tale of the Great Nor'- West. Also at 2s. 29. THE YOUNG FUR-TRADERS. *3i. THE CORAL ISLAND. Also at 2s. 32. THE GOLDEN DREAM. A Tale of the Diggings. ♦33. THE RED ERIC. The Whaler's Last Cruise. 34. THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST. A Tale of the Rocky Mountains. 35. THE LIFEBOAT. A Tale of our Coast Heroes. 36. THE LIGHTHOUSE. A Fight between Man and the Sea. Also at 2s. 37. SHIFTING WINDS. Also at 2s. 38. THE DOG CRUSOE. A Story of the Western Prairies. ^,9. THE GORILLA HUNTERS. Volumes starred (♦) may be had full gilt at 38. ■ Glaciei Africa. I before Ion Fire io at 2S. Rocky a. Also By R. M. Ballantyne — continued With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. IS. 6d. each. 1. HUNTED AND HARRIED. A Tale of the Scottish Covenanters. 2. A COXSWAIN'S BRIDE ; or, The Rising Tide. 3. THE GARRET AND THE GARDEN; and JEFF BENSON. 4. THE CREW OF THE WATER- WAGTAIL. 5. THE MIDDY AND THE MOORS. 6. LIFE IN THE RED BRIGADE. 7. THE PRAIRIE CHIEF. 8. THE ISLAND QUEEN ; or, Dethroned by Fire and Water. 9. THE MADMAN AND THE PIRATE. 10. TWICE BOUGHT : A Tale of the Oregon Gold Fields. 11. MY DOGGIE AND L 12. THE RED MAN'S REVENGE. 13. PHILOSOPHER JACK. A Tale of the Southern Seas. 14. SIX MONTHS AT THE CAPE. 15. BATTLES WITH THE SEA. Heroes of the Lifeboat. 17. THE CORAL ISLAND. A Tale of the Pacific Ocean. 18. THE GOLDEN DREAM. Adventures in the Far West. 19. THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST. On the Rocky Mountains. 20. THE RED ERIC. The Whaler's Last Cruise. 21. MARTIN RATTLER. A Story of Adventure. 22. THE DOG CRUSOE. A Story of the Western Prairies. 23. THE LIFEBOAT. Our Coast Heroes. 24. GASCOYNE. The Sandal-wood Trader. 25. THE LIGHTHOUSE. 26. SHIFTING WINDS. 27. FIGHTING THE FLAMES. 28. THE GORILLA HUNTERS. 29. DEEP DOWN. A Tale of the Cornish Mines. 30. ERLING THE BOLD. A Tale of the Norse Sea-kings. 31. THE YOUNG FUR-TRADERS. M in By R. M. Ballantyne — continued With Illustrations, is. each. 1. FIGHTING THE WHALES ; or, Doings and Dangers on a Fishing Cruise. 2. AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS ; or, Life among the Red Indians and Fur Traders of North America. 3. FAST IN THE ICE ; or, Adventures in the Polar Regions. 4. CHASING THE SUN ; or, Rambles in Norway. 5. SUNK AT SEA ; or, Adventures of Wandering Will in the Pacific. 6. LOST IN THE FOREST ; or, Wandering Will's Adventures in South America. 7. OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS ; or, Wandering Will in the Land of the Red Skins. 8. SAVED BY THE LIFEBOAT ; or, A Tale of Wreck and Rescue on the Coast. 9. THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS ; or, Captain Cook's Adventures in the South Seas. 10. HUNTING THE LIONS ; or, The Land of the Negro. 11. DIGGING FOR GOLD; or, Adventures in California. 12. UP IN THE CLOUDS ; or. Balloon Voyages. 13. THE BATTLE AND THE BREEZE; or, The Flights and Fancies of a British Tar. 14. THE PIONEERS : A Tale of the Western Wilderness 15. THE STORY OF THE ROCK. i6. WRECKED, BUT NOT RUINED. 17. THE THOROGOOD FAMILY. 18. THE LIVELY POLL: A T*le of the North Sea. 4 ' By yohn Mackie CANADIAN JACK. With Coloured Illustrations. Large crown 8vo. With gilt edges, 4s. ; gilt top, 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. A BUSH MYSTERY. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo. With gilt edges, 4s. ; with gilt top, 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. HIDDEN IN CANADIAN WILDS. With Coloured Illustr»tions. Large crown 8vo. With gilt edges, 4s. ; with gilt top. 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. " • Hidden in Canadian Wilds ' is a fine tale of adventure, in which the excitement never flags. The great charm of Mr. Mackie's work is that he writes from actual experience. . . . A real good tale."— TA* <7a//flm. BLACK MAN'S ROCK . A Tale of the Basuto War, 1879. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. and is. 6d. ••This is a well-written, thrilling, and highly interesting book. One of the most exciting stories of adventure It has been our good fortune to read."— 7%« Globe. THE HEART OF THE PRAIRIE. Large crown 8vo. 2s. 6d, Crown Svo. is. 6d. Cheap Edition, is. 3d. By Tom Be van IF^ELS AND ROGUES. A Tale of the Monmouth Rebellion. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo. With gilt edges, 4s. ; with gilt top, 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. «« Mr. Tom Bevan has never done better than in this tale. The plot of the story is excellent, well contrived and well carried out."— 7'/4# Spectator, ONE OF THE AWKWARD SQUAD. Illustrated. Large crowo 8vo. With gilt edges, 4». J with gilt top, 38. 6d. and 2s. 6d. ' ) By Frank T. Bullen, F.R.G.S. Author of "The Cruise of the Cachalot," kc. FIGHTING THE ICEBERGS. With Coloured Illustrations. Large crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. THE PIRATE HUNTER. Large crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. FRANK BROWN: Sea Apprentice. With Coloured Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo. In leather, 5s. In cloth, 2s. 6d. and 2s. A SON OF THE SEA : A Sea Story for Boys of all Ages. With Coloured Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo. In leather, 5s. In cloth, 2s. 6d. and 2s. Bv O. V. Caine II THE COMING OF NAVARRE. With Illustrations. Large crown 8vo. 2S. 6d. Cheap edition, is. 6d. SONS OF VICTORY. A Boys' Story of the Coming of Napoleon. Demy 8vo, with gilt edges, Ss. Large crown 8vo. 2s. and 2s. 6d. In roan, 5s. WANDERER AND KING. A Story of the Youth of CharUs II. Illustrated by H. Austin. Demy 8vo, with gilt edges, 55. Large crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. and 2s. In roan, 5s. Cheap edition^ is. 6d. FACE TO FACE WITH NAPOLEON. Large crown 8vo, gilt top, 2s. 6d. ; plain edges, 2s. In roan, 5s. IN THE YEAR OF WATERLOO. Large crown 8vo. 2s. and as. 6d. In roan, 5s Cheap edition, is. 6d. 6 Large By Gordon Stables^ R.N. WITH CUTLASS AND TORCH. Large crown 8vo. is. 6d. ON WAR'S RED TIDE. A Story of the Boer V7ar. Extra crown 8vo. 23. 6d. OFF TO KLONDYKE. A Story of Adventure. Illustrated by Chas. Whymfbr. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. A Tale of the Land of the Czar. Demy Svo. 5s. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. and 2s. THE CRUISE OF THE ROVER CARAVAN. With Illustration by Chas. Whymfbr. Crown 8vo. is. 6d. By Percy Westerman THE FLYING SUBMARINE. With Coloured and other Illus- trations. Large crown 8vo, with gilt edges, 4s. ; gilt top, 3s, 6d. cheap edition, is. 6d. TJ^E WINNING OF THE GOLDEN SPURS. With Coloured and other Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, with full gilt edges, 4s. gilt top, 3s. 6d. ; cheap edition, 2s. 6d. "The Boys^ Holiday Library i Stories of Advtnture for Boys, including copyright works by O. Vt Caine, John Mackie, Tom Be van, T. C. Bridges, and other well- known writers. Large crown 8vo. With Gilt Top. 28. 6d, each. I. FACE TO FACE WITH NAPOLEON. By O. V. CAINE. a. A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. By GORDON STABLES. 3. WESTWARD HO I By CHARLES KiNGSLEY. 4. THE THREE MUSKETEERS. By ALEXANDRE DUMAS. 5. OFF TO KLONDYKE. By GORDON STABLES. 6. TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. By Jules Verne. 7. IN THE YEAR OF WATERLOO. By O. V. CAINE. 8. ON WARS RED TIDE. By GORDON StableS. 9. TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS. By T. HUGHES. 10. ONE OF THE RED SHIRTS. By H. Hayens. A tale of Garibaldi. 11. A SON OF THE SEA. By F. T. BULLIN. 18. HEREWARD THE WAKE. By CHARLES KiNGSLBT. 13. THE PIRATE HUNTER. By F. T. BULLBM. 8 The Boys* Holiday Library — continued 14. THE COMING OF NAVARRE. By O. V. Caine. 15. THE HEART OF THE PRAIRIE. By John Mackie. 16. LOST IN CEYLON. By William Dalton. 17. THE WAR TIGER. By WiLLiAM Dalton. A story of the Con- quest of China. 18. BESET BY SAVAGES. By HERBERT HayenS. 19. FIGHTING THE ICEBERGS. By F. T. BulleH. ao. TRUE BLUE. By W. H. G. Kingston. ai. HIDDEN IN CANADIAN WILDS. By JOHN MackiI. aa. REBELS AND ROGUES. By ToM Bevan. 23. THE WINNING OF THE GOLDEN SPURS. By Perct Westerman, 24. A BUSH MYSTERY. By John Mackii. as. ONE OF THE AWKWARD SQUAD. By TOM BeVAN. a6. CANADIAN JACK. By JOHN Mackie. 27. THE TAMING OF TARM. By E. HobART-HampdeN. a8. A FIGHT FOR FORTUNE. By T. C. Bridges. 9 ^(i I .m ■II The Illustrated English Library The Series is designed to satisfy at once the schoolboy or girl with a taste for the best literature, the "general reader," and the connoisseur of book production. The illustrators are artists of the highest distinction, and in most cases they have contributed no less than sixteen illustrations to a book. Large crown 8vo. With Gilt Top. 28. 6d. each. 1. THE HISTORY OF HENRY ESMOND. By W. M. Thackeray. i6 Illustrations by Chris. Hammond. 2. THE HISTORY OF PENDENNIS. By W. M. Thackeray. i6 Illustrations by Chris. Hammond. 3. THE NEWCOMES. By W. M. Thackeray. 16 Illustrations by Chris. Hammond. 4. JANE EYRE. By Charlotte Bronte. 16 Illustrations by F. H. TOWNSEND. 5. SHIRLEY. By Charlotte Bronte. 16 Illustrations by F. H. ToWNSEND. 6. HYPATIA. By Charles Kingsi ey. 16 Illustrations by Lance- lot Speed. •7. THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII. By Lord Lytton. Illustra- tions by Lancelot Speed. 8. CHARLES O'MALLEY. By Charles Lever. 16 Illustrations *9. THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. 16 Illustrations by C. E. Brock. 10. THE BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR. 16 Illustrations by Fred Pegram. •11. IVANHOE. By Sir Walter Scott. 4 Coloured Illustrations by C. E. Brock. 12. THE PIRATE. By Sir Walter Scott. 16 Illustrations by E. J. Sullivan. ♦13. THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS. 16 Illustra- tions by Fred Pegram. ♦14. ROBINSON CRUSOE. By Daniel Defoe. 16 Illustrations by C. E. Brock. ♦15. JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. By Mrs. Craik. 16 Illus trations by Chris. Hammond. 16. ADAM BEDE. By George Eliot. With 4 Illustrations by Arxhu r Layard ♦17. A TALE OF TWO CITIES. By Charles Dickens. 16 Illus- trations by F. H. Townsend. 18. FROISSART IN BRITAIN. By Henry Newbolt. With 24 Illustrations from old Chronicles. 19. LORD ROBERTS. By Violet Brooke-Hunt. 6 Illustrations. 20. THE CATHEDRAL CITIES OF ENGLAND. By Mrs. Marshall. 6 Illustrations from Photos. 21. WITH MILTON AND THE CAVALIERS. By Mrs. F. Boas. 12 Portrait Illustrations. 22. IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND. By Mrs. F. Boas. la Portrait Illustrations. 83. THE STORY OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY. By ViOLKT Brookr-Hunt. VolutMs starrwd (*) may be kadfuUgUt mi ta. 10 ary girl with a loisseur of listinction, lustrations ACKER AY. ^CKERAY. rations by by F. H. by F. H. ' Lancr- Illustra- istrations Brock. •y Fred tions by byE.j. Illustra* tions by 6 Illus ons by 6 Illus- ^ith 24 itions. Mrs. rs. F. !• 13 iOLBT Eallantjine's Tales of Adve nture A Series of Selected Stories of Pluck and Endurance by this well-known Author. In Attractive Binding. Crown 8vo, 2s. I. ON THE COAST. Containini-^ Wrecked, but not Ruined. Saved by the Lifeboat. The Story of the Rock. S. PERILS ON LAND. Containing-^ The Thorogood Family. Digging for Gold. Hunting the Lions. \ IN FOREST AND FLOOD. Containing^ The Cannibal Islands. Chasing the Sun. Lost in the Forest. 4* ON THE OCEAN. Containing^ Fighting the Whales. Sunk at Sea. The Battle and the Breeze. 5. IN THE WILD WEST. Containing^ AytsLj in the Wilderness. The Pioneers. Over the Rocky Mountains. 6. IN SEA AND SKY. Containing-^ The Lively Poll. Fast in the Ice. Up in the Clouds. 7. THE CORAL ISLAND. 8. FIGHTING THE FLAMES. 9. THE GORILLA HUNTERS 10. SHIFTING WINDS. 11. THE LIGHTHOUSE. II The Pilgrim Serits A library of selected authors, making Handietne Gift and Prize Books. With Full Gilt Design. Fully Illustrated; some in Colour. Large Crown 8vo. 2s. each. ♦i. THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. By John BdnyAM. 2. THE HOLY WAR. By John Bunyan. •3. FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS. •4. BEN-HUR. By Lew Wallace. •5. THE LAMPLIGHTER. By Maria S, Cummins. •6. UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. By Mrs. H. B. Stowb. •7. ROBINSON CRUSOE. By Daniel Defoe. •8. MY DESIRE. By Susan Warner. •9. NOBODY. By Susan Warner. 10. THE FAIRCHILD FAMILY. By Mrs. Sherwood. •11. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. By J. W. Wyss. •12. GREAT MEN. By Frederick Myers. LITTLE WOMEN AND GOOD WIVES. By L. M. Alcott. THE END OF A COIL. By Susan Warner. •15. DIANA. By Susan Warner. 16. STEPHEN, M.D. By Susan Warner. ♦17. MELBOURNE HOUSE. By Susan Warner. *i8. THE WIDE WIDE WORLD. By E. Wbtherell. •19. DAISY. By Susan Warner. ♦20. DAISY IN THE FIELD. By Susan Warner. ♦21. QUEECHY. By Susan Warner. ♦22. DARE TO DO RIGHT. By Julia Mathews. NETTIE'S MISSION. By Julia Mathews. YOKED TOGETHER. By Ellen Davis. •25. ST. ELMO. By A. J. E. Wilson. •26. NAOML By Mrs. J. B. Webb. •27. BARRIERS BURNED AWAY. By E. P. ROB. •28. WYCH HAZEL. By S. and A. Warner. THE GOLD OF CHICKAREE. A Sequel to "Wych Haiel." THE OLD HELMET. By Susan Warner. GENERAL GORDON. By Lieut.-Col. Seton Churchill. A KNIGHT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. By •33. IN THE DAYS OF BRUCE. By Grace Aguilar. •34. THE MOTHER'S RECOMPENSE. By Grace Aguilar. 35. THE GOLDEN LADDER. By Susan and Anna Warnbk. 36. DORRINCOURT SCHOOL. By B. Hbldmann. '13. •14. ♦23. •24. '29. "30. ;3i. ^32. Vplumes siarr$d (*) also dane with Full Gilt edges, 38. 6d. I] The Pilgrim Series — continued and Prize in Colour. LLCOTT. Iazel.»» LL. Y. By NBK. I. ♦37. WESTWARD HO I By Charles Kingslky. 38. A RED WALLFLOWER. By Susan Warner. •39. JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. By Mrs. Craik. 40. THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS. '41. •42. .43 By Charles Reads. NESTLETON MAGNA. By J. Jackson Wr ay. THE KEY TO THE RIDDLE. By Margaret Comrir. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND. ADAM BEDE. By George Eliot. ^^ WAGES. By L. T. Meade. •44. BETWIXT TWO FIRES. By J. Jackson Wray. 40. 47. WHEELS OF IRON. By L. T. Meade. •48. TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS. By T. Hughes. •49. A TALE OF TWO CITIES. By Charles Dickens. 50. SIMON HOLMES. By J. Jackson Wray. 51. THE CLOISTER AND THE HEARTH. By Charles Readb. 52. ROMOLA. By George Eliot. 53. WANDERER AND KING. By O. V. Cainb. 54. CASTLE POVERTY. By L. T. Meade. 55. THE WITCH MAID. By L. T. Meade. •S6. GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES. Translation by N. J. Davidson, B.A. 57. A SON OF THE SEA. By F. T. Bullen. •58. HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES. •59. SONS OF VICTORY. By O. V. Caine. 60. FACE TO FACE WITH NAPOLEON. By O. V. Cainb. •61. HEREWARD THE WAKE. By Chas. Kingsley. ♦62. FRANK BROWN. By F. T. Bullkn. 63. THE RED CAP OF LIBERTY. By L. T. Meadb. 64. THAT MASTER OF OURS. By B. Heldmann. •65. DAISY PLAINS. By Susan Warner. •66. ONE OF THE RED SHIRTS. By Herbert Hayens. •67. IN THE YEAR OF WATERLOO. By O. V. Caine. 68. BLUE OF THE SEA. By L. T. Meade. 69. THE OAK STAIRCASE. By M. and C. Lee. 7a A TROUBLESOME GODCHILD. By Mary E. Mills. 71. MASTERMAN ready. By Captain Marryat. 72. A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. By Gordon Stables. 73. MISS CON. By Agnes Giberne. 74. THE SNIPER. By F. Cowley Whitehouse. 75. THE ADVENTURES OF Mr. VERDANT GREEN. 76. ALISON'S ORDEAL. By Adeline Sergeant. 77. IN THE FLOWER OF HER YOUTH. By L. T. Meadb. V§lum«s starred (♦) are also done with Full Gilt edges^ 28. 6d. »3 T'he Schoolboy Series A Series of Books for Boys, bjr popular Authors, making splendid Gift and Price Books. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. is. 6d. each. I. FRANK WEATHERALL. By W. C. MftiC/iLPi. a. EXPELLED. By the Author of *' Dorrincourt." 3. BOXALL SCHOOL. By the Author of •« Expelled." 4. THE YOUNG MAROONERS. By F. R. GouLOiNO. 5. THE VIKING BOYS. By J. M. E. Saxby. 6. WINNING HIS LAURELS. By F. M. HOLMBS. 7. WILL IT LIFT? By J. Jackson Wray. 8. THE YOUNG STOWAWAY. By Mrs. Geo. Corbbtt. 9. A MAN EVERY INCH OF HIM. By J. Jackson Wray. 10. THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS. 11. THE ROVER CARAVAN. By Gordon Stablbs. 12. THE LADS OF LUNDA. By J. M. E. Saxby. 13. TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS. By Tom Hughbs. 14. ROBINSON CRUSOE. By Daniel Defob. 15. THE KING'S GUARDS. By R. Power Berrby. 16. IN THE SWING OF THE SEA. By J. Macdonald OxLBT. 17. OLIVER TWIST. By Charles Dickens. 18. GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES. 14 The Schoolhoy Series — continued Z splendid 19. HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES. 20. BROWN. By Dorothea Moorb. ai. THE SNIPER. By F. Cowley Whitehouse. 22. THAT MASTER OF OURS. By R Heldmann. 23. A SON OF THE SEA. By F. T. Bullen. 24. THE HEART OF THE PRAIRIE. By John Mackie. 25. THE BOYS OF ST. ELMO'S. By A. T. Story. 26. THE WAR TIGER. By William Dalton. 27. GEORGE v., KING AND EMPEROR. By E. Major. 28. MASTERMAN READY. By Captain Marryat. 29. TRUE BLUE. By W. H. G. Kingston. 30. BLACK MAN'S ROCK. By John Mackie. 31. THE FLYING SUBMARINE. By Percy Westerman. 32. THE GHOST ROCK. By Frederick Watson. 33. IN FOREST LANDS. By Gordon Stables. 34. WITH CUTLASS AND TORCH. By Gordon Stable& 35. SCHOOLBOY GRIT. By Gunby Hadath. ♦36. LORD WOLSELEY. By E. M/vjor. 37. THE RIGHT OF THE LINE. By R. Power Bbrrby. 38. THE WHITE CARAVAN. By W. E. Culb. 39. ROGER THE MASTERFUL. By Geoffrey H. Whitb. * Also in special ^icturt tovert 2t. »5 7he Reward Series A Series of recently published Books for Boys and Girls, con- taining Copyright Stories by Tom Bbvan, Percy Westbrman, John Mackis, Mary Stuart Boyd, E. L. Haverfield, and other well- known writers. Each volume has its own individual design and style of binding, suitable, and in keeping with the story. The books extend to 300 pages and upwards and are fiilly illustrated, some in colours. With gilt top, and coloured pictorial wrapper. Extra crown Svo, with gilt top, 38. 6d. FOR BOYS. A FIGHT FOR FORTUNE. By T. C. Bridges. CANADIAN JACK. By John Mackie. SCHOOLBOY GRIT. By Gunby Hadath. REBELS AND ROGUES. By Tom Bevan. THE WINNING OF THE GOLDEN SPURS. By Percy Wes- terman. HIDDEN IN CANADIAN WILDS. By John Mackie. A BUSH MYSTERY. By John Mackie. ONE OF THE AWKWARD SQUAD. By Tom Bevan. THE FLYING SUBMARINE. By Percy Westbrman. THE GH05T ROCK; or, White Man's Gold. By Frederick Watson. FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. ROGER THE MASTERFUL. By Geoffrey H. White. THE TAMING OF TARM. By E. HobartHampdbn. FOR GIRLS. C \PTAIN NANCY. By Dorothea Moore. HEADMISTRESS HILARY. By Kathlyn Rhodes. A PLUCKY SCHOOLGIRL. By Dorothea Moore. DODO'S SCHOOLDAYS. By Kathlyn Rhodes. THAT AGGRAVATING SCHOOLGIRL. By Grace Stebbino. AN IMPOSSIBLE FRIEND. By E. L. Haverfield. THE MYSTERY OF THE CASTLE. By Mary Stuart Boyd. SCHOOLGIRL HONOUR. By Kathlyn Rhodes. TERRY THE GIRL GUIDE. By Dorothea Moore. NADIA TO THE RESCUE. By Dorothea Moorb. Si Girls, con- MAN, John other well- Eind style of s extend to )urs. With RCY Wes- RBDBRICK 3BINO. Boyd. Sy Dorothea Moore CECILY'S HIGHWAYMAN. With Coloured IUu,.,.M„n. S,«.„ Demy 8to, 5s. Che.p EdiUon, crown Svo. ii. 6<1. CAPTAIN NANCY. With Coloured in„,tr..io„.. Urge .,o„„ »„. W,.h pit lop, 3s. 6d. Cheap Edition, large crown 8,0., a. fid. A BRAVE LITTLE ROYALIST. With Coloured Illustration* Urge crown 8yo. 5s. Cheap Edition, crown 8vo. i^ed. NADIA TO THE RESCUE. Illustrated. Large crown 8va With pit edges, 4S. ; with gilt top, 35. 6d. and as. 6d. wri;;s.^-rjLLt". "'°°""' '""••••* *»-«'■ ""^ p'- - TERRY THE GIRL GUIDR A S«,ue. to "A Pteky School-girl- With Foreword by Agnes Badhn-Poweli.. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo. With gilt edges. 4* , with gilt top. 3s. 6d. Cheap Edition, is. 6d. •• It would take a remarkable boy-scout to outshine Terry, who is a really exciting. —The Schoolmaster. MY LADY BELLAMY. lUustrated. Large crown 8va 2.. 64 Crown 8vo. IS. 6d. A PLUCKY SCHOOL-GIRL. Illustrated. Large aown 8vo. 3,, fid. and 2s. 6d. Crown 8vo. is. 6d. BROWN: A Story of Waterloo Year. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. is. fid. Cheap Edition, is. 3d. il By Kathlyn Rhodes HEADMISTRESS HILARY. With Coloured Illostrations. Large crown 8vo. 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. DODO'S SCHOOLDAYS. Author of "Schoolgirl Honour." Large crown 8vo. With full gilt edges, 4s. ; also 3s. 6d. and 2s. 6d. Miss Rhodes has written another school story for girls which is bound to prove a serious rival in popularity to " Schoolgirl Honour." Dodo is a delightful girl, and her school pranks and adventures form a story which schoolgirl of any age will revel in. SCHOOLGIRL HONOUR. A striking story of school life. With Coloured and Sepia Illustrations. Large crown 8vo. With full gilt edges, 4s. ; also 3s. 6d. Crown 8vo, is. 6d. " One is loth to say good-bye at the end to the girls of St. Monica's School. We commend this lx>ok as an addition to the Ubrary of any schoolgirl."— The Scho9lmasier, By Katharine Tynan KITTY AUBREY. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. A UNION OF HEARTS. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. is. 6d. By E. Everett Green MY LADY JOANNA. Illustrated. In full roan. 5s. Large crown 8vo, cloth. 25. 6d. Crown Svo. is. 6d. LADY TEMPLE'S GRANDCHILDREN. Crown Svo. is. 6d. By Violet Brooke-Hunt LORD ROBERTS : A Life for Boys. Illustrated. Large crown 8va In full roan, 5s. Qoth, 2s. 6d. THE STORY OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Being an account of that ancient foundation, its Builders, and those that sleep therein. Illustrated. Demy 8to. With gilt edges, 5s. Large crown 8to, 2s. 6d. In full roan, 5*. Large Large i. sound to ode is a ry which !. With I full gilt s School, olgirl."- ge crown 6d. )wn 8va ccount of therein. )wn Sto, Nisbeis Library of Fairy Tales THE GLASS MENDER. By Maurice Baring. A volume of Fairy Stories. With 12 exquisite Illustrations in Colour. Daintily bound, gilt top. Extra Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d. net. Postage 4d. The Daily TeUgrafk says: "Mr. Baring has caught the exact spirit in which to write fairy tales, and this virfume should have a great success among children old and young. We have nothing but praise for this volume of enchantment. The coloured illustrations are particularly delightful." The Westminster Gazette says : " These stories are all perfectly enchanting ... the pictures are the most fairy-like we have ever seen." BEDTIME STORIES. By Mr. and Mrs. Coulson Kernahan. With charming Illustrations by Dorothy Furniss. Attractively bound in cloth, gilt top. Square Demy 8vo. 2s. 6d. net. Postage 4d. The Spectator SKys'. "' Bedtime Stories' shows work of excellent quality. . . . Everywhere there is the unmistakable literary touch." The World S3i^^'. "The only defect about this delightful volume is its name, for the result of reading these stories to a child would certainly be to make him implore his elders to put off bedtime indefinitely." The Scotsman says : " A charming volume . . . the happenings in ' make- believe-land ' are described with fine effect." THE STORY OF FORGET-ME-NOT AND LILY OF THE VALLEY. A Fairy Story. By Maurice Baring. With numerous dainty Illustrations in Colour. Exquisitely bound. Royal i6mo. 2s. net. Postage 3d. The Church Family Newspaper says : " We are delighted with Mr. Maurice Baring's fairy tale for children. This is a book all children will love: it exactly represents the things they love to imagine ... an enchanting little book." The Morning Post says: "The whole thing is exactly what one had and loved as a child ... as for putting the quality down in words let those attempt it who can do so." THE IMP AND THE ELF AND THE OGRE. A Book of Nature Stories. By Arthur Ransome. With Illustrations by Ambrose Dudley. Daintily bound. Royal i6mo. is. 6d. net. Postage 3d. The Liverpool Post says : ' ' Aided by several charming original black and white illustrations, Mr. Ransome's book will make a strong appeal to the juvenile imagination. Fairy fantasy and actualities of nature have seldom been mingled with better effect." The Dundee Courier says : " A charming book of Natural History for the bairns. No better or simpler book of Natural History could be put into the hands of young children." HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES. Handsomely bound in cloth. Illustrated. Large Crown Svo, 2s. ; Crown 8vo, is. 66. GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES. New Translation by N. J. Davidsok, B.A. Handsomely bound in cloth. Illustrated. Large Crown Svo, as. ; Crown 8to, ii. 64. »9 By Mrs. Marshall " Readers who value culture and refinement, but, above all, seek for truth and unction, will recommend her tales, especially for young ladies." — Churchman, Large crown 8vo. Illustrated. 2s. 6d. each* ONLY SUSAN. LIZETTE. A Story for Girls. NEW RELATIONS. A Story for Girls. THOSE THREE; or, Little Wings. LAUREL CROWNS ; or, Griselda's Aim. HOUSES ON WHEELS. A Story for Children. DAPHNE'S DECISION ; or. Which Shall it Be? CASSANDRA'S CASKET. SILVER CHIMES ; or, Olive. POPPIES AND PANSIES. DEWDROPS AND DIAMONDS. Crown 8vo. Illustrated, is. 6d. each. THE ROSES OF RINGWOOD. A Story for Children. REX AND REGINA ; or, The Song of the River. DULCIBEL'S DAY-DREAMS ; or. The Grand Sweet Song. ONLY SUSAN. MISTRESS MATCHETT'S MISTAKE. UNDER THE LABURNUMS. Crown 8vo. Illustrated, is. each. SIR VALENTINE'S VICTORY. SIR BENJAMIN'S BOUNTY. A PINK OF PERFECTION. PAT'S INHERITANCE. MY LADY BOUNTIFUL. MICHAEL'S TREASURES ; or, Choice Silvet MY GRANDMOTHER'S PICTURES. THREE LITTLE BROTHERS. MASTER MARTIN. , seek for g ladiei." By Susan W^ar ner Large crown 8vo, 2s. ; with gilt edges, 2$. 6A THE WIDE WIDE WORLD- MY DESIRE NOBODY. THE END OF A COIL, DIANA. STEPHEN, M.D. MELBOURNE HOUSE DAISY IN THE FIELU QUEECHY, WYCH HAZEL. By Susan and Anna Warnbr. THE GOLD OF CHICKAREE. A Sequel to " Wych Hazel' THE OLD HELMET. THE GOLDEN LADDER. By Susan and Anna Waenkk. A RED WALLFLOWER. DAISY PLAINa By L. T. Meade "Displays vivid conception of character, and clear, graphic description. The stoiy is full of incident and adventure."— Z.f/^rao' Churchman,, LADY ANNE. Extra crown 8vo. as. 6d. BLUE OF THE SEA. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d., 2s., and is. 6d. THE RED CAP OF LIBERTY. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d., 2s., and If. 6d. IN THE FLOWER OF HER YOUTH. Extra crorn 8vo. 2s. 6d. and 2s. CASTLE POVERTY. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. THE WITCH MAID. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. ; and plain, 2s. THE CLEVEREST WOMAN IN ENGLAND. Extra crown Svo. 2s. 6d. WHEELS OF IRON. Extra crown Svo. 2s. WAGES. Extra crown Svo. 2s. GOOD LUCK. With Illustrations by W. Lancb. Crown Svo. ii. 6peals very dehcatrly to their JSftS^SJatSS and introduces them to one youn^ girl at least who may ^e asTmodel o^ ideal to them. It is written .n a plcasmg sympathetic %\:fM" -ScoUman. READY. AYE READY is. 6d. . . . , "A charming story, which displays all this weU-known writer s knowledge of girls and their habits of mind."— 5w/J««a«. OLD UMBRELLAS ; or, CUrrie and her Mother, it. , ^ .. .•The book is bright and lively, and will be read with pleasure and profit. as in Coloured Books for Children Stories for Children, with many Coloured Illustrations. la Picture Boards, is. 1. PAT AND THE SPIDER. 2. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK MINGO. 3. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK QUIBBA. 4. THE STORY OF LITTLE DEGCHIE-HEAD. 5. OLD NURSERY RHYMES. Illustrated by Anne Batchelor. 7. LITTLE GOLDEN HAIR. The story of the Three Bears, By Anne Batchelor. 8. JANE. How Vain Jane became Plain Jane. By J. S. Templar. 9. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. By ANNE BATCHELOR. 10. LITTLE OLAF AND THE BEARS. By ARTHUR Craxford. 11. BILLY MOUSE. By Arthur Layard. 12. THE STORY OF THE TEASING MONKEY. 13. HARRIET HARE. By Arthur Layard. 14. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK QUASHA. 15. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK BOBTAIL. «4 n The Presentation Series t