CHAPTER XXXIII.
A CONVIVIAL MORNING.
It must have been an hour past midnight when we broke from the forestinto the clearing, and as we strode across toward the stockade we notedwith relief that all was still and peaceful. Malcolm Cameron greeted usat the gate, and we passed on to receive a hearty welcome at the house.With the exception of Pemecan, our comrades were all awake, sprawledabout a blazing tire, and at sight of the meat we carried they set up agreat shout.
"Hush! you will rouse Miss Hatherton!" said I, for I saw that she hadretired.
However, I doubt if she had slept a wink; and no sooner was there a lullin the conversation than she called from the little room adjoining, in ahesitating voice:
"Have you returned, Denzil?"
"Yes," I replied. "I am back, safe and sound, and with a fat deer forbreakfast. But go to sleep at once; it is very late."
"I will," Flora answered. "Good-night, Denzil."
"Good-night," I responded, and then my face grew hot as I saw CaptainRudstone regarding me with half-veiled amusement.
"You are a lucky chap, Carew," he said; "but you have well earned yourhappiness."
I never quite knew how to take the captain's words, so I merely noddedin reply. We were all sleepy, and without delay we completed thepreparations for the night. Two men were chosen for sentry duty at thegate--Luke Hutter and Baptiste, and the latter at once relievedCameron and sent him in. Carteret and I had a look about the inclosure,and then, after putting a great beam on the fire, we rolled ourselves inour blankets and laid down beside our companions.
I must have fallen asleep as soon as my eyes closed, for I rememberednothing until I was roused by a hand on my shoulder. Luke Hutter wasstanding over me, and from head to foot he was thickly coated with snow.The gray light of dawn glimmered behind the frosted windows, and I hearda hoarse whistling noise. The fire was blazing cheerily, forBaptiste had replenished it when he came off duty. Several of the menwere stirring; the others were sound asleep.
"A bad day to travel, Mr. Carew," said Hutter.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
For answer he led me to the door, and as he opened it a fine cloud ofsnow whirled into the room. I cried out with astonishment, for one ofthose rapid changes of weather so common in northern latitudes had takenplace during the night. A storm of wind and snow, much like a blizzard,was raging violently. The cold was intense, and it was impossible to seemore than a yard or two in front of one's face.
"It began several hours ago," said Hutter, "and it is good to last untilnight. If we set out for Fort Charter we shall lose our way, sir, andperhaps become exhausted and freeze to death."
I agreed with Hutter, and after some reflection I hit upon a plan thatafforded me no little pleasure. My companions were by this time awakeand up, and I called their attention to the storm. As to the danger andimpossibility of proceeding on our journey, they were all of one mind.
"We need a rest," said I, "and here is a chance to take it, with a bitof recreation and enjoyment thrown in. There is not the slightest riskof an attack by Indians. We can spare a day, and we have snug quartersand enough to eat. The storm will doubtless abate by to-morrow morning,and then we will push on. What do you say, men?"
They assented readily, even with enthusiasm, and I saw that they enteredfully into the spirit which had prompted me to make the proposal.
"I'm thinking it will be like old times," said Cameron. "It was a happylife at Fort Royal, on the whole, sir. There's one thing we'll belacking for the day's pleasure--a stiff glass of grog all round."
"We'll manage to get along without it," I replied. "And now let's finishup the work; there is plenty to do."
First of all we made a kettleful of warm water by melting snow, and Ihanded a pannikin of it in to Flora, whom I had heard stirring for sometime. She bade me a sweet good-morning, and showed me a glimpse of herpretty face round the corner of the door. Then some of us began toprepare breakfast--we had found an ample supply of dish ware in thefort--and others demolished a part of the stockade and brought thetimbers in for fuel. Captain Rudstone and I busied ourselves by makingthe crevices of the door and windows secure against wind and siftingsnow. For once we dispensed with sentry duty, thinking it to beunnecessary.
As breakfast was ready to be served, Flora tripped out of her littleroom looking radiantly beautiful. When she learned that we were to stopat the fort that day her eyes glowed with pleasure, and what I read inthem set my heart beating fast. Seated about the fire on benches andrickety stools, we attacked the delicious slices of venison, thesteaming coffee, and the crisp cakes of cornmeal. Then, the disheswashed and the room tidied a bit, we heaped the fire high and settledourselves for a long morning. Outside the wind howled and the whirlingsnow darkened the air; inside was warmth and cheer and comfort.
Looking back to that day over the gulf of years, I can recall fewoccasions of keener enjoyment. The security and comfort were in suchstrong contrast to what we had lately suffered, that we abandonedourselves wholly to the pleasure of the passing moment. We forgot thetragedies and sufferings that lay behind us, and gave no thought to whatthe uncertain future might hold in store. For me the horizon wasunclouded. Flora was by my side, and I looked forward to soon callingher my wife.
Luckily, we had plenty of tobacco, and wreaths of fragrant smoke curledfrom blackened pipes. Baptiste and Carteret sang the dialect songs ofthe wilderness; Duncan Forbes amused us with what he called a Highlandfling, and Pemecan, to the accompaniment of outlandish chanting, dancedan Indian war-dance. Captain Rudstone and Christopher Burley, who wererarely anything but quiet and reserved, showed us sides of theircharacters that we had not suspected before; they clapped their handsand joined in the laughter and merriment. And in Flora's unfeignedhappiness and light spirits I took my greatest enjoyment.
"Comrade, it's your turn," said Forbes, addressing old Malcolm Cameron."Maybe you'll be giving us your imitation of the skirl of the bagpipes."
"Man, it's too dry work," Cameron replied. "If I had a wee drop ofliquor--But it's no use asking for that."
"By the way, Carew," said Captain Rudstone, "as I was overhauling thatheap of rubbish in the cellar this morning, I pulled out a small cask.Could it contain anything drinkable?"
I was on my feet like a shot.
"Come; we'll see!" I cried. "Lead the way!"
I followed the captain to the cellar and we found the cask. I quicklybroached it, and to my delight it, contained what I had scarcelyventured to hope for--a fine old port wine.
"Where did it come from?" asked the captain, smacking his lips.
"My father used to have it sent to him from England," I replied, "andthis cask must have been mislaid and covered up."
"Your father?" muttered the captain: and he gave me one of those strangelooks that had so mystified me in the past.
"Yes, he was a judge of wine, I believe," I answered. "Come, we'll goup. Cameron can wet his whistle now, and we'll all be the better for alittle sound port."
When we returned to our companions with the cask, and told them what itheld, they gave us an eager and noisy welcome. We rummaged about untilwe found a sufficient number of cracked glasses and cups, and then wefilled them with the fragrant, ruddy beverage.
"Miss Hatherton shall drink first," said I, as I sat down beside her andhanded her a glass.
My own I held up with a little nod, and she partly understood me. Such aroguish look twinkled in her eyes that I carried out my purpose.
"Attention!" I cried, standing up. "A toast, comrades! to my promisedwife!"
With an earnestness that I liked, the men drank, one and all, and Florasmiled very prettily through her confusion and blushes.
"Ah, she's a bonnie lady," old Malcolm Cameron said bluntly.
"And with the spirit of a man," added Luke Hutter.
I acknowledged these compliments with a bow as I sat down. Most of thedrinking vessels were emptied and passed
to Carteret to be filled. Thatdone, at a sign from me he carried the cask to a closet at the otherside of the room. Some of the men were bibulously inclined, and forFlora's sake I had to be cautious.
Of a sudden Captain Rudstone rose, his handsome, stern face almosttransformed by an expression of genial good will.
"Mr. Carew," he began, "on such an occasion as this I feel that I mustsay a word. Indeed you have won a prize. 'Tis an old proverb that a manmarried is a man marred, but in you I see an exception. Were I a fewyears younger I should have ventured to enter the lists against you. Ihave knocked about the world, and I can pay Miss Hatherton no highercompliment than to say that she is equally fitted to be queen of aLondon drawing room or mistress of a factor's humble house. But enough.I wish you every prosperity and happiness, and a long career in theservice of the company."
The captain was evidently sincere, and I had never liked him so well asnow, though I must confess that I felt a spark of jealousy when Floramade him a smiling courtesy.
He was no sooner down in his seat than Christopher Burley stood up. Thelaw clerk's face was flushed, and his eyes had an unwonted sparkle. Hehad drunk but two glasses of port, yet he was a different man to lookat.
"Mr. Carew and Miss Hatherton, my compliments," he said. "I shall thinkof this convivial gathering when I am back in London--in that crowded,bustling heart of the world, and I hope some day to have the pleasure ofseeing you there--of seeing all of you, my friends. I will take you tomy favorite haunt, the Cheshire Cheese, in Fleet Street, where the greatand learned Dr. Johnson was wont to foregather. But I have much to dobefore I can return to England. The task that brought me to thisbarbarous country--this land of snow and ice--is of a most peculiar anddifficult nature. I will take the present opportunity to inquire--"
"Enough!" suddenly interrupted Captain Rudstone in a harsh voice. "Yourtongue is rambling sir. I am doing you a service by requesting you tosit down."
"Sir, do you mean to insinuate--" began Christopher Burley.
But at that instant voices were heard outside and the door was thrownopen.
The Cryptogram: A Story of Northwest Canada Page 33