"I dare say he and John are out together somewhere," observed Henry, who, with Martin, had come in before Alfred.
"Well, he will lose his dinner," said Mrs. Campbell.
"That"s what I can not afford to do, mother," said Alfred; "I am very hungry, and I have not more than five minutes to spare, for the seed must be put in to-night."
"I thought Malachi was with you, Alfred," said Mr. Campbell.
"So he was, father," replied Alfred; "but he left me. Now, mother, please to give me my dinner."
Alfred ate fast, and then rose from the table, and went away from the house. The horse was all ready, and he mounted and rode off for the fort, telling Malachi that his father and mother thought John was with him; and that, therefore, he had better not go in to dinner, but keep out of the way.
"Yes, sir, that will be best, and then they can ask no questions. Be quick, sir, for I am not at all easy about the boy."
Their plans, however, to conceal the danger of John did not succeed; for Mrs. Campbell, after the loss of poor little Percival, had become more than ever solicitous about John, and, a minute or two after Alfred had left the house, she rose from the table, and went to the door, to see if she could perceive Malachi and John coming in. As it happened, Alfred had just set off in a gallop, and she saw him, as well as Malachi standing by himself and watching Alfred"s departure. The very circ.u.mstance of Alfred"s mysterious departure alarmed her. He had never said that he was going to the fort, and that John was not with Malachi was certain. She went into the cottage, and, sinking back in her chair, exclaimed--"Some accident has happened to John!"
"Why should you say so, my dear?" said Mr. Campbell.
"I"m sure of it," replied Mrs. Campbell, bursting into tears. "Alfred is riding away to the fort. Malachi is standing by himself outside. What can it be?"
Mr. Campbell and all the others ran out immediately, except Mary Percival, who went to Mrs. Campbell. Mr. Campbell beckoned to Emma, and from her obtained the real state of the case.
"It will be better to tell her at once," said Mr. Campbell, who then went to his wife, telling her that John was adrift, and that Alfred had ridden to the fort to pick him up in one of the _bateaux_, but there was no danger to be apprehended.
"Why should they conceal it, if there was no danger, Campbell?" replied his wife. "Yes; there must be danger now the water is so rough. My child, am I to lose you as well as my poor Percival!" continued Mrs.
Campbell, again sobbing.
Every attempt was made to console her and a.s.suage her fears, but with indifferent success, and the afternoon of this day was pa.s.sed in great concern by all, and in an extreme state of nervous anxiety on the part of Mrs. Campbell. Toward the evening, Alfred was seen returning on horseback at full speed. The whole of the family were out watching his arrival, with beating hearts; poor Mrs. Campbell in almost a fainting state. Alfred perceived them long before he had crossed the prairie, and waved his hat in token of good tidings.
"All"s well, depend upon it, my dear," said Mr. Campbell. "Alfred would not wave his hat if there was any disaster."
"I must have it from his own mouth," said Mrs. Campbell, almost breathless.
"Safe?" cried out Martin to Alfred, as he approached.
"Safe, quite safe!" cried Alfred, in return.
"Thank Heaven!" cried Mrs. Campbell, in a low voice, clasping her hands in grat.i.tude.
Alfred leaped off his saddle, and hastened to communicate the news.
John, trusting too much to his own powers, had gone out in the punt, and soon found out that he could not manage it in so strong a wind. He attempted to get back to the beach, but was unsuccessful, and had, as we have said, been carried away by the wind and current down toward the rapids; but it so happened, that before Alfred had arrived at the fort, Captain Sinclair had observed the punt adrift, and, by the aid of a telescope, ascertained that John was in it, exerting himself very vigorously, but to no purpose. Captain Sinclair, having reported to the commandant and obtained permission, had launched one of the _bateaux_, manned by the soldiers, and had brought John and the punt on sh.o.r.e, about four miles below the fort, and not until they had arrived in the strong current of the rapids, which in another hour would have, in all probability, proved fatal. Alfred, from the fort, had seen Captain Sinclair gain the sh.o.r.e, with John and the punt in tow, and, as soon as he was satisfied of his brother"s safety, had ridden back as fast as he could, to communicate it. This intelligence gave them all great delight, and now that they knew that John was safe, they waited his return with patience. Captain Sinclair arrived, with John behind him, on horseback, about two hours afterward, and was gladly welcomed.
"Indeed, Captain Sinclair, we are under great obligations to you. Had you not been so active, the boy might have been lost," said Mrs.
Campbell. "Accept my best thanks."
"And mine," said Mary, extending her hand to him.
"John, you have frightened me very much," said Mrs. Campbell; "how could you be so imprudent as to go on the lake in such a high wind? See, what a narrow escape you have had."
"I should have been at Montreal to-morrow morning," said John, laughing.
"No, never; you would have been upset in the rapids long before you could get to Montreal."
"Well, mother, I can swim," replied John.
"You naughty boy, nothing will make you afraid."
"Well, ma"am, it"s a good fault, that of having confidence in yourself, so don"t check it too much," replied Malachi. "It saves many a man who would otherwise be lost."
"That"s very true, Malachi," observed Alfred; "so, now that he is safe back, we won"t scold John any more. He will know better than to go out in such rough weather again."
"To be sure I shall," said John; "I don"t _want_ to go down the rapids."
"Well, I"m glad to hear you say that," replied Mrs. Campbell.
Captain Sinclair remained with them that night. Before daylight, the family were alarmed by the report of a gun, and it was immediately supposed that some attack had been made on the lodge occupied by Malachi, Martin, and his wife. Captain Sinclair, Alfred, and John sprang out of bed, and were clothed in a minute. As soon as they had armed themselves, they opened the door cautiously, and, looking well round, went through the pa.s.sage to the sheep-fold where the lodge was built.
Every thing, however, appeared to be quiet, and Alfred knocked at the door. Malachi answered to the inquiry, "What is the matter?"
"We heard the report of a gun close to the house just now, and we thought something might have happened."
"Oh!" cried Malachi, laughing, "is that all? Then you may all go to bed again. It"s my trap for the bear--nothing more. I forgot to tell you last night."
"Well, as we are up, we may as well go and see," said Alfred; "the day is breaking."
"Well, sir, I am ready," said Malachi, coming out with his deer-skin jacket in one hand and his rifle in the other.
They walked to the maize-field on the other side of the river, and found that the trap had been successful, for a large bear lay dead at the foot of the snake-fence.
"Yes, sir, I"ve got him," said Malachi.
"But what was the trap?" said Henry.
"You see, sir, I tracked the brute over the rails by his broad foot-mark, and as I knew he would come the same way, I fixed the rifle with a wire to the trigger, so that, as he climbed up, he must touch the wire with his fore-paws, and the muzzle, pointed a little downward, would then about reach his heart when the gun went off. You see, sir, it has happened just as I wished it, and there"s another good skin for Montreal."
"It is a she-bear," said Martin, who had joined them, "and she has cubs; they can"t be far off."
"That"s true," replied Malachi; "so now you had better all go back again. Martin and I will hide, and I"ll answer for it, in an hour, we will bring the cubs home with us."
The rest of the party returned to the house. The Strawberry had already made known to Mr. and Mrs. Campbell the cause of the report. About an hour before breakfast, Malachi and Martin came in, each with a cub of a few weeks old. The little animals had come in the track of the mother in search of her, and were pawing the dead body, as if trying to awaken her, when Malachi and Martin secured them.
"What a charming pet," said Emma; "I will rear it for myself."
"And I"ll have the other," said John.
No objection was raised to this, except that Mr. Campbell observed, that if they became troublesome as they grew up, they must be parted with, which was agreed to. Emma and John took possession of their pets, and fed them with milk, and in a few days they became very tame; one being chained up near the house, and the other at Malachi"s lodge. They soon grew very playful and very amusing little animals, and the dogs became used to them, and never attempted to hurt them; indeed, very often Oscar and the bear would be seen rolling about together, the best friends in the world. But in a few months they became too large for pets, and too troublesome, so one was dispatched by a _bateau_ going to Montreal, as a present to Mr. Emmerson, and the other was taken to the fort by Captain Sinclair, and became a great favorite of the soldiers.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI.