The wings of time moved slowly and heavily along at Fort Chimo. Hope long deferred1, expectation frequently reviving and as often disappointed, crushed the spirits of the little party. The song, and jest, and laugh seldom sounded from the houses of the men, who went through their daily avocations3 almost in silence. Not only had the loss of Edith—the bright spirit of the place, the tender rosebud4 in that savage5 wilderness—cast an overwhelming gloom upon the fort, but the failure of the trade, to a great extent, had added to the general depression, and now fresh anxiety was beginning to be felt at the non-appearance of Frank Morton.
“Jessie,” said Stanley one day, as he rose from the desk at which he had been writing, and put on his cap with the intention of taking a stroll along the beach, “will you come with me today? I know not how it is, but every time I go out now I expect to hear the ship’s gun as it comes through the narrows.”
Mrs Stanley rose, and throwing on a shawl and hood6, accompanied her husband in silence.
“Perhaps,” she said at length, “you expect to hear the gun because the vessel7 ought to be here by this time.”
As she spoke8, La Roche came up and touched his cap. “Please, madame, vat9 you vill have pour dinner?”
“Whatever you please, La Roche. Repeat yesterday’s,” answered Mrs Stanley, with the air of one who did not wish to be troubled further on the subject. But La Roche was not to be so easily put down.
“Ah, madame! pardonnez moi. Dat is impossible. Ve have fresh fish yesterday, dere be no fresh fish to-day. More de pity. C’est dommage—dat Gaspard him gone away—”
La Roche was interrupted by a sudden exclamation10 from his master, who pointed2, while he gazed earnestly, towards the narrows of the river. It seemed as if the scene of last year were repeated in a vision. Against the dark rock appeared the white, triangular11 sail of a vessel. Slowly, like a phantom12, it came into view, for the wind was very light; while the three spectators on the beach gazed with beating hearts, scarcely daring to credit their eyes. In a few seconds another sail appeared—a schooner13 floated into view; a white cloud burst from her bows, and once again the long, silent echoes of Ungava were awakened14 by the roaring of artillery15. The men of the fort left their several employments and rushed to the beach to welcome the vessel with a cheer; but although it was heartfelt and vigorous, it was neither so prolonged nor so enthusiastic as it was on the first occasion of the ship’s arrival.
As the vessel dropped anchor opposite the fort, Frank Morton leaped on her bow, and along with the crew returned the cheer with a degree of energy that awakened memories of other days.
“There’s Frank!” cried Stanley, turning on his wife a glance of joy. “Bless the boy! It warms my heart to see him. He must have picked up some Indian woman by the way. I see the flutter of a petticoat.”
As he spoke, the boat pushed off from the vessel’s side, and a few rapid strokes sent it bounding towards the shore.
“Eh! what’s this?” exclaimed Stanley, as his wife broke from him, and with a wild shriek16 rushed into the lake.
The figure of a child stood on the boat’s bow, with her arms extended to the shore.
“Hurrah, lads! give way!” shouted Frank’s deep voice.
“Mother! mother!” cried the child.
In another moment Frank bounded over the boat’s side and placed Edith in her mother’s arms!
Reader, there are incidents in the histories of men which cannot be minutely described without being marred17. Such an one was the meeting between the father and mother and their long-lost child. We refrain from attempting to draw aside the curtain further than to say that the joy and gratitude18 in more than one heart at Ungava found vent19 that night in thanksgiving to Him who can bring light out of darkness and turn sorrow into joy.
The greater part of the day was spent at the fort in that feverish20 excitement which cannot calm down to steady conversation, but vents21 itself in eager, rambling22 questions and abrupt23 replies. Meanwhile, the necessity of discharging the cargo24 of the vessel, and preparing the furs for shipment, served to distract the attention and occupy the hands of the whole party.
As evening advanced, La Roche, true to his duty, placed supper on the table, and Stanley and his wife, along with Edith and Frank, while they partook of the meal, continued their inquiries25.
“Whereabouts was it, Frank, that you fell in with the boat?” said Stanley.
“Not more than five miles from the mouth of the river, at about six this morning. We observed the boat beset26 by a pretty solid pack of ice, and you may be sure we were not a little surprised when we saw the union Jack27 run up to her peak; so I ordered our boat to be lowered, intending to go to her assistance. While the men were doing this, I examined her with the glass, and then it was that I found, to my amazement28 and inexpressible joy, that the boat contained Prince, Gaspard, and Edith.”
“Ah! Frank,” said Mrs Stanley, “was it not a strange providence29 that you, who were so sad at being compelled to give up the search, should be the one appointed to find our beloved child, and bring her back to us?”
“Nay,” replied Frank, “it was not I who found her. Let me not rob Dick Prince and Gaspard of the honour and gratitude which they have nobly won.”
“And what do you think of the non-arrival of Maximus?” said Stanley, whose feelings were still too much perturbed30 to allow him to dwell for more than a few minutes at a time on any subject. Frank shook his head.
“I know not what to think,” said he. “As I have told you already, we left him at Moose Fort with his recovered bride, and we got the missionary31 to marry them there in due form. Next day they started in a small canoe on their return voyage to Ungava, and the day following I left for Lake Superior. I fully32 expected to find them here on my return.”
Stanley looked grave. “I fear much,” said he, “that some mischance has befallen the good-hearted Esquimau. He was well armed, you say, and amply supplied with provisions?”
“Ay, most certainly. He took two guns with him, saying that his wife was as good a shot as himself.”
“The men wish to know where the heavy goods are to be put,” said Massan, as he opened the door, and stood, cap in hand, awaiting orders.
Stanley rose to leave the room.
“I’ll be with you in a minute, Massan.—Then, Frank, we’ll expect an account of your journey to-night. Eda is very anxious that we should be told all about your wonderful adventures in the mountains. Meanwhile I shall be off to look after the men.”
When the sun had set that night, and the song of the sailors had ceased, and most of the wearied inhabitants of Fort Chimo were enjoying a fragrant33 pipe after the labours of the day, Frank and Stanley seated themselves, one on either side of the fire-place, with Mrs Stanley and Edith in front of the hearth34 between them. An extra pine-knot was thrown on the fire, which, in a few minutes, rendered the candle on the table unnecessary. Stanley lit his pipe, and after drawing one or two whiffs to make sure that it would keep alight, said,—“Now, Frank, my boy, we’re ready for you; fire away.”
Frank fired away, literally35, for he applied36 a piece of glowing charcoal37 to his pipe, and fired off half a dozen rapid puffs38 in reply, as it were, to his friend opposite. Then he began.
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1
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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2
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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3
avocations
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| n.业余爱好，嗜好( avocation的名词复数 )；职业 | |
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4
rosebud
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| n.蔷薇花蕾，妙龄少女 | |
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5
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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6
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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7
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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8
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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9
vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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10
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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11
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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12
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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13
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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14
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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15
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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16
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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17
marred
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| adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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18
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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19
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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20
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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21
vents
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| （气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩 | |
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22
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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23
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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24
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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25
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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26
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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27
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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28
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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29
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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30
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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32
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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33
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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34
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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35
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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36
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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37
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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38
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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