Nelly wept her eyes almost out of their sockets2 at first. Then she fell into a sort of apathetic3 state, in which, for several days, she went about her duties almost mechanically, feeling as if it were all a horrible dream, out of which she would soon awake, and find herself at home with her “darling mother” beside her. This passed, however, and she had another fit of heart-breaking sorrow, from which she found relief by recalling some of the passages in God’s Word, which her mother had taught her to repeat by heart; especially that verse in which it is said, “that Jesus is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother.” And this came to the poor child’s mind with peculiar4 power, because her own brother Roy was so kind, and took such pains to comfort her, and to enter into all her girlish feelings and sympathies, that she could scarcely imagine it possible for anyone to stick closer to her in all her distress5 than he did.
As for Roy, he was not given to the melting mood. His nature was bold and manly6. Whatever he felt, he kept it to himself, and he forgot more than half his own sorrow in his brotherly efforts to assuage7 that of Nelly.
Both of them were active and willing to oblige, so that they did not allow their grief to interfere8 with their work, a circumstance which induced their captors to treat them with forbearance, and even kindness. Nelly sobbed9 and worked; gradually, the sobbing10 decreased, and the work was carried on with vigour11, so that she soon became quite expert at skinning rabbits, boiling meat, embroidering12 mocassins, smoking deerskins, chopping firewood into small pieces, and many other details of Indian household economy; while Roy went out with the hunters, and became a very Nimrod, insomuch that he soon excelled all the lads of his own age, and many of those who were older, in the use of the bow, the snow-shoes, the spear, the axe13, and the gun. But all this, and what they did and said in the Indian camp during that winter, and what was said and done to them, we do not mean to write about, having matter of deeper interest to tell.
Winter passed away, and spring came. But little do those who dwell in England know of the enchantment14 of returning spring in the frozen wilderness15 of North America. The long, long winter, seems as though it would never pass away. The intense frost seals up all the sweet odours of the woods for so many months, that the nostrils16 become powerfully sensitive, and, as it were, yearn17 for something to smell. The skin gets so used to frost, that a balmy breeze is thought of as a thing of the past, or well-nigh forgotten.
Spring in those regions comes suddenly. It came on our wanderers with a gush18. One night the temperature rose high above the freezing point; next day all the sights and sounds of Nature’s great awakening19 were in full play. The air fanned their cheeks like a summer breeze; the strange unwonted sound of tinkling21 and dropping water was heard; scents22, as of green things, were met and inhaled23 greedily. As the thirsty Bedouin drinks from the well in the oasis24, so did Roy and Nelly drink in the delicious influences of melting nature. And they thought of those words which say, that the wilderness shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. The rejoicing had commenced, the blossoming would soon follow.
But warlike and wicked men were even then preparing to desecrate25 the beautiful land. A war-party of enemies had come down upon the tribe with whom they dwelt. Scouts26 had brought in the news. All was commotion27 and excitement in the camp. Goods and chattels28 were being packed up. The women and children were to be sent off with these, under an escort, to a place of greater security, while the Braves armed for the fight.
In the middle of all the confusion, Roy took Nelly aside, and, with a look of mystery, said—
“Nell, dear, I’m goin’ to run away. Stay, now, don’t stare so like an owl29, but hold your sweet tongue until I have explained what I mean to do. You and I have picked up a good deal of useful knowledge of one sort or another since we came here, and I’m inclined to think we are quite fit to take to the woods and work our way back to Fort Enterprise.”
“But isn’t it an awful long way?” said Nelly.
“It is, but we have an awful long time to travel; haven’t we all our lives before us? If our lives are long, we’ll manage it; if they are short, why, we won’t want to manage it, so we need not bother our heads about that?”
“But the way home,” suggested Nelly, “do you know it?”
“Of course I know it; that is to say, I know, from that ugly thief Hawk30, that it lies somewhere or other to the south-west o’ this place, some hundreds of miles off; how many hundreds does not much matter, for we have got the whole of the spring, summer, and fall before us.”
“But what if we don’t get home in the fall?”
“Then we shall spend the winter in the woods, that’s all.”
Nelly laughed, in spite of her anxieties, at the confident tone in which her brother spoke31; and, being quite unable to argue the matter farther, she said that she was ready to do whatever Roy pleased, having perfect confidence in his wisdom.
“That’s right, Nell; now, you get ready to start at a moment’s notice. When the Injuns attack the camp, we’ll give ’em the slip. Put all you want to take with you on a toboggan, (see note 1) and meet me at the crooked32 tree when the camp moves.”
That night the camp was struck, and the women and children departed, under a strong escort. Almost at the same time the enemy came down on their prey33, but they met men prepared for them. In the dark, Nelly crept to the crooked tree, dragging the toboggan after her. She was met by Roy, who took the sledge34-line and her hand and led her into the dark forest, while the savages35 were fighting and yelling like fiends in the camp. There let us leave them to fight it out. Enough for us to know that their warfare36 prevented any pursuit of the young fugitives37.
Weeks passed, and Roy and Nelly wandered on; all fear of pursuit soon left them. Ducks, geese, and other waterfowl, came in myriads39 with the spring. Roy had brought with him his gun (the one he was wont20 to use in hunting), and bow and quiver. They fed on the fat of the land. Summer advanced, and game became less plentiful40; still, there was more than sufficient to supply them with abundance of food. Autumn approached; the wild fowl38 that had passed northward41 in spring, began to return southward, and again the wants of the young wanderers were superabundantly supplied.
The pole-star was Roy’s guide. At night he laid his course by it; and by the sun during the day, making constant allowance, of course, for the sun’s rate of travelling through the sky, and taking advantage of all prominent landmarks42 on the way.
Time sped on; many weary miles were travelled, but no sign of Fort Enterprise was to be seen. Day after day, week after week, month after month they wandered, and still found themselves in the heart of an unknown wilderness. Occasionally they observed signs of Indians, and carefully kept out of sight at such times, as you may easily believe.
At last there came a day when hard frost set in. It was the first touch of another winter. Roy and Nelly did not betray their feelings to each other, but their hearts sank as they thought of what lay before them. The frost was short-lived, however; towards noon the air became delightfully43 warm, and their spirits revived.
On reaching the summit of an eminence44, up which they had toiled45 for several hours, they beheld46 a small lake, in which the silvery clouds were clearly reflected. The day was calm; the sun unusually brilliant; the autumnal foliage47 most gorgeous in colour. It was like a scene in fairy-land!
“Splendid!” exclaimed Roy, sitting down beside his sister on the trunk of a fallen tree.
“Oh! how beautiful,” cried Nelly.
“It’s so like silver,” said Roy.
“Silver Lake,” murmured Nelly.
Roy seemed to think the name appropriate, for he echoed the words, “Yes, Silver Lake.” And there brother and sister sat, for a long time, on the fallen tree, in silent admiration48 of the scene.
Note 1. A small Indian sledge, dragged on the snow, either by hand or by dog with loops at the sides for lashing49 the loading of the sledge upon it.
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1
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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apathetic
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| adj.冷漠的，无动于衷的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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assuage
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| v.缓和，减轻，镇定 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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9
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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11
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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12
embroidering
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| v.（在织物上）绣花( embroider的现在分词 )；刺绣；对…加以渲染（或修饰）；给…添枝加叶 | |
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13
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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15
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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16
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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yearn
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| v.想念；怀念；渴望 | |
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gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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oasis
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| n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方 | |
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desecrate
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| v.供俗用，亵渎，污辱 | |
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26
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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27
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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29
owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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30
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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31
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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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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36
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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38
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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39
myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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40
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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41
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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42
landmarks
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| n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址） | |
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43
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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45
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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46
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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47
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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48
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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49
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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