“We can’t do it, boys,” said Robin, resting his rifle against a tree; “so it’s o’ no use to try. The Fort is good ten miles off, an’ the children are dead beat—”
“No they ain’t,” interrupted Roy, whose tone and aspect, however, proved that his father’s statement was true; “at least I’m not beat yet—I’m game for two or three hours more.”
“Well, lad, p’raps ye are, but Nelly ain’t; so we’ll camp here, an’ take ’em by surprise in the morning early.”
Nelly, who had been carried on the backs of those who had broadest shoulders during the last dozen miles, smiled faintly when spoken to, and said she was “ve–y s’eepy!”
So they set to work in the usual style, and were soon comfortably seated in their snowy encampment.
Next morning before dawn Robin awoke them.
“Ho!” he cried, “get up, lads, look alive! A happy New Year to ’ee all, young an’ old, red an’ white. Kiss me, Nell, dear—a shake o’ yer paw, Roy. An’ it’s a good New Year’s day, too, in more ways than one, praise the Almighty9 for that.”
The whole party was astir immediately, and that feeling of kindly10 brotherhood11 which usually pervades12 the hearts of men on the first day of a new year, induced them to shake hands heartily13 all round.
“You’ll eat your New Year’s dinner at home, after all,” said Walter to Nelly.
“Sure, an’ it’s a happy ’ooman yer mother’ll be this good day,” said Larry, as he stirred up the embers of the fire, and blew them into a flame.
The kettle was boiled, and a good breakfast eaten, because, although it is usually the custom for hunters to start on their day’s journey, and accomplish a good many miles of it before breakfast, they had consideration for Roy and Nelly, both of whom were still suffering a little from the fatigue14 of the previous day. They hoped to be at Fort Enterprise in about four hours, and were anxious to arrive fresh.
The sun was rising when they reached the top of a ridge15, whence they could obtain a distant view of the Fort.
“Here we are at home, Nelly,” said Robin, stooping down to kiss his child on the forehead.
“Darling, darling mother!” was all that poor Nelly could say, as she tried in vain to see the Fort though the tears which sprang to her eyes.
“Don’t you see it, Nell?” said Roy, passing his arm round his sister’s waist.
“No, I don’t,” cried Nelly, brushing the tears away; “oh, do let us go on!”
Robin patted her on the had, and at once resumed the march.
That morning Mrs Gore rose from her bed about the saddest woman in the land. Her mind flew back to the last New Year’s day, when her children were lost to her, as she feared, for ever. The very fact that people are usually more jocose16, and hearty17, and happy, on the first day of the year, was sufficient to make her more sorrowful than usual; so she got up and sighed, and then, not being a woman of great self-restraint, she wept.
In a few minutes she dried her eyes, and took up her Bible, and, as she read its blessed pages, she felt comfort—such as the world can neither give nor take away—gradually stealing over her soul. When she met her kinsman18 and his friends at breakfast she was comparatively cheerful, and returned their hearty salutation with some show of a reciprocal spirit.
“Jeff,” said Mrs Gore, with a slight sigh, “it’s a year, this day, since my two darlings were lost in the snow.”
“D’ye say so?” observed Jeff, as he sat down to his morning meal, and commenced eating with much voracity19.
Jeff was not an unkind man, but he was very stupid. He said nothing more for some time, but, after consuming nearly a pound of venison steak, he observed suddenly—
“Wall, I guess it wor a bad business that—worn’t it, missus?”
“It was,” responded Mrs Gore; and, feeling that she had no hope of meeting with sympathy from Jeff, she relapsed into silence. After a time, she said—
“But we must get up a feast, Jeff. It won’t do to let New Year’s day pass without a good dinner.”
“That’s true as gosp’l,” said Jeff. “Feed up is my motto, always. It don’t much matter wot turns up, if ye don’t feed up yer fit for nothin’; but, contrairy-wise, if ye do feed up, why yer ready for anythin’ or nothin’, as the case may be.”
Having given vent20 to this sentiment, Jeff finished his meal with a prolonged draught21 of tea.
“Wall, now,” said he, filling his pipe, “we’ve got enough o’ deer’s meat an’ other things to make a pretty fair feast, missus, but my comrades and we will go an’ try to git somethin’ fresh for dinner. If we git nothin’ else we’ll git a appetite and that’s worth a good long march any day; so, lads, if—”
Jeff’s speech was interrupted here by a sudden and tremendous outburst of barking on the part of the dogs of the establishment. He sprang up and hastened to the door, followed by his companions and Mrs Gore.
“Injuns, mayhap; see to your guns, boys, we can niver be sure o’ the reptiles22.”
“They’re friendly,” observed one of Jeff’s friends, as they stood at the Fort gate; “enemies never come on in that straightforward23 fashion.”
“Not so sure o’ that,” said Jeff. “I’ve seen redskins do somethin’ o’ that kind when they meant mischief24; but, if my eyes ain’t telling lies, I’d say there were white men there.”
“Ay, an’ young folk, too,” remarked one of the others.
“Young folk!” exclaimed Mrs Gore, as she shaded her eyes from the sun with her hand, and gazed earnestly at the band which was approaching.
Suddenly one of them ran a little in advance of the rest, and waved a handkerchief. The figure was a small one. A faint cheer was heard in the distance. It was followed, or rather accompanied, by a loud, manly25, and well-known shout.
Mrs Gore grew pale, and would have fallen to the ground had not Jeff caught and supported her.
“Why, I do declare it’s Robin—an’—eh! if there beant the children wi’ ’im!”
The advancing party broke into a run as he spoke8, another loud cheer burst forth26, and in a few seconds Nelly was locked once more in her dear mother’s arms.
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1
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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2
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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3
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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4
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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6
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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7
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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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
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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10
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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11
brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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12
pervades
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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14
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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15
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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16
jocose
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| adj.开玩笑的，滑稽的 | |
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17
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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18
kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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19
voracity
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| n.贪食，贪婪 | |
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20
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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21
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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22
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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23
straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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24
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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25
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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26
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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