the snow was driving through the forests and over the plains of the north american wilderness; the wind was shrieking among the tree-tops, and whirling the drift in great clouds high up into the frosty air; and the sun was setting in a glow of fiery red, when, on the last day of the year, robin gore and his followers came to an abrupt halt, and, with one consent, admitted that “the thing was impossible.”
“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 almighty for that.”
the whole party was astir immediately, and that feeling of kindly brotherhood which usually pervades the hearts of men on the first day of a new year, induced them to shake hands heartily 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 fatigue 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 ridge, 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 jocose, and hearty, 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 kinsman 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 voracity.
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 vent to this sentiment, jeff finished his meal with a prolonged draught 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 reptiles.”
“they’re friendly,” observed one of jeff’s friends, as they stood at the fort gate; “enemies never come on in that straightforward fashion.”
“not so sure o’ that,” said jeff. “i’ve seen redskins do somethin’ o’ that kind when they meant mischief; 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, manly, 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 spoke, another loud cheer burst forth, and in a few seconds nelly was locked once more in her dear mother’s arms.
