/
 
 In The 
 
 n
 
 "Tlu- wolf's tfi-tli clutched the yoiin^ man's leg" 

 
 In The Va 
 
 n 
 
 Or 
 "The Builders" 
 
 B Y 
 
 PRICE- BROWN 
 
 (ERIC BOHN ) 
 Author of " How Hart man Won," Etc. 
 
 Illustrated by 
 F. H. BRIGDEN, O.S.4. 
 
 Toronto 
 
 McLeod & Allen 
 
 Publishers
 
 Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in 
 
 the year one thousand nine hundred and six, at 
 
 the Department of Agriculture, by 
 
 PRICE -BROWN, 
 
 Toronto. 
 
 The Hunter. Rose Company. Limited. Toronto
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 'The wolf's teeth clutched the young man's leg" Frontispiece 
 'Thank you very much!" exclaimed Harold . 'opp. page 80 
 'Strangers and yet not strangers" . . . 192 
 
 'That'll be our new home, sweetheart" . . " 272 
 
 2137806
 
 IN THE VAN 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Ye Builders, true on land and lake 
 
 To name and Nation's glory, 
 Though time has left you in its wake, 
 
 Your stress must tell its story. 
 
 HAROLD MANNING: wilt thou have 
 this woman to thy wedded wife, to 
 live together after God's ordinance, 
 in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou 
 love her, honor and keep her in sickness and 
 in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee 
 only unto her as long as ye both shall live?" 
 rang out in clear, solemn tones throughout the 
 little chapel of the Abbey on that still Novem- 
 ber morning. 
 
 "I will," came the answer. The few who 
 were j present heard the words with a thrill. 
 They knew in his case how much they meant. 
 "Helen Brandon: Wilt thou have this man 
 to thy wedded husband, to live together after 
 God's ordinance, in the holy estate of matri- 
 mony? Wilt thou obey him and serve him, 
 love, honor, and keep him in sickness and 
 in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee 
 only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?" 
 I will," was again the response, issuing 
 sweetly but firmly from lips that would not
 
 2 IN THE VAN 
 
 tremble, although the tone brought tears to 
 more than one pair of eyes fixed upon her as 
 she spoke. 
 
 The ceremony and congratulations were 
 soon over. Then the bride, on the arm of 
 her husband, led the way down the aisle, 
 while the tones of the Wedding March filled 
 Grand Old Westminster to its furthest limits. 
 
 November days in London have not chang- 
 ed much in a century of years, although 
 perhaps the opacity of the air was more pene- 
 trating in 1813 than it is to-day; for when 
 the bridal party passed through the Abbey 
 archway to the street, the mist of the early 
 morning had developed into a dense fog, 
 rapidly closing over the city. Hence, the 
 coachmen had to pilot the way to almost 
 invisible carriages, and then lead their horses 
 in a tramp of several miles over the return 
 journey, through almost deserted streets. 
 
 "My darling, mine at last," whispered the 
 young man as he clasped his bride in his arms 
 under cover of the closed carriage and dense 
 atmosphere. 
 
 "Yes, Harold, yours forever," was the 
 response; and with their first long kiss they 
 sealed their marriage vows. 
 
 'Too bad to need such a wedding-day as 
 this!" he exclaimed, looking fondly into her 
 eyes, and then through the carriage window 
 into the opaque street. 
 
 "And yet how fortunate that it is so," she 
 answered with a little ripple of laughter.
 
 IN THE VAN 3 
 
 "My sweet philosopher! Once in the Ab- 
 bey, I never thought of it again." 
 
 "But I did. I looked all round and there 
 was not a single visitor, only our own party, 
 the clergyman, the organist, and the little, 
 old-fashioned clerk." 
 
 "Pon my word, Helen, I don't believe I 
 saw anyone but you, from the moment we 
 went in until we came out again." 
 
 ; 'You dear old boy! I suppose it was 
 love that kept my eyes open to other things. 
 Do you know I was actually glad to see the 
 mist to-day, much as I dislike it." 
 
 ; 'Yes, and after all it has been our friend. 
 Everything seems to have favored us. Even 
 the fog helped to keep our secret." 
 
 "Where did you say you had the Banns 
 published, Harold?" she asked, leaning her 
 nead against his shoulder. 
 
 "At a little village ten miles out of London, 
 a place I never heard of before." 
 
 "All the better for us. But now that we 
 are actually married you won't need to keep 
 the secret much longer, will you, dearest? ' 
 she asked, casting a glance from her big 
 brown eyes up to his face. 
 
 "Not a moment longer than I can help, 
 darling. You know Sir George Head is my 
 new commanding officer; and I want him 
 to hear the news first from me." 
 
 "And what will he say?" 
 
 "As I told you before, Helen, he won't 
 like it. There may be no written law, but
 
 * IN THE VAN 
 
 there's an unwritten one in the army, that no 
 officer can marry without his superior officer's 
 consent, particularly if he has oeen off duty 
 as long as I have. Still, that terrible wound 
 I got at Badajos is in my favor; and he can't 
 turn me off, whatever else he does." 
 
 "But he might make it very uncomfort- 
 able for you, Harold." 
 
 "Yes, and he can refuse to sanction your 
 going with me to Canada." 
 
 'That's the worst part of it, dearest! 
 How can a wife love, honor and serve her 
 husband, and keep him in sickness and in 
 health, if she can't live with him?" she 
 exclaimed, while blushes danced playfully 
 over the dark beauty of her face. 
 
 "You are the dearest girl that ever lived," 
 he cried, throwing his arms around her and 
 pressing her again to his heart. I shall do 
 my best with the Colonel; and will see him 
 ,as soon as I can. Perhaps I should have 
 spoken to him first; but if I had he would 
 have forbidden our wedding, and to have 
 married after that would have been direct 
 insubordination." 
 
 "Won't he think so as it is ?" 
 
 "Perhaps. Still I am willing to run the 
 risk; and I wanted to have you as my wife, 
 whether I could take you or not. I'm afraid 
 I'm a selfish fellow, Helen, and not by any 
 means worthy of you." 
 
 "Why, Harold! What a way of speaking 
 just after our marriage, too!"
 
 IN THE VAN 5 
 
 "Forgive me, dearest! I didn't mean any- 
 thing, but that I love you so much, that I 
 almost tremble at the responsibility we have 
 undertaken." 
 
 "Is that a brave front for a soldier?" 
 exclaimed Helen, with flashing eye. 
 
 "I would dare anything for myself, Helen; 
 but it is of you I was thinking. To leave 
 you behind with no one but your uncle and 
 aunt to care for you when we sail, and per- 
 haps not come back for years, seems more 
 than I can bear." 
 
 "If we have to we must, though," she 
 exclaimed, cuddling closer. "Then I will 
 stay home and wait and watch and pray for 
 the dearest one in all the world to me; and 
 think of Penetang. Isn't that the name of 
 the place ? and long for the day that I can 
 be with my husband again." 
 
 "What a noble girl you are!" 
 
 "I'm a soldier's daughter"; and she looked 
 up proudly, although a tear was in her eye. 
 
 ''Yes, and your brave father was shot in 
 the heart while leading his men to victory." 
 
 "And come what will, his daughter shall 
 never disgrace his name. Victory will yet 
 be ours!" she said courageously. 
 
 "God grant it," was his response. 
 
 For some moments both had solemn faces, 
 while with gentle pressure they held each 
 other's hands. 
 
 "I am not without hope," Harold continued 
 at last. "Sir George may be angry at first,
 
 6 IN THE VAN 
 
 and I can't blame him for that. He'll raise 
 a row, of course perhaps send me to Hades 
 but he may give in before the ship sails. It 
 will be jolly happy for us if he does." 
 
 While he was speaking a critical look came 
 into Helen's face. 
 
 "Do you know," she exclaimed with sud- 
 den earnestness, "I really believe I can help 
 you!" 
 
 "My darling! How in the world can you ? 
 You do not even know Sir George or one of 
 the officers." 
 
 "That may be," she replied, holding his 
 hand in both of hers. "But see, the carriage 
 is stopping. I cannot tell you now. Just 
 leave it to me," and at once the expression 
 upon her face inspired him with renewed 
 confidence. 
 
 Just then they arrived at a little villa on 
 G e street, and the whole party alighted.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 TWO days later, Lieutenant Manning was 
 at the officers' mess at the quarters 
 of the 100th Regiment. The fact that 
 he had only recently been transferred, and 
 that he was still on the convalescent list, 
 made his temporary absence unnoticed. He 
 ran his eye quickly over the faces of the 
 men who greeted him by nod or word, for 
 he was already a favorite. But he saw 
 nothing unusual. The secret evidently was 
 not out, and of this he was glad; for the 
 Colonel could now receive the news directly 
 from himself and not from officers' gossip. 
 
 They were talking of the prospective trip, 
 and in the absence of Sir George, with more 
 freedom than usual. 
 
 "Will you be ready, Manning?" Lieu- 
 tenant Smith asked across the table. "The 
 Colonel says we start in twelve days." 
 
 "So soon as that!" the young man ex- 
 claimed with a start. A lump had suddenly 
 jumped into his throat. Pulling himself to- 
 gether before any one could observe, he 
 went on: "Yes; but I thought we were to 
 sail by the Challenger, which does not leave 
 port until a week later." 
 
 "That was the first order," said Captain 
 Cummings from the other end of the room; 
 
 7
 
 8 IN THE VAN 
 
 "but it had to be changed yesterday, for the 
 Challenger on examination was found un- 
 seaworthy." 
 
 "And by what ship do we sail now?" 
 
 "By the North King, one of the best 
 men-of-war in the navy. It is large, too, 
 and leaves port a week earlier." 
 
 How Lieutenant Manning got through 
 mess and the next two hours' official duties, 
 before he could see the Colonel, he did not 
 know. Never before did minutes appear 
 so much like hours. Even when he lay in 
 the trenches at Badajos, with a slice out of 
 his leg, and could hear his comrades' cheers 
 amid the din of cannonading, time seemed 
 to pass more quickly. 
 
 At last, Sir George, accompanied by an 
 orderly, crossed the barrack yard, and entered 
 his office. But there were other visitors 
 ahead of Manning, and the day was well 
 advanced before his opportunity came. Fin- 
 ally the last one departed, an orderly opened 
 the door and Harold entered. 
 
 "Lieutenant Manning, glad to see you," 
 said Sir George in answer to Harold's salute. 
 "I suppose you are as strong as ever, and 
 ready for another march." 
 
 There was tone of inquiry in his voice; for 
 it was unusual for the younger officers to 
 visit him, except on special business. 
 
 'Yes, sir," replied Harold, coloring. "A 
 soldier should always be ready for orders." 
 
 "There's not much time to lose," was the
 
 IN THE VAN 9 
 
 next comment. "Our men of the 100th go 
 aboard the North King not many days hence, 
 and sail from the London docks on the 24th. 
 What's the matter, lad ? Is there anything 
 I can do for you?" 
 
 "I came to make a confession, sir," stam- 
 mered the Lieutenant, his face remaining 
 red in spite of himself. 
 
 "What, been gambling? You young fel- 
 lows are always at it." 
 
 "No, sir! It is not that," replied the young 
 man indignantly; while, at the same time, 
 the utterance of the calumny seemed to relieve 
 the mental pressure. 'The fact is, Colonel, 
 I've been getting married." 
 
 "Getting married, you idiot!" and Sir 
 George fairly jumped off his seat in amaze- 
 ment. "Are you mad?" and his eyes glared 
 fiercely at Harold. "Do you know what 
 that means? Rank insubordination; com- 
 plete separation for years from the silly woman 
 who has taken you for a husband! Zounds, 
 man, I thought you had more sense!" 
 
 By this time Harold's excitement had 
 subsided. He was cool again. 
 
 "I am prepared to take the consequences, 
 sir, whatever they may be. I only ask for the 
 liberty of explanation." 
 
 "Explanation indeed! That should have 
 come before, not afterwards," and with an- 
 other angry growl, Sir George settled him- 
 self in his chair again. 
 
 "My wife," said Harold the Colonel
 
 10 IN THE VAN 
 
 winced "is willing to endure any length of 
 separation that is necessary. But I want to 
 say about her that her father and mother are 
 dead. She is provided for, however, and 
 lives with her uncle and aunt. What's more, 
 she's a beautiful woman and is just as brave 
 as she is good." 
 
 "That's all very well, sir, but why did you 
 bluster along at this infernal speed ? ' 
 
 "For two reasons, sir." Harold had pre- 
 pared himself for the fight. "First, because 
 I understood my stay in Canada would be a 
 long one; and second, because you said I 
 might have the command of a fort there, some 
 dav." 
 
 'Yet you tell me when too late to stop a 
 silly move that will upset the whole busi- 
 ness/' 
 
 "It would have been too late, sir, if I had 
 spoken. A soldier never disobeys orders." 
 
 "Humph! If I were to report this at head- 
 quarters, it would check at once your chances 
 of promotion, and probably your march to 
 Penetang as well." 
 
 "That is the very point, sir, I was going 
 to ask. I wish you would report me, together 
 with the request that my wife be allowed to 
 accompany us to Canada. It need be no 
 expense to the war department, as she is able 
 personally to defray all the cost." 
 
 "This scheme is just as mad a one as 
 getting married. Do you know what you ask, 
 sir? We are going out there in the winter,
 
 IN THE VAN 11 
 
 when the frost is often 25 degrees below zero; 
 and on landing start at once on a tramp of a 
 thousand miles; not over the prairies and 
 along the roads, but through the woods and 
 swamps, and over lakes covered with ice 
 and snow two feet thick or more. Then, 
 on account of the war with the United States, 
 our road will be straight through the northern 
 country, away from all towns and settlements. 
 It will be like a tramp through Siberia in 
 winter. No lady could stand it, sir." 
 
 "She will have to remain at home, then," 
 returned Harold, dejectedly. "But it will 
 be a severe disappointment to her. She 
 says she can stand anything and will give no 
 trouble if you will permit her to go. She 
 would not be the only woman with us, either. 
 The officers at mess were saying to-day 
 that the wives of Corporals Bond and Jenkins 
 and Private Hardman have all received orders 
 to be ready." 
 
 "That's true," replied the Colonel, angrily. 
 "But these women are not ladies; they are 
 used to roughing it, and will do the charing 
 for the men while the fort is being built. 
 They've been through camp life in the Euro- 
 pean wars for years. There's no use talking; 
 the thing can't be tolerated for a moment. 
 You will have to leave your wife behind you. 
 I look upon the whole thing as a breach of 
 discipline. Still as your dead father's friend, 
 and more for his sake than yours, I shall 
 keep silent upon the subject, so as not to
 
 12 IN THE VAN 
 
 check your promotion. Give this despatch 
 to Captain Payne as you go out. Strict 
 discipline will be required from all now until 
 we sail. So remember, you can only be absent 
 from quarters during authorized hours." 
 
 "Very well, sir." Lieutenant Manning 
 saluted and withdrew. 
 
 The young wife waited the return of her 
 husband that night with much anxiety. She 
 had often heard that Sir George was a stern 
 man, and whether he would condone with 
 a junior officer's marriage without his knowl- 
 edge or consent, was a very doubtful question. 
 As for the journey with the troops to Canada, 
 she was determined to go with them if she 
 could; but to do so the Colonel's consent 
 must be obtained, and she was prepared to 
 leave no stone unturned in order to accom- 
 pany her husband. Harold told her it would 
 would be three years at least before he could 
 return to England; and rather than remain 
 that length of time away from him, she was 
 willing to endure whatever vicissitudes an 
 overland military journey in midwinter might 
 bring. How little she knew what such an 
 undertaking involved ! 
 
 "What news, Harold?" was her first ques- 
 tion, as he stooped to kiss her upon his 
 arrival. 
 
 "Several things," was his reply, as he tried 
 to smile serenely. "First, we sail on the 
 24th." 
 
 " So soon as that ! What else ? "
 
 IN THE VAN 13 
 
 "Sir George was angry at our marriage 
 without consent." 
 
 " And he will not let me go ?" 
 
 " I fear not, dearest." 
 
 "Oh, do not give up hope yet," was the 
 passionate response, as with pale face and 
 quivering lip she led the way to their own 
 room.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 AT evening or two later, a carriage con- 
 taining Sir George and Lady Head 
 drew up at a little mansion in the West 
 end, the residence of the retired general, 
 Sir Charles Menzies. The house was not 
 brilliantly illuminated, a subdued light gleam- 
 ing only in a few of the windows. Evidently 
 there would not be many guests that night. 
 As they entered, the wide door in the deep 
 archway was thrown open, and they were 
 ushered into the drawing-room, where the 
 General and his wife awaited their arrival. 
 
 " Just ourselves, "exclaimed their host gaily; 
 "a lonely old couple who have the selfishness 
 to desire you to dine with them en famille, 
 before they send you to the wars again." 
 
 "It is very kind of you," was the cordial 
 response. "We are both of us delighted to 
 come. But about the wars, General, I am 
 afraid there are no more wars for me. It is 
 just crossing the ocean to establish a garrison, 
 and I assure you that I would rather command 
 a troop and fight the enemy, than perform my 
 allotted task." 
 
 "Still, it is all in your country's service, 
 Colonel; and it sometimes needs greater 
 courage to build a rampart than to fight a 
 battle." 
 
 14
 
 IN THE VAN 15 
 
 "You may well say that, General. Don't 
 know but what my own case is an instance. 
 It is a cut through the back country with only 
 a couple of companies for a following, as 
 though one were sneaking through the bush 
 to escape the foe. After all, that is what it 
 really is; for we could not in safety carry our 
 garrison stores by the lakes." 
 
 ''Yet you may have more than one brush 
 with the enemy before you get there." 
 
 "If we do it will be all the merrier," re- 
 turned Sir George with a laugh. "These 
 Yankees are giving us as much as we can 
 carry just now, and possibly there may be 
 fighting on Georgian Bay before it ends." 
 
 "How soon do you sail, Sir George?" 
 Lady Menzies asked. 
 
 "In eight days. Fortunately my wife is 
 more contented over it than ever she was 
 when I went to fight the armies of the Little 
 Corporal. She always used to vow that I 
 would never come back. Now she believes 
 that I will." 
 
 "I think he has done fighting enough," 
 was that lady's quick response. "To march 
 a few hundred miles through the woods to 
 build a garrison, and then to return home, 
 is all they ask of him; a much better prospect 
 to his wife at least than to have another 
 fight with the French." 
 
 Dinner was announced, and the host led 
 the way with the Colonel's wife upon his arm. 
 
 ' 'That husband of yours is a brave fellow,"
 
 16 IN THE VAN 
 
 was his comment; "and my lady, you need 
 not be nervous about him. He's as true as 
 steel, a good disciplinarian, yet one of the 
 kindest men who ever lived." 
 
 "Perhaps you are thinking of Talavera," 
 she answered, her face flushing with pleasure. 
 ''You know he helped some of the wounded 
 French out of the ditch after the battle was 
 over." 
 
 'Yes, but he made two of his own men 
 stand in the stocks all night for letting another 
 Frenchman run away," was his laughing 
 answer. 
 
 When seated at the table the conversation 
 became general, but soon drifted back to Sir 
 George Head's prospective trip. 
 
 "It will be a new experience," exclaimed 
 Sir Charles; "snowshoemg through Canada 
 in January instead of marching through 
 Spain in July." 
 
 " I have ordered my men a double supply of 
 under garments as a safeguard," said the 
 Colonel. 
 
 "What about night quarters on the road?" 
 queried the hostess. 
 
 "That is where the rub will come," was his 
 answer. "I believe there are no stopping 
 places after leaving Montreal. But habitants 
 and half-breeds are numerous. They are 
 accustomed to the woods, and I intend to take 
 a picked gang 'to help the men put up tem- 
 porary shanties^each night on the road. What 
 is more, abundance of dead timber can be had
 
 IN THE VAN 17 
 
 for the cutting; and with good fires I have 
 no doubt that we can stand the journey." 
 
 The ladies were rising from the table when 
 a rap on the knocker announced the arrival 
 of other guests. 
 
 "Oh, my dear!" exclaimed Lady Menzies 
 to the Colonel's wife. "I want to introduce 
 my sweet grand-niece to you. She has only 
 just become a bride, and promised to come 
 in with her husband for an hour this even- 
 ing." 
 
 "We shall be delighted," was the reply. 
 ; 'You know Sir George still becomes en- 
 raptured over a pretty face. He always did." 
 
 The Colonel placed his hand over his 
 heart and bowed. 
 
 "If the eyes have soul and the mouth 
 character," he exclaimed gallantly, "I hope 
 I'm not too old a dog, even yet, to lose my 
 heart." 
 
 "Bravo!" cried Sir Charles. "Our little 
 girl has both, but I am sorry to say we have 
 seen too little of her of late." 
 
 The two ladies left the room, while the 
 gentlemen over another glass of wine continued 
 to talk over the wars, and the apparently 
 dim prospect of peace. 
 
 When they entered the drawing-room a 
 quarter of an hour later, Lieutenant Manning 
 and his bride were there. A flash of aston- 
 ishment swept over Sir George's face as he 
 took in the situation. But it was only for a 
 moment. Gravely, but not unkindly, he
 
 18 IN THE VAN 
 
 offered his greetings as Lady Menzies in- 
 troduced Helen to him. 
 
 Her appearance was striking. With broad 
 forehead, dark hair and lustrous eyes, she 
 carried her two and twenty years very grace- 
 fully. She was not a bashful girl, just out 
 of her teens, but a large-souled woman, who 
 knew much of the experiences of life, and 
 had made her choice, determined, by all that 
 was holy, to be a help-meet for the man she 
 had married. Though scarcely at ease, she 
 looked up into Sir George's face with a 
 frank smile as she received his greeting. 
 
 "I am glad to have the opportunity of 
 meeting you," he said, looking steadily into 
 her eyes. "Lieutenant Manning informed 
 me that he was married; though I assure you 
 it is a surprise to find that his wife is a rela- 
 tive of my old friend, the General." 
 
 "Harold did not tell you, then," she re- 
 turned, with a gesture toward her husband. 
 
 "Unfortunately he did not; but perhaps 
 it was my fault. I was so astonished that I 
 fear I did not ask him. And how are you, 
 Mr. Manning? I think you have been steal- 
 ing a march on me." 
 
 'Is not marching a soldier's duty?" re- 
 turned Harold, with a merry glance at his wife. 
 
 'Yes, but countermarching is a different 
 thing." There was a twinkle in the gallant 
 Colonel's eye, as he gravely shook his head, 
 that was not discouraging. 
 
 Tn a veiled way, Sir George watched every
 
 IN THE VAN 19 
 
 movement that Helen made. Her self-control 
 surprised him, knowing as she must that her 
 own future as well as that of her husband 
 were in his hands. Soon an opportunity 
 for a personal talk presented itself. 
 
 Sir Charles had been adding to his collec- 
 tion of paintings, and was particularly proud 
 of a Reynold's beauty that he had recently 
 purchased, as well as a French landscape by 
 Turner, who at that time was winning fame 
 as an artist. While the others were looking 
 intently at the delicate coloring and divine 
 symmetry exhibited in the portrait by the 
 Master, Helen had lingered by Turner's 
 picture. It was one of his " Rivers of France," 
 an illustration of the parting of lovers beneath 
 stately trees on the banks of the Seine. 
 
 "That is a remarkable picture," said Sir 
 George over her shoulder. "It is said to be 
 an incident in the artist's own life. I did 
 not know that Menzies had it, though I 
 have seen it more than once in Turner's 
 studio." 
 
 "I have heard of it," returned Helen, grave- 
 ly. "He was, as he seems, passionately in 
 love; pity it came to such a sad ending." 
 
 "It was her villainous stepmother's fault," 
 said the Colonel. "She intercepted all his 
 letters, and when the maiden believed her- 
 self forsaken, she took a woman's revenge, 
 and made herself miserable by marrying 
 another man." 
 
 "A miserable revenge it was," returned
 
 20 IN THE VAN 
 
 Helen warmly, "and one that few women 
 would take advantage of." 
 
 "I am not so sure about that," was Sir 
 George's grave response. "I am sorry to 
 say I have known women do that very thing, 
 though I acknowledge they must have been 
 vastly foolish." 
 
 "If they had married before that long tour 
 of his," said Helen, earnestly, "when they 
 were both in love, the letters would not have 
 been intercepted; and of course they would 
 have been happy ever afterwards." 
 
 "Marriage is always a serious business," 
 said Sir George, looking gravely into her eyes. 
 
 ''Yes, I know it is." There was a little 
 tremor in her voice this time. "But when one 
 does it bravely and with eyes open, it is not 
 too serious to be borne." 
 
 "And are you sure you can bear it, Mrs. 
 Manning, whatever comes?" he asked with 
 almost a touch of sternness in his voice. 
 
 ; 'Yes I believe I can." 
 
 "I too believe it since I have seen you. 
 Still for your sake I am sorry it has happened. 
 It would have been much better to have waited." 
 
 "For myself I believe I shall never regret 
 it," said Helen, "whatever happens. It is 
 only the future of my husband that I feel 
 concerned about." 
 
 "I am glad to be able to relieve your mind 
 on that score" but there was sternness still 
 in his voice. " Lieutenant Manning has always 
 been a brave officer, and his future is certain."
 
 IN THE VAN 21 
 
 "Thank you, Colonel, for the word. I 
 know his record ; and I assure you as a soldier's 
 daughter, as well as a soldier's wife, I shall 
 never stand in his way." 
 
 She stood very erect, but she dashed a 
 tear away as the words flashed from her lips. 
 
 "Nobly said," was Sir George's comment 
 as the General and the other ladies joined 
 them. Harold had purposely wandered off 
 to the far end of the room to inspect some 
 ancient weapons, of which Sir Charles had a 
 valuable collection. But he returned in time 
 to hear their hostess ask her niece tossing. . 
 
 "I cannot sing to-night as the linnets sing," 
 she replied with a half sad, half mischievous 
 glance at Harold, "but as my heart tells 
 me." 
 
 "That is what we want, dearest," he whis- 
 pered. 
 
 Seating herself at the piano, her fingers 
 ran lightly over the keys. Then, in a rich 
 contralto voice, she poured out Goethe's 
 favorite, "To the Chosen One." There was 
 the beauty of passion in every line of the 
 first verse : 
 
 " Hand in hand ! and lip to lip ! 
 
 Oh, be faithful, maiden dear! 
 Fare-thee-well ! thy lover's ship 
 
 Past full many a rock must steer; 
 But should he the haven see 
 
 When the storm has ceased to break, 
 And be happy, reft of thee 
 
 May the gods fierce vengeance take !"
 
 22 IN THE VAN 
 
 There was exultation as she sang the 
 second stanza: 
 
 " Boldly dared, is well-nigh won, 
 
 Half my task is solved aright, 
 Every star's to me a sun, 
 
 Only cowards deem it night. 
 Strode I idly by thy side 
 
 Sorrow still would sadden me, 
 But when seas our paths divide, 
 
 Gladly toil I toil for thee." 
 
 Then with all the tenderness of her impas- 
 sioned soul she breathed out the last lines: 
 
 " Now the valley I perceive 
 
 Where together we will go, 
 And the streamlet watch each eve 
 
 Gliding peacefully below. 
 Oh, the poplars on yon spot! 
 
 Oh, the beech trees in yon grove! 
 And behind we'll build a cot 
 
 Where to taste the joys of love." 
 
 "You are a brave girl," cried the Colonel 
 as she finished the song, "and you well merit 
 everything that the gods can give you. Lieu- 
 tenant Manning should be proud to have 
 you for his wife whatever happens." 
 
 Saying which he turned and asked Lady 
 Menzies to be his partner at a rubber of 
 whist, for which Sir Charles and Lady Head 
 were waiting. Hence, the four elderly people 
 were soon interested in the game; while the 
 bride and groom, ostensibly examining curios, 
 were taxing their souls with a thousand ques- 
 tions relative to the future.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE European war was drawing to a 
 close, or rather to an intense lull 
 before the final conflict. Napoleon's 
 arrogance in declining to yield a jot of Ger- 
 man territory to Austria's demand, culmin- 
 ated eventually in his crushing defeat at 
 Leipzic in the "Battle of the Nations." The 
 British forces, too, were successful wherever 
 they turned their arms, and at Vittoria, Wel- 
 lington routed the legions of Joseph Bona- 
 parte. Before the close of the year disasters 
 were even more complete, and the remains 
 of Napoleon's armies were driven out of Ger- 
 many as well as Spain. 
 
 British veterans, inured to the discipline 
 and fatigues of campaign life, were fast 
 returning to their own shores; and it was 
 from these that Sir George Head's companies 
 were chosen. Already they had spent months 
 in the rest of barrack life, and tired of in- 
 activity, they welcomed the call to duty 
 again. 
 
 There was something alluring to the soldier 
 in the thought of service in America, whether 
 engaged in active warfare or not. The 
 Western continent was an El Dorado toward 
 which all eyes were turned. It offered some- 
 thing different from the camp life of Europe, 
 
 23
 
 24 IN THE VAN 
 
 where prospective and actual battles were 
 looked upon as the be-all and end-all of the 
 soldier's career. Of emigration to Europe 
 there was none, but of emigration to America, 
 save for the brief interruption caused by the 
 war with the States, there was a never-ending 
 stream. 
 
 Hence, when the seared soldiers of Wel- 
 lington's brigades came home, and were told 
 to prepare to cross the Atlantic, either to 
 fight the Americans or to guard the British 
 frontier from invasion, hats went up, cheers 
 echoed through the air and every man became 
 an enthusiast. 
 
 For many days the North King, one of the 
 largest war vessels of the period, had been 
 undergoing repairs. Her keel was repainted, 
 her hold thoroughly cleansed, and additional 
 iron girders put in to strengthen her bulwarks. 
 Her gun-carriages were rearranged, and to 
 meet any possible contingency new guns were 
 added. Then vast and unusual stores were 
 loaded upon her, not for the use of the troops 
 only, but for the building and maintenance of 
 the new fort as well. 
 
 In direct preparation for the prospective 
 voyage, perhaps no man was so actively 
 engaged as Captain Payne of the Royal 
 Engineers. To him was assigned the erec- 
 tion of the new fort at Penetang, together 
 with whatever barracks might be reouired 
 for the accommodation of the men. What 
 added much to his difficulties was the
 
 IN THE VAN 26 
 
 selection and packing of materials to be 
 carried in midwinter over a thousand miles 
 of territory, three-fourths of the journey 
 being through the woods. 
 
 But Captain Payne was equal to the occa- 
 sion; and days before the time of sailing, 
 the holds of the ship were filled with stores. 
 
 In completing and carrying out the arrange- 
 ments, Harold's time was largely occupied, 
 so that it was late each evening before he 
 could have leave of absence to see his wife. 
 These brief interviews were very precious 
 to them; but to their amazement days passed 
 without a word from the Colonel. Apparently 
 he had not relented. Still Helen hoped on, 
 while she devoted her time to preparation. 
 At last a message came: 
 
 "Colonel Head desires an interview with Lieu- 
 tenant Manning ten minutes before parade." 
 
 Such were the contents of a note handed to 
 Harold in the early morning three days before 
 sailing. 
 
 With a convulsive leap the young man's 
 heart seemed to bound into his throat. What 
 could it mean ? Would his wife, after all, 
 be allowed to go ? Then, perhaps for the 
 first time, something like an adequate con- 
 ception of the magnitude and danger of the 
 journey to her, forced itself upon him. Was 
 it right to yield to their mutual desire, to take 
 her with the troops in midwinter, and while 
 war was still raging ? Could it be his duty to 
 transfer his bride from the comforts of home
 
 26 IN THE VAN 
 
 and the social world to the conditions which 
 the trip must inevitably bring ? He knew 
 that her desire was just as keen as ever. It 
 had also been his own passionate wish during 
 the weeks that had elapsed since their mar- 
 riage; but as he neared the Colonel's quarters, 
 he found himself actually hoping mat the 
 final edict would forbid his wife to undertake 
 the journey. 
 
 With many conflicting thoughts Harold 
 joined his fellow officers at mess that morning. 
 All were there. Even Sir George had walked 
 over from his private residence to breakfast 
 with them. From his manner, however, he 
 could surmise nothing. Neither by word nor 
 look did the Colonel indicate what was passing 
 through his mind. At the appointed time 
 Harold presented himself. 
 
 "I intended my first reply to your request 
 to be the decisive one," said Sir George, 
 without prelude. "But my mind may have 
 changed somewhat. Do I understand that 
 your wife still desires to go with us?'* 
 
 "Yes, sir," was Harold's quick response. 
 
 "Has she thought the matter out in all its 
 bearings ? And does she appreciate how 
 much of hardship and privation the trip will 
 involve, to say nothing of the vicissitudes 
 she will be obliged to endure after we get to 
 our destination ?" 
 
 "She has considered all these, Sir George, 
 and her mind has remained unchanged," 
 said Harold.
 
 IN THE VAN 27 
 
 "It is a big undertaking," muttered the 
 Colonel, and for a minute he walked up and 
 down the room with his hands behind his 
 back. 
 
 "I know it, sir; but fortunately she has 
 means of her own, as I said, and can amply 
 defray whatever extra expenditure may be 
 incurred on her account." 
 
 "That is satisfactory," said the Colonel, 
 "and after all, the objections may not be 
 insuperable. I have, I must confess, a strong 
 admiration for your wife; and if we succeed 
 in establishing a fort at Penetang, she will, 
 if she goes, be its brightest ornament." 
 
 "Thank you very much," exclaimed Harold, 
 his face flushing with undisguised pleasure. 
 "And am I to take this as equivalent to your 
 consent?" 
 
 "Well, yes; if she is as firmly convinced 
 as ever that it is the wiser and better thing 
 for her to do." 
 
 For some moments Harold stood still with 
 his hands pressed upon the desk in front of 
 him. The old questions were coming back 
 to him. Was it? Was it not? 
 
 "What is it, lad?" said the Colonel in a 
 friendly tone, although he observed him 
 keenly. 
 
 "I was just thinking," stammered Harold, 
 "what a terrible thing it would be when too 
 late, if it should prove to be a mistake." 
 
 "That is possible," returned the Colonel, 
 again walking up and down the floor. "But,
 
 28 IN THE VAN 
 
 remember, if faint heart never won fair lady, 
 neither did timid soldier ever win a battle. 
 If you go into the thing at all you go in to win. 
 Every obstacle must be overthrown. We 
 must guard and keep that wife of yours 
 take her right through to the end and 
 crown her queen of the little fortress of Pene- 
 tang which, please God, we shall build. 
 
 "It is very good of you, Colonel," was all 
 Harold could say. 
 
 "Well, we'll leave it all to the lady herself. 
 Explain everything to her; but tell her from 
 me that our officers are fine fellows, and from 
 the Colonel to the last of them, will do what 
 they can to make the journey comfortable, 
 if sne decides to undertake it." 
 
 "I thank you, Colonel, from the bottom 
 of my heart,' said Harold, warmly grasping 
 his chief by the hand. 
 
 "That is all right," was the smiling re- 
 sponse. "One more point, as your wife may 
 need every remaining moment for preparation, 
 you are relieved from duty from now out. 
 So give her the news and aid her what you 
 can?' 
 
 Harold saluted, and in another minute 
 was outside the barracks, speeding along the 
 street to tell it all to Helen.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 'Eave-oh-haw, 'eave-oh-hoh ! 
 
 'Eave-oh-haw, yoh-hee! 
 Sally come out to the wishing gate, 
 
 To the wishing gate with me. 
 
 'Eave-oh-hie, 'eave-oh-haw ! 
 
 'Eave-oh-hie, yoh-hoh! 
 For after another day 'as run, 
 
 Oh Sally I've got to go. 
 
 SO sang the jolly tars, as with mighty swing 
 and steady rhythm they pulled the hal- 
 yards and set their sails. 
 "Did yo' see the leddy, Alf ?" 
 "Bet yo' six-punce, I did." 
 " Ar'n't she a daisy ?" 
 
 "Ef she ar'n't, I'd like to know where you'd 
 find on'." 
 
 "It's just jolly to have the real thing aboard 
 none of your tuppenny' a'penny pieces but a 
 geno-wine leddy, thro' and thro'." 
 
 "Did you see how she was watchin' and 
 smilin' while we was fixin' the tackle by the 
 big mast." 
 
 "Yes, we all seed it. She's got the hearts 
 of the chaps already, even if she be a married 
 'oman." 
 
 'Eave-oh-haw, 'eave-oh-hoh ! 
 
 'Eave-oh-haw, yoh-hie! 
 Sally's gone back to the washing tub 
 And on ocean brine am I. 
 29
 
 30 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Do you know, Ned, I've been on the 
 North King ever sin' she was launched at 
 Glasgow, seventeen year ago, and this is the 
 first time a leddy has ever sailed aboard of 
 'er." 
 
 "If they're all like this 'un, I hope it won't 
 be the last time, uther." 
 
 But, 'eave-oh-haw, and 'eave-oh-hoh ! 
 
 Yes, 'eave-oh-haw, yoh-hoo! 
 For whenever her lad comes home again, 
 
 His Sally will all'us be true. 
 
 And so the sailors echoed her praises, while 
 they sang their songs and adjusted the rigging 
 of the ship, even before they were three days 
 out at sea. 
 
 Yes, Helen was on the North King, and 
 her beauty and strong gentleness had captured 
 the hearts of everyone, soldiers and marines 
 as well. Already she was the acknowledged 
 queen queen of a mighty ship for the 
 
 O v I 
 
 North King had a splendid record. Never 
 had she been defeated in battle, and her 
 history dated back beyond the time when she 
 was one of the vanguard in Nelson's memor- 
 able victory on the Nile. 
 
 Now, she had a double mission; first, to 
 carry the two companies of the 100th Regi- 
 ment to Halifax, together with their stores 
 for a long overland journey; and then to turn 
 southwards along the coast line, to join the 
 British squadron in the siege of American 
 cities.
 
 IN THE VAN 31 
 
 Like many of the British war vessels of 
 that date, however, she was built in an anti- 
 quated style. While steady in movement 
 and easily manned, she was a slow sailer; 
 very different from the clipper-built, light- 
 running American warships which had dis- 
 tressingly harassed the British during several 
 of their more recent engagements. This fact 
 alone made a sea-fight probable before Halifax 
 could be reached, for the American liners were 
 ever on the look-out for incoming vessels. 
 
 The English motto, "Keep your musket 
 polished and your powder dry," seemed to 
 actuate every man on board; and an extra 
 look-out was stationed on the top-gallant 
 mast to keep perpetual vigil. 
 
 Helen had never been on a man-of-war 
 before; but she was a good sailor, and al- 
 though the passage was stormy, she enjoyed 
 being on deck, clothed in garments that 
 resisted the penetration even of the December 
 winds. Her comfort, too, had been well 
 provided for; and Captain Osborne, the 
 ship-master, out of courtesy to the bride, 
 surrendered his little cabin to herself and her 
 husband. 
 
 Harold, on the plea of discipline, protested, 
 but the captain insisted, and gratefully they 
 accepted the situation. The presence of a 
 lady on his ship softened the heart of the old 
 bachelor, and having no rule to guide him, 
 he concluded to be a law unto himself. 
 
 While the rough weather did not affect
 
 32 IN THE VAN 
 
 Helen, it did materially affect the women of 
 the steerage. The compartment assigned to 
 them and their husbands was beneath the 
 forecastle, at the extreme prow of the boat; 
 and owing to its forward position, the rocking 
 during a rough sea was extreme. 
 
 In the middle of the third day of the most 
 prolonged storm of the voyage, the tempest 
 was at its highest. The ship with frightful 
 lurches pitched fore and aft simply a play- 
 thing tossed at the caprice of the untamed 
 sea. Rain for the time was over, but the 
 wind whistled wildly through the rigging, 
 stretching to their utmost the few sails that 
 were set. 
 
 Harold had many duties to perform that 
 morning, and was late in returning to his 
 cabin. Three hours earlier he had parted 
 with his wife, and the storm not having 
 reached its highest point, she had gone on 
 deck. Now, to his surprise, she was not to 
 be found. First he scanned the upper and 
 lower decks, next the large saloon, and finally 
 their own stateroom; but all without avail. 
 
 He was seriously alarmed. It was the first 
 time during the twenty days of their voyage 
 that he had missed her. Where could she be ? 
 With the tremendous tip of the vessel, and the 
 swash of the sea, could she have been swept 
 overboard ? Was it possible that the angry 
 waves had stolen her from him ? and un- 
 consciously he wrung his hands in a sharp 
 twinge of agony.
 
 IN THE VAN 33 
 
 Rushing up the gangway again to the upper 
 deck, he met Captain Osborne of the snip 
 and his own Colonel coming down. 
 
 'You look alarmed, Harold!" cried Sir 
 George. "Ammunition all right?" 
 
 'Yes, sir," he stammered, "but I am look- 
 ing for my wife. She went on deck at nine 
 bells, and I've not seen her since." 
 
 "Oh, she's safe somewhere," was the re- 
 assuring answer. 'You could not lose a 
 woman on the North King." 
 
 'You might lose one off, though, in a storm 
 like this," said the captain, chaffing the young 
 benedict. " I've known more than one woman 
 to drop overboard and men by the dozen." 
 
 "Stuff!" exclaimed Sir George, who saw 
 that Harold was taking it seriously. 
 
 "Fact," returned the officer. "We just 
 lighted ship after each battle was over." He 
 laughed merrily, but Harold was off toward 
 the soldier's quarters. A new idea had seized 
 him; perhaps she had gone to visit the other 
 women. Only the evening before, she had 
 remarked that they had not been on deck 
 since the storm began. And he knew that 
 some of them were ill. 
 
 "Is Mrs. Manning here?" he asked of a 
 seaman, as he rushed down the stairway to 
 their cabin. 
 
 "Yes, sir; Ahh think so," was the answer. 
 " Corporal Jenkins' wife is pretty low, and one 
 of the wimmin fetched her. Theer she is at 
 end o' t' cabin under t' fo'castle,"
 
 34 IN THE VAN 
 
 Harold hurried on. Owing to the storm 
 the hatchways had been fastened down for 
 days. The portholes were closed and the 
 air of the densely peopled compartment was 
 impure. Still a couple of men at the far end 
 were again singing: 
 
 'Eave-oh-haw, 'eave-oh-hoh, 'eave-oh-haw, yo-hee! 
 Sally come out to the wishing gate, 
 To the wishing gate with me. 
 
 For a moment he felt savage, that his wife 
 should be in a place like this; but then as a 
 counterfoil there was the shuddering thought, 
 she might have been overboard. Several 
 men in the long, dark aisle stepped aside to 
 let him pass. By-and-bye he reached the 
 wretched little cabin which the women oc- 
 cupied. Helen was there, holding to one of 
 the uprights for support, and bending over 
 the woman as she applied a soothing lotion 
 to her head with the other hand. 
 
 Involuntarily she started when she saw 
 her husband approach. 
 
 "Sweetheart, this is no place for you," he 
 muttered as he gently took her arm. 
 
 "I had to come," she answered, motioning 
 toward the bed. " I did not know she was so 
 ill until Mrs. Bond came for me an hour ago. 
 She has been sick ever since we came on 
 board." 
 
 The woman was indeed ill. She seemed 
 almost dying, and the foul air only helped to 
 aggravate her condition.
 
 IN THE VAN 35 
 
 Harold drew Helen to one side. "This 
 fetid place will kill you. You must come 
 away," he said. 
 
 "Never fear," she replied trying to smile. 
 "I am much needed and can stand anything. 
 Both the other women are sick; and unless 
 the poor creature is helped she will die." 
 
 "From her looks," said Harold, "there is 
 no hope even now. You had better suggest 
 to Mrs. Bond what to do, and then come 
 with me. I will speak to the Colonel of her 
 condition at once." 
 
 "It is the abominable air that is killing 
 her," said Helen. 
 
 "It is fetid, sure enough; but the storm is 
 abating and the hatches will soon be opened 
 again," he returned. 
 
 From the centre of the low ceiling hung a 
 lamp, and although mid-day, its flickering 
 light merely made the darkness visible. On 
 the floor were a couple of wooden stools; 
 and upon the straw pallet of a lower berth 
 lay the woman. Covered with a grey blanket 
 she tossed from side to side with every move- 
 ment of the ship; while her husband sat 
 by her and wiped away the saliva that ran 
 from her mouth. 
 
 Helen was reluctant to leave, but she 
 yielded, and Harold led the way to the upper 
 air. The sky was already clearing, and the 
 waves had ceased to wash the deck. 
 
 "What a pity we have no doctor on board!" 
 she said, grasping his arm as they steered for
 
 36 IN THE VAN 
 
 their own gangway. "It does not give the poor 
 woman a chance." 
 
 "The fact is, the marine surgeon took ill 
 and had to be left behind at the last moment, 
 so the order came to have his place supplied 
 when we reach Halifax. Still the captain 
 has a supply of medicines and is skilful," 
 said Harold. 
 
 "I know," returned Helen. "The women 
 say he has given her calomel every day since 
 we sailed, and yet she gets worse." 
 
 "Perhaps his doses are not large enough," 
 said Harold. "I know the doctors call it 
 one of their sheet anchors. I will speak to 
 the Colonel about it." 
 
 "And shall we have to go all the way to 
 Penetang without a doctor?" Helen asked 
 with a little tremor in her voice. 
 
 "Oh, no, dearie; that will be arranged for 
 when we reach port." 
 
 "Hello, my lady! So you were playing 
 truant! trying hiae-go-seek in the nether 
 regions, I hear," cried the Colonel with a laugh, 
 as they entered the saloon. 
 
 "Tne women sent for me, Sir George," 
 she answered gravely; "that poor woman 
 Jenkins is very ill." 
 
 "Indeed, so bad as that!" he exclaimed in 
 surprise. "I heard her case was one of 
 ordinary sea-sickness. Something must be 
 done for her. She is really the best woman 
 that we have on board. Oh, here's the captain. 
 We'll see what he has to say." And turning
 
 IN THE VAN 37 
 
 to him: "This is distressing news about 
 Corporal Jenkins' wife," Sir George continued. 
 "They say she is terribly ill. Did you know 
 it, Captain?" 
 
 "I am sorry to say it is true," was the 
 answer. "She took ill right after we left the 
 channel, and should have been bled then; 
 but there was no one on board to do it, so I 
 applied a dozen leeches and gave her physic. 
 Spite of all we could do, she got worse when 
 the last storm came, so I increased the calomel, 
 but I fear it will be of no use." 
 
 "Are you sure you gave her enough?" 
 asked the Colonel, echoing Harold's question. 
 
 "I think so. It would hardly be safe to 
 give her more. She is salivated so badly 
 now that she can scarcely swallow. The 
 only thing left to do is to give her opium." 
 
 "Too bad," returned Sir George. "After 
 her large camp experience she was a capital 
 woman to have with us. We couldn't bring 
 her children on account of the overland 
 journey, and now I fear we have made a 
 mistake all round. Zounds! I wish I hadn't 
 brought her." 
 
 "It is hard to tell what is really the matter," 
 said the captain. 
 
 "My own belief is that it is low fever con- 
 tracted in Spain three months ago," said the 
 engineer. ' She was not feeling well when 
 we sailed. You know, Colonel, she was with 
 the Corporal throughout the continental war, 
 and he was transferred to us on his return."
 
 38 IN THE VAN 
 
 "It is unfortunate that the sickness was 
 not discovered sooner," said Sir George, 
 seriously. "Is there anything at all you can 
 recommend, Payne ? It is a d d shame 
 that we have no doctor on board." 
 
 " We might try wine and bark, and stop the 
 calomel," was the reply. 
 
 " I'm afraid her mouth is too sore to swal- 
 low," was Osborne's comment. 
 
 "Make her try," returned the engineer, 
 "and give her opium afterwards to soothe 
 her gums." 
 
 And so saying they went down to lunch. 
 
 "I must see her again to-night," whispered 
 Helen to Harold as they seated themselves 
 at their own little table in the saloon. "I 
 really must." 
 
 "But, Helen, the danger!" 
 
 "No danger at all, dearie! I may not ask 
 to do it again." And there was an appealing 
 tone in her voice that Harold could not 
 resist. 
 
 "Well, if you must, I will go too," was his 
 answer. And silently they finished their meal.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 HE'S kinder sleepin', marm," said Mrs. 
 Bond in a whisper, "but she was 
 ravin' after you left till she got the 
 new medicine. That quieted 'er like." 
 
 Helen was at the door with Harold by her 
 side. As he had promised, the hatchways 
 were open and the air purer. 
 
 "I have brought some jelly," said Helen in 
 a low voice. 
 
 "This is the first sleep she's had for a long 
 spell," returned the Corporal, gazing intently 
 on the face of his wife. "P'raps we'd better 
 wait a bit." 
 
 For some minutes Helen silently watched 
 the sick woman. She was between thirty and 
 forty years of age, with face prematurely 
 old, Her ashen grey features were very thin 
 and her lips swollen and open, while every 
 few moments she grasped faintly at imaginary 
 phantoms. 
 
 "Won't you take a seat, marm ?" whispered 
 Mrs. Bond. "Mrs. 'Ardman has gone on 
 deck for a breath or two of fresh air." 
 
 But Helen declined. The woman moaned 
 as she slept. Then with a start, her eyes 
 opened and she peered toward the spot where 
 Helen stood, grasping feebly with outstretched 
 hand.
 
 40 IN THE VAN 
 
 "It's Willie," she cried, in a tone muffled 
 by her swollen tongue. Her eyes were wide 
 open now. "Why don't they let 'im come 
 to me? And there's Jimmy and Jenny, too, 
 Oh, my childer! my childer!" And she end- 
 ed with a low, tearless wail. Her friends 
 tried to soothe her, but it was no use. Waving 
 them back, she went on with a gasp: "They 
 won't let 'em they won't let 'em but am 
 deein' and it don't matter now." 
 
 " Willie's the lad that died last year," Mrs. 
 Bond whispered to Helen. 
 
 Mrs. Jenkins had the only dry eyes in the 
 cramped little room. Women do not weep 
 when they are dying. Saliva was still drool- 
 ing from her mouth, and Mrs. Bond wiped 
 it gently away with a soft rag as she gave ner 
 a spoonful of the jelly. The cordial in it 
 soothed her and she closed her eyes again. 
 
 "It's the reg'lations about childer," con- 
 tinued Mrs. Bond in a low voice. "Soldiers' 
 wives cannot take their childer wee 'em on a 
 march." 
 
 "Where are her children?" Helen asked 
 with trembling lips. 
 
 "Wee 'er mother," was the reply. "She 
 was wee 'em herseP for a week after she 
 came back from Spain. And they say she cut 
 up awful when she 'ad to leave 'em again." 
 
 "Have you got any children?" was Helen's 
 next question, her mind becoming unpleas- 
 antly familiar with actual facts. 
 
 "Yes indeed, marm! I've three living
 
 IN THE VAN 41 
 
 please God they are pretty big now. I 
 used to leave them when they were little 
 sometimes, an' it was killing work, I tell you. 
 But now they're big, an' placed; an' its differ- 
 ent when they can take care of theirselves." 
 
 By this time Mrs. Hardman had returned. 
 She was younger than the other two, and 
 although married for several years, perhaps 
 fortunately for a soldier's wife, she nad no 
 children. 
 
 "She's very low, marm," was her first 
 expression. 
 
 "Has the chaplain been to see her?" 
 Helen asked. 
 
 'Yes, marm, 'ee was here this afternoon, 
 and said 'ee'd come again in the mornin'." 
 
 "She won't be living then," said the Cor- 
 poral, wringing his hands. "Oh, my Betsy, 
 my bonny wife! What'll I do without ye?" 
 
 Her eyes slowly opened and rested upon 
 her husband who was kneeling beside her. 
 Gradually a rational look came into her face. 
 A faint smile lit up her features as he clasped 
 her hand. 
 
 " God bless you," she whispered. 
 
 "Come, Helen," said Harold, gently draw- 
 ing his wife away. " I will have the chaplain 
 sent at once if you like, but I don't see what 
 he can do now." 
 
 "He might comfort them, perhaps," she 
 whispered as again she followed him. "What 
 awfully sad lives army women have anyway!" 
 she continued as she dashed away the tears
 
 42 IN THE VAN 
 
 that would persist in flowing. "Too bad for 
 her to die. I wonder if it had to be ? And 
 that calomel, I hate it. The women say that 
 pints of water have been running from her 
 mouth for days. No wonder she could not 
 eat. The poor thing's a mere skeleton." 
 
 "Quite true, darling! But this is some- 
 thing that cannot be helped," said Harold, 
 slipping his arm around Helen's waist as 
 they walked along the now quiet deck. "And 
 my sweet wife must not think she knows 
 too much. A little knowledge is a dangerous 
 thing, you know." 
 
 "I suppose you are right. Captain Os- 
 borne is kind-hearted, ana it was very good 
 of him to give up his pretty stateroom to us. 
 But still I cannot help wondering if it was best 
 to give her so much calomel ? Perhaps 
 she had to die so many people have. How 
 hard, too, for women to be separated from 
 their children whenever they go with their 
 husbands on a campaign." 
 
 "But it is their husband's fault." 
 
 "How so, Harold?" 
 
 "Because soldiers usually marry without 
 the consent of their superior officers." 
 
 Spite of her tears, Helen smiled as she 
 caught the drift of his words. 
 
 "Often, too, the common soldier enlists 
 when drunk," he continued, "and then, out 
 of revenge, or because he has to I knew 
 an officer who had to he runs all risks and 
 marries upon the first opportunity."
 
 IN THE VAN 43 
 
 "Does that often happen?" she asked 
 demurely. 
 
 ; 'Yes, over and over again," he replied 
 more gravely. "Sometimes a soldier will be 
 married for years before his captain finds it 
 out. He has nothing to keep his wife on, 
 so he leaves her with her people or to potter 
 for herself till he comes home again. Then 
 in the end, if a man has been steady and 
 seldom in the guardhouse, they give nim a 
 chance to take his wife and children with 
 him, particularly when there is little march- 
 ing to be done; but a tramp of a thousand 
 miles is a different thing." 
 
 "I'm sorry for the poor children." 
 
 "Yes, and I'm sorry for the Corporal; he's 
 a brave soldier and has promise of promotion. 
 But it will be hard for him with his wife dead 
 and his children away. What is more, sweet- 
 heart, I'm sorry for Mrs. Manning, who will 
 have one woman less to go with her on her 
 long journey." 
 
 "You foolish fellow, I'm all right." But 
 she tightened her clasp upon his arm and 
 cuddled closer. 
 
 " Of course you are, and the dearest woman 
 that ever lived. But Mrs. Jenkins would 
 have been a help to you." 
 
 "Oh, do send the chaplain, please!" she 
 interrupted in trembling accents. 
 
 'Yes, dearest," and kissing her at the door 
 of their stateroom, he hastened away on his 
 errand.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE next day was Sunday, but a sad day 
 on the North King; for it was known 
 by daybreak throughout the long line 
 of bunks in the forecastle, that the woman 
 was dead. 
 
 The rugged tars, inured to the vicissitudes 
 of warfare and the hardships of a never end- 
 ing life on the sea, would have thought 
 nothing of dropping a man overboard "for 
 what is a man more than a sheep?" And 
 the brave soldiers, who time and again had 
 rolled a fallen comrade hastily into a hole to 
 keep his body from falling into the hands of 
 the enemy, would only have been putting one 
 more man out of sight. But this was a wo- 
 man, the wife of a fellow-soldier, who had 
 dared to leave her children that she might 
 be with her husband and his comrades 
 through all the terrors of a long winter march. 
 The conditions were different. In import- 
 ance there was no comparison. And when 
 Chaplain Evans, after reading morning pray- 
 ers on that still December morning, an- 
 nounced that the funeral service would be 
 at three o'clock in the afternoon, there were 
 long lines of compressed lips and rigid feat- 
 ures as well. All hearts were softened. By- 
 and-bye all was over, and the sealed bag was 
 dropped into the ocean. Then the men 
 
 44
 
 IN THE VAN 45 
 
 lined up and one by one grasped the Cor- 
 poral by the hand, mutely telling him of their 
 love and sympathy. It was all the poor fel- 
 low could stand. Perhaps it was bad form. 
 They had never had a similar experience to 
 guide them. But it told Corporal Jenkins 
 that their hearts were true; and after the last 
 clasp he strode away by himself to shed si- 
 lent tears over his lost wife and motherless 
 bairns. 
 
 For two days there was a subdued aspect 
 on board. The men joked less. There were 
 fewer guffaws. Even "Sally" was not sung; 
 and all on board, from the Colonel down- 
 ward, bore the aspect of men impressed with 
 the fact that something unusual had happened. 
 
 But soon a change came. Everything in 
 the past was forgotten. The actual present 
 became of vital moment, for in the early 
 morning, "Sail ahead,'* sounded from the 
 look-out. "Three-masted. West-by-sou'-west- 
 and-over-to-larboard." 
 
 "What flag?" shouted the officer on duty. 
 
 "Too far off. Can't tell yet," was the 
 answer. 
 
 In another minute, Captain Osborne was 
 there too; and in the distance, brightened by 
 the sunlight, he discerned a little speck of 
 white canvas. The hull of the vessel was 
 still hidden by the curve of the ocean. Bring- 
 ing his glass to bear, he exclaimed to Sir 
 George who stood beside him:
 
 46 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I see it now; and, by heaven, it's the Yan- 
 kee flag!" 
 
 "What's her course?" he yelled to the 
 man aloft. 
 
 "Bearing down upon us, tacking to nor'- 
 east. Now I see her flag. It's the Stars and 
 Stripes. Looks like a man-of-war. The 
 black spots must be her guns." 
 
 "Clear ship for action," shouted the cap- 
 tain in ringing tones. 
 
 Quickly the decks were swept of all but 
 guns, canister and shot. Pikes, pistols and 
 rifles were ready. Gun tackles were lashed. 
 Every man was at his post. 
 
 In five minutes the distant vessel loomed 
 up into clearer vision. The Stars and Stripes 
 were there sure enough. Sweeping down 
 upon them, the tightly built little craft was 
 full of fight and bent upon the offensive. 
 
 "She's plucky to attack us," exclaimed the 
 captain, * with the odds in guns and ship 
 room in our favor." 
 
 ; 'Yes, but look at her speed. How she 
 scoots through the water!" 
 
 "There! She's tacking again," muttered 
 the captain. " When her larboard-side heaves 
 to, we'll take time by the forelock and open 
 fire. Be ready, men!" 
 
 In another minute the American vessel 
 gracefully swept around, setting every sail 
 in good position for the conflict. Then the 
 captain signalled for a round from the lar- 
 board guns. Instantly the big cannon bel-
 
 IN THE VAN 47 
 
 lowed forth their messenger of death. But 
 it was none too soon, for at the same moment 
 smoke issued from the bow of the frigate, and 
 a twenty pound ball plunged through the 
 ranks on the deck of the North King, shat- 
 tering one of the boats to pieces. 
 
 "A good shot," said the captain quietly, 
 as his men carried off a dead seaman and a 
 couple of wounded soldiers. 
 
 "Her name's the Delaivare," said Sir 
 George, who was using his glass. 
 
 "We've hit her," ejaculated the captain. 
 'There's a hole in her forecastle and her 
 bowsprit's gone. Give her the rest of the 
 larboard guns." 
 
 That the Delaware was injured was evi- 
 dent, for although continuing to fire, she 
 tacked again and put on full sail to increase 
 the distance between herself and the British 
 ship. 
 
 A fierce yell rang out from the men. The 
 order for chase was given and, wild with 
 enthusiasm, every stitch of canvas was put 
 on in hope of overtaking the retreating 
 Delaware. The sun shone overhead among 
 white-cap clouds, and the sea was tossing 
 big waves and foamy jets over the sides of 
 the ships ; while at brief intervals one or other 
 continued to belch out its thunder and its 
 shot. 
 
 But the distance was too great for many 
 of the balls to be effective. The Yankee fire 
 did some damage to the rigging and sent a
 
 48 IN THE VAN 
 
 nine-pound ball through a porthole, mak- 
 ing havoc inside, and wounding men; but as 
 she was creeping further away the fire of 
 the North King did little service. Over and 
 over again the gunners aimed at her mizzen- 
 mast, out it didn't budge. They were not 
 sure that the shot even touched the ship. 
 The fight was discouraging. At last there 
 was a new manoeuvre on the frigate. 
 
 "They are making desperate efforts over 
 there," commented the Colonel. 
 
 'Yes," exclaimed Captain Payne, who 
 was also closely watching the Delaware" 
 "they are placing their biggest gun in the 
 stern, right behind the mizzen-mast. Our 
 fire has destroyed the railing and you can 
 see what they are at." 
 
 "Good Lord! to rake us with their big 
 ball as a parting salute," was Osborne's 
 comment. 'But we'll be even with them," 
 and he hurried forward to give his command. 
 
 "That gun must be disabled at any cost," 
 he yelled to his men, and with another shout 
 they tried to do his bidding. 
 
 That the Delaware was determined to carry 
 out her plans was evident. With her stern 
 to her foe, her men were taking in sail to 
 diminish the intervening distance and make 
 the shot more telling. 
 
 "If they would only let us get within mus- 
 ket range," suggested Captain Payne. 
 
 "We might reach her now," exclaimed Sir 
 George. * Give the order, Captain. Hav-
 
 IN THE VAN 49 
 
 ing once fired that d d cannon they will 
 put on sail again." 
 
 By Captain Osborne's order half a dozen 
 balls whirled away from the muzzles of the 
 forward guns, simultaneously with the crash 
 of the musketry. Through his glass, Sir 
 George saw a gunner at the big cannon fall, 
 while the main deck of the frigate was torn 
 up by the cannonading. But the big gun 
 was still uninjured, and the Delaware had 
 its revenge. Another seaman stepped into 
 place and put a match to the magazine. 
 Then with terrible force the huge ball crashed 
 above water mark into the prow of the 
 North King. 
 
 A yell could be heard from the Americans, 
 for they saw the damage they had done; but 
 as another broadside from the liner smashed 
 into their rigging, they hoisted full sail again 
 and gradually swept out of range. The ex- 
 asperating effects of slow sailing could not 
 be helped; and the battle being over, atten- 
 tion was directed to the dead and wounded, 
 and the damage done. 
 
 How much the Delaware was injured it 
 was impossible to tell, for she did not return 
 to the attack. Steadily the distance increased 
 between the two ships, and before night 
 came, the last trace of the frigate was dis- 
 cerned from the mast head, disappearing 
 over the horizon. 
 
 Much against her will Helen had remained 
 in her stateroom during the whole of the con- 
 
 4
 
 50 IN THE VAN 
 
 test. She had not appeared on deck that 
 day when the Delaware was first seen, and 
 the order to clear the decks given. After 
 the battle, however, she went to the prow of 
 the boat with Harold, in time to see the 
 clipper's heels gradually disappearing. 
 
 'Are you glad it is over?" he asked, as 
 he slipped his arm around her. 
 
 "I suppose I should be," was her answer, 
 fixing her eyes on the distant frigate, "but I 
 don't know that I am. It was audacious 
 for a little thing like that to attack a big war 
 vessel like the North King. They have killed 
 some of our men, too; a pity you didn't give 
 them a thrashing. Perhaps you couldn't?" 
 
 "Why, Helen, what a fighter you are!" 
 
 "I came by it naturally, I suppose." This 
 time she laughed. "If the feeling had not 
 been inherited, perhaps I would not have 
 been willing to have come with you at all." 
 
 "And now you cannot turn back even if 
 you want to." 
 
 "But, dearie, I don't and never did." 
 
 "Not even when the enemy were killing 
 our men? "he asked, looking earnestly into 
 her eyes. 
 
 "No, not even then," she said; "but I 
 think Sir George might have let me come on 
 deck." 
 
 "And expose the only lady we've got, and 
 she my wife, to the hellish dangers of battle. 
 No, indeed, my dear. What do you take us 
 for?"
 
 IN THE VAN 51 
 
 "If we have another fight I'll ask him," 
 was her answer. 
 
 "And I suppose you think he will consent ?" 
 
 But there were no more battles, in that 
 voyage at least. 
 
 The wounded men progressed favorably, 
 considering that there was no regular sur- 
 geon on the ship ; and by the time they reached 
 port they were almost well again ready to 
 be transferred to the military hospital as 
 convalescents. 
 
 Christmas was over, and the New Year 
 had arrived, before they passed Sable Island. 
 But on the next day, they were in the long 
 harbor, and passing McNab, they saw in 
 the distance the little city of Halifax.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HELEN stood on deck, wrapped in seal 
 coat and gauntlets, looking at the snow- 
 covered town as the North King sailed 
 up the harbor. Many vessels were already 
 anchored. The bright winter sun showed 
 to advantage the picturesque little city. The 
 dazzling whiteness of the roofs-, the varied 
 contours of the houses, the glittering pin- 
 nacles of church spires, the little groves of 
 naked trees, backed by the ever-green ver- 
 dure of pines and cedars, all helped to make 
 an interesting picture. 
 
 Most of the buildings were of wood, many 
 being simple log cabins; while others were 
 block-houses of more pretentious mien, whose 
 timbers had been hewn into shape in the 
 forest. Here and there a more stately dwell- 
 ing, built of granite boulders or lime-stone 
 rock, mingled with the rest. 
 
 What added much to the weird pictur- 
 esqueness of the outlook, as Helen gazed 
 upon it, was the glitter of icicles from many 
 of the roofs, as the dazzling sunlight fell upon 
 them. Then there was the far- reaching can- 
 opy of snow; while over beyond the houses 
 were hills and craggy rocks and clumps of 
 trees; and back of all, as distant as eye could 
 see, the wide, interminable forest. 
 
 52
 
 IN THE VAN 53 
 
 "How strange!" she exclaimed, drawing 
 closer to her husband. "I never thought 
 it would be like this." 
 
 "But is it not beautiful?" he asked. 
 
 'Yes; still it looks like a little town at the 
 very end of the world," said Helen, with a 
 shiver. "Pretty indeed, but where are the 
 Indians? Is that the Citadel?" 
 
 "Yes, that is the Citadel. Although I 
 see no Indians, there are the red-coats. Look! 
 yonder is a company at drill." 
 
 "Ah! that is more natural! It makes me 
 like it better. How wonderful it all is!" 
 
 Suddenly a violent gust of wind carried 
 the snow in drifts from the roofs of the houses. 
 A grey cloud swept over the sun, and for a 
 brief space the glittering whiteness of the 
 prospect was over. Gradually the ship 
 neared the wharf, and protected by heavy 
 sticks of timber hanging over its side, it 
 ground against the big bulwarks, and with 
 huge ropes was made fast to the dock. 
 
 Colonel Mason and his staff were waiting 
 for them; and no sooner had the gangway 
 been laid than they came on board to wel- 
 come the officers of the big warship, as well 
 as the men of the 100th Regiment. Those 
 were not days of Atlantic cables and tele- 
 graphic dispatches; and although word had 
 been received by the last ship from Liverpool 
 that Sir George Head was coming out with 
 a small body of troops, the exact date of 
 departure was not announced.
 
 54 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Right welcome!" exclaimed Colonel 
 Mason, as he shook Sir George and Captain 
 Osborne by the hand. "Long expected, but 
 here at last." 
 
 "Rough voyage! Six weeks of it. Glad 
 it's over," was Sir George's laconic reply, as 
 with equal heartiness he returned the greet- 
 ing. 
 
 While introductions were made, Helen and 
 Harold stood in the background, but the 
 quick eye of Colonel Mason soon noted them. 
 
 "Lieutenant and Mrs. Manning," said Sir 
 George at last. ; 'You did not know, Col- 
 onel, that we had a lady on board." 
 
 "An unusual but a pleasant surprise," 
 was the answer, as the officer bowed over her 
 hand. "I extend to Mrs. Manning a most 
 cordial welcome." 
 
 Helen looked very handsome that morn- 
 ing. The keen air had given a rosy tint to 
 her cheek. Her eyes sparkled with in- 
 terest and her closely-fitting fur coat set off 
 her beauty to advantage. 
 
 "We never expect ladies to cross the At- 
 lantic in midwinter, particularly on a man- 
 of-war," Colonel Mason continued, turning 
 to her again. " It takes rare courage, madam ; 
 and it is delightful to find it possessed by so 
 young and charming a lady." 
 
 Colonel Mason was a courteous and 
 lant officer of the old school. 
 
 "Thank you, sir," she replied, her face 
 flushing witn pleasure. "It was a little try-
 
 TN THE VAN 55 
 
 ing to b.e the only one on board; but the 
 officers were very good to me. I hope I did 
 not tax their patience too much." 
 
 "She was all right," exclaimed Sir George 
 with a laugh, "until after the battle just a 
 little skirmish, you know when she wanted 
 to install herself as head nurse to the fellows 
 who were wounded 
 
 "Oh, Colonel!" she exclaimed, in amaze- 
 ment, turning suddenly upon him. "How 
 could you ?" 
 
 "Why! isn't it true?" he replied merrily. 
 "But, Mason, what news of the war?" he 
 continued with more gravity. "Word over 
 the sea travels so confoundedly slow; I have 
 heard nothing for two months." 
 
 "I am glad to say the report is encourag- 
 ing," was the reply. "General ^Hampton's 
 forces were defeated and driven back: by 
 De Salaberry at Chateauguay Junction; and 
 with Hampton and Wilkinson have gone 
 back to winter on the American side of the 
 line. Then, too, only a few weeks ago, 
 Colonel McClure, the terror of the Twenty- 
 Mile Creek, was driven back by Colonel 
 Murray's regulars, assisted by loyal Indians. 
 Up to September the invaders were right in 
 the country all along the line; but, thank God, 
 we can hold our own now, and intend to keep 
 it." 
 
 "That's good news. And how is it on 
 the lakes?" 
 
 "Ah, that is different! So far we have had
 
 56 IN THE VAN 
 
 the worst of it. That naval battle of Put- 
 in-Bay was a terrible disaster to us. Com- 
 modore Perry of the American fleet was too 
 much for Barclay. It ended in a perfect 
 rout. In their hands all our officers, and 
 half the crews of our boats, were either killed 
 or wounded. The fact is, that battle undid 
 all that Brock accomplished by his great 
 victory at Hull." 
 
 "That's bad, indeed! But what of Michi- 
 gan ? Surely you have better news from 
 there." 
 
 "Gone from us forever, I fear. We must 
 be satisfied if we can hold our own territory, 
 but that we're bound to do." 
 
 "To which we all say 'Aye," and Sir 
 George's words were echoed by the little 
 group of men who had gathered round them. 
 
 "You have dispatches for me, I believe," 
 said Colonel Mason, preparing to lead the way. 
 
 "Yes," replied Sir George. "I will give 
 them to you when we reach the Citadel." 
 
 Sleighs with broad runners, curled up be- 
 hind and before, comfortably cushioned, and 
 well supplied with buffalo robes, awaited them ; 
 and cheers rang out from the crowd on the 
 wharf as the officers, with Helen by the side 
 of her husband, landed and took their seats. 
 In a few minutes the sleighs in single file 
 dashed away in the direction of the Fort. 
 
 "This is just lovely," cried Helen in glee. 
 She had never seen a sleigh before. The 
 ponies trotted off at a swinging pace, the cir-
 
 IN THE VAN 57 
 
 clet of bells around each of them ringing out 
 merrily. 
 
 "First impressions are a sure omen of the 
 future," returned Harold. 'This is my first 
 sleigh ride, too, and like you, I am delighted." 
 
 "Look at those boys and girls," she cried 
 again as they turned a corner. Handsleighs 
 and toboggans, loaded with children, were 
 shooting down a neighboring hill at a tre- 
 mendous speed. "I wonder if some of them 
 won't be killed?" 
 
 'Not likely," replied Harold. "They are 
 used to it. And use is second nature. You'll 
 be coasting yourself some day when we get 
 to Penetang." 
 
 "Coasting? Is that what they call it?" 
 
 Soon the sport of the children was out of 
 view. Another turn was made and, driving 
 along a level street, they ascended the hill 
 to the Citadel. 
 
 "These orders are very explicit," said 
 Colonel Mason to Sir George, three hours 
 later, as the two sat together before a blazing 
 fire. They were the only occupants of the 
 room. 
 
 "That's Wellington's forte," was the an- 
 swer. "Emphatic precision in the smallest 
 detail, as well as the largest. Not a bad 
 policy either, if it is an iron rule." 
 
 Colonel Mason read on: 
 
 "Two companies of the 100th Regiment, 
 under Sir George Head, to march from Hali-
 
 58 IN THE VAN 
 
 fax on snowshoes, or otherwise, through Nova 
 Scotia and New Brunswick to Quebec. Then 
 on to Montreal and up the Ottawa river to 
 Hull. From there to travel as nearly due 
 west as possible, on the lines of the old Jesuit 
 trail, through to Georgian Bay on Lake 
 Huron, which will be their destination; upon 
 which bay a garrison must forthwith be 
 erected. All goods, ammunition and gar- 
 rison effects required, must be carried on 
 sleighs accompanying the troops; and, when 
 necessary, roads must be specially made for 
 the purpose. One imperative order of the 
 march is that the column must arrive at 
 Lake Huron before the winter is over and 
 the ice broken up otherwise, the latter part 
 of the march will be much more difficult to 
 accomplish." 
 
 "And when is the break-up likely to take 
 place?" Sir George asked. 
 
 1 About the beginning of April," was the 
 
 ^hich means, that in less than three 
 months, in the dead of winter, we must 
 travel a thousand miles; and that a large 
 part of the journey will be through forest 
 that has never. been broken." 
 
 "A severe undertaking," was Colonel Ma- 
 son's comment. "But, as the marshes and 
 lakes will all be frozen, the winter season is 
 in your favor, Sir George. The only pity is 
 that you were not here before Christmas; 
 then your time would have been ample."
 
 IN THE VAN 59 
 
 "We expected to arrive two weeks ago. It 
 was the storms and not the skirmish that 
 delayed us." 
 
 "Something you could not avoid. How 
 many men have you, Colonel?" 
 
 'Two full companies with the exception 
 of several killed and half a dozen wounded." 
 
 " A few men of your regiment were left with 
 us by the Marquis of Tweeddale, when he 
 went west. What say you to exchanging 
 the sick list and filling up your number? If 
 I mistake not, you will need every man." 
 
 'Thank you a good suggestion." 
 
 "What about stores for the journey?" 
 
 "Oh! the North King has a full supply; 
 but it will take some days to unload, as well 
 as to secure horses and guides; and in this 
 matter we will have to call upon you for as- 
 sistance." 
 
 " I had orders from the War Office to that 
 effect some time ago, so you will have nothing 
 to fear on that score. Both men and horses 
 will be ready for inspection to-morrow. The 
 enigma to me is : what is Lieutenant Manning 
 going to do with his wife ? I understood from 
 her at lunch that she expected to go with you." 
 'That is the intention," said Sir George, 
 smiling at the amazement of his host. 
 
 " Ye gods ! " cried the latter. " Do I under- 
 stand that this young and charming lady is to 
 accompany you through all the hardships of a 
 midwinter journey across half a continent?" 
 
 "Hardly that, Mason. Say a quarter in-
 
 60 IN THE VAN 
 
 stead of half. Still the arrangement is final 
 so far as a woman can make it," was Sir 
 George's answer. 
 
 "Well it beats me! But you must have 
 other women with you, of the 100th. She 
 cannot be the only one." 
 
 "We had three soldiers' wives, but un- 
 fortunately one of them died on the way. 
 Under the circumstances is there anything 
 you can suggest that will make it easier for 
 Mrs. Manning?" 
 
 "Only this, that if the journey for her is 
 irrevocable, when you arrive at Quebec, 
 pick out one or two first-class habitant women 
 to go with her. When you secure good ones 
 thev are invaluable. They know the country 
 and can endure anything, are as bright as 
 crickets, and as sharp as steel traps." 
 
 "A good idea, Colonel, thank you. I'll 
 make a note of it." 
 
 "But what is all this about, Sir George? 
 What do you really expect to do when you 
 reach Penetang ? " 
 
 "The order is to establish a fort, build a 
 ship-yard, and found a colony; and when 
 the end is accomplished, leave one of my 
 officers in command and return home." 
 
 "I see, I see; and that officer is to be Lieu- 
 tenant Manning." 
 
 "I did not say so," said Sir George with 
 a smile. 
 
 A tap at the door interrupted the conver- 
 sation. Colonel Mason arose and opened it.
 
 IN THE VAN 61 
 
 "May I come in?" was the question, and 
 a sweet, grey-haired lady, with a troubled 
 face, presented herself. 
 
 "Certainly, my dear," replied her husband. 
 "Sir George and I were just finishing our 
 conversation." 
 
 "I hope I am not intruding," she answered, 
 looking from one to the other, "but if at 
 liberty there is something I would like to 
 speak to you about, while you are together." 
 
 "We are at your service," replied Sir 
 George, "and so far as I am concerned, you 
 could not have chosen a better moment." 
 
 And so saying, he courteously placed a 
 chair for her.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 If 'M all in a flutter and scarcely know how 
 to begin," commenced Mrs. Mason, 
 stroking down the folds of her dress, 
 and looking timidly at Sir George. 
 
 "Well, what is it about, Marion?" Colonel 
 Mason asked, surprised at such an unusual 
 exhibition of feeling on the part of his wife. 
 
 "Oh! it's about that dear young creature 
 you brought over with you, Sir George. 
 She tells me that she is going with her husband 
 and the troops right through that dreadful 
 forest. The idea is terrible. Perhaps I have 
 no right to; but I beg to intercede. Can not 
 the plan be changed?" 
 
 " Did Mrs. Manning wish you to intercede ?" 
 Sir George quietly asked. 
 
 "No, indeed! I did not even tell her what 
 I thought, but waited until I could obtain 
 your permission to speak." 
 
 "Do you know, Mrs. Mason, that it is by 
 her own desire that she is going?" said Sir 
 George, gravely. 
 
 "But she doesn't know," protested Mrs. 
 Mason, emphatically. " It would be a shame 
 to take such a young girl out and let her 
 freeze to death on that terrible journey." 
 
 "No danger of that, I think," was the 
 smiling rejoinder. "The officers of the 100th 
 
 62
 
 IN THE VAN 63 
 
 Regiment are too gallant to allow such a 
 thing to occur." 
 
 "Oh! I know you will do what you can," 
 returned Mrs. Mason, changing her attitude a 
 little; "but when you think of the snow and 
 the ice and the intense cold, and all the terrors 
 of the trip, would it not be better to let her 
 stay with us for the winter, and have her go 
 on to the new fort in the summer after it is 
 built?" 
 
 "Ah! That is an entirely different matter, 
 and very kind of you to propose it. But 
 if I know Mrs. Manning aright, she will be 
 the last person in the world to consent to a 
 change in the programme." 
 
 "But may I not speak to her? I know 
 Colonel Mason will consent." 
 
 "Certainly, my dear," assented that gen- 
 tleman. 
 
 "May I ask her to remain with us for a 
 few months then?" she said again, turning to 
 Sir George. 
 
 "Undoubtedly you may. And if she is 
 willing to stay in Halifax for the winter, 
 with her husband's consent, of course, I 
 shall be very happy to leave her to your care." 
 
 Thanking Sir George for acceding to 
 her request, Mrs. Mason withdrew. 
 
 "It is a dilemma," said Colonel Head, after 
 the door had closed. "And probably a more 
 serious one than I imagined when I sanctioned 
 it. Still I think the pros and contras will 
 balance each other. The presence of a lady
 
 64 IN THE VAN 
 
 in our midst may render our march a little 
 more troublesome, possibly make our speed 
 a little slower, as well as necessitate greater 
 care in our appointments on the road. But 
 it will have a good effect, too. Mrs. Manning 
 is a true lady and is thoroughly in love with 
 her husband. So it will put the fellows on 
 their honor and make them show a bit of 
 genuine chivalry as well. She is as bright as 
 a fairy, has lots of pluck, and what is more, 
 has a capital voice. We can take care of her 
 and I don't think we'll be out in the end." 
 
 "From your view of the case, I don't 
 think you will," was Mason's comment. 
 "Still the thing is so unprecedented that it will 
 be impossible to eliminate the element of risk." 
 
 "Life would not be worth living if we 
 could," returned Sir George. "We always 
 have it." 
 
 "Well, here's to a successful march and 
 happy ending, whether you take the lady with 
 you or not." 
 
 And the two gentlemen touched their 
 glasses and drank the toast. 
 
 By this time Mrs. Mason had returned to 
 her own little parlor where Helen was still 
 resting. Extending both hands she exclaim- 
 ed: "I have got it beautifully arranged, my 
 dear; you are to stay with us for the winter. 
 Sir George Head has given his consent." 
 
 "But, my dear Mrs. Mason - 
 
 "Now, no objecting at all," interrupted
 
 IN THE VAN 65 
 
 that lady with great vivacity, as she held 
 Helen's hands tightly within her own. 'You 
 need not say a word but accept the con- 
 ditions. The idea of you going in January 
 on that desolate trip is terrible. It is appal- 
 ling. Now, you must stay with me and 
 enjoy Halifax while your husband with the 
 rest of the men cut the road through the 
 woods and build the fort; then you - 
 
 "This will not do, Mrs. Mason," Helen 
 in turn interrupted. Her face was already 
 flushed with excitement. "It is very good 
 of you ; but really you do not understand the 
 conditions. My going with the troops is 
 imperative. I am sorry you spoke upon 
 this subject to Sir George, for the only reason 
 I had in crossing the ocean was to go with 
 my husband and the soldiers on this journey." 
 
 "But the intense cold?" 
 
 "I have lots of woollen things and furs." 
 
 "For hundreds of miles there is not a 
 house." 
 
 "The men will build shanties and heat them 
 with big fires." 
 
 "But the wolves! In winter they are 
 intensely savage and hunt in large pacts." 
 
 Here Helen discomfited her hostess by a 
 ringing peal of laughter. 
 
 ' Pity if two companies of soldiers cannot 
 keep a pack of wolves from eating up ajpoor 
 lone woman!" she exclaimed. "No, no, Mrs. 
 Mason, argument is out of the question. I 
 came to go with them and go I will.'* 
 5
 
 60 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I suppose I must give in then," said Mrs. 
 Mason, pensively. "You are incomprehen- 
 sible. To think of a girl giving up home and 
 friends and undertaking such a journey in 
 the dead of winter beats me." 
 
 "Ah! but there's something at the end of 
 it, Mrs. Mason," returned Helen warmly, 
 "which will repay one for all the difficulties 
 and fatigues by the way." 
 
 "And what is that, pray ?" 
 
 "They say that Penetanguishene, and all 
 the islands there, make one of the most beauti- 
 ful pictures in the wide world. The old 
 Jesuit Fathers used to declare that the rocky 
 islands of the bay were in summer just like 
 Paradise." 
 
 "And to prove it," exclaimed Mrs. Mason, 
 "they froze to death in the winter to be sure 
 of the comparison; but never mind, my dear, 
 if you are determined to go, we must do our 
 best to make the trip comfortable for you. 
 You shall have a little break in the tedium 
 of travel anyway. Our annual military ball 
 takes place here on Friday night, and you 
 must be our honored guest. It will not be 
 as large as usual, for some of our officers have 
 been killed in the war, and others have been 
 wounded. Still it will be nice and the Gov- 
 ernor, Sir John Sherbrooke, and his wife 
 will both be there." 
 
 " I am afraid I have not anything to wear," 
 said Helen. "You know I did not expect 
 to attend balls in my new life in the woods."
 
 IN THE VAN 67 
 
 "But what of your wedding dress?" 
 
 ''That was of white satin; but, of course, 
 it was high neck and with long sleeves." 
 
 "Still you must have had lace and orna- 
 ments of one sort or another with you ?" 
 
 "Oh, yes! I have some rare old Indian 
 lace of my mother's and a white crepe veil 
 that my grandmother wore at her wedding." 
 
 "Well, you have the materials. That is 
 very fortunate. And as there are two more 
 days, we'll see what my own dressmaker 
 can do for you." 
 
 "And where is the ball to be ?" Helen asked 
 with growing interest. 
 
 "In the Grand Hall at the Citadel. And 
 let me whisper in your ear: We will see that 
 you are the belle of the evening." 
 
 'You forget that I am an old married 
 woman!" exclaimed Helen with a laugh. 
 
 "Perhaps you are," commented Mrs. 
 Mason, raising her eyebrows, "but never- 
 theless you will conquer the hearts of the 
 men every one of them." 
 
 Just then Harold entered the room, and 
 hearing Mrs. Mason's statement, he laugh- 
 ingly declared that he was already jealous. 
 But when she told him of the discussion 
 relative to the prospective overland journey, 
 he folded his wife in Iris arms and kissed her 
 not once nor twice but many times. Where- 
 upon Mrs. Mason put on her spectacles and 
 commenced to count over the names of the 
 invited guests.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE old Citadel was brilliantly illumin- 
 ated. Lights gleamed in every win- 
 dow. The snow was shovelled clean 
 from the footpaths, and guardsmen had 
 made smooth the drives for incoming sleighs. 
 The full moon shone with softened lustre 
 from a cloudless sky, filling the air with 
 voiceless music, and enveloping with chast- 
 ened beauty the wide stretches of ice and 
 snow which mantled the earth. 
 
 Within the citadel a bevy of pretty girls, 
 aided by the junior officers, had decorated 
 the doors and windows with elaborate care. 
 Festoons of cedar, sprigs of holly and bunches 
 of red berries, softened by the light from the 
 candelabra, while innumerable lamps of 
 archaic design added variety and beauty to 
 the scene. 
 
 The ballroom was decorated with national 
 and colonial flags, those of the 100th being 
 added to do honor to the occasion; while 
 the Vice-Regal chair was surrounded with 
 rugs of rich and rare texture. In a tete-a- 
 tete corner to the left of the main entrance, 
 luxurious, long-haired, polar bear skins lit- 
 tered the floor; while, on the opposite side, 
 the feet of the guests sank deep in the furs 
 of buffalo from the west. 
 
 68
 
 IN THE VAN 69 
 
 "What a characteristic room!" exclaimed 
 Helen, as she stood for a moment at the wide 
 entrance, leaning on the arm of her husband. 
 "I never saw so many flags and beautiful 
 skins in one room in my life." 
 
 "Nor I either. Still the setting is appro- 
 priate the flags a token of the present war, 
 and the skins a trophy of the huntsmen's 
 prowess. Furs are one of the main products 
 of the country, you know." 
 
 "I wonder if it can produce as many women ?" 
 said Helen, glancing over the Hall. "There 
 are few but men here yet." 
 
 "All the more triumph for the women who 
 are," was his answer, as he looked down 
 with love into her eyes. 
 
 The Governor and Lady Sherbrooke, with 
 Mrs. and Colonel Mason and Sir George 
 Head, were receiving when they entered. 
 Officers of the garrison and several from the 
 North King were there, as well as civilians 
 with their wives and daughters. 
 
 "May I have the honor of the opening 
 quadrille with you ?" said Colonel Mason to 
 Helen after presenting her. 
 
 "I shall be only too happy," was her 
 answer. But a faint flush rose to her cheek. 
 She would prefer to have danced the opening 
 one with her husband. 
 
 "The guests are still coming, and our dance 
 will be soon; au revoir until then." 
 
 Harold and she passed on. More than 
 a dozen ladies had by this time arrived
 
 70 IN THE VAN 
 
 most of them young and some very pretty, 
 with white shoulders and graceful figures. 
 Not a few had flashing diamonds, brought by 
 their mothers from the old land over the sea, 
 and they sparkled like the eyes of their win- 
 some wearers as they mingled with the men. 
 
 "How pretty they are!" said Harold, so/to 
 voce. "As fresh as if new from England." 
 
 "I don't see any of the blue noses they 
 talk about," Helen returned. "It must be a 
 healthy climate, Harold, if it is cold." 
 
 At this moment Judge and the Misses 
 Maxwell were announced. The Judge, a 
 large and portly man, crowned with periwig, 
 had a keen, intelligent face. He was ac- 
 companied by his two daughters. One was 
 of the large blonde type with blue eyes and 
 flaxen hair, always smiling in a decided way 
 of her own. The other, Miss Maud, was of 
 a different type. No one would have taken 
 them for sisters. Slight in build and quick 
 in movement, there was a winsome charm 
 about her that was very engaging. Perhaps 
 the most distinguishing feature in her manner 
 was her strong, unconscious frankness. Her 
 features were regular and her eyes black, 
 while her wealth of dark hair and sweet 
 countenance combined to make her irresistibly 
 charming. One would think from the color 
 of her hair and eyes that she should have been 
 a brunette; but her skin was exquisitely white 
 and the petal of a delicate rose seemed to have 
 planted its hue upon her cheek.
 
 IN THE VAN 71 
 
 In attire the two young ladies differed as 
 much as in personal appearance. The blonde 
 was dressed in white; but Maud had a robe 
 of chameleon hue, that reflected in change- 
 able lustre every flash of light that fell upon it 
 from the chandeliers above. The delicate 
 fulness revealed by the low corsage was par- 
 tially hidden by a bunch of violets from her 
 own indoor garden, while a little circlet of 
 pearls and minute diamonds flashed upon 
 her neck. 
 
 "What character there is in that face!" 
 said Helen to Mrs. Mason a moment later, 
 as the Colonel joined her for the dance. 
 
 "Yes, there is. Would you like to know 
 her?" 
 
 "I would indeed!" 
 
 "I will introduce her after the quadrille is 
 over." 
 
 "Thank you." 
 
 Sir John Sherbrooke escorted Mrs. Mason 
 to the upper end of the room. Then came 
 Sir George and Lady Sherbrooke, followed by 
 Captain Osborne and one of the colonial 
 dames, while Colonel Mason and Helen 
 brought up the rear. Together they formed 
 the set for the opening quadrille and stately 
 and beautiful it was, as Helen remembered 
 long afterwards. 
 
 All eyes were fixed upon the four couples. 
 With elaborate bows and graceful formality, 
 they stepped through the figures of the dance. 
 The measured music from the violins and
 
 72 IN THE VAN 
 
 harps beat a slower time in the days of our 
 forefathers than now; and there was a dig- 
 nity and solemnity in the first dance of the 
 period almost equivalent to the sacred 
 decorum of a religious rite that in this rush- 
 ing age has been forgotten. 
 
 "Mrs. Manning Miss Maud Maxwell," 
 said Mrs. Mason after the dance was over. 
 'You young ladies have each expressed a 
 desire to know each other." 
 
 As they clasped hands and looked into 
 each other's eyes, several moments passed 
 away; thoughts seemed to be uttered without 
 words. 
 
 "Strangers, and yet not strangers," said 
 Helen. "I could fancy I had known you for 
 years." 
 
 "It must be the same feeling," said Maud, 
 still holding the extended hand; " a sweet joy 
 in seeing you, although we never met before." 
 
 "It is all owing to the talk you have made 
 among us," said Mrs. Mason, taking each 
 young lady by the arm and leading the way 
 to one of the tete-a-tete corners already re- 
 ferred to. "Maud was always ambitious, 
 headstrong, wayward. Perhaps a little chat 
 between you two will do each good. There, 
 I will leave you, but with so many gentlemen 
 and so few ladies, I cannot guarantee a 
 minute by yourselves." 
 
 "Would you care for a companion in your 
 journey west, Mrs. Manning?" Maud asked 
 in a swift, low voice, as Mrs. Mason, accept-
 
 IN THE VAN 73 
 
 ing the arm of an officer, left them. She 
 must speak while the chance lasted. 
 
 "I know I would," was Helen's startled 
 answer; "but after all that is said against it, 
 I fear that I could not conscientiously ad 
 vise." 
 
 "It would be simply glorious to go," said 
 Maud, enthusiastically. "Out in the starry 
 night with the trees cracking and the wolves 
 howling, while you are rolled up in your 
 buffalo robes, snug and warm, and safe from 
 all danger." 
 
 'You young enthusiast! What a splendid 
 companion you would make!" 
 
 "Would I?" and the girl's eyes flashed. 
 "Oh, if I only could!" 
 
 At this moment Mrs. Mason returned to 
 introduce another gentleman. 
 
 "Mrs. Mason," said Helen as they arose 
 from their seat. "Do you know that Miss 
 Maud Maxwell would like to be one of our 
 party?" 
 
 "That is not surprising," was the answer. 
 " I've known Maud ever since she was a baby, 
 and she was always a Tom-boy." 
 
 "Why traduce my fair name?" said Maud 
 with a laugh. 
 
 "My dear, is it not true?" 
 
 "Please don't be pathetic. I'd like to go; 
 that is all." 
 
 "And you really mean it?" Helen asked, 
 looking gravely into the girl's face. 
 
 'Yes, I do. But I suppose there will be
 
 74 IN THE VAN 
 
 little chance. Father would oppose it, and 
 no doubt Sir George would also. Still I 
 would give anything to go with you. But I 
 am engaged for this waltz. Mrs. Manning- 
 Doctor Beaumont." 
 
 And she walked away with him as Harold 
 joined them. Helen followed the doctor for 
 some moments with her eyes. His face had 
 a French cast, although his skin was fairer 
 and his hair lighter than is usually found in 
 that race. 
 
 "The doctor is devoted to Maud," said 
 Mrs. Mason, "although I do not think she 
 cares for him." 
 
 "Is he the surgeon who is to go with the 
 regiment?" Harold asked. 
 
 "I think not. Dr. Fairchild is the man 
 spoken of," said Mrs. Mason. "I suppose 
 I should not mention it, but as you are one 
 of the officers it can do no harm to tell you. 
 I believe that Dr. Beaumont would like 
 to go. It will however be finally decided to- 
 morrow." 
 
 "Thank you for telling us," said Helen. 
 "I suppose it is out of the question about 
 Miss Maud going?" 
 
 "Entirely out of the question," returned 
 the elder lady emphatically. "If they should 
 happen to appoint Dr. Beaumont, she would 
 not dream of going. H-m, h-m," she con- 
 tinued, wisely shaking her little grey head; 
 "that throws new light upon it; I do not believe 
 she will really want to go."
 
 IN THE VAN 75 
 
 "My dear, if we do not commence we shall 
 lose our waltz," exclaimed Harold to his wife, 
 "It is half through already." 
 
 "A thousand pardons, dearie. It is our 
 first since we were married. I wouldn't 
 miss it for the world," and her winsome smile 
 thrilling him again, as it had always done, 
 they glided over the floor. 
 
 The next afternoon Maud visited Helen 
 at the Citadel. 
 
 "Our little chat remained unfinished," 
 were almost her first words. "There were 
 so many unmarried officers at the ball last 
 night that the gentlemen outnumbered the 
 ladies, and I did not get a chance to speak to 
 you again." 
 
 'You were sensibly occupied, and I for- 
 give you," returned Helen. ' I know I danced 
 more than I have done for years, and yet 
 only managed to have two waltzes with my 
 husband." 
 
 "I like Lieutenant Manning," returned 
 Maud. "I had a polka with him, and his 
 chivalry took me, for he stopped before our 
 dance was over to escort ola Mrs. Tindall 
 across the room. Most young men would 
 have let the lady look after herself." 
 
 "I knew what I was doing when I married 
 Harold," said Helen with glowing face. "You 
 see I think so much of my husband that I am 
 willing to travel to the ends of the earth with 
 him."
 
 76 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I would have to love a man like that or I 
 would never marry," said Maud. 
 
 ''You'll find him some day, if you have not 
 already. And what about Penetanguishene ? 
 Do you still desire to be one of our party ?" 
 
 "Yes and no," was the girl's reply, her 
 mouth assuming for the moment a set expres- 
 sion. "I'm afraid I said too much last night. 
 Much as I would like to 'go I find it will be 
 impossible. So there is no use even thinking 
 about it." 
 
 "Perhaps later when our fort is built and 
 the war is over, you will come." 
 
 "Possibly," and her eyes melted into a 
 dreamy expression. "Let me thank you for 
 the suggestion. If I can I will." 
 
 "It is probably better so," said Helen, 
 puzzled at such a speedy change of attitude. 
 
 At this moment Mrs. Mason entered the 
 room. 
 
 "I have just received the latest news," she 
 said. "It was announced at the officers' 
 quarters this morning, that Dr. Beaumont 
 has received the appointment as surgeon to 
 the 100th. Colonel Mason told me only a 
 few minutes ago." 
 
 Helen involuntarily glanced at Maud, but 
 at this moment the frank expression was 
 absent. Did she know already ? 
 
 "Is not this a surprise?" said Helen. "Of 
 course I know nothing about the appoint- 
 ment, only that rumor last evening gave the 
 place to Dr. Fairchild."
 
 IN THE VAN 77 
 
 "So it did," said Mrs. Mason; "but his 
 father is not well and can ill spare him. 
 Perhaps that is the reason of the change." 
 
 "I have just been taking back some of my 
 own foolish talk," said Maud, looking direct- 
 ly at Mrs. Mason. "My sudden fancy of 
 going west with the regiment was inspired by 
 the fortitude of this brave lady just an 
 enthusiastic idea that cannot be realized." 
 
 "But she has promised to visit me at Lake 
 Huron after the war is over," said Helen. 
 
 "The very time you ought to go yourself," 
 was her hostess' comment. 
 
 Mrs. Mason was one of those kind-hearted 
 ladies who, having no children of their own, 
 consider it their duty to interest themselves 
 in the children of others. She always had two 
 or three of her young lady friends under her 
 wing, and was never contented unless en- 
 deavoring to pilot them to their destined 
 haven. She must not only guide them aright, 
 but see also that they did not wilfully go 
 wrong. That Maud Maxwell, in her estima- 
 tion the sweetest girl in all Halifax, should 
 be allowed to go on that desperate western 
 journey was not to be thought of for a mo- 
 ment. If she could not prevent the newly 
 arrived bride from sacrificing herself on the 
 altar of a "crazy idea," she certainly could 
 prevent Maud from following suit. At all 
 events she would try. 
 
 There were more ways of killing a cat than 
 one. Persuasion in one quarter might have
 
 78 IN THE VAN 
 
 no effect, but a square talk in another, might; 
 and Maud's incomprehensible coolness with 
 Dr. Beaumont might be turned to advantage. 
 Socially as well as professionally he was a 
 very estimable young man; and Mrs. Mason 
 was surprised, knowing how deeply he was 
 in love with Maud, that a better understand- 
 ing had not been arrived at between them. 
 Now, however, when she discovered that 
 Maud intended to make a special appeal to 
 both Sir George and Colonel Mason to allow 
 her to accompany Helen on the journey, she 
 concluded to turn the association between 
 Dr. Beaumont and the maiden to the best 
 account, and in her own quiet way put an 
 end to the mad "project." 
 
 What passed in the way of a curtain lecture 
 between Colonel Mason and his spouse after 
 the ball was over, there was no one to tell; 
 but the celerity with which the medical ap- 
 pointment was discussed, decided upon, and 
 ratified when morning came, was somewhat 
 remarkable. Sir George and Colonel Mason 
 were closeted together for half an hour after 
 breakfast; and then a couple of orderlies were 
 summoned, and messages dispatched to both 
 of the doctors, containing the results of the 
 decision. As a consequence, Dr. Beaumont's 
 mind was filled with conflicting thoughts when 
 he received the message. The first impres- 
 sion was surprise, for he knew it had been 
 otherwise arranged; but as the decision now 
 was final, he must obey, and his relation to
 
 IN THE VAN 79 
 
 Maud disturbed him. To leave her at once 
 might render his unreturned love hopeless. 
 If he could have remained, possibly he might 
 win her yet; but to go away now and stay 
 perhaps for years, with the attentions and 
 hearts of other men continually at her feet, 
 seemed more than he could bear. 
 
 Still there was the other side to view. The 
 post of surgeon to the 100th was a distinct 
 promotion; for he and Doctor Fairchild 
 were both army officers, and it flattered the 
 spirit of rivalry which existed between them 
 to be selected over his fellow. The illness of 
 Dr. Fairchild's father was quietly hinted to 
 both gentlemen as the probable cause of the 
 change; but the possibility that Mrs. Mason 
 might have had something to do with the final 
 appointment, was not thought of, much less 
 mentioned. 
 
 The die was cast however, whatever would 
 come of it, and Dr. Beaumont realized that 
 he must prepare at once for the journey. The 
 mixed blood of his parentage had made a 
 strong man of him; for he possessed the 
 passion and vehemence of the Frenchman 
 from his father, tempered by the stolidity and 
 integrity of the Scotch race from his mother. 
 
 After reporting himself at headquarters, 
 and rapidly making preparations for the 
 prospective march, it was late in the evening 
 before he could spare time to call at the 
 Judge's. He had sent no message to Maud. 
 Still he hoped and believed that she would be
 
 80 IN THE VAN 
 
 ready to receive him. She must have heard 
 of his appointment. Would she be glad or 
 sorry ? How would she welcome him ? Was 
 it possible that she would rejoice at being 
 relieved of the attentions of an unwelcome 
 suitor ? Or was it imaginable that she would 
 be glad of his promotion, and reward his 
 devotion by encouragement on the very eve 
 of his departure ? 
 
 At any rate he would see and know the truth ; 
 and, after walking past the house several times 
 to soothe his nerves and check the rapid beat- 
 ing of his heart, he finally knocked at the door 
 for a final interview with Maud.
 
 'Thank you verv much!" exclaimed Harold 
 
 Page 27
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 HENRI BEAUMONT, although a native 
 of Quebec, was a graduate of an 
 English university, and it was in 
 London, after obtaining his degree, that he 
 received his appointment on the medical staff 
 of a British regiment under orders for Canada. 
 For two years now he had been stationed in 
 Halifax, and although during the war with 
 the United States he had seen some active 
 service, his duties had been chiefly confined 
 to professional work among the troops station- 
 ed at the Citadel. 
 
 It was there that Maud met him. Perhaps 
 if she had been less indifferent, the conquest 
 would not have been so easily accomplished. 
 But the impression was made at the beginning, 
 and notwithstanding her apparent coolness, 
 time seemed only to strengthen the one-sided 
 bond that existed between them. 
 
 His heart was in a tumult as he entered 
 the house that night hope and expectation 
 did not balance each other and minutes 
 elapsed after meeting Maud before the loud 
 throbs beneath his jerkin ceased. 
 
 "I am sure you heard the news?" he said 
 retaining the hand which she attempted to 
 withdraw. "I am ordered to be ready to 
 march with Sir George's men in two days." 
 
 6 81
 
 82 IN THE VAN 
 
 ; 'Yes," she replied, finally retracting her 
 hand, " and I congratulate you. Your friends, 
 while sorry to lose you, will be glad of your 
 promotion." 
 
 "That is very kind; but I would give the 
 world to know that some one really cared." 
 
 He was growing serious already. So she 
 threw back her head and with a gentle laugh 
 exclaimed : 
 
 "Oh, my dear doctor, you don't know how 
 much we shall miss you !" 
 
 "Mon Dieu, Miss Maud! That is very 
 well. But you know what I mean. When I 
 go away I can't return for a year at least. It 
 is the time, the absence, that I think of. Won't 
 you give me a chance at all ? You know 
 now I love you." 
 
 :< You have your chance now, Doctor- 
 founding a fort establishing a settlement 
 perhaps building a city. That should be 
 enough for any man to face." 
 
 "But it is not enough, mon ami." The 
 doctor's face flushed and his eyes glittered as 
 he drew his chair nearer. "I want my love 
 returned. I have kept myself straight and 
 pure for love of you, Mademoiselle. Do you 
 care for me at all ? Will you not give me 
 one promise before I go?" 
 
 He was pleading very earnestly, a gleam 
 of intense love illuminating his face. Maud's 
 manner softened a little, although she felt 
 no responsive thrill. She was not sure of 
 her own heart, and was too wise to commit
 
 IN THE VAN 83 
 
 herself when she experienced no warmer 
 feeling than that of friendship. 
 
 ''You ask for more than I can give," she 
 said. "If I do not love you, how can I 
 promise?" 
 
 "Have I a rival then?" he asked with pas- 
 sionate earnestness. 
 
 "How dare you ask such a question!" she 
 answered with flushed face. "I am in love 
 with no one." 
 
 "Then why not grant my desire? In my 
 heart no one can take your place. For long 
 months I shall see only one other lady, and 
 she the wife of a brother officer. But I will 
 found a settlement and build a city, too, if 
 you will only promise to be my my sweet- 
 heart when I come back again." 
 
 "Oh, you silly man! I promise nothing. 
 Why not simply wait and see. When away 
 on your long march (she did not tell him how 
 gladly she would have undertaken it herself 
 if he had not been going) your mind and 
 time will be occupied with other things. You 
 will never think of me." 
 
 "Never think of you!" he exclaimed pas- 
 sionately. "Perhaps it would be better for 
 me if I never did. But I shall think of you 
 every day when on the march, and every night 
 when in the woods we pitch our camp. When 
 the smoke arises from the pipes of the men 
 around our fires, my thoughts will be of you ; 
 and when rolled in blanket and buffalo robes, 
 during the long winter nights, I may see the
 
 84 IN THE VAN 
 
 stars through the tall trees, and hear the owls 
 hooting in the forest; but beyond the stars I 
 shall see your face, and in my dreams I shall 
 hear your voice. No, Maud Manning, I 
 may go away, but you cannot get away From 
 me. You fill my soul, my heart, my whole 
 being. You are my star, my light, my love 
 and it will be the same in Penetang, no matter 
 where you are." 
 
 Spite of herself his words thrilled her, and 
 unconsciously she rose to her feet. She could 
 not sit still any longer. What manner of man 
 was this French-Scotchman ? This passion- 
 ate pleader, this determined lover? This 
 soldierly fellow, who, while he worshipped 
 her, accepted the order to march to the end of 
 the earth, for time indefinite, without a single 
 murmur of regret ? She had never until now 
 been seriously impressed with his personality. 
 She had seen the passionate, demonstrative 
 side of his nature; but its integrity and 
 strength, its staunch chivalry and unselfish 
 devotion, were something new to her and it 
 was with a feeling not unlike reverence that 
 she heard his last words. A species of humility 
 almost akin to love was gradually stealing 
 over her. 
 
 "I am sorry," she said at last, but her 
 voice this time was low and sweet. " I should 
 have told you sooner." 
 
 'Told me what?" he exclaimed eagerly. 
 'That you never could love me?" 
 
 "No, not that." His intensity was so
 
 IN THE VAN 85 
 
 great, so real, that she dreaded the future that 
 seemed imminent in his face. She must give 
 him hope, however slight, until time could 
 soothe the vivid chords of his being, and until 
 she could read aright the inmost thoughts of 
 her own heart. 
 
 " What then ?" was his question. 
 
 "Can you not suggest something else ? 
 We have always been friends," she said. 
 
 "Promise me to remain free for a year. I 
 will do my best and come back then," he said. 
 
 ; 'Yes, Monsieur le Docteur, for one more 
 year I will not love any one, for one more year 
 I will be free." And the tone filled his soul 
 with music. The cloud was raised the veil 
 was lifted. 
 
 "And I will write," he said. "Will you 
 answer?" 
 
 'Yes," was her quiet response. 
 
 "Oh, Mon Dieu! I thank you," was his 
 comment. His face had lost its sadness. 
 
 They stood together under the chandelier. 
 He, excited, determined, passionate, with love 
 in every look and gesture, but controlling 
 ::imself by a strong effort. She, introspective, 
 observant, wary; and yet with a warmer 
 kindliness towards her companion than she 
 had ever felt before. 
 
 "I must go," he said at last. "Just a kiss 
 to seal our promise." And he threw his arm 
 out to clasp her to him. But with one step 
 backward she raised the hand that was held 
 in his and the kiss fell upon it instead.
 
 86 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Good-bye and God be with you," she 
 said. 
 
 "And may He keep you until I return," was 
 his prayer; but shall I not see you again? 
 There may be time enough to-morrow?" 
 
 "It would be better not." 
 
 She stood at the door and watched him 
 descend the steps. Then he turned and, with 
 a last look and a sweep of his chapeau, he 
 disappeared into the darkness.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ON the day of the march the temperature 
 was almost down to zero, and the sky 
 a clear pale blue. The order had been 
 issued for the little column to be ready at 
 nine o'clock sharp; and cold as it was the 
 whole town was astir. Union Jacks were 
 flying in honor of the occasion, and many 
 people were out on the street to witness the 
 departure. The few days that had elapsed 
 since the arrival of the North King had not 
 passed idly away. A score or two of teams 
 had been purchased. Long sleighs, bob- 
 sleighs, carryalls had all been secured, and 
 many of them loaded with goods that Captain 
 Payne had brought over .the sea for the build- 
 ing and provisioning of the prospective fort. 
 Then there were fur robes and blankets, kettles, 
 pots and tins for the journey, stores of all 
 sorts, and provisions for the men, fodder and 
 blankets for the horses, as well as the reserve 
 supply of ammunition, all packed in capacious 
 sleighs, with drivers ready and horses snort- 
 ing impatiently for the order to start. 
 
 Punctual to the minute the companies 
 lined up in the square by the Citadel. 
 
 Sleighs for Sir George and his officers, 
 one for Helen and Harold, and another for 
 the soldiers' wives, were there in regular order. 
 
 87'
 
 88 IN THE VAN 
 
 Then came the heavy sledges of the commis- 
 sary department, and last of all the "bobs" 
 containing the building supplies and ordin- 
 ance outfit for the new fort at Penetang. 
 
 As the bell of the little old church on the 
 hill struck nine a salute of two guns from the 
 Citadel was fired in honor of the event. 
 Adieus had all been said; hand-shaking was 
 over; and as the shrill tones of the bugles 
 sounded, the order to march was given. 
 Then the crowd cheered and the sleighs started 
 upon their long journey; while the soldiers 
 in heavy overcoats formed a double column 
 and brought up the rear. 
 
 For the commencement of such a journey 
 the day was excellent. The roads were good, 
 the snow well packed, and soon the procession 
 of ponies and sledges commenced to swing 
 along at a rapid rate. 
 
 "Put my coat collar higher, please," said 
 Helen to her husband as they neared the 
 outskirts of the town. Quick driving had 
 made her feel the cold air more keenly. 
 
 "Will that do?" he asked. 
 
 " Yes," she replied. " It keeps the wind out. 
 These hot bricks for the feet are delightful. 
 What a glorious day for a ride! But look at 
 that big snow bank right in front of us! 
 Bateese! don't upset us, please!" 
 
 " Bateese nevare upset. Et is only de dreef ," 
 returned the Frenchman, and with a crack of his 
 whip he circled around the sloping end of the 
 bank as the other drivers had done before him.
 
 IN THE VAN 89 
 
 It was not so nearly an upset as Helen 
 imagined, but she breathed more freely when 
 the huge pile of snow was behind them. 
 
 "Do we meet many drifts like that?" she 
 asked a little timidly, for it was her first ex- 
 perience. 
 
 "Oh! dat is noting," replied Bateese, toss- 
 ing his head; "but acre is a great big wan, 
 high as yer head, right on de slope by de beeg 
 hill, jess befor' you cam to de lumber camp 
 Gar he be a fine wan." 
 
 And the habitant cackled and cracked his 
 whip again. 
 
 "Still we can pass it all right?" said Har- 
 old. 
 
 "Nevare can tell," returned Bateese, shrug- 
 ging his shoulders. "It ees on de end of a 
 heel, where two winds meet an 'eet may 
 be flat as de diable in de mornin' an' so 
 big at night dat you couldn't see ovare de 
 top if you was ten feet high." 
 
 "How then do you manage?" inquired 
 Helen, who, seeing a twinkle in the eye of 
 Bateese, was regaining courage. 
 
 "Oh, some tarn you go roun', some tarn 
 over top after deegin' de snow awa and 
 some tarn," he continued very impressively, 
 "you make a tunnel camp all night in de 
 meedle and deegout at'oder side next day." 
 
 "And what do you do with your horses 
 while camping?" Harold asked with a smile, 
 
 "Oh! dat's easv," replied Bateese with 
 perfect gravity. ' We jess deeg places for
 
 90 IN THE VAN 
 
 dem beside de camp don't have go out in 
 de cole to feed 'em. Dey eat snow for vater, 
 and de leetle fire keep us all warm." 
 
 'That's a pretty good one, Bateese." 
 
 "Oh, no, jess a leetle wan; tell you some 
 more bime-by." 
 
 And the Frenchman's infectious laughter 
 was joined in by both Helen and Harold as 
 they scudded to the jingle of the sleigh-bells 
 merrily along the roaa. 
 
 In a couple of hours the riders had left the 
 heavy sledges and the soldiers far behind. 
 They had passed the clearings. Open fields 
 became less frequent, and the stretches of 
 forest more continuous. Sir George had in- 
 quired minutely into the nature and diffi- 
 culties of the road; and although he believed 
 that the march for days would be outside of 
 the war arena, he had sent forward a strong 
 scouting party to reconnoitre. 
 
 The direction they were taking for the first 
 part of the journey was almost due north, 
 following the sleigh track, which finally joined 
 the Truro-road along the banks of the She- 
 benacadie. 
 
 The troops and heavy sledges would come 
 up later, but the order was to make the first 
 halt at a lumber camp on their line of march, 
 at which arrangements were already being 
 made by the scouting party for their recep- 
 tion. By noon the Colonel's sleigh headed 
 the file at the top of a long hill. Dr. Beau- 
 mont was with him.
 
 IN THE VAN 91 
 
 "There it is!" he cried. ; ' Yonder are the 
 scouts." 
 
 "You know the place then?" said Sir 
 George. 
 
 'Yes, I've often been here. Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie has one of the finest lumber camps in 
 Nova Scotia. See, he is out now talking to 
 Sergeant Banks." 
 
 "A thrifty Scotchman, eh! I hope Banks 
 has managed it. I would like the whole 
 troop to dine at the camp without touching 
 our rations. You can settle with Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie afterwards," he concluded, turning 
 to Captain Payne. 
 
 "It will be a great relief," returned the 
 latter, "and give us a longer march this 
 afternoon. Nothing like making a good start 
 on the first day." 
 
 The sergeant saluted as they drove up. 
 
 "Mr. Mackenzie, this is our Colonel," he 
 said, touching his cap. 
 
 And a tall, massively built Scotchman, 
 with shaggy hair and rugged features, grasped 
 Sir George's hand warmly. 
 
 'Your men have been telling me about 
 you, sir," he exclaimed. "I am glad to see 
 you. You must a' be hungry after your cold 
 ride. The cook's doin' his best to gie ye all 
 a bite. Come right in. Your men can feed 
 the horses at the stable. Guid sakes, you've 
 got a leddy with ye! and some women folk, 
 too!" and he finished by doffing his hat gal- 
 lantly to Helen.
 
 92 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Yes, we are hungry and glad to call 
 a halt, Mr. Mackenzie, and I know Mrs. 
 Manning will be tired enough to rest." 
 
 Here Harold introduced his wife and the 
 group went inside. The huge shanty was 
 built entirely of logs, the inside walls hewed 
 flat, the chinks filled with wood and then 
 covered level with plaster. One side of the 
 long wall was not more than six feet in alti- 
 tude, but the opposite one was twice as high 
 to allow for the sloping slab roof. Scat- 
 tered along the two sides were a series of 
 little windows, while in the far end a pile of 
 dry logs was burning brightly in a huge fire- 
 place. Dining tables of pine boards, sup- 
 ported on cross sticks, stretched the length 
 of the room, and were already laden with 
 platters and cups in preparation for the meal. 
 The cross head table was built in a similar 
 manner, but instead of benches on either 
 side, there was an array of chairs, and per- 
 haps in honor of the occasion, clean wnite 
 sheets were spread upon it for the coming meal. 
 
 The rough, homely comfort about the place 
 seemed attractive after the cold drive, and 
 elicited warm compliments from the Colonel. 
 
 "Oh, it will do for the woods," returned 
 Mackenzie, good-humoredly. "We keep our 
 men warm and comfortable and feed 'em 
 well. The consequence is that they like the 
 job, and every man of 'em is glad to come 
 back to the camp when the next season 
 opens."
 
 IN THE VAN 93 
 
 "But does not the war interfere with your 
 work and make your men enlist?" the Col- 
 onel asked. 
 
 'Yes, sometimes; but it is a good thing to 
 have a reputation. If peace was declared 
 to-morrow, I could get twice the men I need. 
 As it is, half the young men in the colony have 
 listed. And yet I have all I want. But din- 
 ner is almost ready, so Sir George, you and 
 your men might put your things in my office 
 nere; and, Mrs. Manning," he exclaimed with 
 another bow, "I haven't got a leddy's bou- 
 doir, but if you are not afraid of an old 
 bachelor's quarters, you might fix and rest 
 yourself in my own den." 
 
 " I shall be only too glad," returned Helen. 
 "This big shanty is so comfortable, I am 
 sure I would be too warm, if I kept my furs 
 on." 
 
 "Well, just make yourself at home. You 
 are welcome to any little thing I can do for 
 ye. But, ma sakes, what became o* the 
 other weemen ?" 
 
 "Oh, they went off to the men's kitchen 
 with their husbands," returned Sir George. 
 'You know Corporal Bond and Private 
 Hardman were of the reconnoitring party." 
 
 And closing the heavy door of Macken- 
 zie's den, Helen laid her wraps upon his bed. 
 A little mirror was hanging by the window 
 and without delay she arranged her hair. 
 Then she washed in the pewter bowl and sat 
 down in the arm chair, the only seat in the
 
 94 IN THE VAN 
 
 room. Soliloquizing, she began to realize 
 what was before her. Through the little 
 window she saw that the shanty was close 
 to the woods, an impenetrable forest on 
 every side. Only half a day out from Hali- 
 fax, and notwithstanding the presence of her 
 husband, in a certain sense alone. And if 
 alone, when blessed with the rude comforts 
 of the log camp and the generous cordiality 
 of the owner, what must it be when out in 
 the forest night after night, through all the 
 long months of the winter ? There could be 
 no shadow of turning now no possibility of 
 retreat. Still she did not lament. It was 
 only that life seemed more tense more bind- 
 ing infinitely more positive and real! 
 
 A little later, Harold came for her, and 
 they joined Mr. Mackenzie, Sir George and 
 the officers at the head table, in the big hall 
 of the shanty. Their host placed Helen and 
 Sir George as his guests of honor. Then 
 the big gong sounded and the shanty-men 
 in smock frock and blue jean overalls filed 
 in and took their places. 
 
 "That's a motley crowd, Sir George," 
 said Mr. Mackenzie. They could easily be 
 observed by the Colonel, for his seat com- 
 manded a view of the whole room. 
 
 'Yes, you have many nationalities here: 
 German, English, Scotch, Irish, French," 
 said Sir George. 
 
 "But Johnny Canucks are on top every 
 time," was the answer. "They stand the
 
 IN THE VAN 95 
 
 work well, and make fine lumbermen. They 
 have their peculiarities, though. See how 
 they spread their molasses on their pork in- 
 stead of their bread." 
 
 "Like the Dutchman sleeping on straw 
 with his feather bed on top of him." 
 
 "Or the Irishman witn his potatoes and 
 point." 
 
 'Yes, but the French and the Dutch make 
 the most of it, while Pat contents himself 
 with a joke." 
 
 "And on it he fattens," returned Mac- 
 kenzie with a laugh. "But I tell you my 
 men are well fed, the grub's rough but whole- 
 some, and we often eat a calf or a deer at a 
 meal besides a pile of other stuff. Our 
 table doesn't differ much from theirs either," 
 he continued, "but to-day in honor of our 
 guests, particularly Mrs. Manning and your- 
 seP, Sir George, I told the cook to make it 
 extra fine. By George, he's sending us grid- 
 died tenderloin, roast turkey and stuffed 
 partridges as well." 
 
 Then they had baked potatoes, cranberry 
 sauce, salaratus cakes and tea. 
 
 "We've only got brown sugar, Mrs. Man- 
 ning, I'm sorry to say," he continued, turn- 
 ing to Helen. "And unfortunately our coos 
 are all dry." 
 
 "It's a genuine feast," returned Helen, 
 "and I'm thirsty enough to drink anything." 
 With an effort she controlled the muscles of 
 her face as she drank the beverage. Lum-
 
 96 IN THE VAN 
 
 ber-camp tea. in those days was a nauseous 
 draft to any but the woodsmen themselves. 
 
 By-and-bye the meal was over and Helen 
 made a hasty run to the. kitchen department 
 to see what the women were doing. The 
 lumbermen, too, filed out of the room to 
 make way for the soldiers who at that mo- 
 ment were marching down the hill. They 
 were hungry after their long tramp, and did 
 not require a second bidding, when word 
 came that the tables were ready. 
 
 In offering to settle for the meal so freely 
 granted, the response was a surprise to Sir 
 George. 
 
 "Take pay for a feed!" cried the Scotch- 
 man with a laugh. "Not much, I reckon 
 we can stand it without smashing the camp. 
 Thank ye kindly, though." 
 
 "This is too generous altogether," was the 
 protest. 
 
 "Not at all," replied Mackenzie. "Scotch 
 bodies are canny, but when they say a thing 
 they mean it." 
 
 ' Well! we'll not forget you," said Sir 
 George, as he grasped the generous donor 
 by the hand. "Perhaps some day our turn 
 will come." 
 
 Soon the teams were ready again, and 
 several of the marching officers took the 
 places of those who had ridden. The re- 
 sult was that Chaplain Evans was assigned 
 to a seat in Helen's sleigh, while Harold 
 walked with his men.
 
 IN THE VAN 97 
 
 "It can't be helped," said the Lieutenant, 
 as he gave his wife a momentary caress. "I 
 shall have to ride and march turn about 
 until Quebec is reached. But you are in 
 good company and there is no danger." 
 
 "Well," replied Helen, forcing a laugh, 
 "your absence will make your presence all 
 the dearer; so good-bye, sweetheart." 
 
 "Until to-night," was his answer, and 
 throwing her another kiss, he placed him- 
 self at the head of his men. 
 
 "How much further do we go to-day?" 
 Helen asked of Sir George, who came to 
 speak to her for a moment before getting into 
 his sleigh. 
 
 "About fifteen miles, I think, We want 
 to camp at Shebenacadie to-night. There 
 will be accommodation in a settler's house 
 for you and the women, but for the rest of 
 us, the men will have to put up shanties, and 
 the sooner we get away the better. The 
 scouting party went ahead two hours ago on 
 snowshoes, so they will have them started 
 when we arrive." 
 
 "But what after to-night?" said Helen. 
 
 "I'm afraid we'll have to camp, women 
 as well as men," said the Colonel with a 
 shrug, and stepping into his sleigh, the cav- 
 alcade started.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FOR more than an hour the drive was 
 rapid, the country being less undulat- 
 ing and the road smoother. Still the 
 way was always through the woods. Tall 
 pines everywhere stretched skyward, while 
 on the lowlands, ashes and elms spread out 
 their grey branches, in vivid contrast to the 
 evergreen above. Scrub oaks on the hil- 
 locks still carried the dead red leaves of the 
 past year; while here and there a beech or 
 a maple added its varied beauty to the win- 
 ter landscape. 
 
 Although the road lay for miles along the 
 banks of the Shebenacadie, its waters could 
 only occasionally be seen. Now and then a 
 wider vista opened, and a bit of the dashing 
 river, rendered free here and there by a more 
 rapid current, added picturesqueness to the 
 view. At other places the bed of the stream 
 was covered with ice, save for an occasional 
 rollway, where the lumberer had piled his 
 sawlogs upon its broken surface. 
 
 The drivers had covered more than half 
 the distance to the proposed camp when 
 they reached the top of a long ridge stretch- 
 ing out on either side. At the foot of the in- 
 cline, a stranger sight than they had yet seen 
 attracted their attention. It was a circle of 
 
 98
 
 IN THE VAN 99 
 
 Indian wigwams, in the lowest part of the 
 valley, no doubt placed there to protect them 
 from the winds that prevailed in the up- 
 lands. One of the lodges was taller and 
 broader than the rest, but in other respects 
 they were alike, and of the usual cone form. 
 
 In the centre of the circle was a huge log 
 fire, around which stood a promiscuous lot 
 of Indians, squaws and papooses, watching 
 the approaching sleighs. 
 
 "Are these Indians always friendly?" the 
 Chaplain asked of Bateese, as they gradually 
 neared the little Indian village. 
 
 "Oui, Monsieur, yees," was the answer. 
 "Dey be Micmacs, and Micmacs goot In- 
 dians. Not like de Hurons, who scalp all 
 de tarn. But let white man cheat a Micmac, 
 or run away wid heem squaw; den by Gar 
 he have revanche. He follow dat man till 
 he kill him wid his hatchet, den put him in 
 de ground; and no wan ever hear of him no 
 more." 
 
 "Whew!" exclaimed Helen, with a little 
 shiver. 'They must be very good Indians, 
 indeed, if they kill a man for cheating." 
 
 "Ah, madame! so dey be. Just treat Mic- 
 mac square, he treat you square too." 
 
 "How do they build their wigwams?" the 
 Chaplain asked. "They are very substan- 
 tial looking." 
 
 "Veil, I tell you. I been in dem manys 
 de time. Dey juss as warm as Madame's 
 boudoir wid lettle stove in it. Dey make
 
 100 IN THE VAN 
 
 'em of cedar poles, tight in groun' and fas- 
 tened togeder tight at top. Den dey bind 
 dem roun' all ovare wid strong green bark 
 put on like shingles, and so close dat water 
 can't get in. Dey make 'em in summare so 
 it dry by wintare. Nex dey put on straight 
 spruce branches all over de outside and 
 spruce green branches all over de inside 
 till it is like de man from de contree green 
 all de way tru." 
 
 "Bateese, I didn't know you were so witty," 
 exclaimed the Chaplain. 
 
 "Veil, by Gar, ef a man drive all de tarn, 
 day after day all wintare long, most tarn wid 
 no wan to spoke to, an' ees femme or ees 
 fille a t'ousand miles away, ef ee can't jess 
 tink of somet'ing funny he die." 
 
 By this time the chief with a number of 
 his tribe were out on the road, and on the 
 approach of Sir George's sleigh he threw up 
 his right arm and shouted: 
 
 "Kwa." 
 
 "Yer honor, the spalpeen means how do 
 yees do," said Pat, Sir George's driver, in 
 a low voice. 
 
 "I'm very well, thank you," replied the 
 Colonel, extending his hand. But the In- 
 dian ignored the proffered cordiality. 
 
 "Be jabers, he can talk English, too, for 
 I've heerd him," muttered Pat in a still lower 
 key. 
 
 'Kwa wenin," next said the Indian, look- 
 ing straight into the eyes of Sir George.
 
 IN THE VAN 101 
 
 Pat this time remembered more fully, so 
 he turned and spoke aloud: "He means, who 
 are you ? Tell nim your name, Sir George, 
 and he'll answer yees in English." 
 
 "Sir George Head, Colonel of the Soldiers 
 of the Great Father." 
 
 "It is well. White Bear Chief Micmacum 
 tribum. Always everything two ways me 
 speakum," replied the Indian in a dignified 
 manner; while this time he accepted the hand 
 of the Colonel, retaining it firmly in his own 
 for some moments. The Micmacs, in their 
 association with the whites, had made a 
 strange jumble of the language. Still, White 
 Bear's English being intelligible, a few min- 
 utes' conversation followed. 
 
 The chief had seen the scouts already, 
 who, after telling him that Sir George and his 
 soldiers were coming, had gone ahead to 
 prepare for the night's camp. 
 
 Evidently from the way the chief and his 
 braves strutted around, they had put on their 
 best costumes in order to meet the repre- 
 sentative of the Great Father. 
 
 White Bear was only armed with a toma- 
 hawk, but he was dressed in full Indian cos- 
 tume, with leggings, moccasins, hunting shirt 
 and wampum belt; while his head dress, 
 though of mink, was made in civilized style. 
 The men who stood a few feet in his rear 
 were dressed in more nondescript fashion. 
 Two or three had muskets, and more than 
 one hatchet and long knife could be seen
 
 102 IN THE VAN 
 
 beneath the blankets they wore. Further 
 back, but outside the wigwams, the squaws 
 were huddled together, and beyond them 
 the children. 
 
 "Great Father send braves, Yankees you 
 fightum?" said the Indian, feeling proud 
 of his English. 
 
 "Not this time," said Sir George. 'The 
 Great Father sends his men to trade with 
 the Indians up the Ottawa and on the great 
 lakes toward me setting sun." 
 
 "Takum squaws too?" was the next ques- 
 tion, with a side glance at Helen and the 
 women in the next sleigh. 
 
 "Not many squaws," replied Sir George, 
 gravely. "Just enough to make the men 
 behave themselves. More will come by-and- 
 bye." 
 
 "When White Bear make bargain squaw 
 nevel speakum," said the Indian, senten- 
 tiously. 
 
 "Do you hear that, Mrs. Manning?" cried 
 the Colonel to Helen, who was near enough 
 to hear the words of the conversation. "But 
 we must drive on. I am glad to have met 
 you, Chief." 
 
 Again they shook hands; White Bear once 
 more raised his right hand above his head 
 as before; and, simultaneously, the band of 
 Indians joined in the parting salutation, 
 "Kwa." 
 
 The tone was so fierce and loud that the 
 women started. It sounded more like a
 
 IN THE VAN 103 
 
 war-whoop than an expression of good-will; 
 and they were glad to commence their jour- 
 ney again. But the Indians remained where 
 they were until the last of the sleighs had 
 passed. Then Sir George raised his helmet 
 in salute, and in answer to his courtesy, White 
 Bear pulled off his mink skin and once more 
 yelled " Kwa." Whereupon the sleighs quick- 
 ened their speed to make up for lost time, 
 while the Indians returned to their lodges.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE second night of the long march was 
 passed by all in newly made camps far 
 away from human habitation. It was 
 very different from the first night, in which a 
 comfortable house was secured for the lodg- 
 ing of the women, refreshing both Helen and 
 the soldiers' wives for the next day's travel. 
 But this time they, too, had to abiae like the 
 soldiers in the woods. 
 
 The sun was still above the horizon when 
 the sleighs reached the little valley in which 
 it was decided to pitch their camp for the 
 night. The spot was well chosen, being 
 sheltered from the winds. It lay close to a 
 little tributary of the Shebenacadie. 
 
 Already the scouting party had commenced 
 work. They had felled a big pine across 
 a narrow ravine, leaving space between it 
 and the earth sufficient to utilize it as a beam 
 pole for a large improvised wigwam. Some 
 of the men were chopping off the long branches 
 and leaning them against the fallen trunk, 
 while others were cutting down saplings for 
 a similar purpose. 
 
 "That's a good beginning," said the Col- 
 onel, as he stepped out of his sleigh and 
 stretched his limbs after the cramping of 
 the long drive. "A fine selection, too; lots 
 
 104
 
 IN THE VAN 105 
 
 of water and no wind. Now, every man 
 must do his best, for it will be dark in an 
 hour, and it will take until then for the troops 
 to arrive. Chaplain, cannot you and the 
 Doctor fix a place at one end of that shanty 
 specially for Mrs. Manning, and make it 
 snug and warm ? She will have to camp out 
 with her husband this time/' 
 
 "That will be clerical work of a new kind," 
 replied Mr. Evans with a laugh. "But I 
 can say grace over it while Beaumont does 
 the fixing. How will that do?" 
 
 "Capital. If you will also arrange the 
 rugs and blankets while attending to your 
 devotions," responded the Doctor. " I think 
 the wigwam idea excellent. When hunting 
 in winter I always prefer a shanty to a 
 tent." 
 
 "Come along, then," exclaimed the Chap- 
 lain. "I see they've got the poles up at 
 that end already. If Madame will excuse 
 us, we'll soon fix her little boudoir; and by 
 the time Lieutenant Manning arrives, he'll 
 find his castle built and his lady waiting at 
 the gate to receive him." 
 
 "It is very good of you," said Helen. But 
 there was a look of concern upon her face, 
 for they had hoped when starting to cover 
 five more miles mat day, in which case they 
 would again have found a house for her to 
 pass the night in. As it was, there was 
 nothing but woods on every side, and even 
 Harold would not arrive until the darkening.
 
 106 IN THE VAN 
 
 Colonel Head's kindly eye noted the dis- 
 tress, which Helen was doing her best to hide. 
 
 "There is no help for it. We've got to 
 take things as they are," he exclaimed cheer- 
 fully. "It may be a good thing after all 
 that we can't cover the other five miles. The 
 men are tired enough, and this spot is simply 
 ideal for a camping ground." 
 
 "I believe it is," returned Helen, who in 
 watching a dozen men swing their axes to 
 good advantage, was regaining her courage. 
 "The women are helping and so will I." 
 
 Every one worked hard. Sir George, too, 
 was constantly on the move, issuing orders 
 and making suggestions to facilitate the com- 
 pletion of the preparations for the night. 
 The experience in army life, which the sol- 
 diers' wives had learned in Europe, proved 
 of advantage now. It was on this account 
 they had been selected to accompany the 
 column, and the wisdom of the cnoice was 
 proving itself already. What added cheer- 
 fulness to the prospect, too, was the big fire 
 of dead timber built by the scouts. 
 
 Helen watched with interest the details of 
 the work going on around her. She was 
 laying in a store of knowledge for future use; 
 and before the wigwams and tents were 
 ready for the night, she helped not a little to 
 make them comfortable. 
 
 As the tired men marched down the hill 
 to the camp, some of the wigwams were ready 
 for occupation. The horses had been pro-
 
 IN THE VAN 107 
 
 vided for in an enclosure made by the ar- 
 rangement of the sleighs, and supper was 
 ready. Caldrons of pork and beans were 
 sizzling on the fire, while tea and bread from 
 the Halifax supply were there for all. The 
 officers' mess, too, was a jolly one with its 
 added fresh meat, biscuits and jam. 
 
 "My darling," said Harold to his wife, 
 after the meal was over and they stood to- 
 gether for a few minutes by one of the blaz- 
 ing fires. "I realize now more than ever 
 what you have sacrificed for me, and how 
 much you were willing to endure." 
 
 "Don't talk in that way, please," she re- 
 turned, pressing his arm, but at the same 
 time dashing away a tear. "I was very 
 willing to come, Harold, and I have never 
 been sorry that I did." 
 
 "And a brave little woman you are." 
 
 "I try hard. It will be easier when I get 
 used to it. The worst of all is the loneliness, 
 but that I knew would come." 
 
 "It is the hardest at the start, dearest," he 
 said, holding her tighter by the hand. 
 
 "Forgive me, Harold. I know I am silly, 
 but this is the anniversary of my mother's 
 death. Is it any wonder that I should feel 
 a little blue? But never mind my foolish- 
 ness, I will be better to-morrow." 
 
 "Foolishness, indeed! You are the dearest 
 and best woman that ever lived. I had not 
 forgotten either; and if I could I would have 
 been with you all day."
 
 108 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Well, I'm not going to be disconsolate any 
 more," she exclaimed in a gayer tone. 'You 
 have not seen the dainty little wigwam that 
 the Doctor and Chaplain have fixed up for 
 us among the pine branches. They have 
 covered the floor with pine needles. Then 
 our bed is the funniest thing of all. It is a 
 pile of small pine branches, covered with 
 another of cedar. Over that are "blankets, 
 next a huge buffalo robe and pillows, and over 
 all some more blankets and another buffalo 
 robe on top. For a door you shove a slab 
 of wood away and squeeze in. When inside 
 you light a candle to find a sloping branchy 
 roof, seven feet high on one side and four on 
 the other, with a floor space that is quite 
 large and green branches all around.' 1 
 
 * Is that your cozy corner Mrs. Manning 
 is talking about?" said Dr. Beaumont, who 
 at this moment joined them. 
 
 ; 'Yes, she is giving a graphic description 
 of your skill as a builder," replied Harold, 
 laughing. 
 
 ' We did our best, and the Chaplain said 
 grace over it, too; but it is not much in the 
 way of a lady's bed-chamber; sans stove, sans 
 windows, sans crockery, sans everything, but 
 a place to sleep in," said the Doctor. 
 
 'Well, I only hope that your quarters will 
 be as comfortable," was Helen s laughing 
 comment. 
 
 " Thank you, we looked after that. What 
 is more, we fixed our own bunk right next
 
 IN THE VAN 109 
 
 to yours, so that if anything happens to the 
 Queen of our party, we shall be on hand to 
 attend to her wants forthwith, whether medi- 
 cal or spiritual," rejoined the Doctor. 
 
 "How kind you are! What's that?" she 
 exclaimed, turning her head to catch the 
 sounds, for in the distance a long shrill howl 
 was heard. 
 
 "Dem's wolves, Madame," said Bateese, 
 as he brought up another armful of wood for 
 the fire. "Dere's anoder and anoder, sacre! 
 de'll be lots o' dem to-night." 
 
 "What a gruesome sound!" returned Helen 
 with a shiver. 
 
 "The pack must be large," said Sir George, 
 as he approached with Captain Payne. 'You 
 had better give orders," ne continued to the 
 latter, "to have big fires kept up all night. 
 They say that when the wolves are numerous 
 as well as hungry, they will even attack a 
 camp if not well guarded. What do you 
 know about them, Bateese?" 
 
 "Some tarn dey very fierce, Monsieur, and 
 when hongree will chase 'eem right roun' de 
 fire till 'ee shoot 'eem dead." 
 
 "They are not coming this way," said the 
 Chaplain, who was also listening. 
 
 "Na, na," said Bateese. "Dey smell long 
 way off, and go 'roun' and 'roun' before ever 
 dey come to camp." 
 
 ; 'You don't say that we are in for fun to- 
 night, do you ?" 
 
 "Don't say noffin," replied Bateese with
 
 110 IN THE VAN 
 
 a shrug. "Only dey won't be here for a 
 long tarn anyway." 
 
 Will you take me to see the other women, 
 Harold, before we go to bed?" said Helen 
 with another little shiver. 
 
 ;< You are surely not afraid with such a body 
 of troops around you, Mrs. Manning?" quer- 
 ied the Colonel. 
 
 "Not a bit, Sir George," was her answer, 
 and she turned upon him a face that showed 
 no trace of fear, "but I want to visit the 
 women a few minutes and see how they 
 fare." 
 
 "By jove, we are blest with having such a 
 woman with us!" said the Colonel to the 
 little crowd about him, as the two moved 
 away. "It gives us a bit of civilization right 
 in the woods; and God knows we need it. 
 She's a treasure, and you men must do what 
 you can for her." 
 
 "We will all do that, sir," was the hearty 
 response. 
 
 Helen found the women seated on a log 
 with their husbands beside a fire near the 
 middle of the men's quarters. They, too, 
 were discussing the wolf question. 
 
 "Just listen!" exclaimed Mrs. Hardman 
 in alarm. 'There must be twenty of 'em. 
 They might come to us when there is such 
 a lot." 
 
 "Let 'em come," said Mrs. Bond, tossing 
 her head. "What's twenty wolves agin two 
 'undred men?"
 
 IN THE VAN 111 
 
 "That's not it," said the other woman. 
 "They're such sneaks. They say they can 
 squeeze into any 'ole. I wouldn't want one 
 of them beasts in my bunk for a bed-fellow." 
 
 "You need not be alarmed," said Lieuten- 
 ant Manning. "There will be a fire in front 
 of each camp all night, and plenty of men on 
 guard. If the women are afraid though, 
 Corporal, it might be better to put in a few 
 more stakes to block up the bunks more 
 thoroughly." 
 
 "P'raps it would. We'll attend to it, sir." 
 And the two men went off to cut the stakes 
 and put them in place. 
 
 Helen remained with the women a little 
 longer, while Harold crossing over to speak 
 to the Colonel, told him of Mrs. Hardman's 
 alarm. Sir George laughed. Nevertheless, 
 he gave the final order to double the guard 
 for the night, with relief every two hours in- 
 stead of three. At ten o'clock the bugle 
 sounded the men to bed. 
 
 The large fires in front of the camps made 
 them warm and comfortable; and in another 
 hour the whole camp was still, while the guards 
 on duty stood and lounged around the blazing 
 fires. Silence and quietude reigned supreme, 
 save for the crackling of the faggots and the 
 howling of the wolves. For a time the sounds 
 were very distant, seemingly miles away. 
 
 Hour after hour passed by. Snuggled be- 
 neath the blankets the men and women were 
 sleeping. Suddenly the howling, which had
 
 112 IN THE VAN 
 
 been circling in the distance the whole of 
 the night, concentrated in one direction, and 
 gradually the sounds grew louder and the 
 tones clearer. 
 
 Captain Cummings, knowing th ': the driv- 
 ers would be familiar with the country and 
 the habits of the animals, had arranged for 
 two of them to take part with the pickets on 
 each watch. This time both Bateese and 
 Pat were on duty. 
 
 "Sacre! de dem wolf comin' straight for 
 us,'* exclaimed the former. 
 
 "Be jabers! They're on a bee line down 
 the Truro-road," added Pat. "In foive 
 minutes the howlin' pack '11 be on us as 
 sure as shootin'. Pile on the dry pine, boys," 
 he called out in a higher key. "Whin ther's 
 a big pack and a cowld night, it'll take a 
 tremenduous fire to keep the spalpeens from 
 sessling right into us." 
 
 "We'd better call out the men," suggested 
 a private. 
 
 'Holy Peter! we must call the dhrivers 
 too, or the horses '11 be afther a stampede," 
 was the answer. 
 
 But both drivers and soldiers had heard 
 the wolves and were up. Captains Cum- 
 mings and Payne and Sir George, too, were 
 already out, and the men, many of them only 
 half dressed, with guns in their hands came 
 tumbling after them. 
 
 " We may as well see the end of this," cried 
 the Colonel.
 
 IN THE VAN 113 
 
 "Heavens! Yonder they come," shouted 
 Cummings; and at the top of the long in- 
 cline, leading out of the valley, a dark, surg- 
 ing mass could be seen clearly in the moon- 
 light. 
 
 On they came straight down the road, 
 filling the air with unearthly yells. Some in 
 the centre were on a steady run; others at 
 the side scampered irregularly to the right 
 or left; while a few young and lanky fellows 
 leapt madly over the backs of others in order 
 to get to the front. 
 
 "Quick, men! Rifles ready," called out 
 Cummings, as the men got into position be- 
 fore the unusual foe. The wild rush of the 
 wolves was checked as they neared the blaz- 
 ing fires. Still, as Pat said, "Numbers made 
 them bould." There were more than a 
 score of the hungry brutes; and the sight of 
 fire was not enough to divert their attention 
 from horses and men that they saw within 
 their reach. 
 
 As they struck the camp they set up a 
 more terrific howl than ever, and made a 
 sort of momentary halt. The leaders, a 
 couple of huge fellows, turning grey with 
 age, seemed in a quandary whether to turn 
 to the right or to the left. Then they made 
 a rush toward the riflemen who stood nearest, 
 and the whole pack came on. 
 
 "Fire ! " cried the Colonel. 
 
 One of the old greys dropped and several 
 others with him. With a cowardly yell the 
 
 8
 
 114 IN THE VAN 
 
 animals veered; but it was only for a mo- 
 ment. Then, some savagely turned on their 
 fellow-comrades to tear them limb from 
 limb, while others scattered to right and 
 left. Again the men fired, and then charged 
 with fixed bayonets, rushing on the animals 
 with cold steel. 
 
 By this time the whole force was roused, 
 and clinching their guns appeared on the 
 scene. But brief as it was, the battle was 
 almost over. A number of the wolves were 
 killed, some were wounded and others, still 
 unhurt, retreated into the forest; while one 
 or two, surrounded by the bayonets of the 
 men, made a wild dash through the camp 
 for the woods on the further side. 
 
 Helen did not go to sleep early that night. 
 The excitement of the day's travel, together 
 with the new conditions, had unsettled her 
 nerves. Consequently, a couple of hours 
 passed away before sleep came, and then 
 troubled dreams marred her rest. 
 
 The mad yells of the wolves as they neared 
 the camp awoke both her and Harold. With 
 a suppressed scream, Helen clutched her 
 husband as he sprang up to don his outer- 
 clothing. Then came the fire of the first 
 shots. 
 
 "Don't leave me," she pleaded, in mo- 
 mentary terror. "What if a wolf should 
 squeeze in between the poles! " 
 
 'No fear of that, dearest," he answered, 
 pulling on his boots and tunic in less time
 
 IN THE VAN 115 
 
 than it takes to tell. "But I won't leave 
 you. There has been no general call for 
 the men as yet." 
 
 "The only way in or out is through that 
 passage," she cried, calm again, and busy 
 dressing while she spoke. The shooting con- 
 tinued and the shouts of the men grew louder, 
 while there was less yelling of the animals. 
 Then came a wild hurrying and stampeding 
 around the camp. Harold had stuck a 
 lighted candle in a crotch and a brace of 
 pistols in his belt. In another moment he 
 was ready for anything. 
 
 "What's that?" exclaimed Helen with a 
 wild shout. 
 
 Harold turned instantly, and by the dim 
 light saw that the slabs at the entrance were 
 being wriggled. 
 
 "By heavens, it's a wolf!" he shouted, and 
 almost without taking aim he fired one of 
 his pistols at the head of a monster which 
 was squeezing between the poles. The bul- 
 let grazed his shoulder, but with a gruesome 
 howl and snapping jaw he continued forcing 
 himself into tne narrow cell. Helen, shrink- 
 ing to the further end, seized a dirk from the 
 sheath in which it hung, while Harold fired 
 his second pistol. This time the ball passed 
 through the wolf's neck into his body. Still 
 he was not killed, and snapping savagely he 
 floundered into the room. 
 
 Then came the life and death struggle be- 
 tween Harold and the wolf. With his empty
 
 116 IN THE VAN 
 
 pistol he struck him a fierce blow upon the 
 head, while the wolf's teeth clutched the 
 young man's leg. 
 
 "Quick, the knife," he gasped, and like 
 a flash the dirk was buried in the brute's 
 heart. The jaws relaxed. The leg was free 
 again and the huge wolf rolled over. 
 
 The candle was still alight as Harold stag- 
 gered, a gory spectacle, to his couch. Helen, 
 too, was trembling and spotted with blood. 
 Bravely she had faced it all and had not 
 swooned. 
 
 "How terribly he has bitten you !" she 
 cried with quivering lips. 
 
 "Only a scratch," was his answer. But 
 the shots and Helen's screams had been 
 heard, and the poles were being forced aside. 
 Sir George, the Doctor, Cummings and others 
 had comedo the rescue. 
 
 "What in heaven's name have you here?" 
 cried the former in consternation as, in put- 
 ting his head in, he almost fell over the body 
 of the dead animal. 
 
 "We've been entertaining a wolf," Harold 
 gasped. 
 
 ' And he's been trying to kill my husband," 
 Helen added, bravely keeping back the tears. 
 
 ''You're not dead yet, though," exclaimed 
 the Doctor. "Can you stand up, old man?" 
 
 "Certainly I can." And Harold, spat- 
 tered with blood, rose to his feet. 'The 
 rascal nipped my leg, though. Perhaps you 
 had better look at it, Doctor."
 
 IN THE VAN 117 
 
 "Come outside then, if you can walk." He 
 managed to reach the blazing fire, followed 
 by Helen. And there the Doctor dressed 
 the wound. 
 
 When the other men dragged out the dead 
 animal before putting the place to order again, 
 they were amazed at their discovery. 
 
 "Why, it's the big she-wolf !" Cummings 
 exclaimed. 'The mate of the old grey that 
 was shot. What a desperate fight Man- 
 ning must have had ! " 
 
 "And his wife," echoed Sir George. "The 
 wonder is that she retained her senses at all." 
 
 Harold's hurt was not a severe one. For- 
 tunately it was but a dying snap, and the 
 blood on his clothes was from the wolf. So 
 he cleaned and changed them ; and Helen 
 with water and sponge refreshed herself too. 
 Half an hour later they returned to their 
 own wigwam. But the men had* not been 
 idle. They had made it over again; and 
 they found their bunk as good as new. So 
 after each had taken a glass of old wine, 
 which Harold had fortunately brought with 
 him, they once more retired to rest. The 
 outside guards were changed, and soon the 
 men of the troop were trying to sleep again, 
 in preparation for the next day's march.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the exciting dis- 
 turbances of the night, to both men and 
 beasts, the troops were up by daylight, 
 Breakfast was over, the camp was struck, and 
 all were ready to march before the sun in 
 the clear winter sky was much above the 
 horizon. During the last of the prepara- 
 tions, Helen, wrapped in her furs, was seated 
 on a log by one of the fires. While waiting 
 for Harold she was busy jotting down notes 
 in a scrap book that lay on her knee. 
 
 " Well, dearie ! " he exclaimed, as he joined 
 her with a slight limp. "We start in ten 
 minutes. Are you quite ready ? But what is 
 this you are doing?" 
 
 " Just scribbling a bit," she replied. " Com- 
 mencing my diary. And how is the leg? It 
 must hurt you." 
 
 " Only a little. The Doctor has dressed it 
 again. He says it is a mere trifle. The 
 thick folds of my trousers saved me from a 
 bite that might have been serious. So you 
 are turning historian, are you ? Commenc- 
 ing, I suppose, with a thrilling tale of ad- 
 venture." 
 
 "Last night's experience should be thrill- 
 ing enough to make a record of, don't you 
 think?" was her answer. 
 
 118
 
 IN THE VAN 119 
 
 "Well, yes; if you only put it down right. 
 You should commence with an account of 
 the brave lady who, without fear, seized a 
 dagger and by her dexterity saved the life of 
 her husband." 
 
 "What do you take me for? Any more 
 nonsense like that ?" 
 
 "There is no nonsense about it, my dear. 
 Where would I have been but for you ? Both 
 my pistols empty, clutched by a big wolf, and 
 no knife within reach until you handed it to 
 me. No, my dear Mrs. Manning, you were 
 veritably your husband's preserver. Put it 
 down quick, for we have scarcely a minute to 
 lose." 
 
 "It is too late," she returned with grave 
 perspicacity. ' The first chapter is closed. 
 What I have writ, I have writ, and there's 
 the end o't." And closing her scrap book 
 she opened her reticule to put it in. 
 
 "But my brave lady," he cried. "My 
 heroine of the midnight battle, won't you let 
 me see what you have .writ?" 
 
 "That is a question," was her laughing 
 answer, putting her bag behind her back. 
 
 " Why so ? " ne asked. 
 
 "Because 
 
 "Because what?" 
 
 "Because you shouldn't see anything I put 
 down. I just thought I would write a bit 
 each day until we get to Penetang; but 
 there are things which a woman would not 
 want to tell to a man, even her husband."
 
 120 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I never thought of that," he replied 
 gravely. " Still, there may be truth in it." 
 
 "I don't want to be mean, Harold," she 
 said relentingly, handing him the scrap book. 
 "Read it this time, but please let me write 
 what I want without showing it to you again, 
 until we reach Penetang anyway. I promise 
 that you may read the whole of it then if you 
 insist." 
 
 "Well, I agree," he replied, stooping to kiss 
 her. "Writing letters to nobody with no- 
 body to read them." 
 
 "Who else should read them but the no- 
 body for whom they were written," was her 
 laughing response. 
 
 The horses were harnessed, but he had 
 still time to glance hastily over the first entry 
 of her diary. It ran thus: 
 
 " Shebenacadie, Nova Scotia, Jan., 1814. 
 
 "Just three days and nights since we left 
 Halifax. The weather sharp, cold and bright, 
 with scarcely a cloud in the sky at any time, 
 and jolly long drives they have been. We 
 had great fun at a lumber camp on our first 
 day out. A good-natured Scotchman was 
 what they call 'Boss' and he made it very 
 pleasant for us. He gave us an excellent 
 dinner and was very gallant to us all, but he 
 tried to be funny, too. For instance, he told 
 me it was lucky I was not going to stay in 
 Nova Scotia, for if I did, I would become a 
 * blue-nose' like the rest of the women, for 
 I was catching the disease already.
 
 IN THE VAN 121 
 
 "I laughingly repudiated the charge and 
 told him it was a calumny upon the Nova 
 Scotia women, for their noses were all a 
 natural color. 
 
 "My dear woman,' he replied, 'I'm no 
 daft. Their noses are all blue, but for the 
 sake of effect they just paint 'em pink.' 
 
 "The Doctor heard him and shook with 
 laughter, while Mr. Mackenzie reiterated: 
 'Fact, madame, fact! When you come back 
 jess ask Mrs. Mason and she'll tell you.' I 
 feel sure he was joking, although my nose 
 was a little blue at the time from the extreme 
 cold. Still the 'Boss' is a fine specimen of 
 his race; rough, generous and warm-hearted. 
 I wonder if he has a wife. If not the sooner 
 he gets one the better, for like Harold he could 
 make a woman happy. 
 
 "That afternoon we passed an Indian camp. 
 Some of the redskins were armed, and as 
 there were a lot of them, and only a few of us 
 in sleighs, it didn't seem safe, until we had 
 driven on and they had shouted their last 
 'Qua.' 
 
 "But the horror of all was last night, only 
 three or four hours before dawn, where, if it 
 had not been for a providential candle, Harold 
 would have been killed. Oh, that blessed 
 candle! I have stowed it away already among 
 my most valuable belongings in commemora- 
 tion of the event. The fiendish eyes of that 
 gaunt wolf made my blood run cold as he 
 wriggled through the bars into our camp.
 
 122 IN THE VAN 
 
 Harold shot him twice with his pistols and 
 afterwards stabbed him to the heart with his 
 dagger; still he could not have done it but for 
 that little candle which he had stuck between 
 the branches before the fight began. What a 
 terrible scene it was! When Harold and the 
 brute were locked together and the blood spurt- 
 ed all over, I felt sure that it was Harold's. 
 I almost fainted. But somehow I just 
 wouldn't. So I grabbed hold of the wolf's 
 leg and helped to roll him on his back. It 
 was all the help I could give. The whole 
 thing was horrible to think of. It made my 
 blood curdle. But I don't care so long as 
 Harold is all right. I always knew what a 
 good, true man my husband was, but never 
 before did I know how brave he could be. 
 He's the- 
 
 But here the record broke off abruptly, 
 caused no doubt by the said Harold's arrival. 
 " I wonder how you purposed concluding that 
 last sentence?" he asked with a laugh, as he 
 handed back the book. "Possibly the dash 
 was merely a happy substitute for something 
 else." 
 
 " On second thought I don't think I'll finish 
 it," she said, dryly. " Just leave it for you to 
 conjecture." 
 
 "And am I to read no more chapters?" 
 he asked. 
 
 'Not even one," she replied, nodding her 
 head. "A woman's fiat is like the law of the 
 Medes and Persians it cannot be altered."
 
 IN THE VAN 123 
 
 "So be it," he assented, while he helped 
 her into the sleigh. "I shall restrain my 
 curiosity until the manuscript is finished. 
 But woe betide you if you do not let me read 
 it then." And they both laughed. 
 
 The next moment the bugles sounded, the 
 sleighs and troops were already in order, and 
 on the word of command the journey was 
 resumed. 
 
 Helen's diary continued. 
 
 "Camp, - - miles northwest of Truro, 
 Jan'y - , 10 p.m., 1814. 
 
 " I thought I would write a little in my diary 
 every day when I commenced, but here, on 
 the very start, I have missed a day already. 
 Perhaps it was because Harold, on account 
 of the wolf's bite, has been with me ever since. 
 To-day it has been terribly cold, and I was 
 afraid he might be worse, but thank heaven 
 he is not. The roads are still good through 
 this mountainous region, and without many 
 drifts either. Bateese pretends to be dis- 
 gusted. He says they are not worth a ' tarn, ' 
 for he has been doing his best to find a drift 
 to camp in ever since we started. So we laugh 
 and tell him it is foolish to despair. 
 
 ''Last night we were on the lookout for 
 wolves again. We sat on logs around the 
 camp fires until quite late listening for them; 
 but there was not a single howl. We did 
 hear something, however, that was at least 
 more amusing. The men had made our 
 little camp comfortable for us, and Harold
 
 124 IN THE VAN 
 
 and I were having a chat by ourselves before 
 turning in for the night. Perhaps I felt 
 moody again in the still air and deep solitude 
 of the woods. It was so new and strange to 
 me so different from anything I had ever 
 experienced. 
 
 'Suddenly we heard singing in the habi- 
 tants' camp. The drivers were seated around 
 their own fire and listening to Bateese. I won- 
 der if I can remember the words of the quaint 
 little song. It ran something like this: 
 
 Ma luffly gal she ees so neat, 
 
 She be ma femme come by-am-bye; 
 
 She ope her leetle mouf so sweet 
 An' all de day sing lullaby. 
 
 Ven she vas baby dress in print, 
 Her petite nose vas vide an' pug, 
 
 So dat it make her eyes go squint 
 Ven, she shut up her leetle mug. 
 
 Her arms so short, her feet so long, 
 Dey make you tink of kangaroo; 
 
 Still, mon devoir, I sing ma song 
 An' tell de story all to you. 
 
 But she so fair, her hair like gold, 
 
 Her bref is like de rose to smell ; 
 An' vat care I for tings I told, 
 
 I luff dat leetle gal so well. 
 
 An den who cares vat people say ? 
 
 Mon Dieu ! e'en d'ough de night owls sing, 
 It ees no mattare. Ve'll be gay 
 
 An' Cure'll marry us in spring.
 
 IN THE VAN 125 
 
 'Then the men laughed and we laughed 
 too. Somehow it roused my spirits, and I 
 liked Bateese all the better for singing his 
 foolish little ditty." 
 
 Diary continued. 
 
 "Miramichi River, New Brunswick, 240 
 miles from Halifax, Feb. - , 1814. 
 
 "I intended to write in my diary every day 
 when I started, but, 'The best laid schemes of 
 men and mice gang aft aglee/ Several 
 weary days have gone since I used my 
 pencil last. I was more than half sick 
 and did not feel like writing. But now I 
 am better; so start anew and will try to 
 keep it up. Harold has been very good to 
 me; and so have the Doctor and the Chaplain, 
 and the Colonel and everybody. Still travel- 
 ling twenty miles a day, no matter how you 
 feel, is no joke, particularly when you have to 
 camp out in improvised shanties every night, 
 no matter how intense the cold. Two of the 
 days it stormed furiously and Bateese had 
 all he could do to keep our sleigh from up- 
 setting in the drifts. Some of the others did 
 go over much to their discomfort, and we 
 began to prize Bateese all the more for his 
 dexterity, even if he does brag a bit. When 
 the blast was the keenest both the women 
 got their noses frozen. That was two days 
 ago, and their driver discovered it just as we 
 stopped to camp for dinner. 
 
 "'By gar!' he cried out vehemently, 'de 
 vemen's noses bot' be friz.'
 
 126 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Bateese dropped his lines into Harold's 
 hands and almost with a bound reached the 
 other sleigh. Then the two men commenced 
 at once to rub the frozen noses with snow, 
 much to the disgust of the women. But 
 opposition was useless. It was the right 
 tning to do, and at the same time a rare joke 
 to the Frenchmen who continued to jabber 
 their patois. 
 
 " * Be quiet now,Femme Bond,' cried Bateese. 
 'You no want your nose drop off.' 
 
 ""Ard man never look at 'im femme again 
 wid big hole in him face," yelled the other. 
 "Old steel I say.* 
 
 "The women realized the truth and slowly 
 the white ivory hardness of the two noses dis- 
 appeared, and they became red and soft again. 
 ' Dey must cover de face wid wraps all de rest 
 of de day" was Bateese's parting injunction as 
 he left them to return to his own sleigh. 
 
 "We are lucky in having Bateese for a 
 driver. He is usually so amusing with his 
 stories. At first we used to believe all he 
 said. Now we discriminate, and laugh at 
 his tales about bears and things as heartily 
 as he does himself. Speaking of Bruin 
 reminds me that I saw wild bears for the first 
 time yesterday. Harold was with me. The 
 Colonel's sleigh, as usual, was just in front of 
 ours; and as our horses slowly ascended a 
 steep hill on the curve, we saw a big black 
 bear, with two little cubs some months old, 
 sitting on her haunches right in the road
 
 IN THE VAN 127 
 
 a most unusual thing, for bears as a rule 
 hibernate during the winter. 
 
 "Sir George's horses reared, while the men 
 in his sleigh picked up their guns and fired. 
 The old bear dropped, but the little ones were 
 not hurt, and instead of running away they 
 cuddled beside their dead mother. Such a 
 pitiful sight! Some of the men clamored to 
 keep the cubs for mascots; and the habitants 
 declared that the journey would be lucky if 
 they did. I was glad when the Colonel gave 
 his consent, for I hated the idea of killing the 
 cunning little things; and if left without 
 their mother they would surely die. So some 
 stayed behind to skin and dress the bear, for 
 it was so much added to our larder; and also 
 to fix a box to put the little cubs in. Funny, 
 too, that this should happen on what they 
 call 'Bear-day.' 
 
 " And last night we had roast bear for supper. 
 It has a strong taste, but as I am getting well, 
 and hungry again, I relished it as a change 
 from our regular diet. 
 
 " Harold was telling me afterwards that one 
 of the cubs is a male and the other a female; 
 and that the two companies are to have one 
 apiece. The funniest part of it is that they 
 christened them both with singaree one to 
 be called Helen and the other Manning. I 
 knew the officers were very kind, but I never 
 suspected that the soldiers cared a button for 
 me. Pshaw! There's a tear on my paper. 
 I wonder where it came from ?"
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 HELEN'S DIARY CONTINUED. 
 
 " T^ESTIGOUCHE River, Feb. 
 
 |"^ Four more days' journey without 
 * writing a line; and then the long 
 long nights. The same old story; riding all 
 morning, then helping the women to fix 
 things for dinner in the woods. Then rid- 
 ing all afternoon till nearly sundown, fol- 
 lowed by the excitement and turmoil among 
 the men, in building camps for the night. It 
 is a strange life to lead. Three weeks since 
 we left Halifax, and only once inside a house 
 during all that time. Just think of it. Camp- 
 ing in the woods among the hills every night 
 no matter how it snows or how it freezes. 
 Still, as long as it has to be, the woods are 
 better than an open plain; and the denser, 
 the kinder, for they break the cold winds 
 from the icy northland. There is always a 
 big fire before each shanty when we retire 
 for the night; but after you get into bed, the 
 soughing of the winds through the trees of 
 the forest sounds very weird. Down in the 
 valley where the men pitch the tents may be 
 still; but away in the tops of the tall pines, a 
 whole legion of elfs are sounding their harps 
 and scampering through the branches. How 
 
 128
 
 IN THE VAN 129 
 
 often when you lie still with eyes wide open, 
 waiting for sleep that will not come, you can 
 see the glittering stars through the chinks 
 above you, while the fairy imps go by in 
 myriads, blowing their tiny whistles and 
 twanging their lutes in tune to the elfish 
 music of the night. By-and-bye, tired na- 
 ture whiles you to the silent land; but the 
 dirge goes with you even to the world of 
 dreams. 
 
 "Then by the break of day the bugle 
 sounds. Up you start to make a crude 
 toilet. You stow away your little bits of 
 goods and chattels, eat your breakfast of 
 biscuit and bacon and tea, and while men 
 are tearing your bunk to pieces and packing it 
 for the journey, you in turn take your place in 
 the caravan, counting the days of the fathom- 
 less past and the inevitable days of the future. 
 
 "But how lucky it is that there are inci- 
 dents to note. It keeps one thinking, so I 
 watch the officers and men in their strange 
 methods. Sunday, Monday and Saturday 
 are alike to them; except that the Chaplain 
 holds a short service after breakfast every 
 Sunday morning. Just as battles are fought 
 more frequently on Sunday than any other 
 day, so soldiers when marching want to 
 cover more ground on that day than any 
 other. I wonder if it is because they want 
 to follow our Saviour's teaching? 
 
 "Then all seem to have forgotten the past. 
 They live in the actual present. Jven the 
 
 9
 
 130 IN THE VAN 
 
 Chaplain, whom one would expect to find as 
 grave as a judge, is, I verily believe, the jol- 
 liest man in the whole party. He doesn't 
 seem to have a single care. One day as we 
 halted for dinner, a big black squirrel got 
 cornered among some logs; and he was the 
 first to jump from his sleigh to try and catch 
 him. Of course others followed to join in 
 the chase. But the squirrel was not to be 
 caught, and he chirped merrily as he scamp- 
 ered up a beech tree. Captain Cummings 
 was for shooting him. 
 
 "Let the poor beggar alone,' cried the 
 Chaplain with a hearty laugh. ' When we run 
 it's our fun, when he runs it's his.' 
 
 "Another time when it was his turn to ride 
 in our sleigh, I happened to say as we neared 
 the camping ground that I would dearly love 
 to have venison for supper again. 
 
 'Do you hear that, Bateese?' he cried to 
 the driver, giving him a punch in the back. 
 'Madam says she won't eat a bite of supper 
 unless you provide her with venison steak/ 
 
 "I looked at him in astonishment; but be- 
 fore I could speak, Bateese exclaimed: 
 
 "All right, Padre, we'll get it, me an' you. 
 'Alf hour early dis time. Bateese know place 
 well. Pat tend horses, you bring rifle an' 
 come wid me. Sacre! Big fonne.' 
 
 'It's a go,' replied the Chaplain, and 
 jumping from the sleigh, he had a word with 
 the Colonel, In another minute he was back 
 again.
 
 IN THE VAN 131 
 
 ' * And what shall be your choice, Madam ? ' 
 was his question. 'Rump steak, devilled 
 kidneys, or sirloin ?' 
 
 'When you shoot your deer, Chaplain, I 
 will tell you,' was my laughing answer, for 
 I had not the remotest idea that the sugges- 
 tion would be carried out. 
 
 "But in another minute, Mr. Evans and 
 Bateese, each with a rifle over his shoulder, 
 plunged into the forest along the winding of 
 the Wapskeheden river. I was almost sorry 
 then over my suggestion, for I did not know 
 what might happen before they returned, 
 and, woman-like, felt nervous. Half an hour 
 later when the sun was setting, and the trees 
 beginning to snap and crack with the frost of 
 the coming night, we heard a couple of shots, 
 but they were far away. 
 
 'They've found their game at last,' said 
 Sir George. 'I suppose Bateese is a good 
 shot, though I never heard of the Chaplain 
 distinguishing himself in that line." 
 
 'He was one of the crack men of the 91st 
 before he was transferred to the 100th,' said 
 Captain Payne, who with Harold joined Sir 
 George and myself as we stood by the fire. 
 
 "It was pretty dark before the hunters re- 
 turned. When within hailing distance they 
 shouted for help. Then all came in together 
 dragging a big buck by the horns. 
 
 'Who shot him ?' was the general question. 
 "Oh, de cure he be goot shot,' said Ba- 
 teese.
 
 132 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I hit his shoulder, but Bateese put a 
 bullet through his heart,' said the Chaplain. 
 'Now, Madam,' he continued, turning to me, 
 'what is your answer to my question.' 
 
 'Venison steak from the breast,' I an- 
 swered at random, not knowing one part 
 from another. 
 
 "Because it is nearest the heart, and deer- 
 heart at that. But I think you'll try the 
 rump too,' and he went off to give his orders 
 to the cook with a ringing laugh. 
 
 "One gets one's eyes strangely opened on 
 a trip like this. I don't know that meeting 
 so many men, and none but men, is good for 
 one, either. When you come in such close 
 touch with them day after day, you find them 
 so different from each other; and so different 
 too, from what you expected them to be. 
 Sometimes I feel startled, turning with open, 
 arms to Harold, my one rock of defence. And 
 yet it is needless and foolish to feel so. They 
 are all so good and kind and yet so free and 
 easy, that I feel like drawing myself together 
 and being alert for hobgoblins that never 
 come. They say 'the witches we dread most 
 are those we never meet.' 
 
 "Still there is one man in Harold's com- 
 pany that I don't like, even if he is his cap- 
 tain; four times during our journey has ne 
 ridden by my side for the afternoon drive, 
 and eacn time I liked him less. He is a 
 bachelor; and it is not that he does or says 
 anything that is offensive, but there is an
 
 IN THE VAN 133 
 
 insinuating way about him that I cannot 
 bear. There is not a more courteous or 
 polite man in the two companies; but then 
 there does not seem to be any sincerity in 
 what he says. He laughs at religion, and, 
 in a cynical way, scoffs at what he calls the 
 mock pruderies of the world. I never went 
 a great deal into society; the sorrows of my 
 girl-life prevented me; but I don't like to 
 have my respect for what I do know dragged 
 in the dust. I do wish the Colonel would 
 not put him with me again. Still, I would 
 not have it known that I dislike him. It 
 would make my position more uncomfort- 
 able, and, what is more, might do Harold 
 harm. A feud between the captain and 
 lieutenant of the same company over the 
 wife of one of them, might be romantic, but 
 could never be pleasant. What is more, we 
 have a long future before us, five or six weeks 
 or more before we can arrive at our journey's 
 end. I almost shiver at the thought of it. 
 But that won't do. I must brave it out. If 
 faint heart never won fair lady, neither did 
 timid woman ever bring a villain to her feet. 
 Fortunately no one will ever see this screed 
 but Harold, and not even he till we get to 
 Penetang, unless my position becomes un- 
 bearable. Perhaps if I had a lady friend 
 with me I would not even have writ it down. 
 " Lake Temiscouata, Lower Canada, Feb. 
 " For the last two days we have been travel- 
 ling due west, almost close to the northern
 
 184 IN THE VAN 
 
 limit of the States. On this account Sir 
 George has kept the troops and sleighs to- 
 gether. Indian scouts have been sent to the 
 south and front, and we have been travelling 
 more slowly, to be prepared for any surprise. 
 
 "Runners came in yesterday from the bor- 
 der with the message that the American 
 forces are at least a hundred miles away, and 
 that there is no prospect of fighting again be- 
 fore the spring opens. I think our men were 
 a little disappointed. This is the nearest to 
 the United States that they will be during all 
 their journey to Lake Huron ; and they would 
 like to have at least one fight just to show 
 their pluck. I believe Harold in his heart 
 is as keen for action as they are; but on my 
 account he expresses himself the other way. 
 For my part I am glad to hear that the Yan- 
 kees have the good sense to keep to their 
 own side of the lines. 
 
 "For the last three nights, we three wo- 
 men, Mrs. Bond, Mrs. Hardman and my- 
 self, have had houses to sleep in actual 
 houses. Settlers' log shanties with board floors ; 
 each time with a big log fireplace at one end 
 of the living room. Oh, it was a luxury to 
 sit down on wooden chairs at the clean pine 
 tables again; to eat our supper of mush and 
 milk and buckwheat pancakes ; and our break- 
 fast of pork and potatoes, wheaten cakes and 
 molasses! Then we sat down together just 
 like sisters. There was no distinction in 
 the backwoodsman's shanty. We were too
 
 IN THE VAN 135 
 
 glad to get even a glimpse of civilization 
 again to think of hair-splitting distinctions; 
 and whether we did it outwardly or not, I 
 am sure we inwardly thanked God for sup- 
 plying our wants so comfortably on these two 
 nappy nights. There was a strong resem- 
 blance in the cabins, although they are more 
 than twenty miles apart. Eacn has the 
 Scotchman's "ben-place" to sleep in, par- 
 titioned off from the ordinary living room. 
 On the first night the two beds occupied by 
 the settler, his wife and children were vacated 
 for our use, while the family, with generous 
 hospitality, slept on the floor in the larger 
 room. Last night the conditions were very 
 similar, and again I had a bed to myself. 
 These homely people have a warm place in 
 my heart, and I shall never forget their un- 
 selfish kindness. 
 
 "This must be a pretty spot in the summer 
 
 * J. 
 
 time. Our officers' and soldiers' camp is 
 on the banks of the Temiscouata. High hills 
 all around and little lakes throughout the 
 region. They say they are full of fish; and 
 through holes in the ice, our men this morn- 
 ing caught a lot of pickerel and bass for 
 breakfast. But we women in the cabin were 
 quite satisfied with the good things that the 
 Scotch housewife provided. 
 
 "To-day, as well as yesterday, I left some 
 silver behind me, but it was interesting to 
 see the perversity with which the good house- 
 wife persisted in declining it. If her husband
 
 136 IN THE VAN 
 
 had been present, his canny Scotch nature 
 would no doubt have been more reasonable. 
 "Guid sakes, misses,' said our hostess, 'I 
 dinna want no siller. Ye are aye welcome 
 to the bit I gie ye, an' tho we never see the 
 color o' English shillin's in these parts, I 
 willna take them frae ye for the wee pickle 
 ye've taen.' 
 
 "Notwithstanding all my urging, the wo- 
 man kept her hands behind her back. So I 
 rolled the money up in a piece of paper and 
 laid it on a little shelf by the wall. This time 
 there was no demur, and with a friendlv smile 
 
 
 
 she bade me 'guid-bye an' a safe journey 
 through them awfu' woods.' While I was 
 speaking to our hostess the women slipped 
 away to be with their husbands for a minute 
 before starting; and Harold came for me as 
 I left the house. 
 
 "It is my turn to march this morning, 
 dearie,' he said, 'so Captain Cummings will 
 take my place.' 
 
 "But in the afternoon I shall have you to 
 myself,' I returned, restraining my annoy- 
 ance as much as I could. * Still, why Cap- 
 tain Cummings this time? He was with me 
 only day before yesterday.' 
 
 'You see, dear, you have them in order.' 
 
 "Scarcely that, I have had neither the 
 Doctor nor the Chaplain for four days,' I 
 replied in a low voice. I felt like rebelling, 
 but was afraid of arousing Harold's sus- 
 picion.
 
 IN THE VAN 137 
 
 "I did not think of it in that way, sweet- 
 heart,' he exclaimed, while he laughingly 
 raised my chin. 'Possibly as captain of our 
 company, he expects greater privileges. You 
 don't dislike him, do you?" 
 
 ' Why should I ? ' I replied, while care- 
 fully buttoning my fur coat. 'He is always 
 polite. Perhaps I am getting a little bit 
 tired of these long drives. But I musn't 
 grumble. How long will it take to reach 
 Quebec ? ' 
 
 "Several days yet, but Sir George has 
 promised us two or three to rest when we get 
 there. Keep your heart up, dearie. I ex- 
 pect we can secure houses for you to sleep in 
 after this all the way through to Montreal. 
 Good-bye till I see you at noon.' 
 
 "The sleighs were drawn up near the door, 
 and the next minute Captain Cummings 
 joined me. 
 
 'This is an unexpected pleasure,' he re- 
 marked as he tucked the robes around me. 
 'Sir George wanted to have a special talk 
 with Beaumont this morning about surgical 
 matters, so he requested me to take his place. 
 There, are you quite comfortable?' he asked, 
 solicitously. 
 
 'Yes, thank you,' I replied. 'Do we 
 march with the men to-day or go ahead ? ' 
 
 "On ahead,' was his answer. 'We shall 
 be close to the U.S. boundary line for another 
 day yet, but as they have never had troops 
 in this region, the Colonel thinks we are per-
 
 138 IN THE VAN 
 
 fectly safe in leading the way. We are off 
 on the trot already/ 
 
 "The road here was smooth, and Sir 
 George's sleigh was spinning ahead of us. 
 
 "Still, it would be alarming to be at- 
 tacked, with the soldiers miles behind us,' I 
 remarked. 
 
 "'Even if they did,' said the Captain, 'un- 
 less the forces were very strong, we could de- 
 fend ourselves until the men came up. Every 
 man of us is well armed.' 
 
 "'That may be,' I volunteered, 'but what 
 of the women ? ' 
 
 "Oh! the chivalrous Englishmen will al- 
 ways protect them,' was his laughing re- 
 joinder, as he extended his gauntletted 
 hand, seemingly with the intention of placing 
 it over mine. But, suddenly feeling the 
 chilliness of the air, I withdrew it beneath 
 the buffalo robe. 
 
 "It is good of you to say so,' I said, 'our 
 officers are always both gallant and brave.' 
 
 "I am glad you have such infinite faith,' 
 he returned with a light laugh. 
 
 ' Why shouldn't I have ? They say there 
 are none truer than the men of the Hundredth 
 in the whole of the King's brigades.' 
 
 ' ' Quite true, and pray God that their his- 
 tory may never be tarnished.' 
 
 "Then with a piercing look he relapsed for 
 a time into silence. The road was well 
 beaten, winding in and out among the hills, 
 and occasionally stretching in a direct line
 
 IN THE VAN 139 
 
 over the frozen surface of a lake. Some- 
 times a ravine would be crossed or a steep 
 hill climbed; and as we neared Temiscouata, 
 Mounts Lennox and Paradis loomed up be- 
 fore us. More than once smoke curlea up- 
 ward among the distant trees, indicative of 
 the wigwams of Indians or the cottages of 
 settlers. 
 
 "Little of interest occurred, however, until 
 near noon; when suddenly an Indian, whom 
 Bateese said belonged to the Ottawa tribe, 
 bounded out of the woods and rushed up to 
 the Colonel's sleigh. The whole line at once 
 called a halt, and Sir George signalled for 
 Captain Cummings to join him. I could see 
 from the faces that something serious had 
 occurred, and that the discussion was one of 
 more than usual significance. 
 
 "But I must break off here, for I have not 
 the heart nor the time to tell the rest of the 
 happenings of that terrible day. Perhaps I 
 can later. We shall see."
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 * V i ^HIS Indian brings a bit of genuine 
 news," said the Colonel to Cummings. 
 * "An attack is to be made upon us at 
 Chestnut Hill, two miles west of here." 
 
 "An attack by whom?" the Captain asked. 
 
 "By a company of recruits made up of 
 Yankees and disaffected Canadians from the 
 lumber camps. They have heard that we 
 are a squad of soldiers taking supplies to 
 Quebec, and have undertaken to surprise us 
 and capture the booty." 
 
 "They will have their hands full," said 
 Cummings. 
 
 "That's what they are aiming at," chimed 
 the Chaplain, with whom negative virtues 
 were always at a discount. 
 
 "We'll fill more than their hands," sternly 
 responded the Colonel, as he turned to Cum- 
 mings. "You had better send orders to 
 Captain Payne to join us in full force with 
 all possible speed." 
 
 In the meantime Sir George called a halt 
 where they were. The place wasi] well shel- 
 tered, and could readily oe protected against 
 attack. He also sent scouts forward to ascer- 
 tain the strength and equipment of the invad- 
 ing force, with instructions to report as soon 
 as possible. 
 
 140
 
 IN THE VAN 141 
 
 But another Indian runner had carried the 
 news to the marching force, and very soon a 
 messenger arrived from Captain Payne. The 
 soldiers were crossing Pecktawick Lake, only a 
 mile away, and would be with them imme- 
 diately. In a few minutes the men of the 
 two companies were in sight, coming out on 
 a double quick from a turn in the road. 
 
 Sir George acted with alacrity ; not a minute 
 was lost. In a few brief words he explained 
 the situation and gave his orders. Then the 
 men marched ahead a small, well-stationed 
 force being left to protect the women and 
 sleighs. 
 
 On their way they met the returning scouts 
 with the news that the invaders numbered 
 about a hundred rough-looking, but well- 
 armed fellows. 
 
 It was a bold move for a company of 
 recruits to attempt to arrest the march of 
 double their number of veterans, notwith- 
 standing the rich booty at stake. Presumably, 
 however, they did not know the strength of 
 their opponents, and the prize that might be 
 obtained was a tempting one. 
 
 Sir George now divided his force into right 
 and left flanks, with central attack. Payne 
 to take the former, and Cummings the latter; 
 each to push his men quickly over the hard 
 snow, while Sir George himself led the main 
 force over the beaten road. 
 
 After arranging details, the Colonel gave 
 the final order.
 
 142 IN THE VAN 
 
 "We must carry the hill, no matter what it 
 costs. The centre to do the first firing, then 
 the flanks. Now, right and left, march!" 
 
 The men had been under steady tramp for 
 hours, the last half-mile on the run, and were 
 going into action without food; but they were 
 eager for the fray. Allowing the flanks to 
 advance first, on account of the density of the 
 woods and the unbroken snow, Sir George led 
 on his men. 
 
 A quick march brought them to the foot 
 of the hill, and on the top could be seen a 
 number of blue coats and peaked hats bobbing 
 among the trees. Sir George at once widened 
 out, but it was none too soon, for a volley of 
 bullets whistled through them. Two or tfiree 
 of his men dropped, and among them Corporal 
 Jenkins. Lieutenant Smith, too, had his arm 
 disabled. 
 
 "By heaven, this is too much!" exclaimed 
 Sir George. " They shall pay for it. Double 
 quick; but not a shot must be fired till I give 
 trie order." 
 
 The men, scattering wide of each other 
 among the trees, hurried on; while orderlies 
 took charge of the dead and wounded. 
 
 The Yankees, stimulated by the success of 
 their first shot and meeting with no response, 
 hurried to the edge of the hill to fire again. 
 Then came Colonel Head's command: 
 
 "Halt, fire!" 
 
 The aim was well taken. The heavy storm 
 of^bullets riddled the men of the attacking
 
 IN THE VAN 143 
 
 force, and some of them fell. Almost at the 
 same moment volleys were fired from the 
 right and left flanks. The combined attack 
 was a surprise and staggered the Southerners. 
 
 "Quick, charge!" cried the Colonel. Then 
 the men bounded forward. The irregularity 
 of the ground, the up-hill work, the trees and 
 the snow prevented precision of movement, 
 but with a shout the order was obeyed. 
 Finding themselves hemmed in on three sides 
 by a larger and better equipped force than 
 their own, the Americans fired another volley 
 and, picking up some of their wounded, beat 
 a retreat. 
 
 It was Captain Cummings who commanded 
 the left division, and seeing the direction that 
 the Yankees were taking, he tried to head 
 them off. But the ground was too uneven, 
 and he contented himself with a parting 
 fusilade. 
 
 By this time Sir George had reached the 
 summit of the hill, only to find it vacated. 
 On it, however, were several dead bodies, as 
 well as a couple of wounded men whom, in 
 the hurry of retreat, their comrades had 
 deserted. Soon the main body was joined 
 by the flank divisions, and as it was unlikely 
 that the attack would be renewed, the order 
 was given to return to the improvised camp. 
 
 In the list of casualties, Corporal Jenkins 
 and a private were killed, while several others, 
 including Lieutenant Smith, were wounded; 
 but it was the loss of Jenkins that grieved his
 
 144 IN THE VAN 
 
 comrades most, for they had not forgotten 
 the death of his wife on the North King. 
 
 With the bodies of their own men waiting 
 for burial, there was not much mirth at mess 
 that day. Still, they were glad that the fight 
 was over, and that with so little delay they 
 could continue the march. The grave being 
 dug, Jenkins and the dead soldier were sor- 
 rowfully consigned by the Chaplain to their 
 last resting-place. 
 
 "What about the dead on the hill?" Cap- 
 tain Payne asked of Sir George. 
 
 "That's for their comrades to say when we 
 are gone," was his answer. 
 
 "But about the prisoner with compound 
 fracture of the leg?" asked Dr. Beaumont. 
 "He's not in good condition to travel even by 
 sleigh." 
 
 "Oh, but he must!" exclaimed Sir George. 
 ;< The man's alive, and we've got to take him, 
 whether we will or no. What of the other 
 fellow and of our own men?" 
 
 "Lieutenant Smith is the worst; he has a 
 serious flesh wound of the forearm, but no 
 broken bones. The other Yankee is suffering 
 more from loss of blood than anything else 
 and able to travel if we can fina room for 
 him." 
 
 "Well, arrange them as best you can, 
 Doctor, but we must start at once. Bateese 
 tells me that there is another lumber camp 
 twelve miles further on our way. Perhaps 
 we can reach it to-night."
 
 IN THE VAN 145 
 
 " Excellent," returned the Doctor. " We can 
 leave our prisoners there, et maintien le 
 d/nrit." 
 
 The idea was well received by Sir George 
 and, late as it was, they continued the journey. 
 The sun was already sinking in the west, and 
 it would take hours after dark to reach the 
 camp. Still, the march could be accomplish- 
 ed, for the moon was in its second quarter 
 and all danger of renewed attack was believed 
 to be over. The surprised party of untrained 
 invaders already regretted their rashness, for 
 they realized the strength of their opponents 
 as well as the inutility of following them, as 
 every mile now carried them further into 
 Canadian territory. 
 
 So the order was given for the sleighs to 
 again take the lead and report as quickly as 
 possible at the lumber camp of the prospective 
 arrival of the troop. 
 
 10
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 HELEN'S QIARY. 
 
 THE Citadel, Quebec, Feb. - -, 1814. 
 "We arrived at Point Levi two days 
 ago. What a delight it was to be in 
 the vicinity of civilization again! On the 
 other side of the great St. Lawrence was the 
 famous old city. And how glad I was to 
 drive over the frozen river to this haven of 
 rest. The air was keen, for the smooth ice 
 stretched up and down as far as the eye could 
 see, and the wind from the east was very 
 piercing, but we didn't mind that. 
 
 "Now, we are all, officers, men and women, 
 as well as horses and baggage, comfortably 
 lodged and quietly resting. And, although 
 tired, I am already getting glimpses of this 
 historic and venerable place. \Vhat a fortress, 
 with its massive walls and many gates ! What 
 steep ascents ! What quaint churches ! What 
 a mighty river, stretched though it be in ice! 
 
 'Then to think, as I sit here by this high 
 window, far above the crowds and tinkling 
 sleigh-bells of the lower town, that I am just 
 resting on an oasis for a day or two, before 
 setting out over the desert of ice and snow 
 again. 
 
 "Even now the last few weeks are like a 
 
 146
 
 IN THE VAN 147 
 
 dream to me. One of those long, disturbed 
 visions, in which you have to, whether you 
 want to or not. Every day a definite number 
 of miles to cover; it mattered not how the 
 snow fell or the winds blew, or how intense 
 the cold; whether you slept beneath pine 
 boughs and could see the stars twinkle above 
 you, or whether you had the luxury of sleeping 
 in a woodsman's shanty; it all had to be 
 endured. Thank heaven, the first division of 
 our journey is over, and our little rest will 
 prepare us for the second. 
 
 "Harold tells me that the officers of the 
 Citadel say we have made one of the quickest 
 winter marches on record. There is satisfac- 
 tion in that, even if we did take a month to 
 do it in. I hear, too, that the Commandant 
 of the Citadel has been congratulating the 
 Colonel on the despatch with which he 
 defeated the invaders at Temiscouata. For 
 my part, I think the less said about it the 
 better. It would be a poor thing if two 
 companies of regulars could not put to flight 
 one of raw recruits. It was too bad, though, 
 to lose two of our best men. Poor Jenkins! 
 What a sad fatality! The mother to die and 
 the father to be killed. The silver lining to 
 the terrible climax is that the children were 
 left at home. 
 
 "Oh, I must say a word about Lieutenant 
 Smith! He is such a retiring fellow that I 
 knew little about him, although we had travel- 
 led together all the way from the London
 
 148 IN THE VAN 
 
 docks. But after he was shot, our sleigh 
 being very comfortable, I proposed to Harold 
 that he should have a seat with me whenever 
 it was not occupied by himself. The conse- 
 quence is that I have only had an occasional 
 word with my particular friend, Captain Cum- 
 mings, since the day of the battle, and not a 
 single drive. I was quietly killing two birds 
 with one stone, though nobody knew it. But 
 Mr. Smith's arm is better now and, forsooth, 
 we may return to the old order of things 
 unless some other member of the staff should 
 be similarly unlucky. 
 
 "Smith is so young a fellow that I felt like 
 mothering him. Fortunately, it was his left 
 arm, and as I sit on the left side of the sleigh 
 the sore arm was between us, protecting it 
 from the pressure of the buffalo robe and also 
 from the cold. The boy is of good family, 
 has high ideals, and wants to win his way to 
 fame. Just the kind of fellow I would like 
 for a friend. And if I am to make my home 
 in Penetang without a single lady to stand by 
 me, and without relatives either, except my 
 dear husband, I may need a true, disinterested 
 friend some time. Who knows ? Yes, and 
 guileless, gentle, brave Lieutenant Smith, the 
 man who was wounded in our first battle, shall 
 be the man. 
 
 "Talking of men, there is some one else I 
 want to take right through with us, and that 
 is Bateese. The jolly, genial, conceited, whim- 
 sical, but reliable, habitant. But if we take
 
 IN THE VAN 149 
 
 him we must take his wife also. For days 
 before we arrived here he could talk of little 
 else than his 'femme,' but there was a sad 
 tone about his musical jargon that was un- 
 usual. 
 
 " Madame,' he exclaimed one day, after a 
 long silence. ' You not know, Emmiline, mine 
 vife. She live wid me in Kebeck.' 
 
 "I didn't know you had a wife, Bateese.' 
 
 "Oh, oui, married dis two year.' His tone 
 was persuasive. 
 
 "'I would like to know her,' I replied. 
 
 'Veil, I will bring her to you. She vas 
 ma fille, bootiful, petite, so young. Den de 
 cure at Kebeck marry us seem long tarn 
 still only two year. Den she grow into grand 
 jolie femme. Bime-by she have twins wan 
 garcon, wan wee leetle gal, petite an* putty 
 as you nevare see. Mus' I tell you de story? 
 Eet no laughin', eet sad.' 
 
 'Yes, tell me,' I could not but acquiesce. 
 
 "Oh, sacre!' he exclaimed, giving the 
 lazier horse an extra touch of the whip. 
 'When de hot summare com, Bateese was 
 away drivin' de carryall along de revare down 
 by de sea, de leetle Emmile go sick and die. 
 An' Emmiline was full of broken heart. Den 
 when de fall came, scarlet fevare steal like de 
 diable after ma leetle Louis ma cher fils - 
 he die, too. Ah, mon Dieu! Et nearly kill 
 ma femme, an' it drive Bateese clean crazee. 
 Didn't care a sacre if Yankees lick Cannay- 
 ans didn't care how soon 1 die didn't care
 
 150 IN THE VAN 
 
 for nuffin! But dat no do. Poor Emmiline 
 lay sick four week in bed Doctor said nevare 
 get well no more. So Bateese shake hisself 
 and forget de dead babies to tend his leetle 
 wife say his pater nostra ten times a day- 
 go to church every tarn de priest tell him, 
 give medicine all de whole tarn. And, by gar, 
 she get well at last. Den Bateese had to 
 leave her an' go on dis long trip to Halifax 
 an' has not seen her again sence wintare cam.' 
 
 "It is a sad story, Bateese, but you will 
 soon see her now. Where does she live when 
 you are away?' I asked. 
 
 "She stay wid her mod are, close by de 
 Abraham plain, where de French General de 
 Montcalm licked de Engleese.' 
 
 "He said this with a sly glance out of the 
 corner of his eye, but with a very grave face. 
 
 "'I thought it was General Wolfe who 
 licked the French,' was my mild rejoinder. 
 
 'Vas eet? mauvais memoree,' he returned, 
 gently tapping his forehead. 'Veil, dey both 
 die, anyway, and bury in de same grave. Et 
 not much mattare which win. French Can- 
 nayans steel have Lower Ganady and, by gar, 
 dey always will.' And in spite of his grief for 
 his dead babies, he concluded his narrative 
 with a long, low chuckle to himself. 
 
 "It was on this occasion the thought came 
 to me, that if Bateese went with us to Pene- 
 tang, Emmiline might go in place of the 
 Corporal's wife. That would give us three 
 women besides myself. Only a small number
 
 IN THE VAN 151 
 
 at best, and, if necessary, I would be willing 
 personally to bear the expense. 
 
 "Well, to-day she came up to see me, and 
 I was quite taken with the little French 
 woman. She has a sweet face with a wee 
 touch of sadness in it, owing to the loss of 
 her children. But it is not a face to retain 
 its melancholy. She has a little turn-up nose, 
 rosy lips and bright black eyes, and, like most 
 of these habitant women, an abundance of 
 dark hair. She looks as though she might be 
 very devoted to any one she liked, and I will 
 speak to Harold about it to-day. 5 ' 
 
 f "Quebec, Feb. - -, 1814. 
 
 "Last night a large party was given in 
 honor of Sir George at the Commandant's 
 residence. Harold and I, and all our officers, 
 were there, the Chaplain as well. What a 
 handsome old place it is, just like an old 
 European castle suddenly planted in the new 
 western world! 
 
 "The first person that interested me there 
 was Sir George Prevost, the Governor-General 
 of Canada, the most talked-of man in the 
 whole country. He seems to be such a strange 
 combination of weakness and strength, and 
 little as I know about such matters, the two 
 opposites seem to be vividly impressed upon 
 his face. His kindness and courtesy have a 
 favorable impression upon the social life of 
 which he is the leader; but the weak chin and 
 irresolute mouth tell a different tale when
 
 152 IN THE VAN 
 
 fighting his country's battles, and, lackaday, 
 this has been proved over and over again 
 already. 
 
 "But this is something I suppose I have no 
 right to talk about, even to you, my little 
 diary. So I will chat of the old place, of its 
 lofty halls and tapestried boudoirs. What 
 rare old paintings are on the walls, and so 
 many of them French! It was in fine spirit 
 for the English conquerors of this old aristo- 
 cratic colony, to retain so many of the por- 
 traits of the nobles of the French regime. 
 
 "While on our voyage I read a good deal 
 about the country that was to be my home, 
 and seeing the names of the old French 
 governors under their pictures only impressed 
 their history more vividly upon my memory. 
 The strikingly handsome portrait of Baptiste 
 Colbert, Louis the XIV's minister, was there, 
 too. The man who, a hundred and fifty 
 years ago, did so much for New France. 
 How well his picture sets off the east hall 
 near the main entrance! The long, wavy 
 locks of his court headdress well suit the 
 keen, dark eyes and clear-cut features; while 
 the ruffles and sword, and gaiters depict him 
 every inch the courtier as well as the gentle- 
 man. 
 
 "De Mezy, De Tracy, De Gourcelles and 
 Count de Frontenac, the daring discoverer 
 and bitter opponent of the English, were all 
 there. What tales they could tell of the days 
 of the old regime, and of the strife which lasted
 
 IN THE VAN 153 
 
 for years, until Wolfe and Montcalm fought 
 it out at the cost of their own lives and buried 
 the hatchet between the nations! 
 
 "The old armor and Indian trophies hang- 
 ing on the walls of room after room in this 
 old seigniory are very curious. The peculiar 
 windows, too, quite took my fancy. They 
 are deeply set within the massive masonry, 
 the sills standing three or four feet from the 
 floor, with cushions placed on them to serve 
 as seats, while benches below the sills act as 
 stools for the feet to rest upon. 
 
 "How well the elite of Quebec filled the 
 old house that night, although gathered to- 
 gether with such brief notice, and with what 
 pleasantry they greeted us! All seemed de- 
 sirous to do what they could to help us to 
 forget for the time our journeyings. And 
 they were just as courteous as they were 
 jovial, from our host and hostess down to the 
 youngest of the "beaux and belles of New 
 France. The Quebec girls are even prettier 
 than those of Halifax. For one thing, there 
 are more of them, and another, there is a 
 larger French element from the old noblesse, 
 and to me the educated and cultured Cana- 
 dienne has a charm of her own that is very 
 fascinating. 
 
 "Dr. Beaumont seemed to enjoy himself 
 thoroughly. I wonder how much he really 
 cares for Maud Maxwell ? Several times he 
 has sat by my side for half a day in our 
 drives, but, to my surprise, he rarely men-
 
 154 IN THE VAN 
 
 tioned her name. Being half French I ex- 
 pected his vivacious nature would express 
 itself more freely. Perhaps it was the canny 
 Scotch overshadowing tne Southern blood 
 that kept him silent. 
 
 "But this time he seemed to have no care. 
 He talks French beautifully, and several times 
 I heard him in animated conversation with 
 one or other of the smiling demoiselles in 
 their mother tongue. He seemed to be en- 
 amoured most with one Louise de Rochefort. 
 Several times he danced with her, and she 
 talked the purest English; sometimes they 
 used the one language, and sometimes the 
 other. She was quite different from Maud 
 Maxwell. Although not fair, her face was 
 brilliant with a clear transparency, and her 
 brown eyes and exquisite mouth, wnen wreath- 
 ed in gentle laugnter, made her expression 
 very winning. She had many admirers, but 
 none were so attentive as he. Late in the 
 evening, when the Commandant took me in 
 to supper, they were tete-a-tte in a corner 
 over salad and ice. 
 
 "Harold noticed the little flirtation, too, 
 and said afterwards that it would have a 
 good effect upon the Doctor in compensation 
 For the coolness of the winsome Maud. 
 
 "The Commandant's wife was very kind 
 to me. As a strict disciplinarian, she did 
 not try to dissuade me from completing the 
 journey to Penetang; but it was evident that 
 she was astonished that I had undertaken it,
 
 IN THE VAN 155 
 
 and hinted that it would be a wise thing to 
 remain in Quebec until the war was over 
 almost another Mrs. Mason. If she had 
 known-how determined I was she-would have 
 said less about it, I am sure. 
 
 "Perhaps one-third of the ladies present 
 are Anglo-Canadians. I believe I was intro- 
 duced to all of them. They are charming 
 not so stiff and stately as society ladies in 
 England but just as courteous and, perhaps, 
 kinder in manner. I like them and wish 
 there was a prospect of having at least one 
 as neighbor in my prospective home in Pene- 
 tang. 
 
 "These Canadians, both French and Eng- 
 lish, take great interest in the war, which is 
 almost at their doors. When not dancing, 
 they continually discussed it. Still, dancing 
 was the feature of the evening, and I must 
 have been specially honored, for I never 
 danced so much in my life before. My first 
 waltz was, of course, with my husband. 
 Then who should ask me for the next but 
 Captain Cummings. It was odious to dance 
 witn him when my aversion was so strong. 
 I hope I did not show it, and with all my 
 heart I wish I did not dislike him so much, 
 for he is very graceful and dances beautifully. 
 Still, he looks at you with those great black 
 eyes of his, as if he could read your very 
 thoughts. I wonder if he influences other 
 women as he does me. Of this I have no 
 chance of knowing. Oh, those eyes! How
 
 156 IN THE VAN 
 
 you have to fight them with all your might, 
 and yet never say a word! Somehow the 
 fates have given me a hint to beware, and I 
 pray God to have me take it. I wonder if 
 Harold would laugh at me if he saw what 
 I am writing. 
 
 "It is an exquisite pleasure to waltz with 
 
 you again,' he said, in his low, penetrating 
 
 voice, as we made our second circle round 
 
 the room. I had heard that he was always 
 
 chagrined when he had a poor partner, so I 
 
 purposely made a misstep, while I replied: 
 
 * 'You flatter me. I never was a graceful 
 
 dancer, and, as you see, I am out of practice.' 
 
 ' Pardon me, but that was my clumsiness,' 
 
 was his comment. It will not occur again.' 
 
 "And, if anything, he held me closer. I 
 
 did not dare to repeat the step. 
 
 "Not so tight, please,' I whispered, scarcely 
 a minute later. 
 
 'They have waxed this floor so confound- 
 edly that one cannot help it,' he returned 
 smoothly, and with a smile that rivalled 
 Mephistopheles. 'We must not let these 
 French-Canadians surpass the English in 
 their own waltz.' 
 
 " In a matter of competition they would be 
 sure to win,' I replied coldly. 
 
 "Why so?' he asked. 
 
 'They are more graceful than we are.' 
 
 "Free and easy, you mean. They have 
 an abandon which the English girl does not 
 possess. No, no, Mrs. Manning, I would
 
 IN THE VAN 157 
 
 not exchange a dance with you for a hundred 
 with these Canuck maidens.' 
 
 "Again you are flattering.' 
 
 "Not in the least. You remember our 
 waltz at the Halifax ball. Well, the one I 
 had with you was worth all the others put 
 together. It will be so to-night, even if this 
 is the only one you honor me with. Ah! it is 
 over now. And here comes that odious little 
 Frenchman to claim you for the next. Bah! 
 I could see him in Hades. But, never mind, 
 I shall remember that to-night you have bless- 
 ed me with a few minutes' exquisite pleasure.' 
 Again his eyes opened wide, and with a quick 
 flash, the look seemed to penetrate my soul. 
 An unpleasant thrill came over me and turn- 
 ing away I accepted the arm of Colonel 
 Joquelin for the next waltz."
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 HELEN'S DIARY. 
 
 MONTREAL, Feb. - -, 1814. 
 "Another week of hard driving 
 and marching is over. Sometimes 
 we had night quarters for the men, always 
 for the officers and women. Still, I was so 
 tired each night, and there were so many 
 little things to attend to, that my diary has 
 been neglected. Now, however, we are com- 
 fortably quartered at the foot of the mountain, 
 and while Harold is away attending to matters 
 of the regiment I will try to make up for lost 
 time. 
 
 "I had a long talk with Sir George at the 
 Commandant's on the night of the ball at 
 Quebec, and was delighted at his ready con- 
 sent to have Emmiline and her husband go 
 with us to Penetang. When he said that 
 she might be my own special servant I offered 
 to pay the expense of the journey for her. 
 
 * 'That cannot be thought of,' was his 
 reply. 'I always intended to secure another 
 woman to take the place of the one who 
 died, and I assure you I am more than pleased 
 that you have found one to suit.' 
 
 "It was very kind of him, and the next 
 morning I told the good news to Bateese. 
 
 158
 
 IN THE VAN 159 
 
 In his exuberance of spirits he threw his 
 hat up in the air. 
 
 "By gar!' he exclaimed, 'such fonne to 
 have ma femme. She no spik much Angleese, 
 but teach soon she quick tree or four week 
 she spik everyting goot as Bateese. She 
 bonne scholare an' tak prize when leetle gal 
 at seminare.' 
 
 "And so she came, and they made room 
 for her in the sleigh with the other women. 
 I was afraid that the soldiers' wives would 
 quarrel with the little woman, yet, so far, there 
 is not even an inkling of war among them. 
 
 "Speaking of war. Montreal is the place 
 for the signs of it. I was surprised to see 
 so many troops in the city, more by far than 
 there were either in Halifax or Quebec, regu- 
 lars and colonials combined. They are a 
 determined-looking lot of men and well drilled. 
 
 "Harold tells me that everything on the 
 frontier is still quiet and, so far, the American 
 General Wilkinson has not renewed his attack. 
 Both sides are making preparations for a 
 final conflict, and it will be fight to the finish 
 when the summer comes. 
 
 "Our rest here is going to be short, for 
 we have a third of our journey yet to cover, 
 and, being over the roughest part of the road, 
 it will take longer to accomplish. Lakes and 
 rivers have still to be crossed, and all must be 
 done before the ice breaks up. Hence, al- 
 though we arrived yesterday, we start again 
 to-morrow.
 
 160 IN THE VAN 
 
 "To-night, however, we are invited by the 
 officers of the Montreal regiment to a oboggan 
 sfio!e~al the mountain, with a supper and 
 dance afterwards. It will be my first ride 
 on one of these swift-running sledges. They 
 look dangerous as they fly so quickly down 
 the hills, but if safe for others they should be 
 safe for me, and I am glad to have the oppor- 
 tunity to try the sport before we make our 
 final parting from civilization." 
 
 The next day. Diary continued. 
 
 "I must jot down the impressions of last 
 evening while fresh in my mind. The meet 
 was at a place called 'The Cedars,' almost 
 half-way up the mountain, and from which 
 there is an irregular decline down to the St. 
 Lawrence. One of the attractions was that 
 the toboggans, by the long descent, would be 
 carried far out over the surface of the river. 
 
 "What a jolly lot of people they were! A 
 score of officers in uniform, a few civilians 
 and a bevy of Montreal's prettiest girls, 
 chaperoned by officers' wives and matrons of 
 the city. 
 
 "As an Englishwoman, I am loyal to my 
 own land and people. Still, whether due to 
 the atmosphere, to lighter living, or the freer 
 life they lead, the young ladies you meet 
 here seem to have more spirit, quicker move- 
 ment and clearer skins than the average Eng- 
 lish girls that I have known. But this is 
 another digression, Mrs. Diary, and again I 
 say,
 
 IN THE VAN 161 
 
 "We were lucky to have so good a night. 
 The air was cold and still, and our position 
 at the top of the slide gave a fine view of 
 the lower city, with its myriads of lights 
 from the houses and streets. Countless stars 
 covered a sky only slightly dulled in lustre 
 by the pale, half moon; while on the hillsides 
 far and near clumps of evergreens stood out 
 clearly upon their background of snow. 
 
 "Introductions, buzz of voices, gay laugh- 
 ter, occupied some minutes as we collected 
 on the little plateau at the head of the slide. 
 All were busy, too, getting their rigs in order. 
 Toboggans are funny-looking things flat- 
 bottomed, turned up in front like a South 
 Sea Islander's war canoe. But they are very 
 comfortable when you have cushions to sit 
 on and robes to put over you. 
 
 " Captain Thompson, of the Montreal Rifles, 
 was our leader, and one would almost think 
 he was marshalling his troops as he issued 
 his orders. 
 
 "Quickly he had us going, and it was jolly 
 enough as soon as we got used to it. On 
 our toboggans sped, one after another, down 
 the mountain, crackling and whistling over 
 the snow, giving each and all a vivid pleasure 
 in the swift, exhilarating ride. At first the 
 grade was even and smooth in its descent, 
 then undulating, then on a level for another 
 hundred feet, finally down a little abyss, and 
 away for hundreds of yards over the icy 
 surface of the river, between mighty ships 
 11
 
 162 IN THE VAN 
 
 frozen at their anchorage for the winter. 
 Here, carryalls for the riders and long sleighs 
 for the toboggans awaited us to take all 
 back again to repeat the sport. 
 
 "Harold and I sat together on one of the 
 sledges, and I must confess that when we 
 started to descend the hill at almost lightning 
 speed I felt terribly frightened and grasped 
 him firmly around the waist. He only laughed 
 while he whispered: 
 
 "'Don't be frightened, dear; you'll get used 
 to it in another minute,' and so I did. 
 
 "We had a number of rides and were 
 commencing our last one when an accident 
 happened. It was on the sled in front of 
 ours, and we were in the act of starting 
 when I saw a man fall off. 
 
 'Why, that is Captain Cummings!' I ex- 
 claimed, my heart making a tremendous leap. 
 'Yes, it is,' returned Harold; 'what can 
 have happened ? ' and he rushed over to give 
 assistance. 
 
 "He was trying to rise to his feet but 
 could not. 
 
 "It's that confounded leg of mine,' I 
 heard him say. ' My ankle got twisted under 
 the runner. I don't think it's broken though. 
 What do you say about it, Beaumont ?' 
 
 "And the Doctor on his knees examined 
 the ioint, the Captain being propped up by 
 another officer. 
 
 "No bones broken,' was his comment. 
 'You must have got a terrible wrench though,
 
 IN THE VAN 163 
 
 the way the joint flaps about. Is it very 
 painful ? ' 
 
 "Excruciating,' returned Cummings. 'The 
 joint has been weak ever since Vittoria. I 
 got it twisted then.' 
 
 'Well, we'll take you back to quarters 
 and dress it. No dancing for you to-night, 
 that is certain. Don't know that it will be 
 safe for you to travel with us to-morrow, 
 either.' 
 
 "In both of which I differ from you," 
 said the Captain, with a supreme effort at 
 self-control, notwithstanding the pain. 'Take 
 me back to the hotel and dress the joint. 
 Then help me into the ballroom. I can 
 watch the others even if I cannot waltz. As 
 to going with the troop, why certainly I'll go,' 
 and for a moment he cast a sharp glance in 
 my direction. 
 
 "I believe I shivered again. 
 
 "An hour later all our party were at the 
 French hostelry partaking of prairie chicken, 
 oyster patties and singaree, and when we 
 made our entry into the ballroom, there sat 
 in state Captain Cummings. He had evi- 
 dently preceded us. Of course, he was the 
 lion, and the ladies rivalled with each other 
 to sit out the different dances with him. 
 Harold told me I must do it, too, so my turn 
 came with the rest. 
 
 "I don't know but I'm a lucky dog 
 after all,' he undertoned, as he squeezed my 
 hand.
 
 164 IN THE VAN 
 
 "It cannot be lucky to be lame,' I replied, 
 as I sat down beside him. 
 
 * * A soldier takes his knocks as he gets them,' 
 was his comment, 'but I had no expectation 
 of taking Lieutenant Smith's place so soon. 
 
 "Perhaps you won't need to. A night's 
 rest will do wonders, mayhap the injury is 
 more imaginary than real,' I said. 
 
 "I know the effects too well to be deceived. 
 The injury is too devilish to heal in a week 
 or fortnight, either,' he replied, drily. 
 'Why go with us at all, then?'' 
 
 "Because I'm wanted when I get there. 
 I won't be in anybody's way, except for the 
 riding instead of walking, and as yours is the 
 most comfortable sleigh for an invalid, I fear, 
 dear madam, I must crave your indulgence- 
 Say, Manning!' he exclaimed to Harold, who 
 just then joined us. 'I was telling your wife 
 that Smith gives such a capital report about 
 your sleigh that I feel like begging the privilege 
 of occupying a part of it for the next two or 
 three days.' 
 
 "Harold winced and flushed as well. Was 
 he, too, getting suspicious ? 
 
 '"I think that might be arranged satisfac- 
 torily, dearie,' he said to me in somewhat 
 constrained tone. 
 
 "'That depends upon the Captain's mean- 
 ing,' I replied. 'It would be too much for 
 me to^give up your seat when it is your 
 turn tojride. But for the rest of the time it 
 is different.'
 
 IN THE VAN 165 
 
 ' Thank you,' responded Gummings. 'That 
 is exactly what I mean.' 
 
 "So in order to secure half a loaf he asked 
 for a whole one, and got it without demur. 
 How could I help it?"
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 DREARY enough were the next few days 
 for the adventurous troop, as they 
 wended their way westward. The sky 
 was heavily clouded, while a gusty wind blew 
 the pellety snow into the faces of the men 
 and women as they walked or drove over 
 their destined route. Drifts filled the sleigh 
 tracks, and the packing of the road by those 
 who took the lead was a weary business. 
 Progress was slower than ever, accommoda- 
 tions along the line absent, and general camp- 
 ing again became a feature of the journey. 
 
 "What place have we here?" Sir George 
 asked of his new driver on the evening of the 
 fifth day from Montreal as they called a halt 
 in the vicinity of two or three little cabins. 
 
 "They call it Sparksville," was the reply, 
 "after a fellow named Sparks. He lives in 
 the village of Hull across the river there. 
 They say he bought it from the Government 
 for a song, and has made his money out of 
 sales already." 
 
 "So these shantymen are the owners," 
 said the Colonel. 
 
 "No, siree, the lumbermen from Montreal 
 bought from Sparks, these men only cut the 
 timber." 
 
 166
 
 IN THE VAN 167 
 
 "And splendid stuff they've got if these 
 pieces are samples." 
 
 "You bet your last pound," returned the 
 man, with the easy nonchalance of a west- 
 erner, "Montrealers wouldn't put their money 
 into it if there wasn't a good chance of getting 
 it out again. What's more, they say this is a 
 splendid site for the building of a big city." 
 
 "Are these shanties the only buildings on 
 this side of the river?" Sir George asked. 
 
 "Yes, 'cepting a little sawmill down in the 
 hollow and a cabin beside it." 
 
 " Well, we'll camp here for to-night. They 
 couldn't accommodate us in yonder village if 
 we did cross." 
 
 And so the order was issued. 
 
 His men by this time were well accustomed 
 to the oft-repeated duty. Putting up tents, 
 cutting down trees, trimming poles, building 
 temporary huts, flooring them with boughs of 
 cedar, arranging timber and evergreens to 
 protect the inmates from prevailing winds, 
 and gathering dry wood for necessary fires, 
 were matters of detail which they accom- 
 plished with alacrity. It was marvellous how 
 neat and cozy a camp the two companies, 
 assisted by the trained drivers, could build in 
 an hour or two of twilight. 
 
 Sir George and the Doctor, leaving Gum- 
 mings in the rig, joined Harold, who was 
 helping his wife out of their sleigh. 
 
 ' You are not ill, Mrs. Manning, I hope," 
 exclaimed Sir George, who had never before
 
 168 IN THE VAN 
 
 seen her require so much assistance to alight. 
 
 "Just stiff and cold after the long drive," 
 was her answer, as with a sudden effort she 
 straightened herself. 
 
 "Madame tired long tarn, no let 'em spak," 
 said Emmiline, who on Bateese's example was 
 learning to speak " Angleese quick." She was 
 already attached to her new mistress. 
 
 "It is lucky to find houses here, such as 
 they are," said Harold, as he folded Helen's 
 fur coat more closely around her, while he 
 noticed that her teeth were chattering. 
 
 "We'll try this shanty," said the Doctor, 
 approaching one. A large dog jumped out 
 as the door opened, barking vociferously, and 
 followed a moment later by a half-breed 
 Indian. 
 
 "We have a sick woman with us," said 
 Beaumont, "and want to put her in your 
 cabin for the night." 
 
 "No come ma shanty," replied the man, 
 fixing himself squarely across the doorway. 
 "Me trapper live 'lone." 
 
 "Entre nous, mon ami, voila une femme 
 tres malade," returned the Doctor in a more 
 conciliatory tone, "et je vous donnera cinq 
 francs." 
 
 "Arjent comptant porte medicine. Oui, 
 oui, monsieur. Entre vous," returned the 
 trapper, slipping to one side and allowing him 
 to enter. 
 
 A fire was burning on a rude hearth at one 
 end of the floorless shack, and the ground
 
 IN THE VAN 169 
 
 was packed hard everywhere but around the 
 sloppy doorway. A wooden settle covered 
 with skins stood at one side, while a couple of 
 rough benches, together with a kettle or two, 
 completed the outfit. 
 
 By the time the Doctor had made a cursory 
 survey, Harold and Helen, followed by Em- 
 miline, had joined him. 
 
 "Will you let me have the whole shanty 
 for to-night if I pay you for it?" Harold 
 asked. 
 
 The cunning eyes of the half-breed glanced 
 rapidly over the whole party. Then he 
 answered with a drawl, while he looked 
 quizzically into the officer's face: 
 
 "Yah pour, say five franc, s'ill vous plait." 
 
 "Well, you shall have it." 
 
 "Pay me now." 
 
 "No," replied Harold. "I will give two 
 now the balance in the morning if you tell 
 us all we need to know." 
 
 The half-breed shrugged his shoulders, but 
 accepted the money and, after answering 
 several questions, took his leave. Helen sat 
 down on the bench by the fire, but her teeth 
 still chattered, while her blue lips and con- 
 tracted features indicated the severity of the 
 chill. 
 
 "My dear, what can possibly be the mat- 
 ter?" Harold asked in much alarm. 
 
 "It is an attack of the ague," said the 
 Doctor; in an aside: "Mon Dieu! it is too 
 bad."
 
 170 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Can nothing be done?" he asked again. 
 
 'Yes, and we'll do it at once. Peruvian 
 bark and brandy are our sheet-anchors." 
 
 So he busily prepared a large dose of the 
 medicine, which she washed down with half 
 a glass of brandy and water. 
 
 "Fortunately the hut is new, and probably 
 free from vermin," said the Doctor. 
 
 "It might be better for the women to sleep 
 here," said Harold. "There will be room 
 enough, and with the fire they can cook what 
 is needed. What say you, Helen?" 
 
 "Divide the hut and stay with me. Then 
 it will do," she replied. "We must have a 
 man in the house, even though it is a shanty." 
 
 The bark and brandy were taking effect. 
 The chills soon stopped and Helen felt warm 
 again. 
 
 Later in the evening a cord was stretched 
 across the long, narrow room, and quilts 
 thrown over it to form a partition. Harold 
 and his wife took possession of the end near 
 the fire, while the three women improvised a 
 bed for themselves in the other hall. 
 
 "I hope we are not going to have a sick 
 lady on our hands," said Sir George to the 
 Doctor, after his final visit. 
 
 "I hope so, too," was the reply. "Ague 
 is difficult to control when once established, 
 but, taken at the start, it can be broken. 
 Fortunately, this is her first attack. She will 
 be better to-morrow." 
 
 "Perhaps we had better leave her for a
 
 IN THE VAN 171 
 
 day or two to rest and recuperate. I will 
 speak to Manning about it. What say 
 you?" 
 
 "Why not let to-morrow's report decide?" 
 said the Doctor. "I could tell better after 
 seeing her again." 
 
 To this the Colonel assented. 
 
 The spot chosen for the camp was well 
 protected", the temperature mild for February, 
 and all slept sounaly. The bugle sounded at 
 break of day and the whole camp was astir. 
 It was unusual for the officers to rise as early 
 as the men, but the keynote of Helen's illness 
 roused them, and the first question put by 
 each was concerning the condition of the 
 patient. 
 
 Captain Cummings, with a crutch, was 
 hobbling about for the first time, and insisted 
 on swinging along with the Doctor to make 
 inquiry. 
 
 The report was favorable. Helen had slept 
 a little. The other women were up, and a 
 good fire was burning. 
 
 " How is Madam now ?" the Doctor asked of 
 Harold. 
 
 "Her head is still aching. You had better 
 see her." 
 
 So he led the way behind the screen. 
 
 "What about resuming the journey?" he 
 asked, after looking closely into her face. 
 
 "By rule, in the army, all must travel, and 
 I have will enough to abide by it," she answer- 
 ed, wearily.
 
 172 IN THE VAN 
 
 "There is no rule for you unless you are 
 well able to follow it," he returned with a 
 smile. 
 
 "But how could I possibly remain behind ?" 
 
 ;< You might stay lor a time at Hull, across 
 the river." 
 
 "That won't do," she exclaimed, the tears 
 starting. "I am better now, and can stand 
 it very well. The worst is that my ears buzz 
 and my head aches, but when out in the air 
 again these will pass away." 
 
 "Don't be alarmed about the ears," said 
 the Doctor, cheerily; "that comes from the 
 medicine I gave to stop the chill." 
 
 Turning to Harold he had a brief conference 
 with him. 
 
 "I have a plan that might answer," he 
 suggested. 
 
 'Sir George will do anything that is neces- 
 sary," returned Harold. 
 
 "Well, it is this. The newest sled will hold 
 four people, We can retain it here with the 
 best team. Madam can lie where she is until 
 noon. Then you and I and the driver will 
 remain with her and, starting early in the 
 afternoon, overtake the troops by night." 
 
 "Will our separation from the men be 
 safe?" Harold asked. 
 
 " Perfectly, monsieur," was the reply. " We 
 might meet a few Indians, but they are all 
 our allies." 
 
 "How do you like the plan ?" Harold asked 
 of his wife.
 
 IN THE VAN 173 
 
 "Very well, if you are sure we can over- 
 take the men by night," was her answer, as 
 she closed her eyes again. 
 
 "Madam, it shall be done," said the Doctor, 
 and he went out to complete arrangements. 
 
 "I hope you have a good report," said 
 Cummings, who was still waiting. Harold 
 told him and then sought the Colonel. 
 
 "The idea is an excellent one," said the 
 latter. "Some of our baggage sleighs will 
 also be delayed, for I've given orders to 
 purchase an extra supply of feed for the 
 horses at Hull. Of course during the summer 
 the order is to supply us by the boats on the 
 lakes all right if the war is over, or if we 
 whip the Yankees but the other way if they 
 beat us." 
 
 Some of the officers were nonplussed. 
 Soldier-like, not bearing responsibility, they 
 had never given the matter a thougnt, ana 
 the suggestion opened up a new difficulty. 
 
 "Don't take the thing too seriously, my 
 men," Sir George finally exclaimed with a 
 laugh. "It will come out all right, as every- 
 thing does with the British soldier whichever 
 way it goes. But I want to take a look at 
 the river from yonder crest for a minute or 
 two while we have time." 
 
 "Well!" he exclaimed again, as he cast 
 his eye upon the hamlet on the other side 
 of the Ottawa. 'This is the first time I 
 have ever marched by a town and camped 
 outside."
 
 174 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Why not change the name Sparksville* to 
 Bytown, and give that as your reason, sir," 
 suggested Smith. 
 
 "Not so bad," replied the Colonel briskly. 
 "A garrison town could be built here, with 
 fortifications, and this dashing river at our 
 feet providing Hull were in the hands of an 
 enemy." 
 
 "Which can never be," put in the Doctor, 
 "unless the French cut loose from the British 
 and the Ottawa divides them." 
 
 "In that case we'd build a citadel," said 
 Captain Payne, "and change Smith's By- 
 town to Out-away, as our command to the 
 enemy." 
 
 "Which means," said Sir George, who was 
 amused at the play upon words, "that we'd 
 take the Hull of Ottawa." 
 
 "Sacre!" cried the Doctor with a flush, 
 "that could never be. The Lower Province 
 is stronger than the Upper one, and could beat 
 it any day." 
 
 "Hoity, toity, man!" exclaimed the Colonel, 
 elevating his eyebrows and smiling good- 
 humoredly at the irate Anglo-Frenchman. 
 "I should not think you would care exceed- 
 ingly which way it went." 
 
 A general laugh followed, and the next 
 moment the bugle sounded. 
 
 *The original name of Sparksville, after a while, was 
 changed to Bytown, and finally to Ottawa, capital of 
 the Dominion of Canada.
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 HELEN'S DIARY. 
 
 ROCHE LAKE, Madawaska River, 
 March - -, 1814. 
 "One hundred miles yet to face 
 over this weary way! Oh, why did I come? 
 Harold is well and strong, and could have 
 done without me; while I am a drag to him 
 and the whole troop besides. It is two 
 weeks since we left Sparksville, or Bytown, 
 as Lieutenant Smith calls it, and I have had 
 that miserable ague, in spite of the Doctor's 
 medicine, every two days since we started. 
 Sometimes I have a funny kind of delirium 
 with it. While it lasts my head buzzes and 
 whirls, and when I walk I feel as if travelling 
 with tremendous speed, and keep looking 
 over my shoulder to see if some hideous 
 object is not chasing me. The sensation is 
 horrible, and the only relief is stillness. Even 
 the motion of the sleigh affects me, no matter 
 how quietly I sit. During those long drives 
 along the Madawaska River the feeling was 
 sometimes terrifying. I stood it while I 
 could. At last Harold spoke to Sir George, 
 and he promised, if I could endure it till we 
 arrived at Roche Lake, to have a shanty 
 
 175
 
 176 IN THE VAN 
 
 built for me in which I could rest until able 
 to finish the journey. The reason he chose 
 Roche Lake was because we would there 
 leave the smooth surface of the ice for heavier 
 marching through the forest. 
 
 "It was very good of Sir George. He sent 
 men on ahead to build the shanty, and now 
 here we are, and a cozy cabin they have 
 made of it, although isolated at least a hun- 
 dred miles away from any other white man's 
 dwelling. But I must jot down how it is 
 built. To my surprise they put in a little 
 window and a heavy board door they were 
 taking out for the new fort. The roof is of 
 split logs laid flat and covered with pine 
 branches, and as it won't thaw for a month 
 there is no danger of the snow melting and 
 running through. The chimney is built of 
 slabs of green timber put across one corner, 
 leaving a hole in the roof; and the sides and 
 back of the fireplace of sheet iron, intended 
 for the smithy. It may be crude, but we 
 women folk astonishing how clannish the 
 life is making us find it very comfortable, 
 considering the long nights we have so often 
 spent in the woods with a shelter not quarter 
 so good. 
 
 ' The journey from Bytown has been very 
 weird to me, owing to my ague. Still, I can 
 remember the facts, I think. After Harold, 
 the Doctor and I started that first afternoon, 
 we drove until nearly dark along the old 
 Jesuit trail before we overtook the men.
 
 IN THE VAN 177 
 
 They were putting up the camp for the night, 
 and had taken special care to provide for my 
 comfort, so that next morning, notwithstand- 
 ing another chill, I was ready to continue the 
 journey. After that, for three whole days, 
 we were guided by Iroquois Indians, cutting 
 our way through the woods to Calabogie 
 Lake. These red men of the forest are not 
 very picturesque. We saw nothing of their 
 feathers and wampun and war paint. Per- 
 haps that is because we are so far from the 
 frontier, where all the battles are fought. 
 Their dress resembles that of the habitants, 
 and they are proving themselves both friendly 
 and trustworthy. Nearly every day they bring 
 in fresh venison or bear meat for sale, and 
 to-day we were astonished by a present from 
 them of a huge elk. 
 
 "Strange, however, we rarely see the 
 squaws. Perhaps it is because they know 
 that our men are a body of warriors going 
 through the country, who would have little 
 use for women. 
 
 " How our soldiers rejoiced on being ordered 
 to march on the ice of the Madawaska! The 
 river in some places is wide, winding in and 
 out through a rugged and open country, but 
 the ice is thick and the surface smooth and 
 without drifts, save occasionally near a sudden 
 bend. So, except where the rapids interfered, 
 we had steady marching and driving for days 
 over a road of our own make, and not along 
 the Jesuit trail. The great drawbacks are 
 
 12
 
 178 IN THE VAN 
 
 the depths of snow to be shovelled away or 
 tramped down, and the wearisome windings 
 of the river. 
 
 "Harold tells me that a hundred miles as 
 the crow flies on the Madawaska would be 
 two hundred by the windings of the stream. 
 
 "But my ague is coming back. I must 
 stop my scribbling, and will start it again 
 to-morrow. It is so lonely out here in the 
 woods that writing is like talking to an old 
 friend. Oh, those wretched little imps ! There 
 they are again! You infernal bug-a-boos! 
 You think you frighten me, do you? Oh, I 
 wish Harold was here, but he can't be until 
 night! How my head aches and swims, too! 
 Still, I hate to give in. There, Emmiline in 
 the other end is singing. So I will put down 
 what she says, if I can, in spite of the little 
 fiends who have been chasing me ever since I 
 left the Ottawa. 
 
 Rock-a-bo babee up de tree 
 
 Like vas de early morn, 
 And ve vill mak de feu de joie 
 
 And roast de Ingin corn. 
 
 Rock-a-bo babee, airly an' lat, 
 
 Ven sweet de birdies sing; 
 Petite gar<;on laugh an' ee grow fat, 
 An' make de woods to ring. 
 
 Rock-a-bo babee, Patre is come 
 
 From drivin' ever so far, 
 Over de rivare, so glad he's home 
 
 To wife and child, by gar.
 
 IN THE VAN 179 
 
 "What a mercurial nature! She feels well 
 and can sing a child song, notwithstanding 
 all her sorrow." 
 
 Diary continued next day. 
 
 "My ague was not so bad yesterday, though 
 I did see the little devils, and was disconsolate 
 and blue all day, the bottom for a while being 
 knocked out of everything. But the long 
 rest helped me, and now that I feel better and 
 have time, Mrs. Diary, I will have a good 
 long chat with you. The men finished fixing 
 the shanty this morning. The two women 
 have a big kettle of water boiling outside and 
 are doing some washing for the men. They 
 say there is enough to keep them busy every 
 day for a week. Emmiline and, by the way, 
 she sang that ditty very sweetly yestereen 
 is cooking over the fire at the other end of the 
 room. She's as happy as a queen and is 
 singing again. This time it's a nabitant love 
 song. How good-natured and volatile these 
 French-Canadians are! The loss of her two 
 babies seem to be entirely forgotten in the joy 
 of travelling out west with her nusband. Out- 
 side we can hear the axes of Bateese and 
 another driver chopping firewood for our 
 camp. Harold, as well as Bond and Hard- 
 man, are all away with the Colonel and his 
 men cutting a new road in and out among 
 the granite boulders through the woods. They 
 will be back to-night to remain with their 
 wives until the morning. It seems an awfully
 
 180 IN THE VAN 
 
 funny arrangement four married men with 
 their wives to sleep together in a single shanty. 
 What a terrible thing it would be if any of 
 them got mixed! 
 
 "Strange, we never think of these things 
 until they come upon us, and then we take 
 them as a matter of course simply, I suppose, 
 because we have to. If I had known what 
 lay before me on leaving England, I am just 
 as sure as Still I would have done a great 
 deal for Harold God knows I would and 
 perhaps, yes, perhaps What's the use of talk- 
 ing, anyway? Whatever is, had to be; and 
 whatever lies before us, we must face, whether 
 we will or no. 
 
 "Still, these men are not a bit rude to me, 
 and our long shanty is so arranged that our 
 end is cut off from the rest, though what is 
 said in ordinary talk can be heard all over 
 the room. Then about our bed, I was going 
 to tell how we make it, but I won't, even to 
 you, Mrs. Diary. 
 
 " 'Still keep somethin' to yoursel' 
 You'd scarcely tell to ony.' 
 
 "But I must say something more about 
 our drive. For three or four days after leav- 
 ing Bytown, Captain Gummings was with 
 me the half of each day while Harold was 
 marching, and I must say he seemed a differ- 
 ent man, just as gentlemanly as he could be, 
 and so kind and thoughtful that I felt ashamed 
 of having ever entertained suspicions. He
 
 IN THE VAN 181 
 
 was considerate, too, for on recovering the 
 use of his ankle earlier than he expected, he 
 suggested a return to the old r6le. I must 
 say I was both glad and sorry to get some 
 one else now and then in his place. 
 
 "Three days ago, though, one of my off 
 days, in which I had no fever, he again arove 
 with me the whole afternoon, and as it had 
 occurred more than once before, I became 
 interested in his conversation. He has read 
 and travelled so much that his talk is instruc- 
 tive, and before you know it you are thrown 
 off your guard. You vow to yourself that it 
 shall never occur again, and yet it does occur, 
 even before you know it. That afternoon we 
 commenced almost at once to talk about 
 Penetang. 
 
 'Yes,' he said, 'I have taken the trouble 
 to learn a good deal about it. It is short for 
 Penetanguishene, the name given to it by the 
 Ojibway Indians, and is said to be very 
 picturesque.' 
 
 'Has the name a meaning?' I asked. 
 
 'Yes, it signifies the rolling sands or the 
 shining shores made by the gods of the fairies 
 for lovers to bask upon.' 
 
 "And do the Ojibways still live there?' I 
 asked. 
 
 " Oh, no ! Governor Simcoe bought the sec- 
 tion twenty years ago from the Matchedash 
 Indians for garrison purposes, and it is only now, 
 by advice of the present Governor, Sir George 
 Prevost, that the idea is being carried out."
 
 182 IN THE VAN 
 
 "And so we are going there to build the 
 fort/ was my response. 
 
 "Don't you think we are an admirable 
 body for the purpose ? ' he asked. * A valiant 
 knight of the Cross, with full complement of 
 officers and men to establish the quarters and 
 put up the building, and a lady of quality to 
 presicfe at our functions and be queen of the 
 realm/ 
 
 "But what will you do with her in the 
 meantime ?' I asked merrily. 'Put her on the 
 rolling sands and shining shore until the fort 
 is built?' 
 
 '"That's just it/ he returned. 'Turn her 
 into a sea nymph and give her a tent to 
 adorn until the building is finished.' 
 
 "'You are very kind. But how came it, 
 Captain Cummings, as chief officer of the 
 company to be stationed, that you did not get 
 married and bring your own wife to be queen 
 and preside at your functions?' 
 
 'I had very good reasons/ he blurted out. 
 'First, the lady to whom I was engaged flatly 
 declined to come west when I hinted the mat- 
 ter to her. She was not so brave as you are. 
 Second, she was a hothouse plant, and would 
 have been out of place in a garrison settlement. 
 Third, I did not love her enough to bother with 
 her company, even if she had been willing.' 
 
 "And did she break the engagement?' 
 
 ' ' I suppose so, and I am happy to say I'm 
 a free lance again, ready to gather the luscious 
 fruit whenever opportunity occurs/
 
 IN THE VAN 183 
 
 "'You don't believe then in the adage: 
 'Once in love, always in love?' 
 
 "Lieutenant Manning does,' he replied. 
 
 "'And so does his wife,' was my response. 
 
 " ' Oh, of course, but I believe in friendship 
 more than love, and you must count me your 
 staunchest friend when we establish ourselves 
 on the shining shores of Penetang.' 
 
 "I thanked him, of course, and again I say 
 what else could I do?"
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THROUGH interminable forest of spruce, 
 pine and hemlock; through scraggy un- 
 derwood, through clumps of tamarack 
 poles, through dense cedar hedges; in and out 
 among boulders of rock hard as adamant, 
 jutting crags and angry precipices, over 
 mounds of granite and shelving plates of 
 limestone; over hill and down dale, the men 
 of the 100th slowly made their way. Cutting 
 down brushwood among rocky masses, made 
 a narrow lane through which soldiers, two 
 abreast, could force a tortuous march; but 
 to make sleigh roads for teams to transport 
 goods for settlement and garrison was a more 
 difficult matter. The way through the frozen 
 wilderness was unbroken, and Indian guides, 
 as well as their own scouts, were sent on 
 ahead to locate the road they must cut. 
 Even a deadlock was possible, and to save 
 interminable journeys around impassable ra- 
 vines, teams would be unhitched and horses 
 saddle-bagged and led singly, while men car- 
 ried goods in their arms or on their shoulders 
 to the smoother way beyond. 
 
 Many more days passed away as slowly 
 but surely they forged ahead in a south-west 
 direction. Monotony of labor, monotony of 
 
 184
 
 IN THE VAN 185 
 
 snow, monotony of cold, but variety of wilder- 
 ness. Sometimes troops of squirrels chattered 
 and scampered around them. Bold, black 
 fellows would run down tall pines and angrily 
 interrogate the drivers and, having delivered 
 their message, dart back from tree to tree 
 and disappear in the distance. Mink would 
 run in and out among the boulders, sometimes 
 brought down by a soldier's gun, but more 
 frequently lost in a hole in the ice, to reappear 
 next minute when distance lent safety to the 
 view. Now and then a wild cat was seen as 
 well as heard, and in the early dawn the tail 
 of the red fox, as he darted across the smooth 
 surface of a frozen lake and startled the 
 deer as they lay in sheltered nook or browsed 
 among the bushes. But of wolves they saw 
 no more, though night was often made hideous 
 with their unearthly yells, always reminiscent 
 of that one occasion, so long to be remem- 
 bered. 
 
 At last, on a bright March morning, they 
 drove out upon a broad, level plain. Octopus 
 feelers stretched out in every direction. Tney 
 were on the Lake of Bays. Next, with all 
 the speed they could muster, they struck 
 southward along Muskoka River. Then over 
 hill and dale, across ponds and beyond Mus- 
 koka Lake. South and west was still the 
 watchword till Waubashene was left behind, 
 and finally one day, with the bright sun 
 shining above them, the terminus was reached. 
 
 "All things come to him who waits and
 
 18<J IN THE VAN 
 
 prays the Lord to guide him!" piously ex- 
 claimed the Chaplain. 
 
 "God be praised, we're here at last, thanks 
 to our perseverance," echoed Sir George. 
 "But waiting would never bring a man to 
 his destined haven. Egad! this is a fine 
 spot! Looks well in winter, what must it be 
 in summer?" 
 
 "Mon Dieu!" exclaimed the Doctor, whose 
 expletives were always in French, "if yonder 
 is not a schooner frozen fast in the ice." 
 
 ; 'Yes, and by my father's ghost, there's a 
 man on her deck taking stock of us," cried 
 Gummings. 
 
 At this moment the men gave a loud cheer, 
 which was answered by a whoop from the 
 owner of the boat. 
 
 "The unexpected always happens," said 
 Sir George; 'who could imagine that we 
 should find a brig here ? Captain, send down 
 Bond and Hardman to tell the man I would 
 like to converse with him." 
 
 In a short time the men of the little column, 
 as well as horses and sleighs, were gathered 
 in an open space above the crest of the hill. 
 On two sides and behind them the forest 
 extended inimitably, while through the more 
 scattered trees in front, the surface of the bay 
 stretched out for miles. It was here they 
 purposed camping in temporary shanties 
 and tents until permanent nouses could be 
 built. 
 
 A week's rest at Roche Lake had improved
 
 IN THE VAN 187 
 
 Helen's condition, and now with joy she wel- 
 comed the end of their long marcn. 
 
 "Home at last," cried Harold, as their 
 sleigh stopped. 
 
 "Even if it is a snowbank," she responded 
 with a laugh. 
 
 "Scarcely that bad," said Sir George, who 
 overheard her. "I see two or three empty 
 shanties yonder. They can be fixed a bit. 
 And that little schooner may have accommo- 
 dation, perhaps. We shall soon know." 
 
 The spot on which they stood was tramped 
 hard by the many feet of the men, and Helen 
 alighted. 
 
 "I wonder if there is a woman on board of 
 her?" she questioned. 
 
 "If there is, she's had a winter of it," 
 commented Harold, "though not as hard as 
 you have had, dearie." 
 
 "I can sympathize with any of your sex 
 now, our own women particularly," exclaimed 
 Sir George, and extending his hand to Helen, 
 he continued, "and I congratulate you, Mrs. 
 Manning, most cordially, may I say affection- 
 ately, for the brave and noble fight you have 
 put up during the whole of this terrible jour- 
 ney. We are all proud of you, and when I 
 tell your uncle, Sir Charles, of the doings of 
 the brave lady we took out to the west, he will 
 simply be amazed." 
 
 Helen's cheeks flushed, and her eyes drooped 
 as she murmured her thanks, but her thoughts 
 were wandering off in another direction.
 
 188 IN THE VAN 
 
 "You are not going back soon ?" she asked, 
 timidly. 
 
 "Certainly not for a while; but when sum- 
 mer comes I may have to, unless you make 
 the new fort so charming by your presence, 
 that even an old fellow like myself cannot 
 tear himself away," replied tne Colonel, 
 gallantly. 
 
 "But how could we possibly do without 
 you?" 
 
 "Oh, that can easily be managed, and to 
 save time, preliminaries are already being 
 arranged." 
 
 "You are cold," said Harold, noticing the 
 sudden whiteness of her face. "Let us step 
 to the fire." 
 
 Already one was burning, and beside it she 
 stood, silently watching the men felling trees 
 for the larger camp of the night. 
 
 "This is Mr. Latimer, sir," said the Cor- 
 poral to Sir George, touching his hat; with 
 him were Hardman and the shuffling skipper. 
 "He owns the craft." 
 
 "Good day, sir," exclaimed the man, with 
 a general air of amazement on his face. 
 
 'Good day to you," Sir George replied, 
 extending his hand. "We were surprised to 
 find a boat in the ice with a live man on it at 
 this time of the year." 
 
 "No more'n I was to see youse, sir; an* 
 where the deuce you all comes from'beats me.' 
 
 "On sleclges straight from the Pole," re- 
 turned the Colonel with a smile.
 
 IN THE VAN 189 
 
 "So I suspect!" a humorous twinkle taking 
 the place of the look of astonishment, "but 
 I didna think the Yankees could scare red- 
 coats so far north ns that." 
 
 "Not so bad! But who have you on that 
 boat of yours, or are you alone? In fact, 
 have you any accommodations to spare ? Two 
 or three berths, for instance." 
 
 "There's me an' my old woman. If she's 
 willin' possibly we might take in two or three 
 womenfolk, if they can put up with our 
 fixings." 
 
 The man took a side glance at Helen, who 
 stood by the fire, and then at the other 
 women, but his eye immediately reverted to 
 the first face. She had regained her color 
 and was attentively observing him. 
 
 "Thank you," returned the Colonel, "but 
 how do you happen to be frozen up in this 
 plight?" 
 
 "That's easy told," returned the man with 
 a nod. He evidently wanted to have a talk. 
 "Fact is, I'm a trader, dealin' with Indians 
 and whites all around the Georgian Bay. 
 But you see this war bizness knocked me out 
 a bit, for it wan't safe to run a craft right in 
 the teeth o' destruction; so I waited till fall, 
 and when the gunboats laid up for the 
 winter I pitched in and did a rushing business 
 right up to December. Then the big gale 
 hit us, and I thought it would blow the 
 Bumble Bee to pieces, but it didn't. She 
 just drifted right to where she is. Lorljiow
 
 190 IN THE VAN 
 
 it did blow that night! An' it friz, too, like 
 all creation! When mornin' came we was 
 froze in as solid as a rock, an' here we are 
 yet, and likely to be for a spell. Turn about's 
 fair play. Straight bizness none o' yer fool- 
 in'! Where did youse all come from?" 
 
 "From Halifax." 
 
 "How in Sam Hill did you do it?" 
 
 "By cutting our way through the woods." 
 , "Well, I swa'an!" The man pulled out a 
 jack-knife and began whittling a stick. Then 
 he expectorated an exceedingly long distance, 
 and finished by exclaiming: " Golly, but you're 
 bricks and to think of having a leddy with 
 you, too!" 
 
 "Thank you," said Sir George. 
 
 "An' how much farther be you going? 
 Glean through to the coast? 
 
 "No; this is the end." 
 
 "An' you'll stay here?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "An* build a barrack for the sojers?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "By Jehupitee Gripes! If that don't beat 
 all! I must tell my woman. Won't the 
 Bumble Bee make a fortin'?" 
 
 Latimer clapped his knee in high glee. 
 Then he turned to shuffle down to the boat 
 to tell his better hall' the good news. 
 
 "Stay!" called Sir George, and, turning to 
 Harold, he continued : " You and your wife nad 
 better go with Mr. Latimer and see what accom- 
 modation he has to offer. It might save time."
 
 IN THE VAN 191 
 
 So, accompanied by Bond, they followed 
 the man in single file down the footpath 
 through the snow. A steep but straight de- 
 cline led to the level of the frozen lake. About 
 twenty yards from the shore lay the Bumble 
 Bee. It was a small craft with two masts 
 and about nine feet beam. The gunwale 
 stood several feet above the ice, and beside 
 the little midship cabin the whole of the 
 poop had been boarded in by a railing. A 
 pile of wood lay beside the boat, and as 
 Helen stepped across the little gangway, she 
 noticed that the foredeck was cleanly swept. 
 
 With arms akimbo, a middle-aged, stern- 
 faced woman stood in the narrow doorway, 
 but her thick homespun dress and general air 
 of tidiness and thrift gave confidence to her 
 visitor, notwithstanding the puzzled look of 
 inquiry with which she returned Helen's 
 salutation. 
 
 "These people want to know eff we'll tak' 
 in boarders?" said Latimer, by way of intro- 
 duction. "What say you, Meg?" 
 
 "He means," said Harold, "that we are 
 stranded, and would like you, if possible, to 
 accommodate this lady and two or three other 
 women until we can build our own quarters." 
 
 For a moment or two the woman looked 
 straight into Helen's frank and kindly eyes. 
 Then her hard expression softened, and a 
 smile lit up her face as she accepted Helen's 
 hand. 
 
 "I guess I can," was her answer. "It
 
 19* IN THE VAN 
 
 ain't much, but such as I have she's welcome 
 to. About t'other women I don't know, for 
 I haven't seen 'em yet." 
 
 Helen's eyes filled with tears. 
 
 "Thank you," she said. 
 
 "Step right in, marm; the coop is warm if 
 it is little, and there's a chair you can sit 
 down in," pointing to a little rocker which 
 Latimer had made for her. "It's kinder 
 comfortable." 
 
 "I'm sure it is," said Helen, and slowly 
 she rocked herself to and fro, while she 
 listened to the talk of the woman. 
 
 She felt strangely attracted by her. Some 
 old memory link of the past was aroused Had 
 she seen that face before, and if so, when and 
 where? While talking and asking questions 
 Helen's mind was in an analytical mood, dis- 
 secting, so far as she could, everything asso- 
 ciated with her appearance and life. Who 
 was she ? Where nad she seen her ? Was it 
 possible that their lives had ever touched each 
 other this woman, double her own age and 
 of different station ? Yes, there was a link 
 somewhere. Of this she felt sure. She must 
 solve the mystery, but not now. To find a 
 spot to rest in was enough for the present.
 
 "Strangers and yet not strangers" 
 
 Page 72
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE few remaining hours of that 31st of 
 March were well occupied by the men 
 of the 100th. Larger and better camps 
 were pitched to last for many nights, instead 
 of one, until real barracks could be built. 
 The Indian wigwams, of which several were 
 standing along the shore, proved to be use- 
 less, but a couple of trapper-forsaken shanties 
 for the time did duty as officers' quarters. 
 Fortunately, in each was a rough fireplace, 
 and big fires soon dried the dampness and 
 made them passably habitable. So with the 
 women on the Bumble Bee, and officers and 
 men in their camps, the first night passed 
 away. 
 
 On the following morning the men strength- 
 ened their stakes, while Sir George and Gap- 
 tain Payne had an earnest consultation over 
 plans for the future. 
 
 "Of course," said Sir George, "a fort and 
 barracks will have to be built at once, what- 
 ever we do afterwards; the question is, which 
 shall be first and where shall we put them?" 
 
 "Both important questions," returned the 
 
 Captain. 'There is another serious one, too. 
 
 In three or four weeks, perhaps half that 
 
 time, winter will break up. The spring thaw 
 
 18 193
 
 194 IN THE VAN 
 
 and cold rains will come, and better shelter 
 for our people will then be imperative." 
 
 "True," said the Colonel. 'You already 
 have your plans. " 
 
 For some moments there was a pause 
 while they scanned the outlook. 
 
 'Yes," said the engineer at last, "beside 
 the men's camp, near the margin of the hill, 
 will be a good place for the garrison. It 
 commands the whole length of the bay to its 
 mouth and Beausoliel Island beyond. You 
 couldn't have a better place for a fort. In it 
 you might have officers' rooms as well, and 
 later on build your shipyard at the foot of the 
 hill down by the bay." 
 
 "What about the men's quarters?" 
 
 "Build them right behind the fort." 
 
 ; 'You notice that little narrow island to the 
 south of Latimer's boat?" 
 
 ; 'Yes; it commands the mouth of the har- 
 bor direct, and would be a fine place to build 
 a magazine with a battery of guns." 
 
 "A good idea, Captain. When summer 
 comes perhaps we can manage it with our 
 light cannon. It is lucky they were no bigger. 
 If they had been it would have been impos- 
 sible to portage them so far through the 
 woods." 
 
 "To put up the buildings every man will 
 have to work," said Payne. 
 
 ''There need be no reserve on that score," 
 returned Sir George. "How are you off for 
 tools?"
 
 IN THE VAN 195 
 
 "Starting at London and ending at Mon- 
 treal, we secured a full complement, including 
 axes, broad-axes, shingle knives, cross-cut 
 saws, etc. Then all the drivers are skilled 
 woodsmen, and can show our men how to use 
 them." 
 
 "When will you be ready to start?" 
 
 "Immediately after mess." 
 
 "Another thing, Captain, we must not for- 
 get that Mrs. Manning is here to stay. One 
 of our first buildings must be for herself and 
 her husband." 
 
 "I thought of that. How would it do to 
 put up a house at once big enough to hold 
 them and the officers, too?" 
 
 'You might throw up a little cottage for 
 them and a larger one for ourselves. That 
 would be better than the double combination. 
 Then we could wait a bit. For that matter, 
 we might build the new fort of stone." 
 
 In another hour a score of axes were at 
 work. Busy hands swung them from morn- 
 ing until evening for many successive days. 
 Saws were used to cut the logs into necessary 
 lengths, while the little Frenchmen with their 
 teams snaked the logs out of the woods into 
 the clearing where the houses were to be 
 built. 
 
 Some of the men cleared the ground of 
 underwood and dug cellars with bevelled 
 edges for the coming dwellings ; others, discov- 
 ering a spring, hollowed out the surface, put 
 in a cedar block curb and turned it into a
 
 198 IN THE VAN 
 
 flowing well; while another gang felled clear 
 stuff white pines, sawed tnem into short 
 lengths and split them into shingles. 
 
 And so, under control of Captain Payne, 
 this complex host of industry busied itself day 
 after day, from early dawn until the darken- 
 ing. The weather was in every way propi- 
 tious, and though it thawed in day time, it 
 always froze at night. The sun, in a clear 
 sky, daily reached a loftier altitude and shed a 
 warmer ray, melting the snow until the water 
 ran in ripples to the lake. But the tightening 
 each night saved the situation. Every body 
 knew that warm weather was coming, and 
 with so much impending, not a moment was 
 lost. So the time passed until one afternoon 
 a man was so.uaring the butt-end of a log 
 when Captain Payne joined him. 
 
 "Can you have all ready for the raising by 
 Monday morning?" he asked. 
 
 "For the first cottage, yes," the man an- 
 swered, resting for a moment upon his broad- 
 axe. " It's the little one for the lady. Bateese 
 and Bouchere are both good hewers, and 
 they will have the logs for the other by the 
 time we have the first up." 
 
 "That's satisfactory. I'm glad you are 
 prompt. We are going to have rain." 
 
 "Bateese says it will come inside of two 
 days," replied the man, glancing at the hazy 
 mist which was gradually darkening the sky. 
 
 "Oui, monsieur, rain sure," cried Bateese 
 fromjjthe end of a log he was hewing. "Dem
 
 IN THE VAN 197 
 
 leetle clouds lak sheep-wool all de sam, wid 
 haze where she touch de ice sure sign, sure 
 as shooting, sure as de diable." 
 
 " How can you tell ? You were never here 
 before, Bateese." 
 
 "Sure all de same. Place make no dif- 
 ference. Jess as it was in Kebec." 
 
 "You had better push things anyway, 
 Blake," said the Captain. "He is probably 
 right. Come what will, we must have both 
 houses shingled before the storm breaks." 
 
 "And so we shall, if the good Lord will 
 only keep it off a bit longer. But there's a 
 pile of work to do yet. The shingles are 
 ready, but the roof slabs have to be split. 
 We'll need more men, sir." 
 
 " You can have twenty more for the barrack 
 gang," said Payne. 
 
 "That's all we've room for, but they'll be 
 needed. Let us have 'em soon, sir." 
 
 "All right, my man." 
 
 At this moment there was a wild yell in the 
 woods, following a crash among the trees, 
 and from different directions men rushed to 
 the spot from which the sound came; while 
 at the same time a messenger hurried in. 
 
 " What's the matter?" cried Sir George. 
 
 "Teddy Barnes is killed. He is dead sure! 
 Oh! where is the Doctor?" 
 
 But Beaumont had heard, and with long 
 strides was hastening to the spot. Though 
 unconscious, the man was not dead. A big 
 shingle tree in falling had brought down a
 
 198 IN THE VAN 
 
 slanting spruce, pinning Teddy down in the 
 snow without killing nim outright. When 
 the Doctor arrived the men were trying clums- 
 ily to extricate him. 
 
 "Sacre," screamed the Doctor. "Stop, I 
 say! There's only one chance to save nim. 
 The log must be cut. Bateese, you are the 
 man. Swing your axe for your life. Now, 
 all take hold and lift the tree bodily till he 
 cuts it loose." 
 
 The shrill words of Beaumont calmed the 
 excitement and brought order out of chaos. 
 Every one sprang to his post and the mighty 
 effort of the men in direct line preceptibly 
 raised the upper end of the heavy tree. On 
 examination, the Doctor was convinced that 
 the deep snow in the hollow in which he lay 
 had saved the man from instant death. 
 
 With prodigious energy Bateese swung his 
 axe. Every blow sank deep in the soft, 
 green wood. Quickly the bevelled notch in 
 the one side was cut, followed in similar 
 fashion on the other. In a few minutes the 
 work was done, the axe penetrating from 
 side to side through the upper half. 
 
 "Now, reedy leeft, garcons, leeft!" cried 
 Bateese. "Steddy." 
 
 With a bound the Frenchman was at the 
 Doctor's side, and while the men lifted till 
 the timber snapped, the two gently drew out 
 the body of the boy; but an ominous sound 
 jarred upon their ears. The bones grated 
 upon each other. Then on a stretcher cov-
 
 IN THE VAN 199 
 
 ered with blankets they gently laid the lad 
 and bore him back to the camp. 
 
 "Will he live?" Sir George asked in deep 
 concern. 
 
 "No," said the Doctor. "The poor fel- 
 low's pelvis is smashed. He may not even 
 become conscious again, for his skull is frac- 
 tured as well." 
 
 "Pray God he may not, then," said Sir 
 George, fervently. "Better to die than live 
 in hopeless agony." 
 
 By the time they reached the men's quar- 
 ters every one in camp knew. They gathered 
 together in groups and discussed the sad event, 
 the first calamity since their arrival in Pene- 
 tang. A more careful examination corrobor- 
 ated the Doctor's opinion. Consciousness 
 never returned, and by sundown he was 
 dead. 
 
 "What about the lad's burial?" Chaplain 
 Evans asked of Sir George before retiring for 
 the night. 
 
 "To-morrow is Sunday, let us have it then," 
 was the sorrowful answer. " Reveille at 'eight, 
 breakfast at nine, full parade at ten, funeral 
 at eleven. Preach the Sunday sermon, Chap- 
 lain, and let the boys have a good one. They 
 deserve it. Then we'll give poor Barnes a 
 full rifle salute and taps as well." 
 
 "You are right, Colonel," returned the 
 Chaplain; there was moisture between his 
 eyelids; "but it is too bad to have a death in 
 our ranks so soon."
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THEY buried thejbroken body of Teddy 
 Barnes in a little oak grove on the lower 
 plateau, and the dead leaves on the 
 branches soughed in gentle requiem to the 
 words : 
 
 "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes," as they fell 
 from the clergyman's lips. 
 
 With serious faces soldiers stood around the 
 open grave. Earth dropped upon the coffin. 
 The boom of guns echoed over forest and 
 lake, and then, as the sounds died away, the 
 shrill note of the bugle told of a spirit that had 
 gone too soon to the God who gave it. The 
 funeral service was ended. 
 
 "My men," said the deep voice of the 
 Colonel as he glanced at the faces around 
 him. "This sad duty is over. We have 
 buried a comrade who fell, not fighting in 
 battle, but doing his duty; and in his burial 
 we have given him the honors due the bravest 
 soldier when struck down at the cannon's 
 mouth. 
 
 " But, my men, we do not live for the dead, 
 but for the living. We are still practically 
 without shelter, and though it is Sunday, I 
 must bid you work with might and main. 
 Every man must be at his post. The quar- 
 
 200
 
 IN THE VAN 201 
 
 ters for the officers, and barracks for the 
 men, must be built and have the shingles on 
 before the rain comes. Otherwise we must 
 face disaster. So I ask you to disband until 
 after dinner, and then, at one o'clock sharp, 
 your work must begin again." 
 
 Standing around the grave of their com- 
 rade the two companies of the 100th sent up 
 a rousing cheer for their Colonel, and then, 
 scattering, each man went where he listed. 
 
 "That Colonel of yours is well named," 
 said Latimer to Helen in the afternoon, as he 
 entered the little coop of the Bumble Bee, 
 where she was writing. "He's got a mighty 
 good headpiece. Those fellows of his work 
 like niggers when he tells 'em to." 
 
 "And should they not?" she asked, looking 
 up from her folder. 
 
 "Of course, it's their duty, and all that, 
 but I've often seen fellows shirk right again 
 orders the moment the captain's back was 
 turned." 
 
 "Perhaps they didn't have the right kind 
 of a captain." 
 
 "That's about it," returned Latimer, nod- 
 ding his head. "Though it's not their regular 
 dooty, and it's Sunday, them sojers are work- 
 in' like all possessed one lot sawin' an' chop- 
 pin' an' splittin' an' haulin' t'other lot havin' 
 a reg'lar raisin' bee. They'll have the walls 
 o' both them housen up by night, or my name 
 ain't Latimer." 
 
 "I don't think Sir George would have the
 
 202 IN THE VAN 
 
 men working that way to-day if it were not 
 necessary," said Helen, seriously; but she 
 remembered a note in her diary, written in 
 the days of their long march. 
 
 "It's necessary, sure enough, or they wouldn't 
 have a shingle laid before the flood comes. 
 But the funny part of it is that the boys 
 should put on their best lick to-day. I reckon 
 that speech of the Colonel's did the bizness. 
 If I'd been one of them, I'd ha' done my 
 best, too." 
 
 For some time Latimer stood beside the 
 little stove without further comment, and 
 Helen resumed her writing. 
 
 "Say, Mrs. Manning!" he exclaimed at 
 last. "Do you think the Colonel has any 
 idee how the war's going ? In a week or two 
 the snow '11 be all gone, an' the ice broke up, 
 an' to me it 'pears like he must be 'specting 
 the Yankee ships up to the bay here, or he 
 wouldn't be buildin' a fort." 
 
 ; 'You should ask the Colonel," replied 
 Helen, diplomatically. "I can't tell you, per- 
 haps he can. But about our buildings, the 
 sooner they go up the better. This terrible 
 winter seems to have lasted a year at least." 
 
 " Golly, no. It has just been the ordinaire. 
 Still, I'll be glad to have it open up an' get 
 my boat out agin. Do you know it's jess 
 bootiful out yon' on the water when the 
 spring comes. The hull east side of the bay 
 is chuck full o' islands, and they're as purty 
 as a pictur. There are thousands of 'em, little
 
 IN THE VAN 203 
 
 bits of fellows and great big ones, scattered 
 up and down like lambs on a pasture field or 
 hickory nuts in the woods. An' then they're 
 all covered wi' bushes and trees like. What 
 I've seen of 'em allus looked like the place 
 my old mother told of, where the fairies lived, 
 and, by jove, nobody but fairies could live 
 there, anyway, for they're nothin' but solid 
 rock, the hull kit of 'em." 
 
 "Now you're talking sense for the fust 
 time," said Mrs. Latimer, from the other 
 side of the cribbed little room. "It's one o' 
 the most dangerous lakes you could find any- 
 wheres. Nawthing but rocks, rocks, rocks, 
 an' many a boat goes to smash on 'em every 
 year, an' no tellin' how many lives are lost, 
 for they never come back to tell the story." 
 
 "I didn't say they warn't dangerous," re- 
 turned Latimer, sagely holding his head to 
 one side. " I jess said they was bootiful, and 
 so they is. It ain't every one can tell a purty 
 thing when they see it; and more than that," 
 he added sententiously, "the bay is prolific." 
 
 "Of what?" his wife asked in supreme 
 contempt. 
 
 "Why," he replied in disgust, "of fishes." 
 
 "Awn!" she interjected. 
 
 "I don't think there's a place on the lakes 
 where the fishin's as good as Georgian Bay. 
 There's whitefish an' salmon trout, an' bass, 
 an' pickerel, an' sturgeon an' muskilonge, 'an 
 goodness knows how many others. On, you 
 can talk as you like, but when the sun is settin'
 
 204 IN THE VAN 
 
 in big gold flashes green islands all around 
 you clear water, still as glass, beneath you 
 an' then the bass catchin' your hook as fast 
 as you throw it in, life's jest about worth 
 livin'!" 
 
 "Ned's on one of his tangents again," said 
 Mrs. Latimer, with a shrug. "If the Bumble 
 Bee ever gets stranded on the rocks it'll teach 
 him sense, but nothin' else will." 
 
 "Don't be hard on a fellow, Meg," replied 
 the man, good-naturedly. ' Many's the time 
 the Bumble Bee's taken in fish by the bushel, 
 an' she never got stranded on the rocks yet; 
 please God, she never will. She can run 
 agin the wind as fast as any smack I know 
 of, an' I guess Ned Latimer understands her 
 gearings." 
 
 "It was runnin' her gearings put us in this 
 blessed hole, I reckon." 
 
 "We might have been wuss off. Lots o' 
 firewood, lots o' fish and venison, friendly 
 Injuns for neighbors, an' not so terribly cola 
 after all, even if we was friz up in the ice." 
 
 And the philosophical skipper went off to 
 take another look at the progress of the 
 "Raisin'." 
 
 "Latimer's allus easy goin' and onreason- 
 able," said the wife, as she watched him 
 through the little window, while he ascended 
 the hill. 
 
 "It must have been hard for you to spend 
 the winter locked in here," said Helen. She 
 felt like reconciling the incongruities between
 
 IN THE VAN 205 
 
 the ill-mated pair, "but I shouldn't think Mr. 
 Latimer an unreasonable man. He i.iay have 
 made a mistake in letting his boat drift into 
 the bay so late in the season. Still, he has 
 made it comfortable for you, and I wonder 
 what I could have done if your homelike 
 schooner had not been here, with a kind 
 hostess in it to welcome me." 
 
 "I suppose things is never so bad as they 
 might be," said Mrs. Latimer, her face 
 relaxing a little. "And I'm glad to do 
 something for ye even if it ain't much." 
 
 Again Helen was startled. It was when 
 the hardness wore off the woman's face that 
 the forgotten expression came back again. 
 She had surely seen it before, and the softened 
 tone seemed familiar. Could she trace it 
 back through the years to the days of her 
 childhood ? It could not be black-eyed Susan, 
 who pinched her when she cried, and threat- 
 ened to pinch harder if she told ? This 
 woman's eyes were grey. Nor red-headed 
 Molly, who in her afternoon walk invariably 
 left her with her mother to be stuffed witn 
 black toffy, while she went off to gossip with 
 the barber's son ? Her hair was too black 
 ever to have been red. Nor the maid who 
 frightened her with ghost stories. Nor the 
 namby-pamby one who cuddled her with 
 kisses and called her beatific names, until in 
 childish indignation she wrathfully rebelled. 
 
 All these in rapid movement of memory 
 were set aside, but the more she thought, the
 
 206 IN THE VAN 
 
 more convinced she became that in the big 
 medley of domestic servitors of the long past, 
 this woman somewhere played her part. But 
 the cobwebs were lifting. She would find her 
 soon. 
 
 'You have not always lived on the lakes, 
 Mrs. Latimer?" she asked at last. 
 
 "I never did till I married Latimer." 
 
 "And before that?" said Helen. 
 
 "I was from New York; but that's ten 
 year ago, and Latimer was a British subject." 
 
 "And did you never cross the ocean ? One 
 would think that, living so much on the water, 
 you would be sure to go over the sea." 
 
 "So I have, mum, so I have. I went over 
 twenty year ago come June as servant to a 
 New York lady and stayed there for a year, 
 but I didn't like it, so I come home agin." 
 
 "Twenty years ago. And did you live for 
 some time in South London, near the 
 Thames?" 
 
 "Yes I did," answered the woman, with a 
 start. 
 
 "And worked as nursemaid for Mrs. Bran- 
 don, of Russell Street, near Battersea Park?" 
 
 "Good gracious alive, yes! Did you know 
 her ? Be you 
 
 "Yes, I am little Helen Brandon, the child 
 you put straddle-legged around your neck to 
 run a race with another nurse-girl from Hen- 
 ley Street, at the other end of the row." 
 
 "Land sake! Be you that child? Who'd 
 a'thought it! An' then to meet you here out
 
 IN THE VAN 207 
 
 in the wilds o' the wilderness!" The woman 
 rose, and, with flushed and agitated face, 
 came towards her. 
 
 Helen extended both hands, and Mrs. 
 Latimer grasped them within her own. 
 
 " It was rough play, and weren't the square 
 thing to do, I reckon; still, I don't think I 
 hurt you, child." 
 
 'You didn't hurt me much, but I was 
 terribly afraid you might fall. If I remember 
 right, the other little girl screamed frantically 
 at the last." 
 
 "And well she might," returned the woman 
 with a grin, "for Ann did the very thing you 
 were afraid of. She stumbled and rolled over, 
 and I won the race." 
 
 "I must have been sadly frightened, for I 
 remember crying over it in my little bed that 
 night, and my mother insisted upon knowing 
 the cause so I told her and I never saw 
 you afterwards." 
 
 "Oh, she gave me my conge next morning, 
 but I didn't care, for I had decided to come 
 back to the States as soon as that month's 
 work was up." 
 
 "You dio? not take another place, then?" 
 
 "No; I sailed on the next snip, and then 
 worked out in New York until I came across 
 Latimer and was fool enough to marry 
 him." 
 
 "I hope you don't regret it." 
 
 "Humph! don't I? But I'm glad to know 
 who you are. There won't be no more races,
 
 *08 IN THE VAN 
 
 but I'll do all I can for you, an' help you to 
 fix things, too, when tney get your house 
 built. I took an awful fancy to you when 
 you was a kid, even if I was a leetle rough." 
 
 "I felt sure I knew you from the first," 
 said Helen earnestly. ' I must again thank 
 you for your kindness, and I am sure we 
 shall be very good friends." 
 
 "It is just a joy to see you when I think it 
 out. The long ago is only like yesterday. 
 Just to think that the first white woman's 
 face I should see in four months should be 
 that of the little rosy-faced darling that I 
 dangled in my arms and round my neck 
 twenty long year ago. Ah, there comes Lat- 
 imeragin!" And her face hardened. "What 
 does he want now, I wonder? Why can't he 
 let us be?"
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE woman went out to interrogate her 
 husband, and Helen returned to her 
 writing, but in a few minutes Latimer 
 came in again. 
 
 "Is them letters you are at?" he asked, as 
 she folded a sheet and slipped it into her 
 reticule. 
 
 :< Yes," she replied. "I hope to send- them 
 away when the lake opens." 
 
 "Your post will be long in going," he said, 
 wagging his head. "It may take a month to 
 clear the ice off the bay, and there ain't a 
 single post-office anywheres this side o' Little 
 York, and being as the Yankees fight well on 
 the lakes, it might be dangerous to send let- 
 ters that way even when they was open." 
 
 "Letters will keep," replied Helen, serenely, 
 "And the Americans cannot always have it 
 their own way." 
 
 "I didn't say they could; only what you 
 have writ down will be an old story before 
 you get it off your hands." 
 
 "Old stories are said to be the best, you 
 know." 
 
 "So I've heerd. It's none of my bizness, 
 anyhow, an' as I tell my old woman, you can 
 do as you durned please." 
 
 14 209
 
 210 IN THE VAN 
 
 He threw back his head and cackled in 
 apology for his rudeness, while Helen folded 
 her tablets and put on her wraps to go out. 
 The hazy sun was still an hour high. On 
 the hill she could see her future home, with 
 walls up and rafter poles in place, and not 
 far from it sounded the "yo-neave" of the 
 men who, with long pikes, were raising the 
 logs of the larger building. 
 
 Gathering up her skirts to keep them out 
 of the melting snow, Helen hastened over to 
 the scene. Harold was superintending the 
 men on one side as she joined him. 
 
 "That'll be our new home, sweetheart," 
 he said, nodding toward the farther building. 
 "How do you like it?" 
 
 "Logs all round, it looks queer," was her 
 answer. 
 
 'Yes, but the shingles have to go on yet." 
 
 "What about doors and windows?" 
 
 "They will cut holes in the sides to-day, 
 and put them in afterwards." 
 
 "What a ninny I am not to think of it! 
 How hard the men work!" 
 
 'Yes; this house, too, has to be up to-night, 
 and made ready for shingles as well." 
 
 "Oh, if the rain would only keep off!" 
 
 ; 'Yes, that would be grand. In the mean- 
 time we are all doing our best." 
 
 Some men were splitting pine logs into slabs 
 and hewing them down for roof planks, and 
 already they were being laid on the rafters of 
 Helen's house. Others were preparing shin-
 
 IN THE VAN 211 
 
 gles, chinking walls and cutting apertures. 
 Doorways, jamways, chimneys, were all being 
 made. Every one was busy. 
 
 By the next afternoon much had been 
 accomplished. Each man's coat was off- 
 work was unabated no rain had fallen but 
 heavy clouds covered the sky and Bateese's 
 prediction seemed likely of fulfilment. 
 
 The shingling of Helen's house had been 
 finished. A log fire was burning on the and- 
 irons to dry the dampness and take away the 
 green, while men were doing their best in 
 many ways to make it habitable. 
 
 "Can I have my boxes brought in now?" 
 Helen asked of Harold. "There's the first 
 drop of rain." 
 
 'Yes, if the rubbish can be cleared out of 
 the way." 
 
 "Emmiline and I will see to that." 
 
 Then Bateese and the soldiers brought over 
 what was personal for Helen's cottage; while 
 she, her faithful Emmiiine and Harold, did 
 the rest. 
 
 In the preparations of the officers' house 
 progress had been slower, but as it was evi- 
 dent that rain would be upon them heavily 
 by night, the energies of the men were taxed 
 to their utmost. Bit by bit the place was put 
 in order, and load after load of goods were 
 brought in and piled at random even before 
 the roof was closed in. 
 
 "The shingling must be finished, no matter 
 how it rains," cried Captain Payne, "and
 
 212 IN THE VAN 
 
 every man shall have an extra ration of grog 
 when it is done. The officers will occupy this 
 house to-night, no matter what happens." 
 
 The promise of extra liquor, for all were 
 wet, stimulated to greater exertion, and vali- 
 antly the men obeyed orders. By night rain 
 came down in torrents. Though drenched to 
 the skin, the shinglers continued their work 
 until the last one was laid, and beneath the 
 sheltering roof of their new cottage Sir George 
 and his officers gathered together before the 
 night closed in. 
 
 Still, the walls of the barracks were only 
 partly up, and for that night the men, notwith- 
 standing the rain, were obliged to return to 
 their old quarters. So with the women in 
 the Bumble Bee, Harold and Helen in their 
 new cottage, the officers in their house, and 
 the men in their old camp, the night wore on. 
 
 By-and-bye the east wind veered to the 
 south. With warmer air and rain the snow and 
 ice melted rapidly away. But toward morning 
 another change came. The wind swept to 
 the west and increased to a hurricane; savagely 
 the frozen surface of the bay broke up, top- 
 pling huge waves over each other in fury, 
 and forcing the ice blocks out to the freer 
 space along the eastern shore. So mad was the 
 wind, so wild the elements, bursting free 
 from the icy grip of winter that the lake at 
 Beausoliel tossed mountains high in a white- 
 capped sea of foam. The trouble, however, 
 was not in the distance, but at hand.
 
 IN THE VAN 213 
 
 During the earlier hours of the night, tired 
 out by their day's work, the men slept soundly, 
 notwithstanding the tempest. The pine-needle 
 padding of the roofs of the camp in some 
 measure protected the bunks from leakage; 
 and, as the soldier heeds not the storm, save 
 when summoned to duty, on they slept. By- 
 and-bye the wind increased in savage fury. 
 Stakes loosened, camp poles swayed, and at 
 the earliest dawn the sentry sounded the 
 alarm. But it was none too soon. The men 
 had scarcely time to spring to their feet and 
 don their jackets before the crash came. 
 There were oaths and yells and confusion; 
 clashing of timbers and popping of heads 
 through the debris; while not a few derisive 
 laughs rang out above the sound of the 
 screeching wind. 
 
 "What a devilish row!" cried Corporal 
 Bond to Hardman, as they fell over each other 
 in making their exit. "A complete flattener. 
 Pray God, none o' the boys are killed." 
 
 "It beats all," returned Hardman, as a 
 flying stick struck him on the head and 
 knocked him over. But he was up in a 
 moment, vigorously rubbing the place. " Jim- 
 miny Isaacs! Lucky the women are in the 
 boat," he yelled out. 
 
 " Is it, though ? " cried the Corporal, as a 
 wild shout came from the stormy bay beneath 
 them. 
 
 "Ba gosh! Vat's de matter wid de Bumble 
 Bee?" yelled Bateese, who, after crawling
 
 214 IN THE VAN 
 
 from beneath a stack of pine poles, rushed to 
 their side. There was commotion down there, 
 no doubt, though what it was the darkness 
 hid from view. Away went Bateese, running 
 with tremendous strides and followed by 
 others, realizing that possibly the women 
 might be in danger. 
 
 Protected from wind and wave by the 
 island already mentioned, the ice between 
 the latter and the shore withstood the force 
 of the tempest the longest. At the northern 
 end of the protected channel lay the Bumble 
 Bee, and while stationary in the ice, the 
 storm failed to rouse the occupants. The 
 sudden veering of the wind, however, changed 
 the flattened surface into a boiling cauldron. 
 Tumultuously, the ice, worn thin by the pro- 
 longed thaw, was broken into fragments, and 
 the little ship, frozen solid at her moorings 
 for the whole of the winter, was suddenly 
 cast loose upon the waters. 
 
 Latimer and his wife were both roused by 
 the lurch of the boat. As an old seaman, he 
 knew at once what had happened. The rud- 
 der, too, was gone, and he called loudly for 
 assistance. At the same moment the women 
 screamed, for the boat tossed like a cockle 
 shell beneath them. 
 
 "Be easy, now," cried Latimer. "Don't 
 make fools of yourselves! This ain't the 
 first sail the Bumble Bee ever made." 
 
 "If it ain't the first, it's the last," retorted 
 his wife, fiercely.
 
 IN THE VAN 215 
 
 "Bet your bottom dollar she'll make many 
 another yet. Hello, Bateese! Ketch this rope 
 when I throw it." 
 
 But the distance was too great. 
 
 "Hold on, wait a meenit," and Bateese 
 ran to a pile of young beeches that had been 
 cut as pike poles for building. 
 
 "That 'tarnal Frenchman," muttered Lat- 
 imer. "The rudder's broken, and we'll drift 
 out of reach before he's back again." 
 
 But Bateese knew better. 
 
 "Tie loop on rope," he yelled as he hurried 
 back. "Den we catch heem wid pole." 
 
 "Here's one for ye," and with tremendous 
 effort Latimer threw out the line again. As 
 it uncoiled the end fell between fragments of 
 ice ten feet from the shore. 
 
 " Dere, I tole you. Him no reach de bank, 
 but nevare min', we catch heem all de same." 
 And stretching out to his utmost he hooked 
 the fork of the beech into the open end of the 
 cable and drew it in. Being taut, there was 
 barely enough to reach the shore. 
 
 "Give us more rope," shouted Bond. An- 
 other yard was paid out. 
 
 "Not another inch to spare," cried Latimer. 
 
 But the men had got hold of it and were 
 pulling with all their might. Still, the force 
 of the current was a match for them, and it 
 was not until reinforced that they succeeded 
 in drawing the boat in and lashing it to a 
 tree. 
 
 Necessity for self-control was now over, and
 
 216 IN THE VAN 
 
 Bateese sprung excitedly on to the Bumble 
 Bee. 
 
 "Oh, ma Emmiline. Mon cher ami!" 
 Throwing his arms about his wife: "Mine 
 sweetheart vive ma reine." 
 
 "Oui, oui, Bateese!" she replied, the tears 
 running on each side down her face, "but 
 don't be so fooleesh." 
 
 The Englishmen were not so demonstrative. 
 Hardman extended his hand to help his wife 
 to terra firma, she vowing that she would 
 "never sleep on that old thing again"; while 
 Bond chaffed his wife good-naturedly for 
 "rasin' such a din in the fo'castle of the 
 bloomin' boat." 
 
 By this time it was daylight. The bugle 
 sounded the men to mess, and the day prom- 
 ising to be fine, orders were given to push 
 the barracks for the men, and to occupy 
 them the coming night. All of which by 
 diligent effort they were able to accomplish. 
 
 Having followed our heroine and the offi- 
 cers and soldiers of the two companies of the 
 100th through their long and arduous march, 
 locating them finally at Penetang, and watch- 
 ing with interest their efforts at the establish- 
 ment of a fort, we must bid them adieu for a 
 time and return to the east in order to record 
 other incidents which have an important 
 bearing upon our story.
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 ONLY twice did Maud Maxwell receive 
 letters from Dr. Beaumont during the 
 months that followed that memorable 
 morning when the companies started out on 
 their long march. One was from Quebec, in 
 which he gave details of the journey and an 
 account of the dance at the Citadel, but he 
 made no mention of his meeting with the 
 beautiful Louise de Rochefort. On the whole, 
 the letter, to Maud's mind, seemed cool. At 
 this she felt piqued, more than she cared to 
 acknowledge to herself. The devotion de- 
 clared by the ardent lover on leaving, not- 
 withstanding the coolness with which she had 
 received it, seemed scarcely to be adequately 
 sustained. Why so sudden a change? Had 
 he forgotten her already? Was he contented 
 to woo nature in the wild woods of the west, 
 in place of the maiden to whom he had so 
 recently declared his passion ? 
 
 But the next letter from Montreal was 
 more cheering, for although the canny Scotch, 
 inherited from his mother, seemed, in the 
 first part of the letter, to have thrown a 
 damper upon his passion, the conclusion was 
 in better form. There was a warmer ring 
 a plea for the future a touch of genuine senti- 
 
 217
 
 218 IN THE VAN 
 
 ment. ;< You may not think of me," he said, 
 "or if you do, only as one whose presence is 
 not missed; but I think of you as my guiding 
 star, my beacon light, urging me onward 
 through the forest over ice and snow along 
 river and lake to a little spot in the west 
 which is to be my home and, please God, 
 yours also." Then he signed himself: "By 
 all that is holy," as one "who will ever be 
 true." 
 
 The coolness of the one letter, followed by 
 the renewed passion in the other, had a good 
 effect upon Maud. Although she read the 
 latter a little indignantly and laid it aside, 
 before long she took it up and read it again. 
 
 "He has no business to write me in that 
 strain," she commented to herself. "So cool 
 at first, and, then almost as if we were be- 
 trothed; when there is really nothing between 
 us. Still, I do not dislike him. He is such 
 an independent fellow, and so strong and 
 true." And, although her eye flashed, she 
 heaved a little sigh. 
 
 It was the beginning of April the very 
 time that the men were pitching their first 
 camp on the bay of Penetang, and she specu- 
 lated much about the Doctor and Mrs. 
 Manning. 
 
 "If he had only remained in Halifax," she 
 soliloquized, "I would have done my best 
 to be ner companion. I am sure I am strong 
 enough." Ana seizing hold of a horizontal 
 bar, placed at the enof of her room, she drew
 
 IN THE VAN 219 
 
 herself up with both hands and placed her 
 chin above it, repeating the exercise several 
 times until she was tired. "Colonel Mason 
 says I am a good shot, too." 
 
 "At it again!" exclaimed her sister Eugenia, 
 who at this moment entered the room. "I 
 consider such exercises exceedingly indelicate 
 for a young lady. To think of a daughter of 
 Judge Maxwell gesticulating and throwing 
 her limbs about in such a wild way is simply 
 shocking." 
 
 'You are about the only person who has 
 the opportunity of being shocked by my gym- 
 nastics," said Maud, elevating her eyebrows. 
 "It cannot be such a dreadful thing or Dad 
 would never have had the bar put up for me." 
 
 :< You were a spoilt child, ana he just 
 humored you." 
 
 "Bless the dear man for doing it. Come 
 now, Eugenia, just try it once. You've no 
 idea how delightful it is to pull yourself up on 
 this cross-bar." 
 
 "How dare you ask me? I couldn't think 
 of such a thing." And the large blonde tried 
 ineffectually to look severe. 
 
 "Oh, yes you could; and what's more, I've 
 something interesting to tell you. Still, I 
 shan't say a word unless you try my bar." 
 
 "What impudence!" 
 
 "You know the conditions," said Maud, 
 commencing to put on her hat. "It's quite 
 easy to try. You can keep your feet so close 
 together that a cat couldn't see between them.
 
 220 IN THE VAN 
 
 All you have to do is to hold on and pull 
 yourself up. See, even with my coat on I 
 can chin the bar with one hand. You surely 
 can with two." 
 
 "Don't be silly!" 
 
 "Bah! it's just the finest exercise." 
 
 "But what's your secret, Maud, without 
 this silly nonsense?" 
 
 "If you try my bar I'll tell you." 
 
 "And won't you if I don't?" 
 
 "Not while water runs nor grass grows," 
 said Maud in mock solemnity, buttoning on 
 her gloves. 
 
 With an air of resignation Eugenia walkedup 
 to the pole. She was taller and heavier than 
 Maud. Consequently, when she stretched 
 out her long arms and took hold, her knees 
 bent ungracefully a foot above the floor. 
 Maud slipped behind her sister to hide her 
 amusement. 
 
 "Now, draw yourself up with all your 
 might," she cried. "You must put your chin 
 on top of the pole." 
 
 "I can't!" exclaimed Eugenia, who, with 
 all her tugging, could only raise herself a few 
 inches and then let herself suddenly down 
 again. 
 
 "You must!" said Maud; "any child could 
 do better than that." 
 
 After another strenuous effort Eugenia 
 stopped in disgust. 
 
 * There," she exclaimed, sitting down to 
 rest. "I have humored you in your childish
 
 IN THE VAN 221 
 
 folly, what have you to say to repay me for 
 my trouble?" 
 
 "Well," returned Maud, unbuttoning her 
 coat and taking a seat opposite her sister. 
 "It's about Captain Morris. When I was 
 at Pennington's last night he was there. From 
 pure accident we were alone in the library 
 for a short time, and he proposed to me." 
 
 "Humph! that's the third young man who 
 has been silly enough to do it already this 
 year." 
 
 "I can't help that," said Maud, gravely. 
 "If they have no better sense than to be 
 enamored with my poor face, I am sure I 
 am not responsible." 
 
 ' You are not, eh ? And what was your 
 decision this time ?" 
 
 " Just what you might expect. After de- 
 claring the grand passion, instead of asking 
 for a return of his love, he requested permis- 
 sion to at once ask father for my hand. I 
 suppose that's the English way of doing it." 
 
 'And what did you say to tnat?" 
 
 ' That my surprise was very great, I couldn't 
 think of such a thing, and that I was too 
 young and inexperienced even to dream of 
 love." 
 
 " Captain Morris is of good family and very 
 wealthy," said Eugenia, reflectively. "His 
 father left a fine estate in the south of Eng- 
 land, I understand; and the Captain is his 
 eldest son and heir." 
 
 "I don't care what estates he has," was
 
 222 IN THE VAN 
 
 Maud's quick rejoinder; "if I ever marry a 
 man it must be for what he is, not what he 
 has." 
 
 "Very true, my dear," returned Eugenia, 
 who viewed things generally from a material 
 standpoint. "Quite correct sentiments, but 
 I have sometimes noticed that incidental 
 fortunes are not necessarily a bar to matri- 
 mony. Usually they are the reverse. And 
 Captain Morris himself is irreproachable." 
 
 ' I know that he's nice and all that," said 
 Maud, "and has charming manners. I ex- 
 pect his regiment will remain here for a long 
 time yet, as all the troops have been ordered 
 to the front, so I shall have ample opportun- 
 ities of seeing him again." 
 
 "Well, my impression is that he is the best 
 of the lot, and when desirous of winning your 
 hand you should give him the chance 
 
 "Oi winning my heart?" 
 
 "Certainly. Another thing, it is not a bit 
 fair to entangle so many men, and then throw 
 them overboard one after another." 
 
 "But, my dear, I don't wish to entangle 
 them. If they cannot control themselves it 
 is surely not my fault." 
 
 "Don't talk nonsense, Maud. You know 
 very well it is not your face that does it." 
 
 * 'Pon my word, am I so ugly as all that?" 
 interrupted Maud, with seeming surprise. 
 
 " It is your manner and what they call your 
 character," said Eugenia, with attempted 
 severity.
 
 IN THE VAN 223 
 
 "Well, Eugenia, I wish you'd leave me to 
 
 myself. I really like them all. I can tell 
 
 you candidly that I have not positively refused 
 
 any of them, and they are still my friends." 
 
 'And how long is this condition to last?" 
 
 "Ask me a year hence and I will tell you." 
 
 And with a flushed face Maud left the room.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 FROM the time he was stationed in Halifax 
 Captain Morris had always been a 
 welcome visitor at Judge Maxwell's. 
 The possibility of being a suitor for the hand 
 of one of the daughters only increased the 
 cordiality of his reception, and notwithstand- 
 ing Maud's seeming refusal, he still availed 
 himself of every opportunity to press his suit. 
 Social functions of one sort or other were also 
 of frequent occurrence, and Maud accepted 
 his attentions, although she effectually par- 
 ried any direct renewal of the offer of marri- 
 age. 
 
 Captain Morris had seen a good deal of life. 
 Having abundance of means, as well as his 
 commission, he had always been lionized on 
 returning home from the wars. Yet each 
 time he had gone away again heart free. 
 Perhaps he was getting a little bit blase. 
 Possibly he overestimated his importance in 
 his own particular set, when he imagined 
 that much of the kindness extended to him 
 was with an ulterior object. 
 
 Be that as it may, the first look he had of 
 Maud Maxwell was a beatific vision to him 
 a picture that would not be blotted out. It 
 planted itself on his inner consciousness, leav- 
 
 224
 
 IN THE VAN 225 
 
 ing an impression that deepened each time 
 they met. 
 
 There was a freshness, beauty and mental 
 vigor in this young maiden that were new to 
 him, and the fact that his personal influence 
 over her matured so slowly, made him all the 
 more desirous to win her love. 
 
 As May opened, Halifax became addition- 
 ally alive from the arrival of more troops from 
 England. It was but a little place in those 
 days, not numbering more than eight thousand 
 people. Consequently, what interested one 
 interested all, and the whole place was astir 
 to witness the landing. 
 
 Colonel Battersby, the commanding officer, 
 was under orders to remain in the Lower 
 Province if necessary, but if not to push on 
 by boat to Quebec, and from thence to Mon- 
 treal. The first interview he had with Sir 
 John Sherbrook and Colonel Mason settled 
 the matter. 
 
 "We are well defended already," said Sir 
 John. "War vessels command our harbor 
 and coast line, and the regiments stationed 
 here are all the Citadel needs. No, my dear 
 Colonel, I am glad to say that in the east we 
 do not require your services; but in the west, 
 particularly in the Upper Province, we do. 
 That part of the country has a good future 
 before it, and we must stick to it, for when 
 settled and developed it is destined to become 
 the garden of Canada." 
 
 " One of the chief reasons why the Yankees, 
 
 16
 
 226 IN THE VAN 
 
 want it, and why we are bound to keep it," 
 returned Battersby. "Will the St. Lawrence 
 be clear of ice now?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Colonel Mason. "The sea- 
 son is early and the river open. Molson's 
 steamers can tug you as far as Montreal. If 
 not wanted there, you can march overland to 
 Kingston." 
 
 "Sir James Yeo has had two new vessels 
 built this winter," said Sir John. "This will 
 help our Ontario fleet, and when you arrive he 
 will be able to transfer you to any point along 
 the coastline that may be necessary." 
 
 "I am glad of that," replied Colonel Bat- 
 tersby. "I have always had a desire to go 
 west. At home we are just beginning to 
 realize what Canada is, but before this war 
 commenced you might go from January to 
 December without hearing the name even 
 mentioned." 
 
 " What you say is true enough," was Mason's 
 comment. " Tney send us poor devils out here 
 and then forget us. We might almost thank the 
 Americans for bringing on the war and open- 
 ing the eyes of Englishmen to the fact that 
 we have half a continent here still under the 
 old flag." 
 
 "Is now and ever shall be," said the 
 Governor. 
 
 "To that I say Amen," said Battersby. 
 "But we must not forget that the fight is not 
 over. The Americans are a strong people- 
 like ourselves of Anglo-Saxon blood and they
 
 IN THE VAN 227 
 
 are making a stiff fight to enlarge their terri- 
 tory. They have not forgotten their victories 
 of '76." 
 
 "I grant that, Colonel, but they will never 
 succeed in this northern region, whatever they 
 did in the south, if Englishmen can help it." 
 
 "Not while England can send out her con- 
 tinental regiments," said Mason. "So far 
 this year our men have done well. Witness 
 the defeat of Wilkinson at the famous old 
 mill of Lacolle." 
 
 'Yes," said Sir John, "but that would not 
 have happened if Major Handcock had not 
 received timely reinforcements from the Fenc- 
 ibles and Voltigeurs." 
 
 "What is Sir James Yeo likely to do on 
 the lakes this year?" Colonel Battersby asked, 
 looking alternately from one to the other. 
 
 "We are too far off the scene of action to 
 know exactly," said Sir John, "though I 
 believe he intends with his raw recruits, aided 
 by a force under General Drummond, to 
 attack Oswego as soon as the lake opens. 
 By-the-way, Mason," he continued, turning 
 to that officer, "could you not spare Bat- 
 tersby a couple of companies out of one of 
 your regiments?" 
 
 "If he has room on his troopships to take 
 them, we could," was the answer. 
 
 "Thank you; the more we have the mer- 
 rier. You know we had several hundred 
 emigrants in our voyage out. They land 
 here, so we can easily take your men."
 
 228 IN THE VAN 
 
 In the afternoon of the next day, in a field 
 below the fortress, a review of the troops was 
 held, and it was decided to close by selecting 
 from the garrison brigade the companies who 
 were to go west. The day was Tbright and 
 warm, and the news having got abroad that 
 a division from the Citadel was to accompany 
 Colonel Battersby's regiment up the St. Law- 
 rence, many of the townspeople hastened to the 
 commons to witness the parade, and among 
 them the Misses Maxwell. 
 
 "There is room, young ladies, in our car- 
 riage," said Mrs. Mason, who drove up with 
 another lady, "and with us you will have a 
 better view. ' 
 
 The offer was a welcome one, and they 
 drove to the top of a little crescent command- 
 ing a full view of the parade ground. Colonels 
 Mason and Battersby stood a short distance 
 away watching the evolutions, which had 
 already commenced. 
 
 "Your men have lost nothing of precision 
 by their four weeks at sea," said Colonel 
 Mason. 
 
 "No," responded Battersby, drily, "they 
 seem to hold their own, even with troops 
 accustomed to discipline on land." 
 
 " Our garrison men are always well drilled," 
 said Mason, a little stiffly. 
 
 "Of course! Only I am astonished that 
 soldiers fresh from the ocean should lose their 
 sea legs so soon." 
 
 "Well," said Mason, in better humor as
 
 IN THE VAN 229 
 
 his own regiment swung around and marched 
 past over the green sod on the double quick, 
 "your men are a credit to their Colonel, and 
 I don't see why you should not personally 
 choose the two companies you want to take." 
 
 "Thank you kindly for the honor," said 
 Battersby. 
 
 "That is all right. Have you a choice?" 
 
 ' 'Pon my word, of the men, no. They all 
 
 look like well-drilled fellows, with clean jibs, 
 
 straight backs and honest mugs. It would 
 
 be hard to make one." 
 
 "Of the officers have you?" 
 
 "Not from the way in which they command 
 their companies. Still, you have one man I 
 would like to have on my staff, if you can 
 spare him, and taking him I should expect to 
 take his company also." 
 
 "Who is that, pray?" 
 
 "Captain Morris. He made a record for 
 himself in Spain, and would do excellent ser- 
 vice out west if he had the chance." 
 
 "By George, you have touched the apple 
 of my eye!" exclaimed Mason, who in making 
 his offer had in mind the efficiency of the 
 companies themselves, without reference to 
 the officers who led them. "Captain Morris 
 is the best officer we've got. He has seen the 
 enemy's guns in many a campaign and, be- 
 tween ourselves, is recommended for promo- 
 tion." 
 
 "Promotion will come quicker if taken out 
 west than here at the Citadel," said Battersby.
 
 230 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Sure enough. I gave my word and shall 
 stand by it. If you will form the squares I 
 will speak to Morris now." 
 
 The ladies in the carriage had not been 
 inattentive listeners. The unexpected an- 
 nouncement startled the Misses Maxwell. 
 By-and-bye, while the final manoeuvres were 
 being accomplished, Colonel Mason joined 
 them. 
 
 "So you are going to send our brave boys 
 away," said Mrs. Mason. 
 
 "Yes, a few of them. It will prevent the 
 fellows from rusting, and give those that 
 remain a little more to do." 
 
 " Unfortunately, our brightest man is captain 
 of one of the companies you are sending off," 
 said Mrs. Mason. 
 
 "That's usually the case. The office seeks 
 the man, and not the man the office," re- 
 turned the Colonel, with a glance at the occu- 
 pants of the rear seat. "And men of promise 
 are always favorites with the ladies, I notice." 
 
 "If I were a man I'd like to go, too," said 
 Maud. "I only wish I were one." 
 
 "I'm afraid you're not tall enough, my 
 dear," said the Colonel, looking gravely into 
 the flashing eyes of the girl. "Five feet five 
 inches is the lowest height at which I could 
 enlist a soldier." 
 
 "I would put on high-heeled boots." 
 
 "No use, Miss Maud. Recruits are always 
 measured in their stocking feet." 
 
 And he went away laughing.
 
 IN THE VAN 231 
 
 The troops were formed in lines four deep, 
 facing the crescent; and on a signal from the 
 Colonel, Captain Morris approached. For a 
 few minutes the two were in earnest conversa- 
 tion. Then, with a salute, Morris returned 
 to the head of his column and attention was 
 called. 
 
 "Men of the Garrison Corps," said Colonel 
 Mason, in ringing tones. ' We welcome to 
 our midst the officers and men of Colonel 
 Battersby's column. We are always glad to 
 see comrades from over the sea. Their stay 
 with us, however, will be short. To-morrow 
 they sail for the St. Lawrence River. But 
 they will not go alone. Our garrison is a 
 strong one, and much as we dislike to part 
 with our men, we can spare some. So I 
 have to tell you that the officers and men of 
 companies C and D will go with them to help 
 to fight the battles of our Country and our 
 King. Three cheers for companies C and D." 
 
 Loud hurrahs followed, and with cheers for 
 the visiting and garrison corps, the review 
 ended. 
 
 The ladies drove back in the carriage to- 
 gether Mrs. Mason having invited the Misses 
 Maxwell to a cup of tea before walking 
 home. Consequently, on leaving the Cita- 
 del, they were overtaken by Captain Mor- 
 ris and Dr. Fairchilds. The latter already 
 had been captivated by the blonde and availed 
 himself of tne opportunity of leading the way 
 with her.
 
 232 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Were you surprised at the Colonel's an- 
 nouncement?" Maud asked of the Captain 
 as they dropped into line behind the other 
 .two. 
 
 "A soldier learns never to be surprised," 
 was his answer. "We expected some would 
 be ordered west, for the garrison is so full, 
 but who would be chosen was an enigma." 
 
 He looked straight into Maud's face. 
 
 "I heard Colonel Battersby ^ive you great 
 praise," she said, "but perhaps it is a military 
 secret." 
 
 "Not necessarily, if said in public," was 
 his answer. "Still, I may not specially de- 
 serve it. The army is full of brave men." 
 
 ; 'Your name would not have been men- 
 tioned unless there had been good reason." 
 
 "Well, even granting that, what good can 
 come of it, when the maid I adore cares not 
 a jot or tittle ?" 
 
 "Much good," was her answer, but she 
 did not return his look. "A larger life and 
 promotion would be sure the very things I 
 would want if I were a man." 
 
 "Do you wish you were?" 
 
 "What is the use?" 
 
 'Your words should stimulate one, any- 
 way, but can you say nothing more, Miss 
 Maud ? We leave so soon to-morrow a 
 soldier's life is in his hand. Give him some- 
 thing to hope for and fight for as well." 
 
 "Am I not trying ?" she replied, with one of 
 those bright flashes which did such havoc
 
 IN THE VAN 233 
 
 with the men. " Higher rank and future 
 glory!" 
 
 "Fudge!" he exclaimed, impatiently. "I 
 could buy a colonelcy if I wanted it, without 
 drawing a sword or leading a man to battle, 
 if that is all." 
 
 "The Captain Morris, Colonel Battersby 
 was talking about, could not," said Maud 
 contracting her eyebrows and looking grave 
 again. "He was a genuine man, and every 
 inch a soldier." 
 
 "Thank you for your approval," and not- 
 withstanding his effort at self-control, Morris' 
 face flushed with pleasure. 
 
 Dr. Fairchilds and Eugenia had paused at 
 the doorstep. For a moment the four chatted 
 on. 
 
 "Will you call again, Captain Morris, 
 before you leave?" Maud asked. 
 
 "I have only to-night, and it may be late, 
 but I shall be very glad to come." 
 
 The door opened and in another minute, 
 returning the bows of the gentlemen, the 
 ladies entered.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 )i RE you still playing fast and loose with 
 
 /X Captain Morris?" Eugenia asked as 
 she and her sister were dressing for 
 dinner. 
 
 "I never play fast and loose with anyone," 
 was Maud's answer. "I explained every- 
 thing to him a month ago, why repeat it 
 again now?" 
 
 "He is devoted to you, surely you must 
 have a preference." 
 
 "Not necessarily, my dear, but that reminds 
 me. This will give me a good opportunity to 
 send a letter to Mrs. Manning. I promised 
 to write her. They say the troopships will 
 carry the mail with them; and taking mine 
 as far as Montreal, perhaps Little York, it 
 can be forwarded overland to Penetang." 
 
 "Have you written your letter already?" 
 
 "No, but I shall have time immediately 
 after dinner. Captain Morris does not 
 come until nine." 
 
 The meal over, Maud repaired to her room 
 and took out her tablet, quill-pen and horn 
 inkstand. For weeks she had been hoping 
 for a second letter from Helen, but none had 
 come. Still she had much to tell, and the 
 hour was nearly gone by the time her letter 
 was finished and the envelope addressed. 
 
 234
 
 IN THE VAN 235 
 
 She did not, however, seal it at once. Alone 
 in her room she sat for a moment tapping her 
 forehead. Then she took out another sheet 
 and commenced writing again. This time 
 it was to Dr. Beaumont, in reply to the two 
 she had already received. 
 
 While writing she was in deep thought, 
 carefully weighing her words. She put them 
 down more slowly than in her longer letter 
 to Helen. As she finished, the big bell in the 
 church tower struck nine. For another mo- 
 ment she paused. Then placing the letter 
 in a small envelope, and addressing it, she put 
 it in the larger one to Mrs. Manning, and 
 sealed the latter in three places after the 
 manner of the time. As she finished a mes- 
 sage came that Captain Morris had arrived. 
 
 "Montreal will be your headquarters, no 
 doubt," she heard her father say as she 
 entered the room. 
 
 "It will be farther west than that, I hope," 
 was his answer. "Still we are willing to go 
 anywhere. My men are quite excited over 
 it. Being veterans, one would think they 
 would be indifferent; but it is so long since 
 they were in battle, that they are just itching 
 for a fight." 
 
 "Human depravity human depravity!" 
 exclaimed the judge. "It can't be over a 
 year since you left Europe. Surely they had 
 enough of it then." 
 
 "You forget, sir," said Morris, "that it is 
 the soldier's life. His daily occupation
 
 236 IN THE VAN 
 
 his meat and drink and that a long in- 
 terruption from everyday occurrences only 
 gives zest to a return to old conditions." 
 
 "Still it is lamentable! however essential 
 to our glory," said the Judge, shaking his 
 head. 
 
 " It should not be lamentable when the cause 
 is just. For that matter empire was always 
 maintained by the sword and always will be." 
 
 "No, no!" said the Judge. "The arts of 
 peace are winning their way. We may not 
 do without the cannon yet, but please God 
 the time will come when 'The lion shall eat 
 straw like the ox, and the wolf and the lamb 
 shall lie down together at the cockatrice den, 
 and a little child shall lead them." 
 
 "Will that time ever come?" said Maud, 
 her brows contracting. "I suppose it would 
 be grand if it did." 
 
 * Not in our time," said Morris. "But 
 the strength of the sword may hasten it." 
 
 "The inevitable paradox." 
 
 "Paradoxes are the truest lessons of life." 
 
 "The soldier's life is an instance. He 
 fights that peace may reign." 
 
 " He is an enigma,' said Maud. 
 
 "No, he is the most human of men," said 
 the Captain. 'Though true hearted, he can 
 love as well as hate. He can face the cannon's 
 mouth without flinching an inch, and the 
 next moment shed tears over a comrade's 
 grave. When storming a stronghold, he can 
 see his best friend shot down by his side, and
 
 IN THE VAN 237 
 
 step over his body without even giving him a 
 look." 
 
 "I can understand that," said Maud 
 gravely, "and a woman could do it, too, if it 
 had to be." 
 
 "I know one woman who could," said 
 Morris, and Maud's face flushed as she turned 
 away. 
 
 At this moment the knocker sounded and 
 Miss Maxwell ushered in Dr. Fairchilds. 
 
 "Knowing how fond you are of whist, Gap- 
 tain," she said, "I asked the Doctor over for 
 another rubber before you go. I hope you 
 and Maud are both agreeable." 
 
 "Eugenia is fond of surprises," said Maud 
 with a sharp glance at her sister; "but I shall 
 be glad to have you for my partner, Captain, 
 if you can spare the time." 
 
 'Thank you, but our game must be short. 
 I am due at the Citadel at eleven, and a 
 soldier has to obey orders to the minute, you 
 know." 
 
 Soon the table was arranged and the young 
 people sat down to play. 
 
 In cutting for deal the choice fell to Maud ; 
 and when she turned up Queen of Hearts, 
 Eugenia smiled significantly. By-and-bye the 
 first two games were over, each side scoring one. 
 
 "Now for the rubber," said the Captain. 
 Again it was Maud's deal, and again Queen 
 of Hearts was trump. 
 
 "Extraordinary!" exclaimed Fairchilds. 
 "Your hands have been red all evening."
 
 288 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Not only that," said Morris, smiling 
 across the table, "but my partner's have al- 
 ways been hearts." 
 
 "Peculiar," said the Doctor. 
 
 "Very," said Eugenia. 
 
 Maud bit her lip. 
 
 For a while the game was played in silence, 
 she and the Captain gradually winning. 
 Finally, his deal came, and cutting, the King 
 of Hearts turned up. 
 
 "I score you one better*!" he exclaimed to 
 Maud. Their eyes met and a ripple went 
 round the table. The game was soon finished. 
 They had won the rubber. 
 
 Refreshments were served, and half an hour 
 later the gentlemen rose to go. 
 
 "My Queen of Hearts," said the Captain 
 to Maud in a low voice as she accompanied 
 him to the hall. 
 
 "To-night you were my King," she replied 
 with a little laugh. "King of Hearts in our 
 little game." 
 
 "And what is life but a game," he answered, 
 "with hearts for trumps, which we all try to 
 win?" 
 
 "Oh Maud!" exclaimed Eugenia, coming 
 out of the drawing-room with Dr. Fairchilds. 
 "Gould not Captain Morris take your letter 
 for Mrs. Manning? He could put it in with 
 the rest of the mail." 
 
 "I shall be delighted," said the Captain, 
 turning again to Maud ; " and for that matter 
 will post it at Montreal instead of here."
 
 IN THE VAN 239 
 
 "Really, I wouldn't put you to that trouble 
 for anything," said Maud, casting a glance 
 of annoyance at her sister. "The post will go 
 by the same boat as you do, and if I take it to 
 the office in the morning it will be sure to be in 
 time." 
 
 "I am not certain of that," said Fairchilds. 
 
 "It takes twice as long to send a letter to 
 Quebec or Montreal by mail as it does to go in 
 person. Putting it in the office will not guar- 
 antee a quick delivery, I assure you." 
 
 "Still it is unimportant," persisted Maud, 
 who shrank from making the Captain the un- 
 conscious bearer of a message to Beaumont. 
 "I am sure Captain Morris will have quite 
 enough to attend to without burdening himself 
 with my paltry despatch." 
 
 "No trouble at all," reiterated the Captain. 
 "I have a number of documents to take care 
 of anyway, and I will just put yours with the 
 others in safe keeping." 
 
 While the rest were discussing, Eugenia had 
 gone for the letter, and now handed it to 
 Morris. Maud saw that further resistance 
 was useless, without being disagreeable. The 
 address ran: 
 
 "Mrs. Manning, 
 
 Wife of Lieutenant Manning, 
 
 Under command of Sir George Head, 
 Harbor of Penetanguishene, 
 Georgian Bay, 
 
 Upper Canada."
 
 240 IN THE VAN 
 
 In those days letters were matters of im- 
 portance even to persons unconcerned, and 
 outer wrappings were the public property of all. 
 Hence, the reading aloud of the address caused 
 no comment. 
 
 "Yes, Miss Maud, I am delighted to 
 take charge of it, and shall forward it to the 
 end of its journey as soon as I possibly can. 
 While in my possession it will be a reminder 
 of the one who wrote it; and the moment it 
 leaves my hands I shall send you word, telling 
 how soon I expect it to reach its destination." 
 
 Maud with throbbing heart murmured her 
 thanks. 
 
 The Captain tried unavailingly to secure 
 another minute to themselves, and with an 
 indefinite understanding that they might 
 speak with each other the next day he took nis 
 leave. 
 
 But circumstances were not favorable. 
 Every moment of his time was occupied, and 
 it was from the deck of the ship that he again 
 saw her in the distance. The vessel nad 
 parted from her moorings and was floating 
 out into the harbor when he discovered her 
 among the crowd on the wharf. Instantly 
 his helmet was raised a little handkerchief 
 fluttered for a moment in the breeze, and 
 gradually the distance widened between them.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 ON a bright May morning, later in the 
 month than the sailing of the ships out 
 of the Halifax Harbor, the sun shone 
 at Penetang in vivid warmth and splendor. 
 The people were glad. Earth was putting 
 on her newest garb of green. The trees of the 
 forest, tired of monotonous nudity, were 
 clothed in many tints ; and even the tardy ones, 
 the annual laggards, were being roused from 
 their lethargy. 
 
 Part of the barracks had been finished and 
 made comfortable for habitation, and the 
 foundations of the fort had already been laid. 
 By judicious division of labor in the soldier 
 settlement, men were portioned off in accord- 
 ance with their special aptitudes, and every 
 one was busy. Blacksmith and carpenter 
 shops stood side by side, and in them forge, 
 hammer, saw and chisel, did their work per- 
 sistently from morning until night. Under 
 habitant direction, too, the first fallow had 
 been cleared, the brushwood and timbers 
 piled up to dry for burning, and the land made 
 ready for the seed. 
 
 In front of the cottage on this special morn- 
 ing, Helen was busily arranging her little 
 garden. Harold had dug the ground for her 
 
 16 241
 
 242 IN THE VAN 
 
 and planted the seeds she had brought from 
 England. She was examining the little shoots 
 that had already appeared very tenderly, as 
 a link to the far-away beyond the sea. 
 
 "Good morning, Mrs. Manning," said Sir 
 George Head as he approached. "Your little 
 flower beds are full of promise." 
 
 "My fear is that the sun will burn the 
 plants before they have a chance to develop," 
 said Helen; "the English climate is so differ- 
 ent." 
 
 "That depends," said the Colonel. "My 
 gardener used to say that if plants were 
 watered at night, and shaded during the heat 
 of the day, they would stand the change from 
 a cool to a hot climate very well." 
 
 'Thank you, Sir George. I am glad to 
 know. These little plants are veiy dear to me." 
 
 "You must not make too much of them," 
 he said gently. "And how do you like your 
 new house?" 
 
 "Better every day. The floors of those 
 rip-saw planks have all been laid, and it is 
 such a comfort. I don't know how to thank 
 you for having the carpenters make them for 
 us." 
 
 " My dear, they are just getting their hands 
 in. They may have to rip the floor boards 
 for the fort for all we know. Latimer tells 
 me that the nearest sawmill is on the east 
 side of the lake a hundred and fifty miles 
 away; and when we can get them by boat 
 from there is a question."
 
 IN THE VAN 243 
 
 "I may consider myself very fortunate, 
 then." 
 
 "Indeed you may." 
 
 "And the Bumble Bee sails 
 
 'To-morrow, I think. It was badly dam- 
 aged in that ice storm, and our men have 
 repaired it in return for Latimer's services." 
 
 At this moment Dr. Beaumont joined them. 
 
 "Latimer tells me," he said, "that the 
 wind indicates a brisk land breeze, and he 
 purposes sailing to-night." 
 
 "A sensible idea," echoed the Colonel. 
 'The sooner he starts now the better. I 
 have engaged him to bring in fresh supplies 
 if he can get them. He wants to take our 
 mail matter, too, but it is too risky a venture. 
 We must send it by help of Indian guides 
 overland to Little York." 
 
 " Latimer has great faith in his own ability," 
 said Beaumont. "He thinks he can run 
 down the whole coast line without being 
 caught." 
 
 ** Perhaps he might, the eastern shore being 
 out of the war arena, but toward St. Clair 
 and Detroit, unless they are again in the 
 hands of the English, his boat would be sure 
 to be captured." 
 
 "Would they attack a little boat like his ?" 
 Helen asked in surprise. 
 
 "An enemy will take any prize he can get, 
 whether great or small," said the Colonel. 
 "Still Latimer may secure supplies of some 
 kind from the shore settlements; and I will
 
 244 IN THE VAN 
 
 see that he does not run too much risk." 
 With these words Sir George returned to his 
 quarters. 
 
 "Shall you send a letter to Miss Maud 
 this time?" the Doctor asked, pulling his 
 moustache first on one side and then on the 
 other. 
 
 "I think I shall. Not being official I might 
 risk it with Latimer. I have written a long 
 one for her. She's a charming girl, and in the 
 short time that I had the opportunity I grew 
 very fond of her," she replied, looking up into 
 his face. "Unfortunately I did not remain 
 long enough in Halifax to get acquainted with 
 many of the ladies; but I had more than one 
 long talk with Maud, and I assure you I 
 admire her very much." 
 
 'You do not overestimate her, Mrs. Man- 
 ning, and I am glad you like her." 
 
 "I could not help it," she responded as she 
 bent again to arrange her plants. "She 
 has high ideals and wonderful self-control, a 
 true index of noble character?" 
 
 ;< Yes, and she is as beautiful as she is good," 
 said Beaumont impressively. "One of the 
 women men rave over, but cannot win." 
 
 "They might as well cease their ravings 
 but not every one." 
 
 " Do you think so, Madame ? Strange 
 that you should learn in days what has 
 taken me years to discover." 
 
 "Perhaps one woman can read another 
 woman's heart quicker than a man can."
 
 IN THE VAN 245 
 
 "Mon Dieu! Je ne sais quoi. I would 
 give a fortune to read hers." 
 
 "Spare your ducats, Monsieur," said Helen 
 with a light laugh. "But I can tell you some- 
 thing without money. In one of our talks 
 she said she would never marry a man unless 
 she loved him so much that she would gladly 
 go to the ends of the earth with him; but that 
 he must rise to her ideal before she would 
 think of him at all." 
 
 "Is that ideal very high? Can no one 
 reach it ? Mon Dieu ! I know one man who 
 will do his best, give him only the opportunity." 
 
 " Make the opportunity. Make the effort," 
 said Helen earnestly. " Remember, she is the 
 only woman, he the only man. Both seek 
 ideals, and the divine is still above them." 
 
 "Dear Madame, how good you are! You 
 give me hope. Heaven knows how I love 
 her!" 
 
 She had never heard him talk so before, 
 and as they reached the cottage she held out 
 her hand. 
 
 "Thank you, Dr. Beaumont, for your con- 
 fidence. I wish you well. Yes, and I believe, 
 also, that you are worthy to win." 
 
 The Doctor had the gallantry of his race, 
 and bowing low, he raised her fingers to his 
 lips. 
 
 "Harold is busy with his men at the new 
 bridge," she said, looking over in the direction 
 of the island. 
 
 "Yes," he assented. "He and Captain
 
 246 IN THE VAN 
 
 Gummings will be there with a large force all 
 day." 
 
 "Please tell him, when you go down, that 
 I shall be at the wharf to see him before they 
 leave for dinner." 
 
 As the Doctor withdrew she entered the 
 cottage. Emmiline was busily preparing 
 wheaten dough for the oven. Her sleeves were 
 turned up, her neck bare, and her dress 
 fastened loosely at the girdle. A bright fire 
 burned in the open fireplace, and in it a square 
 sheet-iron oven had been placed to heat for 
 the baking. 
 
 "How is the bread, Emmiline?" she asked 
 as she opened the window a little wider. 
 
 "Oh, 'tees bon, Madame. Salt risin' good 
 to-day. Yesterday mauvais bad. Oven nice 
 heat. Put right in now." And she dropped 
 the dough into a square tin, patted it on the 
 back, and placed it on the shelf in the oven. 
 
 "Now," she went on," " Je vatch de fire- 
 not too 'ot not too cole jes' de tres meedle." 
 
 'You must not work too hard, Emmiline." 
 
 "No fear, Madame. No fear 'tall. You 
 jes' like Bateese; he al'us say tak' car', Em- 
 miline, tak' car'. I only laugh. I strong an' 
 work all de same." 
 
 "Still I want you to be wise. Mrs. Hard- 
 man will do any heavy lifting for you ; and we 
 cannot have you hurt yourself." 
 
 "I know dat an' it ees nice to have de 
 vemin's house so close. Dey be goot fellahs, 
 bof."
 
 IN THE VAN 247 
 
 "When are they going to finish the room 
 upstairs for you, Emmiline ?" 
 
 "Oh, vere soon. De floor all right, de 
 leetle window all right, and de laddare work 
 goot. Bateese say not much mattare for 
 more, now summare tarn come." 
 
 Emmiline's cheeks were rosy again. She 
 had not the sallow complexion so often seen; 
 and moving so freely about the room, Helen's 
 care for her seemed almost groundless. 
 
 The internal arrangements of the cottage 
 were very simple. At one end were two rooms ; 
 the one, Harold and Helen's bedroom, the 
 other, the store room, and in it the ladder to 
 the upper story. The balance of the floor 
 space made the living apartment; and, in the 
 meantime, Emmiline and Bateese would oc- 
 cupy the upper room until after the event was 
 over. 
 
 After giving directions about dinner, Helen 
 put on a Quaker sunbonnet, and tripped over 
 the green turf down to the edge of the water, 
 where men were driving cedar posts to support 
 the crossbeams of the island bridge. One 
 gang were working close to the shore, another 
 from a raft on the water, while a third were 
 at similar work on the island beyond. 
 
 Captain Cummings had charge of the shore 
 gang and Harold the island one. Helen did 
 not know it until almost on the spot. If she 
 had, she might have turned back. 
 
 "This is cheering, to be visited by the lady 
 of the fort!" exclaimed Cummings, lifting his
 
 248 IN THE VAN 
 
 hat, "a delightful and unlooked-for com- 
 pliment." 
 
 " Thank you," returned Helen, lightly ; " but 
 I'm afraid the compliment was unintended. 
 I thought Harold was on this side, and ran 
 down to have a word with him." 
 
 "What ? to have words with your husband ? 
 Lucky for him he is so far away," returned 
 the Captain with a laugh. 
 
 " Oh, they will keep till he comes to dinner!" 
 said Helen, declining to see his meaning. 
 
 "Madame!" exclaimed Bateese at her 
 elbow, " I tak' you ovare in mine leetle canoe. 
 See!" and he pointed to a birch-bark that he 
 had bartered with an Indian for a few days 
 before. 
 
 " Won't that be fine?" she returned, as she 
 hastened to its side. "Are you sure you 
 won't upset me ?" 
 
 "Bateese nevare upset canoe, no nevare." 
 
 "Oh, I remember, you are the man that 
 never upsets anything!' 
 
 Bateese's eyes twinkled. He remembered 
 too. 
 
 In another minute they glided over the water 
 to the spot where the men were working. 
 
 "And Helen alluring comes across the 
 briny deep!'" exclaimed her husband. 
 
 "Quite a mistake, Harold! I tasted the 
 water and there isn't a bit of brine in it." 
 
 " How intensely practical ! Don't you know 
 that canoeing in Penetang should be poetic?" 
 
 " So it is," she replied. " Coming over made
 
 IN THE VAN 
 
 me dream of canoeing with you in the long 
 evenings over this very bay." 
 
 'Yes, dearest. That's one of the delights 
 in store for us. But come and see where Sir 
 George has decided to build the magazine." 
 
 Parting the underwood they were soon upon 
 a little hill, the highest spot of the island. To 
 the north was the mouth of the harbor; while 
 to the south, over the tops of Chippewa wig- 
 wams, lay the upper end 01 the long, narrow bay. 
 
 "Can those Indians be trusted?" Helen 
 asked. 
 
 ; 'Yes, perfectly. They arrived and put up 
 their tepees a few days ago. They come here 
 to fish every spring and go away again in the 
 summer." 
 
 "So they will remain for a while," said 
 Helen with a slight shiver. 
 
 "Probably. But they are nomadic and 
 may go any time. Some bright morning 
 before you even think of it, they will fold 
 their tents and glide away." 
 
 "What a lot of them mere are!" said Helen, 
 prosaically. 
 
 "Yes, there must be fifty at least, counting 
 braves, squaws, papooses and all. Latimer 
 says the men will be very useful to us, while 
 they stay, as runners and guides." 
 
 " I suppose Sir George meant these Indians 
 this morning when he spoke of sending the 
 mail through the woods to Little York. But 
 did you know that the Latimers intend to sail 
 to-night?"
 
 250 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Not positively, though I suspected as 
 much." 
 
 "That is one reason that I came to see you. 
 Would it be safe to send one of my letters on 
 the boat; or must they all go by Little York ?" 
 
 "It would be safer by land than water, even 
 if slower. Still a non-committal letter might be 
 risked if you are careful in the wording." 
 
 " It is just a little messsage to Maud Maxwell 
 and could not implicate any one. I do so 
 want to send a few words and get news from 
 there. It seems like an age since we left ; and 
 if it is lost it will not matter much. I only 
 sent one before, and that was from Montreal." 
 
 "Well, do as you like, dearest. But my 
 men are wanting me. They don't know how 
 to place that plank." 
 
 They parted the bushes and in another 
 minute were at the water's edge again. 
 
 "V'eell Madame go back right vey?" 
 Bateese asked. 
 
 "Wait a moment; those squaws want to 
 speak to me." 
 
 Two Indian women, clothed in blanket, 
 short skirt and moccasins had been waiting 
 her return. The older one, with long black 
 hair loose over her shoulders, resembled the 
 tall handsome girl beside her, and looked old 
 enough to be her mother. She touched Helen 
 on the arm. 
 
 "Pale-face squaw want moccasins?" she 
 asked, holding out a pair decorated with beads 
 and quills.
 
 IN THE VAN 251 
 
 A strange thrill went through Helen as she 
 felt the touch, and saw the dark, fierce face of 
 the Indian woman so close to hers. But with 
 an effort she controlled herself and answered: 
 
 'Yes, I want moccasins. These will fit 
 me. How much are they?" 
 
 " Waupatheca not know. Pale-face tell her," 
 said the squaw throwing up her hand. 
 
 "What shall I give her?" Helen asked 
 of Harold, who turning from his men watched 
 the scene with amusement. 
 
 "A piece of cloth, some needles and thread 
 would be better than money," he said. 
 
 "But I haven't them with me." 
 
 "Give the moccasins back and tell her you 
 will come again this afternoon. The Indians 
 must not come to the house. Not so soon at 
 any rate." 
 
 A dissatisfied expression came into the 
 squaw's face; but she nodded and turned 
 away, as her daughter, also unsatisfied, pulled 
 at one of the strings of Helen's bonnet. 
 
 "Little Moon want it!" she exclaimed 
 eagerly. 
 
 "Little Moon can't have it," returned 
 Helen, arranging her hood and shaking her 
 head, "but I will bring you something too." 
 
 The girl clapped her hands and laugned. 
 
 "Where did you learn English?" Helen 
 asked. 
 
 "In Detraw," was her answer. 
 
 "How did you get there?" she questioned. 
 
 "'Jibway Indians and squaws go in canoes
 
 252 IN THE VAN 
 
 every summare," was the answer; "sell skins, 
 sell wampum, sell moccasin, sell fish, too." 
 
 The black eyes of the girl wandered rest- 
 lessly toward the men who were working. 
 
 "What is your name ?" Helen asked. 
 
 "Metsemee. It means Little Moon," she 
 replied. 
 
 ''What a beautiful name!" 
 
 "Pale-face squaw like it?" questioned the 
 girl with a smile. 
 
 " Yes, it is like the silvery moon itself. And 
 your mother's name, she did not tell me its 
 meaning?" 
 
 "Waupatheca means White Swan; she came 
 from the setting sun the daughter of a Sha- 
 wanee chief by the Wabash." 
 
 " And your father ? " 
 
 "He is Big Thunder, Chief of the Ojib- 
 ways. My mother calls him Pepapaunway- 
 Nenimkee, because the lightning nasnes when 
 he is angry." 
 
 "Well, good-bye Metsemee," said Helen. 
 "I will not forget my promise." 
 
 Little Moon again flashed a look at the 
 men. Then turning she followed her mother 
 to the tepees; while Helen, taking her seat 
 in the canoe, was paddled across the channel 
 by her faithful servitor.
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 IN plain clothes, without letters or despatches 
 but well supplied with funds, Corporal 
 Bond was chosen by Sir George to ac- 
 company Latimer and his wife on the first 
 trip of the Bumble Bee. The order was to go 
 no farther than was necessary, but to purchase 
 provisions from the settlers living along the 
 shore of the lake; and to return with the 
 proceeds to the fort with all possible speed. 
 This was outside of the ordinary scene of 
 conflict, and the trip could be accomplished, 
 Latimer declared, with safety. 
 
 Mrs. Bond, accustomed to the vicissitudes 
 of military life, took the parting from her 
 husband philosophically. She was proud of 
 his selection for the trust, and hoping for his 
 early return wished him God-speed, almost 
 without a tear. 
 
 Perhaps of the two women, Helen was the 
 sorrier. She betrayed more feeling, and with 
 much reluctance parted with her old nurse 
 again. When the women were so few, the 
 absence of one, particularly this one, seemed 
 like a desolation to her. 
 
 "I shall soon be back again," said Mrs. 
 Latimer, as Helen wrung her hand. "So do 
 not worry, child." She was thinking of the 
 
 253
 
 254 IN THE VAN 
 
 London days of long ago, when she nursed 
 her and carried her so often on her shoulders. 
 
 "I wonder if she'll ever come back or is 
 this the last I'll see of her?" was Helen's 
 thought as she brushed away a tear. 
 
 The little brig spread its canvas, and by the 
 darkening was speeding outside the harbor 
 into the open lake. 
 
 A day or two later preparations were com- 
 pleted to forward official despatches and 
 letters overland to Little York the party to 
 consist of Nenimkee, one of his Indians and 
 two men of the regiment ; and by arrangement 
 the chief reported himself at Sir George's 
 quarters, the evening previous to their depart- 
 ure, to receive final instructions. 
 
 The sun had just set among pillars of 
 sapphire and gold. The day had been hot 
 but the leaves were rustling upon the trees, for 
 a gentle coolness was coming. Still the mos- 
 quitoes were too many to be blown away, and 
 a smoke fire helped to nullify their ardor. 
 Around it Sir George and his officers seated 
 themselves to await the arrival of the chief. 
 
 Nenimkee was a typical Indian tall, middle- 
 aged, with high cheek bones and restless black 
 eyes. To do honor to the occasion and his 
 mission he dressed in native costume that 
 night with wampum belt, girdle, tomahawk 
 and knife. 
 
 " Glad to see you," said Sir George, extend- 
 ing his hand. "These are my officers, and 
 this is Big Thunder, Chief of trie Ojibways
 
 IN THE VAN 255 
 
 one of his Gracious Majesty's most loyal 
 chiefs." 
 
 Gravely and silently the Indian shook hands 
 with the men as they rose. Then he seated 
 himself on a block by Sir George's side, and 
 Lieutenant Manning handed him a pipe well 
 filled with tobacco. The smoking was gen- 
 eral and for some moments there was silence. 
 
 " Good tobacco," was Nenimkee's first com- 
 ment. 
 
 "Yes," said the Colonel. "We always give 
 the best to our friends." 
 
 "Nenimkee take some on his journey?" 
 were his next words. 
 
 "Yes, you shall." 
 
 "White chief good always good to Indians." 
 
 "Thank you, Nenimkee," said Sir George. 
 "Are you long back from the war path ?" 
 
 "Seven moons," was the answer. The 
 Indian shrugged his shoulders and for some 
 moments again there was silence. 
 
 "Tell us about it," said the Colonel. 
 
 "Does Sir George want to know how the 
 English were beaten, and driven back, and 
 the Indian Prince and his men slain?" Big 
 Thunder asked with flashing eyes. 
 
 "Yes," said Sir George. "The story must 
 be a sad one. The English soldier does not 
 like to hear of being beaten, but if true it is 
 better for him to know it." 
 
 "And tell you about Tecumseh, and how 
 Tecumseh fell?" 
 
 "Yes. Tell it all."
 
 256 IN THE VAN 
 
 For some moments the Indian pulled vigor- 
 ously at his pipe, and the men around the fire 
 could hear his heavy breathing, as he drew in 
 the fumes of the tobacco, and expelled them 
 with every breath through his distended nostrils. 
 
 The last rays of the setting sun had disap- 
 peared, the wind had ceased, and the air was 
 silent again, save for the croak of the lake 
 frogs and the twang of a whip-poor-will in a 
 neighboring tree. By-and-bye the Indian laid 
 his pipe to one side, and fixing his eye on a 
 bright star in the west far above the norizon, 
 he commenced his story: 
 
 "The Ojibways are of the Algonquin race," 
 he said; "a people that roamed, before the 
 white man came, from the rising to the setting 
 sun. I will not tell you of our wars with the 
 Iroquois and Hurons, and with the people 
 of the Great Father which made the number 
 of our braves less and less, and our women so 
 few that you could count them like tassels on 
 a little field of corn. But twenty moons ago, 
 war sprang up from a little cloud no bigger 
 than a man's hand; and the people to the 
 south of the lakes dug up the hatchet and 
 hurled it against the white men and the red 
 men of the north. So the Indians in council 
 buried the hatchet among themselves, and 
 chose Tecumseh, the greatest warrior of the 
 six nations, to be their chief, and swore by 
 the Great Spirit, that they would stand side 
 by side with their white brothers. Then it 
 was that Algonquins and Hurons and Iroquois
 
 IN THE VAN 257 
 
 united as they never did before; and with the 
 pale face Britons fought the common foe. 
 
 "Tecumseh led three thousand Indians to 
 the fight, while White Chief Proctor led the 
 British. For a while the enemy was driven 
 back, their warriors fell by hundreds, and 
 many of their scalps hung at the belts of 
 Indian braves. 
 
 "Then the foe got mad and gathering more 
 men together drove our people back to Am- 
 herstburg, where we fought them to the teeth. 
 But the Great Spirit forgot that we were his 
 people our day turned into night our vic- 
 tories into mourning. The Great Father's 
 warships melted like snow beneath the sun, 
 and American cannons mowed down our men 
 like grass." 
 
 The Indian was growing excited. He sat 
 erect, with hands gripping the block beneath 
 him, and eyes fixed afar off as if in a vision. 
 
 "Did I say the Yankees whipped the Eng- 
 lish?" he commenced again in hollow tones, 
 forgetful of everything but the graphic out- 
 lines of his terrible story. ;< Yes, but the big 
 white chief was a coward and a squaw, or it 
 would not have happened. Tecumseh said 
 so, and Tecumseh never lied. Nenimkee 
 stood by him when the news came that all the 
 captains and half the men on the lakes were 
 dead, and the ships gone to the bottom. Then 
 the Great Chief's heart shed drops of blood in 
 anguish, but his eyes were dry, for an Indian 
 never drops a tear. 
 17
 
 258 IN THE VAN 
 
 "For a time the war-whoop was over. 
 White men and red men fled back to the woods. 
 Night and day they tramped through the 
 forest back from the lake and on by the river. 
 But the Yankees were after them, and scorning 
 to die like dogs the Indians turned to meet 
 their foe. Although the coward Proctor for- 
 sook him, Tecumseh shouted the war-whoop 
 of the nations, and surrounded by his warriors 
 with their tomahawks, met the horsemen 
 from the south. Man after man did Tecumseh 
 slay. Covered with blood and his body full 
 of bullets he sprang at last upon Chief John- 
 son, the Yankee foe, and dragged him to the 
 ground. Then he drew his knife to strike 
 him to the heart but it was too late he had 
 gone to the spirit land and half his warriors 
 went with him." 
 
 "This is horrible!" exclaimed Sir George 
 with a strong effort at self-control, for excite- 
 ment was depicted upon every face. "I 
 knew nothing of it. Not a word has reached 
 me. But it is terrible to lose so brave a chief 
 as Tecumseh." 
 
 "There was no one like Tecumseh," con- 
 tinued Nenimkee in tones like the thrilling 
 blast of distant thunder. "No arm so strong, 
 no eye so true, no heart so soft when his little 
 ones and his Laughing Fawn were with him. 
 His bullet went straight to the bull's eye, and 
 his arrow to the heart of the moose. His 
 tomahawk never wavered, but as lightning 
 from the eagle's eyrie strikes the tepee of the
 
 IN THE VAN 259 
 
 Indian, so his axe cleaved the skulls of his 
 enemies, while his knife spilled their life blood 
 at his feet. Now it is all over, and while the 
 red man's blood cries for vengeance, his 
 heart bleeds for his chief." 
 
 "How did you escape when so many were 
 slain around you?" asked the Colonel. 
 
 'The sun went down as Tecumseh's war- 
 whoop ended and Nenimkee led his warriors 
 deeper into the woods." 
 
 "Did you lose many men?" 
 
 "Forty braves went only twenty came 
 back." 
 
 'You did not join the troops again ?" 
 
 "What use? All is quiet in winter. The 
 O jib ways went straight to their wigwams." 
 
 "Do you know how the war goes this 
 year?" 
 
 "Only that the fight is toward the rising 
 sun." 
 
 :< You will bring more news when you 
 return ?" 
 
 "It will not take many days," said the 
 Indian. "But the woods are thick, the rocks 
 many, and part of the way there is no trail." 
 
 "Still you will find the nearest road?" 
 
 "Does the crow fly crooked, or the night- 
 hawk backward?" Big Thunder asked, se- 
 dately resuming his pipe. 
 
 "Nor does the Indian forget his cunning, 
 nor the white man to reward nis friend," said 
 the Colonel, gravely. 'You are going on the 
 business of the Great Father, and he will
 
 260 IN THE VAN 
 
 expect his red brother of the forest to do his 
 best." 
 
 "It is well. We will go quickly, and blaze 
 the trees on the road, so that a fool, though 
 blindfold, could find his way back again." 
 
 "Gould not a bridle path be made through 
 the woods to carry provisions overland from 
 Little York to irenetang?" suggested the 
 Chaplain. 
 
 "A good idea," returned Sir George. "We 
 need them badly enough, and it will not do 
 at present to depend upon securing supplies 
 by water." 
 
 "A good trail can be made, but it will take 
 two or three suns longer," was Nenimkee's 
 comment. 
 
 "We will leave it in your hands, then," 
 said Sir George, rising to close the interview. 
 
 "The white chief shall be satisfied." With 
 this, Nenimkee left them, and at sunrise on 
 the following morning he started with his 
 party for Little York.
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 IF it had not been for the game shot in the 
 woods and the abundance of bass and 
 pickerel caught in the bay, provisions 
 would have been scarce at the new fort before 
 summer opened. The heavy stock brought 
 overland during the long march had served 
 them well, but it was drawing near to an end, 
 and all awaited with interest, not to say 
 anxiety, the return of the messengers from 
 York. When they did come, they reported 
 that the trail was open for pack horses, and 
 that supplies already purchased would soon 
 be on tne way. 
 
 In the meantime progress went on in the 
 little settlement. The soldiers' quarters were 
 completed and made comfortable; the pile- 
 driving for the prospective bridge was finish- 
 ed, and even the stone walls of the new fort 
 were in progress of erection. In agriculture 
 something had also been done, for Indian 
 corn and potatoes were growing well in the 
 habitants' clearings. 
 
 What little they heard of the progress of 
 the war was satisfactory, and during tne long, 
 bright evenings, the day's work being done, 
 the stringency of discipline was often relaxed. 
 Then officers and men, with the exception of 
 
 261
 
 262 IN THE VAN 
 
 those on duty, would give themselves up to 
 relaxation and pleasure. 
 
 Canoes had been purchased from the In- 
 dians, and swimming in the bay, as well as 
 spinning over its waters, soon became of 
 nightly occurrence, and none among the men 
 enjoyed the sport better than Harold. So 
 one evening, when the woods were green, he 
 took Helen for their first long paddle. Cap- 
 tain Cummings and the Chaplain occupied a 
 second canoe, while Sir George and Captain 
 Payne enjoyed a quiet smoke as they strolled 
 along the snore. The two birch -barks struck 
 out past the northern end of the island and 
 paddled abreast toward the mouth of the 
 narbor. In the west the sun was setting in 
 a golden flame behind the trees, while above 
 them the blue vault was dotted with little 
 grey clouds, fretted with spangles of silver. 
 Scarcely a ripple disturbed the lake. Now 
 and then a wnite gull flew from side to side, 
 and a sportive pickerel splashed the water as 
 he rose above the surface. 
 
 In a little while, Lieutenant Smith and the 
 Doctor joined them, paddling over from the 
 opposite shore. They had been hunting for 
 partridge. 
 
 "What success?" called out Harold. 
 
 "Only two brace," was the answer. 
 
 "Why not come with us for an hour's 
 run?" 
 
 "All right," and they dropped to the oppo- 
 site side of Harold's canoe.
 
 IN THE VAN 63 
 
 "What a solitary outlook!" said Helen, 
 casting her eye from shore to shore. "Not 
 another boat to be seen, and on land nothing 
 but woods." 
 
 "It's a mighty picturesque spot, though," 
 said the Chaplain, who was using his paddle 
 a few yards to the right. "It is like the sea 
 of glass spoken of in Revelations, reflecting 
 the sky of the Orient." 
 
 "Or like the paradise of the houries," cried 
 Captain Cummings, "where the wood nymphs 
 bathe in the lake and bask in the golden 
 sunlight." 
 
 "It is the promise of a fertile country," 
 said Lieutenant Smith, "which needs the 
 woodsman's axe to clear it, and the toil of the 
 settler to cover it with happy homes." 
 
 "Yes, and to make it yield its thirty, sixty 
 and a hundred fold," echoed the Chap- 
 lain. 
 
 "Mon Dieu! but you are all wrong," ex- 
 claimed Beaumont, taking off his hat and 
 shaking his curly head. " It is just the forest 
 of Penetang, where the Iroquois and Hurons 
 fought for ages, and where the Jesuits of my 
 people shed their life's blood and died among 
 a race of unbelievers." 
 
 "That means, Doctor, that it resembles it- 
 self," chimed in Helen, with a laugh. 'You 
 are echoing ancient history I would say it 
 is like a Quaker's hood, the water is the face 
 of the wearer, the tall trees all round it are 
 the edge of the bonnet, the mouth of the
 
 264 IN THE VAN 
 
 harbor is the chin, and the little islands be- 
 yond are the untied strings." 
 
 A general laugh followed. 
 
 "Bravo!" shouted Cummings. "But what 
 are you going to do with my nymphs in your 
 Quaker bonnet ?" 
 
 "Put them behind the island where they 
 cannot be seen," was her answer. 
 
 'There are nymphs there already," cried 
 the Doctor, "but instead of behind the island, 
 they are in front of it." 
 
 And, glancing back, they could see the 
 Indian women bathing. 
 
 "I suppose the time will soon come when 
 this little harbor will have ships on it," said 
 Helen, to change the subject. 
 
 'Yes," returned Harold. "Sir George 
 brought instructions with him from England 
 to build here the first brig." 
 
 "And when will he commence?" 
 
 "As soon as a saw mill can be built not 
 long to wait." 
 
 "So there are lots of things in store for us, 
 Mrs. Manning," put in the Chaplain, with a 
 laugh, " even if we have taken up our abode 
 in a wooden country." 
 
 "Not a wooden country, Mr. Evans, but a 
 country of woods." 
 
 "And pray, what is the difference?" 
 
 "As much difference as there is between a 
 horse chestnut and a chestnut horse." 
 
 Again a ringing laugh was carried far out 
 over the waters.
 
 IN THE VAN 265 
 
 "We men should always have you with us, 
 Mrs. Manning, to keep away the blues!" 
 exclaimed the Chaplain, "and to that end I 
 I am just praying for that castle of ours to be 
 speedily finished." 
 
 "One would think," returned Helen, ele- 
 vating her eyebrows, "when the builders work 
 so hard, that the castle does not need your 
 prayers. Would it not be better to pray for 
 the arrival of a lady companion for the only 
 lady in the camp, lest she might get the 
 blues?" 
 
 "That's what I say," cried the Doctor, 
 energetically. "It's a deuced shame to have 
 Madame alone at the fort without a single 
 lady friend, and the sooner we secure a suit- 
 able companion for her the better." 
 
 "Rather rough on you, Manning!" ex- 
 claimed Cummings, serenely. 
 
 " 'Pon my word, Doctor, I'll have to call 
 you out, even if you are a Frenchman," said 
 Harold, with a laugh. 
 
 "You know what I mean," returned the 
 young man, his face flushing. "It was a 
 Frenchman's thought. I cannot think fast in 
 English, you know." 
 
 Worse and worse! " exclaimed Cummings, 
 with a laugh. 
 
 Harold bit his lip. 
 
 "How pretty that sunset is, with its deep 
 golden yellow, so different from England! ' 
 said Helen, who did her best to repress a 
 sigh. With all these men around her, even
 
 266 IN THE VAN 
 
 with her husband by her side, she was still 
 alone. 
 
 ;< Yes, and with forest and lake, and sky 
 and island, there is a fascinating beauty." 
 
 "The Indians say that to the north and 
 west throughout the Georgian Bay the islands 
 are like the leaves of the forest, they cannot 
 be counted," Smith remarked. 
 
 "Still new fields to conquer," added Harold. 
 
 "New beauties to explore," said the Chap- 
 lain. 
 
 The canoes had almost reached the "glit- 
 tering sands" to the right of the mouth of 
 the harbor. The sun had set, and the gloam- 
 ing was coming upon them with the placid 
 stillness of a summer night. 
 
 "Suppose we return," suggested Helen. "It 
 will be dark by the time we reach the 
 shore." 
 
 "Paddle gently," ejaculated Smith in a 
 low voice. "Let us wait a bit. You see 
 those bushes beyond the sandy beach. Three 
 deer come down there every evening to 
 water a buck with growing antlers and two 
 does. If you sit still and do not speak they 
 will not notice you. The Doctor and I will 
 creep up a little nearer." 
 
 "Smith, who was the crack shot of the 
 party, picked up his rifle, while Beaumont, 
 the skilled canoeist, paddled noiselessly to- 
 ward the shore. The former had only time 
 to creep under cover of the bushes to a spot 
 where an open view could be obtained, wnen
 
 IN THE VAN 267 
 
 the deer, with heads erect and led by the stag, 
 marched slowly down to the water's edge. 
 
 Not a paddle of the watchers moved, and 
 scarcely a muscle. Beaumont sat in his canoe 
 grounded on the beach, with eyes fixed on 
 the deer, for he could just discern them 
 beyond a stretch of sand. But Smith was 
 invisible. A few moments of silence and 
 suspense. . . with head bent forward the 
 stag waded into the water, a doe on either 
 side. Bang! went the rifle. The stag reared 
 and fell forward with a splash. Quick as 
 lightning his mates turned and fled to the 
 woods, while a cheer rang out from the men 
 in the canoes, as they paddled over to the spot. 
 
 "It was pitiful to see the poor does," said 
 Helen, sensitively. 
 
 "But it was a capital shot," returned Har- 
 old. "I was doubtful if Smith could do it 
 in the gathering darkness. It will make a 
 good addition to our vanishing larder." 
 
 When they drew near Beaumont and Smith 
 had dragged the handsome buck further on to 
 the beach. 
 
 "Will it be safe to leave him here until the 
 men come for him?" Smith asked, as he 
 received the congratulations. 
 
 "I doubt it," said Beaumont. "Hark! 
 yonder are wolves howling already. They 
 must be hungry to be out so soon." 
 
 "The buck is too heavy to take in our 
 canoe," said Smith, "unless the Doctor, the 
 lighter man, can return in one of yours."
 
 268 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Have him come with us," said Helen, 
 turning to Harold. 
 
 "Certainly," was his answer. "There will 
 be no danger with such a perfect canoeist. 
 
 In a few more minutes they were paddling 
 homeward. The half-moon was hovering di- 
 rectly above them, and its sheen glowed in 
 silvery light upon the water. 
 
 "Give us a French boat song, Doctor," 
 said the Chaplain, who knew that he had a 
 rich tenor voice. 
 
 "Not before miladi," was his answer. "If 
 Madame will favor us first, I will follow." 
 
 "What will you have?" said Helen. 
 
 "A song of the chase or a boat song, we 
 don't care which," said Smith. 
 
 "Well," replied Helen, with a smile at the 
 ardor of the men. "If you can imagine it 
 is morning instead of evening, perhaps Scott's 
 "Hunting Song' will do." 
 
 The paddles almost ceased plying, and in 
 the still night, her sweet contralto voice filled 
 the air from shore to shore. 
 
 " 'Waken lords and ladies gay, 
 The mist has left the mountain gray, 
 Springlets in the dawn are steaming, 
 Diamonds on the brake are gleaming; 
 And foresters have busy been 
 To track the buck in thicket green. 
 Now we come to chant our lay, 
 'Waken lords and ladies gay. 
 
 " 'Waken lords and ladies gay ! 
 To the greenwood haste away.
 
 IN THE VAN 269 
 
 We can show you where he lies, 
 Fleet of foot and tall of size; 
 We can show the marks he made 
 When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed. 
 You shall see him brought to bay, 
 'Waken lords and ladies gay. 
 
 " Louder, louder, chant the lay, 
 'Waken lords and ladies gay! 
 Tell them youth and mirth and glee 
 Run a course as well as we; 
 Time! stern huntsman! who can balk, 
 Staunch as hound, and fleet as hawk) 
 Think of this and rise with day, 
 Gentle lords and ladies gay ! " 
 
 Sweetly the echoes died away over the 
 water, thanks of appreciation were murmured, 
 and they were calling upon Beaumont to 
 fulfil his promise when another song was 
 wafted from the shore towards them. 
 
 "Why, that's Bateese," cried the Doctor. 
 "He can sing better than I can. Listen to 
 him to-night, mine will keep for another day." 
 
 "Hearken!" whispered Helen. "How 
 quaint it is!" 
 
 Plus jolie femme ees nice an' neat, 
 
 I sorry ven I leave 'er, 
 Mit eyes so blue an' lips so sweet 
 
 She's cunnin' as de beaver. 
 
 She love me well, dis gal of mine, 
 
 For her I toe de scratch, sir; 
 Ba gosh! her name is Emmiline 
 
 An' I will be her match, sir;
 
 270 IN THE VAN 
 
 For she was reeche, wid pater's gold 
 
 An' farm down by de rivare; 
 But mon cheval, it had be sold 
 
 An' all my tings, pis aller. 
 
 But now I work so hard again 
 
 To make up for my losses; 
 An' nevare more will give her pain 
 
 But cover her wid kisses. 
 
 An' from dis time I'll work and wait 
 
 As never yet did lover; 
 An' pray Mon Dieu to bless our fate 
 
 An' make her mine forever. 
 
 Den my sweet vife, ma fille so true, 
 Wid my fond arms around her, 
 
 Vill bless ma life, sweet entre nous, 
 An' make me still de fonder. 
 
 An' when de leetle garcon come 
 
 An' fille so p'tite an' jolie, 
 We bless de Lord an' for de same 
 
 Will give him all de glory. 
 
 The last verse almost took Helen's breath 
 away, and, forgetting all about Beaumont's 
 song, she bade the officers good-night, and 
 with Harold hastened on shore to their own 
 dwelling.
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 IT was July before Colonel Battersby's col- 
 umn, after a long march from Montrea , 
 reached Kingston and joined the forces of 
 General Drummond, and none too soon, for 
 word had been forwarded of the disastrous 
 invasion of the Niagara frontier under Briga- 
 dier-Generals Scott and Ripley. Fort Erie 
 had been taken, and Commander-in-Chief 
 Brown, with a heavy force, had advanced 
 against Major-General Riall and defeated the 
 British forces at Chippewa. The country was 
 ravaged, St. Davids burned, Niagara threat- 
 ened. 
 
 With all possible speed General Drum- 
 mond pressed forward nis troops, but it was 
 the 25th of the month before Niagara was 
 reached and Riall reinforced. Part of Colonel 
 Battersby's command was left with the veter- 
 ans stationed at Queenston, to oppose the 
 landing of American troops there; while the 
 balance, including Battersby himself, as well 
 as Captain Morris and his company, con- 
 tinued with the main force in the advance 
 toward Lundy's Lane. 
 
 At six o'clock of that memorable night, 
 when Drummond's forces met Riall's at the 
 junction of Queenston Road and Lundy's 
 
 271
 
 272 IN THE VAN 
 
 Lane, they were retreating before the superior 
 force of the enemy. Countermanding the 
 retreat, the Generals at once placed their 
 guns in strong position on the hill. Eight 
 hundred soldiers, however, added to the 
 British troops still came short of balancing 
 the forces. Nevertheless, the famous battle of 
 Lundy's Lane commenced, and before n : ght 
 it was fiercely raging. As it progressed, re- 
 inforcements were received on both sides. 
 This only added fuel to the flame, and it was 
 not until midnight that the battle ceased. 
 
 Among orchards laden with fruit on hill- 
 side and summit, in little copses of woodland, 
 in open plain, throughout mat long twilight, 
 until the pale moon sank in the west: 
 
 " Roar of baleful battle rose 
 
 And brethren of a common tongue 
 To mortal strife like tigers sprung." 
 
 What gave enthusiasm to Canadians and 
 British in the contest was that they were 
 fighting for home and country. The attitude 
 of defender and invader can never be the 
 same. The struggle of heart and soul against 
 mere mentality cannot be equal. The one 
 has virile force in every fibre of its being, 
 ready to sacrifice life and limb to principle; 
 the other mere elusive energy, begotten of 
 baser metal. 
 
 Still, the American infantry fought with 
 gallant determination. With unfailing energy 
 they made charge after charge to capture the
 
 'That'll be our new hoir.e, sweetheart" 
 
 Page 210
 

 
 IN THE VAN 273 
 
 British guns. General Riall, now second in 
 command, was wounded and captured, and 
 at nine o'clock it seemed as though the 
 Americans would win. Then reinforcements 
 poured in on either side. Though tired from 
 long marches on that hot summer day, they 
 at once rallied to the support of their respective 
 commanders, and lighted only by the faint 
 moonlight and the flash from the rifles, the 
 struggle continued with redoubled fury. 
 
 The English gunners stood manfully at 
 their posts and swept with deadly fire the 
 lines of Brown's battalions. The carnage 
 was terrific. White men of the same blood, 
 the same language, the same religion, nay, 
 in the highest ethics of the same race, shot 
 each other down by hundreds, as if life were 
 of no moment, bayonetting each other to 
 death in the light of the silvery moon. 
 
 At last, spurred on by the determination to 
 carry the battery at any cost, Colonel Miller, 
 of the Twenty-first, made an impetuous rush, 
 and for a time captured the British guns. 
 
 Now began the wildest scene of all a 
 hand-to-hand and bayonet-to-bayonet struggle 
 for mastery. General Drummond's men ral- 
 lied on every side, determined to fight to the 
 bitter end, and hour after hour the slaughter 
 continued. Everywhere the fight went on. 
 ^he shouts of command, thef thunder of 
 'Jlery, the continual flashing^of powder, 
 ashing of steel, mingled with the roar 
 ol i Niagara and the groans of the dying, made 
 
 18
 
 274 IN THE VAN 
 
 it seem as though the demons of hell had been 
 let loose to ravage the earth. 
 
 But six hours of mortal conflict were 
 enough. Seventeen hundred men, Britons 
 and Americans, lay side by side, dead or 
 wounded, on that field of battle. The position 
 of the British was too strong to be taken and 
 held, and the invaders, realizing the futility 
 of further effort, withdrew from the field, re- 
 turning to Fort Erie, which they had already 
 captured, and where they more adequately 
 intrenched their position. 
 
 Left to themselves, the British were not 
 long in making a change. Lights were lit, 
 and at once men were dispatched to examine 
 the field and search for missing comrades. 
 
 Colonel Battersby, although he had led his 
 men in the thickest of .the fight, had come off 
 unscathed, but he knew that some of his 
 officers had been slain or wounded. To his 
 horror, Captain Morris, the man of his own 
 selection, was missing. Eager to know the 
 truth, accompanied by orderlies, he went 
 carefully over the field. Headless trunks, dis- 
 embowelled bodies, the dead, the dying, the 
 wounded, were everywhere. Agonizing groans 
 came from the fallen, both English and Ameri- 
 cans, while side by side with them, stoic In- 
 dians with impassive faces did not utter a 
 sound. 
 
 As they passed on, limbs were straightened, 
 a comfortable position given or a wound 
 staunched, while now and then a few drops
 
 IN THE VAN 275 
 
 from a pocket flask were poured between the 
 lips of a life fast ebbing away. 
 
 " Colonel, here's a captain's epaulets," ejacu- 
 lated one of his men at last. A light was 
 thrown upon a body whose face was hidden 
 in the moss beneath an oak shrub. The man, 
 though unconscious, still breathed, as he lay 
 in a pool of blood. Wiping his face, they 
 gently turned it upwards. 
 
 "My God! It is Captain Morris," ex- 
 claimed the Colonel. 
 
 Tenderly they placed him in an easier posi- 
 tion. Blood from the scalp and side and 
 leg were freely flowing. 
 
 * Tell one of the surgeons to come at once," 
 was the Colonel's order, while he knelt to 
 loosen his clothing. 
 
 In a few minutes the doctor came and 
 made an examination. 
 
 "Suffering from concussion, as well as loss 
 of blood," were his words. "Let us lay him 
 on a stretcher and carry him to quarters." 
 
 In a few minutes they reached a vacant 
 house on the lower side of the hill, which 
 they purposed using as a temporary hospital. 
 
 * Who is it ?" enquired General Drummond, 
 as they approached. 
 
 "Captain Morris, sir." 
 
 "Ah, another brave man! One of our 
 best officers! How many we have lost in 
 this terrible fight! Will he live, doctor?" 
 
 "I hope so. He is not conscious, but he 
 opened his eyes just now."
 
 276 IN THE VAN 
 
 " Thank God! You must do your best for 
 him." 
 
 "I will, sir." 
 
 They placed him on a settee on one side of 
 the room, and the doctor dressed his wounds. 
 
 "I saw him fall," came in a low tone from 
 a man in the opposite corner, whose foot had 
 been shot off. He had fainted from loss of 
 blood and the leg had been bound up until 
 it could be properly dressed. "I belong to 
 his company. Twice we were driven back- 
 half our men had fallen but he drew his 
 sword and rushed on again, calling us to fol- 
 low him then a Yankee officer struck at 
 him, so he knocked his sword back and ran 
 him through but a couple of sogers came at 
 the Captain with their bayonets that's the 
 last I saw, for I got dizzy and fell I didn't 
 think I was hurt." 
 
 'You've said enough," said the doctor 
 sharply. " We don't want you to faint again." 
 
 "All right, sir." 
 
 There was a deep flesh wound in Captain 
 Morris' thigh and a bayonet thrust in his 
 body, while the top of his scalp had been torn 
 to trie skull by a bullet. 
 
 "Pretty badly knocked out," said the doc- 
 tor, "but not hopeless. His pupils are still 
 sensitive." 
 
 The General expressed satisfaction as with 
 Battersby he left the house. Several other 
 shanties near by were being utilized for the 
 wounded.
 
 IN THE VAN 277 
 
 "I suppose the owners all fled on the ap- 
 proach of battle," said the General to Colonel 
 Scott, who had charge of the relief depart- 
 ment. 
 
 "Yes," was the answer. "This battle has 
 been impending for days, and orders were 
 issued to the people to escape to the back 
 districts without delay." 
 
 "They may as well stay away now," said 
 Drummond. " There are hundreds of wound- 
 ed, and our first care must be for them. We 
 may have beaten the enemy, but it has been 
 at terrible cost." 
 
 ; 'Your arrival, General, was a God-send. 
 If your men had not come I don't know 
 where we would have been." 
 
 'Your own vanguard helped to save us 
 though. But the horror of it all a thousand 
 men have bit the dust." 
 
 "If we have fights like this, thousands more 
 may do it yet before we are through." 
 
 "True, but it is a fight to the finish. We 
 must hold our own. Never relinquish an 
 inch." 
 
 For more than an hour Captain Morris 
 remained unconscious. His continued insensi- 
 bility caused much concern, and Sergeant 
 Dennis, his faithful subaltern, was placed 
 beside him to watch. 
 
 After a while, he opened his eyes and 
 looked vacantly around him through the dim 
 light. Gradually he took in the situation. 
 
 "Ah!" he exclaimed at last, fixing his eyes
 
 278 IN THE VAN 
 
 on Dennis and looking at his bandages. "I 
 got hurt did I?" 
 
 'Yes, Captain, a trifle," was the answer. 
 
 "And the battle is it over?" 
 
 'Yes, Gaptain; keep still." 
 
 "Thank heaven!" 
 
 For a time there was a pause, and the 
 Sergeant put some whiskey and water to his 
 lips. 
 
 "I must be badly knocked out," he ventured 
 again, after a while. 
 
 "Not so bad as some," was the answer. 
 
 "Bad enough." 
 
 "I will call the doctor or Colonel Battersby," 
 said the sergeant. "I had orders to report." 
 
 "Wait a minute, Sergeant, it can't be three 
 yet." 
 
 "It is, nearly." 
 
 "There is something you can do for me." 
 
 "I will do anything in the world for you, 
 Captain." 
 
 ' Thanks you will be with me all night, 
 won't you?" 
 
 "Yes, till daylight." 
 
 "Well, I'll tell you later after the doctor 
 comes." 
 
 "He's here now." 
 
 So the communication was delayed.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 HALF an hour later, the Sergeant again 
 had charge of the Captain. He was 
 weak and pallid, but his mind was 
 clear, and he fixed his eyes on the Sergeant's 
 face. 
 
 "Now, I can tell you," he said at last, with 
 some difficulty. 
 
 ; 'You had better not," returned the man. 
 "The doctor says you must sleep before you 
 try to talk again." 
 
 " It will only take a minute I've got to say 
 it now," said Morris. 
 
 "Very well," said the Sergeant, bending 
 over him. "Speak low, Captain. Don't say 
 more than you can help." 
 
 "Its is only about two letters they are in 
 my wallet, and I want you without fail to 
 send them on. One is directed to Penetang 
 I intended to forward it from York but it 
 was in the bottom of my wallet and in the 
 hurry of leaving I did not do it. The other is 
 one of my own to Halifax. It, too, should 
 have been sent on before we crossed the lake 
 but the order to march was so sudden that I 
 had not time. Do you understand?" 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "I might have given them to the Colonel 
 
 278
 
 80 IN THE VAN 
 
 but I did not want to bother him. Whether I 
 get well or not, I want this off my mind." 
 
 "All right, sir. I will have them forwarded 
 by the very first chance. You may depend 
 upon that." 
 
 'Thank you, Sergeant." 
 
 The Captain pressed his hand and closed 
 his eyes. Soon he was asleep. 
 
 The Sergeant, while he decided to carry out 
 his instructions faithfully, thought it singular 
 that so trifling a matter should occupy the 
 attention of so sick a man. 
 
 "Well, I have something for you at last," 
 said Miss Maxwell to her sister, one bright 
 morning, several weeks earlier than the tragic 
 events of the last chapter. She had just 
 returned from the Citadel, and holding two 
 letters high above her head, shook them gaily 
 at Maud. 
 
 "I am so glad," returned that young lady, 
 holding out her hand. "Who are they from? 
 One from Mrs. Manning, I am sure." 
 
 "Who do you suppose the other is from? 
 Which of your lovers has written you a letter ?" 
 
 Handing over one she still held the other 
 aloft. 
 
 "How foolish you are, Genie! This is the 
 one I want to read first anyway." 
 
 Sitting down she broke the seal and com- 
 menced reading Mrs. Manning's letter, ap- 
 parently unconscious that the other was wait- 
 ing for perusal. The letter was a long one, 
 and Maud's face glowed with pleasure as her
 
 IN THE VAN 281 
 
 eves ran rapidly|over* its pages. Parts of it 
 sne read aloud, and other parts to herself. 
 By-and-bye, when she had finished, she put it 
 back within its cover, and held out her nand 
 for the other one. 
 
 This was from Dr. Beaumont, and a slight 
 flush suffused her cheek as she perused its 
 contents. Gravely she read it through to the 
 end without speaking a word. 
 
 "Are you not going to read it to me?" 
 Eugenia asked as she sat opposite, quietly 
 watching her sister's face. 
 
 ; 'You may read all of Mrs. Manning's 
 letter and welcome," said Maud, "but this 
 from Dr. Beaumont I must keep to myself, 
 for the present at least"; and she slipped it 
 into her pocket. "Was not Mrs. Manning 
 brave?" she continued. 
 
 "Indeed she was. She tells all about the 
 journey and the new settlement, and the trials 
 she had to endure." 
 
 ; 'Yes," said Maud, "but there's an under- 
 tone through it all even in her account of 
 that terrible march along the Madawaska." 
 
 Maud turned to the window and looked 
 dreamily out, while unconsciously she took 
 the Doctor's letter from her pocket again and 
 tapped the sill with it, as if to keep time to her 
 thoughts. 
 
 "Dr. Beaumont comes in for his share of 
 praise," said Eugenia as she read on. "I 
 don't see how they could have done without 
 him."
 
 282 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Would not Dr. Fairchilds have done as 
 well ?" Maud asked in a low voice. 
 
 "He did not get the chance," was Eugenia's 
 quick response. 
 
 "I always had doubt as to the real reason 
 of that," said Maud. 
 
 "Mrs. Manning says," continued Eugenia, 
 "that she sent a letter a few days before this 
 one by a man in a sailboat, round by Lake 
 Huron, but that this would be sent through 
 the woods by Little York. Did you get the 
 first one?" 
 
 "No. Possibly it may not come at all, and 
 if it does it will be later, as the way by Geor- 
 gian Bay would be much longer than the 
 overland route." 
 
 "Have you been studying geography lately ?" 
 Eugenia asked, drawing down the corners of 
 her mouth. 
 
 "It is not long since I left school, Miss In- 
 quisitive." 
 
 That afternoon they called upon Mrs. 
 Mason, and as they expected, found her lo- 
 quacious upon the subject of Penetang. She 
 said that Sir John Sherbrooke and Colonel 
 Mason had both received despatches from 
 Sir George. 
 
 "I understand that you are a favored one, 
 also," she continued good-humoredly, turning 
 to Maud. "Two letters all for yourself from 
 the little new garrison, while not another lady 
 in Halifax has received one." 
 
 "All owing to my fortunate meeting with
 
 IN THE VAN 283 
 
 Mrs. Manning," returned Maud with a slight 
 flush. "Nearly all the troops were fresh 
 from England, so their letters would naturally 
 be sent home instead of here. Mrs. Manning's 
 letter is very interesting. I brought it over 
 for you to see." 
 
 "Thank you, and may I read it to Colonel 
 Mason?" 
 
 "Certain parts, but not all. You will 
 know what I mean." 
 
 " I'll take care, my dear. Trust me for that 
 
 but was there not another letter? ah, ah, 
 
 my lady but I will ask no more questions"; 
 
 and Mrs. Mason, with twinkling eyes, laughed 
 
 softly to herself. 
 
 "Did not a ship come in to-day?" Eugenia 
 asked. 
 
 "Yes," replied Mrs. Mason, "with another 
 regiment. The Colonel says it is imperative 
 for it to leave at once for Montreal as the war 
 is not over yet, and it has important letters 
 to carry." 
 
 " When will it sail, or did you hear ?" Maud 
 asked. 
 
 " To-morrow, I believe." 
 
 Maud's candle burned late that night again, 
 and when the ship left for Montreal the next 
 evening the mail bag contained two letters 
 for Penetang, one to Mrs. Manning, the other 
 to Dr. Beaumont. 
 
 More than a month passed away. The 
 fortunes of war had been ebbing and flowing 
 first on one side, then on the other the bel-
 
 284 IN THE VAN 
 
 ligerents on neither being as yet satisfied. 
 Still the conflict was nearing the end. News 
 travelled slowly then ; but word of battle, even 
 when three weeks old, was just as interesting 
 as it is now when the .happening was only 
 yesterday. 
 
 The news of Lundy's Lane had arrived. 
 The Citadel and all Halifax were excited 
 over it, for although the British claimed the 
 victory, yet two of the companies that had 
 served in the fort for years, nad been in the 
 heat of the fight, and had lost more than 
 half their men. 
 
 In small garrison towns, stationary troops 
 soon become identified with the people, and 
 the results of battle fill them with intense 
 interest. Having once heard the rumour of the 
 conflict, the people were anxious to hear more, 
 and soldiers on duty were asked repeatedly 
 for the latest details. At every street corner 
 the battle was discussed ; while in the homes it 
 was the one absorbing theme. 
 
 With the news also came that letter to 
 Maud forwarded by the Sergeant, but as 
 already noted, written before the conflict. 
 
 "Captain Morris' name is in everybody's 
 mouth," said Judge Maxwell to his daughters 
 that evening. " The people are wild over him. 
 They say he is one of the bravest officers in 
 the service. What a pity he was so nearly 
 killed!" 
 
 " Nearly killed ! Is it so bad as that, father ?" 
 Maud asked with trembling voice.
 
 IN THE VAN 285 
 
 "The news is three weeks old, and we 
 cannot tell what may have happened in that 
 time, but he was shot in the scalp and bayonet- 
 ted in the body and the leg. What is more, 
 he was leading what remained of his men for 
 the third time, and struck down his opponent 
 with his sword the very moment that he fell. 
 If that is not bravery you will have to search 
 the pages of history to find it." 
 
 Maud's eyes flashed, and she shot into her 
 father's face a look of mingled exultation and 
 anguish. 
 
 "But his wounds, father, are they danger- 
 ous?" 
 
 " Colonel Mason says, from the despatches, 
 that he would not anticipate serious trouble 
 from one of them by itself but from the 
 whole combined, particularly with midsummer 
 heat, there might be. Still, without doubt, all 
 will be done for him that is possible." 
 
 "Where are they keeping him, father ?" 
 
 "In a cottage near the battlefield, on the 
 Niagara River. If they can hold the place 
 they will retain the settlers' houses for the use 
 of the wounded until they are well enough to 
 be removed." 
 
 "Who nurses the men, I wonder?" was 
 Maud's next question. 
 
 "There won't be much nursing," replied 
 the judge. "The men will do what they can 
 to carry out the doctors' orders, but the poor 
 fellows will have a tough time of it no doubt.
 
 286 IN THE VAN 
 
 It is always the case in a military campaign, 
 no matter where you go or who is injured.' 
 
 "And can we do nothing?" 
 
 "Nothing whatever, my dear. It is be- 
 yond the pale of civilization, one might say. 
 Throughout that region there are few settle- 
 ments and no good roads. Supplies are taken 
 in with great difficulty, and often have to be 
 carried in on the backs of the soldiers. As for 
 people here going over to help, by the time 
 they got there, the whole place might be 
 deserted." 
 
 'You are a Job's comforter, father." 
 
 "Father's quite right," said Eugenia. "But 
 it is terrible to think of poor, brave Captain 
 Morris suffering so frightfully. I wish those 
 dastardly Yankees were in ." 
 
 "Not in Halifax," interrupted the judge 
 with a smile. "We don't want them here 
 even if we could whip them, which I am not so 
 sure about. But you are on the wrong tack 
 Genie. The Yankee soldiers are not das- 
 tardly. They are just as brave as ours are, 
 and in that very battle lost as many men as 
 we did." 
 
 "But when the battle was over, and the 
 Americans retreated," said Eugenia, "who 
 looked after their wounded?" 
 
 "The British, of course." 
 
 "And dressed the wounds of their enemies 
 just the same as those of their own men ?" 
 
 " Certainly. That's the only bit of civiliza- 
 tion in it."
 
 IN THE VAN 287 
 
 "And what would the Americans do if they 
 were the victors ?" 
 
 " Just as the English do." 
 
 "There's Christianity in war after all," 
 said Maud. 
 
 "Another paradox," said the judge. "It 
 is always the Christian nations that do the 
 most fighting." 
 
 "Were not Napoleon's wars an exception?" 
 
 "Not by any means. It was the Christian 
 nations that opposed him ; and half of his own 
 men professed the faith." 
 
 "But how soon do they expect to hear 
 again of the wounded?" Maud asked some- 
 wnat impatiently. 
 
 "The way is open now and word will come 
 
 / 
 
 every week," replied her father. "And thank 
 God the war will soon be over! " 
 
 Captain Morris' letter affected Maud differ- 
 ently to Dr. Beaumont's. It stirred the mar- 
 tial enthusiasm in her nature to know that he 
 had been a hero in the fight. But the feeling 
 changed as she thought on. He had fallen 
 bravely, probably without a murmur, but it 
 was weeks ago. How was he now ? and in 
 any case how intensely he must have suffered! 
 And then to know that he had written that 
 letter, the only one she had ever received from 
 him, only a day or two before the fight that 
 may have cost him his life. Over and over 
 again she read it; every word seemed to have 
 a new meaning. Was it not sad in tone- 
 premonitory of coming evil? Was there not
 
 288 IN THE VAN 
 
 a shadow behind the hand rendering dark the 
 future, filling his life with the elusiveness 
 of love, and producing in his heart passionate 
 disdain ? 
 
 She shivered when she thought of what 
 might have happened to him there, and while 
 proud that such a man should give her his 
 confidence, she was carried away with a 
 passion of feeling that at the time she could 
 neither analyze nor understand. 
 
 Would a letter reach him ? If it only could ? 
 At any rate she must do her part and send 
 him a message. This time she wrote rapidly. 
 She seemed to be under physical obligation 
 to do her most and her best, without a thought 
 of anyone but the wounded captain. After 
 a while she finished the letter and went to 
 bed. 
 
 Notwithstanding the restless tossing and 
 wakefulness that followed, she rose early to 
 post it. Then her mind wandered off beyond 
 Niagara to Penetang; and, taking out another 
 letter which she had often read before, she 
 thoughtfully perused it again.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 THE ebb and flow of battles on sea and land 
 in the War of 1812 and '14 do not belong 
 to this story. Sir Johi> Sherbrooke's 
 despatch of men fresh from the European 
 wars to Eastport, Castine, Bangor and 
 Machias, Maine, and the retention of the 
 Penobscot and St. Croix by the British till the 
 war was over, are matters of history. So 
 also is the victory of the American General 
 Macomb at Plattsburg, where with five ships 
 of war and fifteen hundred men he drove 
 back twice as many British vessels and troops 
 under the command of their weak and in- 
 capable head. No wonder that officers broke 
 their swords and vowed they would never s 
 fight again under such a leader. But on 
 the war dragged, sometimes with success on 
 one side, sometimes on the other; and if it 
 had not been for the harassing blockade of 
 the Atlantic seaboard, when Britain's navy, 
 let loose from European conflict, came over 
 to fight the battles of her colonies, it is hard 
 to tell where the fratricidal war would have 
 ended. 
 
 Month after month passed by. Villages 
 were pillaged; forts were captured and re- 
 captured; cities were bombarded and wasted; 
 
 19 280
 
 290 IN THE VAN 
 
 York was ransacked; Niagara was burned; 
 Washington was stormed by shot and shell 
 and its buildings set on fire. Even after 
 peace was declared, the final battle of New 
 Orleans still had to be fought, where two 
 thousand of the flower of the British troops 
 were lost within the trenches, their general 
 slain and the remainder put to flight, while 
 only a handful of the American defenders in 
 their entrenched position were either wounded 
 or slain. 
 
 Such is war with its mighty agony, its seas 
 of flowing blood, its tumultuous passion, its 
 frenzied rage, the most inhuman of all human 
 things ; and yet withal, the purifier and ennobler 
 of the races of men, who would not do without 
 it, and thank God that it was abolished ? 
 And yet, when rights are trampled on, when 
 liberty is invaded, when oppression is rampant, 
 with Empire in the van, who would not draw 
 the sword again, and thank God that by its 
 glitter and fury, wrong could be righted and 
 truth made plain ? 
 
 At last peace was declared, and the tired 
 people of both nations but of the one race, 
 wondered what they had been fighting about. 
 
 Without solving the question they smoked 
 the calumet, offering up the fumes as incense 
 while they fervently prayed that the tyrannies 
 of life should never again force them to draw 
 swords against each other. 
 
 To Penetang, however, the din of battle did 
 not come. Month after month during that
 
 IN THE VAN 291 
 
 first long summer, the troops revelled in the 
 ways of peace; and it was astonishing what 
 progress they made in the practice of the 
 mechanical arts. In Captain Payne's en- 
 gineering corps were carpenters, masons, 
 blacksmiths, saddlers, tailors, and men who 
 had followed a dozen other trades all useful, 
 aye, more than useful in the founding and 
 establishment of the new garrison. 
 
 By the end of August the walls of the stone 
 fort were up and an army of men were work- 
 ing with energy towards its completion. The 
 design was to have it ready for occupation 
 before winter arrived. The trail cut through 
 to Little York had also proved of service, for 
 as the months passed by, mail matter and 
 goods were carried regularly over to Penetang. 
 
 While all else denoted prosperity, the non- 
 return of the Bumble Bee caused much anxiety; 
 for throughout the long summer nothing was 
 heard of it, not a single word came from either 
 Corporal or Skipper. Many were the con- 
 jectures, and night after night was the subject 
 discussed around the camp fires of the little 
 garrison. 
 
 Mrs. Bond had a little room in Mrs. Hard- 
 man's quarters, and from her larger experience 
 and fuller confidence in her husband, she was 
 the more hopeful of the two. 
 
 "Whatever has happened to Latimer, Peter 
 Bond will be sure to come back. He's the 
 honestest man alive, and he'd die before he'd 
 turn traitor," were her words.
 
 292 IN THE VAN 
 
 "That's true; but suppose the Yankees 
 'ave shot the men and cabbaged the boat?" 
 suggested her pessimistic friend. 
 
 'It might be," returned Mrs. Bond, tightly 
 drawing in her lips, " but the Bumble Bee wasn't 
 a fighting craft. Yankees might steal her, and 
 all she 'ad aboard, but it wouldn't be natural 
 for 'em to kill the men. They'll both turn up 
 sometime. I'll warrant that." 
 
 "She's just right," returned Private Hard- 
 man. "They may 'ave taken 'em prisoners 
 and looted the craft, but that's the worst that 
 could 'ave 'appened 'em." 
 
 "An' vat about de voman ?" asked Bateese, 
 who had just come down from Helen's cot- 
 tage. 
 
 "They'd set her free, and she's hanging 
 round till her ole man gets off," said Hard- 
 man. 
 
 "Mebbe," commented his wife. 
 
 ;< Yes, mebbe," said Hardman. 'They're 
 not dead anyway. The Corporal will come 
 back again in time, but Latimer and his wife 
 mayn't. Why should they? They're gone 
 three months. What 'ud be the use?" 
 
 "We'll miss the woman worst," said his 
 wife. "She's like one of ourselves. It's 
 too bad, when there's so few of us." 
 
 "If my man turns up I won't care much 
 about the rest," said Mrs. Bond. 'Though 
 I did hear Mrs. Manning say that if it hadn't 
 been for Latimer's wife, when she first come, 
 she didn't know what she would 'a done. But
 
 IN THE VAN 293 
 
 my! She had a sperit. She kep' the ole 
 fellow in his place I tell you." 
 
 " Vas she de boss ?" Bateese asked. 
 
 "Inside that little box cabin of hers she 
 was." 
 
 "What about the obeyin' bizness, as the 
 prayer book says ?" enquired Hardman. 
 
 "Inside he did the obeying outside, she 
 did." 
 
 "By Gar, dat's about vat it should be!" 
 exclaimed Bateese. "Now, my Emmiline 
 she boss me inside alvays. She say, ' Bateese, 
 you come here.' I come. 'You go dere.' I 
 come too. She say, 'Bateese, vous gar9on, 
 vat you make dat splash on de floor ? ' I say, 
 'Pardonnez moi, mon ami,' She say, 'All 
 right,' an' I don't make it no more. Den I go 
 outside and make splash all over eff I want to." 
 
 "And do you want to?" said Hardman. 
 For answer Bateese shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 "How is Emmiline to-night?" Mrs. Hard- 
 man asked. "I 'aven't seen her since morn- 
 
 "She be nice but I stay 'most too long- 
 she vant you to come and see her again right 
 away." 
 
 "And how is the boy?" 
 
 "Fine! Oh, mon fils, he beeg bouncing 
 garcon. Doctare say he weigh ten pound 
 an' he so goot he almost laff." 
 
 "Bateese, you're crazy." 
 
 "Veil! he open his eye and try to laugh 
 den cause he can't, he cry."
 
 294 IN THE VAN 
 
 And Bateese hurried off, after his long wait, 
 to tell Emmiline that Mrs. Hardman was 
 coming. 
 
 One Sunday morning several weeks later, 
 the Chaplain was waited on by Bateese. 
 Breakfast was over, and having arranged his 
 books and notes, he was putting on his sur- 
 plice in preparation for the service he was 
 about to nola in the barrack yard. 
 
 *~ -fc. * 
 
 "Good morning, Bateese," said the Chap- 
 lain. 
 
 "Goot mornin', Padre," replied the habi- 
 tant, pulling his forelock." 
 
 "What can I do for you?" 
 
 The exceeding gravity of Bateese's coun- 
 tenance made his mission very uncertain. 
 
 "Nothing wrong, I hope. Is Madame 
 Bateese well ?" 
 
 "Oui, oui, Padre." 
 
 "And that big bouncing boy of yours ?" 
 
 * Yes, he tres bien, Monsieur." 
 
 "Well, my man, I'm glad to hear it. Tell 
 me now what you want. You see I haven't 
 much time to lose. The men are gathering 
 for the service." 
 
 "Veil, Monsieur, it ess about de boy. 
 Ve call him George after de Colonel, and 
 Emil after me, and Emmiline want to have 
 him baptize, vat you call christen." 
 
 "I'll be glad to do it, but you are too late 
 for this service." 
 
 "Dat all right we don't vant no service 
 ve vant it done all by hisself."
 
 IN THE VAN 295 
 
 "But the Church does not baptize its 
 children that way. They are done in the 
 congregation before the people." 
 
 "But, Padre, me an' Emmiline goot Cat'- 
 liques. Ve no Engleese. Only no priest in 
 de troop and Emmiline go clean crazy if ve 
 no get it done. You know, Padre, ve loss our 
 dear petite babees. Ve no vant to loss dis 
 wan too." 
 
 "I see," said Mr. Evans. ; 'You want me 
 to christen the child privately." 
 
 ;< Yees, Padre." 
 
 "Well, bring him over to my quarters at 
 three o'clock and I will do it then." 
 
 "Bateese, while expressing his thanks for 
 the Chaplain's kindness, still appeared ner- 
 vous and stood twisting his hat as before. 
 
 "One more ting, Padre, Emmiline alvays 
 goot Cat'lique. Alvays go to church, alvays 
 count her beads at night. Veil she see de 
 cure" before she leave Kebec, and he say if 
 she ever have child again, an' leeve vere dere 
 is no priest she must burn holy candles and 
 have holy vater an' den some minister of 
 some oder church could baptize de boy all de 
 sam." 
 
 "And have you got the candles and the 
 holy water?" the Chaplain asked with a 
 smile. 
 
 "Oh, yees Emmiline bring everyting." 
 
 " So she got them from the priest six months 
 ago and brought them with her to celebrate the 
 christening."
 
 296 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Oui, Padre, she did." 
 
 "She's a good woman," returned the clergy- 
 man, laughing heartily, "and although its 
 against the rule to use noly water and candles 
 at a christening, tell her I will do my best 
 and shall baptize the boy as well as any priest 
 could do it in Quebec and to please her I 
 will use both." 
 
 A halo of light spread all over the little 
 Frenchman's face, and happy as a king he 
 hastened away to tell the good news to Emmi- 
 line. 
 
 So that Sunday afternoon was celebrated 
 the first christening among the troops at Pene- 
 tang. It was made memorable, too, in more 
 ways than one, for at the request of Emmiline, 
 Mrs. Manning acted as godmother, while in 
 honor of its priority and from the fact that 
 the child was named after himself, Sir George 
 accepted the position as godfather; both of 
 which events delighted not only the parents of 
 the child but the whole garrison as well.
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE first summer at Penetang was full of 
 new experiences for Helen. The fern- 
 nine loneliness was very trying, and if it 
 had not been that her hands and mind were 
 always busy working and planning, she would 
 have felt the solitude even more than she did. 
 The summer was half gone before the first 
 letters came; and the monotony of waiting 
 was broken only twice afterwards before the 
 season was over. Fortunately, however, they 
 never came singly, and each bore reading 
 again and again, before the succeeding budget 
 arrived. 
 
 The absence of congenial companionship of 
 her own sex was what she felt most keenly. 
 Still the presence of the little French woman, 
 Emmiline, gave a break to the monotony. 
 Her lively chatter whiled away many an hour; 
 and with little Emil came new life; for Helen 
 was deeply interested in the welfare of her 
 little godson. Possibly, also, the best sub- 
 stitute for an absent friend may be the pres- 
 ence of that friend's lover; and as Maud 
 Maxwell was the one who had expressed a 
 desire to be with her in her western home, she 
 longed for her the most. 
 
 After Dr. Beaumont made Helen his con- 
 
 207
 
 298 IN THE VAN 
 
 fidant, they had many long talks, and the more 
 they talked the more she became convinced 
 of his genuine devotion. One afternoon this 
 was particularly impressed upon her. It was 
 the otay of the regular drill, and she was seated 
 alone under an oak tree in front of her cottage, 
 re-reading one of her letters. Everything was 
 still around her, when being deeply absorbed, 
 she was startled by the approach of footsteps. 
 
 "I beg your pardon, Madam!" exclaimed 
 the Doctor. He had just returned with a 
 string of bass from the bay. "I am sorry if 
 I have disturbed you." 
 
 "Don't mention it," she replied with a smile. 
 "Everything was so still. why, what a catch 
 you have had!" 
 
 "They bite well to-day. Aren't they beau- 
 ties? Two of them will weigh three pounds 
 apiece. Why is it so quiet here ? Are all the 
 men away?" 
 
 "The soldiers, as you know, are drilling, and 
 the habitants are finishing the fallow." 
 
 "I thought it peculiar to find you entirely 
 alone." 
 
 "None but the women and the sentinels are 
 about." 
 
 "I saw you reading a letter," said Beau- 
 mont, laying his fish behind a log in the shade, 
 and taking a seat beside them. "Is it a new 
 one, may I ask?" 
 
 "No, I am sorry to say. I am foolish 
 enough to read all these old ones more than 
 once. '
 
 IN THE VAN 299 
 
 "More than once," he echoed. "Why, I 
 read mine every day, sometimes over and 
 over again." 
 
 'You extravagant man! You will wear 
 them all out before the next supply arrives." 
 
 "Ah, but I am careful!" he laughingly re- 
 plied, " and then I have only had two from her. 
 They both came with yours." 
 
 "I hope another will come soon," she re- 
 turned, following his wistful gaze over the 
 water. 
 
 "Oh, yes, mon ami," he cried passionately. 
 " Eight months since we left Halifax, and only 
 two letters." 
 
 "It is three since our first ones went over 
 the York trail, so we are sure to receive others 
 soon; and I know from the way Maud writes 
 she is interested in Penetang." 
 
 "Interest is one thing and love is another," 
 said the Doctor, dubiously. "If I felt sure 
 that the first would develop into the second, I 
 would praise the gods. But what is there to 
 make it possible ? A thousand miles between 
 us! I did not think an af/aire du cceur could 
 be so serious; but now I know it. When so 
 distant she may never care." 
 
 ; 'You do not know the ways of a woman's 
 heart, Doctor. She might not love you then, 
 but she loved no other; and before another 
 man could win her heart he would be weighed 
 in the balance with yourself. Although absent, 
 rest assured you are not forgotten." 
 
 "But to be remembered is not to be loved,"
 
 300 IN THE VAN 
 
 said Beaumont again, "and a present suitor 
 may win what an absent one has lost." 
 
 "Did it never strike you that distance itself 
 might fan the flame of love. My mother used 
 to say that * absence is the furnace in which 
 true love is tried ! It tries the man but it tries 
 the woman also." 
 
 "If absence has increased hers as it has 
 mine, I shall be more than satisfied," said the 
 Doctor. 
 
 "Something in you appealed to her, that I 
 know," said Helen. 
 
 "Ah! She is divine," cried Beaumont, 
 again becoming ecstatic. " I can never forget 
 
 "Did you never forget her?" asked Helen, 
 demurely. 
 
 "No, never." 
 
 "Not even when dancing at the Citadel with 
 Louise de Rochefort?" she asked mischiev- 
 ously. 
 
 Beaumont's face flushed. 
 
 "Pardonnez, Madam, that was a little 
 break an hour's amusement une petite 
 Mademoiselle of my own people, and in my 
 own old city! What harm? Surely you will 
 not ask a Frenchman to stand at one side and 
 allow all the beauty and elite sweep past him 
 in the gay valse without saying a word. No, 
 no, Madam, that would never do"; and he 
 finished by shaking his curls in a merry laugh. 
 
 "And you think vou are deeply, earnestly, 
 sincerely in love witn Maud ?"
 
 IN THE VAN 301 
 
 "I swear it. She is divine, I say. Her 
 glorious eyes, her ravishing beauty, her in- 
 flexible will, her exquisite soul, make me her 
 slave, and I cannot help myself. Madam, 
 I adore her. She is my patron saint, my 
 heavenly jewel on earth!" 
 
 'You deserve to win her," said Helen, 
 gravely. "Why not press your suit by letter 
 more strongly than you have ever done?" 
 
 "That I cannot do. I gave her my word 
 not to attempt it any more until I see her. Of 
 course I write; my letters are full of love. 
 Mon Dieu ! How can I help it ? But I am 
 never to ask her to be mine until I see her." 
 
 " In that case you must keep your promise, 
 and as a true woman she will think fall the 
 more of you. But there is one thing I^wanted 
 to ask. Have you anything to keep a wife 
 upon besides your salary as surgeon ? You 
 see how practical I am." 
 
 'Thank the Holy Virgin, I have. My 
 father left me independent of any income I 
 may receive from the army." 
 
 "One other point, Doctor. As your con- 
 fidant you must excuse my queries. How 
 can you, a Roman Catholic, expect so staunch 
 a Churchwoman as Maud Maxwell to consent 
 to be your wife?" 
 
 "Truly a serious question and one that I 
 have not forgotten, but do you know that 
 religion is much more to a woman than it is 
 to a man?" 
 
 "It ought not to be."
 
 302 IN THE VAN 
 
 "That is true, though I am sorry to say it 
 was not so in my mother's case. My father 
 was a French seigneur of Lower Canada and 
 a Catholic, while my mother was a Scotch 
 Presbyterian. Why she joined my father's 
 Church I could never tell, except that my 
 father was a dominant man, ana that there 
 was no Presbyterian church within fifty miles 
 of where we lived. Consequently, my brothers 
 and sisters and myself were all brought up in 
 the Catholic faith. What is more, Agatha, 
 my sister, being disappointed in love, entered 
 a cloister, and is now a nun in a Montreal 
 convent." 
 
 'That is sad." 
 
 "Perhaps it is. Yet I would not say a 
 word against the sisterhood or the Romish 
 Church. They are both maligned. But I 
 am sorry that my only sister, a bright and 
 beautiful girl, should be hopelessly consigned 
 to the life of the cloister." 
 
 "I appreciate your feelings, Doctor. But 
 will this influence your own future?" 
 
 "It may. A sensible man should look to 
 the future as well as the present. If Maud 
 Maxwell should ever become my wife, I 
 would never ask her to renounce her faith; 
 I might even be willing to espouse Protestant- 
 ism, for which so many of my mother's an- 
 cestors died." 
 
 "And if you don't marry Maud Maxwell?" 
 
 "There's the rub!" exclaimed the Doctor, 
 shrugging his shoulders. "I shall probably
 
 IN THE VAN 303 
 
 stay where I am, for as I said, religion is not 
 so much to a man I am broad enough to 
 believe that if a man lives up to the best that 
 is in him an upright and honorable life, 
 and acknowledges the eternal Fatherhood of 
 of God with Christ as his Saviour whether 
 he believes in the Blessed Virgin or not he 
 is all right. He can follow any creed he likes, 
 from the simple Quaker faith of New Eng- 
 land, right up to that of the great Roman 
 Church the mother of them all." 
 
 "I congratulate you on the breadth of your 
 creed, Doctor." 
 
 "A man's life is his creed." 
 
 "That will be in the doctrines of the future, 
 but it is not now, unfortunately," said Helen. 
 
 "Ah, hear the rifles, the target practice has 
 commenced." 
 
 'Yes, and it is time my fish were looked 
 after; bon jour, Madam," and he took them 
 off to the cookhouse at the officers' quart- 
 ers. 
 
 In a few minutes Sir George and Captain 
 Cummings came up from the target field, 
 leaving the other officers in charge; and as 
 Helen had not yet returned to her cottage, 
 they joined her. 
 
 And how goes the shooting, gentlemen?" 
 she asked, looking at the Colonel. 
 
 " Oh, bravely !" returned Sir George. " Your 
 husband is one of the best shots among the 
 officers. They all take a round at it, you 
 know."
 
 304 IN THE VAN 
 
 "What of Lieutenant Smith? Some one 
 told me he was a capital shot." 
 
 "So he is, the best in the regiment." 
 
 "Hurrah for the two lieutenants!" ex- 
 claimed Helen, with a laugh. "What of 
 your own success, Captain Cummings?" 
 
 "I don't profess to be an expert," he replied 
 evasively; ' if an officer keeps his men up to 
 the mark, he adequately fills the bill Smith 
 and Manning have both done excellently, 
 though." 
 
 Cummings was smiling serenely, but there 
 was an accentuation in his words that grated 
 on Helen's ear. 
 
 "Do you know, my dear?" said Sir George, 
 turning towards her, "that our Fort will be 
 ready in a week, and that we must have a 
 grand opening to do honor to the occasion?" 
 
 "With torchlight procession, grand ball and 
 finest orchestra of the season?" suggested 
 Helen. 
 
 ; *Yes, more than that. We expect every 
 lady within fifty miles at least to accept our 
 invitation." 
 
 "F faith, that will be fine"; but her anima- 
 tion was gone. There was dew upon her 
 eyelids. 
 
 "I was joking," exclaimed the Colonel, 
 "pray forgive. It is solitary enough for you 
 now, but it won't bej^for long. 'Twill be 
 better by-and-bye." 
 
 "Please excuse myjfoolishness," returned 
 Helen, bravelyjteeping back the tears, "but
 
 IN THE VAN 305 
 
 do you really mean to open the Fort then?" 
 
 'Yes, and joking aside, we intend to cele- 
 brate it with all eclat possible, and we want 
 you to do what you can to assist us." 
 
 ' You may rest assured of that, Sir George," 
 she replied, "however little that may be." 
 
 " And I take this opportunity," he continued, 
 swinging off his helmet with a graceful bow, 
 "to invite the first Lady of the land to be my 
 partner at the opening quadrille?" 
 
 Helen had conquered her emotion and, 
 although amazed, was equal to the occasion. 
 With a sweeping courtesy, she replied: 
 
 'Your request is granted, sire." Although 
 what in the world he could mean by such an 
 invitation she could scarcely imagine. 
 
 Captain Cummings gave the Colonel a 
 sharp glance and bit his lip. Helen noticed 
 it and so did the senior officer. 
 
 20
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 TWO afternoons later Helen went with the 
 women Bond and Hardman to gather 
 blackberries, which were ripening in rich 
 profusion upon bushes scattered along the 
 southern border of a copse of hemlock. The 
 women had been gathering the fruit for days, 
 and on this occasion Helen had arranged to 
 go with them. For a while all laughed and 
 chatted and picked the berries side by side ; but 
 as the good patches became more scattered, 
 they drifted apart, each working on in silence. 
 
 Helen's pail was almost full, and she was 
 on the point of hailing her companions to 
 return to the garrison, when the report of a 
 gun in the adjacent woods startled her. There 
 was a tramping, a rustling, a dividing of the 
 bushes, and the huntsman appeared. 
 
 'This is a surprise! I hope my shot did 
 not frighten you,' exclaimed Captain Cum- 
 mings, who carried a brace of partridges in 
 one hand and his fowling-piece in the other. 
 " I had no idea that there was anyone so near. 
 It was lucky that I was not shooting in this 
 direction." 
 
 " I am as much surprised as you are," replied 
 Helen. " I thought all the officers were in 
 consultation this afternoon at the island." 
 
 " Oh, yes! we gathered together for an hour. 
 
 306
 
 IN THE VAN 307 
 
 Sir George wanted to discuss the arrangement 
 of the guns and port-holes of the magazine. 
 Then some of us were detailed to duty; 
 Lieutenant Manning to the men at the bridge, 
 Captain Payne to planting the guns, Smith 
 to the fort works, and myself, for a wonder, 
 for an hour's sport. Don't you think I'm 
 doing pretty well for an amateur ? This bird 
 was not by any means near, yet I took his head 
 clean off." 
 
 Helen acquiesced. She had not forgotten 
 the conversation of the previous day, but was 
 gathering herself together, while thoughts in- 
 numerable chased each other through her 
 mind. 
 
 'That magazine block-house will be a 
 credit to Captain Payne," she commented. 
 "Its timbers are so large and square and 
 smooth. One would think they should last 
 a century." 
 
 "So they will. The funny point about the 
 little island, just now, is the presence of 
 Indians at one end, while the buildng of the 
 citadel is going on at the other." 
 
 "But the Indians are friendly." 
 
 'Yes, and the chief has the reputation of 
 being as great a warrior as his daughter, 
 Little Moon, has of being a beauty. Some 
 of our men are wild over her." 
 
 "I wish they would leave Little Moon 
 alone!" exclaimed Helen, angrily. "She is a 
 sweet girl, and I sincerely hope she has sense 
 enough to keep them in their place."
 
 308 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I am sure she has," returned Cummings, 
 with a laugh. " It would not be safe for any 
 of them to trifle with his daughter's affections 
 while Chief Nenimkee is around. But one 
 of the fellows is in genuine earnest, and has 
 already asked the Colonel if he could make 
 her his wife." 
 
 "Who is that, pray?" 
 
 "Oh, that handsome young Irishman, Pat- 
 rick O'Neil." 
 
 "Did Sir George grant his request?" 
 
 'Yes, conditionally, on good behavior dur- 
 ing the next two months, coupled with the 
 consent of the chief." 
 
 "And what about Little Moon herself? 
 Does she care for him?" 
 
 "I think she does, but she is a proud girl, 
 and will need winning a part of the bargain 
 Pat is ready for." 
 
 " My pail is full now," said Helen. "Will you 
 call the women, Captain ? It is time to return." 
 
 "Wait a moment, please," said Cummings. 
 
 Helen turned a questioning look toward 
 him. Again she met that peculiar expression 
 in his eyes which she had seen so often. It was 
 furtive yet piercing, and gave her a little thrill. 
 
 "I just want to talk with you a moment," 
 he said lightly. "I so rarely get a chance 
 that I feel like thanking my stars when one 
 does come in my way." 
 
 "Well, what is it?" she asked, reverting her 
 gaze to the women, and regretting to herself 
 that they were nearer to the Fort than she was.
 
 IN THE VAN 309 
 
 "In the first place," he said with another 
 laugh, "I wouldn't bother the women about 
 the pail. I can carry it myself until we catch 
 up to them. And in the next, why do you 
 always take me so seriously? What have I 
 done to offend you ? I am the captain of 
 your husband's company, yet apart from Sir 
 George, with whom I often see you chatting, 
 you talk with the Doctor, or the Chaplain, or 
 Captain Payne, or even Lieutenant Smith, on 
 the freest terms, while you almost avoid my- 
 self. Come, Madam," he exclaimed, with 
 a forced attempt at gaiety, "give an account 
 of yourself." 
 
 Helen felt those piercing black eyes fixed 
 upon her, although she was not looking in his 
 face, while a soothing, dreamy influence seem- 
 ed to be stealing down from her brain over her 
 body and limbs, which required all her strength 
 of will to resist. 
 
 "Well," she replied, with a supreme effort 
 to control herself and keep her eyes from 
 involuntarily meeting his. * In the first place, 
 I am picking berries to assist the women, and 
 must insist upon them taking charge of my pail. 
 In the second place, I am perfectly aware that 
 you are the captain, and that my husband is 
 only the lieutenant, but I have never had the 
 slightest desire to be discourteous to you. It 
 would be unreasonable for me to be so." 
 
 " Nevertheless, by my faith, you might have 
 been kinder," he returned, with a deep modu- 
 lation in tone, that was much akin to his look.
 
 310 IN THE VAN 
 
 "I am sorry if I have not been." There 
 was a slight tremor in her voice. "But I am 
 sure the officers should not expect too much 
 from the only lady among them." 
 
 "Do not mistake me, my dear Mrs. Man- 
 ning," were his next words, in the same deep 
 undertone. "Give me, I beseech you, an 
 equal chance with the rest, and I shall be 
 more than satisfied." 
 
 Helen could scarcely control herself. His 
 manner and bearing, some inner potentiality, 
 were producing an agitation upon her that 
 would have been impossible from the words 
 only. 
 
 Gummings saw this and was satisfied, and 
 to add gratitude to the other effects of the 
 interview, he waved for the women to join 
 them. They had been expecting the signal 
 for some time and hastened to obey, but were 
 too far off to have any idea of what was 
 passing between Captain Cummings and the 
 sweet lady whom they all loved. 
 
 " Mrs. Manning wants you to carry her pail 
 of fruit," he explained to them. " It is very full 
 and she is tired. Good-bye, Madam," he con- 
 tinued, again lifting his hat. "I want to get 
 another brace before I return if I can." 
 
 In another minute he had disappeared. 
 
 Helen's face was calm again, although her 
 heart thumped wildly, and forcing herself to 
 speak to the women, she talked to them about 
 the berries.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 TO Helen Captain Cummings was an 
 enigma. She could not understand him, 
 and in search of a solution her mind 
 persistently returned to the interview in the 
 woods, and the conversation that passed be- 
 tween them. The more she thought of it, 
 however, the more convinced did she become 
 that there was truth in the Captain's conten- 
 tion, and the question of exhibiting equal 
 cordiality in her relations with the officers of 
 the garrison presented itself to her mind in a 
 new light. Possibly, she had been less im- 
 partial than the conditions called for, and if 
 so she was willing to make amends. 
 
 Yet there was another side to the question: 
 the other officers were spontaneous and candid 
 in their dealings with her, while obscurity and 
 indefiniteness always seemed to have been im- 
 pelling forces with Cummings. There was 
 something in his actions and manners that 
 she coula not comprehend. Still, the fault 
 might be in herself. All men were not open- 
 minded; and with a desire to be just, she 
 determined to conquer, if she could, that 
 peculiar nervous tension which his presence 
 when alone with her always produced. 
 
 There are things which every true woman 
 
 311
 
 31S IN THE VAN 
 
 fights out for herself. As a complete entity, 
 she does her own thinking, unguided and 
 unaided, revealing her inmost thoughts to 
 none. Helen told Harold of the shot she 
 heard in the woods, and of Cummings' appear- 
 ance immediately afterwards in the berry 
 patch beside her even of his offer to carry 
 tier pail and then of his return to the woods 
 to resume his shooting. But, paradoxical 
 as it may seem, she said nothing of the real 
 nature of her difficulty with Cummings. Of 
 mental impressions received, she alone had 
 the record. Then why sow distrust between 
 her husband and the Captain ? No good 
 could possibly come of it. So unless matters 
 became worse, she would refrain from letting 
 him, as she still refrained from showing him 
 her diary. 
 
 In a few more days, amid general rejoicing, 
 the stone Fort was ready for occupation. Or- 
 der out of chaos had come at last, and it 
 presented a fine appearance on that memor- 
 able first of October, when its wide door was 
 thrown open for the first time to admit its 
 future occupants. Above the roof the Union 
 Jack unfurled before the breeze, while the 
 bugle boy, with shrill piping, summoned all 
 officers and men to join in the celebration. 
 
 Here and there around the building were 
 little groups of soldiers, while the Indians had 
 gathered in front of the Fort to see how 
 white men conducted themselves on occasions 
 like this.
 
 IN THE VAN 313 
 
 Early in the day, the last of the goods from 
 Helen's house and the officers' quarters were 
 carried in and arranged, for it had been 
 decided by the Colonel that she must be 
 queen of the citadel from the first, so when 
 three o'clock arrived, and Sir George took 
 his place on a little stand in front of the Fort 
 to address the people, everything was in order, 
 and loud and prolonged cheers greeted him. 
 
 "Officers and men of the 100th, French- 
 Canadians and Indian brothers," he com- 
 menced. "We may all congratulate ourselves 
 on the progress made since we came to Pene- 
 tang. You have done your best. You have 
 worked with a will, and we have every reason 
 to be satisfied with what we have accomplished. 
 Right through the summer we have had com- 
 fortable quarters to live and sleep in, and 
 now through the management of Captain 
 Payne, after six months of working and wait- 
 ing, we open our garrison our little stone 
 castle of which every one of us is proud. Here 
 we have a home for the officers of our troops, 
 and the upper storey, when supplied with 
 arms and ammunition, will enable us to 
 defend our harbor against any foe who may 
 dare to invade us. As you know, too, to 
 strengthen our position we have built a bridge 
 across to the island. On that island stands 
 our newly erected magazine, armed with the 
 cannon which we dragged through the woods 
 all the way from Halifax and over that little 
 magazine floats our country's flag (loud cheers) .
 
 314 IN THE VAN 
 
 " Right in front of me, too, I am glad to see 
 so many of the warriors of the Ojibway tribe. 
 To their brave chief Nenimkee we owe much. 
 I would have them remember that the white 
 men never forget their red brothers, and the 
 Great Father across the sea thinks of them 
 still. When word was sent to him of the 
 death of the brave Tecumseh, the Prince of 
 the Six Nations, while fighting the battles of 
 the King, the command came back: 'Build 
 me a ship at Penetang; make its masts strong; 
 let its timbers be of the best woods of the 
 forest; let its braces be of the toughest iron; 
 let its cords be of the purest hemp, and its 
 sails of the finest flax. Then it shall be man- 
 ned with the guns that I will send you, and 
 it shall be called by the name of the mightiest 
 of all warriors, Tecumseh." 
 
 A wild yell filled the air, every Indian 
 bounded off his feet, and for a few moments 
 the terrific war-whoop of the O jib ways deaf- 
 ened the ears of the astonished listeners. The 
 unexpected announcement was only under- 
 stood by the chief and a few of his men, but 
 the effect upon them was magical. They 
 forgot their accustomed reserve, and in the 
 excitement of the moment showed their appre- 
 ciation by a note, the most intense thatfthey 
 could utter, and every other Indian took the 
 utterance as the command of his chief. Quiet, 
 however, soon returned, and Sir George con- 
 cluded his speech. 
 
 "In the name of the Great Father," he
 
 IN THE VAN 315 
 
 continued, " I thank our red brothers for their 
 approval. A ship will be commenced very 
 soon. Captain Payne will build it, and next 
 summer it will be launched." 
 
 "Of one other thing I would remind our 
 officers and men. A sweet lady, whom you 
 have all learned to love, will be mistress of 
 our castle, and I know you will treat her 
 with that courtesy and kindness which she so 
 richly deserves. She will adorn the office 
 with grace and dignity, and it will be our 
 pleasure to make her life happy, and to show 
 our appreciation of her bravery in so willingly 
 casting in her lot with her husband and our- 
 selves." 
 
 Again the applause was long and loud, and 
 in this even the Indians joined. 
 
 Night came. A score of candles lit up the 
 white timbers of the entrance chamber of the 
 Fort. All the ladies within fifty miles of 
 Penetang had honored the Colonel's invitation 
 by a kindly acceptance, but they numbered 
 only one. 
 
 Painted wooden chairs, imported by Indian 
 trail from Little York, stood around the walls 
 of the room, and the oaken table, hewn out of 
 wood from the forest, and covered with damask 
 from England, had been lifted to another 
 room to clear the floor for the opening quad- 
 rille. 
 
 The bugle boy, who had played his violin 
 for years in the old land across the sea, had
 
 316 IN THE VAN 
 
 brought it with him, and with his old boots 
 polished and buttons shining, stood ready to 
 play again; while officers in full regimentals 
 were chatting over the event, awaiting the 
 entrance of the lady who was to adorn their 
 citadel. 
 
 f But Harold and Helen, in their own little 
 room, were slow in coming. The former had 
 finished his toilet and was affectionately fast- 
 ening a necklet of pearls around his wife's neck. 
 
 "I am sorry you are so nervous, dear," 
 he said, noticing that her hand trembled. 
 
 "How can I help it, Harold?" she asked. 
 "It is no light ordeal to be the only lady, and 
 Sir George tells me he wants to open the Fort 
 in the old English fashion with a quadrille." 
 
 "If you cannot bear it, darling, I will ask 
 him to omit the dance." 
 
 "Oh, no, not for the world! I will be all 
 right after we start. How do I look?" 
 
 "Just as you are the dearest and sweetest 
 woman that ever lived," was his answer, as he 
 pressed upon her lips a passionate kiss. 
 PJ Helen threw her arms around his neck, and 
 something like a sob broke the stillness, but 
 it was only for a moment. 
 
 "I am better now," she said, looking up 
 with a smile. A couple of glittering tears 
 were hanging between her lashes, but he 
 kissed them away. 
 
 As Helen and Harold entered the large 
 room, all the gentlemen arose. But there 
 were only seven in the whole company the
 
 IN THE VAN 317 
 
 two lieutenants, the two captains, the doctor, 
 the chaplain and the commander of all. 
 
 Sir George was attired with rigid punctili- 
 ousness, as though attending a ball at St. 
 James. A massive gold chain, which he 
 rarely wore, encircled his shoulders above his 
 epaulets, while medals presented by his Sov- 
 ereign, for services in eastern wars, adorned 
 his breast. With the gallantry of an old 
 courtier he bowed to Helen and offered his arm. 
 
 "Permit me to have the honor," he said, 
 and accepting his escort, together they walked 
 around the room. 
 
 "Our pictures have not yet arrived," he 
 continued gaily. ; 'You know our London 
 artists are slow coaches, and I will have to 
 prod them to their duty when I get over 
 there." 
 
 "That will be very kind," said Helen, with 
 glistening eyes. "But just now we are very 
 glad to get the white walls without the pic- 
 tures." 
 
 "Very true," was his comment. "Even 
 glorious old Rome was not built in a day; 
 but I will not forget. Gentlemen," he con- 
 tinued, with a bright smile around the room, 
 "choose your partners for the opening quad- 
 rille of Penetang." 
 
 Immediately the officers took their places. 
 It had been prearranged. Captain Cummings 
 and the Chaplain were their vis-a-vis; the 
 Doctor and Harold to their right; Captain 
 Payne and Lieutenant Smith to their left.
 
 318 IN THE VAN 
 
 The twang of the violin was the signal for 
 the first step, and with their hands on their 
 hearts the gentlemen bowed to their ladies 
 fair. Soon a ripple of laughter went around 
 the room, and Helen was herself again. 
 
 Since meeting Captain Cummings in the 
 beny patch she had been careful to be cordial 
 with him, and this evening was particularly 
 gracious. As his vis-a-vis, she smiled up in 
 his face as he took her hand, and did her best 
 to meet his piercing look of admiration with- 
 out shrinking. Perhaps it was in recognition 
 that he pressed hers, retaining it for a moment. 
 Then, with stately dignity, following the ex- 
 ample of Sir George, they stepped through 
 the figures of the dance. 
 
 But it was soon over and, leading Helen to 
 the best seat in the room, Sir George exclaimed : 
 
 "Now I declare the Fort duly opened for 
 the honor and defence of our King and 
 country." 
 
 "And let all the people say 'Amen'!" cried 
 the Chaplain. 
 
 And a chorus of "Amens" echoed through 
 the room. 
 
 A couple of games of whist followed, and 
 songs were sung by Helen and Dr. Beaumont. 
 Then they had coffee and cake, and a glass 
 or two of old Madeira. But by midnight the 
 revelries were over, and the opening of the 
 Fort which for so many years overlooked the 
 bay of Penetang, was successfully concluded. 
 
 After all was over, some of the men went
 
 IN THE VAN 319 
 
 out for a smoke before turning in for the 
 night, while Helen and Harold retired to their 
 own room, but Lieutenant Smith, the accurate 
 shot, the daring soldier, the interested observer, 
 wandered away by himself. Since Helen's 
 care for him when wounded in the beginning 
 of the long march, he had cherished an almost 
 filial affection for her, and the events of the 
 past months had not been unnoticed by him. 
 
 Moodily, he wandered down to the water's 
 edge and away along the shore. 
 
 "She's an angel on earth," he muttered to 
 himself, "and he's a miserable hound. I 
 wonder her husband don't see it. By my 
 faith, I'll not forget her goodness to me, and 
 rather than see her wronged, I'll call him out 
 whatever comes of it." 
 
 The young man stopped speaking, but went 
 thundering along the shore, as if to stifle the 
 anger he could with difficulty repress. By- 
 and-bye he quieted down and turned to walk 
 home again, but the muttering came back 
 and was bound to have its say. 
 
 "The devil of it is," he soliloquized, "Cum- 
 mings is to be the captain of the Fort, of 
 higher rank than Manning, while both are to 
 live under the one roof; but never mind, Tom 
 Smith, keep your eyes open, and remember 
 that truth and rignt are high as heaven." 
 Then, whistling softly to himself, he went in 
 to pass his first night with the rest of the 
 officers in the new Fort.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 BY November the war was over in Canada, 
 and the declaration of peace heralded 
 far and wide. Moreover, it was whis- 
 pered among officers and men at Penetang 
 that Sir George would soon be leaving them, 
 and that the wet earth, due to the fall rains, 
 was the chief cause of his delay. He had, in 
 fact, received orders to transfer himself and 
 body-guard over land to Little York as soon 
 as the road was favorable for the march. 
 
 This matter, however, he kept for a time 
 to himself. In some things he consulted his 
 staff before acting, while in others, perhaps 
 equally important, he kept his own counsel. 
 It was this trait in his character that gave 
 him the reputation of possessing a bit of the 
 will of the Iron Duke. Possibly for the same 
 reason he had been chosen to lead the mid- 
 winter march to Penetang. Hence the offi- 
 cers of his staff rarely questioned him con- 
 cerning his plans for trie future; although the 
 talked among themselves pretty freely about 
 any prospective change. 
 
 In the meantime Helen did her best to fill 
 her position to the satisfaction of all at the 
 new Fort. Sometimes the strain was very 
 severe upon her, notwithstanding the kindness 
 
 320
 
 IN THE VAN 321 
 
 and courtesy of the men. In this regard 
 Cummings surpassed them all. He hovered 
 around longer, was the first to come and often 
 the last to go ; would read her thoughts, forestall 
 her actions, and often, when unobserved, that 
 piercing look of his would appear for a mo- 
 ment. Still, agitation would not have time to 
 occur, as with bow and smile he would pass on. 
 
 Gradually the aversion which Helen felt for 
 him became less poignant. Yet, as the weeks 
 followed each other in quick succession, she 
 felt more and more unhappy. 
 
 Harold was much concerned about her, 
 and dreading the approach of illness desired 
 her to consult the Doctor; but she only laughed, 
 and declared that it was the extra duty of 
 being Lady Bountiful that was wearing upon 
 her, and that when winter arrived, she would 
 be well and strong again. 
 
 Sir George also watched her keenly. In a 
 bantering way he often tried to read her 
 thoughts, but his efforts usually ended in the 
 relation of some amusing tale to make her 
 laugh and forget. 
 
 But Sir George was not the only observer. 
 Lieutenant Smith had his eyes open, and at 
 last, seizing an opportunity when alone with 
 the Colonel, he decided to have his say. 
 
 "May I have a private talk with you this 
 morning, Sir George?" he asked, with some 
 trepidation. It was a bold thing to interview 
 his superior officer upon such a subject 
 and this he well knew. 
 
 21
 
 322 IN THE VAN 
 
 The Colonel gave him a keen glance for a 
 moment before he answered : 
 
 "Yes, but not until noon. This morning 
 I want you to summon all the officers to my 
 room immediately after drill. I have some- 
 thing important to communicate." 
 
 There was much speculation among them 
 during the next hour or two, and punctually 
 at twelve o'clock they were all present. 
 
 Sir George cast his eye over each as he 
 entered. 
 
 " Gentlemen," he said in a decisive tone, as 
 he took his seat, "the time has come when 
 it is advisable to make a change in our arrange- 
 ments here. I find that to carry out orders 
 from England it will not be necessary to main- 
 tain quite so large a force at Penetang. The 
 war is over. We have not had any fighting 
 since we arrived, and a smaller body of men 
 will be sufficient to man our garrison. It 
 must be remembered also, that one of the 
 main objects to which Penetang will be de- 
 voted will be ship-building for the lake service. 
 Our engineer, Captain Payne, will require to 
 remain, and in the coming year his force will 
 be increased. But as our garrison is now in a 
 satisfactory condition, we can afford to part 
 with some of our men without in any way 
 sacrificing its interests. After thinking the 
 matter out carefully, I have finally decided to 
 leave the Fort under the command of Captain 
 Payne. The rest of the officers will remain 
 with him, with the exception of Captain Cum-
 
 IN THE VAN 323 
 
 mings, who, with fifty men, will accompany 
 me by trail to Little York, and from there to 
 Montreal. Weather being favorable, we shall 
 march in three days." 
 
 "Egad, sir!" exclaimed Captain Cummings, 
 "I always understood that I was to have 
 command of the Fort whenever you left. Why 
 so sudden a change?" 
 
 "I have already explained," said the Col- 
 onel, coldly. "The movements of a body of 
 infantry are never regulated by cast iron rules, 
 neither are those of its officers." 
 
 "Can no change be made, sir?" said Cum- 
 mings, his face flushed and angry. "I would 
 much rather remain and do what I can for the 
 growth of the place than go east again." 
 
 "My orders are decisive," said the Colonel, 
 rising to his feet, indicating that the conference 
 was over. "In three days everything must 
 be ready for the march of fifty men under 
 the command of Captain Cummings for Little 
 York, now known as Toronto. I shall also 
 march with the company. As many details 
 have to be attended to, all officers will require 
 to assist at once in carrying out the arrange- 
 ments." 
 
 In a very few minutes Sir George was 
 alone in his room. He folded his papers, put 
 them away and, opening the door, said to 
 Emmiline : 
 
 "Tell Mrs. Manning that I wish to speak 
 with her." 
 
 Helen soon appeared. She suspected noth-
 
 324 IN THE VAN 
 
 ing of what had occurred. Still, her eyes 
 were bloodshot. She had been weeping. 
 
 "My child," said the Colonel, taking her 
 hand. "Come into my room for a moment." 
 As he closed the door, she looked up into his 
 face with questioning surprise. 
 
 14 You are a brave girl," he said, "and if 
 you were my own daughter I should be proud 
 of you; but there are some things even you 
 cannot bear. As you know, I have decided to 
 place the care of the Fort in younger hands, 
 but I am not going away alone. Captain Cum- 
 mings will return to the east with me." 
 
 "Oh, thank God, thank God!" she ex- 
 claimed with a sob, and unable to restrain her 
 feelings any longer, her face flooded with tears. 
 
 "Hoity, toity, my dear. I didn't expect all 
 this," cried tne Colonel in distress. "If I 
 had known things had come to such a pass 
 I would have sent the rascal away long ago." 
 
 With a strong effort Helen controlled herself. 
 
 "Oh, do not mention it again, please," she 
 pleaded, "or his name either. Harold even 
 does not know it. I just thought it was 
 something I had to bear, but it was killing 
 me. How can I ever thank you enough?" 
 
 For answer the good old Colonel stooped 
 down and kissed the weeping woman. 
 
 Three days later, the fifty men with Sir George 
 and Captain Cummings at their head started 
 for Toronto. Adienx were said, but somehow 
 Lieutenant Smith did not find it necessary 
 to have his conference with the Colonel.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 IT was a beautiful day in the autumn when 
 the frigate Beaver passed McNab Island 
 and sailed up the long harbor to Halifax. 
 Wonderful tints of the forest, from russet brown 
 through red, orange and yellow, to the dark 
 green of the juniper, stretched out beyond 
 the little city, while orchard trees laden with 
 fruit, pasture lands cropped by the cows, and 
 stubble fields still golden from the harvest, 
 added zest to the outlook of the tired soldiers 
 coming home from the war. 
 
 On the deck of the frigate sat Captain 
 Morris, surrounded by a number of men. 
 The sick, the wounded, the well, were there; 
 but they numbered all told scarcely a third 
 of the force that went out hale and buoyant 
 for the conflict only a few months before. 
 
 It had been heralded that the Halifax 
 column was returning, and people gathered 
 at the dock to welcome them as they neared 
 the landing. Among the little groups of red- 
 coats standing close together many a face was 
 recognized, and when Captain Morris, aided 
 by a subaltern, rose to iris feet, the whole 
 company were greeted with an enthusiastic 
 cheer. 
 
 "Another for Captain Morris," called out 
 
 325
 
 326 IN THE VAN 
 
 a soldier fresh from the Citadel. And they 
 gave it. 
 
 "A tiger," was the next shout. 
 J^Again the yell was loud and long. This 
 time the Captain, with long beard and hag- 
 
 fard face, limped forward, and with his left 
 and raised his helmet in acknowledgment. 
 
 "It is good to have you home again," said 
 Colonel Mason, whose carriage was waiting 
 for him. "You've lost in flesh, Morris, but, 
 egad, you've got it back in glory." 
 
 "How many of my men are dead, though," 
 returned Morris, with a ghastly smile, "and 
 the poor devils who were wounded. See 
 yonder man with both legs shot off by a 
 cannon ball, and the two at the side there, 
 each minus an arm." 
 
 "True enough," said Mason. "I'd rather 
 be shot off the face of the earth than maimed 
 as that poor fellow is. But it's been rough 
 on yourself, Captain." 
 
 "I was lucky to get off as well as I did," 
 said Morris, more cheerily. "A month or 
 two's rest and a sea voyage will do wonders 
 for a man." 
 
 "Are you going so soon?" 
 
 "It won't be long." 
 
 That afternoon the Misses Maxwell called 
 to see him. Maud wanted to postpone the 
 visit to the following day, but Eugenia insisted 
 that it was the right thing to do, and she would 
 go alone, if Maud would not accompany her. 
 
 "You have written to him twice," she said,
 
 IN THE VAN 327 
 
 decisively, " and as a friend, if nothing more, 
 it would be heartless to defer the visit." 
 
 Colonel and Mrs. Mason were with him 
 when the young ladies were announced. They 
 were both shocked at his attenuated form, 
 although heightened color improved his ap- 
 pearance for the moment. 
 
 "You will excuse my rising," he said, as 
 they shook hands. "The doctors tell me that 
 this pitiable limb of mine should not be moved 
 more often than I can help. I am a sorry 
 scarecrow, too, and a left-handed one at that. ' 
 
 "We are glad you are home again, and in 
 Mrs. Mason's care," said Maud. Her voice 
 trembled and her face flushed, for his thin 
 fingers held her hand tightly. 
 
 "We'll feed him on the fat of the land," 
 said Mrs. Mason, who had the reputation of 
 being an excellent purveyor for the sick. 
 
 "Captain Morris deserves all we can do 
 for him," echoed the Colonel, with a smile, 
 " and what is more, I have it on good authority 
 that his name will appear in the next issue of 
 the Gazette" 
 
 At this moment there was a rap on the door 
 and the maid handed in a paper. 
 
 "Here it is," said the Colonel, adjusting 
 his spectacles. "First on the list of promo- 
 tions 'To the rank of Major, Albert Edward 
 Morris, of C Company, of the - th Royals, 
 for distinguished bravery in the Anglo- Ameri- 
 can campaign." 
 
 "This is news to me," was Morris' comment.
 
 388 IN THE VAN 
 
 Maud's eyes flashed, but they were looking 
 out of the window and not at him. 
 
 But the Major made slow progress toward 
 recovery. The diversity and extent of his 
 wounds prevented rapid healing, and Christ- 
 mas was long past before the pain and the 
 limp were gone. By March, however, he 
 was well again. Even the cicatrix on his 
 scalp was invisible, for his hair was made to 
 cover it. Then he commenced to visit his 
 friends as of old, and there was no house in 
 Halifax that he went to more frequently, or 
 in which he was more welcome than that of 
 Judge Maxwell. 
 
 That he was a devoted admirer of Maud 
 the whole family knew, but their progress as 
 lovers did not seem to be rapid. At least so 
 thought Eugenia. 
 
 "You have no heart," she said to Maud one 
 day, indignantly. ;< You know that he loves 
 you, and yet you never give him an oppor- 
 tunity to declare himself." 
 
 "If he desires he can surely make one," 
 returned Maud, "but he is too wise for that. 
 What is the use of doing useless things?" 
 "Do you mean you really do not care for him?" 
 
 "Caring is not loving." 
 
 "You might say the same of Dr. Beaumont, 
 and yet you correspond?" 
 
 "But I gave him a promise 
 
 "That you would not become engaged to 
 anyone for a year," interrupted her sister.
 
 IN THE VAN 329 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "That year expired months ago. You are 
 free now to do as you please." 
 
 ; 'Yes, and free to remain as I am. Is it 
 not my own affair?" 
 
 Eugenia looked perplexed. 
 
 "But has Dr. Beaumont pressed his suit in 
 his recent letters?" she asked. 
 
 "He certainly has not. He is biding his 
 time, nothing more." 
 
 "Surpassing his time, you mean. If in 
 earnest he should have been here before now, 
 or at least have given good reason for delay." 
 
 "Don't be absurd, Eugenia, I did not say 
 he hadn't given a reason." 
 
 "Well, reason or no reason, Major Morris 
 is the better man of the two a brave soldier 
 a gallant officer beloved by his men of fine 
 old family a good Churchman and owner 
 of a beautiful estate. Goodness gracious! 
 what has Dr. Beaumont to show in com- 
 parison with Major Morris as an eligible 
 match?" 
 
 " My dearest sister, you might be a schem- 
 ing mamma, selling off your daughter to the 
 highest bidder!" exclaimed Maud, with a 
 laugh. ; 'Pon my word, though, it must be 
 something else. Has Dr. Fairchilds so tied 
 you up that you are afraid another medico 
 might do the same with me ? Would the 
 double 'Vis Medicatrix,' as they call it, be 
 too much for us, altogether? Is that the 
 issue?"
 
 330 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Don't be unreasonable, Maud. You 
 acknowledge that there is nothing serious be- 
 tween you and Beaumont. He's a thousand 
 miles away, living in a little garrison in the 
 woods without prospect of change. Major 
 Morris, on the other hand, is right here, and, 
 although devoted to you, will be ordered home 
 again on one of the first ships. Now is an 
 opportunity for you that will never occur 
 again." 
 
 "It is a serious question," said Maud, once 
 more becoming grave. "When is your mar- 
 riage to take place? I have forgotten the 
 exact date." 
 
 'The last Thursday in May." 
 
 "I doubt very much if the companies of 
 the nth Royals will sail before then. There 
 is still time enough, and rest assured, Genie, 
 I despise a woman who willingly entangles a 
 man in order to throw him overboard." 
 
 'The very thing you are doing, though." 
 
 "Genie, you are unjust to me." 
 
 "The deed may not be wilful but the end is 
 the same," persisted her sister. 
 
 And Major Morris did not remit his atten- 
 tions. Being off duty he frequently doffed his 
 uniform and appeared at the Judge's in laced 
 coat, knee breeches and silk stockings. Some- 
 times he had a spicy bit of news to relate, a 
 story from the camp, or an item from over the 
 sea. It was always interesting. He did not 
 often find Maud alone; and he soon discover- 
 ed that he succeeded better in strengthening
 
 IN THE VAN 331 
 
 her regard by not being too exclusive in his 
 attentions. 
 
 He knew well that he had a rival; and 
 although a touch of jealousy might have been 
 the real cause of his retention of that letter 
 until reaching Lundy's Lane, for he suspected 
 that there was another one inside; yet, he 
 was too true a gentleman to make unwarrant- 
 ed capital at the expense of the absent lover. 
 If he could honorably win her hand and heart, 
 and carry Maud back to England on his return 
 voyage as his wife, he would be the happiest 
 man alive; but to accomplish this by attempt- 
 ing to weaken her regard for Beaumont, was 
 not in his line. He must make her affection 
 for himself grow stronger. That was all. 
 
 When both he and Beaumont were away 
 from Halifax, honors were easy, and each 
 could strive alike. But actual presence gave 
 him the advantage, and if he could not succeed 
 in winning her love fairly, now that he had the 
 field to himself, Morris felt that he deserved 
 to be vanquished. 
 
 Men do not die of broken hearts, however. 
 The wound may be deep, but in time it will 
 heal ; and he was willing to abide by the truth 
 of his philosophy. 
 
 "What luxuriant tulips, Miss Maud!" said 
 the Major. This time he found her alone, 
 
 gathering them from a bed by the lilacs in 
 er garden. 
 
 xes," she said, laughingly. "They stand 
 shoulder to shoulder like soldiers on a battle-
 
 332 IN THE VAN 
 
 field. You see how ruthlessly I am slaying 
 them." 
 
 "Scarcely that," was his comment; "you 
 are simply carrying off the wounded." 
 
 "Ah! ' she said, shaking her head; "but 
 how many of the wounded will live?" 
 
 "All of them; judging by your habit, they 
 will simply die a natural death." 
 
 "How do you make that out?" she asked, 
 looking up quickly. 
 
 "Simply, that by putting them in water in 
 the shade, as is your custom, the flowers will 
 live as long as when left on their stems in the 
 garden." 
 
 "Have you found the philosopher's stone 
 yet ?" she questioned with an arch look. 
 
 "No," he replied, "only the observer's; 
 but have you heard the latest news ? It only 
 came an hour ago." 
 
 "No, what is it, please?" 
 
 "Sir George Head, who has been stationed 
 with the men in Montreal all winter, will be 
 here in a week; and, with what remains of the 
 nth Royals, will sail at once for England." 
 
 The announcement dropped very quietly 
 from the Captain's lips, pregnant though it 
 was with so much to himself. Maud started 
 and turned pale. The mention of Sir George 
 and the Captain's company in the same 
 breath, placed the Doctor and the Major in a 
 relationship that she had heretofore declined 
 to realize. Something seemed imminent, she 
 hardly knew what.
 
 IN THE VAN 533 
 
 "Which means that you will go with him," 
 she said at last avoiding his eye. 
 
 'Yes, Miss Maud, that is what it means; 
 and besides the gruesome and terrible things 
 that have happened, the beautiful and happy 
 days I have spent in Halifax will be at an 
 end." 
 
 "If the gruesome things have surpassed 
 the pleasant ones, you will rejoice when all 
 is over," said Maud gently, regaining her 
 self-control. "In such case I know I should." 
 
 "Women are different from men," was his 
 comment. "Perhaps men do not balance 
 things so clearly. With us I fear every ex- 
 perience of life stands alone. The terrible 
 reality of the slaying of a thousand men in a 
 night may be one thing; but the presence of a 
 single thread of sunshine which enthralls you 
 and penetrates your whole being is another." 
 
 'You are very poetic as well as practical, 
 Major Morris, and I think you are right," 
 said Maud, determined not to understand 
 him. " What you say of the soldiers is terribly 
 sad; but about the sunshine, we have many 
 threads of sunshine here. I was born in 
 Halifax and never even crossed the ocean ; but 
 from all I hear we have five times as much sun- 
 shine in Nova Scotia as you have in England." 
 
 "Egad! I suspect you are right," was his 
 answer, as she went off in a little ripple of 
 laughter, her cheeks aglow with color. "It 
 must be the sunlight that freshens your beauty 
 and puts that damask upon your skin."
 
 334 IN THE VAN 
 
 "Now you flatter. But 'pon my word it is 
 a good thing. It makes you brown as a berry 
 in March, red as a rose in June, and blue as a 
 plum in November." 
 
 "I thought it was the wind that did the 
 first as well as the last," he said, watching her 
 ever-changing face. 
 
 "It helps," she replied demurely. "But 
 Old Sol always does his share." 
 
 "Well," he said dryly, "in my case the 
 order will have to be changed. I expect to 
 go into the plum business in June." 
 
 "It is said to be a very fine industry," she 
 said, looking downwards and pulling the petals 
 from the twig of lilac that she nad broken from 
 a neighboring bush; "but in all conscience, 
 I always thought you army men looked down 
 upon trade." 
 
 "No, indeed," he returned, smiling broadly, 
 as he took in the humor of the situation. * I 
 don't believe in looking down upon any honest 
 calling, even raising plums." 
 
 And they both went off in a peal of laughter, 
 though before she was through, Maud's eye- 
 lids glistened with tears.
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 O he thinks that a flower severed from 
 the soil and placed in the shade will 
 flourish as well as in its native sun- 
 light," Maud mused after he went away that 
 morning. "Had he a special meaning I 
 wonder? and about balances, his words 
 contained one sure enough. What is that 
 English home of his like, anyway? And his 
 people, sedate and punctilious, just as my 
 mother says hers were ? No wonder he talked 
 about the shade. They say over there it 
 rains seventy days and shines seven. If I had 
 let him he would have asked me to give up our 
 glorious sunshine again. Ah, me, life is a 
 funny problem anyway ! There's the east and 
 the west, and here I am in the middle. Gad- 
 zooks ! as my father would say, I wish I knew 
 what to do. I suppose the Doctor will be 
 coming back soon to buy new clothes of 
 course! Funny, how he took me at my word 
 when I set him down last year. Since then, 
 although endearing enough, he never talks out 
 and out of love waiting till he comes, I sup- 
 pose and not very definite upon that either. 
 Perhaps some dusKy maiden in the west may 
 yet steal the young man's heart away. What 
 of Little Moon, the Ojibway chief's daughter, 
 
 335
 
 336 IN THE VAN 
 
 that he raved about in one of his letters ? 
 Pshaw! She would never suit Beaumont! 
 Well! I like Major Morris with his English 
 drawl, his bravery, his knee breeches, and his 
 shade out of sunlight. And I like Dr. Beau- 
 mont with his passion, his Mon Dieu's, his 
 life in the glorious west, and his controlled 
 faithfulness. But by my faith, do I love 
 either well enough for marriage ? Ah, there's 
 the rub, Maud Maxwell! What a little minx 
 you are anyway, not to know your own mind 
 better than that!" 
 
 Impatiently she tossed off her hat and fin- 
 ished fixing her tulips. But she did it with 
 unusual care that morning, and an hour after- 
 wards her mother said she never saw them so 
 beautifully arranged before. 
 
 The preparation for Eugenia's wedding 
 monopolized the long hours during those May 
 days; and Maud did not have much time for 
 thought. There were clothes to select, gowns 
 'to make, milliners and dressmakers to see, 
 boots and gloves fresh from England to be ex- 
 amined and selected with a connoisseur's eye ; 
 and in all Maud did her part. 
 
 Eugenia, too, had set her heart on seeing her 
 sister marry the Major, and having settled all 
 the preliminaries of her own nuptials in her 
 own decided and placid way, sne was pre- 
 pared during the little time that remained to 
 devote herself to furthering her sister's inter- 
 ests. Hence, instead of retreating to a quiet 
 corner each evening with her lover, the Major
 
 IN THE VAN 337 
 
 and Maud invariably made two of her party; 
 and so intense was Dr. Fairchilds' devotion, 
 that anything that Genie suggested immedi- 
 ately became law. 
 
 In the evenings they played whist, or visited 
 the Art Loan Exhibition, which the good 
 people of Halifax had got up for the benefit 
 of the orphans and widows of Canadian 
 soldiers. Or they went to the music hall to 
 see amateur artists, officers of the garrison, 
 and the young people of Halifax, perform in 
 the name of the same good cause. And so 
 each evening the four inseparables were 
 almost invariably together. 
 
 Maud enjoyed it too, for the Major's visits 
 would soon be over; and by judicious fencing 
 she succeeded in parrying anything like a direct 
 declaration again. Each night she went to bed 
 thankful that the end had not yet come; and 
 yet suspicious of what the future day might 
 bring to pass. 
 
 One evening, however, fortune favored 
 Morris. He had gotten himself up with 
 elaborate care, for this was the last night they 
 could devote to whist; and probably the last 
 evening that he would be off duty, for Sir 
 George's ship had been sighted and would be 
 in harbor that night. 
 
 "It grieves me to disappoint you," said 
 Maud, after the usual greeting. 'My sister 
 and Dr. Fairchilds are out driving. They 
 expected to be back early, but a messenger 
 has just arrived with the news that the Doctor 
 22
 
 338 IN THE VAN 
 
 was detained professionally on account of an 
 accident, and it will be impossible for them to 
 return for an hour yet." 
 
 " Ah! I am sorry for ourselves as well as the 
 injured," said the Major, smiling. "But can 
 we not utilize the time ? Just the chance for 
 a talk, the very thing that I have been praying 
 the gods to grant us this long time." 
 
 "I did not know that your prayers were so 
 earnest," she laughingly returned, as she picked 
 up a trifle of needlewok to help her thoughts 
 run smoothly. 
 
 ;< Yes, and I must speak again," he contin- 
 ued. "We can be serious as well as jolly." 
 
 "My dear Major!" exclaimed Maud with a 
 light laugh. "We have the jolliest talks every 
 time we meet. Don't talk of seriousness, 
 please." 
 
 "One cannot be merry forever," was his 
 answer. 
 
 "Genie says we should always pursue the 
 even tenor of our way," was her quick response. 
 " So I propose that while I use my needle you 
 read aloud either 'Young's Night Thoughts,' 
 or Gray's Elegy,' as a tonic to our gaiety.' 
 
 "Not a bad idea," said the Major, picking 
 up a book at random. "Perhaps this will do 
 as well." 
 
 And he commenced to read Burns's sonnet : 
 
 " 'Oh, wad some power the Gifty gie us 
 
 To see ourselves as ithers see us.' ' 
 "That's just it," interrupted Maud. "Now 
 I'll express your sentiments with which I en-
 
 IN THE VAN 339 
 
 tirely agree. "She's a rollicking, jolly girl, 
 full of dash and nonsense, doesn't care a fig 
 for anybody; as for falling in love, that's im- 
 possible, for she hasn't a heart any bigger 
 than a chipmunk.' How will that do for a 
 commencement ?" 
 
 "Only fairly well. Pray go on." 
 
 A spark of fire flashed from her eyes as she 
 continued : 
 
 ' ' She's got the crazy idea that she lives in 
 a glorious country, where the sun shines ten 
 months in the year, and she'd rather die an 
 old maid in it than go to another one for all 
 the wealth of Ind." 
 
 "How eloquent you are!" he said, stroking 
 his moustache over compressed lips and look- 
 ing toward the ceiling. " Should my rendition 
 come next?" 
 
 "That would be delightful!" she exclaimed, 
 clapping her hands in well-assumed mirth. 
 'You tell me what I think of you, which will 
 be your own sentiment of yourself." 
 
 "Well," he said reflectively, "he's an arrant 
 fool, filled with the old-fashioned notion that 
 men were brave and women true that love 
 nestled in the heart of every woman, and that 
 it only required the right man and the right 
 place to make it blossom as the rose. He 
 fondly imagined that old England was the 
 Queen of the Seas, and that her homes were 
 the freest, the fairest, the loveliest in the 
 wide world, and he dreamed of wooing and 
 winning a fair damsel with flashing eyes, gen-
 
 340 IN THE VAN 
 
 erous impulses, daring heart, and making her 
 the wife of his bosom, the goddess of his love, 
 the mistress of his home in the mansion and 
 groves of his forefathers. But he was a daft 
 and silly wight, and didn't know what he was 
 doing." 
 
 What answer Maud would have made to 
 the flowing speech it is difficult to tell, but 
 there was a rap at the outer door, a hurrying 
 along the hall and a mingling of voices that 
 riveted her attention. 
 
 "An officer wants to see you, Miss Maud," 
 said the maid. 
 
 "Show him in, Catharine," was her aston- 
 ished answer, for the hour was already late. 
 
 "Dr. Beaumont!" she exclaimed, with flush- 
 ed face, as she quickly rose to meet him. 
 
 "Maud Maxwell," was his only answer, as 
 he grasped her hand in both of his, and looked 
 down into the face that was ever near him, 
 and of which he had dreamed so often. 
 
 In another moment she remembered that 
 thev were not alone. 
 
 * Major Morris Dr. Beaumont"; and the 
 two men clasped hands. Morris' expression 
 was one of honest but pained surprise; Beau- 
 mont's, one of pleasure that needed no ques- 
 tioning. Maud's eyes told him that he was 
 welcome. That was enough. 
 
 The Doctor's old regimentals had stood 
 long and hard service, while his face was 
 bronzed with travel and his hair unkempt. 
 Still Maud thought as he stood in careless
 
 IN THE VAN 341 
 
 attitude, so different from the dapper young 
 man of long ago that he was handsomer than 
 ever. The contrast with the Major was mark- 
 ed. His clean-cut features, lace coat and silk 
 stockings would have ornamented a drawing- 
 room in London; while anyone could see that 
 Beaumont had been a denizen of the woods. 
 
 He might have waited until his tailor had 
 made him new again, but he would not; and 
 with the wild freedom that the west had given, 
 must be taken for himself, or not at all. 
 Standing there, quick as a flash, he had taken 
 a fresh grasp of life and knew his bearings. 
 
 The two men met again as old friends. 
 
 "I am proud of you, Morris," said the 
 Doctor. "Slow as news travels in the west, 
 word came at last, and your name was in 
 everybody's mouth." 
 
 "Thank you," said the Major, forcing a 
 smile. "But it's an old story now. When 
 did you arrive?" 
 
 "Less than an hour ago. As luck would 
 have it, I reached Quebec just as Sir George 
 Head was leaving for Halifax on the North 
 King." 
 
 "The ship he came out on with the 100th 
 Regiment," said Maud. 
 
 ' Yes," said Beaumont, "and he returns 
 home to England on the same vessel." 
 
 "It will surprise the people here as much 
 as your arrival," said Maud. "Did no one 
 know you were coming?" 
 
 "No one in Halifax knew until I landed,"
 
 342 IN THE VAN 
 
 said the Doctor. "My opportunities were so 
 uncertain that I took advantage of the first 
 one that offered." 
 
 "And who is looking after your patients 
 while you are away?" the Major asked. 
 
 "Oh, we don't have many! It is a healthy 
 place, and as luck would have it, Dr. Sparling, 
 of Little York, came over the trail with a 
 party of friends, so the officers being willing, 
 I persuaded him to take my place for a couple 
 of months, and here I am." 
 
 "How delightful!" said Maud, "and what 
 of the brave, devoted Mrs. Manning?" 
 
 "She's the queen of our colony, loved by 
 everyone; the same forever. And I must not 
 forget, she sent her warmest love to you, and 
 with it this letter." 
 
 "I will write her to-morrow, and tell her 
 how well you have delivered her message." 
 
 "Well, I'm glad to see you, Beaumont," 
 said the Major, rising and extending his hand. 
 "I shall be at the old quarters for a day or 
 two yet, but it will not be for long, as my 
 company sails with Sir George when he leaves 
 for the east. But come and see me any time, 
 and welcome until then." 
 
 Maud accompanied him to the door. He 
 took her hand without a word, and for a mo- 
 ment their eyes met. 
 
 "Believe me," she said earnestly, "I did 
 not know it." 
 
 "I do believe you," he replied in a low 
 voice, "but what of my faith in women ?"
 
 IN THE VAN 343 
 
 "Surely you have not lost it?" she said, 
 grasping his hand in both of hers, and looking 
 earnestly into his eyes. 
 
 " What else can one do ? Wounds of the 
 flesh are nothing, but what of the heart the 
 spirit of the man?" 
 
 "I am sorry," she spoke in a still lower 
 tone, and her voice trembled. "But you will 
 not give way. Your soul is as brave as your 
 heart is, and you will live to love and win a 
 woman more worthy of you far than I could 
 ever be." 
 
 Suddenly, he threw his arm around her, 
 pressed a kiss upon her cheek, and was gone.
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 A LUMP rose in Maud's throat, and a 
 spasm crossed her features as she closed 
 the door. Then she stopped to put a 
 tray in order, making a noise in getting it 
 even. It took her more than a minute to 
 arrange it properly, but when she entered the 
 parlor again her face was as though nothing 
 nad happened. 
 
 For a moment Beaumont looked at her 
 keenly, but her features told no tale. The 
 human heart is inscrutable, and a true woman 
 never tells everything, even to her dearest. 
 So, hidden in Maud's bosom was a little story 
 of man's devotion, which ever after remained 
 unspoken, and unforgotten, too. 
 
 Beaumont bowed over her hand and led her 
 to a seat again. 
 
 "For months and months I have longed for 
 this hour," he said. "Even after I started, 
 three weeks of a journey seemed almost like 
 years; but now that I see you, I know that I 
 nave not come in vain." 
 
 "Please don't talk in that way," said Maud, 
 with a half -frightened look in her face. " Speak 
 of anything, but not of that to-night." 
 
 'Mon Dieu! Surely I am not wrong?" 
 
 "Oh, something else, just for to-night," 
 
 344
 
 IN THE VAN 345 
 
 she pleaded. "You came so unexpectedly, 
 without a moment's warning," and then she 
 added archly, " You expect too much, sir, you 
 must remember that I am the same Maud 
 Maxwell that I was a year ago." 
 
 "Mon ami, forgive me!" he exclaimed, 
 penitently. " I will do whatever you say." 
 
 And tney talked of many things, but chiefly 
 of Penetang, of the journey to York by trail, 
 then by schooner to the St. Lawrence, down 
 the rapids in a rowboat, guided by Indians, to 
 Montreal; schooner again to Quebec, and 
 then on the North King with Sir George. 
 
 "The dear old Colonel! I quite learned 
 to love him through Mrs. Manning's letters," 
 s'aid Maud. 
 
 "He's a brave commander, as well as gal- 
 lant gentleman," returned the Doctor, "and 
 we missed him terribly after he left. Still, 
 our Fort was established, and taking fifty men 
 away from the new quarters gave the rest 
 more room." 
 
 "The winter would be the hardest upon 
 you," said Maud. 
 
 "On the whole, we did well though. The 
 frost was keen but we learned how to meet 
 it, and another winter we'll be better pre- 
 pared." 
 
 "How did you secure supplies ?" she asked. 
 'You are so far away from the east." 
 
 "They were brought chiefly by trail from 
 Little York, except fish and game, which our 
 own men always secured."
 
 346 IN THE VAN 
 
 "It must be the hunter's paradise," said 
 Maud, enthusiastically. 
 
 "The whole northern country is like a 
 preserve/' replied Beaumont, keenly watching 
 her animated face. " When you come to Pene- 
 tang you, too, must learn to follow the chase." 
 
 "Oh, what became of Corporal Bond?" 
 she suddenly asked. "Did he ever return?" 
 
 ; 'Yes, he came back at last. Latimer's 
 craft was captured by an American gunboat 
 when entering the St. Clair River, and every- 
 thing was overhauled. Corporal Bond was 
 retained a prisoner until the war was over, 
 while Latimer, who declared himself to be an 
 American, was allowed with his wife to go 
 free and keep the boat." 
 
 "Under what plea did they retain the Cor- 
 poral?" Maud asked. 
 
 "On the ground that they knew he was an 
 English soldier, notwithstanding his plain 
 clothes. Still, they treated him well, and 
 after the treaty was declared, gave him a pass 
 to Little York." 
 
 "There would be great rejoicing when his 
 wife met him again." 
 
 "Yes; and there was throughout the gar- 
 rison, for Bond is a genuine soldier." 
 
 "One other thing I want to ask. It is 
 about the pretty little Indian maiden you 
 wrote of so charmingly." 
 
 " Oh, Little Moon is now a soldier's wife- 
 growing contented and civilized in a little 
 cottage which the two have to themselves."
 
 IN THE VAN 347 
 
 "How romantic!" 
 
 They chatted for a while longer. Then they 
 parted but her last words were like her first : 
 
 "Not to-night not to-night you must wait 
 until to-morrow." 
 
 Three days later the white wings of the 
 North King unfurled as they swept out to 
 sea. Good old Sir George had come and 
 gone. On the bridge beside him stood the 
 Major, whose brave face, kindly eyes and 
 compressed lips told of nothing but the brave 
 and gallant officer. Silently they watched the 
 receding shore. 
 
 "Another chapter of life closed," said Sir 
 George at last; "though full of story, it will 
 never be opened to me again." 
 
 'Yours was a chapter worth living," said 
 Morris. : ' You have founded a fort and estab- 
 lished a colony, which will go on growing, and 
 may last forever." 
 
 The Colonel shook his head. 
 
 "Simply my duty," was his answer. "And 
 what will become of the place in the end, God 
 only knows. So far as military fame is con- 
 cerned, you beat my record. That fight at 
 Lundy's Lane was the turning point in the war, 
 and your valor there is too well known to be 
 forgotten." 
 
 "Pshaw, Colonel! I was only one of the 
 many. Every man did his duty, and with all 
 that, the bloody horror of it takes away the 
 glory."
 
 348 IN THE VAN 
 
 "We'll turn the leaf down, anyway," said 
 the Colonel, wheeling around and looking out 
 to sea. "Now, blow ye winds for Old Eng- 
 land, where wife and children await with 
 eagerness the old man's return." 
 
 " Oh, yes," assented Morris, "and I don't 
 think my dear old mother has forgotten her 
 soldier boy." 
 
 By night the shore was out of sight, for the 
 wind was from the west and they were far out 
 at sea. 
 
 The good town of Halifax was not by any 
 means dull during those closing days of May, 
 in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight 
 hundred and fifteen, for the double wedding 
 was in everybody's mouth. Judge Maxwell's 
 daughters were both to be married on the same 
 day. 
 
 The bell of the little English church rang 
 merrily out on that bridal morning, and for 
 hours before the ceremony fair maids were 
 decorating with spring flowers and evergreens 
 the aisles and chancel ; for never before had 
 the marriage of two sisters been celebrated 
 within its walls at the one time. 
 
 Major Morris, though now far out at sea, 
 had not forgotten the brides, for that very 
 morning was delivered to each a little package 
 bearing his name. Eugenia's gift was a re- 
 splendent ornament of sapphire and gold, 
 which enriched the beauty of her golden hair. 
 But Maud's, though less brilliant in its setting,
 
 IN THE VAN 349 
 
 was more unique. She was alone when she 
 unpacked the parcel and read the enclosed 
 note. It ran thus: 
 
 "Miss Maud. I do not expect to see you 
 again; but as I leave, there is something you 
 can do for me. I desire you to accept with 
 my sincerest wishes this little necklace as a 
 token of my love. It was made of jewels of 
 India in the days of Clive. It bears a noble 
 and honorable history, and I know by your 
 acceptance, its record will go on untarnished. 
 God bless you! Farewell." 
 
 Without looking at the costly trinket, Maud 
 with glistening eyes read and re-read the 
 words. Then she kissed them passionately 
 over and over again. Another moment was 
 spent in thought but only a moment, for 
 time was precious then with decisive hand 
 she tore the little letter into a thousand frag- 
 ments and dropped them into the open grate.. 
 
 Beneath the letter was a card containing 
 the congratulations of the donor. Then she 
 picked up the dainty little gift. It was a 
 beautiful circlet of jewels and golden beads, 
 with carved clasps of wonderful formation. 
 In the centre was a large translucent opal, 
 and as Maud looked into its silent depths, 
 she fancied she could read its hidden history 
 through the long generations of the past. 
 
 For a few minutes before leaving for church 
 Beaumont was with her. 
 
 "See," she said, as she handed him the 
 card and necklet, "I have something^else
 
 350 IN THE VAN 
 
 to show you. It is a pretty little thing that 
 came this morning. May I wear it?" 
 
 "Certainly, my darling. How unique it is! 
 Mon Dieu ! Where could it come from ? 
 Possibly from the banks of the Nile. May- 
 hap from India. How very handsome it is! 
 Morris was always a good fellow. Pity he 
 couldn't have stayed for our wedding." 
 
 "Pity, indeed," said Maud, contemplat- 
 ively, as the bridegroom fastened the jewels 
 about her neck. 
 
 Six weeks later there was rejoicing at Pene- 
 tang. The Doctor had overstepped his time, 
 but as he brought his winsome bride with him, 
 the locum tenens, as well as the garrison, were 
 willing to forgive. They had come out with 
 tourists from York, and Maud, for the first 
 time in her life, had the satisfaction of camp- 
 ing for a couple of summer nights in the 
 woods. 
 
 The experience of this western trip was full 
 of joy for her, and with the eagerness which 
 was part of her nature, she looked for new 
 pleasure in each day's journey. Beaumont 
 had told her the wolf story in which Helen 
 and Harold were the heroes of the hour, and 
 during the second night from York, while 
 the wolves were howling in the distance, she 
 lay awake for awhile actually longing for a 
 similar experience. 
 
 Of all the. denizens of that little northern 
 garrison none yearned for Maud's arrival as
 
 IN THE VAN 351 
 
 did Helen Manning, and when the two women 
 met they stood for minutes in a long and close 
 embrace, while tears ran down their faces. 
 'This is foolishness," said Helen. 
 
 "Is it?" said Maud. 
 
 "But how good of you to come." 
 
 "Of Henri to bring me." 
 * Yes, you both deserve credit," said Helen, 
 laughing laughter and tears are very near 
 akin "but how could he help it, when Har- 
 old set him so good an example?" 
 
 "I once told you I would go to the ends of 
 the world with a man if I loved him just 
 like yourself." 
 
 " So that is your reason. A very good one, 
 too." 
 
 'Yes, I came first for my husband, second 
 for you, dear, and third," her eyes flashed as 
 she looked around, "well, for the people of 
 Penetang." 
 
 Then they all clapped hands and laughed, 
 settling her place forever in the hearts of the 
 little community. 
 
 The afternoon's sun was nearing the horizon, 
 and the little bay lay before them surrounded 
 by trees of wondrous tints a thing of beauty. 
 
 "Oh, how delightful!" exclaimed Maud; 
 " and this is to be my home a veritable 
 fairyland." 
 
 "We will make it one for you if we can," 
 returned Helen, with a bright smile. 
 
 Maud's eyes wandered quickly over the 
 quaint buildings which already stood here and
 
 352 IN THE VAN 
 
 there upon upland and shore, until finally 
 they rested upon the island. 
 
 And what is that little white house stand- 
 ing among the trees?" she asked. 
 
 'That is our magazine," said Harold, who 
 stood hand in hand with his wife. 'The 
 little citadel that guards our bay." 
 
 "And that scaffolding down at the water's 
 edge. It looks as if they were putting up the 
 masts of a ship." 
 
 "So we are," said Captain Payne. 'The 
 war is over, and we may never have to fight 
 again, but in memory of a great chief and 
 brave warrior, we are building the Tecumseh" 
 
 "And you see that pretty cottage," said 
 Beaumont, gently taking his wife's arm and 
 pointing towards it. 'That is our own little 
 home. La bonne madame has made it ready 
 for us. Won't you come to it, darling; you 
 need a rest." 
 
 "Yes, Henri, I shall be glad to; I am very 
 happy, but very tired."
 
 '""" 
 
 _ " 
 
 OOQ
 
 I