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The Seaforth News, 1941-09-11, Page 6PAGE SIX THE S " +ORTH N]WS THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 1941 The Item laughed, for in her eyes art- her uncle; and he was cooly arrang- ifice in war wits oftener a merit ing some fishing tackle at no great than a crime.. but rhe was too true to distance from the fire. The woman was just entering her own hut; and this accounted for the whole party. Mabel now, affecting to have dropp- ed something, returned nearly to the hut she had left, warbling an air, stooped as if to pick up some object trona the ground and hurried to- wards the hut June had mentioned. This was a dilapidated structure and it had been converted by the sold- iers of the last detachment Into a sort of storehouse for their live stock. Among other things, it con- tained a few dozer pigeons, which were regaling on a pile of wheat that had been brought oft' from one of the farms plundered on the Can- ada shore, Mabel had not much dif- ficulty in catching one of these pig- eons, although they fluttered and ilew about the hut with a noise like that of drums; and, concealing it in her dress, she stole back to her own hut with the prize. It was empty, and without doing more than east a glance in at the door, the eager girl hurried down to the shore. She had no difficulty in escaping observation for the trees and bushes made a .her tribe herself to say more than the occasion required. Her object Wee to save Mabel, and Mabel -only; and site •saw no sufficient reason for "travell- ing out of the record." ae the lawyers express in. order to do anything else. Pale -face know now" she added. •1Biac'khouse good 'for girl, no matter • for• Wren and warriors." "But it much matter with me,, -June: for one -of these men is my un- cle, whom I lave. and the other, are • my countrymen and Trends. I mast e ' them what has a:ed." June i to he k ' returns.: the ii ..d Io,li.,n quietly, it t;;aer- ic e ., :e •,vith eon;ern. No .. ;hall not !a tiro. you Itiye heen 1iere. must he ,:on the'r <u.:r d. rind rye can a':; go into the !Cd .rase.' 1t .ea head kora. sec everything„ and ?nate he kill. Tune come to tell paling tg pare are friend, nnt :" tef. Wren. Every warrior watch hip own salt, _lane woman. and te:1 woman: no tell men." Mabel was greatly distressed at this declaration of her wild friend complete cover to her person, At the for it was now evident the young canoe she found June, who took the cornscreature understood that her co- pigeon, placed it in a basket of her munication was to go no further. own manufacturing, and repeating She was ignorant how far these the words, "blockhouse good, she people consider the point of honor glided out of the bushes and across interested in her keeping the secret; the narrow passage as noiselessly as and most of all was she unable to she had come. Mabel waited some say how far any indiscretion of her time to catch a signal of leave-tak- own might actually commit June and ing or amity after her friend had endanger her life All these eonsid- landed, but none was given. The ad- erations flashed on her mind, and jacent islands, without exception, reflection only rendered their inti- were as quiet as if no one had ever hence more painful. June, too, man- disturbed the sublime repose of na- ifestly viewed the matter gravely; tare, and nowhere could any sign or for she began to gather up the dif- symrptom be discovered, as Mabel ferent little articles she had dropped then thought, that might denote the in taking Mabel's hand, and was proximity of the sort of danger of preparing to depart. To attempt de- which June had given notice. taining her was out of the question On returning however, from the and to part from her, after all she shore Mabel was struck with a little had hazarded to serve her, was re- circumetance, that, in an ordinary ptignant to all the just and kind feelings of our heroine's nature. • "June," she ;aid eagerly, folding her arms round the gentle but un- educated thing, "we are friends. From nee you have nothing to fear, for no one shall know of your visit. If you could give me some signal just before the danger comes, some ign by which to know when to go into the blockhouse, how to take care of myself." June paused, for she had been in earnest in her intention to depart; and then she said quietly. Bring Jane pigeon." "Next hut; bring old one; June go to eanoe." "1 think I understand you, June; bat had I- not better lead you back to the bushes, lest you meet some of the men?" no "Go out first, count on, one, two, three. four, five, sox" --here Jane held up her fingers and laugh- ed—"all out of the •way—good; all belt one, call him one side, Then sing erad fetch pigeon." Mabel smiled at the, readiness and ingenuity of the girl, and prepared to execute her requests. At the door however she stopped, and looked back entreatingly at the Indian wo- men. "Is there no hope of your tell- ing. me• more, June?" she said. ••Know all -now, blockhouse :rood, pigeon tell, Arrowhead kill." The lest .words sufficed; •foe Mabel could aot urge further communications, '.hen her companion herself told her that the penalty of .her rsvelatione might be death by the hand of lies, husband. Throwing epee -tire• door, she made a sign of adieu to June and went out of the hut. Mabel resorted - to the simple expedient of the youngn Indra girl to ascertain the situa- tion of the different individuals of the island. Instead of looking about her with the intention of recogniz- ing faces and dresses, she merely counted them; and found that three still remained at the fire, while two - had gone to the boat, one of whom was Mr. Muir. The sixth man was situation would have attracted no attention, but which now that her suspicions had been aroused, did not pass her uneasy eye unnoticed. A small piece of red bunting, such as is used in the ensigns of ships, was fluttering at the lower branch of a small tree, fastened in a way to per- mit it to blow out, or to droop like a vessel's pennant. Now that Mabel's fears were awakened, June herself could not have manifested greater quickness in analyzing facts that she believed might affect the safety of the party. She saw at a glance that this bit of cloth could be observed from an ad- jacent island; that it lay so near the line between her own hut and the canoe as to have no doubt that June had passed near it, if not directly under it; and that it might be a sig- nal to communicate some important fact connected with the mock. of at- tack to those who were probably ly- ing in ambush near them. Tearing the little strip of bunting from the tree, Mabel hastened an, scarcely knowing what her duty next requir- ed of her. June might be faire to her, but her manner, her looks, her affection, and her disposition as Mabel had known it in the journey, forbade the idea. Then came the al- lusion to Arrowhead's admiration of the pale -face beauties, some dim re- collections of the looks of the Tus- carora, and a painful consciousness that few wives could view with. kindness one who had estranged a husband's affeetions, None of these images were distinct and clear, but they rather gleamed over the mind of our heroine than rested in ib and they quickened her pulses, as they did her step, without bringing ing with then the prompt and clear de- cisions that usually followed her re- flections, She hacl hurried onwards towards the hut occupied by the sol- dier's wife, inntending to remove at once. to the blockhouse with the wo- man, though she could persuade no other to follow, when her impatient walk was interrupted by the voice of 'Muir.. "Whither so fast, pretty Mabel-" he cried; "and why so given to soli- tude? The worthy Sergeant will deride my breeding, if he hear that his daughter passes the mornings alone and unattended to, though he well knows it is my ardent wish to be her slave and companion from the beginning of the year to its end." "Surely, Mr. Muir, you must have some authority here?" Mabel sud- denly arrested her steps to say. "One of your rank would be listen- ed to, at least, by a corporal?" '•I don't know that, I don't know that," interrupted Muir, with an impatience and appearance of alarm that might have excited Mabel's at- tention at another moment. "Com- mand is command; discipline, dis- cipline; and authority, authority. Your good father would be sore grieved did he find me interfering to sully or carry off the laurels he is about to win; and I cannot 'com- mand the Corporal without equally commanding the Sergeant The wis- est way will be for me to remain in the obscurity of a private individual in this enterprise; and it is eo that all parties, from Lundie clown, und- erstand the transaction." "This I know, and it may be well, nor would I give my dear father any rause of complaint; but you May influence the Corporal to his owns good." "I'll no' say that," returned Muir in his sly Scotch way; "it would be far safer to promise to influence him to his injury. Mankind, pretty Mabel, have their peculiarities; anti to influence a fellow -being to his , own good is one of the most difli- cult tasks of human nature, while the opposite is just the easiest. You'll no' forget this, my dear, but bear it in mind for your edification and government. But what is that your twisting round your slender finger as you may be said to twist hearts?" "It is nothing but a bit of cloth —a sort of flag—a trifle that is hardly worth our attention at this grave moment, If—' "A trifle! It's no' so trifling as ye may imagine, Mistress Mabel," taking the bit of bunting from her, and stretching it at full length with both his arms extended, while his face grew grave and his eye watch- ful. "Yell no' ha' been finding this. Mabel Dunham, in the breakfast?" Mabel simply acquainted him with the spot where and the manner in which she had found the bit of cloth. While she was speaking, the eye of the Quartermaster was not quiet for a moment, glancing from the rag to the face of our heroine, then back again to the rag. That his suspicions were awakened was easy to be seen, nor was he long in let- ting it be known what direction they had taken, "We are not in a part of the world where our ensigns and gaucis ought to be spread abroad to the wind, Mabel Dunham!" he said, with an ominous shake of the head. "I thought as much myself, Mr. Muir, and brought away the little flag lest it might be the means of betraying our presence here to the enemy, even though nothing is in- tended by its display Ought not my uncle to be made acquainted with the circumstance?' 'I no' see the necessity for that, pretty Mabel; for, as you just say, it is a circumstance, and circum- stances sometimes worry the worthy mariner. But this flag, if flag it can be called, belongs to te seaman's craft, You may perceive that it is made of what is called bunting, and. that is a description of cloth used only by vessels for such purpoes, our colours being of silk, as you may understand, or painted canvas, It's surprisingly like the fly of the Scud's ensign, And now I recollect me to have observed that a piece had been cut from that very flag." Mabel felt her heart sink, but she had sufficient self -command not to attempt to answer, "it must be looked to," Muir con- tinued, "and, after all, I think it may be well to hold a short con- sultation with Master Cap, than whom a more loyal subject does not exist in the British empire." "I have thought the warning so serious," Mabel rejoined, "that I am about to remove to the blockhouse, and to take the woman with me." "I do not see the prudence of that, Mabel. The blockhouse will be the first spot atssailed should there really be an attack; and it's no' well provided for a siege, that must be allowed. If I might advise in so deli- cate a contingency, I would recom- mend your taking refuge in the boat, which, as you may now per- ceive, is most favorably placed to. retreat by that channel opposite, where all in it would be hid by the islands in one or two minutes. Wa- ter leaves no trail, as Pathfinder well expresses it; and there appears to be so many different passages iu that quarter that escape would be more than probable. I've always been of opinion that Lundie haz- arded too much exposed as this," "It's too late to regret it now, and we have only to consult our own security." ' "And the king's honour, pretty Mabel. Yes, His Majesty's arras and his glorious name are not to be overlooked on any occasion." "Then I think it might be better if we all turned our eyes towards the place that has been built to maintain thein instead of the boat," said Mabel, smiling; "and so, Mr, Muir, I am for the blockhouse, with a disposition to await there the re- turn of my father and his party. He would be sadly grieved at finding we had fled when he got back sus- eessful himself, and filled with the confidence of our having been as faithful to our duties as he has been to his own." "Nay, nay, for heaven's sake, de not misunderstand one, Mabel!" Muir interrupted, with some alarm of manner; "I am far from intimat- ing that any but you females ought to take refuge in the boat, The duty of us men is sufficiently plain, no doubt, and my resolution has been formed from the first to stand or fall by the blockhouse." "And did you imagine, Mr. Muir, that two females could row that heavy boat in a way to escape the bark canoe of an Indian?" "Ah, my pretty Mabel, love it seldom logical, and its fears and misgivings are apt to warp the fat- ulties! 1 only eaw your sweet per- son in the possession of the means of safety, and overlooked the want of ability to use them; but you'll not be too cruel, lovely creature, as to impute to me as a fault my in- tense 'anxiety n-tense'anxiety on your own account!" Mabel had heard enough; her mind was too much occupied with what had passed that morning, and with her fears, to wish to - linger longer to listen to love speeches, which in her most joyous and buoy- ant moments she would have found unpleasant. She took a hasty leave of her companion, and was about to trip away towards the hut of the other woman, when Muir arrested the movement by laying a hand on her arm. "One word, Mabel." said he "be- fore you leave me. This little flag may, or it may not, have a particu- lar meaning; if it has, now that we are aware of its being shown, may it not be better to put it back again, while We watch vigilantly for some answer that may betray the conspiracy; and if it mean nothing, why, nothing will follow." "'This may be all right, Mr. Muir, though, if the whole is accidental, the flag might be' the occasion of the fort's being discovered." Mabel stayed to utter no mote; but she was soon out of sight, run- ning into the hut towards which she had been first proceeding. The Quartermaster remained on the very spotand in the precise attitude in which she had left hint for quite a minute, first Looking at the bound- ing figure of the girl and then at the bit of bunting, which he still held before hint in a way to denote indecision, His irresolution lasted but, for thin minute, however; for he was soon beneath the tree, where he fastened the miotic flag to a branch again, though, from his ignorance of the precise spot from which it had been taken by Mabel, he left it fluttering from a part of the oak where it was e,1111 more exposed than before to the eyes of any pas- senger on the river, though less in view from the island itself. CHAPTER XXI It seemed Avenge to Mabel Dun- ham, as she passed along on her way to find her female companion, that others should be so composed while he herself felt as if the re- sponsibilities of life and death rest- ed on her shoulders. It is true that distrust of June';; motives mingled with her forebodings; but when she came to recall the affectionate and natural manner of the young Indian girl, and all the evidences of good faith and sincerity she had seen in her conduct during the familiar int- ercourse of their journey, she re- jected the idea with the unwilling- ness of a generous disposition to be- lieve i11 of others. She saw, how- ever, that elle could not put her companions properly cm their guard without letting them into the secret of her conference with June; and she found herself compelled to act cautiously and with a forethought to which she was unaccustomed, more especially in a matter of so much moment. The soldier's wife wtltt told to transport the necessaries into the blockhouse, and admonished not to be far from it at any time during i Counter hec:.r;'isk, t�ooks • We Pipe Selling Qu ft y ohs Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily. All styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. 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Mabel did tot explain her reasons. She merely stated that she had detected some signs in walking about the island, which induced her to apprehend that the enemy had more knowledge of its position' than had been previously believed, and that they two, at least, would do well to be in readiness to seek a refuge at the shortest notice, It was not difficult to arouse the apprehen- sion of this person, who, though a stout hearted Seotchwontan, was ready enough to listen to anything that confirmed her dread of Indian cruelties, As soon as Mabel believed that her companion was sufficiently frightened to make het' wary, she threw out some hints touching the inexpediency of letting the soldiers know the extent of their own fears. Teacher—"Tommy, why is your composition on -milk only -halfa page, when I asked for two pages?" Tommy—"Well, you see, I wrote about condensed milk."