A Countess from Canada

  CHAPTER II

  A Curious Accident

  The nearest Hudson's Bay store to Roaring Water Portage was fifteenmiles away by land, but only five by boat, as it stood on an angleof land jutting into the water, three miles from the mouth of theriver. 'Duke Radford's business took him over to this place, whichwas called Fort Garry, always once a week, and sometimes oftener.Usually either Miles or Phil went with him, although on rareoccasions Katherine took the place of the boys and helped to rowthe boat across the inlet to the grim old blockhouse crowning theheight.

  It was a week after the trip to the house of Astor M'Kree that thestorekeeper announced his intention of going to Fort Garry, andsaid that he should need Miles to help him.

  "I must go by land to-day, which is a nuisance, for it takes somuch longer," he declared, as he sat down to breakfast, which atthis time of the year had always to be taken by lamplight.

  "Shall I come instead?" asked Katherine, who was frying potatoes atthe stove. "I am quicker on snowshoes than Miles, and he has gotsuch a bad cold."

  "You can if you like, though it isn't work for a girl," he answeredin a dispirited tone.

  "It is work for a girl if a girl has got it to do," she rejoined,with a merry laugh; "and I shall just love to come with you,Father. When will you start?"

  "At dawn," he replied brusquely; and, finishing his meal insilence, he went into the store.

  "Katherine, what is the matter with Father? Do you think he isill?" Mrs. Burton asked in a troubled tone. "He has been so quietand gloomy for the last few days; he does not eat well, and he doesnot seem to care to talk to any of us."

  Katherine shivered and hesitated. She knew the moment from whichthe change in her father's manner dated, but she could not speak ofit even to her sister. "Perhaps the cold weather tries him a greatdeal just at first; it has come so suddenly, and we are notseasoned to it yet, you know," she answered evasively.

  "I hope it is only that," answered Mrs. Burton, brightening up atthe suggestion. "And really the cold has been terribly trying forthe last week, though it won't seem so bad when we get used to it.I am glad you are going with Father, though, for Miles has such adreadful cold, poor boy."

  "His own fault," laughed Katherine. "If he will go and sit in atub half the day, in the hope of shooting swans, he must expect toget a cold."

  "Boys will do unwise things, I fancy. They can't help it, so it isof no use to blame them," Mrs. Burton said with a sigh.

  Katherine laughed again. Mrs. Burton had a way of never blaminganyone, and slipped through life always thinking the very best ofthe people with whom she came in contact, crediting them with goodintentions however far short they might prove of good in reality.The sisters were alike in features and in their dainty, womanlyways, but in character they were a wide contrast. Katherine, underher girlish softness and pretty winning manner, had hidden a firmwill and purpose, a sound judgment, and a resourcefulness whichwould stand her in good stead in the emergencies of life. Sheliked to decide things for herself, and choose what she would do;but Mrs. Burton always needed someone to lean upon and to settlemomentous questions for her.

  'Duke Radford was ready to start by the time dawn arrived, andKatherine was ready too. It was so very cold that she had twisteda cloud of brilliant scarlet wool all over her head and ears, inaddition to her other wrappings. There were some stores to take toFort Garry, and there would be others to bring back, asconsiderable trading was done between the fort and the settlement.Very often when 'Duke Radford ran out of some easy-to-sellcommodity he was able to replenish his stock from the fort, whilehe in his turn accepted furs in barter from his customers, which hedisposed of to the agent when next he visited the fort. As on thejourney to the second portage, 'Duke Radford went first, drawing aladen sledge, followed by Katherine, who looked after the dogs.There would be no riding either way to-day, and the daylight wouldbe only just long enough for the work, the snow on the trail notbeing hard enough as yet to make the going very easy.

  Fort Garry was reached without incident, although, to Katherine'ssecret dismay, her father had not spoken to her once, but had justgone moodily forward with his head hanging down, and dragging thesledge after him. He roused up a little when the fort was reached,and talked to Peter M'Crawney, the agent, an eager-faced Scot withan insatiable desire for information on all sorts of subjects.Mrs. M'Crawney was an Irishwoman who was always sighing for themild, moist climate and the peat reek of her childhood's home. ButPeter knew when he was well off, and meant to stick to his postuntil he had saved enough money to live without work.

  "Teaching school, are you? Well it's myself that would like to beone of your scholars, for it's bonny you look with that scarletthing wrapped round your head!" exclaimed Mrs. M'Crawney in anadmiring tone, when Katherine sat down to have a talk with herwhilst 'Duke Radford did his business with the agent.

  "You can come if you like; we don't have any age limit at RoaringWater Portage," Katherine answered with a laugh. She had to bebright and vivacious despite the heaviness of her heart, for itwould never do to display her secret uneasiness on her father'saccount, or to betray his changed condition to strangers.

  "And pretty I should look at my age, sitting among the babieslearning to do strokes and pothooks," the Irishwoman said, echoingthe laugh. Then she began to question Katherine eagerly concerningthe news which had filtered through into the solitudes from thegreat world outside. "They are saying that the Mr. Selincourt whohas bought the fishing fleet will come here when the waters open;but wherever will he stay?"

  "I don't know; perhaps he will have one of the huts down at SealCove, although they are very dirty. I think if I were in his placeI should have a new hut built, or else live in a tent," Katherineanswered.

  "He will have a hut built, I expect; then perhaps if he likes theplace he will come every year. Although it's funny the whims richpeople have, to be coming to a place like this, when they might beliving in a civilized country, with everything that heart coulddesire within a hand's reach," said Mrs. M'Crawney with a toss ofher head.

  "I suppose being able to have all they want spoils them so muchthat they are always wanting a change. But if we don't start weshall be late in getting home, and travelling is very bad over thebroken ground at the end of the bay," Katherine said, as she roseand began to draw her scarlet cloud closer round her head again.

  Her father was still talking to Peter M'Crawney when she came insearch of him, but he looked so much relieved at the interruptionthat she could only suppose the agent had been talking overmuchabout the rich Englishman who was expected in that remote quarterof the world next spring, when the waters were open.

  "Are you ready to go now?" Katherine asked, a sudden pang of pitystabbing at her heart, for in the strong light her father's facelooked worn and furrowed, more than she had ever seen it before;indeed, a look of age had crept over his countenance during thelast few days that was very marked, while his dark hair showedstreaks of grey which had certainly not been there a week ago. Hehad momentarily taken off his cap, to do something to one of thelappets which was not comfortable; but now he put it on again,covering his head, ears, and a good part of his face as well.

  "Yes, I am ready, and rather keen on starting, for there is a dampsmell coming in the air which may mean a slight thaw or more fall,and either would be bad for us to-day," he answered, lifting hishead and sniffing, like a dog that scents a trail.

  "Can't the dogs pull you a piece, Miss?" asked the agent in a toneof concern. "It is a shocking long way for a bit of a girl, eventhough she is on snowshoes."

  "It is not longer for me than for Father, and I don't even have todrag the sledge as he does," Katherine replied brightly, as shefitted her moccasined feet into the straps of her snowshoes.

  The dogs were in a great hurry to start, and one, a greatbrown-and-white beast which always followed next the leader, keptflinging up its head and howling in the most dismal manner untilthey were well on their way. The noise got on Kather
ine's nervesto such an extent that she was tempted to use her whip to the dog,and only refrained because it seemed so cruel to thrash a creaturefor just being miserable. To cheer the animals for the heavy workbefore them, she talked to them as if they were human beings,encouraging them so much that they took the first ten miles at atremendous rate, following so close on the track of the firstsledge that presently 'Duke Radford held up his hand as a signalfor stopping, then turned round to expostulate in a peevish tone:"What do you mean by letting the dogs wear themselves out at such arate? We shall have one of them dropping exhausted presently, andthen we shall be in a nice fix."

  "I haven't used the whip once, Father, but I thought it was betterto get them on as fast as I could, for I have felt and seen ever somany snowflakes in the last half-hour," Katherine said penitently.

  'Duke Radford turned his face rather anxiously windward, and wasconsiderably worried to find that a few small snowflakes camedancing slowly down, and that the slight draught of the morning waschanging to a raw, cold wind from off the water.

  "It is a fall coming, and by the look of it, it may be heavy. Youhad better keep the dogs coming as fast as you can. But stop if Ithrow up my hand, or you will be running me down."

  "Shall we change places for a time?" asked Katherine. "I am not abit tired, but you look just worn out."

  "No, no, I can't have you dragging a sledge. But be careful andkeep the dogs from rushing down the slopes and overrunning me," heanswered, then started forward again.

  The flakes were falling faster now, but they were so fine that theywould have scarcely counted had it not been for the number of them.At the end of the next half-hour the fall was like a fog ofwhirling atoms, and the travellers looked like moving snow figures.The dogs were still running well, and Katherine found it hard workto keep them back, especially on the slopes, where they wouldpersist in trying to make rushes, so getting thoroughly out ofhand. She was keeping them back down one long bad slope whichabounded in pitfalls, when to her horror she heard her father cryout, then saw him and his sledge disappear, shooting into awhirling smother of snow.

  'Duke Radford meets with an accident]

  With a sharp order to the dogs to stop, which they promptly obeyedby dropping in four panting heaps on the snow, she went forwardalone to see what had happened to her father. It was a simpleenough accident, and one that had to be constantly guarded againstin drawing a sledge when travelling on snowshoes. In going downthe slope the sledge had travelled proportionally faster than theman, and, catching against the framework of one of the snowshoes,had flung him with tremendous force between two trees. The trees,which were really two shoots from one root, grew so close togetherthat when 'Duke Radford was pitched in between them he was wedgedfast by the force of the impact, while the sledge, coming onbehind, bounded on to his prostrate body. He groaned whenKatherine dragged the sledge away, and cried out with the pain whenshe tried to help him out.

  "Did it hurt you so badly? Oh, I am sorry! But I will be morecareful next time," she said; and, stepping carefully backwardsafter that first vain attempt, she slipped her feet clear of thesnowshoes and went closer to the tree, so that she might try tolift him out of the fork by sheer strength of arm. But the snowwas so soft that she sank in over her ankles, going deeper anddeeper with every attempt which she made to wriggle herself free.

  "This won't do," she said sharply. "I won't be long, Father dear,but I must pack the snow a bit before I can get firm standingground."

  Slipping her father's snowshoes, one of which was broken, from hisfeet, she took the broken part and proceeded to beat the snow firmall round the trees. This took perhaps ten minutes, although sheworked so hard that she perspired despite the cold. The snow wasfirm now; she could stand without sinking, and going round in frontof her father she exerted all her strength and lifted him up alittle. He was bleeding from a wound on his face, and seemed to bequite dazed.

  "Can you help yourself at all?" she asked urgently, knowing that itwas quite impossible for her unaided strength to get him clear ofthe fork. But his only reply was a groan, and Katherine began togrow frightened. It was quite impossible to leave him while shewent to summon aid, and equally impossible to get help withoutgoing for it. Meanwhile the cold was so intense that every momentof waiting became a risk. Even the dogs were whining and restless,impatient to get off again for the last stage of their journey.

  "Father, you must help yourself," the girl cried despairingly. "Ican't possibly get you out of the tree alone, and you will justfreeze to death if you are not quick."

  The urgency of her tone seemed to rouse him a little, and, seeingthat he appeared to be coming to himself again, she rubbed his facebriskly with snow, which quickened his faculties, and incidentallymade the wound on his cheek smart horribly; but that was a minormatter, the chief thing being to make him bestir himself. Then bya great effort she lifted him up again, and this time he put outhis hand and clutched at the trunk of the tree, and so kept himselffrom slipping back into the fork, while she ran round and pulledhim clear of the trees, making him lean upon her whilst she debatedon her next move.

  "I don't know how we shall get home; I can't walk," he said feebly.

  "Of course you can't; that is entirely out of the question," shesaid briskly. "I must unload the two sledges, and cache the thingsclose to this tree, under your sledge; then the dogs can draw youhome. There is not much over three miles to be done, so we shallnot be long."

  She made him sit on the snow while she set about her preparations,for he seemed too weak to stand alone. Most of the goods weretaken from the dog sledge and piled in a heap at the foot of theforked trees. The other sledge was brought alongside and unloadedalso, then Katherine dragged the hand sledge on to the top of thepackages, with the runners sticking upwards, so that a curious wolfmight think it was a trap of a fresh shape, and avoid itaccordingly. All this took time, however, and when she had got herfather packed into the sledge in readiness for a start it wasalmost dark, while the snow was coming down thicker than ever. Thebrown-and-white dog was howling dismally again, while the black onewhich had a cropped ear seemed disposed to follow suit.

  It was of no use trying to guide the dogs now, and, falling intothe rear, Katherine shouted to them to go forward, and left it totheir instinct to find the way home. She had to keep shouting andsinging to them the whole of the way. If from very weariness hervoice sank to silence, they dropped into a slow walk; but when itrang out again in a cheery shout, they plunged forward at a greatpace, which was maintained only so long as she continued shouting.But at last, after what seemed an interminable time, she heard thenoise of the water coming over Roaring Water Portage; the dogsheard it too, and the need for shouting ceased, for they knew theywere almost at the end of the journey.