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Page 49
The meal prepared by Micah, for their closing repast, considering the
circumstances, might have been pronounced as achieved in the highest
style of art. Under a bright sky, shadowed by soft, quivering
birch-trees, scattering broken lights all over their rustic table,
never surely was a dinner eaten with greater gusto.
Life in the forest! ended all too soon. But thy memories live.
Memories redolent of youth, health, strength, freedom, and beauty,
come through the long years, laden with dews, sunshine, and fragrance,
and scatter over the time-worn spirit refreshment and delight.
As our voyagers were paddling up stream in the afternoon, in answer to
questions put by John to Micah, respecting the Dubois family, he
remarked--
"Them Doobyce's came to the kentry, jest ten year before I did. Well,
I've heerd say, the Square came fust. He didn't set himself up for
anything great at all, but explored reound the region a spell, and was
kinder pleasant to most anybody he came across. Somehow, or 'nuther,
he had a kind of a kingly turn with him, that seemed jest as nateral
as did to breathe, and ye could see that he warn't no ways used to
sech a wildcat sort of a place as Miramichi was then".
"I wonder that he remained here", said John.
"Well, the pesky critters reound here ruther took to him, and he
bought a great lot o' land and got workmen and built a house, and
fetched his wife and baby here. So they've lived here ever since. But
they're no more like the rest o' the people in these parts, than I'm
like you, and it has allers been a mystery to me why they should stay.
But I s'pose they know their own bissiniss best. They're allers givin'
to the poor, and they try to make the settlers more decent every way,
but 'taint been o' much use".
After a long, meditative pause, Micah said, "Neow Captin', I want yeou
to answer me one question, honestly. I aint a goin' to ask any thing
sarcy. Did ye ever in yer life see a harnsumer, witchiner critter than
Miss Ad�le is?"
Micah fixed his keen eye triumphantly upon our hero, as if he was
aware beforehand that but one response could be made. John surprised
by the suddenness of the question, and somewhat confused, for the
moment, by a vague consciousness that his companion had found the key
to his thoughts, hesitated a little, but soon recovered sufficiently
to parry the stroke.
"You don't mean to say, Micah, that there's any person for beauty and
bewitchingness to be compared with Mrs. McNab?"
"Whew-ew", uttered Micah, while every line and feature in his
countenance expressed ineffable scorn. He gave several extra strokes
of the paddle with great energy. Suddenly, his grim features broke
into a genial smile.
"Well, Captin'", he said, "ef yeou choose to play 'possum that way,
ye ken. But ye needn't expect _me_ to believe in them tricks, cos I'm
an old 'un".
John laughed and replied, "Mummychog, Miss Ad�le Dubois is a perfect
beauty. I can't deny it".
"And a parfeck angel tew", said Micah.
"I don't doubt it", said John, energetically. "When shall we reach the
settlement, Micah?"
"Abeout three hours arter moonrise".
And just at that time our voyagers touched the spot they had started
from the day before, and unloaded their cargo. They were received at
the Dubois house with the compliments due to successful hunters.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PERSECUTION.
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