Dick's Desertion: A Boy's Adventures in Canadian Forests / A Tale of the Early Settlement of Ontario

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t six inches in diameter; and lastly, upon these, a mighty pile of pieces of pine and various chips of wood. In those days, fire-building was an art. The flames leapt up, and caught the handful of pine chips into a blaze of heat and brightness, which showed every corner of the room. It was a large and cheerful room, with two windows which now were covered with red

with cheeks as pink as roses, seemed made for tender words and smiling. Two tall lads of eighteen, twins, stood before the blazing fire, and their

black, and the gown was of very different material and cut from that she had last worn. There were dark shadows under her dark eyes, and her face was

dian finery, and was dressed as were the two older boys on the rug before the hearth. He and Stephanie might have been another

rightened up the blazing fire, it generally meant that he had something important to say. So no one was surprised when he cleared his throat and

have something to say which concerns us all, because it concerns Stephanie and Dick here especially. I woul

lieved, anxious because the future seemed so dark, and relieved in that the s

not for the world bring up, unnecessarily, any subject such as this, which is bound

but must needs wander off by himself. He found this clearing-the worst land in the region, by the same token-and here he managed to keep body and soul together on what he grew, and the little money he had left. But he was not really a settler, and he had no right there. Though it's not likely anyone would have interfered with him until the country came to be surveyed, which may never happen. But the land, I fancy, was no more his than mine, as he was there but four years-though I may be wrong in thinking so, knowing little o

nt on slowly and deliberately. "The beauty of it is," he said, "that the very day befo

llinson; and Roger, the largest twin, gazed at his father in open admiration; while the

ould do well with another handy youngster for outside work; I have often," he continued softly, "longed for a daughter, and I don't mind another s

a good man, and I hope you will never have to regret what you 've done for me. You know what Steenie is, and need have no fear f

bligation, there was no other opening for them. As it was, they accepted his offer warmly and gratefully, all the more so for knowing that they would and could be of use to him and his wife. And his plain, sens

ick h

ch in summer was ablaze with flowers, he was aware of a little cool spot in the midst of his gratitude. He was ashamed of it, but there it was. For he knew

so for some years to come. All this he told himself, as he stood and watched the pale moon of early winter rising behind the trees; but it did not d

ot know that it had been another step in the lifelong fight between duty and inclination-between the love of wandering that was rampant in his

ther Rome to save, and the hens fluttered and clucked, and squawked after the manner of their foolish kind. Roger hurried out with a shot-gun, an

Roger, "or we shan't have a bird left. And I

morrow," said

I can see you would rather be a mighty hunter before the Lord than a humble tiller of the soil," he said, "and if m

he?" ask

wraps them in wet leaves and brings them over from the river-the Otonabee, you know. There are a lot of settlers over there now, I 've heard, and I wish we were nearer the river ourselves. Peter has promised to bring mother some fish to-morrow, and if he turns up you ask him to

e delight and freedom of the forests. And miles away in the woods, an Indian lad sle

to meet. What would be t