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"Merciful heavens! is it possible?" exclaimed Alfred; "then he is alive!" "There is no doubt of it, sir," replied Malachi; "and now I will put the whole letter together.
"That we certainly have," replied Henry, laughing; "I wish I could see the end of my work in the barn; I doubt if I shall be able to get out with my rifle this winter." "No, sir, you must leave the woods to John and me," replied Malachi. "Never mind, you shan't want for venison. Do you require the sledge to-morrow, Mr Alfred?"
Massa Malachi Murphy was angry 'bout it; sometimes he'd scold, sometimes make fun o' me, an' call me de 'big preacher, Howlin' Phil. But as all dat didn't put me down, he call me to 'im an' say, 'You shall stop this prayin' an' singin' in your cabin, or I'll whip you to death, an' he swore I was ruinin' his plantation. My papa an' mamma tried to get me to stop.
But this must be, and in my little lodging I will be lonely enough. Had a very kind letter from Croker disowning the least idea of personal attack in his answer to Malachi. Reading at intervals a novel called Granby; one of that very difficult class which aspires to describe the actual current of society, whose colours are so evanescent that it is difficult to fix them on the canvas.
The door suddenly opened on the group of gossips, and a man stepped inside and took the only vacant seat near the fire. He glanced at none, but stretched out his hands to the heat, looking at the coals with drooping introspective eyes. "Exit Malachi," he said presently in a soft ironical voice, but did not look up. "By the holy poker, Pierre, where did you spring from?" asked Tarlton genially.
But although the visit of the Angry Snake might have been partly accidental, still Malachi was convinced that there was every prospect of his paying them another visit, if he could obtain a sufficient number to join him, so that he might obtain by force the articles he had seen and so much coveted. Mr.
Alfred and Malachi then went down to the beach, and the former distinctly made out that what he had seen was the punt adrift, with John in it. "Now, what is to be done?" said Alfred. "I must take a horse and ride off to the fort, for if they do not see him before he passes he may not be picked up."
In about half an hour more, the Angry Snake and his party were soon seen to emerge from the woods, and it was perceived that four of the Indians carried a litter made of branches between them. "She could walk no farther, sir," said Malachi to Captain Sinclair; "so they are carrying her; I told you that they would not hurt her."
Another shot followed, and Martin received a bullet in his shoulder, and then out bounded the Angry Snake, followed by his band, the chief whirling his tomahawk, and springing upon Malachi, while the others attacked Alfred and Martin, who were nearest to the door of the lodge. The rifle of Malachi met the breast of the Angry Snake as he advanced, and the contents were discharged through his body.
Martin came early to the house with the Strawberry; his wound was much better, and he received the thanks and condolence of Mr and Mrs Campbell. When they were at breakfast Mr Campbell said, "John, in our joy at seeing your brother and cousin again, I quite forgot to scold you for running away as you did." "Then don't do it now, sir," said Malachi, "for he was very useful, I can assure you."
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