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"You say well, Max," returned my friend, "and it seems to me that we may regard this Lake Wichikagan which we now look upon as our inheritance in the wilderness, and that the spot on which we now sit shall be, for some time at least, our future home."
It fell from the lips of Lumley. "My friends," he said, with that grave yet pleasant urbanity which I have before said was so natural to him, "there is only one regret which I will venture to express on this happy day, and it is this, that some of those who were wont to enliven us with their presence at Fort Wichikagan, are not with us to-night.
If, on the other hand, she be dead, then let him buy for them an annuity, or otherwise invest four thousand pounds for their benefit, according to the best of his judgment. How to come by the four thousand pounds I will now explain. "Away in the beautiful and sequestered valley at the head of Lake Wichikagan there stands a stunted pine, near a rock fallen from the cliff above.
That night the hostile savages met on the shores of Lake Wichikagan, and encamped with the fur-traders. Fires were lighted, and kettles put on, a royal feast was prepared; and the reunited tribes of red-men finally buried the war-hatchet there, and smoked the pipe of peace.
"Does my father not know?" said Big Otter, deferentially, "that Attick plans mischief against the pale-faces of Wichikagan?" "No, Big Otter," returned the old chief with a scowl; "Muskrat does not know that, but he hears, and if it is true he will have Attick flayed alive, and his skin dressed to make moccasins for our young squaws." "It is true," rejoined Big Otter, sternly.
"Don't you think," said I, after some minutes' thought, "that it is our duty first to return to the camp of your tribe, and also that I should send Salamander back to Fort Wichikagan to tell where I have gone, and for what purpose? For Salamander is not free like myself. He is still a servant of the fur-traders." "No, that is not your duty," said the Indian decidedly.
Peter Macnab who, since the memorable day when the table became a split-camel under his weight, had been to the Mountain Fort and got back again to Wichikagan came up, sat down on a bench beside his brother-in-law, and said, "Shall I become a prophet?" "Perhaps you'd better not, Macnab. It is not safe to sail under false colours, or pretend to powers which one does not possess."
Turn we once again to the great wilderness, and if we do so with half the zest felt by Big Otter when he set forth on his journey, we will certainly enjoy the trip, you and I, whoever you be. But we must take the journey at a bound. It is Christmas-time once more. Lake Wichikagan has put on its top-coat of the purest Carrara marble.
After this I resumed my rapid pace, which I kept up until the necessity of pausing to recover breath impressed me. Making a wide circle outwards with my left leg in the air and my right hand pointed to the sky in the most approved manner, I gradually caused the circle to diminish until I came to a stand. Looking back, I saw Fort Wichikagan like a mere speck on the horizon.
"My friend," said Bane, softly, "if that wass not an evil speerut, I will be fery much surprised." "No, Tonald, it wass not a speerut," replied the other, as they returned to their fortress. "Speeruts will not be kickin' an' slappin' like that; they are not corporeal." While these scenes were enacting on the margin of Lake Wichikagan, Lumley and Mozwa arrived at the enemy's camp.
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