He made me repeat my instructions, impressing upon me that I was to treat the landmarks he gave me just as I did the blazed trees in the forest, making sure of another’s position before I left one, and, satisfied at last, he gave me a nod of the head, and said abruptly—
“Off as soon as you can.”
“I should like to go with you, Mayne,” said Mr John, eagerly.
“No, no! Nonsense!” cried Mr Raydon. “I cannot spare you, John. I may want you to shoot down a few hundreds of the enemy.”
Mr John took these words so seriously that I could not help laughing, when he saw them in the right light, came with me to my quarters, watched me make a good meal, and then walked with me to the slope beneath the dome, where he shook hands and stood to see me climb.
“Be careful, my boy,” he said, at parting. “It is very steep and dangerous.”
I laughed, and ran up the side feeling like a goat. There was something very delightful in the excursion, after the confinement within the block-house, and in the glorious sunshine and the bright clear air, I sprang forward, turning from time to time, as I climbed higher, to wave my hand to him, and look down on Fort and valley, till the inequalities of the wild, stony side hid him from my view.
I felt in high spirits, for this task made me think that Mr Raydon was beginning to trust me again; and as I went on I thought about Mrs John and her gentle words, as she told me all would come right in the end. Then I began to think about poor Gunson, and wondered whether he would soon be better, as I hoped and prayed that he would.
This made me feel low-spirited for a while, but the glorious scene around me chased these gloomy thoughts away, for there before me in the distance was the great pine towering up above its fellows at the edge of the forest.
“Oh, it’s easy enough to find one’s way,” I said, and excited by my task I whistled, sang, and shouted, to have my voice come echoing back.