"Colonel Denison, my words fail me now to thank you. But I wish you knew my heart." He simply waved his hand, and wished the party bon voyage. Then striking spurs into her horse, Annette led away across the level prairie towards the stronghold of the hateful Metis chief.
"I shall now give you my opinion, gentleman," Colonel Denison said, as the horses disappeared over a knoll; "these two lads were not what they seemed. They were girls."
"Impossible!"
"Well, we shall some day know. What is more, I am satisfied that the larger one has more than an ordinary interest in Stephens. She has twice already saved his life; and I should not be surprised if she were now to lay him once more under the obligation. Ha, truant," he said, turning to one of his staff who had come from a nigh tree-clump, where he had been writing, "you should have been here to see the beautiful Metis maiden. She was in disguise, but her beauty was not less divine than that of your own Iena. Fancy the feelings of Stephens, when his own fortunes are bright, to have that beautiful girl straying about this wilderness. I can imagine him asking, in that passage which you gave me yesterday from your poem—
'My little flower amongst a weedy world,
Where art thou now? In deepest forest shade?
Or onward where the Sumach stands arrayed
In autumn splendour, its alluring form
Fruited, yet odious with the hidden worm?
Or, farther, by some still sequestered lake,
Loon-haunted, where the sinewy panthers slake
Their noon-day thirst, and never voice is heard
Joyous of singing waters, breeze or bird,
Save their wild waitings.'"
[Footnote: This passage is from the pages of the recently-published
Canadian drama, "Tecumseh."—E. C. ]
Further conference was cut short by the hasty approach of a coureur du bois. The colonel approached as the man dismounted.
"Captain Stephens has been tried by le chef's court martial, and is condemned to be shot. Le chef has only a few braves and bois-brules about him; and I could fetch you to the nest in an hour and a half by hard riding."
When the coureur learnt that the force had been dispatched he rode away again. And we shall likewise bid good-bye to the poet and the colonel, and join Browninge.
"Now, then, my good lad," the lieutenant said, "we have turned out a large force at your bidding to-day. Are you certain (a) that Captain Stephens is at Chapeau Rouge; (b), that Riel is there; (c), that there is such a stronghold at all?"