“Urged on by Robin’s eagerness to have her hurry she floundered and ploughed her way through the drifts until she came to the place where father was lying. He was unconscious when she reached him. My mother was a large woman and very strong for one of her sex. Lucky for all of us that she was, too, for it was necessary for her practically to carry my father all the way back to the cabin, nearly a half-mile. You see, father had almost reached home himself though he hadn’t known it. Well, she finally got him there and after hours of hard work revived him. For many days he lay sick, but with mother’s constant care he finally recovered entirely. He also fetched the stag home when he became able to go out. There it had lain covered deep in the snow, frozen stiff and as sound as ever.
“I just told this little story,” concluded Mason, “to show you how hard some of us worked for our homes. Now that we have them we don’t want the Indians to take them away from us.”
A cheer greeted this remark. These men were always willing to applaud anything that meant trouble for the Indians.
“That was a good story, Mason,” remarked Walt a moment later. “It shows you had a wonderful mother, doesn’t it?”
“It does indeed,” agreed Mason. “It shows father had a wonderful dog, too. Without him my mother would never have had the chance to do what she did.”
“Quite right,” exclaimed Walt heartily and murmurs of approval were heard on all sides.
“Yes, sir,” continued Mason. “My father loved old Robin almost as much as he did me. I love dogs myself and I wouldn’t be without one for anything. Some men are bad and some are good, but I tell you all dogs are good. You can believe everything they tell you.”
“Gracious, I’ve talked a lot tonight,” he added laughingly. “I’m going to stop now though and turn in. Tomorrow may be a hard day. Good night, Red, and everybody else,” he called as he disappeared into the darkness.
CHAPTER XI
THE FLAG OF TRUCE
At the first sign of dawn the forces were once more on the march. The men had a quieter and sterner air than they had manifested the preceding day. The prevailing opinion was that before the sun set that night they would come in contact with their foes, and in spite of the open assertions of the men that it was all a “picnic,” this fact made them more serious.