“I do not want much,” returned the afflicted man in tones of deep humility—“only a little—a very little.”
By asking much more than he required, La Certe obtained as much as he wanted from the saturnine man, and thus he finally started for Lake Winnipeg with a canoe laden, almost to sinking, with the good things of this life.
The fineness of that summer brought forth the fruits of the earth in great luxuriance, and it really seemed as if at last the Scotch settlers were going to reap some reward for all their prolonged perseverance and industry. The long rest, the good feeding, the sunshine of nature, and the starlight of Elspie’s eyes had a powerful effect on Dan Davidson’s health, so that, by the time autumn arrived and the prospects of a splendid harvest became more certain every day, he had recovered much of his usual strength of body and vigour of mind.
Little Bill also felt the genial influences around him, and, to the intense joy of Archie, became visibly fatter and stronger, while his large blue eyes lost some of that wistfully solemn appearance with which they had been wont to gaze inquiringly into people’s faces.
One afternoon Billie, having walked to the summer house in the Prairie Cottage garden, along with Archie, was left alone there at his own request, for, unlike other boys, he was fond of occasional solitary meditation.
“Now mind, Little Bill—you whistle if you want me,” said Archie, when about to leave him. “I’ll hear you, for I’m only going to the carpenter’s shed.”
“I will, Archie, if I want you; but I don’t think I shall, for I can walk by myself now, quite easily, as far as the house.”
But Little Bill was not destined to be left to solitary meditations that day, for his brother had not left him more than a few minutes when a footstep was heard on the path outside, and next moment Fred Jenkins presented himself at the opening of the summer-house. The face of the mariner betrayed him, for he was too honest by nature to dissemble effectively.
“Well, Fred, how are you? You seem a little disappointed, I think.”
“Not exactly disappointed, Little Bill, but sort o’ ways scumbusticated, so to speak—perplexed, if I may say so. Kind o’ ways puzzled, d’ee see?”