CHAPTER XV
Mr. Selincourt is Indiscreet
When Katherine reached home that night after doing the "backacheportage" it seemed to be the last straw to her burden of enduranceto be told that Mr. Selincourt had arrived. The loss of the supperfish did not trouble her, for she and Phil had brought home a finesalmon, which they had taken from an Indian woman in exchange for acouple of small packets of hairpins, which in England might havefetched perhaps a halfpenny each, but in that remote district werepriced at a quarter of a dollar. It was the news of the arrivalwhich upset her so badly. She suffered tortures while she listenedto Mrs. Burton's eager talk about the Selincourts, of Mr.Selincourt's kindly manner, and Miss Selincourt's graceful charm.
"Hush, hush!" she kept saying. "You will excite and worry Fatherwith all this talk of new people."
"I don't think so," Mrs. Burton replied. "See how peaceful he is,and how little notice he takes of anything outside. He will notremark any difference between Mr. Selincourt and Stee Jenkin,except that he may find the former more interesting to talk to."
But Katherine shook her head, stealing many a glance at her fatherwhile she ate her supper, and worrying lest the name of the man hehad wronged should stir some dim memory in his clouded mind, andbring up some ghost from the hidden past, to turn his peaceful daysinto a nightmare of unrest once more. The salmon might have beensawdust for all the taste it had for her that night, and whensupper was done she hurried through the work which could not beleft, then, pleading weariness, went off to bed quite an hourbefore her usual time.
Although she went to bed she could not sleep. She heard Jerviscome in and stay talking to Mrs. Burton. She also heard him saythat he was going to take Mr. and Miss Selincourt across toAkimiski on the following day. Then Jervis left, her father wentwith slow, faltering steps to his bed, and Nellie came in, but,thinking her sister asleep, moved softly and did not speak, forwhich Katherine was mutely grateful.
It was very early on the following morning when she saw the boatwith Mr. Selincourt and Mary slipping down the river, rowed by someof the men who had brought them up from the lakes. So it would bea day of respite, for the Selincourts would not be back untilevening, too late to go visiting among their neighbours, andKatherine's spirits rose immediately, because there was one moreday to be happy in.
She had to go to Fort Garry that day, and started an hour beforenoon, taking Phil with her as usual, and having her boat piled highwith skins taken in barter, bags of feathers, and other marketableproducts. There was a short outlet to the bay from the river, aweedy channel leading through flat meadows of vivid green; only, touse an Irishism, they were not meadows at all, but stretches ofswamp, in Canadian parlance a muskeg: and the unwary creature,human or animal, that set foot thereon was speedily engulfed. Verybeautiful these stretches of rich green looked on a bright summer'sday, and Katherine exclaimed in delight as she forced the boatthrough the weedy channel, which became every week more difficultto pass.
"Oh, Phil, isn't it lovely!" she cried.
"Can't say I admire it," the boy answered grumpily. "The air downhere always seems to choke me, and it is twice as much trouble todrive the boat through this narrow, weedy channel as it is to gothe longer way round."
"I know we shall have to cease coming this way soon, but it ispretty, and I like it," Katherine answered, and would not admiteven to herself that her chief reason in choosing those weedybyways, was the desire to avoid all danger of an encounter with theSelincourts.
The voyage to Fort Garry was without incident, and the interviewwith the M'Crawneys was of the usual type. Mrs. M'Crawney waslow-spirited and homesick, yearning for Ireland, for the smell ofthe peat reek and the society of her neighbours.
"I shall die if I stay here much longer. It is stagnation, notlife at all; indeed, I'd sooner be dead," moaned the poordiscontented woman.
"But you have books," said Katherine, pointing to a well-filledshelf in one corner of the room. "And if you are so lonely, whynot take some girl from an orphanage for a companion? It would begood for the child and good for you too."
"Books are not satisfying, and I think it a great waste of time tobe always reading," Mrs. M'Crawney replied with a touch ofasperity. Her husband's love of books and willingness to spendmoney upon them was always a sore point with her, only Katherinedid not know that. "And I wouldn't have a strange girl about thehouse, not whatever. I never could abide having to do with otherpeople's children."
"Then I am afraid you will have to go lonely," Katherine answered,feeling that it was quite beyond her powers to make any more usefulsuggestion to the poor unhappy woman, whose ailment consisted morein a discontented mind than a diseased body.
The M'Crawneys were such an ill-matched pair that it always gaveher a feeling of irritation to go there, while Peter M'Crawneyhimself was too much addicted to fulsome compliments to make herwilling to face him oftener than need be. There was a coolbreeze creeping over the water as they turned back towards home,and this tempered the heat, making rowing a pure pleasure.
"Let us go the longer way," pleaded Phil, who did not care for thesolemn stretches of green swamp on either side of the backwater.
But Katherine had been resting on her oars and looking round,catching sight as she did so of a fishing boat, with its brownsails set, making for the river mouth. With a fluttering of herpulses she told herself that this was most likely the fleet boatwhich had taken the new owner out to Akimiski, and was now bringinghim back. If this were the case, her little row boat and thefisher would enter the river channel by the fish sheds side byside. She would be hot and untidy with the vigorous exercise ofrowing, while Miss Selincourt, cool and calm, would gaze at herwith lofty disdain, regarding her merely as a rough working girl.This was not to be endured for a moment, and, setting her handswith a tighter grip on the oars, Katherine said decidedly: "We willgo through the swamps to-day. I want to get home as quickly as Ican, for there are so many things to see to, and a lot of bookingto do."
Phil resigned himself to the inevitable with a rather dour face,and there was silence between them for quite ten minutes, asKatherine, forced by the narrowness of the way, ceased rowing, and,shipping her oars, picked up a paddle which formed part of theboat's equipment, and commenced to paddle her way through the shortcut.
"What's that?" asked Phil sharply, jerking up his head to listenagain for a sound which would not have caught his ear at all if hehad not been so silent just then.
"I heard nothing," said Katherine, pausing in her work, but holdingthe boat steady by planting her paddle in a group of rushes andholding it fast. "What kind of sound was it, Phil?"
"Something like a fox makes when it is caught in a trap," repliedPhil. Then he cried eagerly: "There it is, and I believe it is aman! Ahoy there! where are you, and what is wrong?"
"Help, help!" cried a voice from somewhere, only the trouble was toknow where to locate it.
"Yes, we will help you, only we can't think where you are; can'tyou let us know?" called Katherine, sending her voice in areassuring shout over the reaches of treacherous green.
"I am here, holding on to some rushes," the voice said, andKatherine fairly gasped with amazement to find the submerged one soclose at hand; for the patch of rushes to which she was holding theboat was the only one anywhere near, and a little ridge of solidground connected it with the river bank, which was perhaps fortyyards away.
"Be careful to keep calling out now," she said, preparing to forcethe boat out of its channel and into the liquid mud of the fatalgreen meadow.
"Here, here, here!" said the voice, sounding now so thick andhoarse that Katherine at once decided it must be one of thefishermen who had risked his life on the treacherous green of theswamp, although she wondered that anyone could have lived at SealCove for a week and not known of the danger that lay in the swamps.
"Phil, where can he be?" she cried, her voice sharp now with theterror of having a man in peril of his life at her side, and yetbeing un
able to help him.
"There he is; I saw the rushes move," yelled Phil. "No, not thatclump--you are looking wrong; it is the one that has got a lupinblooming in it. Ah, I saw it move again! Keep your spirits up,old fellow, and we will have you out in no time!"
"But how?" groaned Katherine under her breath, for no effort ofhers would move the boat a foot farther through that awful slime,and if she got wedged she would be forced to stay there untilsomeone came in search. Then, remembering the horrible danger ofthe man, she called out: "Please don't struggle at all, only justkeep still, and I think we can save you, for we have got rope withus."
"So we have! My word, how fortunate!" exclaimed Phil, tugging abig bundle of stout hempen cord from under the other things oftheir miscellaneous lading.
"Get the other bundle too; I must have both," said Katherine, and,taking the first, she made a slip knot and a loop which wouldtighten to a certain extent.
"What are you going to do? You can't throw it over him from here,"said the boy.
"Phil, can you be very brave, darling, and walk across on theoars?" Katherine asked, a sob catching in her throat. "I will slipthis other rope round you; then, if you slip in, I can drag youout."
"I'll go," said Phil, alert and ready. Then he kicked off hisboots, which were stout--and every ounce mattered when one took towalking on muskegs; but as his clothing consisted of only a flannelshirt and serge knickerbockers there were no clothes for him toshed.
Katherine slipped one loop of rope over his shoulders, put theother looped rope into his hand, then laid an oar on the mud."Now, go; the rushes will hold you when you get there," she saidsharply.
With light, cautious movements Phil stepped out on to the oar,balancing himself like a tightrope dancer, and because he was sosmall and light he passed in safety where a heavier person wouldhave been quickly submerged.
Katherine stood up in the boat paying out both coils of rope. Herface was ghastly white, and her heart was beating to suffocation.She had not felt like this that day when she ventured her life onthe ice to save Jervis Ferrars in the flood. But that had been herown danger, this was her brother's, and therein lay the difference.
"Landed!" cried Phil, in a quavering tone of triumph, as he plantedhis bare feet firmly in the rushes, which, happily, were so mattedtogether that they would not let him through. Then he stooped, andKatherine heard him talking to the poor wretch caught in the mudbeyond. "Now, let me slip this over your arm. That's right; we'vegot you safe enough, and they are English ropes, strong enough topull a carthorse out of a bear pit. You mustn't struggle, though,however much you feel like it."
"Phil, can you reach the oar?" Katherine cried, her voice hoarse,for she could hardly endure the strain of the waiting.
"Yes," said the boy, stooping now and touching the perilous bridgewhich had carried him to the comparative safety of the clump ofrushes.
"Then lay it across the clump, and well under the man's hands; keepit as firm as you can for him, while I haul on the rope. Nowthen----!"
With all her strength Katherine hauled at the rope. She wassitting now with her feet braced against the thwarts, and withevery muscle tense she strained and strained until the perspirationstreamed down her face, and the hot air of the swamp as it rose upseemed to choke her.
With all her strength Katherine hauled at the rope.]
"Hooray, he's coming!" yelled Phil, and Katherine, who had beenalmost fainting, gathered her courage for yet another effort.
Phil was helping now, but, best of all, the poor victim of themuskeg was doing his share also, and at the end of a quarter of anhour of pulling, tugging, and straining he was on his knees in theclump of rushes beside Phil, and Katherine was able to rest herbleeding hands and plan the next stage of that perilous journey.But a few moments of rest that poor mud-coated wretch must havebefore taking any more risks, so she said cheerfully: "Now, stay asyou are for five or ten minutes, just to get your strength back alittle, and I will shift my cargo to accommodate you, for you willneed a reserved seat, I fancy. Phil, take your handkerchief andwipe the poor man's face. I'm afraid it is rather a dirty one.Your handkerchiefs are never fit to be seen, but it is better thannothing."
Phil took a grimy blue-and-yellow cotton rag from the pocket of hisserge nether garments, and proceeded to wipe the rescued man's facewith as much force and energy as if he had been polishing tin panswith a view to making them shine.
"Softly, softly! How would you like to have your own face rubbedin that fashion?" admonished Katherine; and then, finishing herpreparations, she stood up in the boat in readiness to help thepoor man through his last stage to safety. "Please throw me thatoar," she said.
Phil took up the oar, and pitched it with great dexterity, so thatit fell close to the boat.
Katherine picked it up, making a little grimace of disgust at itsfilthiness; then, wiping the worst of the mud off on the nearestclump of rushes, she proceeded to lash both oars together with theother end of the rope that was tied to Phil.
"Are you ready?" she asked sharply, for the man still knelt gaspingand panting, and seemed to have no power to help himself.
Aided by Phil he rose slowly to his feet, then said in a hoarsevoice: "I don't think I can walk that bridge."
"You will have to do it, or stay where you are until we can rowround to Seal Cove to bring assistance for you. Even then it maybe hours before help can reach you, for the fishermen are all outto-day, and Mr. Ferrars is away also, as he has had to go toAkimiski to-day with Mr. Selincourt and his daughter."
There was contempt in Katherine's tone now, and she meant it to beso. If the man had a scrap of courage in him, she must fan it intoactive life, but if he were a poltroon, pure and simple, then shemust do the best she could and leave the result.
To her delight, however, he lifted his head with an angry jerk. "Iwill come, of course, but I shall sink in and you will have to pullme out again," he said.
"Oh, you won't sink very far, and I have you well roped!" she saidcheerfully. "But if you are able to spare him, let Phil danceacross first, then he will be here to help me to pull if need be."
"Go along, boy, I will follow," said the man, and Katherine saw himbreathing deep and hard as Phil bounded lightly across, reachingthe boat without any mishap.
"Now is your turn; be quick!" she cried authoritatively, but herheart seemed to fairly stop beating as the poor man took his firststep forward and reeled on the sinking oars. "Quick!" shescreamed, giving a sharp tug at the cord, which seemed to rousehim, for then he came on sharply enough.
Katherine, standing up in the boat, put out her hands to steady himwhen he came within reaching distance, and tried not to show howshe shrank from his exceeding filthiness.
"There," she said soothingly, as he sank in a limp heap in the seatshe had cleared for him, "you are safe now, and you will soon getover the fright."
"Thank you!" he murmured, but seemed incapable of further speech,and sat silent while they dragged up the bridge of oars, which hadsunk out of sight.
"It was lucky you tied them together," said Phil, when the oarswere dragged up and the handles cleansed on the rushes.
"Yes, if I had not thought of doing that we might have whistled forour oars," said Katherine, with a laugh that had a nervous ring.The man sitting in the boat was, so far as she could see, astranger, although he was so liberally coated with mud that it wasexceedingly difficult to make any guesses about his identity, sothere was nothing to account for the trembling which seized uponher as she looked at him. It was a hard struggle getting the boatback into the channel, and her hands were so sore with hauling onthe rope that it was positive torture to use the paddle. The sunwas pouring down with scorching brilliancy, and the flies gatheredin black swarms about her face and head as she worked her way intothe main channel again. Arriving there, she leaned forward andspoke to the man, who sat silent and apparently dazed in the sternof the boat.
"Are you staying at Seal Cove, and at whose house?" she a
skedgently, feeling exceedingly pitiful for the poor fellow, who musthave lost his life if she had not chosen to bring her boat throughthe weedy back channel that afternoon.
"No, I have a house at Roaring Water Portage; my name isSelincourt," he answered.
The paddle which Katherine was stowing in the boat dropped from herhands with a clatter, and there was positive terror in her eyes asshe gasped: "You are Mr. Selincourt, _the_ Mr. Selincourt?"
"I suppose so; I certainly don't know any other," he said, smilinga little, which had a grotesque effect, for the mud with which hisface was so liberally smeared had dried stiff in the sunshine, andthe smiling made it crack like a painted mask which has beendoubled up.
"But I thought you had gone to Akimiski?" Katherine said, herastonishment still so great that she would hardly have believedeven now that the stranger was telling the truth, had it not beenfor the trembling which was upon her now that she found herselfface to face with the man whom her father had so seriously wrongedaway back in the past.
"I should have been much wiser if I had gone," said Mr. Selincourt."But at the last moment I decided to stay and survey the land onboth sides of the river. I am sending back some of the boatmenwith mails to-morrow, and it seemed essential that I should be ableto write definitely to my agent in Montreal about land which Imight wish to purchase. Then I got Stee Jenkin to put me acrossthe river, and I wandered along the shore, then back along theriver bank until I reached these beautiful green meadows, as Ithought them. But when I started to walk across I began to sink, soslowly at first that I hardly realized what was wrong."
"That is because the mud is firmer near the bank," said Katherine."Right out in the centre it will not bear a duck."
"I should have been under long before, only when I saw what wascoming I sat down, so sank more slowly. But it was horrible,horrible!" he exclaimed, with a violent shudder.
"Don't think about it more than you can help, and we shall not belong in getting you home," she said; then bent to her oars andtried to forget how sorely her blistered hands were hurting her.