night only comes once a week."
The fiddler struck up a hornpipe, and once more the deck was filled; andso with music, with dancing, and song the night sped merrily on.
Book 2--CHAPTER TEN.
THE WANDERERS' RETURN.
"I remember, I remember The fir-trees dark and high, I used to think their slender tops Were close against the sky.
"It was a childish ignorance, But now 'tis little joy To know I'm farther off from heaven Than when I was a boy."
Hood.
Scene: Glen Lyle in spring time. The larch trees already green andtasselled with crimson buds. The woods alive with the song of birds.The rooks busy at work on the tall, swaying elm trees. Two young menapproaching Grayling House, arm in arm.
It was early on this spring morning, not long past eight of the clock.Douglas and Leonard had stayed at a little inn some eight miles distanton the night before, and started with the larks to march homewards, foreven Douglas looked upon Glen Lyle as his home.
As they neared the well-known gate, Leonard became silent. Thoughts ofhis happy boyhood's days crowded fresh and fast into his memory. Everybush and every tree brought up some sad yet pleasant reminiscence ofdays gone by--sad, because those old, old days were gone never toreturn.
"Come, old boy," said Douglas cheerfully. "Aren't you glad to be sonear home?"
They were at the gate now.
"Glad," said Leonard, yet strangely moved. "Douglas, what means allthis? See, the walks are green, the blinds are mostly down. Only fromone chimney does smoke issue. Oh, my friend! I fear something iswrong. I never thought my heart could beat so! But see, yonder comesold Peter himself."
And down the path indeed the ancient servitor came shuffling.
His very first words reassured poor Leonard.
"The Lord be praised for a' His mercy! Hoo pleased your father andmother and Effie will be!"
The joy-blood came bounding back to Leonard's heart. He returned theardent pressure of Peter's hands.
"Oh!" cried Peter, "I want to do naething else noo but just lie doon anddee."
"Don't talk of dying, my dear Peter. Where are they?"
The old man wiped his streaming eyes as he answered,--
"At Grayling Cottage, St. Abbs. And you have na heard? Come in, comein, and I'll tell you all."
About three hours after this the two young men had once more left GlenLyle, and were journeying straight, almost as the crow flies, for thecottage by the sea.
On the evening of the second day, having been directed to the house,they were walking slowly along the beach.
It was the gloaming hour.
Yonder in the horizon just over the sea shone the gloaming star.
"Just above yon sandy bar, As the day grows fainter and dimmer, Lonely and lovely, a single star Lights the air with a dusky glimmer.
"Into the ocean faint and far Falls the trail of its golden splendour, And the gleam of that single star Is ever refulgent, soft, and tender."
Both young men stopped short at once. There was one figure on thebeach, one solitary female figure.
"It is she," half-whispered Douglas, pressing Leonard's arm.
Then they advanced.
"Effie!"
"Oh, Leonard!"
Next moment she was sobbing on her brother's shoulder. They were tearsof reaction, but they washed away in their flood-gates the sorrow andthe hope deferred of long, dreary years.
"How silly to cry!" she said at last, giving her hand to her brother'sfriend with a bonnie blush.
"Right welcome you are, Douglas," she added. "Oh, how glad I am to seeyou both!"
"There now, Eff," said her brother, in his old cheery way, "no moretears; it must be all joy now, joy and jollity."
Douglas ran off home now to see his father, and I pass over the scene ofreunion betwixt Leonard and his parents.
"Dear boy," said his father more than once that evening, "I don't carefor anything now I've got you back, and I don't mind confessing that Ireally never expected to see you more."
But in an hour or two in came Captain Fitzroy and Douglas.
Then somehow or other the household horizon took a cheerier tone; therewas such an amount of indwelling happiness and pleasantry about thehonest Captain's face, that no one could have been in his company forfive minutes without feeling the better of it.
About nine o'clock Captain Lyle got up and took down from its shelf alarge volume covered with calfskin. It was,--
"The big ha' Bible, ance his father's pride."
Solemn words were read, solemn words were spoken, and heartfelt was theprayer and full of gratitude that was said when all knelt down.
Family worship was conducted thus early, lest, as Lyle said, everybodyshould get sleepy. But this did not close the evening. For all sataround the fire long, long after that, and if the whole truth must betold, the cocks in the farmer's yard hard by had wakened up and begun tocrow when Douglas and his father bade good-night to the cottagers, andwent slowly homewards along the beach.
You see there had been such a deal to talk about.
A day or two afterwards who should arrive at the cottage but CaptainBlunt himself, and with him honest, kindly, rough old Skipper James. Itis needless to say that the latter received a royal welcome.
"We can never, never thank you enough," said Mrs Lyle, "for bringingback our boys."
"Pooh!" said Skipper James, "my dear lady, that is nothing; don't botherthanking me, mention me and my old ship in your prayers, when we're onthe sea."
"That I'm sure we will never forget to do."
Lyle and Fitzroy were walking together on the beach about a week afterthe wanderers' return.
"I've been trying to get my boy to stay at home now altogether," saidLyle.
"Well, and I've been trying mine."
"But _mine_ won't; he says he was born to wander, and wander he will."
"Just the same with mine."
"And Leonard has given up his allowance, dear boy! He says he will worknow for his living, and that the seamanship he has learned must stand ashis profession. He is full of hope though, and I fear we'll soon loseour lads again."
"For a time--yes, for a time. Be cheerful, remember what I prophesied;all will yet be well, and if they really are born to wander nothing canprevent them."
"What's that about being born to wander?" said Captain Blunt, comingquietly up behind them. "Because," he added, "here's another."
"What!" said Captain Lyle. "Are you going to sea again?"
"I've just left your lads," replied Blunt, "and I've made them an offerthat they both jump at. You see, I've made a bit of money, and though Ihave been in the merchant service all my life, I can't say that ever Ihave seen the world in a quiet way. Had always, in port, to look aftermy men and cargo, and hardly ever could get a week to myself. So now,in a barque of my own, I'm going round the world for a bit of an outing,and your boys are going with me. I've offered them fair wage, and,depend upon it, I'll do my best to make them happy, and I won't comeback without them. What say you two fathers?"
"What can we say," said Lyle, grasping Captain Blunt's rough horny hand,"but thank you?"
"And boys will be boys," added Fitzroy, with a ringing laugh thatstartled the very sea-birds.
Two months after this our heroes had bidden their relations once moreadieu, and were afloat on the wide Atlantic.
But before this the whole party had gone to the Clyde, where CaptainBlunt's barque was building, and in due form, with all due ceremony,Effie, with a blush of modesty and beauty on her sweet young face, hadchristened the ship.
And her name was the _Gloaming Star_.
Book 3--CHAPTER ONE.
ADVENTURES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
"Far in the west there lies a desert land, where the mountains Lift through perpetual snows their lofty and luminous summits; Billowy bays of grass, ever rolling in shadow and sunshine; Over them wander the buf
falo herds and the elk and the roebuck; Over them wander the wolves, and herds of riderless horses; Over them wander the scattered tribes of Ishmael's children, Staining the desert with blood: and above their terrible war trails, Circles and sails aloft, on pinions majestic, the vulture, Like the implacable soul of a chieftain slaughtered in battle."
Longfellow.
Scene: A green sea tempest-tossed, the waves houses high. White cloudsmassed along the windward horizon, giving the appearance not only ofice-clad rocks and towers, but of a great mountainous snow-land. Andabove this a broad lift of deepest blue, and higher still--like the topscene on a stage--a curtain-cloud of driving hail.