CHAPTER V.
A KING'S DAUGHTER IN A FREIGHT CAR.
When Randolph and his party came rushing with shouts of laughter fromthe woods, they were joined by Tom, who was in an unusually meek mood.Fred looked at him suspiciously, but forbore to ask any questions.
The rain was coming down smartly, and all hands gathered, panting andlaughing, around the generous fire in the little hotel office. "Where'sBessie?" asked Mr. Percival, as soon as he could make his voice heardabove the merry clamor.
"Oh! she's just behind, with Mr. Selborne," said Kittie. "Randolph,look out of the door to see if they are in sight."
"They'll get dreadfully wet," remarked Pet. "Why didn't they keep up?"
"Oh! Bess wanted to go up the glacier a little farther. I saw herpointing to a big rock"--
"And of course he went," added Fred demurely.
Mr. Percival looked worried. His nephew reported that the missingcouple were not in sight.
"It's growing darker every moment," he remarked anxiously. "I must goand look for them."
Two strong young fellows who were employed about the hotel went withhim. Leaving the jolly group around the fire, we will accompany therelief party. Those who prefer cosiness and warmth may stay behind!
The contrast was sharp, indeed, as Mr. Percival stepped out-of-doorswith his two companions.
The sky was filled with black clouds, that rolled down the valley orhung in threatening masses along the lofty mountain slopes.
As they entered the forest they had to step carefully, lest they shouldstumble on some root or stone, half-hidden in the darkness. Through theboughs of the trees the rain dripped drearily.
They plodded on for over a mile, when they caught sight of a flickeringlight, appearing and vanishing, like a will-o'-the-wisp.
The two men from the hotel did not know what to make of it, but Mr.Percival guessed the source of the strange flame in a moment.
"They've built a fire," he said quietly. "Or, at least, Bess has. Idon't believe the minister could do it, this wet night, if he tried!"
He could, though, as Captain Bess soon found out, when he had stoppedto rest in the edge of the forest. About fifty feet from the path was ahuge bowlder draped with ferns, with the top slightly overhanging itsbase.
To the shelter of this great rock the young clergyman had borne hischarge, placing her on a dry cushion of moss and fir needles, where thefaintness soon left her, though the pain did not. He had then busiedhimself in a wonderfully handy way, collecting dry stuff from beneaththe bowlder, and in five minutes had a glorious fire snapping andcrackling, right in the midst of the rain.
"That will be a comfort to us," he remarked, eying the blaze with greatsatisfaction, "and will signal the party they are sure to send out forus."
"O, yes!" cried Bess. And then, of course, she had to tell him, oftenpausing as the sharp twinges of pain shot more and more fiercelythrough her ankle, all about the lost party in Maine, and the exploitwhich had earned for her the title of Captain.
She had hardly finished her story when a shout was heard, and presentlythe relief party came hurrying into the firelit space.
"What is it, dear? Are you hurt?" asked Mr. Percival, hastily kneelingdown beside his daughter and throwing his arms around her. He had notrealized until that moment how deeply anxious he had been during thatdismal walk.
"Only a little, father. It's just my ankle. I turned it on the rocks."
"How did you get here?"
"Mr. Selborne--carried me."
Her father turned and clasped the young man's hand, saying simply, "Ithank you." But each of the men knew the already strong friendshipbetween them was deepened.
"Now for getting home," called out Rossiter. "Too bad to leave thefire, though, isn't it?"
"You can spend the night here if you like," laughed Bess, risingpainfully and clinging to her father's arm.
It was clear that she could not walk a step.
The fire was cared for; then the two sturdy young backwoodsmen madean arm-chair with their hands and wrists, and tramped off with Bessbetween them as easily as if she were a kitten.
Very slowly though, and with great skill and care, feeling the groundcarefully with their feet at every step. So they made their way back tothe hotel, where there was a general jubilee over their return.
The train was side-tracked that night, close by the station. It wasgreat fun for the young people to climb aboard, and, after a good-nightsing, clamber into their berths to be lulled to sleep, not by therumble of iron wheels, but the rushing waters of the Illicilliwaet.
Bessie, it should be said, was carried to the cars by her father. Therewas a physician in the party, and by his advice the strained anklereceived such wise and timely treatment that by bed-time it was farless painful. In two or three days, the doctor said, she could use itagain, though care would be necessary for a fortnight or more.
On the following morning the rain was still falling, but by teno'clock the sky brightened a little, and the Percivals, with theexception of Bess, set out for a walk down the track. There was a longsnow shed not far away, from which Tom hoped to get a good operatingfield for his kodak.
Hardly had they clambered to the top of the structure and "pressed thebutton" once, when a flying gust of rain, backed by a portentous blackcloud, sent them flying down again.
"Let's come in under the shed," proposed Tom. This, however, was socold and damp, that Fred and Randolph, seeing some detached freightcars, a few rods up the track, started off to explore for a bettershelter.
A minute or two later they were beckoning and shouting to the rest ofthe party.
"Run for it!" they called out. "Plenty of room here for all hands!"
Pet distanced the other girls, and was mounting a short flight of stepsto the end of the nearest freight car, when what was her surprise to bemet at the door by a fresh-faced, modest-looking young woman.
"Come in," she said simply. "I hope you haven't got wet," and led theway to the interior of the car.
"It's like a fairy story," whispered Pet to Kittie, as the latterscrambled up the steps. "Is she a princess in disguise?"
"Only so far as she is a true 'King's Daughter' in her hospitality,"said Mr. Percival, catching Pet's question, and replying in the sametone.
In trooped the excursionists, a dozen or more of them, all lookingabout them in amazement.
The car was divided into two compartments: one small one fora sleeping-room, the larger--in which the strangers werereceived--serving as kitchen and "living room." A fire snapped andpurred comfortably in the stove; before the tiny windows (against whichthe rain was now dashing in good earnest) were draped red curtains, andon the sill were pots of geranium and ivy.
Cheerful prints hung upon the walls, and altogether the old freightcar, settled down at last after its many wanderings, was as cosey ahome as heart could desire.
The bright little hostess proudly exhibited a photograph of herhusband, a manly-looking fellow, and one or two other views whichcomprised her art treasures. Her modest and quiet demeanor would havedone credit to a high-bred lady, and none of the Percivals, I think,will soon forget their hearty welcome, or the warm good-by with whichshe sped her parting guests.
Before leaving, it should be added, Randolph made the rounds of thecar, and left a substantial remembrance in the hands of this far away"King's Daughter." But the train was ready, and the old locomotive in aflurried way calling her brood of one hundred chickens together.
Away went the cars once more, curving around the mountain spurs,crossing torrents, clinging to the rugged slopes of granite; nowdescending to the level of the Columbia, now climbing again to EaglePass, ever westward toward the Pacific.
That night, it should be mentioned, they passed through Kamloops, nota remarkable town in itself, but ever memorable from the fact that itgave its name to the car in which the Percivals crossed the Continent.A great celebration had been planned for the occasion; but as everybodywas asleep at the time (about
two in the morning), it didn't come off.The titles of all the cars had by this time become very familiar,and the girls spoke of calling on a friend in the "Missanabie," orstepping back to the "Nepigon," as they would mention Newbury Street orLouisburg Square.
One morning they found themselves rolling along the high bank of theFraser River, famous in the history of the gold fever of 1849; itsmuddy waters, laden with the wealth of empires, rushing past the traintoward the ocean. On the shore Chinamen and Indians could be seen,dredging for gold, or fishing for salmon.
On the further side of the river ran the old Government wagon road,curiously built and buttressed with logs in many places, leading to theCariboo gold country.
At Yale--an outfitting point for runners and ranchmen--there was a stopto water the engine. Children crowded up to the cars with small basketsof berries and nosegays.
Randolph brought in to Bessie--who was patiently bearing herlameness--a bunch of exquisite white pansies, a strange product forthis wild, half-civilized country.
It was high noon when the conductor opened the door of the car andshouted:
"Vancouver! Vancouver!"