CHAPTER NINE.
OLD PEG.
Meanwhile, accustomed to think and act for herself, Old Peg, on thefirst alarm, had made up her mind to do her fair share of work quietly.
She did not require to be told that danger threatened the family andthat flight had been resolved on. A shout from some one thatNor'-Westers were coming, coupled with the hasty preparations, mighthave enlightened a mind much less intelligent than that of the oldwoman. She knew that she could do nothing to help where smart bodilyexercise was needed, but, down by the creek close by, there was a smallstable in which a sedate, lumbering old cart-horse dwelt. The horse,she felt sure, would be wanted. She could not harness it, but she couldput a bridle on it and lead it up to the house.
This animal, which was named Elephant on account of its size, had beentotally forgotten by the family in the hurry of departure.
Old Peg found the putting of a bridle on the huge creature moredifficult work than she had expected, and only succeeded at last by dintof perseverance, standing on three or four bundles of hay, and muchcoaxing--for the creature had evidently taken it into its head that theold woman had come there to fondle it--perhaps to feed it with sugarafter the manner of Elspie.
She managed the thing at last, however, and led the horse up towards thehouse.
Now, while she had been thus engaged the family had left, and thehalf-breeds--having combined their forces--had arrived.
Ben Nevis was the first house the scoundrels came to. Dismounting, andfinding the place deserted, they helped themselves to whatever wasattractive and portable--especially to a large quantity of Canada twisttobacco, which old Duncan had found it impossible to carry away. Thenthey applied fire to the mansion, and, in a wonderfully short time BenNevis was reduced to a level with the plain. Another party treatedPrairie Cottage in a similar manner.
It was when the first volume of black smoke rose into the sky that OldPeg came to the edge of the bushes that fringed the creek and discoveredthat Ben Nevis had suddenly become volcanic! She instantly became fullyaware of the state of matters, and rightly judged that the family musthave escaped, else there would have been some evidence of resistance.
Fortunately the old woman had not yet passed quite from the shelter ofthe bushes. She drew back with a degree of caution worthy of aRed-skin, leading the horse with her. When well out of sight she pausedfor the purpose of meditation. What was now to be done! As we havesaid, she possessed decision of character in an eminent degree. Shenever at any time had taken long to make up her mind; she was not goingto begin now, though the position was probably the most perplexing thatshe had ever experienced. Suddenly she raised her head and laughed.
In the circumstances it would not have been surprising had hysteriaseized Old Peg, but there was nothing hysterical in her nature. Calm,cool, calculating courage dominated her every thought and feeling, butthe idea of what she was driven to in her old age had tickled her fancy.Leading the big cart-horse close up to a bank, she prepared to mounthim--having previously broken off a good strong switch from aneighbouring bush.
Never before in her life had Peg mounted a steed of any kind whatever.She knew the lady's position on horseback by sight, of course, but notby practice. To attempt it even with a side-saddle would have beenimpossible; but Elephant was barebacked. Fortunately he was fat andbroad, and without a visible back-bone. Old Peg at once made up hermind, and, climbing the bank, scrambled on his back in gentleman'sposition. It was more comfortable than she had dared to hope.
But now an unexpected difficulty met her. Elephant declined to move!She pulled at his bridle, and he turned sluggishly, but he would notadvance. Peg administered a sounding whack with the switch. She mightas well have hit a neighbouring tree. Elephant's hide was like that ofhis namesake, and he had no feelings to speak of that could be touched,or hurt, or worked upon.
In this dilemma the old woman had recourse to a weapon with which herbroad bosom was at all times furnished. She drew a large pin, and drovethe point into Elephant's flank. The result was instantaneous. Up wenthis hindquarters, and Peg found herself sprawling on his bushy mane.She held on to that, however, and, gradually working her way back,regained her old position--thankful that she had not been thrown to theground.
Another result was that Elephant condescended to walk. But this was notenough. Escape at such a pace was impossible. Old Peg prodded himagain--this time on the shoulder, for she rightly conjectured that hecould not well kick up with his fore-legs. But he might rear! Thethought caused her to grasp the bushy mane with both hands and hold on.He did not rear, but he trotted, and poor Old Peg came to the conclusionthat there were disagreeable novelties in life, even for her.
When Elephant at length burst out of the fringe of wood and gained thetrack that followed the course of the river, she was immediately seen bythe plunderers, who laughed at the strange rider but did not follow her,with the exception of one man--an Indian, painted and feathered,--whostarted in pursuit, hoping, possibly, for an easy scalp.
He soon came close up, and, being armed with a bow, sent an arrow inadvance of him. The shaft was well aimed. It grazed the flank ofElephant, inflicting a painful wound. This woke up the old horsesurprisingly, so that it not only broke into a gallop, but set off atracing speed as it used to do when young. The Indian was badly mounted,and gradually lost ground, whereupon he sent after the fugitives severalmore arrows which all fell wide of the mark.
The change to Old Peg was as a reprieve from death! The trot had almostdislocated her bones, and shaken her up like an addled egg, and thechange to racing speed afforded infinite relief. She could scarcelycredit her senses, and she felt a tendency to laugh again as she glancedover her shoulder. But that glance removed the tendency, for itrevealed the Indian warrior, in all his paint and feathers and streamingscalp-locks, in hot pursuit, while the whiz of another arrow close pasther ear convinced our heroine that it was not a dream.
The jolting to which the poor old creature was subjected had disturbedher costume not a little. Her shawl came nearly off, and, holding on byone pin, fluttered like a flag of defiance. Her slippers, which were ofthe carpet pattern, were left behind on the prairie to perplex thewolves, and her voluminous hair--once a rich auburn, but now a pearlygrey--having escaped its cap and fastenings, was streaming out gaily inthe breeze, as if to tempt the fingers and knife of the pursuer.
A stern-chase is a long one, whether ashore or afloat. Pursuer andpursued went rapidly down the Settlement until they came in sight of theband which had come to rescue Peg. They received her with a wild cheerof surprise and joy, which turned the Red-skin to the right-about, andsent him back to his friends much faster than he had come.
On receiving his report, the half-breeds at once dashed off in pursuitof the settlers, and did not draw rein until they reached the placewhere the Scotchmen had made a stand. The latter were greatlyoutnumbered, at least in fighting men, but they showed such a resolutefront, that Cuthbert Grant, the half-breed leader, again interfered toprevent bloodshed if possible. After calming his men, and advisingforbearance, he turned to Duncan McKay senior, who was the settlers'spokesman, and said--
"If you will go peaceably away out of the colony, we will spare you, butif you show fight your blood be on your own heads, for I cannot restrainmy men much longer."
"Iss it sparin' us you will be talkin' of, Cuthbert Grant?" answered theHighlander, with scorn. "Wow! but if it wass not for the weemen an'children that's with us, you would hev a goot chance o' bein' in need o'sparin' yoursels; an' it iss not much o' the blood o' the Grants,either, that's in _your_ veins, or ye would scorn to consort wi' suchfire-raisin' cut-throats. It iss the fortune of war--whatever, and wecan't affoord to leave our weemen an' bairns defenceless. So we acceptyour terms, if we are not hindered from carryin' away our arms."
"Carry away whatever you like," replied Grant, quietly, "only be off atonce, or I'll not answer for the consequences."
Thus the angry Highla
nder was dismissed, and in the end the unfortunatesettlers, being a second time driven into exile, took refuge, as before,at Jack River.