The Narrative of Gordon Sellar Who Emigrated to Canada in 1825 | Page 7

had no right to expect he would pay for me,
and all the more that he would have no use for a lad such as I was in his
new home. It was not so much of what might happen to myself after
they were gone that I thought about, as of parting with the family, for I
loved every one of them. I knew they were considering what to do with
me, and one day, on the master getting me alone, he seemed relieved on
telling me the new tenant of the farm was going to keep me on for my
meat. I thanked him, for it was better than I looked for. These were
busy days getting ready. Alice noticed that, in all the making of clothes,
there were none for me, and I overheard her ask her mother, who
answered in a whisper, that they had not money enough to take me
along with them. Alice was more considerate than ever with me. To
their going grannie proved an obstacle. She would not leave Scotland,

she declared, she would be buried in it, she would go to no strange
country, let alone a cold one like Canada, nor cross the sea. Her
favorite of the family was Robbie, on whom she doted. 'You will not
leave him?' asked the mistress. 'Ou, he'll gang with me to Mirren's,' the
name of her daughter in Glasgow. 'Oh, no; Robbie goes with us to
Canada.' It was a struggle with the dear old soul, and in the end she
decided she would brave the Atlantic rather than part with her boy.
The last day came. The chests, and plenishing for the home they looked
forward to in Canada, had gone the day before and been stowed in the
ship at Troon, and the carts stood at the door to receive the family and
their hand-bags. The children and all were seated and the master turned
to me before taking his place. He shook my hand, and tried to say
something, but could not, for his voice failed. Pressing half a crown in
my little fist he moved to get beside the driver, when Robbie cheeped
out astonished, 'Is Gordie no to go wi' us?' 'Whist, my boy; we will
send for him by-and-by.' At this Robbie set up a howl, and his brothers
and sisters joined in his weeping. The master was sorely moved and
whispered with his wife. 'His passage-money will make me break my
last big note,' I heard him say to her. 'Trust in the Lord,' she answered,
'I canna thole the thought of leaving the mitherless bairn to that hard
man, John Stoddart; he'll work the poor weak fellow to death.' Without
another word, the master hoisted me on top of the baggage, the carts
moved on, and Robbie looked up into my face with a smile. We were
driven alongside the ship as she lay at the quay. She was a roomy brig,
and was busy taking on cargo. Our part of the hold was shown to us,
and the mistress at once began to unpack the bedding, and to make the
best of everything. 'Is it not an awful black hole to put Christians into?'
asked a woman who was taking her first survey. 'Well, no, I do not
think so; it is far better than I expected.' She had a gracious way, the
mistress, of looking at everything in the best light.
In the afternoon a man came on board to see the captain about taking
passage, and they agreed. He had no baggage, and as the ship only
supplied part of the provisions he had to go to buy what he needed for
the voyage. He asked the master to let me go with him to help to carry
back his bedding and parcels. We went from shop to shop until he had
got everything on his list; last of all he visited a draper and bought cloth.
On getting back to the ship he was tapped on the shoulder by a seedy

looking fellow who was waiting for him, and who said, 'You are my
prisoner.' The man started and his face grew white. I thought it strange
he did not ask what he was a prisoner for. 'Will you go quietly or will I
put these on?' asked the man, showing a pair of handcuffs in his coat
pocket. 'I will give you no trouble,' was the answer, 'only allow the boy
to stow these parcels and bags in my berth.'
'I think the boy had better come with you; I will wait till he is ready.' I
wondered what he could want with me. He led us up the street to a
large building where he placed us in charge of