Wrecked but not Ruined | Page 6

high-spirited, was plunging in vain and frantic efforts to
extricate himself, to the great danger of shafts and harness.
To run up and aid the man was of course the instant impulse of our
travellers.
"Ah! good luck to 'ee," exclaimed the driver, in tones that were
unmistakably Irish, "here, howld 'is head till I get the sled clear."
"All right," cried the Englishman, seizing the reins near the mouth of
the terrified animal and holding its head forcibly down, while Le Rue
assisted the owner to unharness.
In a few minutes the vehicle was righted, and the horse released.
While the driver was busy readjusting the harness, he accompanied the
operation with a running fire of grateful expressions, such as--"there
now, ain't ye in luck, Rooney? Arrah! gentleman, it's my blissin' I
bestow on yez. Och! but I'd have bin lost intirely widout ye. Well well,
it's always the way. I'm no sooner in a scrape than I'm sure to get out of
it. It's meself is a favoured man. Now thin, ladies, git in, for we're late
enough on the road."
On the two "ladies" thus addressed Redding and his man had been
gazing in silent surprise, for they were so good-looking and so
blooming, that it seemed to the two men, who had been accustomed of
late to the sight of none but the brown dames of the red skins, as if a
couple of beings from another and a purer world had dropped suddenly
upon their path. One of the two was evidently a lady, and was
possessed of no common share of beauty. Her dark hair contrasted
powerfully with the fairness of her skin and the whiteness of her teeth.
Her dazzling black eyes almost, and her red lips altogether, laughed as
she observed Redding's gaze of astonishment. Her companion, a very
pretty Canadian girl, was evidently her maid.
"We owe you many thanks, kind sirs," said the lady, "for your
opportune assistance."

"Pardon me, madam," said Redding, hastening forward in some
confusion as he recovered from his rather rude stare of surprise, "I
dwell in the wilderness and have been so unaccustomed of late to the
sight of ladies that--that--allow me to assist you into the sleigh!"
"Mademoiselle, permettez moi," said Le Rue, advancing to the
waiting-maid and politely offering his hand.
Another moment and the "ladies" were seated in the vehicle and
carefully repacked by our travellers, while their Irish driver mounted to
his seat in front and gathered up the reins.
"Thanks, gentlemen, many thanks," repeated the ladies, with
bewitching smiles.
"Good luck to 'ee both," cried the driver, as he flourished his whip and
drove away.
Redding and his man stood silently gazing for several minutes at the
turn in the road where the vision had vanished.
"Heaven for two minits, an' now--gone for evair!" said Le Rue, with a
deep sigh.
Redding echoed the sigh, and then laughed at the lugubrious expression
of his man's face.
"Oh such eyes!" exclaimed Le Rue.
"Yes, she's rather good-looking," replied Redding, thinking of the lady.
"Good-looking! non--bootifool--exiquitely bootifool," cried Le Rue,
thinking of the maid.
Again Redding laughed. "Well well, Francois," said he, "whether
good-looking or beautiful matters little, for it's not likely that we shall
ever see them again, so the less you think about them the
better.--Allons! we are late enough and must not loiter."

They pushed ahead at once at a rapid pace, but although neither spoke,
each thought with somewhat similar feelings of the little incident just
described.
Lest the reader should be surprised at so small a matter affecting them
so deeply, we must remark that these fur-traders had lived for some
years in a region where they saw no females except the brown and
rather dirty squaws of the Indians who visited the Cliff Fort with furs.
Their fort was indeed only three days' journey from the little settlement
of Partridge Bay, but as the space which lay between was a particularly
rugged part of the wilderness, with only a portion of road--unworthy of
the name--here and there, and the greater part of the way only passable
on foot or by means of dog-sledges, none but an occasional red man or
a trapper went to and fro; and as the nature of the fur-trader's business
called for very little intercourse with the settlements--their furs being
sent by water to Quebec in summer--it followed that the inhabitants of
the Cliff Fort rarely visited Partridge Bay. The sudden vision, therefore,
of two pretty females of a higher type had not only the effect on
Redding and his man of novelty, but also stirred up old memories and
associations.
Such good use did they now make of their time that the settlement of
Partridge Bay was reached before dark, and our hero