Young Lion of the Woods | Page 7

chattels had been
stowed on board; several boxes and bundles being closely packed and
lashed on deck.
After everything had been made snug on board, sails furled, &c., the
Captain and his wife asked the blessing of the all-seeing One during the
hours of the night. The Captain was very tired, and the events of the
day had not added to his comfort. His wife persuaded him to go into the
small cabin and rest. She promised to call him if the least danger
appeared. She said that she was only too willing to stand as sentinel
until the sun-rise. It was only through a knowledge of the determined
spirit, good judgment, quick eye, and self possession of his wife that he
was induced to retire to rest.
The children unconscious of the dangers surrounding them, were
nestled together in the small cabin like young birds in a nest. During
four long hours nothing unusual occurred to break the stillness of the
night. The rustling of the leaves on the trees not many yards distant,
and the rippling of the water were all that could be heard, a dense
darkness, a blackness doubly deep appeared to settle over and around
the little vessel. The sentinel placed her soft white hand close to her
face but could not even distinguish its outlines.

At this moment there flashed through her mind the words, "Watchman,
what of the night." The words were accompanied by a hand gently laid
upon her shoulder. She remained as motionless as a statue in the gloom.
A gentle breath whispered in her ear, "me Paul;" "come tell you Indians
on other bank river;" adding strength to the expression by taking her
hand and pointing it to the opposite bank. He then again whispered,
"Fire gun next setting sun, where stop," and then suddenly left her side,
and she saw nothing more that night of Paul Guidon, for such was the
Indian's name.
Captain Godfrey, after his many days of toil and anxiety, slept so
soundly that he did not wake till the sun had risen. As soon as breakfast
was over, and a chapter had been read from an old family Bible, which
had accompanied four generations of the Landers through this vale of
tears, sorrows and joys, and a short prayer read from an old service
book, presented to Captain Godfrey by General Murray at Quebec, the
sloop was got under way and proceeded on her voyage, the wind being
fair and light. The prospect was not one to gladden the hearts of the
voyagers, though the day was fine and sky clear. The progress was
slow. Captain Godfrey was in better spirits than on the previous day,
the quiet night and refreshing sleep had somewhat braced him up. The
children sat on deck during the day, chatting, playing and singing,
while their mother, dauntless and buoyant in spirit, retired to rest in the
little smoke-box of a cabin. She knew that very much depended upon
her behaviour and courage in safely reaching Grimross Neck. She
closed her eyes with the whispered words upon her lips, "I will follow
what I believe to be the path of safety, and I will tread it with a firm
and unfaltering footstep, praise to the Great King who sent us Paul
Guidon in the thick darkness to watch over us from the river's bank. It
brings to my remembrance what I have read in the Book of books, of
Pharaoh's daughter standing at the river's brink and rescuing the babe,
and seeing that no harm befell it."
Little progress was made during the day. An hour or two before the
shadows of evening had begun to fling their leaden mantle around the
sloop, Mrs. Godfrey appeared on deck. Perfect stillness seemed to reign
on every hand; even the little craft appeared to be half asleep, so lazily

did she move along. All above and about stretched the wondrous
beauty of the sky; the deep blue clouds, as the day wore away,
becoming tinged with gold, contrasted in loveliness with the green of
earth. Not a sound was there to stir the perfect stillness except the
rippling of the water against the vessel.
As Margaret sat beside her husband on that lovely evening of July, the
deep feelings that were stirred within her soul seemed to find their
natural outlet, as she turned to her husband and said, "this seems like a
glimpse of some better world." He replied, "it appears as though we are
sailing through a land of perfect rest." "I trust we are, though we sail
through a country peopled with savages." She replied, "To-day we
beheld the sun in his glory, and strong in his power, now he is
departing, but I trust as we continue to sail o'er