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log-house, though next time he mounts his "hot-copper filly," I do

not desire a second neck-and-neck race with him. A sprain of the

leg, and contusion (or confusion) of the head, are the extent of the

damage received, and you will say that it is cheap, considering all

things. I had done my 203 miles of marking, and was coming back on

my last day's journey, debating whether to push on to Lakeville that

night, camp out, or get a shake-down at Randolf's, bringing my own

provender, for they live on hominy and milk, except for what he can

shoot or catch. It was so dark that I had nearly fixed on sleeping

in the bush, when it struck me that there must be an uncommonly fine

aurora, but getting up a little rising ground where the trees were

thinner, I observed it was to the south-west, not the north. That

way there lies prairie land, at this season one ocean of dry bents,

fit to burn like tinder, so that one spark would set fifty square

miles alight at once. All the sky in that quarter was the colour of

glowing copper, but the distance was so enormous that danger never

occurred to me till I saw the deer scampering headlong, the birds

awake and flying, and my horse trembling and wild to be off. Then I

remembered that the wind was full from that direction, and not a bit

of water between, nor all the way to the Lakeville lake. I never

knew my beast's pace on the Kingston road what it was through that

track, all the rustling and scuttling of the beasts and birds

sounding round us, the glare gaining on us, and the scent of smoke

beginning to taint the wind. There was Randolf's clearing at last,

lonesome and still as ever, and a light in the window. Never was it

so hard to pull in a horse; however, I did so. He was still up,

reading by a pine torch, and in five minutes more the woman and her

children were upon the horse, making for the lake. Randolf took his

axe, and pocketed a book or two, and we dashed off together for a

long arm of swamp that he knew of, running out from the lake. When

we got to the other end of the clearing, I thought it was all up with

us. The wall of red roaring flame had reached the other side, and

the flame was leaping from the top of one pine to another, making

them one shape of quivering red, like Christmas evergreens in the

fire, a huge tree perhaps standing up all black against the lurid

light, another crashing down like thunder, the ribbon of flame

darting up like a demon, the whole at once standing forth a sheet of

blazing light. I verily believe I should have stood on, fascinated

with the horror and majesty of the sight, and feeling it vain to try

to escape, when the burning wings were spreading to enclose the

clearing and us with it, but Randolf urged me on, and we plunged

through the bush at the best speed we could make, the smoke rolling

after us, and the heat glowing like a furnace, so as to consume all

power out of us. It was hell itself pursuing after us, and roaring

for his prey, the trees coming crashing down, and shaking the earth

under our feet, the flame absolutely running on before us upon the

dry grass and scrub, and the scorching withering every drop of

moisture from us, though not ten minutes before, we had been

streaming at every pore.

'I saw green reeds before us, heard Randolf cry out, "Thank God," and

thought I was plunging after him, when I found myself on the ground,

and the branches of a hemlock covering me. Happily they were but the

lesser boughs, and not yet alight; and at his own desperate peril,

Randolf came back with his axe, and cut them off, then dragged me

after him into the mud. Never bath more welcome! We had to dispute

it with buffaloes, deer, all the beasts of the wood, tame and cowed

with terror, and through them we floundered on, the cold of the water

to our bodies making the burning atmosphere the more intolerable

round our heads. At last we came to an island, where we fell upon

the reeds so much spent that it was long before we found that our

refuge was shared by a bear and by Randolf's old cow, to the infinite

amaze of the bull-frogs. The Fire King was a hundred yards off; and

a fierce shower, brought from other parts by his unwarrantable

doings, began to descend, and finally quenched him in such smoke that

we had to lie on our faces to avoid stifling. When the sun arose,

there was Lakeville in its woods on one side, on the other the

blackest desolation conceivable. The population were all astir.

Mrs. Randolf had arrived safely, and Mr. Currie was about to set

forth in search of my roasted remains, when they perceived the

signals of distress that we were making, after Randolf had done

gallant battle with the bear in defence of the old cow. He is a

first-rate hunter, and despatched the fellow with such little aid as

I could give, with a leg not fit to stand upon; and when the canoes

came off to fetch us, he would not leave the place till he had

skinned the beast. My leg is unserviceable at present, and all my

bones feel the effect of the night in the swamp, so I am to lay by,

make the drawings, and draw up the report, while Mr. Currie and

Randolf do my work over again, all my marks having been effaced by

his majesty the Fire King, and the clearing done to our hand. If I

could only get rid of the intolerable parching and thirst, and the

burning of my brains! I should not wonder if I were in for a touch

of swamp fever.'

Here Owen's letter broke off; and Honor begged in alarm for what Robert evidently had in reserve. He had received this letter to her enclosed in one from Mr. Currie, desiring him to inform poor young Sandbrook's friends of his state. By his account, Owen's delay and surrender of his horse had been an act of gallant self-devotion, placing him in frightfully imminent danger, whence only the cool readiness of young Randolf had brought him off, apparently with but slight hurts from the fall of the tree, and exposure to the night air of the heated swamp. He had been left at Lakeville in full confidence of restoration after a week's rest, but on returning from Lake Superior, Mr. Currie found him insensible, under what was at first taken for an aggravated access of the local fever, until, as consciousness returned, it became evident that the limbs on the left side were powerless. Between a litter and water transport, the sufferer was conveyed to Montreal, where the evil was traced to concussion of the brain from the blow from the tree, the more dangerous because unfelt at first, and increased by application to business. The injury of the head had deprived the limbs of motion and sensation, and the medical men thought the case hopeless, though likely to linger through many stages of feebleness of mind and body. Under these circumstances, Mr. Currie, being obliged to return home himself, and unable to leave the poor young man in such a condition among strangers, had decided on bringing him to England, according to his own most eager desire, as the doctors declared that the voyage could do no harm, and might be beneficial. Mr. Currie wrote from Quebec, where he had taken his passage by a steamer that would follow his letter in four days' time, and he begged Robert to write to him at Liverpool stating what should be done with the patient, should he be then alive. His mind, he said, was clear, but weak, and his memory, from the moment of his fall till nearly the present time, a blank. He had begged Mr. Currie to write to his sister or to Miss Charlecote, but the engineer had preferred to devolve the communication upon Mr. Fulmort. Of poor Owen he spoke with much feeling, in high terms of commendation, saying that he was a valuable friend and companion as well as a very right hand in his business, and that his friends might be assured that he (Mr. Currie) would watch over him as if he were his own son, and that his temporary assistant, Mr. Randolf, was devoted to him, and had nursed him most tenderly from the first.