Part 29 (1/2)
”An', plaze sir, av ye'll take the throuble to look in at Mrs. Meetuck in pa.s.sin', it'll do yer heart good, it will.”
”Very well, we'll look in,” replied the captain as he quitted the house of the worthy pastor.
The personage whom O'Riley chose to style Mrs. Meetuck was Meetuck's grandmother. That old lady was an Esquimau, whose age might be algebraically expressed as an _unknown quant.i.ty_. She lived in a boat turned upside down, with a small window in the bottom of it, and a hole in the side for a door. When Captain Ellice and Fred looked in, the old woman, who was a mere ma.s.s of bones and wrinkles, was seated on a heap of moss beside a fire, the only chimney to which was a hole in the bottom of the boat. In front of her sat her grandson Meetuck, and on a cloth spread out at her feet were displayed all the presents with which that good hunter had been loaded by his comrades of the _Dolphin_.
Meetuck's mother had died many years before, and all the affection in his naturally warm heart was transferred to, and centred upon, his old grandmother. Meetuck's chief delight in the gifts he received was in sharing them, as far as possible, with the old woman. We say _as far as possible_, because some things could not be shared with her, such as a splendid new rifle and a silver-mounted hunting-knife and powder-horn, all of which had been presented to him by Captain Guy over and above his wages, as a reward for his valuable services. But the trinkets of every kind which had been given to him by the men were laid at the feet of the old woman, who looked at everything in blank amazement, yet with a smile on her wrinkled visage that betokened much satisfaction. Meetuck's oily countenance beamed with delight as he sat puffing his pipe in his grandmother's face. This little attention, we may remark, was paid designedly, for the old woman liked it, and the youth knew that.
”They have enough to make them happy for the winter,” said Captain Ellice, as he turned to leave the hut.
”Faix they have. There's only two things wantin' to make it complate.”
”What are they?” inquired Fred.
”Murphies and a pig, sure. That's all they need.”
”Wot's come o' Dumps and Poker?” inquired Buzzby, as they reached the boat.
”Oh, I quite forgot them!” cried Fred. ”Stay a minute, I'll run up and find them. They can't be far off.”
For some time Fred searched in vain. At last he bethought him of Meetuck's hut as being a likely spot in which to find them. On entering he found the couple as he had left them, the only difference being that the poor old woman seemed to be growing sleepy over her joys.
”Have you seen Dumps or Poker anywhere?” inquired Fred.
Meetuck nodded, and pointed to a corner, where, comfortably rolled up on a mound of dry moss, lay Dumps; Poker, as usual, making use of him as a pillow.
”Thems is go bed,” said Meetuck.
”Thems must get up then and come aboard,” cried Fred, whistling.
At first the dogs, being sleepy, seemed indisposed to move; but at last they consented, and following Fred to the beach, were soon conveyed aboard the s.h.i.+p.
Next day Captain Guy and his men bade Meetuck and the kind, hospitable people of Upernavik farewell, and spreading their canvas to a fair breeze, set sail for England.
CHAPTER XXVI.
_The return--The surprise--Buzzby's sayings and doings--The narrative--Fighting battles o'er again--Conclusion._
Once again we are on the end of the quay at Grayton. As Fred stands there, all that has occurred during the past year seems to him but a vivid dream.
Captain Guy is there, and Captain Ellice, and Buzzby, and Mrs. Buzzby too, and the two little Buzzbys also, and Mrs. Bright, and Isobel, and Tom Singleton, and old Mr. Singleton, and the crew of the wrecked _Dolphin_, and, in short, the ”whole world”--of that part of the country.
It was a great day for Grayton that. It was a wonderful day--quite an indescribable day; but there were also some things about it that made Captain Ellice feel, somehow, that it was a mysterious day, for, while there were hearty congratulations, and much sobbing for joy, on the part of Mrs. Bright, there were also whisperings which puzzled him a good deal.
”Come with me, brother,” said Mrs. Bright, at length, taking him by the arm, ”I have to tell you something.”
Isobel, who was on the watch, joined them, and Fred also went with them towards the cottage.
”Dear brother,” said Mrs. Bright, ”I--I--O Isobel, tell him. _I_ cannot.”
”What means all this mystery?” said the captain in an earnest tone, for he felt that they had something serious to communicate.