Part 17 (1/2)

O'Flynn had come out of the Little Cabin, and seemed to be laboriously trundling something along the footpath. He got so excited when he heard the noise and saw the party that, inadvertently, he let his burden slide down the icy slope, b.u.mping and bouncing clumsily from one impediment to another.

”Faith, look at 'im! Sure, that fossle can't resthrain his j'y at seein' ye back. Mac, it's yer elephunt. I was takin' him in to the sate of honour be the foir. We thought it 'ud be a pleasant surprise fur ye.

Sure, ye'r more surprised to see 'im leppin' down the hill to meet ye, like a rale Irish tarrier.”

Mac was angry, and didn't conceal the fact. As he ran to stop the thing before it should be dashed to pieces, the priest happened to glance back, and saw coming slowly along the river trail a solitary figure that seemed to make its way with difficulty.

”It looks as though you'd have more than you bargained for at the House-Warming,” he said.

O'Flynn came down the hill babbling like a brook.

”Good-day to ye, Father. The blessin's o' Heaven on ye fur not kapin'

us starvin' anny longer. There's Potts been swearin', be this and be that, that yourself and the little divvle wudn't be at the Blow-Out at ahl, at ahl.”

”You mean the Boy hasn't come back?” called out Mac. He leaned _Elephas primigenius_ against a tuft of willow banked round with snow, and turned gloomily as if to go back down the river again.

”Who's this?” They all stood and watched the limping traveller.

”Why it's--of course. I didn't know him with that thing tied over his cap”; and Mac went to meet him.

The Boy bettered his pace.

”How did I miss you?” demanded Mac.

”Well,” said the Boy, looking rather mischievous, ”I can't think how it happened on the way down, unless you pa.s.sed when I 'd gone uphill a piece after some tracks. I was lyin' under the m.u.f.f a few miles down when you came back, and you--well, I kind o' thought you seemed to have your hands full.” Mac looked rigid and don't-you-try-to-chaff-me-sir.

”Besides,” the Boy went on, ”I couldn't cover the ground like you and Father Wills.”

”What's the matter with you?”

”Oh, nothin' to howl about. But see here, Mac.”

”Well?”

”Soon's I can walk I'll go and get you the rest o' that elephant.”

There was no more said till they got up to the others, who had waited for the Indians to come back, and had unpacked Kaviak to spare him the jolting uphill.

O'Flynn was screaming with excitement as he saw that the bundle Nicholas was carrying had a head and two round eyes.

”The saints in glory be among us! What's that? Man alive, what _is_ it, be the Siven?”

”That,” answered Mac with a proprietary air, ”is a little Esquimaux boy, and I'm bringing him in to doctor his cold.”

”Glory be! An Esquimer! And wid a cowld! Sure, he can have some o' my linnyeemint. Well, y'arre a boss collector, Mac! Faith, ye bang the Jews! And me thinkin' ye'd be satisfied wid yer elephunt. Not him, be the Siven! It's an Esquimer he must have to finish off his collection, wan wid the rale Arctic cowld in his head, and two eyes that goes snappin' through ye like black torpeders. Two sp.i.s.simens in wan day!

Yer growin' exthravagant, Mac. Why, musha, child, if I don't think yer the dandy Sp.i.s.simen o' the lot!”

CHAPTER IV