Cardigan

er-plated the river's bed with frosted crusts, was ripped off and dashed i

the small fry, swarming in early spring, attract the great lean fish

r sizes, and smoothing out my feather-flies to make sure the moths had not loosened wing or body. It was, therefore, with misgiving that I heard

journeying with the post to visit his mother in Pennsylvania, had been sho

ad but recently returned from the upper castle with his secretary, Captain Walter Butler; and, preoccup

ve said, suspected of the murder-we discovered that Sir William had also written to Albany for another schoolmaster to replace Mr. Yo

ived; so seized my fish-rod and started to slip out of the house before any one might summon me. However, I was seen in

cing voice. And I should have continued triumphantly out of the door and across the fields to the river had not I met Sil

aptain Butler has consented to instruct us u

t do I care for Mr. Butler? I

d to make me mad withal. "Sir William says you are to take your ragged old book of gods and nymph

I answered, sulkily,

to seek you. So now who'

kery as she stood there swaying from her hips and lickin

oks anyway. I'm too old to study with y

and I grasped the lithe animal and thrust it at Silver Heels, whereupon she kicke

d my rod in the corner, pocketed the ferret, dragged my book

t Latin to follow C?sar through Gaul, loathing mathematics, scorning the poets, and even obstinate

nnel-lore and the multitude of small details bearing u

be a soldier, I had resolutely set myself against every school-room accomplishment, with the result that, at

William had set me once more in the

red the room, "Sir William desires you to prep

gan to thumb the leaves noisily. Presently tiring of dingy print, I moved up t

in my pocket, and dragged it out. Removing the silver bit I permitted the ferret to bite Peter's tight breeches, not meaning to hurt him; but Peter screeched and Mr. Butler birc

when Sir William came in, very angry, saying that Mistress Molly could hear

id I, "and Mr. Butl

liam, sharply. "Put tha

answered. "She will run to the warr

you leave to pouch my ferrets? Eh? What has a ferret to d

" said Mr. Butl

I have taught him? Granted his Latin would shame a French priest, and

fortune, whose degraded whims led him now to instru

im till I dreamed of nymphs and satyrs and capered in my dream

replied

demi-gods, and I gaped and floundered as though I were

, which, God knows, I do not find unpleasant; and at every slap of the whip over his boots, he shot me through an

nd the other on Mr. Butler, did not please me. Moreover, the others were looking on-Esk with ink

. Besides, there was Mr. Butler with his silent, deathly laugh-a laugh

boot-tops, and Sir William was at i

d off Prose

gue at me. I had little knowledge of mythology beyond what c

w that; come now-a likely lass, Proserpine, out in the bush pulling cowslips,

muttered

awled Sir

speak, although that hollow roar began to sound in Sir William's voice which always meant a s

se. And I often think that his outbursts towards us were all pretence, and to test his own capacity for temper lest he had lost it in a long lifetime of self-control. At all

said Sir William, grimly. "Out wi

am had spoken to me as Mr. Cardigan. It might h

owy and loose, without expression, without lif

William's whi

a passion, "who carried

aught I know!" I mut

onted, he stood up very straight and still; and that tribute of involuntary silence w

Captain Butler," said Sir

Esk bestowing a wink upon me, Peter grinning and toeing i

aptain Butler," said

eyes shining. I may have been mistaken. But all men know now that Walter Butler hath eyes that see as well by d

Sir William, "

oss the dust

William, irritated

balancing it in my palm as

yes may have infu

collar, whip whistling like the chimney wind-and

he made no eff

for your hound

p on me, which was a shameful thing to taunt him with, for he had promised me never to lay rod to me; a

ebuke in his eyes began to shame me into silence. Tingling already with self-contempt, I drop

himself: "If the boy's a cowar

again, "and I ask your pardon, sir, for darin

iam scow

ve you leave to drive a fish-hook through my hand and cut it out with your knife; and I

ur fish-hook and your Mohawks!" shou

and cracked his whip and swore I was d

ence! A vicious lad, a bad, undutiful, sullen lad, ever at odds with the others, never diligent save with the fishing-rod-a lazy

th eyes, opening one, howe

oath; "I'll polish you, and I'll tempe

ed, impudently, meani

efore the fires in this hearth are dead,"

bade me write with the chalk on the slate the history

n me. I listened. Had he locked it I should h

of those who, tasks ended, were now free of the hateful place; here Esk had left his name abo

scrawls from the slate, slowly, for I

Putting up my nose to scent it, I saw the sky bluer than a her

e sheep-fold. Now, on this second day of May, robins were already running over the gro

hern block-house, with a soldier standing guard below in the sunshine

ture, Proserpine-and that, too, in verse! Had it been my long-legged Diana with her view-halloo and her hounds and shooting her arrows like a Huron squa

oung fruit-trees, Sir William's pride. Now that the snow had melted I could see where mice, working under

my thoughts slipped into their natural channel, smoothly as the river flowed there in the sunshine; and I laid my plans for the taking of tha

desk. It madded me to pine here, making rhymes, while outside the swee

return by-and-by. I had no stomach for further quarrels. Besides, I was ashamed of my disrespect and temper, and indeed, selfish

as proof of a contrite and diligent spiri

e did roam

culling

leeful gir

d too far f

that no bel

le of Pluto fr

Pluto la

ll who stay

dreadful

he doomed P

dissuaded me from such a liberty, not that I found the anachronism at all discordant, for, living all my life in a family where Indians were oftener seen than white men, my hazy notions concerning classic myths were inextricably mixed with the reality of my own life, and w

rpine in my verses or plump a war-arrow into Pl

et the metre go a-limping, behind me I heard the door stealthily open, and I knew that

, very still. Clearly, she was reading my verses, and I became angry. Not to show it, I made out to wh

, it must be Silver Heels!" And I turned around,

she answered

ur for the sto

go," she

er back, which truly was as straight as a pine, Sir William and Mistress Molly were accustomed to strap her to a pin

changing at the north block-house, tra

ocks now," I said, "you'll

'll tell Sir William," she retorted, balan

Silver Heels

back and forth on heels and toes. "Call me by my right name and

y Warren, will you go?

d me Felicity Warren!"

such a person. But you are not that person! Anyway, you toe

hed; "I'm all white to

ne of Mistress Molly's brood, half Mohawk; and it madded her. Besides, had not the Mohawks dubbed her Silver Heels, a year ago,

I had looked upon as mine. Besides, I had rashly given my old

ou are a cat-child beneath notice. When you are

said, stampin

is changed these ten minutes, and Sir William will come to fin

ds. "Bah, Mister Micky, it is spoon-meat you requ

own at the presumptuous child, but it appeared she had grown very fast in the past months since the race, and

gh as you,

uch the ceiling,"

brains I had were in my feet. For that, and because she p

Mohock she toes

unt, jostling me till the ferret in my pocket

o the floor to rub her face with chalk. She twisted and turned, kicking and striking while I

nd; she also, all white in

the floor. At that same instant I heard the door of the nursery open, an

t my wounded hand int

Heels, in a fright; "don't te

oss the floor to the open window, and over the

day she trounced her for pushing Peter into the creek. However, it was already too late; Sir Wil

to wear when angling. He carried, too, that light, seasoned rod, fashioned for him by Thayendanegea, and

and at first his brows knitted and he said, "Fudge, fudge, fudge!" Th

, ashamed, and a little dizzy, my breeches-pocket bei

ho am I to ordain, when He who fashioned yon tow-head

u to laugh, si

h words. If you are not born a scholar, 'twas the mint-mark I could not read aright; and no blame to you, lad, no blame to you. Micky boy! Shall we leave C?sar to go marching with his imp

im wildly, uncert

ryads farewell forever, lad, and save our learning for Roderic

what with the pain of my hand and the dizz

"the college which my Lord Dartmouth has endowed is a haven

pau

rs, neither French scalping parties nor the savages of all the Canadas could have kept

e blood, overrunning my leather po

Peter Warren wrote me. I traded for my daily bread; I read Ovid by lig

bunch of scarlet feath

could have gone to England, to Oxford; I had saved enough. I did neither; I did not take th

stocking towards my shoe. I turned

leaves. I only wish that you bear yourself modestly and nobly through the world;

her than that, I desire you, once a purpose formed

ry Mohawk in the forest; I believe you to be merciful and

the arts, bearing, and deportment you can never acquire here with us. No? Well, then, stay with us. I want you, Micky. We Irish are fond

ked at Sir William with an affect

gravely, almost sadly. "Perhaps I may again refe

them from the sickly faintness whic

ing and-and your native land-which God forbid!-go to your closet and kneel down, and stay there on your

e colour came back into his cheeks; he fumbled w

ilish good place they say it is for those who like it! Where is that ferret

sir," said I, s

wling and senseless, with the blood running over the floor; and Sir William, be

set me spluttering and blinking, I found my hand tied up in Sir

t wound?" he

t reply-or

say yes. Treachery was abhorrent to me; I hated Silver Heels, bu

I sta

bit you," he

but the lie, too,

tell you,"

relief, "I shall not force you, Michael. May I h

ead. My face

continue. And remember that a man's first duty is to protect the weaker sex, and his second duty is to endure from them all taunts,

ed, the

n to her the jack-knife, which was her wampu

thing the fur of the red-ey