Black Rock: A Tale of the Selkirks

was greatly touched at his enthusiastic welcome by the men. At the supper-table he made a little speech of thanks for their faithfulness during his absenc

his pleasure at seeing the Boss back, and thanked t

tened their harsh lines and seemed to lean lovingly toward us. The dark pine masses stood silent as in breathless adoration; the dazzling snow lay like a garment over all the open spaces in soft, waving folds, and crowned every stump with a quaintly shaped nightcap. Above the camps the smoke curled up from the camp-fires, standing like pillars of cloud that kept watch while men slept. And high over a

raeme, stretching out his arms. 'A nig

at every sense the night w

e things to see and things to hear just beyond me; I cannot get to them.' The gay

thing better for me,' he conti

ght appeared in the stable. Glad of a diversion

last look at his

stable-lantern hung, was reading; Nelson was kneeling in front of him and gazing into the gloom beyond; Baptiste lay upon his stomach, his chin in his hands and his upturned eyes fastened upon Sandy's face; Lachlan Campbell sat with his hands clasped about his knees, and two other men sat near him. Sandy was reading the undying story of the Prodigal, Nelson now and then stopping him to make a remark. It was

k to Nelson, who put it in his pocket,

ng, but I am afraid it will not be for me whatever,' and he swa

t come,' said old Nelson,

privileges. My father was a godly elder in the Free Church of

ed Nelson, putting his hand on Lachla

said Baptiste; 'wh

t is just a parabl

'ble? Das no young feller?' asked B

ating softly, 'ah, voila! bon! by gar!' When Nelson had finished he broke out, 'Dat young feller, his name Bapti

any one else,' said Nelson. 'Y

e leetle prayer. You say, "Le bon Fadder, oh! I want come back, I so tire, so hongree, so sorree"?

come back. Jesus came to save us from our sins; and he said if we came He wouldn't cast us out, no matter how bad we were, if we only came to Him. Oh, Jesus Christ'-and his old, iron fa

ptiste. 'Das f

we went into the office and drew up to t

Old Nelson! the hardest, savagest, toughest old si

he thing seemed very real to me. The old man

id Graeme doubtfully; 'but there'

't swallow the bottle,' I repli

almost as bad, and Baptiste is an impulsive little chap. Those don't count much. But old man Nelson is a cool-blooded, level-headed old fellow; has seen a lot of life, too. And th

erything in it. The trouble with me is I can't face the music. It calls for a life where a fellow must go in for straight, steady work, sel

on one side, and e

f. You always were a luxurious beggar

s for an hour, and then turned in. As I was

he preparatory serv

I replied ra

y service at home?' There was somethin

n't it? But I always felt

like a call for a forlorn hope. None but volunteers wanted. Do you remember the

on Friday n

of men with his team, and Graem

Mr. Craig read the same story as we had heard in the stable, that most perfect of all parables, the Prodigal Son. Baptiste nud

r see such a graven image?

ing with the tender pathos of the tale, carried the words to our hearts, while a glanc

he moved our pity and our sympathy for the young profligate, who, broken and deserted, had still pluck enough to determine to work his way back, and who, in utter desperation, at last gave it up; and then he showed us the homecoming-the

d me-'and some of you haven't got enough yet of the far country to come back. May there be a chance for you when you want to come! Men, you all want to go back home, and when you go yo

e old f

rised, and the

heart, the good, clean, brave heart, from our Fat

,' or even 'The Sweet By and By,' but in voi

od a moment gazing down at t

sweeping his arm over the audience, and turning half round as if t

on! Let'

tely followed, I only caught the opening sentence, 'Father, we are coming back,' for my attention was suddenly absorbed

d to be punctuated with like admiring and even more sulphurous expletives. It was an incongruous medley. The earnest, reverent prayer, and the earnest, a

n, and called for all who wished to join to remain after the benediction. Some fifty men were left, among them Nelson, San

d amazed at the number of men remaining, and seemed to fear that something was wrong. He put before them the terms of discipleship, as the Master put them to the eager scribe, and he did not make them easy. He

cribed the heroism called for, the magnificence of the fight, the worth of it, and the outcome of it all, Abe gro

not joining my company; it is no easy business, and it is for your wh

wly, and with d

said He would see me through, or I should never have risked it. Per

rough who will trust his life to Him. Every man,

aightened himse

men would go in for this if they we

ong fight, a glorious fight,' throwing up his head, but every man who s

nk He's take me in dat fight, M'sieu

asked Craig a

aid the little F

ning over the leaves of his Testament, re

,' replied Baptiste earnestly;

out. There was a slight movement near the organ, and glancing up I saw Mrs. Mavor put her face has

n just five weeks ago. The old man's voice steadied as he went on, and he grew eager as he told how he had been helped, and how the world was all dif

wn all this years before, the old, hard face began to quiver, and

gh-me! the hardest man in the mountains!

s, one by one. When it came to

n the lad's name, Maister Craig; he's a wee bit fashed wi' the discoorse, but he

two days after, when the cup went round on that first Communion Sabbath, from Nelson to Sandy, and from Sandy to Baptiste, and so on down the line to Billy Breen and Mrs. Mavor, and then to Abe, the driver, whom she had by her own

tender, but they were words of high courage; and before he had spoken them all, the men were listening with s

re than ever I