Black Rock: A Tale of the Selkirks

e camp by Billy Breen's death was very remarkable, and I have never been quite able to account for it. The mood of the community at the time was peculiarly susceptible. Billy was one of the old

he pity and the contempt remained, the gloom was relieved and the sense of defeat removed from the men's minds by the transforming glory of Billy's last hour. Mr. Craig, reading of the tragedy of Billy's death, transfigured defeat into victory, and this was generally accepted by

curses and vengeance, for all knew it was he who had doctored Billy's lemonade, and instead of vengeanc

eading-room, and hall, to parallel the enemy's lines of operation, and defeat them with their own weapons upon their own ground. The main outlines of the scheme were clearly defined and were easily seen, but the perfecting of the detai

ng clea

show?' ask

'ask Mrs. Mavor'; and so the League Minstrel and Dramatic Company became an establishe

e that the men were made welcome to the cosy, cheerful reading room, wher

the character of the Resident Manager, who, while caring for reading-room and hall,

come to grief,' he said to Mrs. Mavor,

grief?' she a

, that's what will happen,' he replied

ever fear.' Her serene courage nev

zed at her in frank

y had you

eek and the depths in her eyes glowed, and I marvelled and wondered, looking at Craig's cool face, whether his blood

a coward but for

nd come he did; but the manner of his coming was so extraordinary, that I have believed in the doctrine of a special

he vengeance of the angry men who would have made short work of him and his saloon, nothing could save him from himself, and after the funeral Slavin went to his bar and drank whisky as he ha

xon stride in through the crowd drinking

u are seven to one, or ten times that, when any of you boys offer me a drink I'll take you to mean fight, and I'll not disappoint you, and some one will be killed,' and so saying he strode out

to keep his promise to 'not be 'ard on the boys,' and found considerable relief in remembering that he had agreed 'to leave them tae the Almichty.' But the manner of leaving them was so solemnly awful, that I could not wonde

e'll juist gang in a meenute,' passed

omised the lad a'd bear ye nae ill wull, but juist leave ye tae the Almichty; an' I want tae tell ye that a'm keepin' ma wur-r-

pointed, Slavin instinctively glan

will require it o'

ed and swore, he did not stop drinking till he sank into a drunken stupor and had to be carried to

old. 'He's not kees me one tam dis day. He's mos hawful bad, he's not even look at de baby.

he's tink more for dat baby dan for me,' but she shrugge

,' said Mrs. Mavor, 'a

'every day, every day, I pray la sain

o your Father in

sent her away bright with smiles, and

o time of Geordie's ominous forebodings; for Geordie had no doubt but that the Avenger of Blood was hot upon Slavin's trail; and as the sickness grew, he became confirmed in this conviction.

mewhat rudely shocked by Mr. Cra

, perhaps, you have never read the Master's teaching about the Tow

Mr. Craig as he turn

t the toor o' Babel as weel; an' a've read, too, about the blaspheemious Herod

Herod, Geord

tone. 'Aboot Herod? Man, hae ye no' read in the Screep

ee,' I haste

y he suddenly left me. But Geordie thenceforth contented himself, in Mr. Craig's presen

with all his theories he had a man's true he

ed ower yonder

aby worse? Hav

no gang where a'm no wanted. But yon puir th

a' hear,' not committing himself to any opinion as to my professional value. Bu

e matter, were inclined to favour the retribution theory, and connect the baby's illness with the vengeance of the Almighty. Among these few was Slavin himself, and goaded by his remorseful terrors he

heart is broke for him. He's heet noting for

other kneeling beside it, wringing her hands in a dumb agony, and Slavin standing near, silent and suffering. I glanced at the bottle of medicine upon the table an

Is the medi

is grip tightened till his fi

too large; but let me g

baby; he has killed my baby.' And then he cursed the doctor with awful curses, and with a

d understanding the cause, brok

baby. Ah! mon cheri, mon amour. Ah! mon Dieu! Ah, Mic

id the baby in its crib, for the convulsion had passed away; and putting her arms abou

I heard her say. 'He will need y

ick reply, and from that mom

again, sober, quiet, and steady; the passion was a

g opened its eyes, saw its father, and smiled. It was too m

but I could give him no hope. He immediately rose,

seized upon

h the form of baptism. 'An' he will not come to

vor, still with her arms about her. 'The good S

be comforted by this. A

ather Goule

de las tam, Michael,' she replied sadl

he priest?'

sure. At de Land

g to him, beseeching him not to leave her, an

fficulty. With his usual promptne

now. I remember how he came to one of my people in my absence, when she was dying, read with her, prayed with her, comforted her, and helped her across the river.

still fighting the devil within that Slavin had called to life. But Mrs. Mavor, under cover of getting him instructions, drew him into the room. While listen

ver see the Saviour if it is not

eager

est,' he said, and was gone on

t would be too late, so I sent for Mr. Craig. From the moment he entered the room he took command of

ther whispered to Mrs. Mavor, who hesitatingly aske

ame as any other,'

he good sign?' aske

t than ever before. He was more man than minister, or perhaps he was so good a minister that day because so much a man. As he read about the Saviour and the children and the disciples who tried to get in between them, and as he told

ez moi aussi, take

lavin's heart, an

nette!

ichael too!' Th

's tak me so

ove Him,'

ked, her eyes searching h

replied: 'All

su. He's garde notre mignon.' And the

s about her and took her away, for as she was whispering her farewells, her

the rest av us, it is. An' didn't ye hear what the minister said about the beautiful place it is?

e Frenchman with gentle manners and the face of a saint.

with gentle courtesy, and, turning to

face, beautiful with the magic of death. Slavin came quietly and stood beside

n, an' it's a sorry man

ly. 'I know how you feel. I've got a baby too. I wa

rnestly, 'I'll hinder ye no more.'

Life coming to the world. And the mother must have heard the whisper in her heart, for, as the Priest was saying the words of the Service, she stood with Mrs. Mavor's arms about her, and her eyes were looking fa

aw, but with a look of such deadly fury on his face that I tried to get the docto

ng, clergy predominating. Lion and Lamb too, ha! ha! which is the lamb, eh? ha! ha! very good! awf

s glaring, rose and followed, still crouching as he walked. I hurried after him, calling him back. Turning at my voice, the doctor saw Slavin approaching. There was something so terrifying in his swift noiseless crouching motion, that the doctor, c

the ground we could not loosen that two-handed strangling grip. At we we

leaned over Slavin and spoke a few words to him. Slavin started as if struck a hea

m go! quick!' said the priest again, and Slavin with a s

him steadily for some

even sweet, but there was something in it that c

my child,' gr

! h

unk and po

ade him a drunkard two years a

nd the even-toned voic

urderer of yo

oaned and

stern. 'Repent of your

nd then upon the priest. Father Goulet took one step towards him,

G

is often with me now: the dark figure on the ground, the slight erect form of the priest wi

inutes more of that grip would have done for him. As i

after taking Mrs. Mavor home, we saw a light and heard strange sounds within. Entering, we found another whisky raid in progress, Slavin himself being the

I called out; 'wh

and I saw that his face, thou

rmined voice. 'I'll help no more to kill any man, or,' in a lo

offering his hand; 'you are much

wid it,' he replied,

money, Slavin,' I said, as t

week,' he answered, giving me a look out of the corner of his eye. 'Bed

be sorry for th

doin' it before I'm sorry for it,'

earnestly; 'if I can be of use

e been, an' I'll not forget it to ye

eyes seemed to grow deeper and the light in them to glow more intense as sh

your man

at

have been w

avi

y n

thought

Then, after a pause, she added

right,' Craig said slowly, and t

red; but I thought she

ishment only deepened as the days went on, and he stuck to his work. Before three weeks had go

pe,' in what was described as a 'hair-lifting tragedy with appropriate musical selections.' Then there was a grand supper and speeches and great enthusiasm, which reached its climax when Nixon

iting long to see me. But before I sit down I want to say that while I live I shall not forget that I owe my life to the man that took me that night to h

ious ways o' Providence,' which he acknowledged he might sometimes fail to u

Besides a' that,' he went on enthusiastically, 'it'

lated a voice wi

money ye pit ower wi' the whusky. Ye see ye canna dae wi' ane bit glass; ye maun hae twa or three at the verra least,

ut of laughter, which

I've slippit ower in whusky

nd twisting his face into extraordinary sh

e helpit the noo. He'll not be needin' help o' oors, I doot, but there are

d up on the seats and yelled till they could yell no more. Slavi

I know not, nor how it's come. But I'll do my be

yes as she looked from Craig to the yelling men on the benches and tables, and then