ilie in
his arms and kissed her, embraced Glynn Proctor with a squeeze like that
of a loving bear, and then began to dance an Irish jig, quite regardless
of the fact that the greater part of it was performed in the fire, the
embers of which he sent flying in all directions like a display of
fireworks. He cheered, too, now and then like a maniac--"Oh, happy day!
I've found ye, have I? after all me trouble, too! Hooray! an' wan
chair more for luck. Av me sowl only don't lape clane out o' me body,
it's meself'll be thankful! But, sure--I'm forgittin'--"

Briant paused suddenly in the midst of his uproarious dance, and seized
a burning stick, which he attempted to blow into a flame with intense
vehemence of action. Having succeeded, he darted towards an open space
a few yards off, in the centre of which lay a large pile of dry sticks.
To these he applied the lighted brand, and the next instant a glare of
ruddy flame leaped upwards, and sent a shower of sparks high above the
forest trees into the sky. He then returned, panting a good deal, but
much composed, and said--"Now, darlints, come an' help me to gather the
bits o' stick; somebody's bin scatterin' them all over the place, they
have, bad luck to them! an' then ye'll sit down and talk a bit, an' tell
me all about it."

"But what's the fire for?" asked Ailie.

"Ay, ye may say that," added Glynn; "we don't need such a huge bonfire
as that to cook our supper with."

"Och! be aisy, do. It'll do its work; small doubt o' that. The cap'n,
poor man, ye know, is a'most deranged, an' they're every one o' them off
at this good minute scourin' the woods lookin' for ye. O, then, it's
sore hearts we've had this day! An' wan was sent wan way, an' wan
another, an' the cap'n his-self he wint up the river, and, before he
goes, he says to me, says he, `Briant, you'll stop here and watch the
camp, for maybe they'll come wanderin' back to it, av they've bin and
lost theirselves; an' mind ye don't lave it or go to slape. An' if they
do come, or ye hear any news o' them, jist you light up a great fire,
an' I'll be on the look-out, an' we'll all on us come back as fast as we
can.' Now, that's the truth, an' the whole truth, an' nothin' but the
truth, as the judge said to the witness when he swore at him."

This was a comforting piece of information to Glynn and Ailie, so,
without further delay, they assisted their overjoyed comrade to collect
the scattered embers of the fire a