ng Canuck could
be convinced that it was right and proper for him to become reconciled
with his grandfather, and let bygones be forgotten.

So an hour or two passed.

Cuthbert finally arose and cast his blanket aside, for he had not made
use of his sleeping bag on this night.

Stepping out of the tent he looked around; the night was fair and not a
sign of trouble could be detected in atmosphere or sky, for the heavenly
monitors shone overhead with their usual brilliancy, and there was not
much of a tang in the drowsy night wind.

Cuthbert thought it suspiciously quiet, knowing how it often grows calm
before a storm.

Really he was beginning to feel worried a bit about the non-appearance
of Owen, when he caught the soft sound of footsteps and the object of
his solicitude appeared close by.

"Hello, keeping watch?" he asked, a little surprised to find one of his
companions up and looking around.

"No, I just happened to wake up, and not finding you in the shack, crept
out to take a peep around, and see if there was any sign of your coming.
I had begun to fear our mutual friends, Stackpole and Dubois, might have
waylaid you, old fellow; but now I see I was wrong. You've been taking a
bit of exercise, no doubt--didn't get enough on our way here, eh? It did
me up, all right, and I was glad to drop down and rest. Now you're in
camp I'll resume my nap," answered Cuthbert, leaving it to the other as
to whether he wanted to explain.

Owen seemed a trifle confused, but he was a straightforward fellow and
without a trace of guile in his make-up.

"To confess the truth, Cuthbert, I hung around for a long time to get a
glimpse of that little cousin you spoke of, and fortune was kind enough
to let me see her several times. Just as you say, she looks like a fairy
and somehow made me think of a picture I have of my mother when she was
young. I had quite a little talk with her, too, which made it very
pleasant. And while I'm about it I might as well own up that the sight
of her, together with the thoughts swarming into my mind, caused me to
finally wander off into the woods, where alone I could fight the whole
thing out and come to such a conclusion as the mother I loved would have
had me do. It's been a hard tussle, I tell you, but I think I've won
out," he said, with a quiver in his voice, and it was easy to see that
the lad had been recently racked by emotions that for some time he had
succeeded in keeping under restraint.