h his own rushed off
to fairly devour the contents.

"Faith," said Sam, as he eagerly seized his bundle, "the sight of my
blessed mother's handwriting puts sand in my eyes and a lump in my
throat. Blessings on the darling! May she live a thousand years!"

Frank and Alec were equally as much interested, but they controlled
their feelings and left to the more demonstrative Sam these joyous
ebullitions, that were as natural as it was for him to breathe.

After Mr Ross had perused a number of his letters he quietly signalled
to Mrs Ross, and immediately they both left the room. He had received
a letter from Liverpool which informed him that a very serious disease
had begun to undermine the constitution of Frank's father, and while no
immediate fatal results were expected, it was thought best that Frank
should return by the speediest route possible. In Frank's own letters
from home all that had been mentioned in reference to the matter was
that, "father was not quite up to his usual health, and they would all
be glad to have him return as speedily as possible." Neither Mr nor
Mrs Ross said anything to the boys in reference to the matter of their
return until after the evening meal, when they were all in the cozy
study discussing the various events that had been occurring in the
outside world during the last six months, and of which they had all been
in profound ignorance until that day.

Each boy had read his letters to the others, and together they had been
delighted with all the news received, except that concerning Frank's
father. Then, for the first time, the matter of the return home was
seriously discussed. So happy had been the months since their arrival,
nearly a year before, that even the discussion of the return trip had
been kept in the background as much as possible. But now they were face
to face with it, and sharp and quick must be their decision if they
would avail themselves of the first opportunity for their departure.
This would be by the return of these Hudson Bay Company's boats to Red
River. In them they could travel as far as to Fort Garry. From that
point they would take the overland trail on the great plains to St.
Paul, and there, boarding the flat-bottomed steamers on the Mississippi,
would once more begin travelling in a civilised manner.

This plan was the one on which they finally settled. It would be much
more expeditious than the long waiting for the sailing ship at York
Factory