THE MAID of the MOUNTAIN 



" Is he indade," she replied ; " and who the divil 

 may you be to set yourself above the rest of the 

 wurruld ? * You give him the wurrd as I tell you ! " 



She looked so fierce that I hastily promised to 

 deliver her message, and, to further propitiate her, 

 I produced my flask with a cordially expressed 

 hope that she would take a nip. 



" Be gobs, thin, I don't mind if I do," she re- 

 plied ; " shure, it 's chilly and I must be futtin' it. 

 Here 's to your fishin' and better luck to you, and 

 don't you forget the wurrd." 



" And how are you going to find your way 

 home through the bush in the dark ? " I ventured 

 to ask. 



" Find me way home in the dark ! Glory be 

 to God, man ! — for tin years I 've tramped the 

 trail, and it's every sthump and stone I know. I 

 wish you good-night." 



I had come out of the tent by this time, and I 

 watched her as she strode off into the fast gather- 

 ing gloom. She looked a veritable Amazon. 



Charlo soon after came in with his roll of birch 

 bark, and silently, as was his custom, made up the 

 fire and prepared the supper. Later, when we had 

 finished the first pipe, I said : — 



" I have a message for you, Charlo, and from a 



lady." 



299 



