done, and rushed into the
Wild Man's arms, exclaiming, "Be she here, an' well, dear fader?"

"Ay, all right," he replied; but he had no time to say more, for at that
moment March Marston darted at the vision, seized one of her hands, put
his arm round her waist, and swung her, rather than led her, into his
mother's presence.

"Here's Mary, mother!" cried March with a very howl of delight.

The widow had already guessed it. She rose and extended her arms. Mary
gazed for one moment eagerly at her and then rushed into them. Turning
sharp round, March threw his arms round Bounce's neck and embraced him
for want of a better subject; then hurling him aside he gave another
shout, and began to dance a violent hornpipe on the floor, to the still
further horrification of the kitten (which was now a feline maniac), and
the general scatteration of the mingled mass of crockery and cream.
Seeing this, Bounce uttered a hysterical cheer. Hawkswing, being
excited beyond even savage endurance, drew his scalping-knife, yelled
the war-cry and burst into the war-dance of the Seneca Indians. In
short, the widow's cottage became the theatre of a scene that would have
done credit to the violent wards of a lunatic asylum--a scene, which is
utterly beyond the delineative powers of pen or pencil--a scene which
defies description, repudiates adequate conception, and will dwell for
ever on the memories of those who took part in it like the wild
phantasmagoria of a tremendous dream!

Of course, a wild man could not be induced, like an ordinary mortal, to
wait a reasonable time in order to give his bride an opportunity of
preparing her trousseau. He was a self-willed man, and a man of a
strong mind. He insisted upon being married "out of hand, and have done
with it." So he _was_ married--whether "out of hand" or not we cannot
tell--by the excellent clergyman of Pine Point settlement. On the same
day, and the same hour, March Marston was married--"out of hand," also,
no doubt--to the vision in leather!

There was something rather precipitate in these proceedings,
unquestionably; but those who feel disposed to object to them must bear
in mind, first, that backwoodsmen are addicted to precipitancy at times;
and, secondly, that facts cannot be altered in order to please the
fastidious taste of the so-called civilised world.

Public opinion in the settlement was strongly in favour of the doings of
the Wild Man of the West. Delay was deeme