. He
entreated me to allow him to go in search of his brothers, and with
difficulty I detained him. To convince him that he was not the sole
cause of the danger of Fritz and Jack, I related to him, for the first
time, the history of the boat and the vessel, and assured him that the
great cause of their anxiety to go over to Tent House, was to search for
some traces of the unfortunate seamen and their vessel, exposed to that
furious sea.

"And Fritz, also, is exposed to that sea," cried Ernest. "I know it; I
am sure that he is at this moment in his canoe, struggling against
the waves!"

"And Jack, my poor Jack!" sighed I, infected with his fears.

"No, father," added Ernest; "be composed; Fritz will not be so
imprudent; he will have left Jack in our house at the rock; and,
probably, seeing the hopelessness of his undertaking, he is returned
himself now, and is waiting there till the stream subsides a little; do
allow me to go, dear father; you have ordered me cold water for my burnt
hand, and it will certainly cure it to get well wet."

I could not consent to expose my third son to the tempest, which was now
become frightful; the sailcloth which covered our window was torn into a
thousand pieces, and carried away; the rain, like a deluge, forced
itself into our dwelling, even to the bed where my wife and child were
lying. I could neither make up my mind to leave them myself in this
perilous situation, nor to spare my boy, who could not even be of any
use to his brothers. I commanded him to remain, succeeded in persuading
him of their probable safety, and induced him to lie down to rest. Now,
in my terrible solitude, I turned to Him, "who tempers the wind to the
shorn lamb;" who forbids us not to address Him in the trials he sends
us, to beseech Him to soften them, or to give us strength to bear them.
Kneeling down, I dared to supplicate Him to restore me my children,
submissively adding, after the example of our blessed Saviour, "Yet, not
my will, but thine be done, O Lord."

My prayers appeared to be heard; the storm gradually abated, and the day
began to break. I awoke Ernest, and having dressed his wounded hand, he
set out for Tent House, in search of his brothers. I followed him with
my eyes as far as I could see; the whole country appeared one vast lake,
and the road to Tent House was like the bed of a river; but, protected
by his good gaiters of buffalo-skin, he proceeded fearlessly, and was
soon out of my si