ter compared with the failure of their
enterprise, for was he not now returning home, while Tony still remained
a captive with the red man? Ian's thoughts were also tinged with
sadness and disappointment on the same account. Nevertheless, he
experienced a slight gleam of comfort as the spirit of slumber stole
over him, for had he not, after all, succeeded in killing a grizzly
bear, and was not the magnificent claw collar round his neck at that
very moment, with one of the claw-points rendering him, so to speak,
pleasantly uncomfortable? and would he not soon see Elsie? and--.
Thought stopped short at this point, and remained there--or left him--we
know not which.

Again we venture to skip. Passing over much of that long and toilsome
journey on foot, we resume the thread of our tale at the point when our
three travellers, emerging suddenly from a clump of wood one day, came
unexpectedly to the margin of an unknown sea!

"Lak Vinnipeg have busted hisself, an' cover all de vorld," exclaimed
Rollin, with a look of real alarm at his companions.

"The Red River has overflowed, and the land is flooded," said Ian, in a
low solemn voice.

"Surely, surely," said Victor, in sudden anxiety, "there must have been
many houses destroyed, since the water has come so far, but--but,
father's house stands high."

Ian's face wore a troubled look as he replied--

"Ay, boy, but the water has come more than twelve miles over the plains,
for I know this spot well. It must be deep--very deep--at the Willow
Creek."

"Vat shall ye do vidout bot or canoe?"

Rollin's question was not heeded, for at that moment two canoes were
seen in the distance coming from the direction of Lake Winnipeg. One
was paddled by an Indian, the other by a squaw and a boy. They made
straight for the spot where our travellers were standing. As they drew
near, Victor hailed them. The boy in the bow of the foremost canoe was
observed to cease paddling. As he drew nearer, his eyes were seen to
blaze, and eager astonishment was depicted on his painted face. When
the canoe touched land he leaped of it, and, with a yell that would have
done credit to the wildest redskin in the prairie, rushed at Victor,
leaped into his arms, and, shouting "Vic! Vic!" besmeared his face with
charcoal, ochre, vermilion, and kisses!

To say that Victor was taken by surprise would be feeble language. Of
course he prepared for self-defence, at the first furious rush, but the