; but when Edith told
them, through the medium of Peetoot, who acted as her interpreter, that
the distance to her father's fort was not great, and that she would
expect them to come often there, and stay long, they became reconciled
to her departure; and when she sought to turn their minds (a work of no
great difficulty at any time) away from that subject by describing to
them the treasures of the trading-store, they danced and laughed and
sang like very children. Even Kaga's baby crowed with a racy richness
of feeling, and smiled with an oily brilliancy of expression, compared
with which all its former exhibitions were mere child's play.

But when the hour of departure really came, and Edith bade farewell to
her kind friends, whose rude but warm hospitality she had enjoyed so
long, they were again plunged into the deepest distress; and when the
little boat finally put to sea, there was not a tearless eye among the
tribe, while Edith was swiftly borne from their island shore before a
strong and favouring breeze.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

THE CLOUDS ARE BROKEN, THE SUN BURSTS THROUGH AND ONCE MORE IRRADIATE
PORT CHIMO--HOPES AND FEARS FOR MAXIMUS.

The wings of time moved slowly and heavily along at Fort Chimo. Hope
long deferred, expectation frequently reviving and as often
disappointed, crushed the spirits of the little party. The song, and
jest, and laugh seldom sounded from the houses of the men, who went
through their daily avocations almost in silence. Not only had the loss
of Edith--the bright spirit of the place, the tender rosebud in that
savage wilderness--cast an overwhelming gloom upon the fort, but the
failure of the trade, to a great extent, had added to the general
depression, and now fresh anxiety was beginning to be felt at the
non-appearance of Frank Morton.

"Jessie," said Stanley one day, as he rose from the desk at which he had
been writing, and put on his cap with the intention of taking a stroll
along the beach, "will you come with me today? I know not how it is,
but every time I go out now I expect to hear the ship's gun as it comes
through the narrows."

Mrs Stanley rose, and throwing on a shawl and hood, accompanied her
husband in silence.

"Perhaps," she said at length, "you expect to hear the gun because the
vessel _ought_ to be here by this time."

As she spoke, La Roche came up and touched his cap. "Please, madame,
vat you vill have pour dinner?"

"Whatever you please, La