the man from glengarry-第33章

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this〃he　held　up　his　gaunt；　bony　hands〃by　a　man　that　is　no　equal
of　mine；　and　I　will　never　be　able　to　look　him　in　the　face　and　say
as　much　to　him。　　But　if　the　Almighty　would　send　him　to　hell；　I
would　be　following　him　there。〃

〃Whisht；　Hugh；〃　said　Macdonald　Bhain；　in　a　voice　of　awe。　　〃It　is　a
terrible　word　you　have　said；　and　may　the　Lord　forgive　you。〃

〃Forgive　me！〃　echoed　his　brother；　in　a　kind　of　frenzy。　　〃Indeed；　he
will　not　be　doing　that。　　Did　not　the　minister's　wife　tell　me　as
much？〃

〃No；　no；〃　said　his　brother。　　〃She　would　not　be　saying　that。〃

〃Indeed；　that　is　her　very　word；〃　said　Black　Hugh。

〃She　could　not　say　that；〃　said　his　brother；　〃for　it　is　not　the　Word
of　God。〃

〃Indeed；〃　replied　Black　Hugh；　like　a　man　who　had　thought　it　all
out；　〃she　would　be　reading　it　out　of　the　Book　to　me　that　unless　I
would　be　forgiving；　thatthat〃　he　paused；　not　being　able　to　find
a　word；　but　went　on〃then　I　need　not　hope　to　be　forgiven　my　own
self。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　　That　is　true；〃　assented　Macdonald　Bhain。　　〃But；　by　the
grace　of　God；　you　will　forgive；　and　you　will　be　forgiven。〃

〃Forgive！〃　cried　Black　Hugh；　his　face　convulsed　with　passion。
〃Hear　me！〃he　raised　his　hand　to　heaven。〃If　I　ever　forgive〃

But　his　brother　caught　his　arm　and　drew　it　down　swiftly；　saying：
〃Whisht；　man。　　Don't　tempt　the　Almighty。〃　　Then　he　added；　〃You
would　not　be　shutting　yourself　out　from　the　presence　of　the　Lord
and　from　the　presence　of　those　he　has　taken　to　himself？〃

His　brother　stood　silent　a　few　moments；　his　hard；　dark　face　swept
with　a　storm　of　emotions。　　Then　he　said；　brokenly：　　〃It　is　not　for
me；　I　doubt。〃

But　his　brother　caught　him　by　the　arm　and　said　to　him；　〃Hear　me；
Hugh。　　It　is　for　you。〃

They　walked　on　in　silence　till　they　were　near　the　house。　　Ranald
and　Yankee　were　driving　their　teams　into　the　yard。

〃That　is　a　fine　lad；〃　said　Macdonald　Bhain；　pointing　to　Ranald。

〃Aye；〃　said　his　brother；　〃it　is　a　pity　he　has　not　a　better　chance。
He　is　great　for　his　books；　but　he　has　no　chance　whatever；　and　he
will　be　a　bowed　man　before　he　has　cleared　this　farm　and　paid　the
debt　on　it。〃

〃Never　you　fear；〃　said　his　brother。　　〃Ranald　will　do　well。　　But；
man；　what　a　size　he　is！〃

〃He　is　that；〃　said　his　father；　proudly。　　〃He　is　as　big　as　his
father；　and　I　doubt　some　day　he　may　be　as　good　a　man　as　his　uncle。〃

〃God　grant　he　may　be　a　better！〃　said　Macdonald　Bhain；　reverently。

〃If　he　be　as　good；〃　said　his　brother；　kindly；　〃I　will　be　content；
but　I　will　not　be　here　to　see　it。〃

〃Whisht；　man；〃　said　his　brother；　hastily。　　〃You　are　not　to　speak
such　things；　nor　have　them　in　your　mind。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Macdonald　Dubh；　sadly；　〃my　day　is　not　far　off；　and　that
I　know　right　well。〃

Macdonald　Bhain　flung　his　arm　hastily　round　his　brother's　shoulder。
〃Do　not　speak　like　that；　Hugh；〃　he　said；　his　voice　breaking
suddenly。　　And　then　he　drew　away　his　arm　as　if　ashamed　of　his
emotion；　and　said；　with　kindly　dignity；　〃Please　God；　you　will　see
many　days　yet；　and　see　your　boy　come　to　honor　among　men。〃

But　Black　Hugh　only　shook　his　head　in　silence。

Before　they　came　to　the　door；　Macdonald　Bhain　said；　with　seeming
indifference；　〃You　have　not　been　to　church　since　you　got　up；　Hugh。
You　will　be　going　to…morrow；　if　it　is　a　fine　day？〃

〃It　is　too　long　a　walk；　I　doubt；〃　answered　his　brother。

〃That　it　is；　but　Yankee　will　drive　you　in　his　buckboard；〃　said
Macdonald　Bhain。

〃In　the　buckboard？〃　said　Macdonald　Dubh。　　〃And；　indeed；　I　was　never
in　a　buckboard　in　my　life。〃

〃It　is　not　too　late　to　begin　to…morrow；〃　said　his　brother；　〃and　it
will　do　you　good。〃

〃I　doubt　that；〃　said　Black　Hugh；　gloomily。　　〃The　church　will　not　be
doing　me　much　good　any　more。〃

〃Do　not　say　such　a　thing；　and　Yankee　will　drive　you　in　his
buckboard　to…morrow。〃

His　brother　did　not　promise；　but　next　day　the　congregation　received
a　shock　of　surprise　to　see　Macdonald　Dubh　walk　down　the　aisle　to
his　place　in　the　church。　　And　through　all　the　days　of　the　spring
and　summer　his　place　was　never　empty；　and　though　the　shadow　never
lifted　from　his　face；　the　minister's　wife　felt　comforted　about　him；
and　waited　for　the　day　of　his　deliverance。



CHAPTER　XIII

THE　LOGGING　BEE


Macdonald　Bhain's　visit　to　his　brother　was　fruitful　in　another　way。
After　taking　counsel　with　Yankee　and　Kirsty；　he　resolved　that　he
would　speak　to　his　neighbors　and　make　a　〃bee；〃　to　attack　the　brule。
He　knew　better　than　to　consult　either　his　brother　or　his　nephew；
feeling　sure　that　their　Highland　pride　would　forbid　accepting　any
such　favor；　and　all　the　more　because　it　seemed　to　be　needed。　　But
without　their　leave　the　bee　was　arranged；　and　in　the　beginning　of
the　following　week　the　house　of　Macdonald　Dubh　was　thrown　into　a
state　of　unparalleled　confusion；　and　Kirsty　went　about　in　a　state
of　dishevelment　that　gave　token　that　the　daily　struggle　with　dirt
had　reached　the　acute　stage。　　From　top　to　bottom；　inside　and
outside；　everything　that　could　be　scrubbed　was　scrubbed；　and　then
she　settled　about　her　baking；　but　with　all　caution；　lest　she　should
excite　her　brother's　or　her　nephew's　suspicion。　　It　was　a　good
thing　that　little　baking　was　required；　for　the　teams　that　brought
the　men　with　their　axes　and　logging…chains　for　the　day's　work　at
the　brule　brought　also　their　sisters　and　mothers　with　baskets　of
provisions。　　A　logging　bee　without　the　sisters　and　mothers　with
their　baskets　would　hardly　be　an　unmixed　blessing。

The　first　man　to　arrive　with　his　team　was　Peter　McGregor's　Angus；
and　with　him　came　his　sister　Bella。　　He　was　shortly　afterward
followed　by　other　teams　in　rapid　successionthe　Rosses；　the
McKerachers；　the　Camerons；　both　Don　and　Murdie；　the　Rory　McCuaigs；
the　McRaes；　two　or　three　families　of　them；　the　Frasers；　and　others
till　some　fifteen　teams　and　forty　men；　and　boys；　who　thought
themselves　quite　men；　lined　up　in　front　of　the　brule。

The　bee　was　a　great　affair；　for　Macdonald　Bhain　was　held　in　high
regard　by　the　people；　and　besides　this；　the　misfortune　that　had
befallen　his　brother；　and　the　circumstances　under　which　it　had
overtaken　him；　had　aroused　in　the　community　a　very　deep　sympathy
for　him；　and　people　were　glad　of　the　opportunity　to　manifest　this
sympathy。　　And　more　than　all；　a　logging　bee　was　an　event　that
always　promised　more　or　less　excitement　and　social　festivity。

Yankee　was　〃boss〃　for　the　day。　　This　position　would　naturally　have
fallen　to　Macdonald　Bhain；　but　at　his　brother's　bee；　Macdonald
Bhain　shrank　from　taking　the　leading　place。

The　men　with　the　axes　went　first；　chopping　up　the　half…burned　logs
into　lengths　suitable　for　the　burning…piles；　clearing　away　the
brushwood；　and　cutting　through　the　big　roots　of　the　fire…eaten
stumps　so　that　they　might　more　easily　be　pulled。　　Then　followed　the
teams　with　their　logging…chains；　hauling　the　logs　to　the　piles；
jerking　out　and　drawing　off　the　stumps　whose　huge　roots　stuck　up
high　into　the　air；　and　drawing　great　heaps　of　brush…wood　to　aid　in
reducing　the　heavy　logs　to　ashes。　　At　each　log…pile　stood　a　man
with　a　hand…spike　to　help　the　driver　to　get　the　log　into　position；
a　work　requiring　strength　and　skill；　and　above　all；　a　knowledge　of
the　ways　of　logs　which　comes　only　by　experience。　　It　was　at　this
work　that　Macdonald　Bhain　shone。　　With　his　mighty　strength　he　could
hold　steady　one　end　of　a　log　until　the　team　could　haul　the　other
into　its　place。

The　stump…pulling　was　always　attended　with　more　or　less　interest
and　excitement。　　Stumps；　as　well　as　logs；　have　their　ways；　and　it
takes　a　long　experience　to　understand　the　ways　of　stumps。

In　stump…hauling；　young　Aleck　McGregor　was　an　expert。　　He　rarely
failed　to　detect　the　weak　side　of　a　stump。　　He　knew　his　team；　and
what　was　of　far　greater　importance；　his　team　knew　him。　　They　were
partly　of　French…Canadian　stock；　not　as　large　as　Farquhar
McNaughton's　big；　fat　blacks；　but　〃as　full　of　spirit　as　a　bottle　of
whisky；〃　as　Aleck　himself　would　say。　　Their　first　tentative　pulls
at　the　stump　were　taken　with　caution；　until　their　driver　and
themselves　had　taken　the　full　measure　of　the　strength　of　the　enemy。
But　when　once　Aleck　had　made　up　his　mind　that　victory　was　possible；
and　had　given　them　the　call　for　the　final　effort