Hemlock nodded and said no more. Turning her head away from him, Maggie pressed the token to her lips. On the Indian’s rising to go, she entreated him to stay. Her brothers were at the camp, but her father was only at the rear end of the lot stooking corn, and he might go and see him. Hemlock, who had the dislike of his race to manual labor, said he would wait, and catching up the fishing-rod of her younger brother, prepared it to beguile the denizens of the river that flowed past the shanty, and continued fishing until the old man returned, who sat down beside Hemlock and got into an engrossing conversation, which was ended by Maggie’s calling them to supper. When the meal was fairly under way, the father said: “Hemlock wants us to leave. He says the Americans will be here in a day or two. He offers to bring Indians with enough of canoes to take you and Maggie to Montreal.” “Leave my hame for thae Yankees!” exclaimed Mrs Forsyth; “no a step will I gang oot o’ my way for the deils.” “Hemlock says they may burn down the house and insult you, an’ ye wad be better oot o’ their way.” “I wad like to see the Yankee loon that wad try to set a low to oor bit biggin; I wad ding some dacency into his heid.” “Think o’ Maggie, guid wife.” Before her mother could speak, Maggie declared “she wasna fear’t an’ wad bide wi’ her mither, thankin’ Hemlock a’ the same.” “You see, Hemlock, hoo wi’ Scotch bodies stick by our hames. Down to the women and bairns, we will fecht to the last gasp to haud them.” Hemlock said nothing and helped himself to another piece of johnny-cake. The subject, however, had excited Mrs Forsyth, who mingled denunciations of the invaders with regrets at leaving Scotland. “Toots, woman, Canada is a better country for the puir man than Scotlan.” “I am no denyin’ that, but eh, there was a couthie security there that’s no here, an’ for a sicht o’ its bonnie howes an’ glens I’d gie onything. The first an’ the last sicht each day frae my faither’s door was the Pentlands, an’ no trees, trees, wi’ snaw an’ ice hauf the year.” “Ye wadna gae back, mither, for a’ that.” “Deed would I, gin we a’ went the gither.” “But ye have aften tell’t me ye wad never cross the sea again, ye were so sick in coming.” “Na, neither I wad; nae boatie for me.” “Then, ye canna gang.” “Hoot, lass, what are ye sayin’; is that a’ ye ken? We could walk roun’.” “Providence, dear wife, has cast oor lot here an’ it’s oor duty to be content. Please God, we will help to mak o’ Canada a country oor children will be proud o’, an as for thae Yankees, wha come to rob us o’ oor liberty, I am sure their conceit will lead to their fa’ an’ that their designs upon us will come to naething.” Hemlock rose and prepared to leave. “I will go with you,” said Forsyth, “and hear what is the news in the camp.”