THE PEACE OF ROARING RIVER [Illustration: "God bless you, Madge," said the man. "I will come soon." See page 306] THE PEACE OF ROARING RIVER BY GEORGE VAN SCHAICK AUTHOR OF SWEET APPLE COVE, THE SON OF THE OTTER, A TOP-FLOOR IDOL, ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY W. H. D. KOERNER NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1918 BY SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY (INCORPORATED) Second Printing CONTENTS I. The Woman Scorned 13 II. What Happened to a Telegram 26 III. Out of a Wilderness 42 IV. To Roaring River 71 V. When Gunpowder Speaks 102 VI. Deeper in the Wilderness 124 VII. Carcajou Is Shocked 152 VIII. Doubts 165 IX. For the Good Name of Carcajou 189 X. Stefan Runs 211 XI. A Visit Cut Short 223 XII. Help Comes 237 XIII. A Widening Horizon 251 XIV. The Hoisting 279 XV. The Peace of Roaring River 290 ILLUSTRATIONS "God bless you, Madge," said the man. "I will come soon." See page 306 _Frontispiece_ Truth flashed upon her! In a few moments she would see for the first time the man she was to marry 98 "I'm glad you were not hurt. Rather unexpected, wasn't it" 122 He put out a brown hand and touched the girl's arm 270 THE PEACE OF ROARING RIVER THE PEACE OF ROARING RIVER CHAPTER I The Woman Scorned To the village of Carcajou came a young man in the spring. The last patches of snow were disappearing from under the protecting fronds of trees bursting into new leaf. From the surface of the lakes the heavy ice had melted and broken, and still lay in shattered piles on the lee shores. Black-headed chickadees, a robin or two, and finally swallows had appeared, following the wedges of geese returning from the south on their way to the great weedy shoals of James' Bay. The young man had brought with him a couple of heavy packs and some tools, but this did not suffice. He entered McGurn's store, after hesitating between the Hudson's Bay Post and the newer building. A newcomer he was, and something of a tenderfoot, but he made no pretence of knowing it all. A gigantic Swede he addressed gave him valued advice, and Sophy McGurn, daughter of the proprietor, joined in, smilingly.