"Listen!" he said; and for a minute the men stood immovable.
"What was it?" the farmer asked.
"I thought I heard the stroke of a paddle," Pearson said; "it might
have been the jump of a fish. There! there it is again!" He lay down
and put his ear close to the water. "There's a canoe in the lake to
the north'ard. I can hear the strokes of the paddle plainly."
Mr. Welch could hear nothing. Some minutes passed, then Pearson
exclaimed:
"There! I saw a break in the water over there! There it is!" he said,
straining his eyes in the darkness. "That's a canoe, sure enough,
although they have ceased paddling. It's not a mile away."
Then he rose to his feet and shouted "Halloo!" at the top of his
voice. An answering shout faintly came back across the water. He
again hailed loudly, and this time the answer came in a female voice.
"It's them, sure enough. I can swear to Nelly's voice."
William Welch uncovered his head and, putting his hand before his
face, returned fervent thanks to God for the recovery of his child.
Then he dashed off at full speed toward the house. Before he reached
it however, he met his wife running down to meet him, the shouts
having informed her that something was seen. Hand in hand they ran
down to the water's edge. The canoe was now swiftly approaching. The
mother screamed:
"Nelly! is that you?"
"Mamma! mamma!" came back in the girl's clear tones.
With a low cry of gladness Mrs. Welch fell senseless to the ground.
The strain which she had for four days endured had been terrible, and
even the assurances of Pearson had failed to awaken any strong
feeling of hope in her heart.
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