And the fish, ah! how he laughs with
that fat old spider in his stomach!"
CHAPTER XVIII
FATE STABS
We went back to the others whom we found crouched on the ground among
the coffins, looking distinctly depressed. No wonder; night was
closing in, the thunder was beginning to growl and echo through the
forest and rain to fall in big drops. In short, although Stephen
remarked that every cloud has a silver lining, a proverb which, as I
told him, I seemed to have heard before, in no sense could the outlook
be considered bright.
"Well, Allan, what have you arranged?" asked Brother John, with a
faint attempt at cheerfulness as he let go of his wife's hand. In
those days he always seemed to be holding his wife's hand.
"Oh!" I answered, "I am going to get the canoe so that we can all row
over comfortably."
They stared at me, and Miss Hope, who was seated by Stephen, asked in
her usual Biblical language:
"Have you the wings of a dove that you can fly, O Mr.
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