WACOUSTA;

 or, THE PROPHECY. 

Volume One of Three

by

John Richardson

Preface

It is well known to every man conversant with the earlier history ofthis country that, shortly subsequent to the cession of the Canadas toEngland by France, Ponteac, the great head of the Indian race of thatperiod, had formed a federation of the various tribes, threateningextermination to the British posts established along the Westernfrontier. These were nine in number, and the following stratagem wasresorted to by the artful chief to effect their reduction. Investingone fort with his warriors, so as to cut off all communication with theothers, and to leave no hope of succor, his practice was to offer termsof surrender, which never were kept in the honorable spirit in whichthe far more noble and generous Tecumseh always acted with his enemies, and thus, in turn, seven of these outposts fell victims to theirconfidence in his truth. 

Detroit and Michilimackinac, or Mackinaw as it is now called, remained, and all the ingenuity of the chieftain was directed to the possessionof these strongholds. The following plan, well worthy of his invention, was at length determined upon. During a temporary truce, and whilePonteac was holding forth proposals for an ultimate and durable peace, a game of lacrosse was arranged by him to take place simultaneously onthe common or clearing on which rested the forts of Michilimackinac andDetroit. The better to accomplish their object, the guns of thewarriors had been cut short and given to their women, who wereinstructed to conceal them under their blankets, and during the game, and seemingly without design, to approach the drawbridge of the fort. This precaution taken, the players were to approach and throw overtheir ball, permission to regain which they presumed would not bedenied. On approaching the drawbridge they were with fierce yells tomake a general rush, and, securing the arms concealed by the women, tomassacre the unprepared garrison. 

The day was fixed; the game commenced, and was proceeded with in themanner previously arranged. The ball was dexterously hurled into thefort, and permission asked to recover it. It was granted. Thedrawbridge was lowered, and the Indians dashed forward for theaccomplishment of their work of blood. How different the results in thetwo garrisons! At Detroit, Ponteac and his warriors had scarcelycrossed the drawbridge when, to their astonishment and disappointment, they beheld the guns of the ramparts depressed--the artillerymen withlighted matches at their posts and covering the little garrison, composed of a few companies of the 42nd Highlanders, who were alsounder arms, and so distributed as to take the enemy most at anadvantage. Suddenly they withdrew and without other indication of theirpurpose than what had been expressed in their manner, and carried offthe missing ball. Their design had been discovered and made known bymeans of significant warnings to the Governor by an Indian woman whoowed a debt of gratitude to his family, and was resolved, at allhazards, to save them. 

On the same day the same artifice was resorted to at Michilimackinac, and with the most complete success. There was no guardian angel thereto warn them of danger, and all fell beneath the rifle, the tomahawk, the war-club, and the knife, one or two of the traders--a Mr. Henryamong the rest--alone excepted. 

It was not long after this event when the head of the militaryauthorities in the Colony, apprised of the fate of these capturedposts, and made acquainted with the perilous condition of Fort Detroit, which was then reduced to the last extremity, sought an officer whowould volunteer the charge of supplies from Albany to Buffalo, andthence across the lake to Detroit, which, if possible, he was torelieve. That volunteer was promptly found in my maternal grandfather, Mr. Erskine, from Strabane, in the North of Ireland, then an officer inthe Commissariat Department. The difficulty of the undertaking will beobvious to those who understand the danger attending a journey throughthe Western wilderness, beset as it was by the warriors of Ponteac, ever on the lookout to prevent succor to the garrison, and yet the dutywas successfully accomplished. He left Albany with provisions andammunition sufficient to fill several Schnectady boats--I thinkseven--and yet conducted his charge with such prudence and foresight, that notwithstanding the vigilance of Ponteac, he finally and afterlong watching succeeded, under cover of a dark and stormy night, inthrowing into the fort the supplies of which the remnant of thegallant "Black Watch, " as the 42nd was originally named, and a companyof whom, while out reconnoitering, had been massacred at a spot in thevicinity of the town, thereafter called the Bloody Run, stood sogreatly in need. This important service rendered, Mr. Erskine, incompliance with the instructions he had received, returned to Albany, where he reported the success of the expedition. 

The colonial authorities were not regardless of his interests. When thePonteac confederacy had been dissolved, and quiet and security restoredin that remote region, large tracts of land were granted to Mr. Erskine, and other privileges accorded which eventually gave him thecommand of nearly a hundred thousand dollars--enormous sum to have beenrealized at that early period of the country. But it was not destinedthat he should retain this. The great bulk of his capital was expendedon almost the first commercial shipping that ever skimmed the surfaceof Lakes Huron and Erie. Shortly prior to the Revolution, he waspossessed of seven vessels of different tonnage, and the trade in whichhe had embarked, and of which he was the head, was rapidly increasinghis already large fortune, when one of those autumnal hurricanes, whicheven to this day continue to desolate the waters of the treacherouslake last named, suddenly arose and buried beneath its engulfing wavesnot less than six of these schooners laden with such riches, chieflyfurs, of the West as then were most an object of barter. 

Mr. Erskine, who had married the daughter of one of the earliestsettlers from France, and of a family well known in history, a lady whohad been in Detroit during the siege of the British garrison byPonteac, now abandoned speculation, and contenting himself with theremnant of his fortune, established himself near the banks of theriver, within a short distance of the Bloody Run. Here he continuedthroughout the Revolution. Early, however, in the present century, hequitted Detroit and repaired to the Canadian shore, where on a propertynearly opposite, which he obtained in exchange, and which in honor ofhis native country he named Strabane--known as such to this day--hepassed the autumn of his days. The last time I beheld him was a day ortwo subsequent to the affair of the Thames, when General Harrison andColonel Johnson were temporary inmates of his dwelling. 

My father, of a younger branch of the Annandale family, the head ofwhich was attainted in the Scottish rebellion of 1745, was an officerof Simcoe's well-known Rangers, in which regiment, and about the sameperiod, the present Lord Hardinge commenced his services in thiscountry. Being quartered at Fort Erie, he met and married at the houseof one of the earliest Canadian merchants a daughter of Mr. Erskine, then on a visit to her sister, and by her had eight children, of whom Iam the oldest and only survivor. Having a few years after his marriagebeen ordered to St. Joseph's, near Michilimackinac, my father thoughtit expedient to leave me with Mr. Erskine at Detroit, where I receivedthe first rudiments of my education. But here I did not remain long, for it was during the period of the stay of the detachment of Simcoe'sRangers at St. Joseph that Mr. Erskine repaired with his family to theCanadian shore, where on the more elevated and conspicuous part of hisgrounds which are situated nearly opposite the foot of Hog Island, sorepeatedly alluded to in "Wacousta, " he had caused a flag-staff to beerected, from which each Sabbath day proudly floated the colors underwhich he had served, and which he never could bring himself to disown. 

It was at Strabane that the old lady, with whom I was a great favorite, used to enchain my young interest by detailing various facts connectedwith the siege she so well remembered, and infused into me a longing togrow up to manhood that I might write a book about it. The details ofthe Ponteac plan for the capture of the two forts were what she mostenlarged upon, and although a long lapse of years of absence from thescene, and ten thousand incidents of a higher and more immediateimportance might have been supposed to weaken the recollections of soearly a period of life, the impression has ever vividly remained. Hencethe first appearance of "Wacousta" in London in 1832, more than aquarter of a century later. The story is founded solely on the artificeof Ponteac to possess himself of those two last British forts. All elseis imaginary. 

It is not a little curious that I, only a few years subsequent to thenarration by old Mrs. Erskine of the daring and cunning feats ofPonteac, and his vain attempt to secure the fort of Detroit, shouldmyself have entered it in arms. But it was so. I had ever hated schoolwith a most bitter hatred, and I gladly availed myself of an offer fromGeneral Brock to obtain for me a commission in the King's service. Meanwhile I did duty as a cadet with the gallant 41st regiment, towhich the English edition of "Wacousta" was inscribed, and was one ofthe guard of honor who took possession of the fort. The duty of asentinel over the British colors, which had just been hoisted wasassigned to me, and I certainly felt not a little proud of thedistinction. 

Five times within half a century had the flag of that fortress beenchanged. First the lily of France, then the red cross of England, andnext the stars and stripes of America had floated over its ramparts;and then again the red cross, and lastly the stars. On my return tothis country a few years since, I visited those scenes of stirringexcitement in which my boyhood had been passed, but I looked in vainfor the ancient fortifications which had given a classical interest tothat region. The unsparing hand of utilitarianism had passed over them, destroying almost every vestige of the past. Where had risen the onlyfortress in America at all worthy to give antiquity to the scene, streets had been laid out and made, and houses had been built, leavingnot a trace of its existence save the well that formerly supplied theclosely besieged garrison with water; and this, half imbedded in theherbage of an enclosure of a dwelling house of mean appearance, wasrather to be guessed at than seen; while at the opposite extremity ofthe city, where had been conspicuous for years the Bloody Run, cultivation and improvement had nearly obliterated every trace of thepast. 

Two objections have been urged against "Wacousta" as a consistenttale--the one as involving an improbability, the other a geographicalerror. It has been assumed that the startling feat accomplished by thatman of deep revenge, who is not alone in his bitter hatred and contemptfor the base among those who, like spaniels, crawl and kiss the dust atthe instigation of their superiors, and yet arrogate to themselves aclaim to be considered gentlemen and men of honor and independence--ithas, I repeat, been assumed that the feat attributed to him inconnection with the flag-staff of the fort was impossible. No one whohas ever seen these erections on the small forts of that day wouldpronounce the same criticism. Never very lofty, they were ascended atleast one-third of their height by means of small projections nailed tothem for footholds for the artillerymen, frequently compelled to clearthe flag lines entangled at the truck; therefore a strong and activeman, such as Wacousta is described to have been, might very well havebeen supposed, in his strong anxiety for revenge and escape with hisvictim, to have doubled his strength and activity on so important anoccasion, rendering that easy of attainment by himself which anordinary and unexcited man might deem impossible. I myself have knockeddown a gate, almost without feeling the resistance, in order to escapethe stilettos of assassins. 

The second objection is to the narrowness attributed in the tale to theriver St. Clair. This was done in the license usually accorded to awriter of fiction, in order to give greater effect to the scenerepresented as having occurred there, and, of course, in no wayintended as a geographical description of the river, nor was itnecessary. In the same spirit and for the same purpose it has beencontinued. 

It will be seen that at the termination of the tragedy enacted at thebridge, by which the Bloody Run was in those days crossed, that thewretched wife of the condemned soldier pronounced a curse that couldnot, of course, well be fulfilled in the course of the tale. Some fewyears ago I published in Canada--I might as well have done so inKamschatka--the continuation, which was to have been dedicated to thelast King of England, but which, after the death of that monarch, wasinscribed to Sir John Harvey, whose letter, as making honorable mentionof a gallant and beloved brother, I feel it a duty to the memory of thelatter to subjoin. 

 GOVERNMENT HOUSE, FREDERICTON, N. B. , Major Richardson, Montreal. 

 November 26th, 1839. 

 "Dear Sir;--I am favored with your very interesting communication of the 2nd instant, by which I learn that you are the brother of two youths whose gallantry and merits--and with regard to one of them, his sufferings--during the late war, excited my warmest admiration and sympathy. I beg you to believe that I am far from insensible to the affecting proofs which you have made known to me of this grateful recollection of any little service I may have had it in my power to render them; and I will add that the desire which I felt to serve the father will be found to extend itself to the son, if your nephew should ever find himself under circumstances to require from me any service which it may be within my power to render him. "

 "With regard to your very flattering proposition to inscribe your present work to me, I can only say that, independent of the respect to which the author of so very charming a production as 'Wacousta' is entitled, the interesting facts and circumstances so unexpectedly brought to my knowledge and recollection would ensure a ready acquiescence on my part. "

 "I remain, dear sir your very faithful servant"

 "(Signed) J. HARVEY. "

The "Prophecy Fulfilled, " which, however, has never been seen out ofthe small country in which it appeared--Detroit, perhaps, aloneexcepted--embraces and indeed is intimately connected with theBeauchamp tragedy, which took place at or near Weisiger's Hotel, inFrankfort, Kentucky, where I had been many years before confined as aprisoner of war. While connecting it with the "Prophecy Fulfilled, " andmaking it subservient to the end I had in view, I had not read or evenheard of the existence of a work of the same character, which hadalready appeared from the pen of an American author. Indeed, I havereason to believe that the "Prophecy Fulfilled, " although not publisheduntil after a lapse of years, was the first written. No similarity oftreatment of the subject exists between the two versions, and this, beit remembered, I remark without in the slightest degree impugning themerit of the production of my fellow-laborer in the same field. 

THE AUTHOR. 

New York City, January 1st, 1851. 

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

As we are about to introduce our readers to scenes with which theEuropean is little familiarised, some few cursory remarks, illustrativeof the general features of the country into which we have shifted ourlabours, may not be deemed misplaced at the opening of this volume. 

Without entering into minute geographical detail, it may be necessarymerely to point out the outline of such portions of the vast continentof America as still acknowledge allegiance to the English crown, inorder that the reader, understanding the localities, may enter withdeeper interest into the incidents of a tale connected with a groundhitherto untouched by the wand of the modern novelist. 

All who have ever taken the trouble to inform themselves of thefeatures of a country so little interesting to the majority ofEnglishmen in their individual character must be aware, --and for theinformation of those who are not, we state, --that that portion of thenorthern continent of America which is known as the United States isdivided from the Canadas by a continuous chain of lakes and rivers, commencing at the ocean into which they empty themselves, and extendingin a north-western direction to the remotest parts of these wildregions, which have never yet been pressed by other footsteps thanthose of the native hunters of the soil. First we have the magnificentSt. Lawrence, fed from the lesser and tributary streams, rolling hersweet and silver waters into the foggy seas of the Newfoundland. --Butperhaps it will better tend to impress our readers with a panoramicpicture of the country in which our scene of action is more immediatelylaid, by commencing at those extreme and remote points of our Canadianpossessions to which their attention will be especially directed in thecourse of our narrative. 

The most distant of the north-western settlements of America isMichilimackinac, a name given by the Indians, and preserved by theAmericans, who possess the fort even to this hour. It is situated atthe head of the Lakes Michigan and Huron, and adjacent to the Island ofSt. Joseph's, where, since the existence of the United States as anindependent republic, an English garrison has been maintained, with aview of keeping the original fortress in check. From the lakes abovementioned we descend into the River Sinclair, which, in turn, disembogues itself into the lake of the same name. This again renderstribute to the Detroit, a broad majestic river, not less than a mile inbreadth at its source, and progressively widening towards its mouthuntil it is finally lost in the beautiful Lake Erie, computed at aboutone hundred and sixty miles in circumference. From the embouchure ofthis latter lake commences the Chippawa, better known in Europe fromthe celebrity of its stupendous falls of Niagara, which form animpassable barrier to the seaman, and, for a short space, sever theotherwise uninterrupted chain connecting the remote fortresses we havedescribed with the Atlantic. At a distance of a few miles from thefalls, the Chippawa finally empties itself into the Ontario, the mostsplendid of the gorgeous American lakes, on the bright bosom of which, during the late war, frigates, seventy-fours, and even a ship of onehundred and twelve guns, manned by a crew of one thousand men, reflected the proud pennants of England! At the opposite extremity ofthis magnificent and sea-like lake, which is upwards of two hundredmiles in circumference, the far-famed St. Lawrence takes her source;and after passing through a vast tract of country, whose elevated banksbear every trace of fertility and cultivation, connects itself with theLake Champlain, celebrated, as well as Erie, for a signal defeat of ourflotilla during the late contest with the Americans. Pushing her boldwaters through this somewhat inferior lake, the St. Lawrence pursuesher course seaward with impetuosity, until arrested near La Chine byrock-studded shallows, which produce those strong currents and eddies, the dangers of which are so beautifully expressed in the Canadian BoatSong, --a composition that has rendered the "rapids" almost as familiarto the imagination of the European as the falls of Niagara themselves. Beyond La Chine the St. Lawrence gradually unfolds herself into greatermajesty and expanse, and rolling past the busy commercial town ofMontreal, is once more increased in volume by the insignificant lake ofSt. Peter's, nearly opposite to the settlement of Three Rivers, midwaybetween Montreal and Quebec. From thence she pursues her course unfed, except by a few inferior streams, and gradually widens as she rollspast the capital of the Canadas, whose tall and precipitousbattlements, bristled with cannon, and frowning defiance from theclouds in which they appear half imbedded, might be taken by theimaginative enthusiast for the strong tower of the Spirit of thosestupendous scenes. From this point the St. Lawrence increases inexpanse, until, at length, after traversing a country where the tracesof civilisation become gradually less and less visible, she finallymerges in the gulf, from the centre of which the shores on either handare often invisible to the naked eye; and in this manner is itimperceptibly lost in that misty ocean, so dangerous to mariners fromits deceptive and almost perpetual fogs. 

In following the links of this extensive chain of lakes and rivers, itmust be borne in recollection, that, proceeding seaward fromMichilimackinac and its contiguous district, all that tract of countrywhich lies to the right constitutes what is now known as the UnitedStates of America, and all on the left the two provinces of Upper andLower Canada, tributary to the English government, subject to theEnglish laws, and garrisoned by English troops. The several forts andharbours established along the left bank of the St. Lawrence, andthroughout that portion of our possessions which is known as LowerCanada, are necessarily, from the improved condition and more numerouspopulation of that province, on a larger scale and of betterappointment; but in Upper Canada, where the traces of civilisation areless evident throughout, and become gradually more faint as we advancewestward, the fortresses and harbours bear the same proportion Instrength and extent to the scantiness of the population they areerected to protect. Even at the present day, along that line of remotecountry we have selected for the theatre of our labours, the garrisonsare both few in number and weak in strength, and evidence ofcultivation is seldom to be found at any distance in the interior; sothat all beyond a certain extent of clearing, continued along the banksof the lakes and rivers, is thick, impervious, rayless forest, thelimits of which have never yet been explored, perhaps, by the nativesthemselves. 

Such being the general features of the country even at the present day, it will readily be comprehended how much more wild and desolate was thecharacter they exhibited as far back as the middle of the last century, about which period our story commences. At that epoch, it will be bornein mind, what we have described as being the United States were thenthe British colonies of America dependent on the mother-country; whilethe Canadas, on the contrary, were, or had very recently been, underthe dominion of France, from whom they had been wrested after a longstruggle, greatly advanced in favour of England by the glorious battlefought on the plains of Abraham, near Quebec, and celebrated for thedefeat of Montcalm and the death of Wolfe. 

The several attempts made to repossess themselves of the strong hold ofQuebec having, in every instance, been met by discomfiture anddisappointment, the French, in despair, relinquished the contest, and, by treaty, ceded their claims to the Canadas, --an event that washastened by the capitulation of the garrison of Montreal, commanded bythe Marquis de Vaudreuil, to the victorious arms of General Amherst. Still, though conquered as a people, many of the leading men in thecountry, actuated by that jealousy for which they were remarkable, contrived to oppose obstacles to the quiet possession of a conquest bythose whom they seemed to look upon as their hereditary enemies; and infurtherance of this object, paid agents, men of artful and intriguingcharacter, were dispersed among the numerous tribes of savages, with aview of exciting them to acts of hostility against their conquerors. The long and uninterrupted possession, by the French, of thosecountries immediately bordering on the hunting grounds and haunts ofthe natives, with whom they carried on an extensive traffic in furs, had established a communionship of interest between themselves andthose savage and warlike people, which failed not to turn to accountthe vindictive views of the former. The whole of the province of UpperCanada at that time possessed but a scanty population, protected in itsmost flourishing and defensive points by stockade forts; the chiefobject of which was to secure the garrisons, consisting each of a fewcompanies, from any sudden surprise on the part of the natives, who, although apparently inclining to acknowledge the change of neighbours, and professing amity, were, it was well known, too much in the interestof their old friends the French, and even the French Canadiansthemselves, not to be regarded with the most cautious distrust. 

These stockade forts were never, at any one period, nearer to eachother than from one hundred and fifty to two hundred miles, so that, inthe event of surprise or alarm, there was little prospect of obtainingassistance from without. Each garrison, therefore, was almost whollydependent on its own resources; and, when surrounded unexpectedly bynumerous bands of hostile Indians, had no other alternative than tohold out to the death. Capitulation was out of the question; for, although the wile and artifice of the natives might induce them topromise mercy, the moment their enemies were in their power promisesand treaties were alike broken, and indiscriminate massacre ensued. Communication by water was, except during a period of profound peace, almost impracticable; for, although of late years the lakes of Canadahave been covered with vessels of war, many of them, as we have alreadyremarked, of vast magnitude, and been the theatres of conflicts thatwould not have disgraced the salt waters of ocean itself, at the periodto which our story refers the flag of England was seen to wave only onthe solitary mast of some ill-armed and ill-manned gunboat, employedrather for the purpose of conveying despatches from fort to fort, thanwith any serious view to acts either of aggression or defence. 

In proportion as the colonies of America, now the United States, pushedtheir course of civilisation westward, in the same degree did thenumerous tribes of Indians, who had hitherto dwelt more seaward, retireupon those of their own countrymen, who, buried in vast andimpenetrable forests, had seldom yet seen the face of the Europeanstranger; so that, in the end, all the more central parts of thosestupendous wilds became doubly peopled. Hitherto, however, thatcivilisation had not been carried beyond the state of New York; and allthose countries which have, since the American revolution, been addedto the Union under the names of Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, &c. , were, at the period embraced by our story, inhospitable andunproductive woods, subject only to the dominion of the native, and asyet unshorn by the axe of the cultivator. A few portions only of theopposite shores of Michigan were occupied by emigrants from theCanadas, who, finding no one to oppose or molest them, selected themost fertile spots along the banks of the river; and of the existenceof these infant settlements, the English colonists, who had neverventured so far, were not even aware until after the conquest of Canadaby the mother-country. This particular district was the centre aroundwhich the numerous warriors, who had been driven westward by thecolonists, had finally assembled; and rude villages and encampmentsrose far and near for a circuit of many miles around this infantsettlement and fort of the Canadians, to both of which they had giventhe name of Detroit, after the river on whose elevated banks theystood. Proceeding westward from this point, and along the tract ofcountry that diverged from the banks of the Lakes Huron, Sinclair, andMichigan, all traces of that partial civilisation were again lost inimpervious wilds, tenanted only by the fiercest of the Indian tribes, whose homes were principally along the banks of that greatest ofAmerican waters, the Lake Superior, and in the country surrounding theisolated fort of Michilimackinac, the last and most remote of theEuropean fortresses in Canada. 

When at a later period the Canadas were ceded to us by France, thoseparts of the opposite frontier which we have just described became alsotributary to the English crown, and were, by the peculiar difficultiesthat existed to communication with the more central and populousdistricts, rendered especially favourable to the exercise of hostileintrigue by the numerous active French emissaries every where dispersedamong the Indian tribes. During the first few years of the conquest, the inhabitants of Canada, who were all either European French, orimmediate descendants of that nation, were, as might naturally beexpected, more than restive under their new governors, and many of themost impatient spirits of the country sought every opportunity ofsowing the seeds of distrust and jealousy in the hearts of the natives. By these people it was artfully suggested to the Indians, that theirnew oppressors were of the race of those who had driven them from thesea, and were progressively advancing on their territories until scarcea hunting ground or a village would be left to them. They describedthem, moreover, as being the hereditary enemies of their great father, the King of France, with whose governors they had buried the hatchetfor ever, and smoked the calumet of perpetual peace. Fired by thesewily suggestions, the high and jealous spirit of the Indian chiefs tookthe alarm, and they beheld with impatience the "Red Coat, " or"Saganaw, " [Footnote: This word thus pronounced by themselves, inreference to the English soldiery, is, in all probability, derived fromthe original English settlers in Saganaw Bay. ] usurping, as they deemedit, those possessions which had so recently acknowledged the supremacyof the pale flag of their ancient ally. The cause of the Indians, andthat of the Canadians, became, in some degree, identified as one, andeach felt it was the interest, and it may be said the natural instinct, of both, to hold communionship of purpose, and to indulge the samejealousies and fears. Such was the state of things in 1763, the periodat which our story commences, --an epoch fruitful in designs ofhostility and treachery on the part of the Indians, who, too crafty andtoo politic to manifest their feelings by overt acts declaratory of thehatred carefully instilled into their breasts, sought every opportunityto compass the destruction of the English, wherever they were mostvulnerable to the effects of stratagem. Several inferior forts situatedon the Ohio had already fallen into their hands, when they summoned alltheir address and cunning to accomplish the fall of the two importantthough remote posts of Detroit and Michilimackinac. For a length oftime they were baffled by the activity and vigilance of the respectivegovernors of these forts, who had had too much fatal experience in thefate of their companions not to be perpetually on the alert againsttheir guile; but when they had at length, in some degree, succeeded inlulling the suspicions of the English, they determined on a scheme, suggested by a leading chief, a man of more than ordinary character, which promised fair to rid them altogether of a race they so cordiallydetested. We will not, however, mar the interest of our tale, byanticipating, at this early stage, either the nature or the success ofa stratagem which forms the essential groundwork of our story. 

While giving, for the information of the many, what, we trust, will notbe considered a too compendious outline of the Canadas, and the eventsconnected with them, we are led to remark, that, powerful as was thefeeling of hostility cherished by the French Canadians towards theEnglish when the yoke of early conquest yet hung heavily on them, thisfeeling eventually died away under the mild influence of a governmentthat preserved to them the exercise of all their customary privileges, and abolished all invidious distinctions between the descendants ofFrance and those of the mother-country. So universally, too, has thissystem of conciliation been pursued, we believe we may with safetyaver, of all the numerous colonies that have succumbed to the geniusand power of England, there are none whose inhabitants entertainstronger feelings of attachment and loyalty to her than those ofCanada; and whatever may be the transient differences, --differencesgrowing entirely out of circumstances and interests of a localcharacter, and in no way tending to impeach the acknowledged fidelityof the mass of French Canadians, --whatever, we repeat, may be theephemeral differences that occasionally spring up between the governorsof those provinces and individual members of the Houses of Assembly, they must, in no way, be construed into a general feeling ofdisaffection towards the English crown. 

In proportion also as the Canadians have felt and acknowledged thebeneficent effects arising from a change of rulers, so have the Indiantribes been gradually weaned from their first fierce principle ofhostility, until they have subsequently become as much distinguished bytheir attachment to, as they were three quarters of a century agoremarkable for their untameable aversion for, every thing that bore theEnglish name, or assumed the English character. Indeed, the hatredwhich they bore to the original colonists has been continued to theirdescendants, the subjects of the United States; and the same spirit ofunion subsisted between the natives and British troops, and people ofCanada, during the late American war, that at an earlier period of thehistory of that country prevailed so powerfully to the disadvantage ofEngland. 

And now we have explained a course of events which were in some measurenecessary to the full understanding of the country by the majority ofour readers, we shall, in furtherance of the same object, proceed tosketch a few of the most prominent scenes more immediately before us. 

The fort of Detroit, as it was originally constructed by the French, stands in the middle of a common, or description of small prairie, bounded by woods, which, though now partially thinned in theiroutskirts, were at that period untouched by the hand of civilisation. Erected at a distance of about half a mile from the banks of the river, which at that particular point are high and precipitous, it stood thenjust far enough from the woods that swept round it in a semicircularform to be secure from the rifle of the Indian; while from itsbatteries it commanded a range of country on every hand, which no enemyunsupported by cannon could traverse with impunity. Immediately in therear, and on the skirt of the wood, the French had constructed a sortof bomb-proof, possibly intended to serve as a cover to the workmenoriginally employed in clearing the woods, but long since suffered tofall into decay. Without the fortification rose a strong and tripleline of pickets, each of about two feet and a half in circumference, and so fitted into each other as to leave no other interstices thanthose which were perforated for the discharge of musketry. They wereformed of the hardest and most knotted pines that could be procured;the sharp points of which were seasoned by fire until they acquirednearly the durability and consistency of iron. Beyond these firmlyimbedded pickets was a ditch, encircling the fort, of about twenty feetin width, and of proportionate depth, the only communication over whichto and from the garrison was by means of a drawbridge, protected by astrong chevaux-de-frise. The only gate with which the fortress wasprovided faced the river; on the more immediate banks of which, and tothe left of the fort, rose the yet infant and straggling village thatbore the name of both. Numerous farm-houses, however, almost joiningeach other, contributed to form a continuity of many miles along theborders of the river, both on the right and on the left; while theopposite shores of Canada, distinctly seen in the distance, presented, as far as the eye could reach, the same enlivening character offertility. The banks, covered with verdure on either shore, were moreor less undulating at intervals; but in general they were high withoutbeing abrupt, and picturesque without being bold, presenting, in theirpartial cultivation, a striking contrast to the dark, tall, andfrowning forests bounding every point of the perspective. 

At a distance of about five miles on the left of the town the course ofthe river was interrupted by a small and thickly wooded island, alongwhose sandy beach occasionally rose the low cabin or wigwam which thebirch canoe, carefully upturned and left to dry upon the sands, attested to be the temporary habitation of the wandering Indian. Thatbranch of the river which swept by the shores of Canada was (as at thisday) the only navigable one for vessels of burden, while that on theopposite coast abounded in shallows and bars, affording passage merelyto the light barks of the natives, which seemed literally to skim thevery surface of its waves. Midway, between that point of the continentwhich immediately faced the eastern extremity of the island we havejust named and the town of Detroit, flowed a small tributary river, theapproaches to which, on either hand, were over a slightly slopingground, the view of which could be entirely commanded from the fort. The depth of this river, now nearly dried up, at that period variedfrom three to ten or twelve feet; and over this, at a distance of abouttwenty yards from the Detroit, into which it emptied itself, rose, communicating with the high road, a bridge, which will more than oncebe noticed in the course of our tale. Even to the present hour itretains the name given to it during these disastrous times; and thereare few modern Canadians, or even Americans, who traverse the "BloodyBridge, " especially at the still hours of advanced night, withoutrecalling to memory the tragic events of those days, (handed down asthey have been by their fathers, who were eye-witnesses of thetransaction, ) and peopling the surrounding gloom with the shades ofthose whose life-blood erst crimsoned the once pure waters of that nownearly exhausted stream; and whose mangled and headless corpses wereslowly borne by its tranquil current into the bosom of the parentriver, where all traces of them finally disappeared. 

These are the minuter features of the scene we have brought moreimmediately under the province of our pen. What Detroit was in 1763 itnearly is at the present day, with this difference, however, that manyof those points which were then in a great degree isolated and rude arenow redolent with the beneficent effects of improved cultivation; andin the immediate vicinity of that memorable bridge, where formerlystood merely the occasional encampment of the Indian warrior, are nowto be seen flourishing farms and crops, and other marks of agriculturalindustry. Of the fort of Detroit itself we will give the followingbrief history:--It was, as we have already stated, erected by theFrench while in the occupancy of the country by which it is moreimmediately environed; subsequently, and at the final cession of theCanadas, it was delivered over to England, with whom it remained untilthe acknowledgement of the independence of the colonists by themother-country, when it hoisted the colours of the republic; theBritish garrison marching out, and crossing over into Canada, followedby such of the loyalists as still retained their attachment to theEnglish crown. At the commencement of the late war with America it wasthe first and more immediate theatre of conflict, and was remarkable, as well as Michilimackinac, for being one of the first posts of theAmericans that fell into our hands. The gallant daring, and promptnessof decision, for which the lamented general, Sir Isaac Brock, was soeminently distinguished, achieved the conquest almost as soon as theAmerican declaration of war had been made known in Canada; and on thisoccasion we ourselves had the good fortune to be selected as part ofthe guard of honour, whose duty it was to lower the flag of America, and substitute that of England in its place. On the approach, however, of an overwhelming army of the enemy in the autumn of the ensuing yearit was abandoned by our troops, after having been dismantled andreduced, in its more combustible parts, to ashes. The Americans, whohave erected new fortifications on the site of the old, still retainpossession of a post to which they attach considerable importance, fromthe circumstance of its being a key to the more western portions of theUnion. 

CHAPTER II. 

It was during the midnight watch, late in September, 1763, that theEnglish garrison of Detroit, in North America, was thrown into theutmost consternation by the sudden and mysterious introduction of astranger within its walls. The circumstance at this moment wasparticularly remarkable; for the period was so fearful and pregnantwith events of danger, the fort being assailed on every side by apowerful and vindictive foe, that a caution and vigilance of no commonkind were unceasingly exercised by the prudent governor for the safetyof those committed to his charge. A long series of hostilities had beenpursued by the North-American Indians against the subjects of England, within the few years that had succeeded to the final subjection of theCanadas to her victorious arms; and many and sanguinary were theconflicts in which the devoted soldiery were made to succumb to thecunning and numbers of their savage enemies. In those lone regions, both officers and men, in their respective ranks, were, by acommunionship of suffering, isolation, and peculiarity of duty, drawntowards each other with feelings of almost fraternal affection; and thefates of those who fell were lamented with sincerity of soul, andavenged, when opportunity offered, with a determination promptedequally by indignation and despair. This sentiment of union, existingeven between men and officers of different corps, was, with occasionalexceptions, of course doubly strengthened among those who fought underthe same colours, and acknowledged the same head; and, as it oftenhappened in Canada, during this interesting period, that a singleregiment was distributed into two or three fortresses, each so farremoved from the other that communication could with the utmostfacility be cut off, the anxiety and uncertainty of these detachmentsbecame proportioned to the danger with which they knew themselves to bemore immediately beset. The garrison of Detroit, at the date abovenamed, consisted of a third of the ---- regiment, the remainder ofwhich occupied the forts of Michilimackinac and Niagara, and to eachdivision of this regiment was attached an officer's command ofartillery. It is true that no immediate overt act of hostility had forsome time been perpetrated by the Indians, who were assembled in forcearound the former garrison; but the experienced officer to whom thecommand had been intrusted was too sensible of the craftiness of thesurrounding hordes to be deceived, by any outward semblance of amity, into neglect of those measures of precaution which were soindispensable to the surety of his trust. 

In this he pursued a line of policy happily adapted to the delicatenature of his position. Unwilling to excite the anger or wound thepride of the chiefs, by any outward manifestation of distrust, heaffected to confide in the sincerity of their professions, and, byinducing his officers to mix occasionally in their councils, and hismen in the amusements of the inferior warriors, contrived to impressthe conviction that he reposed altogether on their faith. But, althoughthese acts were in some degree coerced by the necessity of the times, and a perfect knowledge of all the misery that must accrue to them inthe event of their provoking the Indians into acts of open hostility, the prudent governor took such precautions as were deemed efficient todefeat any treacherous attempt at violation of the tacit treaty on thepart of the natives. The officers never ventured out, unless escortedby a portion of their men, who, although appearing to be dispersedamong the warriors, still kept sufficiently together to be enabled, ina moment of emergency, to afford succour not only to each other but totheir superiors. On these occasions, as a further security againstsurprise, the troops left within were instructed to be in readiness, ata moment's warning, to render assistance, if necessary, to theircompanions, who seldom, on any occasion, ventured out of reach of thecannon of the fort, the gate of which was hermetically closed, whilenumerous supernumerary sentinels were posted along the ramparts, with aview to give the alarm if any thing extraordinary was observed to occurwithout. 

Painful and harassing as were the precautions it was found necessary toadopt on these occasions, and little desirous as were the garrison tomingle with the natives on such terms, still the plan was pursued bythe Governor from the policy already named: nay, it was absolutelyessential to the future interests of England that the Indians should bewon over by acts of confidence and kindness; and so little dispositionhad hitherto been manifested by the English to conciliate, that everything was to be apprehended from the untameable rancour with whichthese people were but too well disposed to repay a neglect at oncegalling to their pride and injurious to their interests. 

Such, for a term of many months, had been the trying and painful dutythat had devolved on the governor of Detroit; when, in the summer of1763, the whole of the western tribes of Indians, as if actuated by onecommon impulse, suddenly threw off the mask, and commenced a series ofthe most savage trespasses upon the English settlers in the vicinity ofthe several garrisons, who were cut off in detail, without mercy, andwithout reference to either age or sex. On the first alarm the weakbodies of troops, as a last measure of security, shut themselves up intheir respective forts, where they were as incapable of renderingassistance to others as of receiving it themselves. In this emergencythe prudence and forethought of the governor of Detroit were eminentlyconspicuous; for, having long foreseen the possibility of such acrisis, he had caused a plentiful supply of all that was necessary tothe subsistence and defence of the garrison to be provided at anearlier period, so that, if foiled in their attempts at stratagem, there was little chance that the Indians would speedily reduce them byfamine. To guard against the former, a vigilant watch was constantlykept by the garrison both day and night, while the sentinels, doubledin number, were constantly on the alert. Strict attention, moreover, was paid to such parts of the ramparts as were considered mostassailable by a cunning and midnight enemy; and, in order to preventany imprudence on the part of the garrison, all egress or ingress wasprohibited that had not the immediate sanction of the chief. With thisview the keys of the gate were given in trust to the officer of theguard; to whom, however, it was interdicted to use them unless bydirect and positive order of the Governor. In addition to thisprecaution, the sentinels on duty at the gate had strict privateinstructions not to suffer any one to pass either in or out unlessconducted by the governor in person; and this restriction extended evento the officer of the guard. 

Such being the cautious discipline established in the fort, theappearance of a stranger within its walls at the still hour of midnightcould not fail to be regarded as an extraordinary event, and to excitean apprehension which could scarcely have been surpassed had a numerousand armed band of savages suddenly appeared among them. The firstintimation of this fact was given by the violent ringing of an alarmbell; a rope communicating with which was suspended in the Governor'sapartments, for the purpose of arousing the slumbering soldiers in anycase of pressing emergency. Soon afterwards the Governor himself wasseen to issue from his rooms into the open area of the parade, clad inhis dressing-gown, and bearing a lamp in one hand and a naked sword inthe other. His countenance was pale; and his features, violentlyagitated, betrayed a source of alarm which those who were familiar withhis usual haughtiness of manner were ill able to comprehend. 

"Which way did he go?--why stand ye here?--follow--pursue himquickly--let him not escape, on your lives!"

These sentences, hurriedly and impatiently uttered, were addressed tothe two sentinels who, stationed in front of his apartments, had, onthe first sound of alarm from the portentous bell, lowered theirmuskets to the charge, and now stood immovable in that position. 

"Who does your honour mane?" replied one of the men, startled, yetbringing his arms to the recover, in salutation of his chief. 

"Why, the man--the stranger--the fellow who has just passed you. "

"Not a living soul has passed us since our watch commenced, yourhonour, " observed the second sentinel; "and we have now been hereupwards of an hour. "

"Impossible, sirs: ye have been asleep on your posts, or ye must haveseen him. He passed this way, and could not have escaped yourobservation had ye been attentive to your duty. "

"Well, sure, and your honour knows bist, " rejoined the first sentinel;"but so hilp me St. Patrick, as I have sirved man and boy in yourhonour's rigimint this twilve years, not even the fitch of a man haspassed me this blissed night. And here's my comrade, Jack Halford, whowill take his Bible oath to the same, with all due difirince to yourhonour. "

The pithy reply to this eloquent attempt at exculpation was a brief"Silence, sirrah, walk about!"

The men brought their muskets once more, and in silence, to theshoulder, and, in obedience to the command of their chief, resumed thelimited walk allotted to them; crossing each other at regular intervalsin the semicircular course that enfiladed, as it were, the onlyentrance to the Governor's apartments. 

Meanwhile every thing was bustle and commotion among the garrison, who, roused from sleep by the appalling sound of the alarm bell at that latehour, were hastily arming. Throughout the obscurity might be seen theflitting forms of men, whose already fully accoutred persons proclaimedthem to be of the guard; while in the lofty barracks, numerous lightsflashing to and fro, and moving with rapidity, attested the alacritywith which the troops off duty were equipping themselves for someservice of more than ordinary interest. So noiseless, too, was thispreparation, as far as speech was concerned, that the occasionalopening and shutting of pans, and ringing of ramrods to ascertain theefficiency of the muskets, might be heard distinctly in the stillnessof the night at a distance of many furlongs. 

HE, however, who had touched the secret spring of all this picturesquemovement, whatever might be his gratification and approval of thepromptitude with which the summons to arms had been answered by hisbrave troops, was far from being wholly satisfied with the scene he hadconjured up. Recovered from the first and irrepressible agitation whichhad driven him to sound the tocsin of alarm, he felt how derogatory tohis military dignity and proverbial coolness of character it might beconsidered, to have awakened a whole garrison from their slumbers, whena few files of the guard would have answered his purpose equally well. Besides, so much time had been suffered to elapse, that the strangermight have escaped; and if so, how many might be disposed to ridiculehis alarm, and consider it as emanating from an imagination disturbedby sleep, rather than caused by the actual presence of one endowed likethemselves with the faculties of speech and motion. For a moment hehesitated whether he should not countermand the summons to arms whichhad been so precipitately given; but when he recollected the harrowingthreat that had been breathed in his ear by his midnight visiter, --whenhe reflected, moreover, that even now it was probable he was lurkingwithin the precincts of the fort with a view to the destruction of allthat it contained, --when, in short, he thought of the imminent dangerthat must attend them should he be suffered to escape, --he felt thenecessity of precaution, and determined on his measures, even at therisk of manifesting a prudence which might be construed unfavourably. On re-entering his apartments, he found his orderly, who, roused by themidnight tumult, stood waiting to receive the commands of his chief. 

"Desire Major Blackwater to come to me immediately. "

The mandate was quickly obeyed. In a few seconds a short, thick-set, and elderly officer made his appearance in a grey military undressfrock. 

"Blackwater, we have traitors within the fort. Let diligent search bemade in every part of the barracks for a stranger, an enemy, who hasmanaged to procure admittance among us: let every nook and cranny, every empty cask, be examined forthwith; and cause a number ofadditional sentinels to be stationed along the ramparts, in order tointercept his escape. "

"Good Heaven, is it possible?" said the Major, wiping the perspirationfrom his brows, though the night was unusually chilly for the season ofthe year:--"how could he contrive to enter a place so vigilantlyguarded?"

"Ask me not HOW, Blackwater, " returned the Governor seriously; "let itsuffice that he has been in this very room, and that ten minutes sincehe stood where you now stand. "

The Major looked aghast. --"God bless me, how singular! How could thesavage contrive to obtain admission? or was he in reality an Indian?"

"No more questions, MAJOR Blackwater. Hasten to distribute the men, andlet diligent search be made every where; and recollect, neither officernor man courts his pillow until dawn. "

The "Major" emphatically prefixed to his name was a sufficient hint tothe stout officer that the doubts thus familiarly expressed were hereto cease, and that he was now addressed in the language of authority byhis superior, who expected a direct and prompt compliance with hisorders. He therefore slightly touched his hat in salutation, andwithdrew to make the dispositions that had been enjoined by his Colonel. 

On regaining the parade, he caused the men, already forming intocompanies and answering to the roll-call of their respectivenon-commissioned officers, to be wheeled into square, and then in a lowbut distinct voice stated the cause of alarm; and, having communicatedthe orders of the Governor, finished by recommending to each theexercise of the most scrutinising vigilance; as on the discovery of theindividual in question, and the means by which he had contrived toprocure admission, the safety of the whole garrison, it was evident, must depend. 

The soldiers now dispersed in small parties throughout the interior ofthe fort, while a select body were conducted to the ramparts by theofficers themselves, and distributed between the sentinels alreadyposted there, in such numbers, and at such distances, that it appearedimpossible any thing wearing the human form could pass themunperceived, even in the obscurity that reigned around. 

When this duty was accomplished, the officers proceeded to the posts ofthe several sentinels who had been planted since the last relief, toascertain if any or either of them had observed aught to justify thebelief that an enemy had succeeded in scaling the works. To all theirenquiries, however, they received a negative reply, accompanied by adeclaration, more or less positive with each, that such had been theirvigilance during the watch, had any person come within their beat, detection must have been inevitable. The first question was put to thesentinel stationed at the gate of the fort, at which point the whole ofthe officers of the garrison were, with one or two exceptions, nowassembled. The man at first evinced a good deal of confusion; but thismight arise from the singular fact of the alarm that had been given, and the equally singular circumstance of his being thus closelyinterrogated by the collective body of his officers: he, however, persisted in declaring that he had been in no wise inattentive to hisduty, and that no cause for alarm or suspicion had occurred near hispost. The officers then, in order to save time, separated into twoparties, pursuing opposite circuits, and arranging to meet at thatpoint of the ramparts which was immediately in the rear, andoverlooking the centre of the semicircular sweep of wild forest we havedescribed as circumventing the fort. 

"Well, Blessington, I know not what you think of this sort of work, "observed Sir Everard Valletort, a young lieutenant of the ----regiment, recently arrived from England, and one of the party who nowtraversed the rampart to the right; "but confound me if I would notrather be a barber's apprentice in London, upon nothing, and findmyself, than continue a life of this kind much longer. It positivelyquite knocks me up; for what with early risings, and watchings (I hadalmost added prayings), I am but the shadow of my former self. "

"Hist, Valletort, hist! speak lower, " said Captain Blessington, thesenior officer present, "or our search must be in vain. Poor fellow!"he pursued, laughing low and good humouredly at the picture of miseriesthus solemnly enumerated by his subaltern;--"how much, in truth, areyou to be pitied, who have so recently basked in all the sunshine ofenjoyment at home. For our parts, we have lived so long amid thesesavage scenes, that we have almost forgotten what luxury, or evencomfort, means. Doubt not, my friend, that in time you will, like us, be reconciled to the change. "

"Confound me for an idiot, then, if I give myself time, " replied SirEverard affectedly. "It was only five minutes before that cursed alarmbell was sounded in my ears, that I had made up my mind fully to resignor exchange the instant I could do so with credit to myself; and, I amsure, to be called out of a warm bed at this unseasonable hour offerslittle inducement for me to change my opinion. "

"Resign or exchange with credit to yourself!" sullenly observed a stouttall officer of about fifty, whose spleen might well be accounted forin his rank of "Ensign" Delme. "Methinks there can be little credit inexchanging or resigning, when one's companions are left behind, and ina post of danger. "

"By Jasus, and ye may say that with your own pritty mouth, " remarkedanother veteran, who answered to the name of Lieutenant Murphy; "for itisn't now, while we are surrounded and bediviled by the savages, thatany man of the ---- rigimint should be after talking of bating aretrate. "

"I scarcely understand you, gentlemen, " warmly and quickly retorted SirEverard, who, with all his dandyism and effeminacy of manner, was of ahigh and resolute spirit. "Do either of you fancy that I want courageto face a positive danger, because I may not happen to have anyparticular vulgar predilection for early rising?"

"Nonsense, Valletort, nonsense, " interrupted, in accents of almostfeminine sweetness, his friend Lieutenant Charles de Haldimar, theyoungest son of the Governor: "Murphy is an eternal echo of theopinions of those who look forward to promotion; and as for Delme--doyou not see the drift of his observation? Should you retire, as youhave threatened, of course another lieutenant will be appointed in yourstead; but, should you chance to lose your scalp during the strugglewith the savages, the step goes in the regiment, and he, being thesenior ensign, obtains promotion in consequence. "

"Ah!" observed Captain Blessington, "this is indeed the greatest curseattached to the profession of a soldier. Even among those who mostesteem, and are drawn towards each other as well by fellowship inpleasure as companionship in danger, this vile and debasingprinciple--this insatiable desire for personal advancement--is certainto intrude itself; since we feel that over the mangled bodies of ourdearest friends and companions, we can alone hope to attain prefermentand distinction. "

A moment or two of silence ensued, in the course of which eachindividual appeared to be bringing home to his own heart theapplication of the remark just uttered; and which, however they mightseek to disguise the truth from themselves, was too forcible to findcontradiction from the secret monitor within. And yet of thoseassembled there was not one, perhaps, who would not, in the hour ofglory and of danger, have generously interposed his own frame betweenthat of his companion and the steel or bullet of an enemy. Such are thecontradictory elements which compose a soldier's life. 

This conversation, interrupted only by occasional questioning of thesentinels whom they passed in their circuit, was carried on in anaudible whisper, which the close approximation of the parties to eachother, and the profound stillness of the night, enabled them to hearwith distinctness. 

"Nay, nay, De Haldimar, " at length observed Sir Everard, in reply tothe observation of his friend, "do not imagine I intend to gratify Mr. Delme by any such exhibition as that of a scalpless head; but, if suchbe his hope, I trust that the hour which sees my love-locks dangling atthe top of an Indian pole may also let daylight into his own carcassfrom a rifle bullet or a tomahawk. "

"And yit, Captin, it sames to me, " observed Lieutenant Murphy, inallusion to the remark of Blessington rather than in reply to the lastspeaker, --"it sames to me, I say, that promotion in ony way is all fairand honourable in times of hardship like thase; and though we may dropa tare over our suparior when the luck of war, in the shape of atommyhawk, knocks him over, still there can be no rason why weshouldn't stip into his shoes the viry nixt instant; and it's that, weall know, that we fight for. And the divil a bitter chance any man ofus all has of promotion thin yoursilf, Captin: for it'll be mightystrange if our fat Major doesn't git riddlid like a cullinder throughand through with the bullits from the Ingians' rifles before we havequite done with this business, and thin you will have the rigimintalmajority, Captin; and it may be that one Liftinint Murphy, who is nowthe sanior of his rank, may come in for the vacant captincy. "

"And Delme for the lieutenancy, " said Charles de Haldimarsignificantly. "Well, Murphy, I am happy to find that you, at least, have hit on another than Sir Everard Valletort: one, in fact, who willrender the promotion more general than it would otherwise have been. Seriously, I should be sorry if any thing happened to our worthy Major, who, with all his bustling and grotesque manner, is as good an officerand as brave a soldier as any his Majesty's army in Canada can boast. For my part, I say, perish all promotion for ever, if it is only to beobtained over the dead bodies of those with whom I have lived so longand shared so many dangers!"

"Nobly uttered, Charles, " said Captain Blessington: "the sentiment is, indeed, one well worthy of our present position; and God knows we arefew enough in number already, without looking forward to each other'sdeath as a means of our own more immediate personal advancement. Withyou, therefore, I repeat, perish all my hopes of promotion, if it isonly to be obtained over the corpses of my companions! And let thosewho are most sanguine in their expectations beware lest they prove thefirst to be cut off, and that even before they have yet enjoyed theadvantages of the promotion they so eagerly covet. "

This observation, uttered without acrimony, had yet enough of delicatereproach in it to satisfy Lieutenant Murphy that the speaker was farfrom approving the expression of such selfish anticipations at a momentlike the present, when danger, in its most mysterious guise, lurkedaround, and threatened the safety of all most dear to them. 

The conversation now dropped, and the party pursued their course insilence. They had just passed the last sentinel posted in their line ofcircuit, and were within a few yards of the immediate rear of thefortress, when a sharp "Hist!" and sudden halt of their leader, CaptainBlessington, threw them all into an attitude of the most profoundattention. 

"Did you hear?" he asked in a subdued whisper, after a few seconds ofsilence, in which he had vainly sought to catch a repetition of thesound. 

"Assuredly, " he pursued, finding that no one answered, "I distinctlyheard a human groan. "

"Where?--in what direction?" asked Sir Everard and De Haldimar in thesame breath. 

"Immediately opposite to us on the common. But see, here are theremainder of the party stationary, and listening also. "

They now stole gently forward a few paces, and were soon at the side oftheir companions, all of whom were straining their necks and bendingtheir heads in the attitude of men listening attentively. 

"Have you heard any thing, Erskine?" asked Captain Blessington in thesame low whisper, and addressing the officer who led the opposite party. 

"Not a sound ourselves, but here is Sir Everard's black servant, Sambo, who has just riveted our attention, by declaring that he distinctlyheard a groan towards the skirt of the common. "

"He is right, " hastily rejoined Blessington; "I heard it also. "

Again a death-like silence ensued, during which the eyes of the partywere strained eagerly in the direction of the common. The night wasclear and starry, yet the dark shadow of the broad belt of forest threwall that part of the waste which came within its immediate range intoimpenetrable obscurity. 

"Do you see any thing?" whispered Valletort to his friend, who stoodnext him: "look--look!" and he pointed with his finger. 

"Nothing, " returned De Haldimar, after an anxious gaze of a minute, "but that dilapidated old bomb-proof. "

"See you not something dark, and slightly moving immediately in a linewith the left angle of the bomb-proof?"

De Haldimar looked again. --"I do begin to fancy I see something, " hereplied; "but so confusedly and indistinctly, that I know not whetherit be not merely an illusion of my imagination. Perhaps it is a strayIndian dog devouring the carcass of the wolf you shot yesterday. "

"Be it dog or devil, here is for a trial of his vulnerability. --Sambo, quick, my rifle. "

The young negro handed to his master one of those long heavy rifles, which the Indians usually make choice of for killing the buffalo, elk, and other animals whose wildness renders them difficult of approach. Hethen, unbidden, and as if tutored to the task, placed himself in astiff upright position in front of his master, with every nerve andmuscle braced to the most inflexible steadiness. The young officer nextthrew the rifle on the right shoulder of the boy for a rest, andprepared to take his aim on the object that had first attracted hisattention. 

"Make haste, massa, --him go directly, --Sambo see him get up. "

All was breathless attention among the group of officers; and when thesharp ticking sound produced by the cocking of the rifle of theircompanion fell on their ears, they bent their gaze upon the pointtowards which the murderous weapon was levelled with the most achingand intense interest. 

"Quick, quick, massa, --him quite up, " again whispered the boy. 

The words had scarcely passed his lips, when the crack of the rifle, followed by a bright blaze of light, sounded throughout the stillnessof the night with exciting sharpness. For an instant all was hushed;but scarcely had the distant woods ceased to reverberate thespirit-stirring echoes, when the anxious group of officers weresurprised and startled by a sudden flash, the report of a second riflefrom the common, and the whizzing of a bullet past their ears. This wasinstantly succeeded by a fierce, wild, and prolonged cry, expressive atonce of triumph and revenge. It was that peculiar cry which an Indianutters when the reeking scalp has been wrested from his murdered victim. 

"Missed him, as I am a sinner, " exclaimed Sir Everard, springing to hisfeet, and knocking the butt of his rifle on the ground with a movementof impatience. "Sambo, you young scoundrel, it was all your fault, --youmoved your shoulder as I pulled the trigger. Thank Heaven, however, theaim of the Indian appears to have been no better, although the sharpwhistling of his ball proves his piece to have been well levelled for arandom shot. "

"His aim has been too true, " faintly pronounced the voice of onesomewhat in the rear of his companions. "The ball of the villain hasfound a lodgment in my breast. God bless ye all, my boys; may yourfates be more lucky than mine!" While he yet spoke, Lieutenant Murphysank into the arms of Blessington and De Haldimar, who had flown to himat the first intimation of his wound, and was in the next instant acorpse. 

CHAPTER III. 

"To your companies, gentlemen, to your companies on the instant. Thereis treason in the fort, and we had need of all our diligence andcaution. Captain de Haldimar is missing, and the gate has been foundunlocked. Quick, gentlemen, quick; even now the savages may be aroundus, though unseen. "

"Captain de Haldimar missing!--the gate unlocked!" exclaimed a numberof voices. "Impossible!--surely we are not betrayed by our own men. "

"The sentinel has been relieved, and is now in irons, " resumed thecommunicator of this startling piece of intelligence. It was theadjutant of the regiment. 

"Away, gentlemen, to your posts immediately, " said Captain Blessington, who, aided by De Haldimar, hastened to deposit the stiffening body ofthe unfortunate Murphy, which they still supported, upon the rampart. Then addressing the adjutant, "Mr. Lawson, let a couple of files besent immediately to remove the body of their officer. "

"That shot which I heard from the common, as I approached, was notfired at random, then, I find, " observed the adjutant, as they all nowhastily descended to join their men. --"Who has fallen?"

"Murphy, of the grenadiers, " was the reply of one near him. 

"Poor fellow! our work commences badly, " resumed Mr. Lawson: "Murphykilled, and Captain de Haldimar missing. We had few officers enough tospare before, and their loss will be severely felt; I greatly fear, too, these casualties may have a tendency to discourage the men. "

"Nothing more easy than to supply their place, by promoting some of ouroldest sergeants, " observed Ensign Delme, who, as well as the ill-fatedMurphy, had risen from the ranks. "If they behave themselves well, theKing will confirm their appointments. "

"But my poor brother, what of him, Lawson? what have you learntconnected with his disappearance?" asked Charles de Haldimar with deepemotion. 

"Nothing satisfactory, I am sorry to say, " returned the adjutant; "infact, the whole affair is a mystery which no one can unravel; even atthis moment the sentinel, Frank Halloway, who is strongly suspected ofbeing privy to his disappearance, is undergoing a private examinationby your father the governor. "

"Frank Halloway!" repeated the youth with a start of astonishment;"surely Halloway could never prove a traitor, --and especially to mybrother, whose life he once saved at the peril of his own. "

The officers had now gained the parade, when the "Fall in, gentlemen, fall in, " quickly pronounced by Major Blackwater, prevented all furtherquestioning on the part of the younger De Haldimar. 

The scene, though circumscribed in limit, was picturesque in effect, and might have been happily illustrated by the pencil of the painter. The immediate area of the parade was filled with armed men, distributedinto three divisions, and forming, with their respective ranks facingoutwards, as many sides of a hollow square, the mode of defenceinvariably adopted by the Governor in all cases of sudden alarm. Thevacant space, which communicated with the powder magazine, was leftopen to the movements of three three-pounders, which were to supporteach face in the event of its being broken by numbers. Close to these, and within the square, stood the number of gunners necessary to theduty of the field-pieces, each of which was commanded by a bombardier. At the foot of the ramparts, outside the square, and immediatelyopposite to their several embrasures, were stationed the gunnersrequired for the batteries, under a non-commissioned officer also, andthe whole under the direction of a superior officer of that arm, whonow walked to and fro, conversing in a low voice with Major Blackwater. One gunner at each of these divisions of the artillery held in his handa blazing torch, reflecting with picturesque yet gloomy effect thebright bayonets and equipment of the soldiers, and the anxiouscountenances of the women and invalids, who, bending eagerly throughthe windows of the surrounding barracks, appeared to await the issue ofthese preparations with an anxiety increased by the very consciousnessof having no other parts than those of spectators to play in the scenethat was momentarily expected. 

In a few minutes from the falling in of the officers with theirrespective companies, the clank of irons was heard in the direction ofthe guard-room, and several forms were seen slowly advancing into thearea already occupied as we have described. This party was preceded bythe Adjutant Lawson, who, advancing towards Major Blackwater, communicated a message, that was followed by the command of the latterofficer for the three divisions to face inwards. The officer ofartillery also gave the word to his men to form lines of single filesimmediately in the rear of their respective guns, leaving space enoughfor the entrance of the approaching party, which consisted of half adozen files of the guard, under a non-commissioned officer, and onewhose manacled limbs, rather than his unaccoutred uniform, attested himto be not merely a prisoner, but a prisoner confined for some seriousand flagrant offence. 

This party now advanced through the vacant quarter of the square, andtook their stations immediately in the centre. Here the countenances ofeach, and particularly that of the prisoner, who was, if we may so termit, the centre of that centre, were thrown into strong relief by thebright glare of the torches as they were occasionally waved in air, todisencumber them of their dross, so that the features of the prisonerstood revealed to those around as plainly as if it had been noonday. Not a sound, not a murmur, escaped from the ranks: but, though theetiquette and strict laws of military discipline chained all speech, the workings of the inward mind remained unchecked; and as theyrecognised in the prisoner Frank Halloway, one of the bravest andboldest in the field, and, as all had hitherto imagined, one of themost devoted to his duty, an irrepressible thrill of amazement anddismay crept throughout the frames, and for a moment blanched thecheeks of those especially who belonged to the same company. On beingsummoned from their fruitless search after the stranger, to fall inwithout delay, it had been whispered among the men that treason hadcrept into the fort, and a traitor, partly detected in his crime, hadbeen arrested and thrown into irons; but the idea of Frank Hallowaybeing that traitor was the last that could have entered into theirthoughts, and yet they now beheld him covered with every mark ofignominy, and about to answer his high offence, in all humanprobability, with his life. 

With the officers the reputation of Halloway for courage and fidelitystood no less high; but, while they secretly lamented the circumstanceof his defalcation, they could not disguise from themselves the almostcertainty of his guilt, for each, as he now gazed upon the prisoner, recollected the confusion and hesitation of manner he had evinced whenquestioned by them preparatory to their ascending to the ramparts. 

Once more the suspense of the moment was interrupted by the entrance ofother forms into the area. They were those of the Adjutant, followed bya drummer, bearing his instrument, and the Governor's orderly, chargedwith pens, ink, paper, and a book which, from its peculiar form andcolour, every one present knew to be a copy of the Articles of War. Avariety of contending emotions passed through the breasts of many, asthey witnessed the silent progress of these preparations, renderedpainfully interesting by the peculiarity of their position, and thewildness of the hour at which they thus found themselves assembledtogether. The prisoner himself was unmoved: he stood proud, calm, andfearless amid the guard, of whom he had so recently formed one; andthough his countenance was pale, as much, perhaps, from a sense of theignominious character in which he appeared as from more privateconsiderations, still there was nothing to denote either the abjectnessof fear or the consciousness of merited disgrace. Once or twice a lowsobbing, that proceeded at intervals from one of the barrack windows, caught his ear, and he turned his glance in that direction with arestless anxiety, which he exerted himself in the instant afterwards torepress; but this was the only mark of emotion he betrayed. 

The above dispositions having been hastily made, the adjutant and hisassistants once more retired. After the lapse of a minute, a tallmartial-looking man, habited in a blue military frock, and of handsome, though stern, haughty, and inflexible features, entered the area. Hewas followed by Major Blackwater, the captain of artillery, andAdjutant Lawson. 

"Are the garrison all present, Mr. Lawson? are the officers allpresent?"

"All except those of the guard, sir, " replied the Adjutant, touchinghis hat with a submission that was scrupulously exacted on alloccasions of duty by his superior. 

The Governor passed his hand for a moment over his brows. It seemed tothose around him as if the mention of that guard had called uprecollections which gave him pain; and it might be so, for his eldestson, Captain Frederick de Haldimar, had commanded the guard. Whither hehad disappeared, or in what manner, no one knew. 

"Are the artillery all present, Captain Wentworth?" again demanded theGovernor, after a moment of silence, and in his wonted firmauthoritative voice. 

"All present, sir, " rejoined the officer, following the example of theAdjutant, and saluting his chief. 

"Then let a drum-head court-martial be assembled immediately, Mr. Lawson, and without reference to the roster let the senior officers beselected. "

The Adjutant went round to the respective divisions, and in a low voicewarned Captain Blessington, and the four senior subalterns, for thatduty. One by one the officers, as they were severally called upon, lefttheir places in the square, and sheathing their swords, stepped intothat part of the area appointed as their temporary court. They were nowall assembled, and Captain Blessington, the senior of his rank in thegarrison, was preparing to administer the customary oaths, when theprisoner Halloway advanced a pace or two in front of his escort, andremoving his cap, in a clear, firm, but respectful voice, thusaddressed the Governor:--

"Colonel de Haldimar, that I am no traitor, as I have already told you, the Almighty God, before whom I swore allegiance to his Majesty, canbear me witness. Appearances, I own, are against me; but, so far frombeing a traitor, I would have shed my last drop of blood in defence ofthe garrison and your family. --Colonel de Haldimar, " he pursued, aftera momentary pause, in which he seemed to be struggling to subdue theemotion which rose, despite of himself, to his throat, "I repeat, I amno traitor, and I scorn the imputation--but here is my best answer tothe charge. This wound, (and he unbuttoned his jacket, opened hisshirt, and disclosed a deep scar upon his white chest, ) this wound Ireceived in defence of my captain's life at Quebec. Had I not lovedhim, I should not so have exposed myself, neither but for that should Inow stand in the situation of shame and danger, in which my comradesbehold me. "

Every heart was touched by this appeal--this bold and manly appeal tothe consideration of the Governor. The officers, especially, who werefully conversant with the general merit of Halloway, were deeplyaffected, and Charles de Haldimar--the young, the generous, the feelingCharles de Haldimar, --even shed tears. 

"What mean you, prisoner?" interrogated the Governor, after a shortpause, during which he appeared to be weighing and deducing inferencesfrom the expressions just uttered. "What mean you, by stating, but forthat (alluding to your regard for Captain de Haldimar) you would notnow be in this situation of shame and danger?"

The prisoner hesitated a moment; and then rejoined, but in a tone thathad less of firmness in it than before, --"Colonel de Haldimar, I am notat liberty to state my meaning; for, though a private soldier, Irespect my word, and have pledged myself to secrecy. "

"You respect your word, and have pledged yourself to secrecy! What meanyou, man, by this rhodomontade? To whom can you have pledged yourself, and for what, unless it be to some secret enemy without the walls?Gentlemen, proceed to your duty: it is evident that the man is atraitor, even from his own admission. --On my life, " he pursued, morehurriedly, and speaking in an under tone, as if to himself, "the fellowhas been bribed by, and is connected with--. " The name escaped not hislips; for, aware of the emotion he was betraying, he suddenly checkedhimself, and assumed his wonted stern and authoritative bearing. 

Once more the prisoner addressed the Governor in the same clear firmvoice in which he had opened his appeal. 

"Colonel de Haldimar, I have no connection with any living soul withoutthe fort; and again I repeat, I am no traitor, but a true and loyalBritish soldier, as my services in this war, and my comrades, can wellattest. Still, I seek not to shun that death which I have braved adozen times at least in the ---- regiment. All that I ask is, that Imay not be tried--that I may not have the shame of hearing sentencepronounced against me YET; but if nothing should occur before eighto'clock to vindicate my character from this disgrace, I will offer upno further prayer for mercy. In the name of that life, therefore, whichI once preserved to Captain de Haldimar, at the price of my own blood, I entreat a respite from trial until then. "

"In the name of God and all his angels, let mercy reach your soul, andgrant his prayer!"

Every ear was startled--every heart touched by the plaintive, melancholy, silver tones of the voice that faintly pronounced the lastappeal, and all recognised it for that of the young, interesting, andattached wife of the prisoner. Again the latter turned his gaze towardsthe window whence the sounds proceeded, and by the glare of the torchesa tear was distinctly seen by many coursing down his manly cheek. Theweakness was momentary. In the next instant he closed his shirt andcoat, and resuming his cap, stepped back once more amid his guard, where he remained stationary, with the air of one who, having nothingfurther to hope, has resolved to endure the worst that can happen withresignation and fortitude. 

After the lapse of a few moments, again devoted to much apparent deepthought and conjecture, the Governor once more, and rather hurriedly, resumed, --

"In the event, prisoner, of this delay in your trial being granted, will you pledge yourself to disclose the secret to which you havealluded? Recollect, there is nothing but that which can save yourmemory from being consigned to infamy for ever; for who, among yourcomrades, will believe the idle denial of your treachery, when there isthe most direct proof against you? If your secret die with you, moreover, every honest man will consider it as having been one soinfamous and injurious to your character, that you were ashamed toreveal it. "

These suggestions of the Colonel were not without their effect; for, inthe sudden swelling of the prisoner's chest, as allusion was made tothe disgrace that would attach to his memory, there was evidence of ahigh and generous spirit, to whom obloquy was far more hateful thaneven death itself. 

"I do promise, " he at length replied, stepping forward, and uncoveringhimself as before, --"if no one appear to justify my conduct at the hourI have named, a full disclosure of all I know touching this affairshall be made. And may God, of his infinite mercy, grant, for Captainde Haldimar's sake, as well as mine, I may not then be wholly deserted!"

There was something so peculiarly solemn and impressive in the mannerin which the unhappy man now expressed himself, that a feeling of theutmost awe crept into the bosoms of the surrounding throng; and morethan one veteran of the grenadiers, the company to which Hallowaybelonged, was heard to relieve his chest of the long pent-up sigh thatstruggled for release. 

"Enough, prisoner, " rejoined the Governor; "on this condition do Igrant your request; but recollect, --your disclosure ensures no hope ofpardon, unless, indeed, you have the fullest proof to offer in yourdefence. Do you perfectly understand me?"

"I do, " replied the soldier firmly; and again he placed his cap on hishead, and retired a step or two back among the guard. 

"Mr. Lawson, let the prisoner be removed, and conducted to one of theprivate cells. Who is the subaltern of the guard?"

"Ensign Fortescue, " was the answer. 

"Then let Ensign Fortescue keep the key of the cell himself. Tell him, moreover, I shall hold him individually responsible for his charge. "

Once more the prisoner was marched out of the area; and, as theclanking sound of his chains became gradually fainter in the distance, the same voice that had before interrupted the proceedings, pronounceda "God be praised!--God be praised!" with such melody of sorrow in itsintonations that no one could listen to it unmoved. Both officers andmen were more or less affected, and all hoped--they scarcely knew whyor what--but all hoped something favourable would occur to save thelife of the brave and unhappy Frank Halloway. 

Of the first interruption by the wife of the prisoner the Governor hadtaken no notice; but on this repetition of the expression of herfeelings he briefly summoned, in the absence of the Adjutant, thesergeant-major of the regiment to his side. 

"Sergeant-major Bletson, I desire that, in future, on all occasions ofthis kind, the women of the regiment may be kept out of the way. Lookto it, sir!"

The sergeant-major, who had stood erect as his own halbert, which heheld before him in a saluting position, during this brief admonition ofhis colonel, acknowledged, by a certain air of deferential respect anddropping of the eyes, unaccompanied by speech of any kind, that he feltthe reproof, and would, in future, take care to avoid all similar causefor complaint. He then stalked stiffly away, and resumed, in a fewhasty strides, his position in rear of the troops. 

"Hard-hearted man!" pursued the same voice: "if my prayers of gratitudeto Heaven give offence, may the hour never come when my lips shallpronounce their bitterest curse upon your severity!"

There was something so painfully wild--so solemnly prophetic--in thesesounds of sorrow as they fell faintly upon the ear, and especiallyunder the extraordinary circumstances of the night, that they mighthave been taken for the warnings of some supernatural agency. Duringtheir utterance, not even the breathing of human life was to be heardin the ranks. In the next instant, however, Sergeant-major Bletson wasseen repairing, with long and hasty strides, to the barrack whence thevoice proceeded, and the interruption was heard no more. 

Meanwhile the officers, who had been summoned from the ranks for thepurpose of forming the court-martial, still lingered in the centre ofthe square, apparently waiting for the order of their superior, beforethey should resume their respective stations. As the quick andcomprehensive glance of Colonel de Haldimar now embraced the group, heat once became sensible of the absence of one of the seniors, all ofwhom he had desired should be selected for the court-martial. 

"Mr. Lawson, " he remarked, somewhat sternly, as the Adjutant nowreturned from delivering over his prisoner to Ensign Fortescue, "Ithought I understood from your report the officers were all present!"

"I believe, sir, my report will be found perfectly correct, " returnedthe Adjutant, in a tone which, without being disrespectful, marked hisoffended sense of the implication. 

"And Lieutenant Murphy--"

"Is here, sir, " said the Adjutant, pointing to a couple of files of theguard, who were bearing a heavy burden, and following into the square. "Lieutenant Murphy, " he pursued, "has been shot on the ramparts; and Ihave, as directed by Captain Blessington, caused the body to be broughthere, that I may receive your orders respecting the interment. " As hespoke, he removed a long military grey cloak, which completelyenshrouded the corpse, and disclosed, by the light of the stillbrightly flaming torches of the gunners, the features of theunfortunate Murphy. 

"How did he meet his death?" enquired the governor; without, however, manifesting the slightest surprise, or appearing at all moved at thediscovery. 

"By a rifle shot fired from the common, near the old bomb proof, "observed Captain Blessington, as the adjutant looked to him for theparticular explanation he could not render himself. 

"Ah! this reminds me, " pursued the austere commandant, --"there was ashot fired also from the ramparts. By whom, and at what?"

"By me, sir, " said Lieutenant Valletort, coming forward from the ranks, "and at what I conceived to be an Indian, lurking as a spy upon thecommon. "

"Then, Lieutenant Sir Everard Valletort, no repetition of thesefirings, if you please; and let it be borne in mind by all, thatalthough, from the peculiar nature of the service in which we areengaged, I so far depart from the established regulations of the armyas to permit my officers to arm themselves with rifles, they are to beused only as occasion may require in the hour of conflict, and not forthe purpose of throwing a whole garrison into alarm by trials of skilland dexterity upon shadows at this unseasonable hour. "

"I was not aware, sir, " returned Sir Everard proudly, and secretlygalled at being thus addressed before the men, "it could be deemed amilitary crime to destroy an enemy at whatever hour he might presenthimself, and especially on such an occasion as the present. As for myfiring at a shadow, those who heard the yell that followed the secondshot, can determine that it came from no shadow, but from a fierce andvindictive enemy. The cry denoted even something more than the ordinarydefiance of an Indian: it seemed to express a fiendish sentiment ofpersonal triumph and revenge. "

The governor started involuntarily. "Do you imagine, Sir EverardValletort, the aim of your rifle was true--that you hit him?"

This question was asked so hurriedly, and in a tone so different fromthat in which he had hitherto spoken, that the officers aroundsimultaneously raised their eyes to those of their colonel with anexpression of undissembled surprise. He observed it, and instantlyresumed his habitual sternness of look and manner. 

"I rather fear not, sir, " replied Sir Everard, who had principallyremarked the emotion; "but may I hope (and this was said withemphasis), in the evident disappointment you experience at my want ofsuccess, my offence may be overlooked?"

The governor fixed his penetrating eyes on the speaker, as if he wouldhave read his inmost mind; and then calmly, and even impressively, observed, --

"Sir Everard Valletort, I do overlook the offence, and hope you may aseasily forgive yourself. It were well, however, that your indiscretion, which can only find its excuse in your being so young an officer, hadnot been altogether without some good result. Had you killed ordisabled the--the savage, there might have been a decent palliativeoffered; but what must be your feelings, sir, when you reflect, thedeath of yon officer, " and he pointed to the corpse of the unhappyMurphy, "is, in a great degree, attributable to yourself? Had you notprovoked the anger of the savage, and given a direction to his aim bythe impotent and wanton discharge of your own rifle, this accidentwould never have happened. "

This severe reproving of an officer, who had acted from the mostpraiseworthy of motives, and who could not possibly have anticipatedthe unfortunate catastrophe that had occurred, was consideredespecially harsh and unkind by every one present; and a low and almostinaudible murmur passed through the company to which Sir Everard wasattached. For a minute or two that officer also appeared deeply pained, not more from the reproof itself than from the new light in which theobservation of his chief had taught him to view, for the first time, the causes that had led to the fall of Murphy. Finding, however, thatthe governor had no further remark to address to him, he once morereturned to his station in the ranks. 

"Mr. Lawson, " resumed the commandant, turning to the adjutant, "letthis victim be carried to the spot on which he fell, and thereinterred. I know no better grave for a soldier than beneath the sodthat has been moistened with his blood. Recollect, " he continued, asthe adjutant once more led the party out of the area, --"no firing, Mr. Lawson. The duty must be silently performed, and without the risk ofprovoking a forest of arrows, or a shower of bullets from the savages. Major Blackwater, " he pursued, as soon as the corpse had been removed, "let the men pile their arms even as they now stand, and remain readyto fall in at a minute's notice. Should any thing extraordinary happenbefore the morning, you will, of course, apprise me. " He then strodeout of the area with the same haughty and measured step that hadcharacterised his entrance. 

"Our colonel does not appear to be in one of his most amiable moodsto-night, " observed Captain Blessington, as the officers, after havingdisposed of their respective companies, now proceeded along theramparts to assist at the last funeral offices of their unhappyassociate. "He was disposed to be severe, and must have put you, insome measure, out of conceit with your favourite rifle, Valletort. "

"True, " rejoined the Baronet, who had already rallied from themomentary depression of his spirits, "he hit me devilish hard, Iconfess, and was disposed to display more of the commanding officerthan quite suits my ideas of the service. His words were as caustic ashis looks; and could both have pierced me to the quick, there was noinclination on his part wanting. By my soul I could . .. . But I forgivehim. He is the father of my friend: and for that reason will I chew thecud of my mortification, nor suffer, if possible, a sense of hisunkindness to rankle at my heart. At all events, Blessington, my mindis made up, and resign or exchange I certainly shall the instant I canfind a decent loop-hole to creep out of. "

Sir Everard fancied the ear of his captain was alone listening to theseexpressions of his feeling, or in all probability he would not haveuttered them. As he concluded the last sentence, however, he felt hisarm gently grasped by one who walked a pace or two silently in theirrear. He turned, and recognised Charles de Haldimar. 

"I am sure, Valletort, you will believe how much pained I have been atthe severity of my father; but, indeed, there was nothing personallyoffensive intended. Blessington can tell you as well as myself it ishis manner altogether. Nay, that although he is the first in seniorityafter Blackwater, the governor treats him with the same distance andhauteur he would use towards the youngest ensign in the service. Suchare the effects of his long military habits, and his ideas of theabsolutism of command. Am I not right, Blessington?"

"Quite right, Charles. Sir Everard may satisfy himself his is nosolitary instance of the stern severity of your father. Still, Iconfess, notwithstanding the rigidity of manner which he seems, on alloccasions, to think so indispensable to the maintenance of authority ina commanding officer, I never knew him so inclined to find fault as heis to-night. "

"Perhaps, " observed Valletort, good humouredly, "his conscience israther restless; and he is willing to get rid of it and his spleentogether. I would wager my rifle against the worthless scalp of therascal I fired at to-night, that this same stranger, whose assertedappearance has called us from our comfortable beds, is but the creationof his disturbed dreams. Indeed, how is it possible any thing formed offlesh and blood could have escaped us with the vigilant watch that hasbeen kept on the ramparts? The old gentleman certainly had thatillusion strongly impressed on his mind when he so sapiently spoke ofmy firing at a shadow. "

"But the gate, " interrupted Charles de Haldimar, with something of mildreproach in his tones, --"you forget, Valletort, the gate was foundunlocked, and that my brother is missing. HE, at least, was flesh andblood, as you say, and yet he has disappeared. What more probable, therefore, than that this stranger is at once the cause and the agentof his abduction?"

"Impossible, Charles, " observed Captain Blessington; "Frederick was inthe midst of his guard. How, therefore, could he be conveyed awaywithout the alarm being given? Numbers only could have succeeded in sodesperate an enterprise; and yet there is no evidence, or evensuspicion, of more than one individual having been here. "

"It is a singular affair altogether, " returned Sir Everard, musingly. "Of two things, however, I am satisfied. The first is, that thestranger, whoever he may be, and if he really has been here, is noIndian; the second, that he is personally known to the governor, whohas been, or I mistake much, more alarmed at his individual presencethan if Ponteac and his whole band had suddenly broken in upon us. Didyou remark his emotion, when I dwelt on the peculiar character ofpersonal triumph and revenge which the cry of the lurking villainoutside seemed to express? and did you notice the eagerness with whichhe enquired if I thought I had hit him? Depend upon it, there is morein all this than is dreamt of in our philosophy. "

"And it was your undisguised perception of that emotion, " remarkedCaptain Blessington, "that drew down his severity upon your own head. It was, however, too palpable not to be noticed by all; and I dare sayconjecture is as busily and as vaguely at work among our companions asit is with us. The clue to the mystery, in a great degree, now dwellswith Frank Halloway; and to him we must look for its elucidation. Hisdisclosure will be one, I apprehend, full of ignominy to himself, butof the highest interest and importance to us all. And yet I know nothow to believe the man the traitor he appears. "

"Did you remark that last harrowing exclamation of his wife?" observedCharles de Haldimar, in a tone of unspeakable melancholy. "Howfearfully prophetic it sounded in my ears. I know not how it is, " hepursued, "but I wish I had not heard those sounds; for since thatmoment I have had a sad strange presentiment of evil at my heart. Heaven grant my poor brother may make his appearance, as I still trusthe will, at the hour Halloway seems to expect, for if not, the lattermost assuredly dies. I know my father well; and, if convicted by acourt martial, no human power can alter the destiny that awaits FrankHalloway. "

"Rally, my dear Charles, rally, " said Sir Everard, affecting aconfidence he did not feel himself; "indulge not in these idle andsuperstitious fancies. I pity Halloway from my soul, and feel thedeepest interest in his pretty and unhappy wife; but that is no reasonwhy one should attach importance to the incoherent expressions wrungfrom her in the agony of grief. "

"It is kind of you, Valletort, to endeavour to cheer my spirits, when, if the truth were confessed, you acknowledge the influence of the samefeelings. I thank you for the attempt, but time alone can show how farI shall have reason, or otherwise, to lament the occurrences of thisnight. "

They had now reached that part of the ramparts whence the shot from SirEverard's rifle had been fired. Several men were occupied in digging agrave in the precise spot on which the unfortunate Murphy had stoodwhen he received his death-wound; and into this, when completed, thebody, enshrouded in the cloak already alluded to, was deposited by hiscompanions. 

CHAPTER IV. 

While the adjutant was yet reading, in a low and solemn voice, theservice for the dead, a fierce and distant yell, as if from a legion ofdevils, burst suddenly from the forest, and brought the hands of thestartled officers instinctively to their swords. This appalling crylasted, without interruption, for many minutes, and was then asabruptly checked as it had been unexpectedly delivered. A considerablepause succeeded, and then again it rose with even more startlingvehemence than before. By one unaccustomed to those devilish sounds, nodistinction could have been made in the two several yells that had beenthus savagely pealed forth; but those to whom practice and longexperience in the warlike habits and customs of the Indians hadrendered their shouts familiar, at once divined, or fancied theydivined, the cause. The first was, to their conception, a yellexpressive at once of vengeance and disappointment in pursuit, --perhapsof some prisoner who had escaped from their toils; the second, oftriumph and success, --in all probability, indicative of the recaptureof that prisoner. For many minutes afterwards the officers continued tolisten, with the most aching attention, for a repetition of the cry, oreven fainter sounds, that might denote either a nearer approach to thefort, or the final departure of the Indians. After the second yell, however, the woods, in the heart of which it appeared to have beenuttered, were buried in as profound a silence as if they had never yetechoed back the voice of man; and all at length became satisfied thatthe Indians, having accomplished some particular purpose, had retiredonce more to their distant encampments for the night. Captain Erskinewas the first who broke the almost breathless silence that prevailedamong themselves. 

"On my life De Haldimar is a prisoner with the Indians. He has beenattempting his escape, --has been detected, --followed, and again falleninto their hands. I know their infernal yells but too well. The lastexpressed their savage joy at the capture of a prisoner; and there isno one of us missing but De Haldimar. "

"Not a doubt of it, " said Captain Blessington; "the cry was certainlywhat you describe it, and Heaven only knows what will be the fate ofour poor friend. "

No other officer spoke, for all were oppressed by the weight of theirown feelings, and sought rather to give indulgence to speculation insecret, than to share their impressions with their companions. Charlesde Haldimar stood a little in the rear, leaning his head upon his handagainst the box of the sentry, (who was silently, though anxiously, pacing his walk, ) and in an attitude expressive of the deepestdejection and sorrow. 

"I suppose I must finish Lawson's work, although I am but a poor handat this sort of thing, " resumed Captain Erskine, taking up the prayerbook the adjutant had, in hastening on the first alarm to get the menunder arms, carelessly thrown on the grave of the now unconsciousMurphy. 

He then commenced the service at the point where Mr. Lawson had soabruptly broken off, and went through the remainder of the prayers. Avery few minutes sufficed for the performance of this solemn duty, which was effected by the faint dim light of the at length dawning day, and the men in attendance proceeded to fill up the grave of theirofficer. 

Gradually the mists, that had fallen during the latter hours of thenight, began to ascend from the common, and disperse themselves in air, conveying the appearance of a rolling sheet of vapour retiring Backupon itself, and disclosing objects in succession, until the eye couldembrace all that came within its extent of vision. As the officers yetlingered near the rude grave of their companion, watching withabstracted air the languid and almost mechanical action of their jadedmen, as they emptied shovel after shovel of the damp earth over thebody of its new tenant, they were suddenly startled by an expression ofexultation from Sir Everard Valletort. 

"By Jupiter, I have pinked him, " he exclaimed triumphantly. "I knew myrifle could not err; and as for my sight, I have carried away too manyprizes in target-shooting to have been deceived in that. How delightedthe old governor will be, Charles, to hear this. No more lecturing, Iam sure, for the next six months at least;" and the young officerrubbed his hands together, at the success of his shot, with as muchsatisfaction and unconcern for the future, as if he had been in his ownnative England; in the midst of a prize-ring. 

Roused by the observation of his friend, De Haldimar quitted hisposition near the sentry box, and advanced to the outer edge of therampart. To him, as to his companions, the outline of the old bombproof was now distinctly visible, but it was sometime before they coulddiscover, in the direction in which Valletort pointed, a dark speckupon the common; and this so indistinctly, they could scarcelydistinguish it with the naked eye. 

"Your sight is quite equal to your aim, Sir Everard, " remarkedLieutenant Johnstone, one of Erskine's subalterns, "and both aredecidedly superior to mine; yet I used to be thought a good riflemantoo, and have credit for an eye no less keen than that of an Indian. You have the advantage of me, however; for I honestly admit I nevercould have picked off yon fellow in the dark as you have done. "

As the dawn increased, the dark shadow of a human form, stretched atits length upon the ground, became perceptible; and the officers, withone unanimous voice, bore loud testimony to the skill and dexterity ofhim who had, under such extreme disadvantages, accomplished the deathof their skulking enemy. 

"Bravo, Valletort, " said Charles de Haldimar, recovering his spirits, as much from the idea, now occurring to him, that this might indeed bethe stranger whose appearance had so greatly disturbed his father, asfrom the gratification he felt in the praises bestowed on his friend. "Bravo, my dear fellow;" then approaching, and in a half whisper, "whennext I write to Clara, I shall request her, with my cousin'sassistance, to prepare a chaplet of bays, wherewith I shall myselfcrown you as their proxy. But what is the matter now, Valletort? Whystand you there gazing upon the common, as if the victim of yourmurderous aim was rising from his bloody couch, to reproach you withhis death? Tell me, shall I write to Clara for the prize, or will youreceive it from her own hands?"

"Bid her rather pour her curses on my head; and to those, De Haldimar, add your own, " exclaimed Sir Everard, at length raising himself fromthe statue-like position he had assumed. "Almighty God, " he pursued, inthe same tone of deep agony, "what have I done? Where, where shall Ihide myself?"

As he spoke he turned away from his companions, and covering his eyeswith his hand, with quick and unequal steps, even like those of adrunken man, walked, or rather ran, along the rampart, as if fearful ofbeing overtaken. 

The whole group of officers, and Charles de Haldimar in particular, were struck with dismay at the language and action of Sir Everard; andfor a moment they fancied that fatigue, and watching, and excitement, had partially affected his brain. But when, after the lapse of a minuteor two, they again looked out upon the common, the secret of hisagitation was too faithfully and too painfully explained. 

What had at first the dusky and dingy hue of a half-naked Indian, wasnow perceived, by the bright beams of light just gathering in the east, to be the gay and striking uniform of a British officer. Doubt as towho that officer was there could be none, for the white sword-beltsuspended over the right shoulder, and thrown into strong relief by thefield of scarlet on which it reposed, denoted the wearer of thisdistinguishing badge of duty to be one of the guard. 

To comprehend effectually the feelings of the officers, it would benecessary that one should have been not merely a soldier, but a soldierunder the same circumstances. Surrounded on every hand by a fierce andcruel enemy--prepared at every moment to witness scenes of barbarityand bloodshed in their most appalling shapes--isolated from all societybeyond the gates of their own fortress, and by consequence reposing onand regarding each other as vital links in the chain of their wild andadventurous existence, --it can easily be understood with what sincereand unaffected grief they lamented the sudden cutting off even of thosewho least assimilated in spirit and character with themselves. Such, ina great degree, had been the case in the instance of the officer overwhose grave they were now met to render the last offices ofcompanionship, if not of friendship. Indeed Murphy--a rude, vulgar, andilliterate, though brave Irishman--having risen from the ranks, thecoarseness of which he had never been able to shake off, was littlecalculated, either by habits or education, to awaken feelings, exceptof the most ordinary description, in his favour; and he and EnsignDelme were the only exceptions to those disinterested and tacitfriendships that had grown up out of circumstances in common among themajority. If, therefore, they could regret the loss of such a companionas Murphy, how deep and heartfelt must have been the sorrow theyexperienced when they beheld the brave, generous, manly, amiable, andhighly-talented Frederick de Haldimar--the pride of the garrison, andthe idol of his family--lying extended, a cold, senseless corpse, slainby the hand of the bosom friend of his own brother!--Notwithstandingthe stern severity and distance of the governor, whom fewcircumstances, however critical or exciting, could surprise intorelaxation of his habitual stateliness, it would have been difficult toname two young men more universally liked and esteemed by their brotherofficers than were the De Haldimars--the first for the qualitiesalready named--the second, for those retiring, mild, winning manners, and gentle affections, added to extreme and almost feminine beauty ofcountenance for which he was remarkable. Alas, what a gloomy picturewas now exhibited to the minds of all!--Frederick de Haldimar a corpse, and slain by the hand of Sir Everard Valletort! What but disunion couldfollow this melancholy catastrophe? and how could Charles de Haldimar, even if his bland nature should survive the shock, ever bear to lookagain upon the man who had, however innocently or unintentionally, deprived him of a brother whom he adored?

These were the impressions that passed through the minds of thecompassionating officers, as they directed their glance alternatelyfrom the common to the pale and marble-like features of the younger DeHaldimar, who, with parted lips and stupid gaze, continued to fix hiseyes upon the inanimate form of his ill-fated brother, as if the veryfaculty of life itself had been for a period suspended. At length, however, while his companions watched in silence the mining workings ofthat grief which they feared to interrupt by ill-timed observations, even of condolence, the death-like hue, which had hitherto suffused theusually blooming cheek of the young officer, was succeeded by a flushof the deepest dye, while his eyes, swollen by the tide of blood nowrushing violently to his face, appeared to be bursting from theirsockets. The shock was more than his delicate frame, exhausted as itwas by watching and fatigue, could bear. He tottered, reeled, pressedhis hand upon his head, and before any one could render him assistance, fell senseless on the ramparts. 

During the interval between Sir Everard Valletort's exclamation, andthe fall of Charles de Haldimar, the men employed at the grave hadperformed their duty, and were gazing with mingled astonishment andconcern, both on the body of their murdered officer, and on the dumbscene acting around them. Two of these were now despatched for alitter, with which they speedily re-appeared. On this Charles deHaldimar, already delirious with the fever of intense excitement, wascarefully placed, and, followed by Captain Blessington and LieutenantJohnstone, borne to his apartment in the small range of buildingsconstituting the officers' barracks. Captain Erskine undertook thedisagreeable office of communicating these distressing events to thegovernor; and the remainder of the officers once more hastened to joinor linger near their respective companies, in readiness for the orderwhich it was expected would be given to despatch a numerous party ofthe garrison to secure the body of Captain de Haldimar. 

CHAPTER V. 

The sun was just rising above the horizon, in all that peculiarsoftness of splendour which characterises the early days of autumn inAmerica, as Captain Erskine led his company across the drawbridge thatcommunicated with the fort. It was the first time it had been loweredsince the investment of the garrison by the Indians; and as the dulland rusty chains performed their service with a harsh and gratingsound, it seemed as if an earnest were given of melancholy boding. Although the distance to be traversed was small, the risk the partyincurred was great; for it was probable the savages, ever on the alert, would not suffer them to effect their object unmolested. It was perhapssingular, and certainly contradictory, that an officer of theacknowledged prudence and forethought ascribed to thegovernor--qualities which in a great degree neutralised his excessiveseverity in the eyes of his troops--should have hazarded the chance ofhaving his garrison enfeebled by the destruction of a part, if not ofthe whole, of the company appointed to this dangerous duty; but withall his severity, Colonel de Haldimar was not without strong affectionfor his children. The feelings of the father, therefore, in a greatdegree triumphed over the prudence of the commander; and to shield thecorpse of his son from the indignities which he well knew would beinflicted on it by Indian barbarity, he had been induced to accede tothe earnest prayer of Captain Erskine, that he might be permitted tolead out his company for the purpose of securing the body. Every meanswere, however, taken to cover the advance, and ensure the retreat ofthe detachment. The remainder of the troops were distributed along therear of the ramparts, with instructions to lie flat on their facesuntil summoned by their officers from that position; which was to bedone only in the event of close pursuit from the savages. Artillerymenwere also stationed at the several guns that flanked the rear of thefort, and necessarily commanded both the common and the outskirt of theforest, with orders to fire with grape-shot at a given signal. CaptainErskine's instructions were, moreover, if attacked, to retreat backunder the guns of the fort slowly and in good order, and withoutturning his back upon the enemy. 

Thus confident of support, the party, after traversing the drawbridgewith fixed bayonets, inclined to the right, and following the windingof the ditch by which it was surrounded, made the semi-circuit of therampart until they gained the immediate centre of the rear, and in adirect line with the bomb-proof. Here their mode of advance wasaltered, to guard more effectually against the enemy with whom theymight possibly have to contend. The front and rear ranks of thecompany, consisting in all of ninety men, were so placed as to leavespace in the event of attack, of a portion of each wheeling inwards soas to present in an instant three equal faces of a square. As the rearwas sufficiently covered by the cannon of the fort to defeat anyattempt to turn their flanks, the manoeuvre was one that enabled themto present a fuller front in whatever other quarter they might beattacked; and had this additional advantage, that in the advance bysingle files a narrower front was given to the aim of the Indians, who, unless they fired in an oblique direction, could only, of necessity, bring down two men (the leading files) at a time. 

In this order, and anxiously overlooked by their comrades, whose eyesalone peered from above the surface of the rampart on which they layprostrate, the detachment crossed the common; one rank headed byCaptain Erskine, the other by Lieutenant Johnstone. They had nowapproached within a few yards of the unfortunate victim, when CaptainErskine commanded a halt of his party; and two files were detached fromthe rear of each rank, to place the body on a litter with which theyhad provided themselves. He and Johnstone also moved in the samedirection in advance of the men, prepared to render assistance ifrequired. The corpse lay on its face, and in no way despoiled of any ofits glittering habiliments; a circumstance that too well confirmed thefact of De Haldimar's death having been accomplished by the ball fromSir Everard Valletort's rifle. It appeared, however, the ill-fatedofficer had struggled much in the agonies of death; for the left legwas drawn Up into an unnatural state of contraction, and the righthand, closely compressed, grasped a quantity of grass and soil, whichhad evidently been torn up in a paroxysm of suffering and despair. 

The men placed the litter at the side of the body, which they nowproceeded to raise. As they were in the act of depositing it on thistemporary bier, the plumed hat fell from the head, and disclosed, tothe astonishment of all, the scalpless crown completely saturated inits own clotted blood and oozing brains. 

An exclamation of horror and disgust escaped at the same moment fromthe lips of the two officers, and the men started back from theircharge as if a basilisk had suddenly appeared before them. CaptainErskine pursued:--"What the devil is the meaning of all this, Johnstone?"

"What, indeed!" rejoined his lieutenant, with a shrug of the shoulders, that was intended to express his inability to form any opinion on thesubject. 

"Unless it should prove, " continued Erskine, "as I sincerely trust itmay, that poor Valletort is not, after all, the murderer of his friend. It must be so. De Haldimar has been slain by the same Indian who killedMurphy. --Do you recollect his scalp cry? He was in the act ofdespoiling his victim of this trophy of success, when Sir Everardfired. Examine the body well, Mitchell, and discover where the woundlies. "

The old soldier to whom this order was addressed now prepared, with theassistance of his comrades, to turn the body upon its back, whensuddenly the air was rent with terrific yells, that seemed to beuttered in their very ears, and in the next instant more than a hundreddark and hideous savages sprang simultaneously to their feet within thebomb-proof, while every tree along the skirt of the forest gave backthe towering form of a warrior. Each of these, in addition to hisrifle, was armed with all those destructive implements of warfare whichrender the Indians of America so formidable and so terrible an enemy. 

"Stand to your arms, men, " shouted Captain Erskine, recovering from hisfirst and unavoidable, though but momentary, surprise. "First andfourth sections, on your right and left backwards wheel:--Quick, men, within the square, for your lives. " As he spoke, he and LieutenantJohnstone sprang hastily back, and in time to obtain admittance withinthe troops, who had rapidly executed the manoeuvre commanded. Not sowith Mitchell and his companions. On the first alarm they had quittedthe body of the mutilated officer, and flown to secure their arms, buteven while in the act of stooping to take them up, they had beengrappled by a powerful and vindictive foe; and the first thing theybeheld on regaining their upright position was a dusky Indian at theside, and a gleaming tomahawk flashing rapidly round the head of each. 

"Fire not, on your lives, " exclaimed Captain Erskine hastily, as he sawseveral of the men in front levelling, in the excitement of the moment, their muskets at the threatening savages. "Prepare for attack, " hepursued; and in the next instant each man dropped on his right knee, and a barrier of bristling bayonets seemed to rise from the very bowelsof the earth. Attracted by the novelty of the sight, the bold anddaring warriors, although still retaining their firm grasp of theunhappy soldiers, were for a moment diverted from their bloody purpose, and temporarily suspended the quick and rotatory motion of theirweapons. Captain Erskine took advantage of this pause to seize thehalbert of one of his sergeants, to the extreme point of which hehastily attached a white pocket handkerchief, that was loosely thrustinto the breast of his uniform; this he waved on high three severaltimes, and then relinquishing the halbert, dropped also on his kneewithin the square. 

"The dog of a Saganaw asks for mercy, " said a voice from within thebomb-proof, and speaking in the dialect of the Ottawas. "His pale flagbespeaks the quailing of his heart, and his attitude denotes thetimidity of the hind. His warriors are like himself, and even now upontheir knees they call upon their Manitou to preserve them from thevengeance of the red-skins. But mercy is not for dogs like these. Nowis the time to make our tomahawks warm in their blood; and every headthat we count shall be a scalp upon our war poles. "

As he ceased, one universal and portentous yell burst from thefiend-like band; and again the weapons of death were fiercelybrandished around the heads of the stupified soldiers who had falleninto their power. 

"What can they be about?" anxiously exclaimed Captain Erskine, in themidst of this deafening clamour, to his subaltern. --"Quiet, man; damnyou, quiet, or I'll cut you down, " he pursued, addressing one of hissoldiers, whose impatience caused him to bring his musket half up tothe shoulder. And again he turned his head in the direction of thefort:--"Thank God, here it comes at last, --I feared my signal had notbeen noticed. "

While he yet spoke, the loud roaring of a cannon from the ramparts washeard, and a shower of grape-shot passed over the heads of thedetachment, and was seen tearing up the earth around the bomb-proof, and scattering fragments of stone and wood into the air. The mensimultaneously and unbidden gave three cheers. 

In an instant the scene was changed. As if moved by some mechanicalimpulse, the fierce band that lined the bomb-proof sank below thesurface, and were no longer visible, while the warriors in the forestagain sought shelter behind the trees. The captured soldiers were alsoliberated without injury, so sudden and startling had been the terrorproduced in the savages by the lightning flash that announced its heavymessengers of destruction. Discharge after discharge succeeded withoutintermission; but the guns had been levelled so high, to prevent injuryto their own men, they had little other effect than to keep the Indiansfrom the attack. The rush of bullets through the close forest, and thecrashing of trees and branches as they fell with startling force uponeach other, were, with the peals of artillery, the only noises now tobe heard; for not a yell, not a word was uttered by the Indians afterthe first discharge; and but for the certainty that existed in everymind, it might have been supposed the whole of them had retired. 

"Now is your time, " cried Captain Erskine; "bring in the litter to therear, and stoop as much as possible to avoid the shot. "

The poor half-strangled fellows, however, instead of obeying the orderof their captain, looked round in every direction for the enemy by whomthey had been so rudely handled, and who had glided from them almost asimperceptibly and swiftly as they had first approached. It seemed as ifthey apprehended that any attempt to remove the body would be visitedby those fierce devils with the same appalling and ferociousthreatenings. 

"Why stand ye there, ye dolts, " continued their captain, "lookingaround as if ye were bewitched? Bring the litter in to therear. --Mitchell, you old fool, are you grown a coward in your age? Areyou not ashamed to set such an example to your comrades?"

The doubt thus implied of the courage of his men, who, in fact, weremerely stupified with the scene they had gone through, had, as CaptainErskine expected, the desired effect. They now bent themselves to thelitter, on which they had previously deposited their muskets, and witha self-possession that contrasted singularly with their recent air ofwild astonishment, bore it to the rear at the risk of being cut in twoat every moment by the fire from the fort. 

One fierce yell, instinctively proffered by several of the lurking bandin the forest, marked their disappointment and rage at the escape oftheir victims; but all attempt at uncovering themselves, so as to beenabled to fire, was prevented by the additional showers of grape whichthat yell immediately brought upon them. 

The position in which Captain Erskine now found himself was highlycritical. Before him, and on either flank, was a multitude of savages, who only awaited the cessation of the fire from the fort to commencetheir fierce and impetuous attack. That that fire could not long besustained was evident, since ammunition could ill be spared for thepresent inefficient purpose, where supplies of all kinds were sodifficult to be obtained; and, if he should attempt a retreat, theupright position of his men exposed them to the risk of being sweptaway by the ponderous metal, that already fanned their cheeks with theair it so rapidly divided. Suddenly, however, the fire from thebatteries was discontinued, and this he knew to be a signal forhimself. He gave an order in a low voice, and the detachment quittedtheir recumbent and defensive position, still remaining formed insquare. At the same instant, a gun flashed from the fort; but not asbefore was heard the rushing sound of the destructive shot crushing thetrees in its resistless course. The Indians took courage at thiscircumstance, for they deemed the bullets of their enemies wereexpended; and that they were merely discharging their powder to keep upthe apprehension originally produced. Again they showed themselves, like so many demons, from behind their lurking places; and yells andshouts of the most terrific and threatening character once more rentthe air, and echoed through the woods. Their cries of anticipatedtriumph were, however, but of short duration. Presently, a hissingnoise was heard in the air; and close to the bomb-proof, and at thevery skirt of the forest, they beheld a huge globe of iron fallperpendicularly to the earth, to the outer part of which was attachedwhat they supposed to be a reed, that spat forth innumerable sparks offire, without however, seeming to threaten the slightest injury. Attracted by the novel sight, a dozen warriors sprang to the spot, andfastened their gaze upon it with all the childish wonder and curiosityof men in a savage state. One, more eager and restless than hisfellows, stooped over it to feel with his hand of what it was composed. At that moment it burst, and limbs, and head, and entrails, were seenflying in the air, with the fragments of the shell, and prostrate andstruggling forms lay writhing on every hand in the last, fierce agoniesof death. 

A yell of despair and a shout of triumph burst at the same moment fromthe adverse parties. Taking advantage of the terror produced, by thiscatastrophe, in the savages, Captain Erskine caused the men bearing thecorpse to retreat, with all possible expedition, under the ramparts ofthe fort. He waited until they got nearly half way, and then threwforward the wheeling sections, that had covered this movement, oncemore into single file, in which order he commenced his retreat. Step bystep, and almost imperceptibly, the men paced backwards, ready, at amoment's notice, to reform the square. Partly recovered from the terrorand surprise produced by the bursting of the shell, the Indians werequick in perceiving this movement: filled with rage at having been solong baulked of their aim, they threw themselves once more impetuouslyfrom their cover; and, with stimulating yells, at length opened theirfire. Several of Captain Erskine's men were wounded by this discharge;when, again, and furiously the cannon opened from the fort. It was thenthat the superiority of the artillery was made manifest. Both right andleft of the retreating files the ponderous shot flew heavily past, carrying death and terror to the Indians; while not a man of those whointervened was scathed or touched in its progress. The warriors in theforest were once more compelled to shelter themselves behind the trees;but in the bomb-proof, where they were more secure, they were also morebold. From this a galling fire, mingled with the most hideous yells, was now kept up; and the detachment, in their slow retreat, sufferedconsiderably. Several men had been killed; and, about twenty, includingLieutenant Johnstone, wounded, when again, one of those murderousglobes fell, hissing in the very centre of the bomb-proof. In aninstant, the Indian fire was discontinued; and their dark and pliantforms were seen hurrying with almost incredible rapidity over thedilapidated walls, and flying into the very heart of the forest, sothat when the shell exploded, a few seconds afterwards, not a warriorwas to be seen. From this moment the attack was not renewed, andCaptain Erskine made good his retreat without farther molestation. 

"Well, old buffers!" exclaimed one of the leading files, as thedetachment, preceded by its dead and wounded, now moved along the moatin the direction of the draw-bridge, "how did you like the grip of themblack savages?--I say, Mitchell, old Nick will scarcely know the faceof you, it's so much altered by fright. --Did you see, " turning to theman in his rear, "how harum-scarum he looked, when the captain calledout to him to come off?"

"Hold your clapper, you spooney, and be damned to you!" exclaimed theangry veteran. --"Had the Ingian fastened his paw upon your ugly neck ashe did upon mine, all the pitiful life your mother ever put into youwould have been spirited away from very fear; so you needn't brag. "

"Sure, and if any of ye had a grain of spunk, ye would have fired, andfreed a fellow from the clutch of them hell thieves, " muttered anotherof the men at the litter. "All the time, the devil had me by thethroat, swinging his tommyhawk about my head, I saw ye dancing up anddown in the heavens, instead of being on your marrow bones on thecommon. "

"And didn't I want to do it?" rejoined the first speaker. "Ask TomWinkler here, if the captain didn't swear he'd cut the soul out of mybody if I even offered so much as to touch the trigger of my musket. "

"Faith, and lucky he did, " replied his covering man (for the ranks hadagain joined), "since but for that, there wouldn't be at this moment somuch as a hair of the scalp of one of you left. "

"And how so, Mr. Wiseacre?" rejoined his comrade. 

"How so! Because the first shot that we fired would have set the devilsupon them in right earnest--and then their top-knots wouldn't have beenworth a brass farthing. They would have been scalped before they couldsay Jack Robinson. "

"It was a hell of a risk, " resumed another of the litter men, "to givefour men a chance of having their skull pieces cracked open like somany egg-shells, and all to get possession of a dead officer. "

"And sure, you beast, " remarked a different voice in a tone of anger, "the dead body of the brave captain was worth a dozen such rottencarcasses with all the life in them. What matter would it be if ye hadall been scalped?" Then with a significant half glance to the rear, which was brought up by their commander, on whose arm leaned theslightly wounded Johnstone, "Take care the captain doesn't hear yeprating after that fashion, Will Burford. "

"By Jasus, " said a good-humoured, quaint looking Irishman, who had beenfixing his eyes on the litter during this pithy and characteristiccolloquy; "it sames to me, my boys, that ye have caught the wrong cowby the horns, and that all your pains has been for nothing at all, atall. By the holy pope, ye are all wrong; it's like bringing salt butterto Cork, or coals to your Newcastle, as ye call it. Who the divil everheard of the officer wearing ammunition shoes?"

The men all turned their gaze on that part of the vestment of thecorpse to which their attention had been directed by this remark, whenit was at once perceived, although it had hitherto escaped theobservation even of the officers, that, not only the shoes were thoseusually worn by the soldiers, and termed ammunition or store shoes, butalso, the trowsers were of the description of coarse grey, peculiar tothat class. 

"By the piper that played before Moses, and ye're right, Dick Doherty, "exclaimed another Irishman; "sure, and it isn't the officer at all!Just look at the great black fist of him too, and never call me PhilShehan, if it ever was made for the handling of an officer's spit. "

"Well said, Shehan, " observed the man who had so warmly reproved WillBurford, and who had formerly been servant to De Haldimar; "thecaptain's hand is as white and as soft as my cross-belt, or, what'ssaying a great deal more, as Miss Clara's herself, heaven bless hersweet countenance! and Lieutenant Valletort's nigger's couldn't well bemuch blacker nor this. "

"What a set of hignoramuses ye must be, " grunted old Mitchell, "not tosee that the captain's hand is only covered with dirt; and as for theammunition shoes and trowsers, why you know our officers wear any thingsince we have been cooped up in this here fort. "

"Yes, by the holy poker, " (and here we must beg to refer the reader tothe soldier's vocabulary for any terms that may be, in the course ofthis dialogue, incomprehensible to him or her, )--"Yes, by the holypoker, off duty, if they like it, " returned Phil Shehan; "but it isn'teven the colonel's own born son that dare to do so while officer of theguard. "

"Ye are right, comrade, " said Burford; "there would soon be hell andtommy to pay if he did. "

At this point of their conversation, one of the leading men at thelitter, in turning to look at its subject, stumbled over the root of astump that lay in his way, and fell violently forward. The suddenaction destroyed the equilibrium of the corpse, which rolled off itstemporary bier upon the earth, and disclosed, for the first time, aface begrimmed with masses of clotted blood, which had streamed forthfrom the scalped brain during the night. 

"It's the divil himself, " said Phil Shehan, making the sign of thecross, half in jest, half in earnest: "for it isn't the captin at all, and who but the divil could have managed to clap on his rigimintals?"

"No, it's an Ingian, " remarked Dick Burford, sagaciously; "it's anIngian that has killed the captain, and dressed himself in his clothes. I thought he smelt strong, when I helped to pick him up. "

"And that's the reason why the bloody heathens wouldn't let us carryhim off, " said another of the litter men. "I thought they wouldn't ha'made such a rout about the officer, when they had his scalp already intheir pouch-belts. "

"What a set of prating fools ye are, " interrupted the leading sergeant;"who ever saw an Ingian with light hair? and sure this hair in the neckis that of a Christian. "

At that moment Captain Erskine, attracted by the sudden halt producedby the falling of the body, came quickly up to the front. 

"What is the meaning of all this, Cassidy?" he sternly demanded of thesergeant; "why is this halt without my orders, and how comes the bodyhere?"

"Carter stumbled against a root, sir, and the body rolled over upon theground. "

"And was the body to roll back again?" angrily rejoined hiscaptain. --"What mean ye, fellows, by standing there; quick, replace itupon the litter, and mind this does not occur again. "

"They say, sir, " said the sergeant, respectfully, as the men proceededto their duty, "that it is not Captain de Haldimar after all, but anIngian. "

"Not Captain de Haldimar! are ye all mad? and have the Indians, inreality, turned your brains with fear?"

What, however, was his own surprise, and that of Lieutenant Johnstone, when, on a closer examination of the corpse, which the men had nowplaced with its face uppermost, they discovered the bewildering factthat it was not, indeed, Captain de Haldimar who lay before them, but astranger, dressed in the uniform of that officer. 

There was no time to solve, or even to dwell on the singular mystery;for the Indians, though now retired, might be expected to rally andrenew the attack. Once more, therefore, the detachment moved forward;the officers dropping as before to the rear, to watch any movements ofthe enemy should he re-appear. Nothing, however, occurred to interrupttheir march; and in a few minutes the heavy clanking sound of thechains of the drawbridge, as it was again raised by its strong pullies, and the dull creaking sound of the rusty bolts and locks that securedthe ponderous gate, announced the detachment was once more safelywithin the fort. 

While the wounded men were being conveyed to the hospital, a group, comprising almost all the officers of the garrison, hastened to meetCaptain Erskine and Lieutenant Johnstone. Congratulations on the escapeof the one, and compliments, rather than condolences, on the accidentof the other, which the arm en echarpe denoted to be slight, werehastily and warmly proffered. These felicitations were the genuineebullitions of the hearts of men who really felt a pride, unmixed withjealousy, in the conduct of their fellows; and so cool and excellenthad been the manner in which Captain Erskine had accomplished hisobject, that it had claimed the undivided admiration of all who hadbeen spectators of the affair, and had, with the aid of theirtelescopes, been enabled to follow the minutest movements of thedetachment. 

"By heaven!" he at length replied, his chest swelling with gratifiedpride at the warm and generous approval of his companions, "this morethan repays me for every risk. Yet, to be sincere, the credit is notmine, but Wentworth's. But for you, my dear fellow, " grasping andshaking the hand of that officer, "we should have rendered but aFlemish account of ourselves. How beautifully those guns covered ourretreat! and the first mortar that sent the howling devils flying inair like so many Will-o'the-wisps, who placed that, Wentworth?"

"I did, " replied the officer, with a quickness that denoted a naturalfeeling of exultation; "but Bombardier Kitson's was the most effective. It was his shell that drove the Indians finally out of the bomb-proof, and left the coast clear for your retreat. "

"Then Kitson, and his gunners also, merit our best thanks, " pursuedCaptain Erskine, whose spirits, now that his detachment was in safety, were more than usually exhilarated by the exciting events of the lasthour; "and what will be more acceptable, perhaps, they shall each havea glass of my best old Jamaica before they sleep, --and such stuff isnot to be met with every day in this wilderness of a country. But, confound my stupid head! where are Charles de Haldimar and Sir EverardValletort?"

"Poor Charles is in a high fever, and confined to his bed, " remarkedCaptain Blessington, who now came up adding his congratulations in alow tone, that marked the despondency of his heart; "and Sir Everard Ihave just left on the rampart with the company, looking, as he wellmay, the very image of despair. "

"Run to them, Sumners, my dear boy, " said Erskine, hastily addressinghimself to a young ensign who stood near him; "run quickly, and relievethem of their error. Say it is not De Haldimar who has been killed, therefore they need not make themselves any longer uneasy on thatscore. "

The officers gave a start of surprise. Sumners, however, hastened toacquit himself of the pleasing task assigned him, without waiting tohear the explanation of the singular declaration. 

"Not De Haldimar!" eagerly and anxiously exclaimed Captain Blessington;"who then have you brought to us in his uniform, which I clearlydistinguished from the rampart as you passed? Surely you would nottamper with us at such a moment, Erskine?"

"Who it is, I know not more than Adam, " rejoined the other; "unless, indeed, it be the devil himself. All I do know, is, it is not ourfriend De Haldimar; although, as you observe, he most certainly wearshis uniform. But you shall see and judge for yourselves, gentlemen. Sergeant Cassidy, " he enquired of that individual, who now came to askif the detachment was to be dismissed, "where have you placed thelitter?"

"Under the piazza of the guard-room, Sir, " answered the sergeant. 

These words had scarcely been uttered, when a general and hastymovement of the officers, anxious to satisfy themselves by personalobservation it was not indeed De Haldimar who had fallen, took place inthe direction alluded to, and in the next moment they were at the sideof the litter. 

A blanket had been thrown upon the corpse to conceal the loathsomedisfigurement of the face, over which masses of thick coagulated bloodwere laid in patches and streaks, that set all recognition at defiance. The formation of the head alone, which was round and short, denoted itto be not De Haldimar's. Not a feature was left undefiled; and even theeyes were so covered, it was impossible to say whether their lids wereclosed or open. More than one officer's cheek paled with the sicknessthat rose to his heart as he gazed on the hideous spectacle; yet, asthe curiosity of all was strongly excited to know who the murdered manreally was who had been so unaccountably inducted in the uniform oftheir lost companion, they were resolved to satisfy themselves withoutfurther delay. A basin of warm water and a sponge were procured fromthe guard-room of Ensign Fortescue, who now joined them, and with theseCaptain Blessington proceeded to remove the disguise. 

In the course of this lavation, it was discovered the extraordinaryflow of blood and brains had been produced by the infliction of a deepwound on the back of the head, by the sharp and ponderous tomahawk ofan Indian. It was the only blow that had been given; and thecircumstance of the deceased having been found lying on his face, accounted for the quantity of gore, that, trickling downwards, had socompletely disguised every feature. As the coat of thick encrustedmatter gave way beneath the frequent application of the moisteningsponge, the pallid hue of the countenance denoted the murdered man tobe a white. All doubt, however, was soon at an end. The ammunitionshoes, the grey trowsers, the coarse linen, and the stiff leathernstock encircling the neck, attested the sufferer to be a soldier of thegarrison; but it was not until the face had been completely denuded ofits unsightly covering, and every feature fully exposed, that thatsoldier was at length recognised to be Harry Donellan, the trusty andattached servant of Captain de Haldimar. 

While yet the officers stood apart, gazing at the corpse, and forming avariety of conjectures, as vague as they were unsatisfactory, in regardto their new mystery, Sir Everard Valletort, pale and breathless withthe speed he had used, suddenly appeared among them. 

"God of heaven! can it be true--and is it really not De Haldimar whom Ihave shot?" wildly asked the agitated young man. "Who is this, Erskine?" he continued, glancing at the litter. "Explain, for pity'ssake, and quickly. "

"Compose yourself, my dear Valletort, " replied the officer addressed. "You see this is not De Haldimar, but his servant Donellan. Neither hasthe latter met his death from your rifle; there is no mark of a bulletabout him. It was an Indian tomahawk that did his business; and I willstake my head against a hickory nut the blow came from the same rascalat whom you fired, and who gave back the shot and the scalp halloo. "

This opinion was unanimously expressed by the remainder of theofficers. Sir Everard was almost as much overpowered by his joy, as hehad previously been overwhelmed by his despair, and he grasped andshook the hand of Captain Erskine, who had thus been the means ofrelieving his conscience, with an energy of gratitude and feeling thatalmost drew tears from the eyes of that blunt but gallant officer. 

"Thank God, thank God!" he fervently exclaimed: "I have not then eventhe death of poor Donellan to answer for;" and hastening from theguard-room, he pursued his course hurriedly and delightedly to thebarrack-room of his friend. 

CHAPTER VI. 

The hour fixed for the trial of the prisoner Halloway had now arrived, and the officers composing the court were all met in the mess-room ofthe garrison, surrounding a long table covered with green cloth, overwhich were distributed pens, ink, and paper for taking minutes of theevidence, and such notes of the proceedings as the several membersmight deem necessary in the course of the trial. Captain Blessingtonpresided; and next him, on either hand, were the first in seniority, the two junior occupying the lowest places. The demeanour of theseveral officers, serious and befitting the duty they were met toperform, was rendered more especially solemn from the presence of thegovernor, who sat a little to the right of the president, and withoutthe circle, remained covered, and with his arms folded across hischest. At a signal given by the president to the orderly in waiting, that individual disappeared from the room, and soon afterwards FrankHalloway, strongly ironed, as on the preceding night, was ushered in byseveral files of the guard, under Ensign Fortescue himself. 

The prisoner having been stationed a few paces on the left of thepresident, that officer stood up to administer the customary oath. Hisexample was followed by the rest of the court, who now rose, andextending each his right hand upon the prayer book, repeated, after thepresident, the form of words prescribed by military law. They then, after successively touching the sacred volume with their lips, oncemore resumed their seats at the table. 

The prosecutor was the Adjutant Lawson, who now handed over to thepresident a paper, from which the latter officer read, in a clear anddistinct voice, the following charges, viz. --

"1st. For having on the night of the --th September 1763, while on dutyat the gate of the Fortress of Detroit, either admitted a stranger intothe garrison himself, or suffered him to obtain admission, withoutgiving the alarm, or using the means necessary to ensure hisapprehension, such conduct being treasonable, and in breach of thearticles of war. 

"2d. For having been accessary to the abduction of Captain Frederick deHaldimar and private Harry Donellan, the disappearance of whom from thegarrison can only be attributed to a secret understanding existingbetween the prisoner and the enemy without the walls, such conductbeing treasonable, and in breach of the articles of war. "

"Private Frank Halloway, " continued Captain Blessington, after havingperused these two short but important charges, "you have heard what hasbeen preferred against you; what say you, therefore? Are you guilty, ornot guilty?"

"Not guilty, " firmly and somewhat exultingly replied the prisoner, laying his hand at the same time on his swelling heart. 

"Stay, sir, " sternly observed the governor, addressing the president;"you have not read ALL the charges. "

Captain Blessington took up the paper from the table, on which he hadcarelessly thrown it, after reading the accusations above detailed, andperceived, for the first time, that a portion had been doubled back. His eye now glanced over a third charge, which had previously escapedhis attention. 

"Prisoner, " he pursued, after the lapse of a minute, "there is a thirdcharge against you, viz. For having, on the night of the --th Sept. 1763, suffered Captain De Haldimar to unclose the gate of the fortress, and, accompanied by his servant, private Harry Donellan, to pass yourpost without the sanction of the governor, such conduct being in directviolation of a standing order of the garrison, and punishable withdeath. "

The prisoner started. "What!" he exclaimed, his cheek paling for thefirst time with momentary apprehension; "is this voluntary confessionof my own to be turned into a charge that threatens my life? Colonel deHaldimar, is the explanation which I gave you only this very hour, andin private, to be made the public instrument of my condemnation? Am Ito die because I had not firmness to resist the prayer of my captainand of your son, Colonel de Haldimar?"

The president looked towards the governor, but a significant motion ofthe head was the only reply; he proceeded, --

"Prisoner Halloway, what plead you to this charge? Guilty, or notguilty?"

"I see plainly, " said Halloway, after the pause of a minute, duringwhich he appeared to be summoning all his energies to his aid; "I seeplainly that it is useless to strive against my fate. Captain deHaldimar is not here, and I must die. Still I shall not have thedisgrace of dying as a traitor, though I own I have violated the ordersof the garrison. "

"Prisoner, " interrupted Captain Blessington, "whatever you may have tourge, you had better reserve for your defence. Meanwhile, what answerdo you make to the last charge preferred?--Are you guilty, or notguilty?"

"Guilty, " said Halloway, in a tone of mingled pride and sorrow, "guiltyof having listened to the earnest prayer of my captain, and sufferedhim, in violation of my orders, to pass my post. Of the other charges Iam innocent. "

The court listened with the most profound attention and interest to thewords of the prisoner, and they glanced at each other in a manner thatmarked their sense of the truth they attached to his declaration. 

"Halloway, prisoner, " resumed Captain Blessington, mildly, yetimpressively; "recollect the severe penalty which the third charge, noless than the others, entails, and recall your admission. Be advised byme, " he pursued, observing his hesitation. "Withdraw your plea, then, and substitute that of not guilty to the whole. "

"Captain Blessington, " returned the prisoner with deep emotion, "I feelall the kindness of your motive; and if any thing can console me in mypresent situation, it is the circumstance of having presiding at mytrial an officer so universally beloved by the whole corps. Still, " andagain his voice acquired its wonted firmness, and his cheek glowed withhonest pride, "still, I say, I scorn to retract my words. Of the twofirst charges I am as innocent as the babe unborn. To the last I pleadguilty; and vain would it be to say otherwise, since the gate was foundopen while I was on duty, and I know the penalty attached to thedisobedience of orders. "

After some further but ineffectual remonstrance on the part of thepresident, the pleas of the prisoner were recorded, and the examinationcommenced. Governor de Haldimar was the first witness. 

That officer, having been sworn, stated, that on the preceding night hehad been intruded upon in his apartment by a stranger, who could haveobtained admission only through the gate of the fortress, by which alsohe must have made good his escape. That it was evident the prisoner hadbeen in correspondence with their enemies; since, on proceeding toexamine the gate it had been found unlocked, while the confusionmanifested by him on being accused, satisfied all who were present ofthe enormity of his guilt. Search had been made every where for thekeys, but without success. 

The second charge was supported by presumptive evidence alone; foralthough the governor swore to the disappearance of his son, and themurder of his servant, and dwelt emphatically on the fact of theirhaving been forcibly carried off with the connivance of the prisoner, still there was no other proof of this, than the deductions drawn fromthe circumstances already detailed. To meet this difficulty, however, the third charge had been framed. 

In proof of this the governor stated, that the prisoner, on beinginterrogated by him immediately subsequent to his being relieved fromhis post, had evinced such confusion and hesitation, as to leave nodoubt whatever of his guilt; that, influenced by the half promise ofcommunication, which the court had heard as well as himself, he hadsuffered the trial of the prisoner to be delayed until the presenthour, strongly hoping he might then be induced to reveal the share hehad borne in these unworthy and treasonable practices; that, with aview to obtain this disclosure, so essential to the safety of thegarrison, he had, conjointly with Major Blackwater, visited the cell ofthe prisoner, to whom he related the fact of the murder of Donellan, inthe disguise of his master's uniform, conjuring him, at the same time, if he regarded his own life, and the safety of those who were most dearto him, to give a clue to the solution of this mysterious circumstance, and disclose the nature and extent of his connection with the enemywithout; that the prisoner however resolutely denied, as before, theguilt imputed to him, but having had time to concoct a plausible story, stated, (doubtless with a view to shield himself from the severepunishment he well knew to be attached to his offence, ) that Captain deHaldimar himself had removed the keys from the guard-room, opened thegate of the fortress, and accompanied by his servant, dressed in acoloured coat, had sallied forth upon the common. "And this, "emphatically pursued the governor, "the prisoner admits he permitted, although well aware that, by an order of long standing for the securityof the garrison, such a fragrant dereliction of his duty subjected himto the punishment of death. "

Major Blackwater was the next witness examined. His testimony went toprove the fact of the gate having been found open, and the confusionmanifested by the prisoner. It also substantiated that part of thegovernor's evidence on the third charge, which related to theconfession recently made by Halloway, on which that charge had beenframed. 

The sergeant of the guard, and the governor's orderly having severallycorroborated the first portions of Major Blackwater's evidence, theexamination on the part of the prosecution terminated; when thepresident called on the prisoner Halloway for his defence. The latter, in a clear, firm, and collected tone, and in terms that surprised hisauditory, thus addressed the Court:--

"Mr. President, and gentlemen, --Although, standing before you in thecapacity of a private soldier, and, oh! bitter and humiliatingreflection, in that most wretched and disgraceful of all situations, asuspected traitor, I am not indeed what I seem to be. It is not for mehere to enter into the history of my past life; neither will I tarnishthe hitherto unsullied reputation of my family by disclosing my truename. Suffice it to observe, I am a gentleman by birth; and although, of late years, I have known all the hardships and privations attendanton my fallen fortunes, I was once used to bask in the luxuries ofaffluence, and to look upon those who now preside in judgment over meas my equals. A marriage of affection, --a marriage with one who hadnothing but her own virtues and her own beauty to recommend her, drewupon me the displeasure of my family, and the little I possessed, independently of the pleasure of my relations, was soon dissipated. Myproud soul scorned all thought of supplication to those who hadoriginally spurned my wife from their presence; and yet my heart bledfor the privations of her who, alike respectable in family, was, bothfrom sex and the natural delicacy, of her frame, so far lessconstituted to bear up against the frowns of adversity than myself. Ourextremity had now become great, --too great for human endurance; when, through the medium of the public prints, I became acquainted with theglorious action that had been fought in this country by the army underGeneral Wolfe. A new light burst suddenly upon my mind, and visions ofafter prosperity constantly presented themselves to my view. The fieldof honour was open before me, and there was a probability I might, bygood conduct, so far merit the approbation of my superiors, as toobtain, in course of time, that rank among themselves to which by birthand education I was so justly entitled to aspire. Without waiting toconsult my Ellen, whose opposition I feared to encounter untilopposition would be fruitless, I hastened to Lieutenant Walgrave, therecruiting officer of the regiment, --tendered my services, --wasaccepted and approved, --received the bounty money, --and becamedefinitively a soldier, under the assumed name of Frank Halloway. 

"It would be tedious and impertinent, gentlemen, " resumed the prisoner, after a short pause, "to dwell on the humiliations of spirit to whichboth my wife and myself were subjected at our first introduction to ournew associates, who, although invariably kind to us, were, nevertheless, ill suited, both by education and habit, to awaken anything like congeniality of feeling or similarity of pursuit. Still weendeavoured, as much as possible, to lessen the distance that existedbetween us; and from the first moment of our joining the regiment, determined to adopt the phraseology and manners of those with whom anadverse destiny had so singularly connected us. In this we succeeded;for no one, up to the present moment, has imagined either my wife ormyself to be other than the simple and unpretending Frank and EllenHalloway. 

"On joining the regiment in this country, " pursued the prisoner, afteranother pause, marked by much emotion, "I had the good fortune to beappointed to the grenadier company. Gentlemen, you all know the amiablequalities of Captain de Haldimar. But although, unlike yourselves, Ihave learnt to admire that officer only at a distance, my devotion tohis interests has been proportioned to the kindness with which I haveever been treated by him; and may I not add, after this avowal of myformer condition, my most fervent desire has all along been to seizethe first favourable opportunity of performing some action that wouldeventually elevate me to a position in which I might, without blushingfor the absence of the ennobling qualities of birth and condition, avowmyself his friend, and solicit that distinction from my equal which waspartially extended to me by my superior? The opportunity I sought wasnot long wanting. At the memorable affair with the French general, Levi, at Quebec, in which our regiment bore so conspicuous a part, Ihad the good fortune to save the life of my captain. A band of Indians, as you all, gentlemen, must recollect, had approached our right flankunperceived, and while busily engaged with the French in front, we werecompelled to divide our fire between them and our new and fierceassailants. The leader of that band was a French officer, who seemedparticularly to direct his attempts against the life of Captain deHaldimar. He was a man of powerful proportions and gigantic stature--"

"Hold!" said the governor, starting suddenly from the seat in which hehad listened with evident impatience to this long outline of theprisoner's history. "Gentlemen, " addressing the court, "that is thevery stranger who was in my apartment last night, --the being with whomthe prisoner is evidently in treacherous correspondence, and all thisabsurd tale is but a blind to deceive your judgment, and mitigate hisown punishment. Who is there to prove the man he has just described wasthe same who aimed at Captain de Haldimar's life at Quebec?"

A flush of deep indignation overspread the features of the prisoner, whose high spirit, now he had avowed his true origin, could ill brookthe affront thus put upon his veracity. 

"Colonel de Haldimar!" he proudly replied, while his chains clankedwith the energy and force with which he drew up his person into anattitude of striking dignity; "for once I sink the private soldier, andaddress you in the character of the gentleman and your equal. I have asoul, Sir, notwithstanding my fallen fortunes, as keenly alive tohonour as your own; and not even to save my wretched life, would I beguilty of the baseness you now attribute to me. You have asked, " hepursued, in a more solemn tone, "what proof I have to show thisindividual to be the same who attempted the life of Captain deHaldimar. To Captain de Haldimar himself, should Providence have sparedhis days, I shall leave the melancholy task of bearing witness to all Ihere advance, when I shall be no more. Nay, Sir, " and his look partookat once of mingled scorn and despondency, "well do I know the fate thatawaits me; for in these proceedings--in that third charge--I plainlyread my death-warrant. But what, save my poor and wretched wife, have Ito regret? Colonel de Haldimar, " he continued, with a vehemence meantto check the growing weakness which the thought of his unfortunatecompanion called up to his heart, "I saved the life of your son, evenby your own admission, no matter whose the arm that threatened hisexistence; and in every other action in which I have been engaged, honourable mention has ever been made of my conduct. Now, Sir, I askwhat has been my reward? So far from attending to the repeatedrecommendations of my captain for promotion, even in a subordinaterank, have you once deemed it necessary to acknowledge my services byeven a recognition of them in any way whatever?"

"Mr. President, Captain Blessington, " interrupted the governor, haughtily, "are we met here to listen to such language from a privatesoldier? You will do well, Sir, to exercise your prerogative, and staysuch impertinent matter, which can have no reference whatever to thedefence of the prisoner. "

"Prisoner, " resumed the president, who, as well as the other members ofthe court, had listened with the most profound and absorbing interestto the singular disclosure of him whom they still only knew as FrankHalloway, "this language cannot be permitted; you must confine yourselfto your defence. "

"Pardon me, gentlemen, " returned Halloway, in his usual firm butrespectful tone of voice; "pardon me, if, standing on the brink of thegrave as I do, I have so far forgotten the rules of military disciplineas to sink for a moment the soldier in the gentleman; but to be taxedwith an unworthy fabrication, and to be treated with contumely whenavowing the secret of my condition, was more than human pride and humanfeeling could tolerate. "

"Confine yourself, prisoner, to your defence, " again remarked CaptainBlessington, perceiving the restlessness with which the governorlistened to these bold and additional observations of Halloway. 

Again the governor interposed:--"What possible connexion can there bebetween this man's life, and the crime with which he stands charged?Captain Blessington, this is trifling with the court, who are assembledto try the prisoner for his treason, and not to waste their time inlistening to a history utterly foreign to the subject. "

"The history of my past life--Colonel de Haldimar, " proudly returnedthe prisoner, "although tedious and uninteresting to you, is of theutmost importance to myself; for on that do I ground the most essentialpart of my defence. There is nothing but circumstantial evidenceagainst me on the two first charges; and as those alone can reflectdishonour on my memory, it is for the wisdom of this court to determinewhether that evidence is to be credited in opposition to the solemndeclaration of him, who, in admitting one charge, equally affecting hislife with the others, repudiates as foul those only which would attainthis honour. Gentlemen, " he pursued, addressing the court, "it is foryou to determine whether my defence is to be continued or not; yet, whatever be my fate, I would fain remove all injurious impression fromthe minds of my judges; and this can only be done by a simple detail ofcircumstances, which may, by the unprejudiced, be as simply believed. "

Here the prisoner paused: when, after some low and earnest conversationamong the members of the court, two or three slips of written paperwere passed to the President. He glanced his eye hurriedly over them, and then directed Halloway to proceed with his defence. 

"I have stated, " pursued the interesting soldier, "that the officer wholed the band of Indians was a man of gigantic stature, and ofapparently great strength. My attention was particularly directed tohim from this circumstance, and as I was on the extreme flank of thegrenadiers, and close to Captain de Haldimar, had every opportunity ofobserving his movements principally pointed at that officer. He firstdischarged a carbine, the ball of which killed a man of the company athis (Captain de Haldimar's) side; and then, with evident rage at havingbeen defeated in his aim, he took a pistol from his belt, and advancingwith rapid strides to within a few paces of his intended victim, presented it in the most deliberate manner. At that moment, gentlemen, (and it was but the work of a moment, ) a thousand confused and almostinexplicable feelings rose to my heart. The occasion I had long soughtwas at length within my reach; but even the personal considerations, which had hitherto influenced my mind, were sunk in the anxious desireI entertained to preserve the life of an officer so universallybeloved, and so every way worthy of the sacrifice. While yet the pistolremained levelled, I sprang before Captain de Haldimar, received theball in my breast, and had just strength sufficient to fire my musketat this formidable enemy when I sank senseless to the earth. 

"It will not be difficult for you, gentlemen, who have feeling minds, to understand the pleasurable pride with which, on being conveyed toCaptain de Haldimar's own apartments in Quebec, I found myself almostoverwhelmed by the touching marks of gratitude showered on me by hisamiable relatives. Miss Clara de Haldimar, in particular, like aministering angel, visited my couch of suffering at almost every hour, and always provided with some little delicacy, suitable to mycondition, of which I had long since tutored myself to forget even theuse. But what principally afforded me pleasure, was to remark theconsolations which she tendered to my poor drooping Ellen, who, alreadymore than half subdued by the melancholy change in our condition inlife, frequently spent hours together in silent grief at the side of mycouch, and watching every change in my countenance with all the intenseanxiety of one who feels the last stay on earth is about to be severedfor ever. Ah! how I then longed to disclose to this kind andcompassionating being the true position of her on whom she lavished herattention, and to make her known, not as the inferior honored by hernotice, but as the equal alike worthy of her friendship and deservingof her esteem; but the wide, wide barrier that divided the wife of theprivate soldier from the daughter and sister of the commissionedofficer sealed my lips, and our true condition continued unrevealed. 

"Gentlemen, " resumed Halloway, after a short pause, "if I dwell onthese circumstances, it is with a view to show how vile are the chargespreferred against me. Is it likely, with all the incentives to goodconduct I have named, I should have proved a traitor to my country?And, even if so, what to gain, I would ask; and by what means was acorrespondence with the enemy to be maintained by one in my humblestation? As for the second charge, how infamous, how injurious is it tomy reputation, how unworthy to be entertained! From the moment of myrecovery from that severe wound, every mark of favour that could bebestowed on persons in our situation had been extended to my wife andmyself, by the family of Colonel de Haldimar; and my captain, knowingme merely as the simple and low born Frank Halloway, although still thepreserver of his life, has been unceasing in his exertions to obtainsuch promotion as he thought my conduct generally, independently of mydevotedness to his person, might claim. How these applications weremet, gentlemen, I have already stated; but notwithstanding Colonel deHaldimar has never deemed me worthy of the promotion solicited, thatcircumstance could in no way weaken my regard and attachment for himwho had so often demanded it. How then, in the name of heaven, can acharge so improbable, so extravagant, as that of having beeninstrumental in the abduction of Captain de Haldimar, be entertained?and who is there among you, gentlemen, who will for one moment believeI could harbour a thought so absurd as that of lending myself to thedestruction of one for whom I once cheerfully offered up the sacrificeof my blood? And now, " pursued the prisoner, after another short pause, "I come to the third charge, --that charge which most affects my life, but impugns neither my honour nor my fidelity. That God, before whom Iknow I shall shortly appear, can attest the sincerity of my statement, and before him do I now solemnly declare what I am about to relate istrue. 

"Soon after the commencement of my watch last night, I heard a voicedistinctly on the outside of the rampart, near my post, calling in alow and subdued tone on the name of Captain de Haldimar. The accents, hastily and anxiously uttered, were apparently those of a female. For amoment I continued irresolute how to act, and hesitated whether or notI should alarm the garrison; but, at length, presuming it was someyoung female of the village with whom my captain was acquainted, itoccurred to me the most prudent course would be to apprize that officerhimself. While I yet hesitated whether to leave my post for a momentfor the purpose, a man crossed the parade a few yards in my front; itwas Captain de Haldimar's servant, Donellan, then in the act ofcarrying some things from his master's apartment to the guard-room. Icalled to him, to say the sentinel at the gate wished to see thecaptain of the guard immediately. In the course of a few minutes hecame up to my post, when I told him what I had heard. At that moment, the voice again repeated his name, when he abruptly left me and turnedto the left of the gate, evidently on his way to the rampart. Soonafterwards I heard Captain de Haldimar immediately above me, sharplycalling out 'Hist, hist!' as if the person on the outside, despairingof success, was in the act of retreating. A moment or two of silencesucceeded, when a low conversation ensued between the parties. Thedistance was so great I could only distinguish inarticulate sounds; yetit seemed to me as if they spoke not in English, but in the language ofthe Ottawa Indians, a tongue with which, as you are well aware, gentlemen, Captain de Haldimar is familiar. This had continued aboutten minutes, when I again heard footsteps hastily descending therampart, and moving in the direction of the guard-house. Soonafterwards Captain de Haldimar re-appeared at my post, accompanied byhis servant Donellan; the former had the keys of the gate in his hand, and he told me that he must pass to the skirt of the forest on somebusiness of the last importance to the safety of the garrison. 

"At first I peremptorily refused, stating the severe penalty attachedto the infringement of an order, the observation of which had soespecially been insisted upon by the governor, whose permission, however, I ventured respectfully to urge might, without difficulty, beobtained, if the business was really of the importance he described it. Captain de Haldimar, however, declared he well knew the governor wouldnot accord that permission, unless he was positively acquainted withthe nature and extent of the danger to be apprehended; and of these, hesaid, he was not himself sufficiently aware. All argument of thisnature proving ineffectual, he attempted to enforce his authority, notonly in his capacity of officer of the guard, but also as my captain, ordering me, on pain of confinement, not to interfere with or attemptto impede his departure. This, however, produced no better result; forI knew that, in this instance, I was amenable to the order of thegovernor alone, and I again firmly refused to violate my duty. 

"Finding himself thwarted in his attempt to enforce my obedience, Captain de Haldimar, who seemed much agitated and annoyed by what hetermed my obstinacy, now descended to entreaty; and in the name of thatlife which I had preserved to him, and of that deep gratitude which hehad ever since borne to me, conjured me not to prevent his departure. 'Halloway, ' he urged, 'your life, my life, my father's life, --the lifeof my sister Clara perhaps, who nursed you in illness, and who has evertreated your wife with attention and kindness, --all these depend uponyour compliance with my request. 'Hear me, ' he pursued, following upthe impression which he clearly perceived he had produced in me by thissingular and touching language: 'I promise to be back within the hour;there is no danger attending my departure, and here will I be beforeyou are relieved from your post; no one can know I have been absent, and your secret will remain with Donellan and myself. Do you think, ' heconcluded, 'I would encourage a soldier of my regiment to disobey astanding order of the garrison, unless there was some veryextraordinary reason for my so doing? But there is no time to be lostin parley. Halloway! I entreat you to offer no further opposition to mydeparture. I pledge myself to be back before you are relieved. '"

"Gentlemen, " impressively continued the prisoner, after a pause, duringwhich each member of the court seemed to breathe for the first time, sodeeply had the attention of all been riveted by the latter part of thissingular declaration, "how, under these circumstances, could I beexpected to act? Assured by Captain de Haldimar, in the most solemnmanner, that the existence of those most dear to his heart hung on mycompliance with his request, how could I refuse to him, whose life Ihad saved, and whose character I so much esteemed, a boon so earnestly, nay, so imploringly solicited? I acceded to his prayer, intimating, atthe same time, if he returned not before another sentinel shouldrelieve me, the discovery of my breach of duty must be made, and mypunishment inevitable. His last words, however, were to assure me heshould return at the hour he had named, and when I closed the gate uponhim it was under the firm impression his absence would only prove ofthe temporary nature he had stated. --Gentlemen, " abruptly concludedHalloway, "I have nothing further to add; if I have failed in my dutyas a soldier, I have, at least, fulfilled that of a man; and althoughthe violation of the first entail upon me the punishment of death, themotives which impelled me to that violation will not, I trust, beutterly lost sight of by those by whom my punishment is to be awarded. "

The candid, fearless, and manly tone in which Halloway had deliveredthis long and singular statement, however little the governor appearedto be affected by it, evidently made a deep impression on the court, who had listened with undiverted attention to the close. Someconversation again ensued, in a low tone, among several members, whentwo slips of written paper were passed up, as before, to the president. These elicited the following interrogatories:--

"You have stated, prisoner, that Captain de Haldimar left the fortaccompanied by his servant Donellan. How were they respectivelydressed?"

"Captain de Haldimar in his uniform; Donellan, as far as I couldobserve, in his regimental clothing also, with this difference, that hewore his servant's round glazed hat and his grey great coat. "

"How then do you account for the extraordinary circumstance of Donellanhaving been found murdered in his master's clothes? Was any allusionmade to a change of dress before they left the fort?"

"Not the slightest, " returned the prisoner; "nor can I in any wayaccount for this mysterious fact. When they quitted the garrison, eachwore the dress I have described. "

"In what manner did Captain de Haldimar and Donellan effect theirpassage across the ditch?" continued the president, after glancing atthe second slip of paper. "The draw-bridge was evidently not lowered, and there were no other means at hand to enable him to effect hisobject with promptitude. How do you explain this, prisoner?"

When this question was put, the whole body of officers, and thegovernor especially, turned their eyes simultaneously on Halloway, foron his hesitation or promptness in replying seemed to attach much ofthe credit they were disposed to accord his statement. Hallowayobserved it, and coloured. His reply, however, was free, unfaltering, and unstudied. 

"A rope with which Donellan had provided himself, was secured to one ofthe iron hooks that support the pullies immediately above the gate. With this they swung themselves in succession to the opposite bank. "

The members of the court looked at each other, apparently glad that ananswer so confirmatory of the truth of the prisoner's statement, hadbeen thus readily given. 

"Were they to have returned in the same manner?" pursued the president, framing his interrogatory from the contents of another slip of paper, which, at the suggestion of the governor, had been passed to him by theprosecutor, Mr. Lawson. 

"They were, " firmly replied the prisoner. "At least I presumed theywere, for, I believe in the hurry of Captain de Haldimar's departure, he never once made any direct allusion to the manner of his return; nordid it occur to me until this moment how they were to regain possessionof the rope, without assistance from within. "

"Of course, " observed Colonel de Haldimar, addressing the president, "the rope still remains. Mr. Lawson, examine the gate, and reportaccordingly. "

The adjutant hastened to acquit himself of this laconic order, and soonafterwards returned, stating not only that there was no rope, but thatthe hook alluded to had disappeared altogether. 

For a moment the cheek of the prisoner paled; but it was evidently lessfrom any fear connected with his individual existence, than from theshame he felt at having been detected in a supposed falsehood. Hehowever speedily recovered his self-possession, and exhibited the samecharacter of unconcern by which his general bearing throughout thetrial had been distinguished. 

On this announcement of the adjutant, the governor betrayed a movementof impatience, that was meant to convey his utter disbelief of thewhole of the prisoner's statement, and his look seemed to express tothe court it should also arrive, and without hesitation, at the sameconclusion. Even all authoritative as he was, however, he felt thatmilitary etiquette and strict discipline prevented his interferingfurther in this advanced state of the proceedings. 

"Prisoner, " again remarked Captain Blessington, "your statement inregard to the means employed by Captain de Haldimar in effecting hisdeparture, is, you must admit, unsupported by appearances. How happensit the rope is no longer where you say it was placed? No one could haveremoved it but yourself. Have you done so? and if so, can you produceit, or say where it is to be found?"

"Captain Blessington, " replied Halloway, proudly, yet respectfully, "Ihave already invoked that great Being, before whose tribunal I am soshortly to appear, in testimony of the truth of my assertion; andagain, in his presence, do I repeat, every word I have uttered is true. I did not remove the rope, neither do I know what is become of it. Iadmit its disappearance is extraordinary, but a moment's reflectionmust satisfy the court I would not have devised a tale, the falsehoodof which could at once have been detected on an examination such asthat which has just been instituted. When Mr. Lawson left this roomjust now, I fully expected he would have found the rope lying as it hadbeen left. What has become of it, I repeat, I know not; but in themanner I have stated did Captain de Haldimar and Donellan cross theditch. I have nothing further to add, " he concluded once more, drawingup his fine tall person, the native elegance of which could not bewholly disguised even in the dress of a private soldier; "nothingfurther to disclose. Yet do I repel with scorn the injuriousinsinuation against my fidelity, suggested in these doubts. I amprepared to meet my death as best may become a soldier, and, let meadd, as best may become a proud and well born gentleman; but humanityand common justice should at least be accorded to my memory. I am anunfortunate man, but no traitor. "

The members were visibly impressed by the last sentences of theprisoner. No further question however was asked, and he was againremoved by the escort, who had been wondering spectators of the scene, to the cell he had so recently occupied. The room was then cleared ofthe witnesses and strangers, the latter comprising nearly the whole ofthe officers off duty, when the court proceeded to deliberate on theevidence, and pass sentence on the accused. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Although the young and sensitive De Haldimar had found physical reliefin the summary means resorted to by the surgeon, the moral wound at hisheart not only remained unsoothed, but was rendered more acutelypainful by the wretched reflections, which, now that he had fullleisure to review the past, and anticipate the future in all the gloomattached to both, so violently assailed him. From the moment when hisbrother's strange and mysterious disappearance had been communicated bythe adjutant in the manner we have already seen, his spirits had beendeeply and fearfully depressed. Still he had every reason to expect, from the well-known character of Halloway, the strong hope expressed bythe latter might be realised; and that, at the hour appointed fortrial, his brother would be present to explain the cause of hismysterious absence, justify the conduct of his subordinate, andexonerate him from the treachery with which he now stood charged. Yet, powerful as this hope was, it was unavoidably qualified by dispiritingdoubt; for a nature affectionate and bland, as that of Charles deHaldimar, could not but harbour distrust, while a shadow ofuncertainty, in regard to the fate of a brother so tenderly loved, remained. He had forced himself to believe as much as possible what hewished, and the effort had, to a certain extent succeeded; but therehad been something so solemn and so impressive in the scene that hadpassed when the prisoner was first brought up for trial, something sofearfully prophetic in the wild language of his unhappy wife, he hadfound it impossible to resist the influence of the almost superstitiousawe they had awakened in his heart. 

What the feelings of the young officer were subsequently, when in theperson of the murdered man on the common, the victim of Sir EverardValletort's aim, he recognised that brother, whose disappearance hadoccasioned him so much inquietude, we shall not attempt to describe:their nature is best shown in the effect they produced--the almostoverwhelming agony of body and mind, which had borne him, like astricken plant, unresisting to the earth. But now that, in the calm andsolitude of his chamber, he had leisure to review the fearful eventsconspiring to produce this extremity, his anguish of spirit was evendeeper than when the first rude shock of conviction had flashed uponhis understanding. A tide of suffering, that overpowered, withoutrendering him sensible of its positive and abstract character, had, inthe first instance, oppressed his faculties, and obscured hisperception; but now, slow, sure, stinging, and gradually succeedingeach other, came every bitter thought and reflection of which that tidewas composed; and the generous heart of Charles de Haldimar was a preyto feelings that would have wrung the soul, and wounded thesensibilities of one far less gentle and susceptible than himself. 

Between Sir Everard Valletort and Charles de Haldimar, who, it hasalready been remarked, were lieutenants in Captain Blessington'scompany, a sentiment of friendship had been suffered to spring upalmost from the moment of Sir Everard's joining. The young men werenearly of the same age; and although the one was all gentleness, theother all spirit and vivacity, not a shade of disunion had at anyperiod intervened to interrupt the almost brotherly attachmentsubsisting between them, and each felt the disposition of the other wasthe one most assimilated to his own. In fact, Sir Everard was far frombeing the ephemeral character he was often willing to appear. Under asemblance of affectation, and much assumed levity of manner, never, however, personally offensive, he concealed a brave, generous, warm, and manly heart, and talents becoming the rank he held in society, suchas would not have reflected discredit on one numbering twice his years. He had entered the army, as most young men of rank usually did at thatperiod, rather for the agremens it held forth, than with any seriousview to advancement in it as a profession. Still he entertained thepraiseworthy desire of being something more than what is, amongmilitary men, emphatically termed a feather-bed soldier; and, contraryto the wishes of his fashionable mother, who would have preferredseeing him exhibit his uniform in the drawing-rooms of London, hadpurchased the step into his present corps from a cavalry regiment athome. Not that we mean, however, to assert he was not a feather-bedsoldier in its more literal sense: no man that ever glittered in goldand scarlet was fonder of a feather-bed than the young baronet; and, infact, his own observations, recorded in the early part of this volume, sufficiently prove his predilection for an indulgence which, we takeit, in no way impugned his character as a soldier. Sir Everard wouldhave fought twenty battles in the course of the month, if necessary, and yet not complained of the fatigue or severity of his service, provided only he had been suffered to press his downy couch to what istermed a decent hour in the day. But he had an innate and, perhaps, itmay be, an instinctive horror of drills and early rising; a pastime inwhich the martinets and disciplinarians of the last century were verymuch given to indulge. He frequently upheld an opinion that must havebeen little less than treason in the eyes of a commander so strict asColonel de Haldimar, that an officer who rose at eight, with all hisfaculties refreshed and invigorated, might evince as much of the truebearing of the soldier in the field, as he who, having quitted hiscouch at dawn, naturally felt the necessity of repose at a moment whenactivity and exertion were most required. 

We need scarcely state, Sir Everard's theories on this importantsubject were seldom reduced to practice; for, even long before theIndians had broken out into open acts of hostility, when suchprecautions were rendered indispensable, Colonel de Haldimar had neversuffered either officer or man to linger on his pillow after the firstfaint dawn had appeared. This was a system to which Sir Everard couldnever reconcile himself. He had quitted England with a view to activeservice abroad, it is true, but he had never taken "active service" inits present literal sense, and, as he frequently declared to hiscompanions, he preferred giving an Indian warrior a chance for hisscalp any hour after breakfast, to rising at daybreak, when, from verystupefaction, he seldom knew whether he stood on his head or his heels. "If the men must be drilled, " he urged, "with a view to their healthand discipline, why not place them under the direction of the adjutantor the officer of the day, whoever he might chance to be, and notunnecessarily disturb a body of gentlemen from their comfortableslumbers at that unconscionable hour?" Poor Sir Everard! this was theonly grievance of which he complained, and he complained bitterly. Scarcely a morning passed without his inveighing loudly against thebarbarity of such a custom; threatening at the same time, amid thelaughter of his companions, to quit the service in disgust at what hecalled so ungentlemanly and gothic a habit. All he waited for, heprotested, was to have an opportunity of bearing away the spoils ofsome Indian chief, that, on his return to England, he might afford hislady mother an opportunity of judging with her own eyes of the sort ofenemy he had relinquished the comforts of home to contend against, andexhibiting to her very dear friends the barbarous proofs of the prowessof her son. Though these observations were usually made half in jesthalf in earnest, there was no reason to doubt the young and livelybaronet was, in truth, heartily tired of a service which seemed tooffer nothing but privations and annoyances, unmixed with even thechances of obtaining those trophies to which he alluded; and, but fortwo motives, there is every probability he would have seriously availedhimself of the earliest opportunity of retiring. The first of these washis growing friendship for the amiable and gentle Charles de Haldimar;the second the secret, and scarcely to himself acknowledged, interestwhich had been created in his heart for his sister Clara; whom he onlyknew from the glowing descriptions of his friend, and the strongresemblance she was said to bear to him by the other officers. 

Clara de Haldimar was the constant theme of her younger brother'spraise. Her image was ever uppermost in his thoughts--her name everhovering on his lips; and when alone with his friend Valletort, it washis delight to dwell on the worth and accomplishments of his amiableand beloved sister. Then, indeed, would his usually calm blue eyesparkle with the animation of his subject, while his colouring cheekmarked all the warmth and sincerity with which he bore attestation toher gentleness and her goodness. The heart of Charles de Haldimar, soldier as he was, was pure, generous, and unsophisticated as that ofthe sister whom he so constantly eulogized; and, while listening to hiseloquent praises, Sir Everard learnt to feel an interest in a beingwhom all had declared to be the counterpart of her brother, as well inpersonal attraction as in singleness of nature. With all his affectedlevity, and notwithstanding his early initiation into fashionablelife--that matter-of-fact life which strikes at the existence of ourearlier and dearer illusions--there was a dash of romance in thecharacter of the young baronet which tended much to increase thepleasure he always took in the warm descriptions of his friend. Thevery circumstance of her being personally unknown to him, was, with SirEverard, an additional motive for interest in Miss de Haldimar. 

Imagination and mystery generally work their way together; and as therewas a shade of mystery attached to Sir Everard's very ignorance of theperson of one whom he admired and esteemed from report alone, imagination was not slow to improve the opportunity, and to endow theobject with characteristics, which perhaps a more intimate knowledge ofthe party might have led him to qualify. In this manner, in earlyyouth, are the silken and willing fetters of the generous and theenthusiastic forged. We invest some object, whose praises, whisperedsecretly in the ear, have glided imperceptibly to the heart, with allthe attributes supplied by our own vivid and readily accordingimaginations; and so accustomed do we become to linger on the picture, we adore the semblance with an ardour which the original often fails toexcite. When, however, the high standard of our fancy's fair creationis attained, we worship as something sacred that which was to ourhearts a source of pure and absorbing interest, hallowed by the verysecrecy in which such interest was indulged. Even where it fails, sounwilling are we to lose sight of the illusion to which our thoughtshave fondly clung, so loth to destroy the identity of the semblancewith its original, that we throw a veil over that reason which is thenso little in unison with our wishes, and forgive much in considerationof the very mystery which first gave a direction to our interest, andsubsequently chained our preference. How is it to be lamented, thatillusions so dear, and images so fanciful, should find their level withtime; or that intercourse with the world, which should be the meansrather of promoting than marring human happiness, should leave on theheart so little vestige of those impressions which characterize thefervency of youth; and which, dispassionately considered, constitutethe only true felicity of riper life! It is then that man, in all thevigour and capacity of his intellectual nature, feels the sentiment oflove upon him in all its ennobling force. It is then that his impetuousfeelings, untinged by the romance which imposes its check upon the moreyouthful, like the wild flow of the mighty torrent, seeks a channelwherein they may empty themselves; and were he to follow the guidanceof those feelings, of which in that riper life he seems ashamed as of aweakness unworthy his sex, in the warm and glowing bosom of Nature'sdivinity--WOMAN--would he pour forth the swollen tide of his affection;and acknowledge, in the fullness of his expanding heart, the vastbounty of Providence, who had bestowed on him so invaluable--sounspeakably invaluable, a blessing. --But no; in the pursuit ofambition, in the acquisition of wealth, in the thirst after power, andthe craving after distinction, nay, nineteen times out of twenty, inthe most frivolous occupations, the most unsatisfactory amusements, dothe great mass of the maturer man sink those feelings; divested ofwhich, we become mere plodders on the earth, mere creatures ofmaterialism: nor is it until after age and infirmity have overtakenthem, they look back with regret to that real and substantial, butunenjoyed happiness, which the occupied heart and the soul's communionalone can bestow. Then indeed, when too late, are they ready toacknowledge the futility of those pursuits, the inadequacy of thosemere ephemeral pleasures, to which in the full meridian of theirmanhood they sacrificed, as a thing unworthy of their dignity, themysterious charm of woman's influence and woman's beauty. 

We do not mean to say Clara de Haldimar would have fallen short of thehigh estimate formed of her worth by the friend of her brother; neitheris it to be understood, Sir Everard suffered this fair vision of hisfancy to lead him into the wild and labyrinthian paths of boyishromance; but certain it is, the floating illusions, conjured up by hisimagination, exercised a mysterious influence over his heart, thathourly acquired a deeper and less equivocal character. It might havebeen curiosity in the first instance, or that mere repose of the fancyupon an object of its own creation, which was natural to a young manplaced like himself for the moment out of the pale of all femalesociety. It has been remarked, and justly, there is nothing sodangerous to the peace of the human heart as solitude. It is insolitude, our thoughts, taking their colouring from our feelings, invest themselves with the power of multiplying ideal beauty, until webecome in a measure tenants of a world of our own creation, from whichwe never descend, without loathing and disgust, into the dull andmatter-of-fact routine of actual existence. Hence the misery of theimaginative man!--hence his little sympathy with the mass, who, tameand soulless, look upon life and the things of life, not through therefining medium of ideality, but through the grossly magnifying opticsof mere sense and materialism. 

But, though we could, and perhaps may, at some future period, writevolumes on this subject, we return for the present from a digressioninto which we have been insensibly led by the temporary excitement ofour own feelings. 

Whatever were the impressions of the young baronet, and however hemight have been inclined to suffer the fair image of the gentle Clara, such as he was perhaps wont to paint it, to exercise its spell upon hisfancy, certain it is, he never expressed to her brother more than thatesteem and interest which it was but natural he should accord to thesister of his friend. Neither had Charles de Haldimar, even amid allhis warmth of commendation, ever made the slightest allusion to hissister, that could be construed into a desire she should awaken anyunusual or extraordinary sentiment of preference. Much and fervently ashe desired such an event, there was an innate sense of decorum, and itmay be secret pride, that caused him to abstain from any observationhaving the remotest tendency to compromise the spotless delicacy of hisadored sister; and such he would have considered any expression of hisown hopes and wishes, where no declaration of preference had beenpreviously made. There was another motive for this reserve on the partof the young officer. The baronet was an only child, and would, onattaining his majority, of which he wanted only a few months, becomethe possessor of a large fortune. His sister Clara, on the contrary, had little beyond her own fair fame and the beauty transmitted to herby the mother she had lost. Colonel de Haldimar was a younger son, andhad made his way through life with his sword, and an unblemishedreputation alone, --advantages he had shared with his children, for thetwo eldest of whom his interest and long services had procuredcommissions in his own regiment. 

But even while Charles de Haldimar abstained from all expression of hishopes, he had fully made up his mind that Sir Everard and his sisterwere so formed for each other, it was next to an impossibility theycould meet without loving. In one of his letters to the latter, he hadalluded to his friend in terms of so high and earnest panegyric, thatClara had acknowledged, in reply, she was prepared to find in the youngbaronet one whom she should regard with partiality, if it were only onaccount of the friendship subsisting between him and her brother. Thisadmission, however, was communicated in confidence, and the youngofficer had religiously preserved his sister's secret. 

These and fifty other recollections now crowded on the mind of thesufferer, only to render the intensity of his anguish more complete;among the bitterest of which was the certainty that the mysteriousevents of the past night had raised up an insuperable barrier to thisunion; for how could Clara de Haldimar become the wife of him whosehands were, however innocently, stained with the life-blood of herbrother! To dwell on this, and the loss of that brother, was littleshort of madness, and yet De Haldimar could think of nothing else; norfor a period could the loud booming of the cannon from the ramparts, every report of which shook his chamber to its very foundations, calloff his attention from a subject which, while it pained, engrossedevery faculty and absorbed every thought. At length, towards the close, he called faintly to the old and faithful soldier, who, at the foot ofthe bed, stood watching every change of his master's countenance, toknow the cause of the cannonade. On being informed the batteries in therear were covering the retreat of Captain Erskine, who, in his attemptto obtain the body, had been surprised by the Indians, a new directionwas temporarily given to his thoughts, and he now manifested the utmostimpatience to know the result. 

In a few minutes Morrison, who, in defiance of the surgeon's strictorder not on any account to quit the room, had flown to obtain someintelligence which he trusted might remove the anxiety of his sufferingmaster, again made his appearance, stating the corpse was alreadysecured, and close under the guns of the fort, beneath which thedetachment, though hotly assailed from the forest, were also fastretreating. 

"And is it really my brother, Morrison? Are you quite certain that itis Captain de Haldimar?" asked the young officer, in the eager accentsof one who, with the fullest conviction on his mind, yet grasps at thefaintest shadow of a consoling doubt. "Tell me that it is not mybrother, and half of what I possess in the world shall be yours. "

The old soldier brushed a tear from his eye. "God bless you, Mr. DeHaldimar, I would give half my grey hairs to be able to do so; but itis, indeed, too truly the captain who has been killed. I saw the verywings of his regimentals as he lay on his face on the litter. "

Charles de Haldimar groaned aloud. "Oh God! oh God! would I had neverlived to see this day. " Then springing suddenly up in hisbed. --"Morrison, where are my clothes? I insist on seeing myslaughtered brother myself. "

"Good Heaven, sir, consider, " said the old man approaching the bed, andattempting to replace the covering which had been spurned to its veryfoot, --"consider you are in a burning fever, and the slightest cold maykill you altogether. The doctor's orders are, you were on no account toget up. "

The effort made by the unfortunate youth was momentary. Faint from theblood he had lost, and giddy from the excitement of his feelings, hesank back exhausted on his pillow, and wept like a child. 

Old Morrison shed tears also; for his heart bled for the sufferings ofone whom he had nursed and played with even in early infancy, and whom, although his master, he regarded with the affection he would have borneto his own child. As he had justly observed, he would have willinglygiven half his remaining years to be able to remove the source of thesorrow which so deeply oppressed him. 

When this violent paroxysm had somewhat subsided, De Haldimar becamemore composed; but his was rather that composure which grows out of theapathy produced by overwhelming grief, than the result of any reliefafforded to his suffering heart by the tears he had shed. He hadcontinued some time in this faint and apparently tranquil state, whenconfused sounds in the barrack-yard, followed by the raising of theheavy drawbridge, announced the return of the detachment. Again hestarted up in his bed and demanded his clothes, declaring his intentionto go out and receive the corpse of his murdered brother. Allopposition on the part of the faithful Morrison was now likely to provefruitless, when suddenly the door opened, and an officer bursthurriedly into the room. 

"Courage! courage! my dear De Haldimar; I am the bearer of good news. Your brother is not the person who has been slain. "

Again De Haldimar sank back upon his pillow, overcome by a variety ofconflicting emotions. A moment afterwards, and he exclaimedreproachfully, yet almost gasping with the eagerness of his manner, --

"For God's sake, Sumners--in the name of common humanity, do not triflewith my feelings. If you would seek to lull me with false hopes, youare wrong. I am prepared to hear and bear the worst at present; but tobe undeceived again would break my heart. "

"I swear to you by every thing I have been taught to revere as sacred, "solemnly returned Ensign Sumners, deeply touched by the affliction hewitnessed, "what I state is strictly true. Captain Erskine himself sentme to tell you. "

"What, is he only wounded then?" and a glow of mingled hope andsatisfaction was visible even through the flush of previous excitementon the cheek of the sufferer. "Quick, Morrison, give me myclothes. --Where is my brother, Sumners?" and again he raised up hisdebilitated frame with the intention of quitting his couch. 

"De Haldimar, my dear De Haldimar, compose yourself, and listen to me. Your brother is still missing, and we are as much in the dark about hisfate as ever. All that is certain is, we have no positive knowledge ofhis death; but surely that is a thousand times preferable to the horridapprehensions under which we have all hitherto laboured. "

"What mean you, Sumners? or am I so bewildered by my sufferings as notto comprehend you clearly?--Nay, nay, forgive me; but I am almostheart-broken at this loss, and scarcely know what I say. But what is ityou mean? I saw my unhappy brother lying on the common with my owneyes. Poor Valletort, himself--" here a rush of bitter recollectionsflashed on the memory of the young man, and the tears coursed eachother rapidly down his cheek. His emotion lasted for a few moments, andhe pursued, --"Poor Valletort himself saw him, for he was nearly as muchoverwhelmed with affliction as I was; and even Morrison beheld himalso, not ten minutes since, under the very walls of the fort; nay, distinguished the wings of his uniform: and yet you would persuade memy brother, instead of being brought in a corpse, is still missing andalive. This is little better than trifling with my wretchedness, Sumners, " and again he sank back exhausted on his pillow. 

"I can easily forgive your doubts, De Haldimar, " returned thesympathizing Sumners, taking the hand of his companion, and pressing itgently in his own; "for, in truth, there is a great deal of mysteryattached to the whole affair. I have not seen the body myself; but Idistinctly heard Captain Erskine state it certainly was not yourbrother, and he requested me to apprise both Sir Everard Valletort andyourself of the fact. "

"Who is the murdered man, then? and how comes he to be clad in theuniform of one of our officers? Pshaw! it is too absurd to be credited. Erskine is mistaken--he must be mistaken--it can be no other than mypoor brother Frederick. Sumners, I am sick, faint, with this crueluncertainty: go, my dear fellow, at once, and examine the body; thenreturn to me, and satisfy my doubts, if possible. "

"Most willingly, if you desire it, " returned Sumners, moving towardsthe door; "but believe me, De Haldimar, you may make your mind tranquilon the subject;--Erskine spoke with certainty. "

"Have you seen Valletort?" asked De Haldimar, while an involuntaryshudder pervaded his fame. 

"I have. He flew on the instant to make further enquiries; and was inthe act of going to examine the body of the murdered man when I camehere. --But here he is himself, and his countenance is the harbinger ofany thing but a denial of my intelligence. "

"Oh, Charles, what a weight of misery has been removed from my heart!"exclaimed that officer, now rushing to the bedside of his friend, andseizing his extended hand, --"Your brother, let us hope, still lives. "

"Almighty God, I thank thee!" fervently ejaculated De Haldimar; andthen, overcome with joy, surprise, and gratitude, he again sank backupon his pillow, sobbing and weeping violently. 

Sumners had, with delicate tact, retired the moment Sir Everard madehis appearance; for he, as well as the whole body of officers, wasaware of the close friendship that subsisted between the young men, andhe felt, at such a moment, the presence of a third person must be asort of violation of the sacredness of their interview. 

For some minutes the young baronet stood watching in silence, and withhis friend's hand closely clasped in his own, the course of those tearswhich seemed to afford so much relief to the overcharged heart of thesufferer. At length they passed gradually away; and a smile, expressiveof the altered state of his feelings, for the first time animated theflushed but handsome features of the younger De Haldimar. 

We shall not attempt to paint all that passed between the friendsduring the first interesting moments of an interview which neither hadexpected to enjoy again, or the delight and satisfaction with whichthey congratulated themselves on the futility of those fears, which, ifrealised, must have embittered every future moment of their lives withthe most harrowing recollections. Sir Everard, particularly, felt, andwas not slow to express, his joy on this occasion; for, as he gazedupon the countenance of his friend, he was more than ever inclined toconfess an interest in the sister he was said so much to resemble. 

With that facility with which in youth the generous and susceptible areprone to exchange their tears for smiles, as some powerful motive forthe reaction may prompt, the invalid had already, and for the moment, lost sight of the painful past in the pleasurable present, so that hisactual excitement was strongly in contrast with the melancholy he hadso recently exhibited. Never had Charles de Haldimar appeared soeminently handsome; and yet his beauty resembled that of a frail anddelicate woman, rather than that of one called to the manly and arduousprofession of a soldier. It was that delicate and Medor-like beautywhich might have won the heart and fascinated the sense of a secondAngelica. The light brown hair flowing in thick and natural waves overa high white forehead; the rich bloom of the transparent and downycheek; the large, blue, long, dark-lashed eye, in which a shade oflanguor harmonised with the soft but animated expression of the wholecountenance, --the dimpled mouth, --the small, clear, and eventeeth, --all these now characterised Charles de Haldimar; and if tothese we add a voice rich, full, and melodious, and a smile sweet andfascinating, we shall be at no loss to account for the readiness withwhich Sir Everard suffered his imagination to draw on the brother forthose attributes he ascribed to the sister. 

It was while this impression was strong upon his fancy, he tookoccasion to remark, in reply to an observation of De Haldimar's, alluding to the despair with which his sister would have been seized, had she known one brother had fallen by the hand of the friend of theother. 

"The grief of my own heart, Charles, on this occasion, would have beenlittle inferior to her own. The truth is, my feelings during the lastthree hours have let me into a secret, of the existence of which I was, in a great degree, ignorant until then: I scarcely know how to expressmyself, for the communication is so truly absurd and romantic you willnot credit it. " He paused, hesitated, and then, as if determined toanticipate the ridicule he seemed to feel would be attached to hisconfession, with a forced half laugh pursued: "The fact is, Charles, Ihave been so much used to listen to your warm and eloquent praises ofyour sister, I have absolutely, I will not say fallen in love with(that would be going too far), but conceived so strong an interest inher, that my most ardent desire would be to find favour in her eyes. What say you, my friend? are you inclined to forward my suit; and ifso, is there any chance for me, think you, with herself?"

The breast of Charles de Haldimar, who had listened with deep andincreasing attention to this avowal, swelled high with pleasurableexcitement, and raising himself up in his bed with one hand, while hegrasped one of Sir Everard's with the other, he exclaimed with atransport of affection too forcible to be controlled, --

"Oh, Valletort, Valletort! this is, indeed, all that was wanting tocomplete my happiness. My sister Clara I adore with all the affectionof my nature; I love her better than my own life, which is wrapped upin hers. She is an angel in disposition, --all that is dear, tender, andaffectionate, --all that is gentle and lovely in woman; one whosewelfare is dearer far to me than my own, and without whose presence Icould not live. Valletort, that prize, --that treasure, that dearer halfof myself, is yours, --yours for ever. I have long wished you shouldlove, each other, and I felt, when you met, you would. If I havehitherto forborne from expressing this fondest wish of my heart, it hasbeen from delicacy--from a natural fear of compromising the purity ofmy adored Clara. Now, however, you have confessed yourself interested, by a description that falls far short of the true peril of that deargirl, I can no longer disguise my gratification and delight. Valletort, " he concluded, impressively, "there is no other man on earthto whom I would say so much; but you were formed for each other, andyou will, you must, be the husband of my sister. "

If the youthful and affectionate De Haldimar was happy, Sir Everard wasno less so; for already, with the enthusiasm of a young man of twenty, he painted to himself the entire fruition of those dreams of happinessthat had so long been familiarised to his imagination. One doubt alonecrossed his mind. 

"But if your sister should have decided differently, Charles, " he atlength remarked, as he gently quitted the embrace of his friend: "whoknows if her heart may not already throb for another; and even if not, it is possible she may judge me far less flatteringly than you do. "

"Valletort, your fears are groundless. Having admitted thus far, I willeven go farther, and add, you have been the subject of one of myletters to Clara, who, in her turn, 'confesses a strong interest in oneof whom she has heard so much. ' She writes playfully, of course, but itis quite evident to me she is prepared to like you. "

"Indeed! But, Charles, liking is many degrees removed you know fromloving; besides, I understand there are two or three handsome andaccomplished fellows among the garrison of Michilimackinac, and yoursister's visit to her cousin may not have been paid altogether withimpunity. "

"Think not thus meanly of Clara's understanding, Valletort. There mustbe something more than mere beauty and accomplishment to fix the heartof my sister. The dark eyed and elegant Baynton, and the musical andsonnetteering Middleton, to whom you, doubtless, allude, are veryexcellent fellows in their way; but handsome and accomplished as theyare, they are not exactly the men to please Clara de Haldimar. "

"But, my dear Charles, you forget also any little merit of my own isdoubly enhanced in your eyes, by the sincerity of the friendshipsubsisting between us; your sister may think very differently. "

"Psha, Valletort! these difficulties are all of your own creation, "returned his friend, impatiently; "I know the heart of Clara isdisengaged. What would you more?"

"Enough, De Haldimar; I will no longer doubt my own prospects. If shebut approve me, my whole life shall be devoted to the happiness of yoursister. "

A single knock was now heard at the door of the apartment; it wasopened, and a sergeant appeared at the entrance. 

"The company are under arms for punishment parade, LieutenantValletort, " said the man, touching his cap. 

In an instant, the visionary prospects of the young men gave place tothe stern realities connected with that announcement of punishment. Thetreason of Halloway, --the absence of Frederick de Haldimar, --thedangers by which they were beset, --and the little present probabilityof a re-union with those who were most dear to them, --all theserecollections now flashed across their minds with the rapidity ofthought; and the conversation that had so recently passed between themseemed to leave no other impression than what is produced from somevisionary speculation of the moment. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

As the bells of the fort tolled the tenth hour of morning, the groupsof dispersed soldiery, warned by the rolling of the assembly drum, oncemore fell into their respective ranks in the order described in theopening of this volume, Soon afterwards the prisoner Halloway wasreconducted into the square by a strong escort, who took their stationsas before in the immediate centre, where the former stood principallyconspicuous to the observation of his comrades. His countenance waspaler, and had less, perhaps, of the indifference he had previouslymanifested; but to supply this there was a certain subdued air of calmdignity, and a composure that sprang, doubtless, from the consciousnessof the new character in which he now appeared before his superiors. Colonel de Haldimar almost immediately followed, and with him were theprincipal staff of the garrison, all of whom, with the exception of thesick and wounded and their attendants, were present to a man. Theformer took from the hands of the governor, Lawson, a large packet, consisting of several sheets of folded paper closely written upon. These were the proceedings of the court martial. 

After enumerating the several charges, and detailing the evidence ofthe witnesses examined, the adjutant came at length to the finding andsentence of the court, which were as follows:--

"The court having duly considered the evidence adduced against theprisoner private Frank Halloway, together with what he has urged in hisdefence, are of opinion, --"

"That with regard to the first charge, it is not proved. "

"That with regard to the second charge, it is not proved. "

"That with regard to the third charge, even by his own voluntaryconfession, the prisoner is guilty. "

"The court having found the prisoner private Frank Halloway guilty ofthe third charge preferred against him, which is hi direct violation ofa standing order of the garrison, entailing capital punishment, dohereby sentence him, the said prisoner, private Frank Halloway, to beshot to death at such time and place as the officer commanding may deemfit to appoint. "

Although the utmost order pervaded the ranks, every breath had beensuspended, every ear stretched during the reading of the sentence; andnow that it came arrayed in terror and in blood, every glance wasturned in pity on its unhappy victim. But Halloway heard it with theears of one who has made up his mind to suffer; and the faint halfsmile that played upon his lip spoke more in scorn than in sorrow. Colonel de Haldimar pursued:--

"The court having found it imperatively incumbent on them to award thepunishment of death to the prisoner, private Frank Halloway, at thesame time gladly avail themselves of their privilege by stronglyrecommending him to mercy. The court cannot, in justice to thecharacter of the prisoner, refrain from expressing their unanimousconviction, that notwithstanding the mysterious circumstances whichhave led to his confinement and trial, he is entirely innocent of thetreachery ascribed to him. The court have founded this conviction onthe excellent character, both on duty and in the field, hitherto borneby the prisoner, --his well-known attachment to the officer with whoseabduction be stands charged, --and the manly, open, and (as the courtare satisfied) correct history given of his former life. It is, moreover, the impression of the court, that, as stated by the prisoner, his guilt on the third charge has been the result only of hisattachment for Captain de Haldimar. And for this, and the reasons aboveassigned, do they strongly recommend the prisoner to mercy. "

 (Signed)

 NOEL BLESSINGTON, Captain and President. 

 Sentence approved and confirmed. 

 CHARLES DE HALDIMAR, Colonel Commandant. 

While these concluding remarks of the court were being read, theprisoner manifested the deepest emotion. If a smile of scorn hadpreviously played upon his lip, it was because he fancied the court, before whom he had sought to vindicate his fame, had judged him with aseverity not inferior to his colonel's; but now that, in the presenceof his companions, he heard the flattering attestation of his services, coupled even as it was with the sentence that condemned him to die, tears of gratitude and pleasure rose despite of himself to his eyes;and it required all his self-command to enable him to abstain fromgiving expression to his feelings towards those who had so generouslyinterpreted the motives of his dereliction from duty. But when themelancholy and startling fact of the approval and confirmation of thesentence met his ear, without the slightest allusion to that mercywhich had been so urgently recommended, he again overcame his weakness, and exhibited his wonted air of calm and unconcern. 

"Let the prisoner be removed, Mr. Lawson, " ordered the governor, whosestern and somewhat dissatisfied expression of countenance was the onlycomment on the recommendation for mercy. 

The order was promptly executed. Once more Halloway left the square, and was reconducted to the cell he had occupied since the precedingnight. 

"Major Blackwater, " pursued the governor, "let a detachment consistingof one half the garrison be got in readiness to leave the fort withinthe hour. Captain Wentworth, three pieces of field artillery will berequired. Let them be got ready also. " He then retired from the areawith the forbidding dignity and stately haughtiness of manner that washabitual to him; while the officers, who had just received hiscommands, prepared to fulfil the respective duties assigned them. 

Since the first alarm of the garrison no opportunity had hitherto beenafforded the officers to snatch the slightest refreshment. Advantagewas now taken of the short interval allowed by the governor, and theyall repaired to the mess-room, where their breakfast had long sincebeen provided. 

"Well, Blessington, " remarked Captain Erskine, as he filled his platefor the third time from a large haunch of smoke-dried venison, forwhich his recent skirmish with the Indians had given him an unusualrelish, "so it appears your recommendation of poor Halloway to mercy islittle likely to be attended to. Did you remark how displeased thecolonel looked as he bungled through it? One might almost be tempted tothink he had an interest in the man's death, so determined does heappear to carry his point. "

Although several of his companions, perhaps, felt and thought the same, still there was no one who would have ventured to avow his realsentiments in so unqualified a manner. Indeed such an observationproceeding from the lips of any other officer would have excited theutmost surprise; but Captain Erskine, a brave, bold, frank, andsomewhat thoughtless soldier, was one of those beings who areprivileged to say any thing. His opinions were usually expressedwithout ceremony; and his speech was not the most circumspect NOW, assince his return to the fort he had swallowed, fasting, two or threeglasses of a favourite spirit, which, without intoxicating, had greatlyexcited him. 

"I remarked enough, " said Captain Blessington, who sat leaning his headon one hand, while with the other he occasionally, and almostmechanically, raised a cup filled with a liquid of a pale blood colourto his lips, --"quite enough to make me regret from my very soul Ishould have been his principal judge. Poor Halloway, I pity him much;for, on my honour, I believe him to be the gentleman he representshimself. "

"A finer fellow does not live, " remarked the last remaining officer ofthe grenadiers. "But surely Colonel de Haldimar cannot mean to carrythe sentence into effect. The recommendation of a court, couched insuch terms as these, ought alone to have some weight with him. "

"It is quite clear, from the fact of his having been remanded to hiscell, the execution of the poor fellow will be deferred at least, "observed one of Captain Erskine's subalterns. "If the governor hadintended he should suffer immediately, he would have had him shot themoment after his sentence was read. But what is the meaning and objectof this new sortie? and whither are we now going? Do you know, CaptainErskine, our company is again ordered for this duty?"

"Know it, Leslie! of course I do; and for that reason am I paying mycourt to the more substantial part of the breakfast. Come, Blessington, my dear fellow, you have quite lost your appetite, and we may havesharp work before we get back. Follow my example: throw that nastyblood-thickening sassafras away, and lay a foundation from thisvenison. None sweeter is to be found in the forests of America. A fewslices of that, and then a glass each of my best Jamaica, and we shallhave strength to go through the expedition, if its object be thecapture of the bold Ponteac himself. "

"I presume the object is rather to seek for Captain de Haldimar, " saidLieutenant Boyce, the officer of grenadiers; "but in that case why notsend out his own company?"

"Because the Colonel prefers trusting to cooler heads and moreexperienced arms, " good-humouredly observed Captain Erskine. "Blessington is our senior, and his men are all old stagers. My lads, too, have had their mettle up already this morning, and there isnothing like that to prepare men for a dash of enterprise. It is withthem as with blood horses, the more you put them on their speed theless anxious are they to quit the course. Well, Johnstone, my braveScot, ready for another skirmish?" he asked, as that officer nowentered to satisfy the cravings of an appetite little inferior to thatof his captain. 

"With 'Nunquam non paratus' for my motto, " gaily returned the youngman, "it were odd, indeed, if a mere scratch like this should preventme from establishing my claim to it by following wherever my gallantcaptain leads. "

"Most courteously spoken, and little in the spirit of a man yetsmarting under the infliction of a rifle wound, it must be confessed, "remarked Lieutenant Leslie. "But, Johnstone, you should bear in mind atoo close adherence to that motto has been, in some degree, fatal toyour family. "

"No reflections, Leslie, if you please, " returned his brothersubaltern, slightly reddening. "If the head of our family wasunfortunate enough to be considered a traitor to England, he was notso, at least, to Scotland; and Scotland was the land of his birth. Butlet his political errors be forgotten. Though the winged spur no longeradorn the booted heel of an Earl of Annandale, the time may not be fardistant when some liberal and popular monarch of England shall restorea title forfeited neither through cowardice nor dishonour, but from anerroneous sense of duty. "

"That is to say, " muttered Ensign Delme, looking round for approval ashe spoke, "that our present king is neither liberal nor popular. Well, Mr. Johnstone, were such an observation to reach the ears of Colonel deHaldimar you would stand a very fair chance of being brought to a courtmartial. "

"That is to say nothing of the kind, sir, " somewhat fiercely retortedthe young Scot; "but any thing I do say you are at liberty to repeat toColonel de Haldimar, or whom you will. I cannot understand, Leslie, whyyou should have made any allusion to the misfortunes of my family atthis particular moment, and in this public manner. I trust it was notwith a view to offend me;" and he fixed his large black eyes upon hisbrother subaltern, as if he would have read every thought of his mind. 

"Upon my honour, Johnstone, I meant nothing of the kind, " franklyreturned Leslie. "I merely meant to hint that as you had had your shareof service this morning, you might, at least, have suffered me toborrow your spurs, while you reposed for the present on your laurels. "

"There are my gay and gallant Scots, " exclaimed Captain Erskine, as heswallowed off a glass of the old Jamaica which lay before him, and withwhich he usually neutralised the acidities of a meat breakfast, "Settled like gentlemen and lads of spirit as ye are, " he pursued, asthe young men cordially shook each other's hand across the table. "Whatan enviable command is mine, to have a company of brave fellows whowould face the devil himself were it necessary; and two hot andimpatient subs. , who are ready to cut each other's throat for thepleasure of accompanying me against a set of savages that are littlebetter than so many devils. Come, Johnstone, you know the Colonelallows us but one sub. At a time, in consequence of our scarcity ofofficers, therefore it is but fair Leslie should have his turn. It willnot be long, I dare say, before we shall have another brush with therascals. "

"In my opinion, " observed Captain Blessington, who had been a silentand thoughtful witness of what was passing around him, "neither Leslienor Johnstone would evince so much anxiety, were they aware of thetrue-nature of the duty for which our companies have been ordered. Depend upon it, it is no search after Captain de Haldimar in which weare about to be engaged; for much as the colonel loves his son, hewould on no account compromise the safety of the garrison, by sending aparty into the forest, where poor De Haldimar, if alive, is at alllikely to be found. "

"Faith you are right, Blessington; the governor is not one to run thesesort of risks on every occasion. My chief surprise, indeed, is, that hesuffered me to venture even upon the common; but if we are not designedfor some hostile expedition, why leave the fort at all?"

"The question will need no answer, if Halloway be found to accompanyus. "

"Psha! why should Halloway be taken out for the purpose? If he be shotat all, he will be shot on the ramparts, in the presence of, and as anexample to, the whole garrison. Still, on reflection, I cannot butthink it impossible the sentence should be carried into full effect, after the strong, nay, the almost unprecedented recommendation to mercyrecorded on the face of the proceedings. "

Captain Blessington shook his head despondingly. "What think you, Erskine, of the policy of making an example, which may be witnessed bythe enemy as well as the garrison? It is evident, from his demeanourthroughout, nothing will convince the colonel that Halloway is not atraitor, and he may think it advisable to strike terror in the minds ofthe savages, by an execution which will have the effect of showing thetreason of the soldier to have been discovered. "

In this opinion many of the officers now concurred; and as the fate ofthe unfortunate Halloway began to assume a character of almostcertainty, even the spirit of the gallant Erskine, the least subdued bythe recent distressing events, was overclouded; and all sank, as if byone consent, into silent communion with their thoughts, as they almostmechanically completed the meal, at which habit rather than appetitestill continued them. Before any of them had yet risen from the table, a loud and piercing scream met their ears from without; and so quickand universal was the movement it produced, that its echo had scarcelyyet died away in distance, when the whole of the breakfast party hadissued from the room, and were already spectators of the cause. 

The barracks of the officers, consisting of a range of low buildings, occupied the two contiguous sides of a square, and in the front ofthese ran a narrow and covered piazza, somewhat similar to thoseattached to the guardhouses in England, which description of buildingthe barracks themselves most resembled. On the other two faces of thesquare stood several block-houses, a style of structure which, fromtheir adaptation to purposes of defence as well as of accommodation, were every where at that period in use in America, and are even nowcontinued along the more exposed parts of the frontier. These, capableof containing each a company of men, were, as their name implies, formed of huge masses of roughly-shapen timber, fitted into each otherat the extremities by rude incisions from the axe, and filled in withsmaller wedges of wood. The upper part of these block-houses projectedon every side several feet beyond the ground floor, and over the wholewas a sheathing of planks, which, as well as those covering thebarracks of the officers, were painted of a brick-red colour. Unlikethe latter, they rose considerably above the surface of the ramparts;and, in addition to the small window to be seen on each side of eachstory of the block-house, were numerous smaller square holes, perforated for the discharge of musketry. Between both these barracksand the ramparts there was just space sufficient to admit of thepassage of artillery of a heavy calibre; and at each of the fourangles, composing the lines of the fort, was an opening of several feetin extent, not only to afford the gunners room to work their batteries, but to enable them to reach their posts with greater expedition in theevent of any sudden emergency. On the right, on entering the fort overthe drawbridge, were the block-houses of the men; and immediately infront, and on the left, the barracks of the officers, terminated at theouter extremity by the guard-house, and at the inner by the quarters ofthe commanding officer. 

As the officers now issued from the mess-room nearly opposite to thegate, they observed, at that part of the barracks which ran at rightangles with it, and immediately in front of the apartment of theyounger De Haldimar, whence he had apparently just issued, thegovernor, struggling, though gently, to disengage himself from afemale, who, with disordered hair and dress, lay almost prostrate uponthe piazza, and clasping his booted leg with an energy evidentlyborrowed from the most rooted despair. The quick eye of the haughty manhad already rested on the group of officers drawn by the scream of thesupplicant. Numbers, too, of the men, attracted by the same cause, werecollected in front of their respective block-houses, and looking fromthe windows of the rooms in which they were also breakfasting, preparatory to the expedition. Vexed and irritated beyond measure, atbeing thus made a conspicuous object of observation to his inferiors, the unbending governor made a violent and successful effort todisengage his leg; and then, without uttering a word, or otherwisenoticing the unhappy being who lay extended at his feet, he stalkedacross the parade to his apartments at the opposite angle, withoutappearing to manifest the slightest consciousness of the scene that hadawakened such universal attention. 

Several of the officers, among whom was Captain Blessington, nowhastened to the assistance of the female, whom all had recognised, fromthe first, to be the interesting and unhappy wife of Halloway. Many ofthe comrades of the latter, who had been pained and pitying spectatorsof the scene, also advanced for the same purpose; but, on perceivingtheir object anticipated by their superiors, they withdrew to theblocks-houses, whence they had issued. Never was grief more forciblydepicted, than in the whole appearance of this unfortunate woman; neverdid anguish assume a character more fitted to touch the soul, or tocommand respect. Her long fair hair, that had hitherto been hid underthe coarse mob-cap, usually worn by the wives of the soldiers, was nowdivested of all fastening, and lay shadowing a white and polishedbosom, which, in her violent struggles to detain the governor, hadburst from its rude but modest confinement, and was now displayed inall the dazzling delicacy of youth and sex. If the officers gazed for amoment with excited look upon charms that had long been strangers totheir sight, and of an order they had little deemed to find in EllenHalloway, it was but the involuntary tribute rendered by nature untobeauty. The depth and sacredness of that sorrow, which had left thewretched woman unconscious of her exposure, in the instant afterwardsimposed a check upon admiration, which each felt to be a violation ofthe first principles of human delicacy, and the feeling was repressedalmost in the moment that gave it birth. 

They were immediately in front of the room occupied by Charles deHaldimar, in the piazza of which were a few old chairs, on which theofficers were in the habit of throwing themselves during the heat ofthe day. On one of these Captain Blessington, assisted by the officerof grenadiers, now seated the suffering and sobbing wife of Halloway. His first care was to repair the disorder of her dress; and never wasthe same office performed by man with greater delicacy, or absence oflevity by those who witnessed it. This was the first moment of herconsciousness. The inviolability of modesty for a moment rose paramounteven to the desolation of her heart, and putting rudely aside the handthat reposed unavoidably upon her person, the poor woman started fromher seat, and looked wildly about her, as if endeavouring to identifythose by whom she was surrounded. But when she observed the pityinggaze of the officers fixed upon her, in earnestness and commiseration, and heard the benevolent accents of the ever kind Blessington exhortingher to composure, her weeping became more violent, and her sobs moreconvulsive. Captain Blessington threw an arm round her waist to preventher from falling; and then motioning to two or three women of thecompany to which her husband was attached, who stood at a littledistance, in front of one of the block-houses, prepared to deliver herover to their charge. 

"No, no, not yet!" burst at length from the lips of the agonised woman, as she shrank from the rude but well-intentioned touch of thesympathising assistants, who had promptly answered the signal; then, asif obeying some new direction of her feelings, some new impulse of hergrief, she liberated herself from the slight grasp of CaptainBlessington, turned suddenly round, and, before any one couldanticipate the movement, entered an opening on the piazza, raised thelatch of a door situated at its extremity, and was, in the nextinstant, in the apartment of the younger De Haldimar. 

The scene that met the eyes of the officers, who now followed closeafter her, was one well calculated to make an impression on the heartseven of the most insensible. In the despair and recklessness of herextreme sorrow, the young wife of Halloway had already thrown herselfupon her knees at the bedside of the sick officer; and, with her handsupraised and firmly clasped together, was now supplicating him intones, contrasting singularly in their gentleness with the depth of thesorrow that had rendered her thus regardless of appearances, andinsensible to observation. 

"Oh, Mr. De Haldimar!" she implored, "in the name of God and of ourblessed Saviour, if you would save me from madness, intercede for myunhappy husband, and preserve him from the horrid fate that awaits him. You are too good, too gentle, too amiable, to reject the prayer of aheart-broken woman. Moreover, Mr. De Haldimar, " she proceeded, withdeeper energy, while she caught and pressed, between her own white andbloodless hands, one nearly as delicate that lay extended near her, "consider all my dear but unfortunate husband has done for your family. Think of the blood he once spilt in the defence of your brother's life;that brother, through whom alone, oh God! he is now condemned to die. Call to mind the days and nights of anguish I passed near his couch ofsuffering, when yet writhing beneath the wound aimed at the life ofCaptain de Haldimar. Almighty Providence!" she pursued, in the sameimpassioned yet plaintive voice, "why is not Miss Clara here to pleadthe cause of the innocent, and to touch the stubborn heart of hermerciless father? She would, indeed, move heaven and earth to save thelife of him to whom she so often vowed eternal gratitude andacknowledgment. Ah, she little dreams of his danger now; or, if prayerand intercession could avail, my husband should yet live, and thisterrible struggle at my heart would be no more. "

Overcome by her emotion, the unfortunate woman suffered her aching headto droop upon the edge of the bed, and her sobbing became so painfullyviolent, that all who heard her expected, at every moment, some fataltermination to her immoderate grief. Charles de Haldimar was littleless affected; and his sorrow was the more bitter, as he had justproved the utter inefficacy of any thing in the shape of appeal to hisinflexible father. 

"Mrs. Halloway, my dear Mrs. Halloway, compose yourself, " said CaptainBlessington, now approaching, and endeavouring to raise her gently fromthe floor, on which she still knelt, while her hands even more firmlygrasped that of De Haldimar. "You are ill, very ill, and theconsequences of this dreadful excitement may be fatal. Be advised byme, and retire. I have desired my room to be prepared for you, andSergeant Wilmot's wife shall remain with you as long as you may requireit. "

"No, no, no!" she again exclaimed with energy; "what care I for my ownwretched life--my beloved and unhappy husband is to die. Oh God! to diewithout guilt--to be cut off in his youth--to be shot as a traitor--andthat simply for obeying the wishes of the officer whom he loved!--theson of the man who now spurns all supplication from his presence. It isinhuman--it is unjust--and Heaven will punish the hard-hearted man whomurders him--yes, murders him! for such a punishment for such anoffence is nothing less than murder. " Again she wept bitterly, and asCaptain Blessington still essayed to soothe and raise her:--"No, no! Iwill not leave this spot, " she continued; "I will not quit the side ofMr. De Haldimar, until he pledges himself to intercede for my poorhusband. It is his duty to save the life of him who saved his brother'slife; and God and human justice are with my appeal. Oh, tell me, then, Mr. De Haldimar, --if you would save my wretched heart frombreaking, --tell me you will intercede for, and obtain the pardon of, myhusband!"

As she concluded this last sentence in passionate appeal, she had risenfrom her knees; and, conscious only of the importance of the boonsolicited, now threw herself upon the breast of the highly pained andagitated young officer. Her long and beautiful hair fell floating overhis face, and mingled with his own, while her arms were wildly claspedaround him, in all the energy of frantic and hopeless adjuration. 

"Almighty God!" exclaimed the agitated young man, as he made a feebleand fruitless effort to raise the form of the unhappy woman; "whatshall I say to impart comfort to this suffering being? Oh, Mrs. Halloway, " he pursued, "I would willingly give all I possess in thisworld to be the means of saving your unfortunate husband, --and as muchfor his own sake as for yours would I do this; but, alas! I have notthe power. Do not think I speak without conviction. My father has justbeen with me, and I have pleaded the cause of your husband with anearnestness I should scarcely have used had my own life been at stake. But all my entreaties have been in vain. He is obstinate in the beliefmy brother's strange absence, and Donellan's death, are attributableonly to the treason of Halloway. Still there is a hope. A detachment isto leave the fort within the hour, and Halloway is to accompany them. It may be, my father intends this measure only with a view to terrifyhim into a confession of guilt; and that he deems it politic to makehim undergo all the fearful preliminaries without carrying the sentenceitself into effect. "

The unfortunate woman said no more. When she raised her heaving chestfrom that of the young officer, her eyes, though red and shrunk to halftheir usual size with weeping, were tearless; but on her countenancethere was an expression of wild woe, infinitely more distressing tobehold, in consequence of the almost unnatural check so suddenlyimposed upon her feelings. She tottered, rather than walked, throughthe group of officers, who gave way on either hand to let her pass; andrejecting all assistance from the women who had followed into the room, and who now, in obedience to another signal from Captain Blessington, hastened to her support, finally gained the door, and quitted theapartment. 

CHAPTER IX. 

The sun was high in the meridian, as the second detachment, commandedby Colonel de Haldimar in person, issued from the fort of Detroit. Itwas that soft and hazy season, peculiar to the bland and beautifulautumns of Canada, when the golden light of Heaven seems as iftransmitted through a veil of tissue, and all of animate and inanimatenature, expanding and fructifying beneath its fostering influence, breathes the most delicious languor and voluptuous repose. It was oneof those still, calm, warm, and genial days, which in those regionscome under the vulgar designation of the Indian summer; a season thatis ever hailed by the Canadian with a satisfaction proportioned to theextreme sultriness of the summer, and the equally oppressive rigour ofthe winter, by which it is immediately preceded and followed. It isthen that Nature, who seems from the creation to have bestowed all ofgrandeur and sublimity on the stupendous Americas, looks gladly andcomplacently on her work; and, staying the course of parching suns anddesolating frosts, loves to luxuriate for a period in the broad andteeming bosom of her gigantic offspring. It is then that theforest-leaves, alike free from the influence of the howling hurricaneof summer, and the paralysing and unfathomable snows of winter, cleave, tame and stirless in their varying tints, to the parent branch; whilethe broad rivers and majestic lakes exhibit a surface resembling ratherthe incrustation of the polished mirror than the resistless, viewlessparticles of which the golden element is composed. It is then that, casting its satisfied glance across those magnificent rivers, the eyebeholds, as if reflected from a mirror (so similar in production andappearance are the contiguous shores), both the fertility of cultivatedand the rudeness of uncultivated nature, that every where surround anddiversify the view. The tall and sloping banks, covered with verdure tothe very sands, that unite with the waters lying motionless at theirbase; the continuous chain of neat farm-houses (we speak principally ofDetroit and its opposite shores); the luxuriant and bending orchards, teeming with fruits of every kind and of every colour; the ripe andyellow corn vying in hue with the soft atmosphere, which reflects andgives full effect to its abundance and its richness, --these, with theintervening waters unruffled, save by the lazy skiff, or the light barkcanoe urged with the rapidity of thought along its surface by theslight and elegantly ornamented paddle of the Indian; or by the suddenleaping of the large salmon, the unwieldy sturgeon, the beardedcat-fish, or the delicately flavoured maskinonge, and fifty othertenants of their bosom;--all these contribute to form the foreground ofa picture bounded in perspective by no less interesting, though perhapsruder marks of the magnificence of that great architect--Nature, onwhich the eye never lingers without calm; while feelings, at oncevoluptuous and tender, creep insensibly over the heart, and raise themind in adoration to the one great and sole Cause by which thestupendous whole has been produced. 

Such a day as that we have just described was the ---- of September, 1763, when the chief portion of the English garrison of Detroit issuedforth from the fortifications in which they had so long been cooped up, and in the presumed execution of a duty undeniably the most trying andpainful that ever fell to the lot of soldier to perform. The heavy dullmovement of the guns, as they traversed the drawbridge resembled inthat confined atmosphere the rumbling of low and distant thunder; andas they shook the rude and hollow sounding planks, over which they wereslowly dragged, called up to every heart the sad recollection of theservice for which they had been required. Even the tramp of the men, asthey moved heavily and measuredly across the yielding bridge, seemed towear the character of the reluctance with which they proceeded on sohateful a duty; and more than one individual, as he momentarily turnedhis eye upon the ramparts, where many of his comrades were groupedtogether watching the departure of the detachment, testified by thesignificant and mournful movement of his head how much he envied theirexemption from the task. 

The direct military road runs in a straight line from the fort to thebanks of the Detroit, and the eastern extremity of the town. Here it isintersected by the highway running parallel with the river, andbranching off at right angles on either hand; the right, leading in thedirection of the more populous states; the left, through the town, andthence towards the more remote and western parts, where Europeaninfluence has yet been but partially extended. The only differencebetween its present and former character is, that what is now aflourishing commercial town was then a mere village; while the adjacentcountry, at present teeming with every mark of vegetation, bore noother evidence of fertility than what was afforded by a few scatteredfarm-houses, many of which skirted various parts of the forest. Alongthis road the detachment now wended its slow and solemn course, andwith a mournful pageantry of preparation that gave fearful earnest ofthe tragedy expected to be enacted. 

In front, and dragged by the hands of the gunners, moved two of thethree three-pounders, that had been ordered for the duty. Behind thesecame Captain Blessington's company, and in their rear, the prisonerHalloway, divested of his uniform, and clad in a white cotton jacket, and cap of the same material. Six rank and file of the grenadiersfollowed, under the command of a corporal, and behind these again, cameeight men of the same company; four of whom bore on their shoulders acoffin, covered with a coarse black pall that had perhaps alreadyassisted at fifty interments; while the other four carried, in additionto their own, the muskets of their burdened comrades. After these, marched a solitary drummer-boy; whose tall bear-skin cap attested himto be of the grenadiers also, while his muffled instrument marked theduty for which he had been selected. Like his comrades, none of whomexhibited their scarlet uniforms, he wore the collar of his great coatclosely buttoned beneath his chin, which was only partially visibleabove the stiff leathern stock that encircled his neck. Although hisfeatures were half buried in his huge cap and the high collar of hiscoat, there was an air of delicacy about his person that seemed torender him unsuited to such an office; and more than once was CaptainErskine, who followed immediately behind him at the head of hiscompany, compelled to call sharply to the urchin, threatening him witha week's drill unless he mended his feeble and unequal pace, and keptfrom under the feet of his men. The remaining gun brought up the rearof the detachment, who marched with fixed bayonets and two balls ineach musket; the whole presenting a front of sections, that completelyfilled up the road along which they passed. Colonel de Haldimar, Captain Wentworth, and the Adjutant Lawson followed in the extreme rear. 

An event so singular as that of the appearance of the English withouttheir fort, beset as they were by a host of fierce and dangerousenemies, was not likely to pass unnoticed by a single individual in thelittle village of Detroit. We have already observed, that most of thecolonist settlers had been cruelly massacred at the very onset ofhostilities. Not so, however, with the Canadians, who, from theiranterior relations with the natives, and the mutual and tacit goodunderstanding that subsisted between both parties, were suffered tocontinue in quiet and unmolested possession of their homes, where theypreserved an avowed neutrality, never otherwise infringed than by theassistance secretly and occasionally rendered to the English troops, whose gold they were glad to receive in exchange for the necessaries oflife. 

Every dwelling of the infant town had commenced giving up its tenants, from the moment when the head of the detachment was seen traversing thedrawbridge; so that, by the time it reached the highway, and took itsdirection to the left, the whole population of Detroit were alreadyassembled in groups, and giving expression to their severalconjectures, with a vivacity of language and energy of gesticulationthat would not have disgraced the parent land itself. As the troopsdrew nearer, however, they all sank at once into a silence, as much theresult of certain unacknowledged and undefined fears, as of the respectthe English had ever been accustomed to exact. The men removed theirshort dingy clay pipes from their mouths with one hand, and uncoveredthemselves with the other, while the women made their hasty reverencewith the air of people who seek to propitiate by an act of civility;even the very children scraped and bowed, as if they feared theomission might be fatal to them, and, clinging to the hands and dressof their parents, looked up occasionally to their countenances todiscover whether the apprehensions of their own fluttering and timidhearts were likely to be realised. Still there was sufficient ofcuriosity with all to render them attentive spectators of the passingtroop. Hitherto, it had been imagined, the object of the English was anattack on the encampments of their enemies; but when the gaze of eachadult inhabitant fell on the unaccoutred form of the lone soldier, who, calm though pale, now moved among his comrades in the ignominious garbof death, they could no longer doubt its true destination. 

The aged made the sign of the cross, and mumbled over a short prayerfor the repose of his soul, while the more youthful indulged inhalf-breathed ejaculations of pity and concern that so fine andinteresting a man should be doomed to so dreadful a fate. 

At the farther extremity of the town, and at a bend in the road, whichbranched off more immediately towards the river, stood a small publichouse, whose creaking sign bore three ill executed fleurs-de-lis, apologetic emblems of the arms of France. The building itself waslittle more than a rude log hut, along the front of which ran a plank, supported by two stumps of trees, and serving as a temporaryaccommodation both for the traveller and the inmate. On this benchthree persons, apparently attracted by the beauty of the day and themildness of the autumnal sun, were now seated, two of whom wereleisurely puffing their pipes, while the third, a female, was employedin carding wool, a quantity of which lay in a basket at her feet, whileshe warbled, in a low tone, one of the simple airs of her native land. The elder of the two men, whose age might be about fifty, offerednothing particularly remarkable in his appearance: he was dressed inone of those thick coats made of the common white blanket, which, evento this day, are so generally worn by the Canadians, while his hair, cut square upon the forehead, and tied into a club of nearly a footlong, fell into the cape, or hood, attached to it: his face was ruddyand shining as that of any rival Boniface among the race of thehereditary enemies of his forefathers; and his thick short neck, andround fat person, attested he was no more an enemy to the good thingsof this world than themselves, while he was as little oppressed by itscares: his nether garments were of a coarse blue homespun, and his feetwere protected by that rudest of all rude coverings, the Canadianshoe-pack. This was composed of a single piece of stiff brown leather, curved and puckered round the sides and front, where it was met by atongue of softer material, which helped to confine it in that position, and to form the shoe. A bandana handkerchief fell from his neck uponhis chest; the covering of which was so imperfectly drawn, as todisclose a quantity of long, coarse, black, and grisly hair. 

His companion was habited in a still more extraordinary manner. Hislower limbs were cased, up to the mid-thigh, in leathern leggings, theseam of which was on the outside, leaving a margin, or border, of aboutan inch wide, which had been slit into innumerable small fringes, giving them an air of elegance and lightness: a garter of leather, curiously wrought, with the stained quills of the porcupine, encircledeach leg, immediately under the knee, where it was tied in a bow, andthen suffered to hang pendant half way down the limb; to the fringes ofthe leggings, moreover, were attached numerous dark-coloured hornysubstances, emitting, as they rattled against each other, at theslightest movement of the wearer, a tinkling sound, resembling thatproduced by a number of small thin delicate brass bells; these were thetender hoofs of the wild deer, dried, scraped, and otherwise preparedfor this ornamental purpose. Upon his large feet he wore mocassins, made of the same pliant material with his leggings, and differing inshape from the foot-gear of his companion in this particular only, thatthey had no tongue introduced into the front: they were puckeredtogether by a strong sinew of the deer, until they met along the instepin a seam concealed by the same ornamental quill-work that decoratedthe garters: a sort of flap, fringed like the leggings, was folded backfrom the ankle, upon the sides of the foot, and the whole was confinedby a strong though neat leathern thong, made of smoked deer-skin also, which, after passing once or twice under the foot, was then tightlydrawn several times round the ankle, where it was finally secured. Twostrips of leather, about an inch and a half in width, attached to theouter side of each legging, were made fast at their oppositeextremities to a strong girdle, encircling the loins, and supporting apiece of coarse blue cloth, which, after passing completely under thebody, fell in short flaps both before and behind. The remainder of thedress consisted of a cotton shirt, figured and sprigged on a darkground, that fell unconfined over the person; a close deer-skinhunting-coat, fringed also at its edges; and a coarse common felt hat, in the string of which (for there was no band) were twisted a number ofvariegated feathers, furnished by the most beautiful and rare of theAmerican autumnal birds. Outside this hunting-coat, and across theright shoulder, was flung an ornamented belt, to which were appended, on the left side, and in a line with the elbow, a shot-pouch, made ofthe untanned hide of some wild animal, and a flask for powder, formedof the horn of the buffalo; on which, highly polished for this purpose, were inscribed, with singular accuracy of proportion, a variety offigures, both of men, and birds, and beasts, and fishes; two or threesmall horn measures for powder, and a long thin wire, intended to serveas a pricker for the rifle that reclined against the outside of thehut, were also attached to this belt by strips of deer-skin of aboutsix inches in length. Into another broad leathern belt, that confinedthe hunting coat, was thrust a tomahawk, the glittering head of whichwas uppermost, and unsheathed: while at the opposite side, and halfsupporting the powder-horn, the huge handle of a knife, whose blade wasburied in a strong leathern sheath, was distinctly visible. 

The form and face of this individual were in perfect keeping with thestyle of his costume, and the formidable character of his equipment. His stature was considerably beyond that of the ordinary race of men, and his athletic and muscular limbs united the extremes of strength andactivity in a singular degree. His features, marked and prominent, worea cast of habitual thought, strangely tinctured with ferocity; and thegeneral expression of his otherwise not unhandsome countenance wasrepellent and disdainful. At the first glance he might have been takenfor one of the swarthy natives of the soil; but though time andconstant exposure to scorching suns had given to his complexion a duskyhue, still there were wanting the quick, black, penetrating eye; thehigh cheek-bone; the straight, coarse, shining, black hair; the smallbony hand and foot; and the placidly proud and serious air, by whichthe former is distinguished. His own eye was of a deep bluish grey; hishair short, dark, and wavy; his hands large and muscular; and so farfrom exhibiting any of the self-command of the Indian, the constantplay of his features betrayed each passing thought with the samerapidity with which it was conceived. But if any doubt could haveexisted in the mind of him who beheld this strangely accoutred figure, it would have been instantly dispelled by a glance at his lower limbs. We have already stated the upper part of his leggings terminated aboutmid-thigh; from this to the hip, that portion of the limb wascompletely bare, and disclosed, at each movement of the garment thatwas suffered to fall loosely over it, not the swarthy andcopper-coloured flesh of the Indian, but the pale though sun-burnt skinof one of a more temperate clime. His age might be about forty-five. 

At the moment when the English detachment approached the bend in theroad, these two individuals were conversing earnestly together, pausingonly to puff at intervals thick and wreathing volumes of smoke fromtheir pipes, which were filled with a mixture of tobacco andodoriferous herbs. Presently, however, sounds that appeared familiar tohis ear arrested the attention of the wildly accoutred being we havelast described. It was the heavy roll of the artillery carriagesalready advancing along the road, and somewhat in the rear of the hut. To dash his pipe to the ground, seize and cock and raise his rifle tohis shoulder, and throw himself forward in the eager attitude of onewaiting until the object of his aim should appear in sight, was but thework of a moment. Startled by the suddenness of the action, his malecompanion moved a few paces also from his seat, to discover the causeof this singular movement. The female, on the contrary, stirred not, but ceasing for a moment the occupation in which she had been engaged, fixed her dark and brilliant eyes upon the tall and picturesque form ofthe rifleman, whose active and athletic limbs, thrown into powerfulrelief by the distention of each nerve and muscle, appeared to engrossher whole admiration and interest, without any reference to the causethat had produced this abrupt and hostile change in his movements. Itwas evident that, unlike the other inhabitants of the town, this grouphad been taken by surprise, and were utterly unprepared to expect anything in the shape of interruption. 

For upwards of a minute, during which the march of the men becameaudible even to the ears of the female, the formidable warrior, forsuch his garb denoted him to be, continued motionless in the attitudehe had at first assumed--his right cheek reposing on the ornamentedstock of his rifle, and his quick and steady eye fixed in oneundeviating line with the sight near the breech, and that whichsurmounted the extreme end of the deadly weapon. No sooner, however, had the head of the advancing column come within sight, than thetrigger was pulled, and the small and ragged bullet sped hissing fromthe grooved and delicate barrel. A triumphant cry was next pealed fromthe lips of the warrior, --a cry produced by the quickly repeatedapplication and removal of one hand to and from the mouth, while theother suffered the butt end of the now harmless weapon to fall looselyupon the earth. He then slowly and deliberately withdrew within thecover of the hut. 

This daring action, which had been viewed by the leading troops withastonishment not unmingled with alarm, occasioned a temporary confusionin the ranks, for all believed they had fallen into an ambuscade of theIndians. A halt was instantly commanded by Captain Blessington, inorder to give time to the governor to come up from the rear, while heproceeded with one of the leading sections to reconnoitre the front ofthe hut. To his infinite surprise, however, he found neither enemy, norevidence that an enemy had been there. The only individuals visiblewere the Canadian already alluded to, and the dark-eyed female. Bothwere seated on the bench;--the one smoking his pipe with a well assumedappearance of unconcern--the other carding her wool, but with a handthat by a close observer might be seen to tremble in its office, and acheek that was paler considerably than at the moment when we firstplaced her before the imagination of the reader. Both, however, startedwith unaffected surprise on seeing Captain Blessington and his littleforce turn the corner of the house from the main road; and certainlooks of recognition passed between all parties, that proved them to beno strangers to each other. 

"Ah, monsieur, " said the Canadian, in a mingled dialect, neither Frenchnor English, but partaking in some degree of the idiom of both, whilehe attempted an ease and freedom of manner that was too miserablyaffected to pass current with the mild but observant officer whom headdressed, "how much surprise I am, and glad to see you. It is a longtimes since you came out of de fort. I hope de governeur and de officirbe all very well. I was tinking to go to-day to see if you want anyting. I have got some nice rum of the Jamaique for Capitaine Erskine. Will you please to try some?" While speaking, the voluble host of theFleur de lis had risen from his seat, laid aside his pipe, and nowstood with his hands thrust into the pockets of his blanket coat. 

"It is, indeed, a long time since we have been here, master Francois, "somewhat sarcastically and drily replied Captain Blessington; "and youhave not visited us quite so often latterly yourself, though well awarewe were in want of fresh provisions. I give you all due credit, however, for your intention of coming to-day, but you see we haveanticipated you. Still this is not the point. Where is the Indian whofired at us just now? and how is it we find you leagued with ourenemies?"

"What, sir, is it you say?" asked the Canadian, holding up his handswith feigned astonishment "Me league myself with de savage. Upon myhonour I did not see nobody fire, or I should tell you. I love deEnglish too well to do dem harms. "

"Come, come, Francois, no nonsense. If I cannot make you confess, thereis one not far from me who will. You know Colonel de Haldimar too wellto imagine he will be trifled with in this manner: if he detects you ina falsehood, he will certainly cause you to be hanged up at the firsttree. Take my advice, therefore, and say where you have secreted thisIndian; and recollect, if we fall into an ambuscade, your life will beforfeited at the first shot we hear fired. "

At this moment the governor, followed by his adjutant, came rapidly upto the spot. Captain Blessington communicated the ill success of hisqueries, when the former cast on the terrified Canadian one of thosesevere and searching looks which he so well knew how to assume. 

"Where is the rascal who fired at us, sirrah? tell me instantly, or youhave not five minutes to live. "

The heart of mine host of the Fleur de lis quailed within him at thisformidable threat; and the usually ruddy hue of his countenance had nowgiven place to an ashy paleness. Still, as he had positively denied allknowledge of the matter on which he was questioned, he appeared to feelhis safety lay in adhering to his original statement. Again, therefore, he assured the governor, on his honour (laying his hand upon his heartas he spoke), that what he had already stated was the fact. 

"Your honour--you pitiful trading scoundrel--how dare you talk to me ofyour honour? Come, sir, confess at once where you have secreted thisfellow, or prepare to die. "

"If I may be so bold, your Honour, " said one of Captain Blessington'smen, "the Frenchman lies. When the Ingian fired among us, this fellowwas peeping under his shoulder and watching us also. If I had not seenhim too often at the fort to be mistaken in his person, I should haveknown him, at all events, by his blanket coat and red handkerchief. "

This blunt statement of the soldier, confirmed as it was the instantafterwards by one of his comrades, was damning proof against theCanadian, even if the fact of the rifle being discharged from the frontof the hut had not already satisfied all parties of the falsehood ofhis assertion. 

"Come forward, a couple of files, and seize this villain, " resumed thegovernor with his wonted sternness of manner. "Mr. Lawson, see if hishut does not afford a rope strong enough to hang the traitor from oneof his own apple trees. "

Both parties proceeded at the same moment to execute the two distinctorders of their chief. The Canadian was now firmly secured in the graspof the two men who had given evidence against him, when, seeing all thehorror of the summary and dreadful fate that awaited him, he confessedthe individual who had fired had been sitting with him the instantpreviously, but that he knew no more of him than of any other savageoccasionally calling at the Fleur de lis. He added, that on dischargingthe rifle he had bounded across the palings of the orchard, and fled inthe direction of the forest. He denied, on interrogation, all knowledgeor belief of an enemy waiting in ambush; stating, moreover, even theindividual in question had not been aware of the sortie of thedetachment until apprised of their near approach by the heavy sound ofthe gun-carriages. 

"Here are undeniable proofs of the man's villany, sir, " said theadjutant, returning from the hut and exhibiting objects of new andfearful interest to the governor. "This hat and rope I found secretedin one of the bed-rooms of the auberge. The first is evidentlyDonellan's; and from the hook attached to the latter, I apprehend it tobe the same stated to have been used by Captain de Haldimar in crossingthe ditch. "

The governor took the hat and rope from the hands of his subordinate, examined them attentively, and after a few moments of deep musing, during which his countenance underwent several rapid though scarcelyperceptible changes, turned suddenly and eagerly to the soldier who hadfirst convicted the Canadian in his falsehood, and demanded if he hadseen enough of the man who had fired to be able to give even a generaldescription of his person. 

"Why yes, your Honour, I think I can; for the fellow stood long enoughafter firing his piece, for a painter to have taken him off from headto foot. He was a taller and larger man by far than our biggestgrenadier, and that is poor Harry Donellan, as your Honour knows. Butas for his dress, though I could see it all, I scarcely can tell how todescribe it. All I know is, he was covered with smoked deer-skin, insome such fashion as the great chief Ponteac, only, instead of havinghis head bare and shaved, he wore a strange outlandish sort of a hat, covered over with wild birds' feathers in front. "

"Enough, " interrupted the governor, motioning the man to silence; then, in an undertone to himself, --"By Heaven, the very same. " A shade ofdisappointment, not unmingled with suppressed alarm, passed rapidlyacross his brow; it was but momentary. "Captain Blessington, " heordered quickly and impatiently, "search the hut and grounds for thislurking Indian, who is, no doubt, secreted in the neighbourhood. Quick, quick, sir; there is no time to be lost. " Then in an angry andintimidating tone to the Canadian, who had already dropped on hisknees, supplicating mercy, and vociferating his innocence in the samebreath, --"So, you infernal scoundrel, this is the manner in which youhave repaid our confidence. Where is my son, sir? or have you alreadymurdered him, as you did his servant? Tell me, you villain, what haveyou to say to these proofs of your treachery? But stay, I shall takeanother and fitter opportunity to question you. Mr. Lawson, secure thistraitor properly, and let him be conveyed to the centre of thedetachment. "

The mandate was promptly obeyed; and, in despite of his own unceasingprayers and protestations of innocence, and the tears and entreaties ofhis dark-eyed daughter Babette, who had thrown herself on her knees athis side, the stout arms of mine host of the Fleur de lis were soonfirmly secured behind his back with the strong rope that had been foundunder such suspicious circumstances in his possession. Before he wasmarched off, however, two of the men who had been sent in pursuit, returned from the orchard, stating that further search was nowfruitless. They had penetrated through a small thicket at the extremityof the grounds, and had distinctly seen a man answering the descriptiongiven by their comrades, in full flight towards the forest skirting theheights in front. 

The governor was evidently far from being satisfied with the result ofa search too late instituted to leave even a prospect of success. "Where are the Indians principally encamped, sirrah?" he sternlydemanded of his captive; "answer me truly, or I will carry off thiswench as well, and if a single hair of a man of mine be even singed bya shot from a skulking enemy, you may expect to see her bayonetedbefore your eyes. "

"Ah, my God! Monsieur le Gouverneur, " exclaimed the affrightedaubergiste, "as I am an honest man, I shall tell de truth, but spare mychild. They are all in de forest, and half a mile from de little riverdat runs between dis and de Pork Island. "

"Hog Island, I suppose you mean. "

"Yes sir, de Hog Island is de one I means. "

"Conduct him to the centre, and let him be confronted with theprisoner, " directed the governor, addressing his adjutant; "CaptainBlessington, your men may resume their stations in the ranks. "

The order was obeyed; and notwithstanding the tears and supplicationsof the now highly excited Babette, who flung herself upon his neck, andwas only removed by force, the terrified Canadian was borne off fromhis premises by the troops. 

CHAPTER X. 

While this scene was enacting in front of the Fleur de lis, one of afar more touching and painful nature was passing in the very heart ofthe detachment itself. At the moment when the halt was ordered byCaptain Blessington, a rumour ran through the ranks that they hadreached the spot destined for the execution of their ill-fated comrade. Those only in the immediate front were aware of the true cause; butalthough the report of the rifle had been distinctly heard by all, ithad been attributed by those in the rear to the accidental discharge ofone of their own muskets. A low murmur, expressive of the opiniongenerally entertained, passed gradually from rear to front, until it atlength reached the ears of the delicate drummer boy who marched behindthe coffin. His face was still buried in the collar of his coat; andwhat was left uncovered of his features by the cap, was in some degreehidden by the forward drooping of his head upon his chest. Hitherto hehad moved almost mechanically along, tottering and embarrassing himselfat every step under the cumbrous drum that was suspended from a beltround his neck over the left thigh; but now there was a certainindescribable drawing up of the frame, and tension of the whole person, denoting a concentration of all the moral and physical energies, --asudden working up, as it were, of the intellectual and corporeal beingto some determined and momentous purpose. 

At the first halt of the detachment, the weary supporters of the coffinhad deposited their rude and sombre burden upon the earth, preparatoryto its being resumed by those appointed to relieve them. The dull soundemitted by the hollow fabric, as it touched the ground, caught the earof him for whom it was destined, and he turned to gaze upon the sad andlonely tenement so shortly to become his final resting place. There wasan air of calm composure and dignified sorrow upon his brow, thatinfused respect into the hearts of all who beheld him; and even the menselected to do the duty of executioners sought to evade his glance, ashis steady eye wandered from right to left of the fatal rank. Hisattention, however, was principally directed towards the coffin, whichlay before him; on this he gazed fixedly for upwards of a minute. Hethen turned his eyes in the direction of the fort, shuddered, heaved aprofound sigh, and looking up to heaven with the apparent fervour thatbecame his situation, seemed to pray for a moment or two inwardly anddevoutly. The thick and almost suffocating breathing of one immediatelybeyond the coffin, was now distinctly heard by all. Halloway startedfrom his attitude of devotion, gazed earnestly on the form whence itproceeded, and then wildly extending his arms, suffered a smile ofsatisfaction to illumine his pale features. All eyes were now turnedupon the drummer boy, who, evidently labouring under convulsiveexcitement of feeling, suddenly dashed his cap and instrument to theearth, and flew as fast as his tottering and uncertain steps wouldadmit across the coffin, and into the arms extended to receive him. 

"My Ellen! oh, my own devoted, but too unhappy Ellen!" passionatelyexclaimed the soldier, as he clasped the slight and agitated form ofhis disguised wife to his throbbing heart. "This, this, indeed, is joyeven in death. I thought I could have died more happily without you, but nature tugs powerfully at my heart; and to see you once more, tofeel you once more HERE" (and he pressed her wildly to his chest) "isindeed a bliss that robs my approaching fate of half its terror. "

"Oh Reginald! my dearly beloved Reginald! my murdered husband!"shrieked the unhappy woman; "your Ellen will not survive you. Her heartis already broken, though she cannot weep; but the same grave shallcontain us both. Reginald, do you believe me? I swear it; the samegrave shall contain us both. "

Exhausted with the fatigue and excitement she had undergone, thefaithful and affectionate creature now lay, without sense or motion, inthe arms of her wretched husband. Halloway bore her, unopposed, a paceor two in advance, and deposited her unconscious form on the fatalcoffin. 

No language of ours can render justice to the trying character of thescene. All who witnessed it were painfully affected, and over thebronzed cheek of many a veteran coursed a tear, that, like that ofSterne's recording angel, might have blotted out a catalogue of sins. Although each was prepared to expect a reprimand from the governor, forsuffering the prisoner to quit his station in the ranks, humanity andnature pleaded too powerfully in his behalf, and neither officer norman attempted to interfere, unless with a view to render assistance. Captain Erskine, in particular, was deeply pained, and would have givenany thing to recall the harsh language he had used towards the supposedidle and inattentive drummer boy. Taking from a pocket in his uniform asmall flask of brandy, which he had provided against casualties, thecompassionating officer slightly raised the head of the pale andunconscious woman with one hand, while with the other he introduced afew drops between her parted lips. Halloway knelt at the opposite sideof the coffin; one hand searching, but in vain, the suspended pulse ofhis inanimate wife; the other, unbuttoning the breast of the drum-boy'sjacket, which, with every other part of the equipment, she wore beneaththe loose great coat so effectually accomplishing her disguise. 

Such was the position of the chief actors in this truly distressingdrama, at the moment when Colonel de Haldimar came up with his newprisoner, to mark what effect would be produced on Halloway by hisunexpected appearance. His own surprise and disappointment may beeasily conceived, when, in the form of the recumbent being who seemedto engross universal attention, he recognised, by the fair andstreaming hair, and half exposed bosom, the unfortunate being whom, only two hours previously, he had spurned from his feet in the costumeof her own sex, and reduced, by the violence of her grief, to almostinfantine debility. Question succeeded question to those around, butwithout eliciting any clue to the means by which this mysteriousdisguise had been effected. No one had been aware, until the truth wasso singularly and suddenly revealed, the supposed drummer was any otherthan one of the lads attached to the grenadiers; and as for the otherfacts, they spoke too plainly to the comprehension of the governor toneed explanation. Once more, however, the detachment was called toorder. Halloway struck his hand violently upon his brow, kissed the wanlips of his still unconscious wife, breathing, as he did so, a halfmurmured hope she might indeed be the corpse she appeared. He thenraised himself from the earth with a light and elastic vet firmmovement, and resumed the place he had previously occupied, where, tohis surprise, he beheld a second victim bound, and, apparently, devotedto the same death. When the eyes of the two unhappy men met, thegovernor closely watched the expression of the countenance of each; butalthough the Canadian started on beholding the soldier, it might bemerely because he saw the latter arrayed in the garb of death, andfollowed by the most unequivocal demonstrations of a doom to which hehimself was, in all probability, devoted. As for Halloway, his lookbetrayed neither consciousness nor recognition; and though too proud toexpress complaint or to give vent to the feelings of his heart, hiswhole soul appeared to be absorbed in the unhappy partner of hisluckless destiny. Presently he saw her borne, and in the same state ofinsensibility, in the arms of Captain Erskine and Lieutenant Leslie, towards the hut of his fellow prisoner, and he heard the former officerenjoin the weeping girl, Babette, to whose charge they delivered herover, to pay every attention to her her situation might require. Thedetachment then proceeded. 

The narrow but deep and rapid river alluded to by the Canadian, asrunning midway between the town and Hog Island, derived its source farwithin the forest, and formed the bed of one of those wild, dark, andthickly wooded ravines so common in America. As it neared the Detroit, however, the abruptness of its banks was so considerably lessened, asto render the approach to it on the town side over an almostimperceptible slope. Within a few yards of its mouth, as we havealready observed in our introductory chapter, a rude but strong woodenbridge, over which lay the high road, had been constructed by theFrench; and from the centre of this, all the circuit of intermediateclearing, even to the very skirt of the forest, was distinctlycommanded by the naked eye. To the right, on approaching it from thetown, lay the adjacent shores of Canada, washed by the broad waters ofthe Detroit, on which it was thrown into strong relief, and which, atthe distance of about a mile in front, was seen to diverge into twodistinct channels, pursuing each a separate course, until they againmet at the western extremity of Hog Island. On the left, and in thefront, rose a succession of slightly undulating hills, which, at adistance of little more than half a mile, terminated in an elevationconsiderably above the immediate level of the Detroit side of theravine. That, again, was crowned with thick and overhanging forest, taking its circular sweep, as we have elsewhere shown, around the fort. The intermediate ground was studded over with rude stumps of trees, andbore, in various directions, distinct proofs of the spoliation wroughtamong the infant possessions of the murdered English settlers. The viewto the rear was less open; the town being partially hidden by thefruit-laden orchards that lined the intervening high road, and hungprincipally on its left. This was not the case with the fort. Betweenthese orchards and the distant forest lay a line of open country, fullycommanded by its cannon, even to the ravine we have described, and in asweep that embraced every thing from the bridge itself to the forest, in which all traces of its source was lost. 

When the detachment had arrived within twenty yards of the bridge, theywere made to file off to the left, until the last gun had come up. Theywere then fronted; the rear section of Captain Erskine's companyresting on the road, and the left flank, covered by the two first gunspointed obliquely, both in front and rear, to guard against surprise, in the event of any of the Indians stealing round to the cover of theorchards. The route by which they had approached this spot was upwardsof two miles in extent; but, as they now filed off into the openground, the leading sections observed, in a direct line over thecleared country, and at the distance of little more than three quartersof a mile, the dark ramparts of the fortress that contained theircomrades, and could even distinguish the uniforms of the officers andmen drawn up in line along the works, where they were evidentlyassembled to witness the execution of the sentence on Halloway. 

Such a sight as that of the English so far from their fort, was notlikely to escape the notice of the Indians. Their encampment, as theCanadian had truly stated, lay within the forest, and beyond theelevated ground already alluded to; and to have crossed the ravine, orventured out of reach of the cannon of the fort, would have been tohave sealed the destruction of the detachment. But the officer to whomtheir security was entrusted, although he had his own particular viewsfor venturing thus far, knew also at what point to stop; and such wasthe confidence of his men in his skill and prudence, they would havefearlessly followed wherever he might have chosen to lead. Still, evenamid all the solemnity of preparation attendant on the duty they wereout to perform, there was a natural and secret apprehensiveness abouteach, that caused him to cast his eyes frequently and fixedly on thatpart of the forest which was known to afford cover to their mercilessfoes. At times they fancied they beheld the dark and flitting forms ofmen gliding from tree to tree along the skirt of the wood; but whenthey gazed again, nothing of the kind was to be seen, and the illusionwas at once ascribed to the heavy state of the atmosphere, and theaction of their own precautionary instincts. 

Meanwhile the solemn tragedy of death was preparing in mournfulsilence. On the centre of the bridge, and visible to those even withinthe fort, was placed the coffin of Halloway, and at twelve paces infront were drawn up the six rank and file on whom had devolved, by lot, the cruel duty of the day. With calm and fearless eye the prisonersurveyed the preparations for his approaching end; and whatever mightbe the inward workings of his mind, there was not among the assembledsoldiery one individual whose countenance betrayed so little of sorrowand emotion as his own. With a firm step, when summoned, he movedtowards the fatal coffin, dashing his cap to the earth as he advanced, and baring his chest with the characteristic contempt of death of thesoldier. When he had reached the centre of the bridge, he turned facinghis comrades, and knelt upon the coffin. Captain Blessington, who, permitted by the governor, had followed him with a sad heart and heavystep, now drew a Prayer-book from his pocket, and read from it in a lowvoice. He then closed the volume, listened to something the prisonerearnestly communicated to him, received a small packet which he drewfrom the bosom of his shirt, shook him long and cordially by the hand, and then hastily resumed his post at the head of the detachment. 

The principal inhabitants of the village, led by curiosity, hadfollowed at a distance to witness the execution of the condemnedsoldier: and above the heads of the line, and crowning the slope, werecollected groups of both sexes and of all ages, that gave a still moreimposing character to the scene. Every eye was now turned upon thefiring party, who only awaited the signal to execute their melancholyoffice, when suddenly, in the direction of the forest, and upon theextreme height, there burst the tremendous and deafening yells ofupwards of a thousand savages. For an instant Halloway was forgotten inthe instinctive sense of individual danger, and all gazed eagerly toascertain the movements of their enemy. Presently a man, naked to thewaist, his body and face besmeared with streaks of black and red paint, and his whole attitude expressing despair and horror, was seen flyingdown the height with a rapidity proportioned to the extreme peril inwhich he stood. At about fifty paces in his rear followed a dozenbounding, screaming Indians, armed with uplifted tomahawks, whoseanxiety in pursuit lent them a speed that even surpassed the efforts offlight itself. It was evident the object of the pursued was to reachthe detachment, that of the pursuers to prevent him. The struggle wasmaintained for a few moments with equality, but in the end the latterwere triumphant, and at each step the distance that separated thembecame less. At the first alarm, the detachment, with the exception ofthe firing party, who still occupied their ground, had been thrown intosquare, and, with a gun planted in each angle, awaited the attackmomentarily expected. But although the heights were now alive with thedusky forms of naked warriors, who, from the skirt of the forest, watched the exertions of their fellows, the pursuit of the wretchedfugitive was confined to these alone. Foremost of the latter, anddistinguished by his violent exertions and fiendish cries, was the talland wildly attired warrior of the Fleur de lis. At every bound he tookhe increased the space that divided him from his companions, andlessened that which kept him from his panting and nearly exhaustedvictim. Already were they descending the nearest of the undulatinghills, and both now became conspicuous objects to all around; butprincipally the pursuer, whose gigantic frame and extraordinary speedriveted every eye, even while the interest of all was excited for thewretched fugitive alone. 

At that moment Halloway, who had been gazing on the scene with anastonishment little inferior to that of his comrades, sprang suddenlyto his feet upon the coffin, and waving his hand in the direction ofthe pursuing enemy, shouted aloud in a voice of mingled joy andtriumph, --

"Ha! Almighty God, I thank thee! Here, here comes one who alone has thepower to snatch me from my impending doom. "

"By Heaven, the traitor confesses, and presumes to triumph in hisguilt, " exclaimed the voice of one, who, while closely attending toevery movement of the Indians, was also vigilantly watching the effectlikely to be produced on the prisoner by this unexpected interruption. "Corporal, do your duty. "

"Stay, stay--one moment stay!" implored Halloway with uplifted hands. 

"Do your duty, sir, " fiercely repeated the governor. 

"Oh stop--for God's sake, stop! Another moment and he will be here, andI--"

He said no more--a dozen bullets penetrated his body--one passeddirectly through his heart. He leaped several feet in the air, and thenfell heavily, a lifeless bleeding corpse, across the coffin. 

Meanwhile the pursuit of the fugitive was continued, but by the warriorof the Fleur de lis alone. Aware of their inefficiency to keep pacewith this singular being, his companions had relinquished the chace, and now stood resting on the brow of the hill where the wretchedHalloway had first recognised his supposed deliverer, watching eagerly, though within musket shot of the detachment, the result of a race onwhich so much apparently depended. Neither party, however, attempted tointerfere with the other, for all eyes were now turned on the flyingman and his pursuer with an interest that denoted the extraordinaryefforts of the one to evade and the other to attain the accomplishmentof his object. Although the exertions of the former had beenstupendous, such was the eagerness and determination of the latter, that at each step he gained perceptibly on his victim. The immediatecourse taken was in a direct line for the ravine, which it evidentlywas the object of the fugitive to clear at its nearest point. Alreadyhad he approached within a few paces of its brink, and every eye wasfastened on the point where it was expected the doubtful leap would betaken, when suddenly, as if despairing to accomplish it at a bound, heturned to the left, and winding along its bank, renewed his efforts inthe direction of the bridge. This movement occasioned a change in theposition of the parties which was favourable to the pursued. Hithertothey had been so immediately on a line with each other, it wasimpossible for the detachment to bring a musket to bear upon thewarrior, without endangering him whose life they were anxious topreserve. For a moment or two his body was fairly exposed, and a dozenmuskets were discharged at intervals from the square, but all withoutsuccess. Recovering his lost ground, he soon brought the pursued againin a line between himself and the detachment, edging rapidly nearer tohim as he advanced, and uttering terrific yells, that were echoed backfrom his companions on the brow of the hill. It was evident, however, his object was the recapture, not the destruction, of the flying man, for more than once did he brandish his menacing tomahawk in rapidsweeps around his head, as if preparing to dart it, and as often did hecheck the movement. The scene at each succeeding moment became morecritical and intensely interesting. The strength of the pursued was nownearly exhausted, while that of his formidable enemy seemed to sufferno diminution. Leap after leap he took with fearful superiority, sideling as he advanced. Already had he closed upon his victim, whilewith a springing effort a large and bony hand was extended to securehis shoulder in his grasp. The effort was fatal to him; for in reachingtoo far he lost his balance, and fell heavily upon the sward. A shoutof exultation burst from the English troops, and numerous voices nowencouraged the pursued to renew his exertions. The advice was not lost;and although only a few seconds had elapsed between the fall andrecovery of his pursuer, the wretched fugitive had already greatlyincreased the distance that separated them. A cry of savage rage anddisappointment burst from the lips of the gigantic warrior; andconcentrating all his remaining strength and speed into one finaleffort, he bounded and leapt like a deer of the forest whence he came. The opportunity for recapture, however, had been lost in his fall, foralready the pursued was within a few feet of the high road, and on thepoint of turning the extremity of the bridge. One only resource was nowleft: the warrior suddenly checked himself in his course, and remainedstationary; then raising and dropping his glittering weapon severaltimes in a balancing position, he waited until the pursued had gainedthe highest point of the open bridge. At that moment the glitteringsteel, aimed with singular accuracy and precision, ran whistlingthrough the air, and with such velocity of movement as to be almostinvisible to the eyes of those who attempted to follow it in itsthreatening course. All expected to see it enter into the brain againstwhich it had been directed; but the fugitive had marked the movement intime to save himself by stooping low to the earth, while the weapon, passing over him, entered with a deadly and crashing sound into thebrain of the weltering corpse. This danger passed, he sprang once moreto his feet, nor paused again in his flight, until, faint andexhausted, he sank without motion under the very bayonets of the firingparty. 

A new direction was now given to the interest of the assembled anddistinct crowds that had witnessed these startling incidents. Scarcelyhad the wretched man gained the protection of the soldiery, when ashriek divided the air, so wild, so piercing, and so unearthly, thateven the warrior of the Fleur de lis seemed to lose sight of hisvictim, in the harrowing interest produced by that dreadful scream. Allturned their eyes for a moment in the quarter whence it proceeded; whenpresently, from behind the groups of Canadians crowning the slope, wasseen flying, with the rapidity of thought, one who resembled rather aspectre than a being of earth;--it was the wife of Halloway. Her longfair hair was wild and streaming--her feet, and legs, and arms werenaked--and one solitary and scanty garment displayed rather thanconcealed the symmetry of her delicate person. She flew to the fatalbridge, threw herself on the body of her bleeding husband, andimprinting her warm kisses on his bloody lips, for a moment or twopresented the image of one whose reason has fled for ever. Suddenly shestarted from the earth; her face, her hands, and her garment sosaturated with the blood of her husband, that a feeling of horror creptthroughout the veins of all who beheld her. She stood upon the coffin, and across the corpse--raised her eyes and hands imploringly toHeaven--and then, in accents wilder even than her words, uttered animprecation that sounded like the prophetic warning of some unholyspirit. 

"Inhuman murderer!" she exclaimed, in tones that almost paralysed theears on which it fell, "if there be a God of justice and of truth, hewill avenge this devilish deed. Yes, Colonel de Haldimar, a propheticvoice whispers to my soul, that even as I have seen perish before myeyes all I loved on earth, without mercy and without hope, so evenshall you witness the destruction of your accursed race. Here--here--here, " and she pointed downwards, with singular energy ofaction, to the corpse of her husband, "here shall their blood flow tillevery vestige of his own is washed away; and oh, if there be spared onebranch of thy detested family, may it only be that they may be reservedfor some death too horrible to be conceived!"

Overcome by the frantic energy with which she had uttered theseappalling words, she sank backwards, and fell, uttering another shriek, into the arms of the warrior of the Fleur de lis. 

"Hear you this, Colonel de Haldimar?" shouted the latter in a fierceand powerful voice, and in the purest English accent; "hear you thecurse and prophecy of this heart-broken woman? You have slain herhusband, but she has found another. Ay, she shall be my bride, if onlyfor her detestation of yourself. When next you see us here, " hethundered, "tremble for your race. Ha, ha, ha! no doubt this is anothervictim of your cold and calculating guile; but it shall be the last. ByHeaven, my very heart leaps upward in anticipation of thy coming hour. Woman, thy hatred to this man has made me love thee; yes, thou shall bemy bride, and with my plans of vengeance will I woo thee. By this kissI swear it. "

As he spoke, he bent his face over that of the pale and inanimatewoman, and pressed his lips to hers, yet red and moist with blood spotsfrom the wounds of her husband. Then wresting, with a violent effort, his reeking tomahawk from the cranched brain of the unfortunatesoldier, and before any one could recover sufficiently from the effectof the scene altogether to think even of interfering, he bore off hisprize in triumph, and fled, with nearly the same expedition he hadpreviously manifested, in the direction of the forest. 

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 

 * * * * * * * * *

WACOUSTA;

 or

THE PROPHECY. 

Volume Two of Three

by

John Richardson

CHAPTER I. 

It was on the evening of that day, so fertile in melancholy incident, to which our first volume has been devoted, that the drawbridge ofDetroit was, for the third time since the investment of the garrison, lowered; not, as previously, with a disregard of the intimation thatmight be given to those without by the sullen and echoing rattle of itsponderous chains, but with a caution attesting how much secrecy ofpurpose was sought to be preserved. There was, however, no array ofarmed men within the walls, that denoted an expedition of a hostilecharacter. Overcome with the harassing duties of the day, the chiefportion of the troops had retired to rest, and a few groups of theguard alone were to be seen walking up and down in front of their post, apparently with a view to check the influence of midnight drowsiness, but, in reality, to witness the result of certain preparations going onby torchlight in the centre of the barrack square. 

In the midst of an anxious group of officers, comprising nearly all ofthat rank within the fort, stood two individuals, attired in a costumehaving nothing in common with the gay and martial habiliments of theformer. They were tall, handsome young men, whose native elegance ofcarriage was but imperfectly hidden under an equipment evidentlyadopted for, and otherwise fully answering, the purpose of disguise. Ablue cotton shell jacket, closely fitting to the person, trowsers ofthe same material, a pair of strong deer-skin mocassins, and a colouredhandkerchief tied loosely round the collar of a checked shirt, thewhole surmounted by one of those rough blanket coats, elsewheredescribed, formed the principal portion of their garb. Each, moreover, wore a false queue of about nine inches in length, the effect of whichwas completely to change the character of the countenance, and lend tothe features a Canadian-like expression. A red worsted cap, resemblinga bonnet de nuit, was thrown carelessly over the side of the head, which could, at any moment, when deeper disguise should be deemednecessary, command the additional protection of the rude hood that fellback upon the shoulders from the collar of the coat to which it wasattached. They were both well armed. Into a broad belt, that encircledthe jacket of each, were thrust a brace of pistols and a strong dagger;the whole so disposed, however, as to be invisible when the outergarment was closed: this, again, was confined by a rude sash of worstedof different colours, not unlike, in texture and quality, what is wornby our sergeants at the present day. They were otherwise armed, however, and in a less secret manner. Across the right shoulder of eachwas thrown a belt of worsted also, to which were attached a rude powderhorn and shot pouch, with a few straggling bullets, placed there as ifrather by accident than design. Each held carelessly in his left hand, and with its butt resting on the earth, a long gun; completing anappearance, the attainment of which had, in all probability, beensedulously sought, --that of a Canadian duck-hunter. 

A metamorphosis so ludicrously operated in the usually elegant costumeof two young English officers, --for such they were, --might have beenexpected to afford scope to the pleasantry of their companions, and tocall forth those sallies which the intimacy of friendship and thefreemasonry of the profession would have fully justified. But theevents that had occurred in such rapid succession, since the precedingmidnight, were still painfully impressed on the recollection of all, and some there were who looked as if they never would smile again;neither laugh nor jeering, therefore, escaped the lips of one of thesurrounding group. Every countenance wore a cast of thought, --acharacter of abstraction, ill suited to the indulgence of levity; andthe little conversation that passed between them was in a low andserious tone. It was evident some powerful and absorbing dread existedin the mind of each, inducing him rather to indulge in communion withhis own thoughts and impressions, than to communicate them to others. Even the governor himself had, for a moment, put off the dignity anddistance of his usually unapproachable nature, to assume an air ofunfeigned concern, and it might be dejection, contrasting strongly withhis habitual haughtiness. Hitherto he had been walking to and fro, alittle apart from the group, and with a hurriedness and indecision ofmovement that betrayed to all the extreme agitation of his mind. Foronce, however, he appeared to be insensible to observation, or, if notinsensible, indifferent to whatever comments might be formed orexpressed by those who witnessed his undissembled emotion. He was atlength interrupted by the adjutant, who communicated something in a lowvoice. 

"Let him be brought up, Mr. Lawson, " was the reply. Then advancing intothe heart of the group, and addressing the two adventurers, heenquired, in a tone that startled from its singular mildness, "if theywere provided with every thing they required. "

An affirmative reply was given, when the governor, taking the taller ofthe young men aside, conversed with him earnestly, and in a tone ofaffection strangely blended with despondency. The interview, however, was short, for Mr. Lawson now made his appearance, conducting anindividual who has already been introduced to our readers. It was theCanadian of the Fleur de lis. The adjutant placed a small woodencrucifix in the hands of the governor. 

"Francois, " said the latter, impressively, "you know the terms on whichI have consented to spare your life. Swear, then, by this cross; thatyou will be faithful to your trust; that neither treachery nor evasionshall be practised; and that you will, to the utmost of your power, aidin conveying these gentlemen to their destination. Kneel and swear it. "

"I do swear it!" fervently repeated the aubergiste, kneeling andimprinting his lips with becoming reverence on the symbol of martyrdom. "I swear to do dat I shall engage, and may de bon Dieu have mercy to mysoul as I shall fulfil my oat. "

"Amen, " pronounced the governor, "and may Heaven deal by you even asyou deal by us. Bear in mind, moreover, that as your treachery will bepunished, so also shall your fidelity be rewarded. But the night wearsapace, and ye have much to do. " Then turning to the young officers whowere to be his companions, --"God bless you both; may your enterprise besuccessful! I fear, " offering his hand to the younger, "I have spokenharshly to you, but at a moment like the present you will no longercherish a recollection of the unpleasant past. "

The only answer was a cordial return of his own pressure. The Canadianin his turn now announced the necessity for instant departure, when theyoung men, following his example, threw their long guns carelessly overthe left shoulder. Low, rapid, and fervent adieus were uttered on bothsides; and although the hands of the separating parties met only in ashort and hurried grasp, there was an expression in the touch of eachthat spoke to their several hearts long after the separation hadactually taken place. 

"Stay one moment!" exclaimed a voice, as the little party now movedtowards the gateway; "ye are both gallantly enough provided without, but have forgotten there is something quite as necessary to sustain theinward man. Duck shooting, you know, is wet work. The last lips thatwere moistened from this, " he proceeded, as the younger of thedisguised men threw the strap of the proffered canteen over hisshoulder, "were those of poor Ellen Halloway. "

The mention of that name, so heedlessly pronounced by the brave butinconsiderate Erskine, produced a startling effect on the taller of thedeparting officers. He struck his brow violently with his hand, uttereda faint groan, and bending his head upon his chest, stood in anattitude expressive of the deep suffering of his mind. The governor, too, appeared agitated; and sounds like those of suppressed sobs camefrom one who lingered at the side of him who had accepted the offer ofthe canteen. The remainder of the officers preserved a deep andmournful silence. 

"It is times dat we should start, " again observed the Canadian, "or weshall be taken by de daylight before we can clear de river. "

This intimation once more aroused the slumbering energies of the tallerofficer. Again he drew up his commanding figure, extended his hand tothe governor in silence, and turning abruptly round, hastened to followclose in the footsteps of his conductor. 

"You will not forget all I have said to you, " whispered the voice ofone who had reserved his parting for the last, and who now held thehand of the younger adventurer closely clasped in his own. "Think, oh, think how much depends on the event of your dangerous enterprise. "

"When you behold me again, " was the reply, "it will be with smiles onmy lip and gladness in my heart; for if we fail, there is that withinme, which whispers I shall never see you more. But keep up yourspirits, and hope for the best. We embark under cheerless auspices, itis true; but let us trust to Providence for success in so good acause, --God bless you!"

In the next minute he had joined his companions; who, with light andnoiseless tread, were already pursuing their way along the militaryroad that led to the eastern extremity of the town. Soon afterwards, the heavy chains of the drawbridge were heard grating on the ear, indespite of the evident caution used in restoring it to its wontedposition, and all again was still. 

It had at first been suggested their course should be held in anangular direction across the cleared country alluded to in our lastchapter, in order to avoid all chance of recognition in the town; butas this might have led them into more dangerous contact with some ofthe outlying parties of Indians, who were known to prowl around thefort at night, this plan had been abandoned for the more circuitous andsafe passage by the village. Through this our little party now pursuedtheir way, and without encountering aught to impede their progress. Thesimple mannered inhabitants had long since retired to rest, and neitherlight nor sound denoted the existence of man or beast within itsprecincts. At length they reached that part of the road which turnedoff abruptly in the direction of the Fleur de lis. The rude hut threwits dark shadows across their path, but all was still and deathlike asin the village they had just quitted. Presently, however, as they drewnearer, they beheld, reflected from one of the upper windows, a faintlight that fell upon the ground immediately in front of the auberge;and, at intervals, the figure of a human being approaching and recedingfrom it as if in the act of pacing the apartment. 

An instinctive feeling of danger rose at the same moment to the heartsof the young officers; and each, obeying the same impulse, unfastenedone of the large horn buttons of his blanket coat, and thrust his righthand into the opening. 

"Francois, recollect your oath, " hastily aspirated the elder, as hegrasped the hand of their conductor rather in supplication than inthreat; "if there be aught to harm us here, your own life will mostassuredly pay the forfeit of your faith. "

"It is noting but a womans, " calmly returned the Canadian; "it is myBabette who is sorry at my loss. But I shall come and tell youdirectly. "

He then stole gently round the corner of the hut, leaving his anxiouscompanions in the rear of the little building, and completely veiled inthe obscurity produced by the mingling shadows of the hut itself, and afew tall pear trees that overhung the paling of the orchard at someyards from the spot on which they stood. 

They waited some minutes to hear the result of the Canadian'sadmittance into his dwelling; but although each with suppressedbreathing sought to catch those sounds of welcome with which a daughtermight be supposed to greet a parent so unexpectedly restored, theylistened in vain. At length, however, while the ears of both were onthe rack to drink in the tones of a human voice, a faint scream floatedon the hushed air, and all again was still. 

"Good!" whispered the elder of the officers; "that scream is sweeter tomy ear than the softest accents of woman's love. It is evident theordinary tones of speech cannot find their way to us here from thefront of the hut. The faintness of yon cry, which was unquestionablythat of a female, is a convincing proof of it. "

"Hist!" urged his companion, in the same almost inaudible whisper, "what sound was that?"

Both again listened attentively, when the noise was repeated. It camefrom the orchard, and resembled the sound produced by the faint crashof rotten sticks and leaves under the cautious but unavoidably rendingtread of a human foot. At intervals it ceased, as if the persontreading, alarmed at his own noise, was apprehensive of betraying hisapproach; and then recommenced, only to be checked in the same manner. Finally it ceased altogether. 

For upwards of five minutes the young men continued to listen for arenewal of the sound, but nothing was now audible, save the short andfitful gusts of a rising wind among the trees of the orchard. 

"It must have been some wild animal in search of its prey, " againwhispered the younger officer; "had it been a man, we should have heardhim leap the paling before this. "

"By Heaven, we are betrayed, --here he is, " quickly rejoined the other, in the same low tone. "Keep close to the hut, and stand behind me. Ifmy dagger fail, you must try your own. But fire not, on your life, unless there be more than two, for the report of a pistol will be thedestruction of ourselves and all that are dear to us. "

Each with uplifted arm now stood ready to strike, even while his heartthrobbed with a sense of danger, that had far more than the mere dreadof personal suffering or death to stimulate to exertion inself-defence. Footsteps were now distinctly heard stealing round thatpart of the hut which bordered on the road; and the young men turnedfrom the orchard, to which their attention had previously beendirected, towards the new quarter whence they were intruded upon. 

It was fortunate this mode of approach had been selected. That part ofthe hut which rested on the road was so exposed as to throw the outlineof objects into strong relief, whereas in the direction of the thicklywooded orchard all was impenetrable gloom. Had the intruder stolenunannounced upon the alarmed but determined officers by the latterroute, the dagger of the first would in all probability have beenplunged to its hilt in his bosom. As it was, each had sufficientpresence of mind to distinguish, as it now doubled the corner of thehut, and reposed upon the road, the stout square-set figure of theCanadian. The daggers were instantly restored to their sheaths, andeach, for the first time since the departure of their companion, respired freely. 

"It is quite well, " whispered the latter as he approached. "It was mypoor Babette, who tought I was gone to be kill. She scream so loud, asif she had seen my ghost. But we must wait a few minute in de house, and you shall see how glad my girl is to see me once again. "

"Why this delay, Francois? why not start directly?" urged the tallerofficer; "we shall never clear the river in time; and if the dawncatches us in the waters of the Detroit, we are lost for ever. "

"But you see I am not quite prepare yet, " was the answer. "I have manytings to get ready for de canoe, which I have not use for a long times. But you shall not wait ten minute, if you do not like. Dere is a goodfire, and Babette shall give you some ting to eat while I get it allready. "

The young men hesitated. The delay of the Canadian, who had sorepeatedly urged the necessity for expedition while in the fort, had, to say the least of it, an appearance of incongruity. Still it wasevident, if disposed to harm them, he had full opportunity to do sowithout much risk of effectual opposition from themselves. Under allcircumstances, therefore, it was advisable rather to appear to confideimplicitly in his truth, than, by manifesting suspicion, to pique hisself-love, and neutralize whatever favourable intentions he mightcherish in their behalf. In this mode of conduct they were confirmed, by a recollection of the sacredness attached by the religion of theirconductor to the oath so solemnly pledged on the symbol of the cross, and by a conviction of the danger of observation to which they stoodexposed, if, as they had apprehended, it was actually a human footstepthey had heard in the orchard. This last recollection suggested aremark. 

"We heard a strange sound within the orchard, while waiting here foryour return, " said the taller officer; "it was like the footstep of aman treading cautiously over rotten leaves and branches. How do youaccount for it?"

"Oh, it was my pigs, " replied the Canadian, without manifesting theslightest uneasiness at the information. "They run about in de orchardfor de apples what blows down wid de wind. "

"It could not be a pig we heard, " pursued his questioner; "but anotherthing, Francois, before we consent to enter the hut, --how will youaccount to your daughter for our presence? and what suspicion may shenot form at seeing two armed strangers in company with you at thisunseasonable hour. "

"I have tell her, " replied the Canadian, "dat I have bring two friends, who go wid me in de canoe to shoot de ducks for two tree days. Youknow, sir, I go always in de fall to kill de ducks wid my friends, andshe will not tink it strange. "

"You have managed well, my brave fellow; and now we follow you inconfidence. But in the name of Heaven, use all possible despatch, andif money will lend a spur to your actions, you shall have plenty of itwhen our enterprise has been accomplished. "

Our adventurers followed their conductor in the track by which he hadso recently rejoined them. As they turned the corner of the hut, theyounger, who brought up the rear, fancied he again heard a sound in thedirection of the orchard, resembling that of one lightly leaping to theground. A gust of wind, however, passing rapidly at the moment throughthe dense foliage, led him to believe it might have been produced bythe sullen fall of one of the heavy fruits it had detached in itscourse. Unwilling to excite new and unnecessary suspicion in hiscompanion, he confined the circumstance to his own breast, and followedinto the hut. 

After ascending a flight of about a dozen rude steps, they foundthemselves in a small room, furnished with no other ceiling than thesloping roof itself, and lighted by an unwieldy iron lamp, placed on aheavy oak table, near the only window with which the apartment wasprovided. This latter had suffered much from the influence of time andtempest; and owing to the difficulty of procuring glass in so remote aregion, had been patched with slips of paper in various parts. The twocorner and lower panes of the bottom sash were out altogether, and pineshingles, such as are used even at the present day for covering theroofs of dwelling houses, had been fitted into the squares, excludingair and light at the same time. The centre pane of this tier was, however, clear and free from flaw of every description. Opposite to thewindow blazed a cheerful wood fire, recently supplied with fuel; and atone of the inner corners of the room was placed a low uncurtained bed, that exhibited marks of having been lain in since it was last made. Ona chair at its side were heaped a few dark-looking garments, theprecise nature of which were not distinguishable at a cursory anddistant glance. 

Such were the more remarkable features of the apartment into which ouradventurers were now ushered. Both looked cautiously around onentering, as if expecting to find it tenanted by spirits as daring astheir own; but, with the exception of the daughter of their conductor, whose moist black eyes expressed, as much by tears as by smiles, thejoy she felt at this unexpected return of her parent, no living objectmet their enquiring glance. The Canadian placed a couple ofrush-bottomed chairs near the fire, invited his companions to seatthemselves until he had completed his preparation for departure, andthen, desiring Babette to hasten supper for the young hunters, quittedthe room and descended the stairs. 

CHAPTER II. 

The position of the young men was one of embarrassment; for while thedaughter, who was busied in executing the command of her father, remained in the room, it was impossible they could converse togetherwithout betraying the secret of their country, and, as a result ofthis, the falsehood of the character under which they appeared. Longresidence in the country had, it is true, rendered the patois of thatclass of people whom they personated familiar to one, but the otherspoke only the pure and native language of which it was a corruption. It might have occurred to them at a cooler moment, and under lesscritical circumstances, that, even if their disguise had beenpenetrated, it was unlikely a female, manifesting so much livelyaffection for her parent, would have done aught to injure those withwhom he had evidently connected himself. But the importance attached totheir entire security from danger left them but little room forreflections of a calming character, while a doubt of that securityremained. 

One singularity struck them both. They had expected the young woman, urged by a natural curiosity, would have commenced a conversation, evenif they did not; and he who spoke the patois was prepared to sustain itas well as his anxious and overcharged spirit would enable him; and ashe was aware the morning had furnished sufficient incident of fearfulinterest, he had naturally looked for a verbal re-enactment of theharrowing and dreadful scene. To their surprise, however, they bothremarked that, far from evincing a desire to enter into conversation, the young woman scarcely ever looked at them, but lingered constantlynear the table, and facing the window. Still, to avoid an appearance ofsingularity on their own parts as far as possible, the elder of theofficers motioned to his companion, who, following his example, took asmall pipe and some tobacco from a compartment in his shot pouch, andcommenced puffing the wreathing smoke from his lips, --an occupation, more than any other, seeming to justify their silence. 

The elder officer sat with his back to the window, and immediately infront of the fire; his companion, at a corner of the rude hearth, andin such a manner that, without turning his head, he could command everypart of the room at a glance. In the corner facing him stood the bedalready described. A faint ray of the fire-light fell on some minuteobject glittering in the chair, the contents of which were heaped up indisorder. Urged by that wayward curiosity, which is sometimes excited, even under circumstances of the greatest danger and otherwise absorbinginterest, the young man kicked the hickory log that lay nearest to itwith his mocassined foot, and produced a bright crackling flame, thereflection of which was thrown entirely upon the object of his gaze; itwas a large metal button, on which the number of his regiment wasdistinctly visible. Unable to check his desire to know further, he lefthis seat, to examine the contents of the chair. As he moved across theroom, he fancied he heard a light sound from without; his companion, also, seemed to manifest a similar impression by an almostimperceptible start; but the noise was so momentary, and so fanciful, neither felt it worth his while to pause upon the circumstance. Theyoung officer now raised the garments from the chair: they consisted ofa small grey great-coat, and trowsers, a waistcoat of coarse whitecloth, a pair of worsted stockings, and the half-boots of a boy; thewhole forming the drum-boy's equipment, worn by the wretched wife ofHalloway when borne senseless into the hut on that fatal morning. Hastily quitting a dress that called up so many dreadful recollections, and turning to his companion with a look that denoted apprehension, lest he too should have beheld these melancholy remembrances of theharrowing scene, the young officer hastened to resume his seat. In theact of so doing, his eye fell upon the window, at which the femalestill lingered. Had a blast from Heaven struck his sight, the terror ofhis soul could not have been greater. He felt his cheek to pale, andhis hair to bristle beneath his cap, while the checked blood creptslowly and coldly, as if its very function had been paralysed; still hehad presence of mind sufficient not to falter in his step, or tobetray, by any extraordinary movement, that his eye had rested on anything hateful to behold. 

His companion had emptied his first pipe, and was in the act ofrefilling it, when he resumed his seat. He was evidently impatient atthe delay of the Canadian, and already were his lips opening to giveutterance to his disappointment, when he felt his foot significantlypressed by that of his friend. An instinctive sense of somethingfearful that was to ensue, but still demanding caution on his part, prevented him from turning hastily round to know the cause. Satisfied, however, there was danger, though not of an instantaneous character, heput his pipe gently by, and stealing his hand under his coat, againgrasped the hilt of his dagger. At length he slowly and partiallyturned his head, while his eyes inquiringly demanded of his friend thecause of his alarm. 

Partly to aid in concealing his increasing paleness, and partly with aview to render it a medium for the conveyance of subdued sound, thehand of the latter was raised to his face in such a manner that themotion of his lips could not be distinguished from behind. 

"We are betrayed, " he scarcely breathed. "If you can command yourself, turn and look at the window; but for God's sake arm yourself withresolution, or look not at all: first draw the hood over your head, andwithout any appearance of design. Our only chance of safety lies inthis, --that the Canadian may still be true, and that our disguise maynot be penetrated. "

In despite of his native courage, --and this had often been put tohonourable proof, --he, thus mysteriously addressed, felt his heart tothrob violently. There was something so appalled in the countenance ofhis friend--something so alarming in the very caution he hadrecommended--that a vague dread of the horrible reality rushed at onceto his mind, and for a moment his own cheek became ashy pale, and hisbreathing painfully oppressed. It was the natural weakness of thephysical man, over which the moral faculties had, for an instant, losttheir directing power. Speedily recovering himself, the young manprepared to encounter the alarming object which had already so greatlyintimidated his friend. Carefully drawing the blanket hood over hishead, he rose from his seat, and, with the energetic movement of onewho has formed some desperate determination, turned his back to thefire-place, and threw his eyes rapidly and eagerly upon the window. They fell only on the rude patchwork of which it was principallycomposed. The female had quitted the room. 

"You must have been deceived, " he whispered, keeping his eye still bentupon the window, and with so imperceptible a movement of the lips thatsound alone could have betrayed he was speaking, --"I see nothing tojustify your alarm. Look again. "

The younger officer once more directed his glance towards the window, and with a shuddering of the whole person, as he recollected what hadmet his eye when he last looked upon it. "It is no longer there, indeed, " he returned in the same scarcely audible tone. "Yet I couldnot be mistaken; it was between those two corner squares of wood in thelower sash. "

"Perhaps it was merely a reflection produced by the lamp on the centrepane, " rejoined his friend, still keeping his eye riveted on thesuspicious point. 

"Impossible! but I will examine the window from the spot on which Istood when I first beheld it. "

Again he quitted his seat, and carelessly crossed the room. As hereturned he threw his glance upon the pane, when, to his infinitehorror and surprise, the same frightful vision presented itself. 

"God of Heaven!" he exclaimed aloud, and unable longer to check theebullition of his feelings, --"what means this?--Is my brain turned? andam I the sport of my own delusive fancy?--Do you not see it NOW?"

No answer was returned. His friend stood mute and motionless, with hisleft hand grasping his gun, and his right thrust into the waist of hiscoat. His eye grew upon the window, and his chest heaved, and his cheekpaled and flushed alternately with the subdued emotion of his heart. Ahuman face was placed close to the unblemished glass, and every featurewas distinctly revealed by the lamp that still lay upon the table. Theglaring eye was fixed on the taller of the officers; but though theexpression was unfathomably guileful, there was nothing that denotedany thing like a recognition of the party. The brightness of the woodfire had so far subsided as to throw the interior of the room intopartial obscurity, and under the disguise of his hood it was impossiblefor one without to distinguish the features of the taller officer. Theyounger, who was scarcely an object of attention, passed comparativelyunnoticed. 

Fatigued and dimmed with the long and eager tension of its nerves, theeye of the latter now began to fail him. For a moment he closed it; andwhen again it fell upon the window; it encountered nothing but theclear and glittering pane. For upwards of a minute he and his friendstill continued to rivet their gaze, but the face was no longer visible. 

Why is it that what is called the "human face divine" is sometimesgifted with a power to paralyse, that the most loathsome reptile in thecreation cannot attain? Had a hyena or cougar of the American forest, roaring for prey, appeared at that window, ready to burst the fragilebarrier, and fasten its talons in their hearts, its presence would nothave struck such sickness to the soul of our adventurers as did thathuman face. It is that man, naturally fierce and inexorable, is alonethe enemy of his own species. The solution of this problem--thisglorious paradox in nature, we leave to profounder philosophers toresolve. Sufficient for us be it to know, and to deplore that it is so. 

Footsteps were now heard upon the stairs; and the officers, aroused toa full sense of their danger, hastily and silently prepared themselvesfor the encounter. 

"Drop a bullet into your gun, " whispered the elder, setting the examplehimself. "We may be obliged to have recourse to it at last. Yet make noshow of hostility unless circumstances satisfy us we are betrayed;then, indeed, all that remains for us will be to sell our lives asdearly as we can. Hist! he is here. "

The door opened; and at the entrance, which was already filled up inthe imaginations of the young men with a terrible and alarming figure, appeared one whose return had been anxiously and long desired. It was arelief, indeed, to their gallant but excited hearts to behold anotherthan the form they had expected; and although, for the moment, theyknew not whether the Canadian came in hostility or in friendship, eachquitted the attitude of caution into which he had thrown himself, andmet him midway in his passage through the room. There was nothing inthe expression of his naturally open and good-humoured countenance todenote he was at all aware of the causes for alarm that had operated sopowerfully on themselves. He announced with a frank look andunfaltering voice every thing was in readiness for their departure. 

The officers hesitated; and the taller fixed his eyes upon those ofmine host, as if his gaze would have penetrated to the innermostrecesses of his heart. Could this be a refinement of his treachery? andwas he really ignorant of the existence of the danger which threatenedthem? Was it not more probable his object was to disarm their fears, that they might be given unprepared and, therefore, unresisting victimsto the ferocity of their enemies? Aware as he was, that they were bothwell provided with arms, and fully determined to use them with effect, might not his aim be to decoy them to destruction without, lest theblood spilt under his roof, in the desperation of their defence, shouldhereafter attest against him, and expose him to the punishment he wouldso richly merit? Distracted by these doubts, the young men scarcelyknew what to think or how to act; and anxious as they had previouslybeen to quit the hut, they now considered the moment of their doing sowould be that of their destruction. The importance of the enterprise onwhich they were embarked was such as to sink all personalconsiderations. If they had felt the influence of intimidation on theirspirits, it arose less from any apprehension of consequences tothemselves, than from the recollection of the dearer interests involvedin their perfect security from discovery. 

"Francois, " feelingly urged the taller officer, again adverting to hisvow, "you recollect the oath you so solemnly pledged upon the cross ofyour Saviour. Tell me, then, as you hope for mercy, have you taken thatoath only that you might the more securely betray us to our enemies?What connection have you with them at this moment? and who is HE whostood looking through that window not ten minutes since?"

"As I shall hope for mercy in my God, " exclaimed the Canadian withunfeigned astonishment, "I have not see nobody. But what for do youtink so? It is not just. I have given my oat to serve you, and I shalldo it. "

There was candour both in the tone and countenance of the man as heuttered these words, half in reproach, half in justification; and theofficers no longer doubted. 

"You must forgive our suspicions at a moment like the present, "soothingly observed the younger; "yet, Francois, your daughter saw andexchanged signals with the person we mean. She left the room soon afterhe made his appearance. What has become of her?"

The Canadian gave a sudden start, looked hastily round, and seemed toperceive for the first time the girl was absent. He then put a fingerto his lip to enjoin silence, advanced to the table, and extinguishedthe light. Desiring his companions, in a low whisper, to treadcautiously and follow, he now led the way with almost noiseless step tothe entrance of the hut. At the threshold of the door were placed alarge well-filled sack, a light mast and sail, and half a dozenpaddles. The latter burden he divided between the officers, on whoseshoulders he carefully balanced them. The sack he threw across his own;and, without expressing even a regret that an opportunity of biddingadieu to his child was denied him, hastily skirted the paling of theorchard until, at the further extremity, he had gained the high road. 

The heavens were obscured by passing clouds driven rapidly by the wind, during the short pauses of which our adventurers anxiously andfrequently turned to listen if they were pursued. Save the rustling ofthe trees that lined the road, and the slight dashing of the waters onthe beach, however, no sound was distinguishable. At length they gainedthe point whence they were to start. It was the fatal bridge, theevents connected with which were yet so painfully fresh in theirrecollection. 

"Stop one minutes here, " whispered the Canadian, throwing his sack uponthe sand near the mouth of the lesser river; "my canoe is chain abouttwenty yards up de bridge. I shall come to you directly. " Thencautioning the officers to keep themselves concealed under the bridge, he moved hastily under the arch, and disappeared in the dark shadowwhich it threw across the rivulet. 

The extremities of the bridge rested on the banks of the little riverin such a manner as to leave a narrow passage along the sandsimmediately under the declination of the arch. In accordance with thecaution of their conductor, the officers had placed themselves underit; and with their backs slightly bent forward to meet the curvature ofthe bridge, so that no ray of light could pass between their bodies andthe fabric itself, now awaited the arrival of the vessel on which theironly hope depended. We shall not attempt to describe their feelings onfinding themselves, at that lone hour of the night, immediately under aspot rendered fearfully memorable by the tragic occurrences of themorning. The terrible pursuit of the fugitive, the execution of thesoldier, the curse and prophecy of his maniac wife, and, above all, theforcible abduction and threatened espousal of that unhappy woman by theformidable being who seemed to have identified himself with the evilswith which they stood menaced, --all rushed with rapid tracery on themind, and excited the imagination, until each, filled with a sentimentnot unallied to superstitious awe, feared to whisper forth histhoughts, lest in so doing he should invoke the presence of those whohad principally figured in the harrowing and revolting scene. 

"Did you not hear a noise?" at length whispered the elder, as he leanedhimself forward, and bent his head to the sand, to catch moredistinctly a repetition of the sound. 

"I did; there again! It is upon the bridge, and not unlike the step ofone endeavouring to tread lightly. It may be some wild beast, however. "

"We must not be taken by surprise, " returned his companion. "If it be aman, the wary tread indicates consciousness of our presence. If ananimal, there can be no harm in setting our fears at rest. "

Cautiously stealing from his lurking-place, the young officer emergedinto the open sands, and in a few measured noiseless strides gained theextremity of the bridge. The dark shadow of something upon its centrecaught his eye, and a low sound like that of a dog lapping met his ear. While his gaze yet lingered on the shapeless object, endeavouring togive it a character, the clouds which had so long obscured it passedmomentarily from before the moon, and disclosed the appalling truth. Itwas a wolf-dog lapping up from the earth, in which they were encrusted, the blood and brains of the unfortunate Frank Halloway. 

Sick and faint at the disgusting sight, the young man rested his elbowon the railing that passed along the edge of the bridge, and, leaninghis head on his hand for a moment, forgot the risk of exposure heincurred, in the intenseness of the sorrow that assailed his soul. Hisheart and imagination were already far from the spot on which he stood, when he felt an iron hand upon his shoulder. He turned, shuddering withan instinctive knowledge of his yet unseen visitant, and beheldstanding over him the terrible warrior of the Fleur de lis. 

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the savage in a low triumphant tone, "the placeof our meeting is well timed, though somewhat singular, it must beconfessed. Nay, " he fiercely added, grasping as in a vice the arm thatwas already lifted to strike him, "force me not to annihilate you onthe spot. Ha! hear you the cry of my wolf-dog?" as that animal now setup a low but fearful howl; "it is for your blood he asks, but your houris not yet come. "

"No, by Heaven, is it not!" exclaimed a voice; a rapid and rushingsweep was heard through the air for an instant, and then a report likea stunning blow. The warrior released his grasp--placed his hand uponhis tomahawk, but without strength to remove it from his belt tottereda pace or two backwards--and then fell, uttering a cry of mingled painand disappointment, at his length upon the earth. 

"Quick, quick to our cover!" exclaimed the younger officer, as a loudshout was now heard from the forest in reply to the yell of the fallenwarrior. "If Francois come not, we are lost; the howl of that wolf-dogalone will betray us, even if his master should be beyond all chance ofrecovery. "

"Desperate diseases require desperate remedies, " was the reply; "thereis little glory in destroying a helpless enemy, but the necessity isurgent, and we must leave nothing to chance. " As he spoke, he kneltupon the huge form of the senseless warrior, whose scalping knife hedrew from its sheath, and striking a firm and steady blow, quitted notthe weapon until he felt his hand reposing on the chest of his enemy. 

The howl of the wolf-dog, whose eyes glared like two burning coalsthrough the surrounding gloom, was now exchanged to a fierce andsnappish bark. He made a leap at the officer while in the act of risingfrom the body; but his fangs fastened only in the chest of the shaggycoat, which he wrung with the strength and fury characteristic of hispeculiar species. This new and ferocious attack was fraught with dangerlittle inferior to that which they had just escaped, and required theutmost promptitude of action. The young man seized the brute behind theneck in a firm and vigorous grasp, while he stooped upon the motionlessform over which this novel struggle was maintained, and succeeded inmaking himself once more master of the scalping knife. Half choked bythe hand that unflinchingly grappled with him, the savage animalquitted his hold and struggled violently to free himself. This was thecritical moment. The officer drew the heavy sharp blade, from thehandle to the point, across the throat of the infuriated beast, with aforce that divided the principal artery. He made a desperate leapupwards, spouting his blood over his destroyer, and then fell gaspingacross the body of his master. A low growl, intermingled with faintattempts to bark, which the rapidly oozing life rendered more and moreindistinct, succeeded; and at length nothing but a gurgling sound wasdistinguishable. 

Meanwhile the anxious and harassed officers had regained their place ofconcealment under the bridge, where they listened with suppressedbreathing for the slightest sound to indicate the approach of thecanoe. At intervals they fancied they could hear a noise resembling therippling of water against the prow of a light vessel, but the swellingcries of the rushing band, becoming at every instant more distinct, were too unceasingly kept up to admit of their judging with accuracy. 

They now began to give themselves up for lost, and many and bitter werethe curses they inwardly bestowed on the Canadian, when the outline ofa human form was seen advancing along the sands, and a dark object uponthe water. It was their conductor, dragging the canoe along, with allthe strength and activity of which he was capable. 

"What the devil have you been about all this time, Francois?" exclaimedthe taller officer, as he bounded to meet him. "Quick, quick, or weshall be too late. Hear you not the blood-hounds on their scent?" Thenseizing the chain in his hand, with a powerful effort he sent the canoeflying through the arch to the very entrance of the river. The burdensthat had been deposited on the sands were hastily flung in, theofficers stepping lightly after. The Canadian took the helm, directingthe frail vessel almost noiselessly through the water, and with suchvelocity, that when the cry of the disappointed savages was heardresounding from the bridge, it had already gained the centre of theDetroit. 

CHAPTER III. 

Two days had succeeded to the departure of the officers from the fort, but unproductive of any event of importance. About daybreak, however, on the morning of the third, the harassed garrison were once moresummoned to arms, by an alarm from the sentinels planted in rear of theworks; a body of Indians they had traced and lost at intervals, as theywound along the skirt of the forest, in their progress from theirencampment, were at length developing themselves in force near the bombproof. With a readiness which long experience and watchfulness hadrendered in some degree habitual to them, the troops flew to theirrespective posts; while a few of the senior officers, among whom wasthe governor, hastened to the ramparts to reconnoitre the strength andpurpose of their enemies. It was evident the views of these latter werenot immediately hostile; for neither were they in their war paint, norwere their arms of a description to carry intimidation to a disciplinedand fortified soldiery. Bows, arrows, tomahawks, war clubs, spears, andscalping knives, constituted their warlike equipments, but neitherrifle nor fire-arms of any kind were discernible. Several of theirleaders, distinguishable by a certain haughty carriage and commandinggesticulation, were collected within the elevated bomb-proof, apparently holding a short but important conference apart from theirpeople, most of whom stood or lay in picturesque attitudes around theruin. These also had a directing spirit. A tall and noble lookingwarrior, wearing a deer-skin hunting frock closely girded around hisloins, appeared to command the deference of his colleagues, claimingprofound attention when he spoke himself, and manifesting his assent ordissent to the apparently expressed opinions of the lesser chiefsmerely by a slight movement of the head. 

"There he is indeed!" exclaimed Captain Erskine, speaking as one whocommunes with his own thoughts, while he kept his telescope levelled onthe form of the last warrior; "looking just as noble as when, threeyears ago, he opposed himself to the progress of the first Englishdetachment that had ever penetrated to this part of the world. What apity such a fine fellow should be so desperate and determined an enemy!"

"True; you were with Major Rogers on that expedition, " observed thegovernor, in a tone now completely divested of the haughtiness whichformerly characterised his address to his officers. "I have often heardhim speak of it. You had many difficulties to contend against, if Irecollect. "

"We had indeed, sir, " returned the frank-hearted Erskine, dropping theglass from his eye. "So many, in fact, that more than once, in thecourse of our progress through the wilderness, did I wish myself athead-quarters with my company. Never shall I forget the proud anddetermined expression of Ponteac's countenance, when he told Rogers, inhis figurative language, 'he stood in the path in which he travelled. '"

"Thank Heaven, he at least stands not in the path in which OTHERStravel, " musingly rejoined the governor. "But what sudden movement isthat within the ruin?"

"The Indians are preparing to show a white flag, " shouted anartillery-man from his station in one of the embrasures below. 

The governor and his officers received this intelligence withoutsurprise: the former took the glass from Captain Erskine, and coollyraised it to his eye. The consultation had ceased; and the severalchiefs, with the exception of their leader and two others, were nowseen quitting the bomb-proof to join their respective tribes. One ofthose who remained, sprang upon an elevated fragment of the ruin, anduttered a prolonged cry, the purport of which, --and it was fullyunderstood from its peculiar nature, --was to claim attention from thefort. He then received from the hands of the other chief a long spear, to the end of which was attached a piece of white linen. This he wavedseveral times above his head; then stuck the barb of the spear firmlyinto the projecting fragment. Quitting his elevated station, he nextstood at the side of the Ottawa chief, who had already assumed the airand attitude of one waiting to observe in what manner his signal wouldbe received. 

"A flag of truce in all its bearings, by Jupiter!" remarked CaptainErskine. "Ponteac seems to have acquired a few lessons since we firstmet. "

"This is evidently the suggestion of some European, " observed MajorBlackwater; "for how should he understand any thing of the nature of awhite flag? Some of those vile spies have put him up to this. "

"True enough, Blackwater; and they appear to have found an intelligentpupil, " observed Captain Wentworth. "I was curious to know how he wouldmake the attempt to approach us; but certainly never once dreamt of hishaving recourse to so civilised a method. Their plot works well, nodoubt; still we have the counter-plot to oppose to it. "

"We must foil them with their own weapons, " remarked the governor, "even if it be only with a view to gain time. Wentworth, desire one ofyour bombardiers to hoist the large French flag on the staff. "

The order was promptly obeyed. The Indians made a simultaneous movementexpressive of their satisfaction; and in the course of a minute, thetall warrior, accompanied by nearly a dozen inferior chiefs, was seenslowly advancing across the common, towards the group of officers. 

"What generous confidence the fellow has, for an Indian!" observedCaptain Erskine, who could not dissemble his admiration of the warrior. "He steps as firmly and as proudly within reach of our muskets, as ifhe was leading in the war-dance. "

"How strange, " mused Captain Blessington, "that one who meditates sodeep a treachery, should have no apprehension of it in others!"

"It is a compliment to the honour of our flag, " observed the governor, "which it must be our interest to encourage. If, as you say, Erskine, the man is really endowed with generosity, the result of this affairwill assuredly call it forth. "

"If it prove otherwise, sir, " was the reply, "we must only attributehis perseverance to the influence which that terrible warrior of theFleur de lis is said to exercise over his better feelings. By the by, Isee nothing of him among this flag of truce party. It could scarcely becalled a violation of faith to cut off such a rascally renegade. Werehe of the number of those advancing, and Valletort's rifle within myreach, I know not what use I might not be tempted to make of the last. "

Poor Erskine was singularly infelicitous in touching, and everunconsciously, on a subject sure to give pain to more than one of hisbrother officers. A cloud passed over the brow of the governor, but itwas one that originated more in sorrow than in anger. Neither had hetime to linger on the painful recollections hastily and confusedlycalled up by the allusion made to this formidable and mysterious being, for the attention of all was now absorbed by the approaching Indians. With a bold and confiding carriage the fierce Ponteac moved at the headof his little party, nor hesitated one moment in his course, until hegot near the brink of the ditch, and stood face to face with thegovernor, at a distance that gave both parties not only the facility oftracing the expression of each other's features, but of conversingwithout effort. There he made a sudden stand, and thrusting his spearinto the earth, assumed an attitude as devoid of apprehension as if hehad been in the heart of his own encampment. 

"My father has understood my sign, " said the haughty chief. "Thewarriors of a dozen tribes are far behind the path the Ottawa has justtravelled; but when the red skin comes unarmed, the hand of the Saganawis tied behind his back. "

"The strong hold of the Saganaw is his safeguard, " replied thegovernor, adopting the language of the Indian. "When the enemies of hisgreat father come in strength, he knows how to disperse them; but whena warrior throws himself unarmed into his power, he respects hisconfidence, and his arms hang rusting at his side. "

"The talk of my father is big, " replied the warrior, with a scornfulexpression that seemed to doubt the fact of so much indifference as tohimself; "but when it is a great chief who directs the nations, andthat chief his sworn enemy, the temptation to the Saganaw may bestrong. "

"The Saganaw is without fear, " emphatically rejoined the governor; "heis strong in his own honour; and he would rather die under the tomahawkof the red skin, than procure a peace by an act of treachery. "

The Indian paused; cold, calm looks of intelligence passed between himand his followers, and a few indistinct and guttural sentences wereexchanged among themselves. 

"But our father asks not why our mocassins have brushed the dew fromoff the common, " resumed the chief; "and yet it is long since theSaganaw and the red skin have spoken to each other, except through thewar whoop. My father must wonder to see the great chief of the Ottawaswithout the hatchet in his hand. "

"The hatchet often wounds those who use it unskilfully, " calmlyreturned the governor. "The Saganaw is not blind. The Ottawas, and theother tribes, find the war paint heavy on their skins. They see that myyoung men are not to be conquered, and they have sent the great head ofall the nations to sue for peace. "

In spite of the habitual reserve and self-possession of his race, thehaughty warrior could not repress a movement of impatience at the boldand taunting language of his enemy, and for a moment there was a firein his eye that told how willingly he would have washed away the insultin his blood. The same low guttural exclamations that had previouslyescaped their lips, marked the sense entertained of the remark by hiscompanions. 

"My father is right, " pursued the chief, resuming his self-command;"the Ottawas, and the other tribes, ask for peace, but not because theyare afraid of war. When they strike the hatchet into the war post, theyleave it there until their enemies ask them to take it out. "

"Why come they now, then, to ask for peace?" was the cool demand. 

The warrior hesitated, evidently at a loss to give a reply that couldreconcile the palpable contradiction of his words. 

"The rich furs of our forests have become many, " he at length observed, "since we first took up the hatchet against the Saganaw; and everybullet we keep for our enemies is a loss to our trade. We onceexchanged furs with the children of our father of the pale flag. Theygave us, in return, guns, blankets, powder, ball, and all that the redman requires in the hunting season. These are all expended; and myyoung men would deal with the Saganaw as they did with the French. "

"Good; the red skins would make peace; and although the arm of theSaganaw is strong, he will not turn a deaf ear to their desire. "

"All the strong holds of the Saganaw, except two, have fallen beforethe great chief of the Ottawas!" proudly returned the Indian, with alook of mingled scorn and defiance. "They, too, thought themselvesbeyond the reach of our tomahawks; but they were deceived. In less thana single moon nine of them have fallen, and the tents of my youngwarriors are darkened with their scalps; but this is past. If the redskin asks for peace, it is because he is tired of seeing the blood ofthe Saganaw on his tomahawk. Does my father hear?"

"We will listen to the great chief of the Ottawas, and hear what he hasto say, " returned the governor, who, as well as the officers at hisside, could with difficulty conceal their disgust and sorrow at thedreadful intelligence thus imparted of the fates of their companions. "But peace, " he pursued with dignity, "can only be made in the councilroom, and under the sacred pledge of the calumet. The great chief has awampum belt on his shoulder, and a calumet in his hand. His agedwarriors, too, are at his side. What says the Ottawa? Will he enter? Ifso, the gate of the Saganaw shall be open to him. "

The warrior started; and for a moment the confidence that had hithertodistinguished him seemed to give place to an apprehension of meditatedtreachery. He, however, speedily recovered himself, and observedemphatically, "It is the great head of all the nations whom my fatherinvites to the council seat. Were he to remain in the hands of theSaganaw, his young men would lose their strength. They would bury thehatchet for ever in despair, and hide their faces in the laps of theirwomen. "

"Does the Ottawa chief see the pale flag on the strong hold of hisenemies. While that continues to fly, he is safe as if he were underthe cover of his own wigwam. If the Saganaw could use guile like thefox" (and this was said with marked emphasis), "what should prevent himfrom cutting off the Ottawa and his chiefs, even where they now stand?"

A half smile of derision passed over the dark cheek of the Indian. "Ifthe arm of an Ottawa is strong, " he said, "his foot is not less swift. The short guns of the chiefs of the Saganaw" (pointing to the pistolsof the officers) "could not reach us; and before the voice of ourfather could be raised, or his eye turned, to call his warriors to hisside, the Ottawa would be already far on his way to the forest. "

"The great chief of the Ottawas shall judge better of the Saganaw, "returned the governor. --"He shall see that his young men are everwatchful at their posts:--Up, men, and show yourselves. "

A second or two sufficed to bring the whole, of Captain Erskine'scompany, who had been lying flat on their faces, to their feet on therampart. The Indians were evidently taken by surprise, though theyevinced no fear. The low and guttural "Ugh!" was the only expressionthey gave to their astonishment, not unmingled with admiration. 

But, although the chiefs preserved their presence of mind, the suddenappearance of the soldiers had excited alarm among their warriors, who, grouped in and around the bomb-proof, were watching every movement ofthe conferring parties, with an interest proportioned to the risk theyconceived their head men had incurred in venturing under the very wallsof their enemies. Fierce yells were uttered; and more than a hundreddusky warriors, brandishing their tomahawks in air, leaped along theskirt of the common, evidently only awaiting the signal of their greatchief, to advance and cover his retreat. At the command of thegovernor, however, the men had again suddenly disappeared from thesurface of the rampart; so that when the Indians finally perceivedtheir leader stood unharmed and unmolested, on the spot he hadpreviously occupied, the excitement died away, and they once moreassumed their attitude of profound attention. 

"What thinks the great chief of the Ottawas now?" asked thegovernor;--"did he imagine that the young white men lie sleeping likebeavers in their dams, when the hunter sets his traps to catchthem?--did he imagine that they foresee not the designs of theirenemies? and that they are not always on the watch to prevent them?"

"My father is a great warrior, " returned the Indian; "and if his arm isfull of strength, his head is fall of wisdom. The chiefs will no longerhesitate;--they will enter the strong hold of the Saganaw, and sit withhim in the council. "

He next addressed a few words, and in a language not understood bythose upon the walls, to one of the younger of the Indians. The latteracknowledged his sense and approbation of what was said to him by anassentient and expressive "Ugh!" which came from his chest without anyapparent emotion of the lips, much in the manner of a modernventriloquist. He then hastened, with rapid and lengthened boundings, across the common towards his band. After the lapse of a minute or twofrom reaching them, another simultaneous cry arose, differing inexpression from any that had hitherto been heard. It was one denotingsubmission to the will, and compliance with some conveyed desire, oftheir superior. 

"Is the gate of the Saganaw open?" asked the latter, as soon as his earhad been greeted with the cry we have just named. "The Ottawa and theother great chiefs are ready;--their hearts are bold, and they throwthemselves into the hands of the Saganaw without fear. "

"The Ottawa chief knows the path, " drily rejoined the governor: "whenhe comes in peace, it is ever open to him; but when his young men pressit with the tomahawk in their hands, the big thunder is roused toanger, and they are scattered away like the leaves of the forest in thestorm. " "Even now, " he pursued, as the little band of Indians movedslowly round the walls, "the gate of the Saganaw opens for the Ottawaand the other chiefs. "

"Let the most vigilant caution be used every where along the works, butespecially in the rear, " continued the governor, addressing CaptainBlessington, on whom the duty of the day had devolved. "We are safe, while their chiefs are with us; but still it will be necessary to watchthe forest closely. We cannot be too much on our guard. The men hadbetter remain concealed, every twentieth file only standing up to forma look-out chain. If any movement of a suspicious nature be observed, let it be communicated by the discharge of a single musket, that thedrawbridge may be raised on the instant. " With the delivery of thesebrief instructions he quitted the rampart with the majority of hisofficers. 

Meanwhile, hasty preparations had been made in the mess-room to receivethe chiefs. The tables had been removed, and a number of clean rushmats, manufactured, after the Indian manner, into various figures anddevices, spread carefully upon the floor. At the further end from theentrance was placed a small table and chair, covered with scarletcloth. This was considerably elevated above the surface of the floor, and intended for the governor. On either side of the room, near these, were ranged a number of chairs for the accommodation of the inferiorofficers. 

Major Blackwater received the chiefs at the gate. With a firm, proudstep, rendered more confident by his very unwillingness to betray anything like fear, the tall, and, as Captain Erskine had justlydesignated him, the noble-looking Ponteac trod the yielding planks thatmight in the next moment cut him off from his people for ever. Theother chiefs, following the example of their leader, evinced the sameeasy fearlessness of demeanour, nor glanced once behind them to see ifthere was any thing to justify the apprehension of hidden danger. 

The Ottawa was evidently mortified at not being received by thegovernor in person. "My father is not here!" he said fiercely to themajor:--"how is this? The Ottawa and the other chiefs are kings of alltheir tribes. The head of one great people should be received only bythe head of another great people!"

"Our father sits in the council-hall, " returned the major. "He hastaken his seat, that he may receive the warriors with becoming honour. But I am the second chief, and our father has sent me to receive them. "

To the proud spirit of the Indian this explanation scarcely sufficed. For a moment he seemed to struggle, as if endeavouring to stifle hiskeen sense of an affront put upon him. At length he nodded his headhaughtily and condescendingly, in token of assent; and gathering up hisnoble form, and swelling out his chest, as if with a view to striketerror as well as admiration into the hearts of those by whom heexpected to be surrounded, stalked majestically forward at the head ofhis confederates. 

An indifferent observer, or one ignorant of these people, would havebeen at fault; but those who understood the workings of an Indian'sspirit could not have been deceived by the tranquil exterior of thesemen. The rapid, keen, and lively glance--the suppressed sneer ofexultation--the half start of surprise--the low, guttural, and almostinaudible "Ugh!"--all these indicated the eagerness with which, at onesly but compendious view, they embraced the whole interior of a fortwhich it was of such vital importance to their future interests theyshould become possessed of, yet which they had so long and sounsuccessfully attempted to subdue. As they advanced into the square, they looked around, expecting to behold the full array of theirenemies; but, to their astonishment, not a soldier was to be seen. Afew women and children only, in whom curiosity had overcome a naturalloathing and repugnance to the savages, were peeping from the windowsof the block houses. Even at a moment like the present, the fierceinstinct of these latter was not to be controlled. One of the children, terrified at the wild appearance of the warriors, screamed violently, and clung to the bosom of its mother for protection. Fired at thesound, a young chief raised his hand to his lips, and was about to pealforth his terrible war whoop in the very centre of the fort, when theeye of the Ottawa suddenly arrested him. 

CHAPTER IV. 

There were few forms of courtesy observed by the warriors towards theEnglish officers on entering the council room. Ponteac, who hadcollected all his native haughtiness into one proud expression of lookand figure, strode in without taking the slightest notice even of thegovernor. The other chiefs imitated his example, and all took theirseats upon the matting in the order prescribed by their rank among thetribes, and their experience in council. The Ottawa chief sat at thenear extremity of the room, and immediately facing the governor. Aprofound silence was observed for some minutes after the Indians hadseated themselves, during which they proceeded to fill their pipes. Thehandle of that of the Ottawa chief was decorated with numerous feathersfancifully disposed. 

"This is well, " at length observed the governor. "It is long since thegreat chiefs of the nations have smoked the sweet grass in the councilhall of the Saganaw. What have they to say, that their young men mayhave peace to hunt the beaver, and to leave the print of theirmocassins in the country of the Buffalo?--What says the Ottawa chief?"

"The Ottawa chief is a great warrior, " returned the other, haughtily;and again repudiating, in the indomitableness of his pride, the veryviews that a more artful policy had first led him to avow. "He hasalready said that, within a single moon, nine of the strong holds ofthe Saganaw have fallen into his hands, and that the scalps of thewhite men fill the tents of his warriors. If the red skins wish forpeace, it is because they are sick with spilling the blood of theirenemies. Does my father hear?"

"The Ottawa has been cunning, like the fox, " calmly returned thegovernor. "He went with deceit upon his lips, and said to the greatchiefs of the strong holds of the Saganaw, --'You have no more fortsupon the lakes; they have all fallen before the red skins: they gavethemselves into our hands; and we spared their lives, and sent themdown to the great towns near the salt lake. ' But this was false: thechiefs of the Saganaw, believing what was said to them, gave up theirstrong holds; but their lives were not spared, and the grass of theCanadas is yet moist with their blood. Does the Ottawa hear?"

Amazement and stupefaction sat for a moment on the features of theIndians. The fact was as had been stated; and yet, so completely hadthe several forts been cut off from all communication, it was deemedalmost impossible one could have received tidings of the fate of theother, unless conveyed through the Indians themselves. 

"The spies of the Saganaw have been very quick to escape the vigilanceof the red skins, " at length replied the Ottawa; "yet they havereturned with a lie upon their lips. I swear by the Great Spirit, thatnine of the strong holds of the Saganaw have been destroyed. How couldthe Ottawa go with deceit upon his lips, when his words were truth?"

"When the red skins said so to the warriors of the last forts theytook, they said true; but when they went to the first, and said thatall the rest had fallen, they used deceit. A great nation shouldovercome their enemies like warriors, and not seek to beguile them withtheir tongues under the edge of the scalping knife!"

"Why did the Saganaw come into the country of the red skins?" haughtilydemanded the chief. "Why did they take our hunting grounds from us? Whyhave they strong places encircling the country of the Indians, like abelt of wampum round the waist of a warrior?"

"This is not true, " rejoined the governor. "It was not the Saganaw, butthe warriors of the pale flag, who first came and took away the huntinggrounds, and built the strong places. The great father of the Saganawhad beaten the great father of the pale flag quite out of the Canadas, and he sent his young men to take their place and to make peace withthe red skins, and to trade with them, and to call them brothers. "

"The Saganaw was false, " retorted the Indian. "When a chief of theSaganaw came for the first time with his warriors into the country ofthe Ottawas, the chief of the Ottawas stood in his path, and asked himwhy, and from whom, he came? That chief was a bold warrior, and hisheart was open, and the Ottawa liked him; and when he said he came tobe friendly with the red skins, the Ottawa believed him, and he shookhim by the hand, and said to his young men, 'Touch not the life of aSaganaw; for their chief is the friend of the Ottawa chief, and hisyoung men shall be the friends of the red warriors. ' Look, " heproceeded, marking his sense of the discovery by another of thoseejaculatory "Ughs!" so expressive of surprise in an Indian, "at theright hand of my father I see a chief, " pointing to Captain Erskine, "who came with those of the Saganaw who first entered the country ofthe Detroit;--ask that chief if what the Ottawa says is not true. Whenthe Saganaw said he came only to remove the warriors of the pale flag, that he might be friendly and trade with the red skins, the Ottawareceived the belt of wampum he offered, and smoked the pipe of peacewith him, and he made his men bring bags of parched corn to hiswarriors who wanted food, and he sent to all the nations on the lakes, and said to them, 'The Saganaw must pass unhurt to the strong hold onthe Detroit. ' But for the Ottawa, not a Saganaw would have escaped; forthe nations were thirsting for their blood, and the knives of thewarriors were eager to open their scalps. Ask the chief who sits at theright hand of my father, " he again energetically repeated, "if what theOttawa says is not true. "

"What the Ottawa says is true, " rejoined the governor; "for the chiefwho sits on my right hand has often said that, but for the Ottawa, thesmall number of the warriors of the Saganaw must have been cut off; andhis heart is big with kindness to the Ottawa for what he did. But ifthe great chief meant to be friendly, why did he declare war aftersmoking the pipe of peace with the Saganaw? Why did he destroy thewigwams of the settlers, and carry off the scalps even of their weakwomen and children? All this has the Ottawa done; and yet he says thathe wished to be friendly with my young men. But the Saganaw is not afool. He knows the Ottawa chief had no will of his own. On the righthand of the Ottawa sits the great chief of the Delawares, and on hisleft the great chief of the Shawanees. They have long been the swornenemies of the Saganaw; and they came from the rivers that run near thesalt lake to stir up the red skins of the Detroit to war. Theywhispered wicked words in the ear of the Ottawa chief, and hedetermined to take up the bloody hatchet. This is a shame to a greatwarrior. The Ottawa was a king over all the tribes in the country ofthe fresh lakes, and yet he weakly took council like a woman fromanother. "

"My father lies!" fiercely retorted the warrior, half springing to hisfeet, and involuntarily putting his hand upon his tomahawk. "If thesettlers of the Saganaw have fallen, " he resumed in a calmer tone, while he again sank upon his mat, "it is because they did not keeptheir faith with the red skins. When they came weak, and were not yetsecure in their strong holds, their tongues were smooth and full ofsoft words; but when they became strong under the protection of theirthunder, they no longer treated the red skins as their friends, andthey laughed at them for letting them come into their country. " "But, "he pursued, elevating his voice, "the Ottawa is a great chief, and hewill be respected. " Then adverting in bitterness to the influencesupposed to be exercised over him, --"What my father has said is false. The Shawanees and the Delawares are great nations; but the Ottawas aregreater than any, and their chiefs are full of wisdom. The Shawaneesand the Delawares had no talk with the Ottawa chief to make him do whathis own wisdom did not tell him. "

"Then, if the talk came not from the Shawanees and the Delawares, itcame from the spies of the warriors of the pale flag. The great fatherof the French was angry with the great father of the Saganaw, becausehe conquered his warriors in many battles; and he sent wicked men towhisper lies of the Saganaw into the ears of the red skins, and to makethem take up the hatchet against them. There is a tall spy at thismoment in the camp of the red skins, " he pursued with earnestness, andyet paling as he spoke. "It is said he is the bosom friend of the greatchief of the Ottawas. But I will not believe it. The head of a greatnation would not be the friend of a spy--of one who is baser than adog. His people would despise him; and they would say, 'Our chief isnot fit to sit in council, or to make war; for he is led by the word ofa pale face who is without honour. '"

The swarthy cheek of the Indian reddened, and his eye kindled intofire. "There is no spy, but a great warrior, in the camp of theOttawas, " he fiercely replied. "Though he came from the country thatlies beyond the salt lake, he is now a chief of the red skins, and hisarm is mighty, and his heart is big. Would my father know why he hasbecome a chief of the Ottawas?" he pursued with scornful exultation. "When the strong holds of the Saganaw fell, the tomahawk of the 'whitewarrior' drank more blood than that of a red skin, and his tent is hungaround with poles bending under the weight of the scalps he has taken. When the great chief of the Ottawas dies, the pale face will lead hiswarriors, and take the first seat in the council. The Ottawa chief ishis friend. "

"If the pale face be the friend of the Ottawa, " pursued the governor, in the hope of obtaining some particular intelligence in regard to thisterrible and mysterious being, "why is he not here to sit in councilwith the chiefs? Perhaps, " he proceeded tauntingly, as he fancied heperceived a disinclination on the part of the Indian to account for theabsence of the warrior, "the pale face is not worthy to take his placeamong the head men of the council. His arm may be strong like that of awarrior, but his head may be weak like that of a woman; or, perhaps, heis ashamed to show himself before the pale faces, who have turned himout of their tribe. "

"My father lies!" again unceremoniously retorted the warrior. "If thefriend of the Ottawa is not here, it is because his voice cannot speak. Does my father recollect the bridge on which he killed his youngwarrior? Does he recollect the terrible chase of the pale face by thefriend of the Ottawa? Ugh!" he continued, as his attention was nowdiverted to another object of interest, "that pale face was swifterthan any runner among the red skins, and for his fleetness he deservedto live to be a great hunter in the Canadas; but fear broke hisheart, --fear of the friend of the Ottawa chief. The red skins saw himfall at the feet of the Saganaw without life, and they saw the youngwarriors bear him off in their arms. Is not the Ottawa right?" TheIndian paused, threw his eye rapidly along the room, and then, fixingit on the governor, seemed to wait with deep but suppressed interestfor his reply. 

"Peace to the bones of a brave warrior!" seriously and evasivelyreturned the governor: "the pale face is no longer in the land of theCanadas, and the young warriors of the Saganaw are sorry for his loss;but what would the Ottawa say of the bridge? and what has the palewarrior, the friend of the Ottawa, to do with it?"

A gleam of satisfaction pervaded the countenance of the Indian, as heeagerly bent his ear to receive the assurance that the fugitive was nomore; but when allusion was again made to the strange warrior, his browbecame overcast, and he replied with mingled haughtiness and anger, --

"Does my father ask? He has dogs of spies among the settlers of thepale flag, but the tomahawk of the red skins will find them out, andthey shall perish even as the Saganaw themselves. Two nights ago, whenthe warriors of the Ottawas were returning from their scout upon thecommon, they heard the voice of Onondato, the great wolf-dog of thefriend of the Ottawa chief. The voice came from the bridge where theSaganaw killed his young warrior, and it called upon the red skins forassistance. My young men gave their war cry, and ran like wild deer todestroy the enemies of their chief; but when they came, the spies hadfled, and the voice of Onondato was low and weak as that of a new fawn;and when the warriors came to the other end of the bridge, they foundthe pale chief lying across the road and covered over with blood. Theythought he was dead, and their cry was terrible; for the pale warrioris a great chief, and the Ottawas love him; but when they looked again, they saw that the blood was the blood of Onondato, whose throat thespies of the Saganaw had cut, that he might not hunt them and give themto the tomahawk of the red skins. "

Frequent glances, expressive of their deep interest in the announcementof this intelligence, passed between the governor and his officers. Itwas clear the party who had encountered the terrible warrior of theFleur de lis were not spies (for none were employed by the garrison), but their adventurous companions who had so recently quitted them. Thiswas put beyond all doubt by the night, the hour, and the not lessimportant feet of the locality; for it was from the bridge described bythe Indian, near which the Canadian had stated his canoe to be chained, they were to embark on their perilous and uncertain enterprise. Thequestion of their own escape from danger in this unlooked for collisionwith so powerful and ferocious an enemy, and of the fidelity of theCanadian, still remained involved in doubt, which it might beimprudent, if not dangerous, to seek to have resolved by any directremark on the subject to the keen and observant warrior. The governorremoved this difficulty by artfully observing, --

"The great chief of the Ottawas has said they were the spies of theSaganaw who killed the pale warrior. His young men has found them, then; or how could he know they were spies?"

"Is there a warrior among the Saganaw who dares to show himself in thepath of the red skins, unless he come in strength and surrounded by histhunder?" was the sneering demand. "But my father is wrong, if hesupposes the friend of the Ottawa is killed. No, " he pursued fiercely, "the dogs of spies could not kill him; they were afraid to face soterrible a warrior. They came behind him in the dark, and they struckhim on the head like cowards and foxes as they were. The warrior of thepale face, and the friend of the Ottawa chief, is sick, but not dead. He lies without motion in his tent, and his voice cannot speak to hisfriend to tell him who were his enemies, that he may bring their scalpsto hang up within his wigwam. But the great chief will soon be well, and his arm will be stronger than ever to spill the blood of theSaganaw as he has done before. "

"The talk of the Ottawa chief is strange, " returned the governor, emphatically and with dignity. "He says he conies to smoke the pipe ofpeace with the Saganaw, and yet he talks of spilling their blood as ifit was water from the lake. What does the Ottawa mean?"

"Ugh!" exclaimed the Indian, in his surprise. "My father is right, butthe Ottawa and the Saganaw have not yet smoked together. When theyhave, the hatchet will be buried for ever. Until then, they are stillenemies. "

During this long and important colloquy of the leading parties, thestrictest silence had been preserved by the remainder of the council. The inferior chiefs had continued deliberately puffing the smoke fromtheir curled lips, as they sat cross-legged on their mats, and noddingtheir heads at intervals in confirmation of the occasional appeal madeby the rapid glance of the Ottawa, and uttering their guttural "Ugh!"whenever any observation of the parlant parties touched their feelings, or called forth their surprise. The officers had been no less silentand attentive listeners, to a conversation on the issue of which hungso many dear and paramount interests. A pause in the conference gavethem an opportunity of commenting in a low tone on the communicationmade, in the strong excitement of his pride, by the Ottawa chief, inregard to the terrible warrior of the Fleur de lis; who, it wasevident, swayed the councils of the Indians, and consequently exercisedan influence over the ultimate destinies of the English, which it wasimpossible to contemplate without alarm. It was evident to all, fromwhatsoever cause it might arise, this man cherished a rancour towardscertain individuals in the fort, inducing an anxiety in its reductionscarcely equalled by that entertained on the part of the Indiansthemselves. Beyond this, however, all was mystery and doubt; nor hadany clue been given to enable them to arrive even at a well foundedapprehension of the motives which had given birth to the vindictivenessof purpose, so universally ascribed to him even by the savagesthemselves. 

The chiefs also availed themselves of this pause in the conversation ofthe principals, to sustain a low and animated discussion. Those of theShawanee and Delaware nations were especially earnest; and, as theyspoke across the Ottawa, betrayed, by their vehemence of gesture, theaction of some strong feeling upon their minds, the precise nature ofwhich could not be ascertained from their speech at the oppositeextremity of the room. The Ottawa did not deign to join in theirconversation, but sat smoking his pipe in all the calm and forbiddingdignity of a proud Indian warrior conscious of his own importance. 

"Does the great chief of the Ottawas, then, seek for peace in his heartat length?" resumed the governor; "or is he come to the strong hold ofDetroit, as he went to the other strong holds, with deceit on his lips?"

The Indian slowly removed his pipe from his mouth, fixed his keen eyesearchingly on that of the questioner for nearly a minute, and thenbriefly and haughtily said, "The Ottawa chief has spoken. "

"And do the great chiefs of the Shawanees, and the great chiefs of theDelawares, and the great chiefs of the other nations, ask for peacealso?" demanded the governor. "If so, let them speak for themselves, and for their warriors. "

We will not trespass on the reader, on whom we have already inflictedtoo much of this scene, by a transcript of the declarations of theinferior chiefs. Suffice it to observe, each in his turn avowed motivessimilar to those of the Ottawa for wishing the hatchet might be buriedfor ever, and that their young men should mingle once more inconfidence, not only with the English troops, but with the settlers, who would again be brought into the country at the cessation ofhostilities. When each had spoken, the Ottawa passed the pipe ofceremony, with which he was provided, to the governor. 

The latter put it to his lips, and commenced smoking. The Indianskeenly, and half furtively, watched the act; and looks of deepintelligence, that escaped not the notice of the equally anxious andobservant officers, passed among them. 

"The pipe of the great chief of the Ottawas smokes well, " calmlyremarked the governor; "but the Ottawa chief, in his hurry to come andask for peace, has made a mistake. The pipe and all its ornaments arered like blood: it is the pipe of war, and not the pipe of peace. Thegreat chief of the Ottawas will be angry with himself; he has enteredthe strong hold of the Saganaw, and sat in the council, without doingany good for his young men. The Ottawa must come again. "

A deep but subdued expression of disappointment passed over thefeatures of the chiefs. They watched the countenances of the officers, to see whether the substitution of one pipe for the other had beenattributed, in their estimation, to accident or design. There wasnothing, however, to indicate the slightest doubt of their sincerity. 

"My father is right, " replied the Indian, with an appearance ofembarrassment, which, whether natural or feigned, had nothingsuspicious in it. "The great chief of the Ottawas has been foolish, like an old woman. The young chiefs of his tribe will laugh at him forthis. But the Ottawa chief will come again, and the other chiefs withhim, for, as my father sees, they all wish for peace; and that myfather may know all the nations wish for peace, as well as their headmen, the warriors of the Ottawa, and of the Shawanee, and of theDelaware, shall play at ball upon the common, to amuse his young men, while the chiefs sit in council with the chiefs of the Saganaw. The redskins shall come naked, and without their rifles and their tomahawks;and even the squaws of the warriors shall come upon the common, to showthe Saganaw they may be without fear. Does my father hear?"

"The Ottawa chief says well, " returned the governor; "but will the palefriend of the Ottawa come also to take his seat in the council hall?The great chief has said the pale warrior has become the second chiefamong the Ottawas; and that when he is dead, the pale warrior will leadthe Ottawas, and take the first seat in the council. He, too, shouldsmoke the pipe of peace with the Saganaw, that they may know he is nolonger their enemy. "

The Indian hesitated, uttering merely his quick ejaculatory "Ugh!" inexpression of his surprise at so unexpected a requisition. "The palewarrior, the friend of the Ottawa, is very sick, " he at length said;"but if the Great Spirit should give him back his voice before thechiefs come again to the council, the pale face will come too. If myfather does not see him then, he will know the friend of the Ottawachief is very sick. "

The governor deemed it prudent not to press the question too closely, lest in so doing he should excite suspicion, and defeat his own object. "When will the Ottawa and the other chiefs come again?" he asked; "andwhen will their warriors play at ball upon the common, that the Saganawmay see them and be amused?"

"When the sun has travelled so many times, " replied Ponteac, holding upthree fingers of his left hand. "Then will the Ottawa and the otherchiefs bring their young warriors and their women. "

"It is too soon, " was the reply; "the Saganaw must have time to collecttheir presents, that they may give them to the young warriors who areswiftest in the race, and the most active at the ball. The great chiefof the Ottawas, too, must let the settlers of the pale flag, who arethe friends of the red skins, bring in food for the Saganaw, that agreat feast may be given to the chiefs, and to the warriors, and thatthe Saganaw may make peace with the Ottawas and the other nations asbecomes a great people. In twice so many days, " holding up three of hisfingers in imitation of the Indian, "the Saganaw will be ready toreceive the chiefs in council, that they may smoke the pipe of peace, and bury the hatchet for ever. What says the great chief of theOttawas?"

"It is good, " was the reply of the Indian, his eye lighting up withdeep and exulting expression. "The settlers of the pale flag shallbring food to the Saganaw. The Ottawa chief will send them, and he willdesire his young men not to prevent them. In so many days, then, "indicating with his fingers, "the great chiefs will sit again incouncil with the Saganaw, and the Ottawa chief will not be a fool tobring the pipe he does not want. "

With this assurance the conference terminated. Ponteac raised his tallframe from the mat on which he had been squatted, noddedcondescendingly to the governor, and strode haughtily into the squareor area of the fort. The other chiefs followed his example; and toMajor Blackwater was again assigned the duty of accompanying themwithout the works. The glance of the savages, and that of Ponteac inparticular, was less wary than at their entrance. Each seemed toembrace every object on which the eye could rest, as if to fix itsposition indelibly in his memory. The young chief, who had been sosuddenly and opportunely checked while in the very act of pealing forthhis terrible war whoop, again looked up at the windows of the blockhouse, in quest of those whom his savage instinct had already devotedin intention to his tomahawk, but they were no longer there. Such wasthe silence that reigned every where, the fort appeared to be tenantedonly by the few men of the guard, who lingered near their stations, attentively watching the Indians, as they passed towards the gate. Avery few minutes sufficed to bring the latter once more in the midst oftheir warriors, whom, for a few moments, they harangued earnestly, whenthe whole body again moved off in the direction of their encampment. 

CHAPTER V. 

The week that intervened between the visit of the chiefs and the dayappointed for their second meeting in council, was passed by thegarrison in perfect freedom from alarm, although, as usual, in diligentwatchfulness and preparations for casualties. In conformity with hispromise, the Indian had despatched many of the Canadian settlers, withsuch provisions as the country then afforded, to the governor, andthese, happy to obtain the gold of the troops in return for what theycould conveniently spare, were not slow in availing themselves of thepermission. Dried bears' meat, venison, and Indian corn, composed thesubstance of these supplies, which were in sufficient abundance toproduce a six weeks' increase to the stock of the garrison. Hithertothey had been subsisting, in a great degree, upon salt provisions; thefood furtively supplied by the Canadians being necessarily, from theirdread of detection, on so limited a scale, that a very small portion ofthe troops had been enabled to profit by it. This, therefore, was animportant and unexpected benefit, derived from the falling in of thegarrison with the professed views of the savages; and one which, perhaps, few officers would, like Colonel de Haldimar, have possessedthe forethought to have secured. But although it served to relieve theanimal wants of the man, there was little to remove his moralinquietude. Discouraged by the sanguinary character of the warfare inwhich they seemed doomed to be for ever engaged, and harassed byconstant watchings, --seldom taking off their clothes for weekstogether, --the men had gradually been losing their energy of spirit, inthe contemplation of the almost irremediable evils by which they werebeset; and looked forward with sad and disheartening conviction to afate, that all things tended to prove to them was unavoidable, howeverthe period of its consummation might be protracted. Among the officers, this dejection, although proceeding from a different cause, was no lessprevalent; and notwithstanding they sought to disguise it before theirmen, when left to themselves, they gave unlimited rein to a despondencyhourly acquiring strength, as the day fixed on for the second councilwith the Indians drew near. 

At length it came, that terrible and eventful day, and, as if inmockery of those who saw no beauty in its golden beams, arrayed in allthe gorgeous softness of its autumnal glory. Sad and heavy were thehearts of many within that far distant and isolated fort, as they rose, at the first glimmering of light above the horizon, to prepare for theseveral duties assigned them. All felt the influence of a feeling thatlaid prostrate the moral energies even of the boldest: but there wasone young officer in particular, who exhibited a dejection, degenerating almost into stupefaction; and more than once, when hereceived an order from his superior, hesitated as one who either heardnot, or, in attempting to perform it, mistook the purport of hisinstructions, and executed some entirely different duty. Thecountenance of this officer, whose attenuated person otherwise boretraces of languor and debility, but too plainly marked theabstractedness and terror of his mind, while the set stiff features andcontracted muscles of the face contributed to give an expression ofvacuity, that one who knew him not might have interpreted unfavourably. Several times, during the inspection of his company at the earlyparade, he was seen to raise his head, and throw forward his ear, as ifexpecting to catch the echo of some horrible and appalling cry, untilthe men themselves remarked, and commented, by interchange of looks, onthe singular conduct of their officer, whose thoughts had evidently noconnection with the duty he was performing, or the spot on which hestood. 

When this customary inspection had been accomplished, --how imperfectly, has been seen, --and the men dismissed from their ranks, the same youngofficer was observed, by one who followed his every movement withinterest, to ascend that part of the rampart which commanded anunbroken view of the country westward, from the point where theencampment of the Indians was supposed to lie, down to the bridge onwhich the terrible tragedy of Halloway's death had been so recentlyenacted. Unconscious of the presence of two sentinels, who moved to andfro near their respective posts, on either side of him, the youngofficer folded his arms, and gazed in that direction for some minutes, with his whole soul riveted on the scene. Then, as if overcome byrecollections called up by that on which he gazed, he covered his eyeshurriedly with his hands, and betrayed, by the convulsed movement ofhis slender form, he was weeping bitterly. This paroxysm past, heuncovered his face, sank with one knee upon the ground, and upraisinghis clasped hands, as if in appeal to his God, seemed to pray deeplyand fervently. In this attitude he continued for some moments, when hebecame sensible of the approach of an intruder. He raised himself fromhis knee, turned, and beheld one whose countenance was stamped with adejection scarcely inferior to his own. It was Captain Blessington. 

"Charles, my dear Charles!" exclaimed the latter hurriedly, as he laidhis hand upon the shoulder of the emaciated De Haldimar, "consider youare not alone. For God's sake, check this weakness! There are menobserving you on every side, and your strange manner has already beenthe subject of remark in the company. "

"When the heart is sick, like mine, " replied the youth, in a tone offearful despondency, "it is alike reckless of forms, and careless ofappearances. I trust, however, " and here spoke the soldier, "there arefew within this fort who will believe me less courageous, because Ihave been seen to bend my knee in supplication to my God. I did notthink that YOU, Blessington, would have been the first to condemn theact. "

"I condemn it, Charles! you mistake me, indeed you do, " feelinglyreturned his captain, secretly pained at the mild reproach contained inthe concluding sentence; "but there are two things to be considered. Inthe first instance, the men, who are yet in ignorance of the greatevils with which we are threatened, may mistake the cause of youragitation; you were in tears just now, Charles, and the sentinels musthave remarked it as well as myself. I would not have them to believethat one of their officers was affected by the anticipation of comingdisaster, in a way their own hearts are incapable of estimating. Youunderstand me, Charles? I would not have them too much discouraged byan example that may become infectious. "

"I DO understand you, Blessington, " and a forced and sickly smileplayed for a moment over the wan yet handsome features of the youngofficer; "you would not have me appear a weeping coward in their eyes. "

"Nay, dear Charles, I did not say it. "

"But you meant it, Blessington; yet, think not, "--and he warmly pressedthe hand of his captain, --"think not, I repeat, I take your hint in anyother than the friendly light in which it was intended. That I havebeen no coward, however, I hope I have given proof more than oncebefore the men, most of whom have known me from my very cradle; yet, whatever they may think, is to me, at this moment, a matter of utterindifference. Blessington, " and again the tears rolled from his fixedeyes over his cheek, while he pointed with his finger to the westernhorizon, "I have neither thought nor feeling for myself; my whole heartlies buried there. Oh, God of Heaven!" he pursued after a pause, andagain raising his eyes in supplication, "avert the dreadful destinythat awaits my beloved sister. "

"Charles, Charles, if only for that sister's sake, then, calm anagitation which, if thus indulged in, will assuredly destroy you. Allwill yet be well. The delay obtained by your father has been sufficientfor the purpose proposed. Let us hope for the best: if we are deceivedin our expectation, it will then be time enough to indulge in a grief, which could scarcely be exceeded, were the fearful misgivings of yourmind to be realised before your eyes. "

"Blessington, " returned the young officer, --and his features exhibitedthe liveliest image of despair, --"all hope has long since been extinctwithin my breast. See you yon theatre of death?" he mournfully pursued, pointing to the fatal bridge, which was thrown into full relief againstthe placid bosom of the Detroit: "recollect you the scene that wasacted on it? As for me, it is ever present to my mind, --it haunts me inmy thoughts by day, and in my dreams by night. I shall never forget itwhile memory is left to curse me with the power of retrospection. Onthe very spot on which I now stand was I borne in a chair, to witnessthe dreadful punishment; you see the stone at my feet, I marked it bythat. I saw you conduct Halloway to the centre of the bridge; I beheldhim kneel to receive his death; I saw, too, the terrible race for life, that interrupted the proceedings; I marked the sudden upspring ofHalloway to his feet upon the coffin, and the exulting waving of hishand, as he seemed to recognise the rivals for mastery in that race. Then was heard the fatal volley, and I saw the death-struggle of himwho had saved my brother's life. I could have died, too, at thatmoment; and would to Providence I had! but it was otherwise decreed. Myaching interest was, for a moment, diverted by the fearful chase nowrenewed upon the height; and, in common with those around me, I watchedthe efforts of the pursuer and the pursued with painful earnestness anddoubt as to the final result. Ah, Blessington, why was not this all?The terrible shriek, uttered at the moment when the fugitive fell, apparently dead, at the feet of the firing party, reached us even here. I felt as if my heart must have burst, for I knew it to be the shriekof poor Ellen Halloway, --the suffering wife, --the broken-hearted womanwho had so recently, in all the wild abandonment of her grief, wettedmy pillow, and even my cheek, with her burning tears, whilesupplicating an intercession with my father for mercy, which I knew itwould be utterly fruitless to promise. Oh, Blessington, " pursued thesensitive and affectionate young officer, "I should vainly attempt topaint all that passed in my mind at that dreadful moment. Nothing butthe depth of my despair gave me strength to support the scenethroughout. I saw the frantic and half-naked woman glide like a phantompast the troops, dividing the air with the rapidity of thought. I knewit to be Ellen; for the discovery of her exchange of clothes with oneof the drum boys of the grenadiers was made soon after you left thefort. I saw her leap upon the coffin, and, standing over the body ofher unhappy husband, raise her hands to heaven in adjuration, and myheart died within me. I recollected the words she had spoken on aprevious occasion, during the first examination of Halloway, and I feltit to be the prophetic denunciation, then threatened, that she was nowuttering on all the race of De Haldimar. I saw no more, Blessington. Sick, dizzy, and with every faculty of my mind annihilated, I turnedaway from the horrid scene, and was again borne to my room. I tried togive vent to my overcharged heart in tears; but the power was deniedme, and I sank at once into that stupefaction which you have sinceremarked in me, and which has been increasing every hour. Whatadditional cause I have had for the indulgence of this confirmeddespondency you are well acquainted with. It is childish, it isunsoldierlike, I admit: but, alas! that dreadful scene is eternallybefore my eyes, and absorbs my mind, to the exclusion of every otherfeeling. I have not a thought or a care but for the fate that toocertainly awaits those who are most dear to me; and if this be aweakness, it is one I shall never have the power to shake off. In aword, Blessington, I am heart-broken. "

Captain Blessington was deeply affected; for there was a solemnity inthe voice and manner of the young officer that carried conviction tothe heart; and it was some moments before he could so far recoverhimself as to observe, --

"That scene, Charles, was doubtless a heart-rending one to us all; forI well recollect, on turning to remark the impression made on my menwhen the wretched Ellen Halloway pronounced her appalling curse to haveseen the large tears coursing each other over the furrowed cheeks ofsome of our oldest soldiers: and if THEY could feel thus, how much moreacute must have been the grief of those immediately interested in itsapplication!"

"THEIR tears were not for the denounced race of De Haldimar, " returnedthe youth, --"they were shed for their unhappy comrade--they were wrungfrom their stubborn hearts by the agonising grief of the wife ofHalloway. "

"That this was the case in part, I admit, " returned CaptainBlessington. "The feelings of the men partook of a mixed character. Itwas evident that grief for Halloway, compassion for his wife, secretindignation and, it may be, disgust at the severity of your father, andsorrow for his innocent family, who were included in that denunciation, predominated with equal force in their hearts at the same moment. Therewas an expression that told how little they would have pitied anyanguish of mind inflicted on their colonel, provided his children, whomthey loved, were not to be sacrificed to its accomplishment. "

"You admit, then, Blessington, although indirectly, " replied the youngDe Haldimar in a voice of touching sorrow, "that the consummation ofthe sacrifice IS to be looked for. Alas! it is that on which my mindperpetually lingers; yet, Heaven knows, my fears are not for myself. "

"You mistake me, dearest Charles. I look upon the observations of theunhappy woman as the ravings of a distracted mind--the last wildoutpourings of a broken heart, turning with animal instinct on the handthat has inflicted its death-blow. "

"Ah, why did she except no one member of that family!" said the unhappyDe Haldimar, pursuing rather the chain of his reflections than replyingto the observation of his captain. "Had the weight of her maledictionfallen on all else than my adored sister, I could have borne theinfliction, and awaited the issue with resignation, if not withoutapprehension. But my poor gentle and unoffending Clara, --alike innocentof the cause, and ignorant of the effect, --what had she done to beincluded in this terrible curse?--she, who, in the warm and generousaffection of her nature, had ever treated Ellen Halloway rather as asister than as the dependant she always appeared. " Again he covered hiseyes with his hands, to conceal the starting tears. 

"De Haldimar, " said Captain Blessington reprovingly, but mildly, "thisimmoderate grief is wrong--it is unmanly, and should be repressed. Ican feel and understand the nature of your sorrow; but others may notjudge so favourably. We shall soon be summoned to fall in; and I wouldnot that Mr. Delme, in particular, should notice an emotion he is soincapable of understanding. "

The hand of the young officer dropped from his face to the hilt of hissword. His cheek became scarlet; and even through the tears which hehalf choked himself to command, there was an unwonted flashing from hisblue eye, that told how deeply the insinuation had entered into hisheart. 

"Think you, Captain Blessington, " he proudly retorted, "there is anofficer in the fort who should dare to taunt me with my feelings as youhave done? I came here, sir, in the expectation I should be alone. At afitting hour I shall be found where Captain Blessington's subalternshould be--with his company. "

"De Haldimar--dear De Haldimar, forgive me!" returned his captain. "Heaven knows I would not, on any consideration, wantonly inflict painon your sensitive heart. My design was to draw you out of thisdesponding humour; and with this view I sought to arouse your pride, but certainly not to wound your feelings. De Haldimar, " he concluded, with marked expression, "you must not, indeed, feel offended with onewho has known and esteemed you from very boyhood. Friendship andinterest in your deep affliction of spirit alone brought me here--thesame feelings prompted my remark. Do you not believe me?"

"I do, " impressively returned the young man, grasping the hand that wasextended to him in amity. "It is I, rather, Blessington, who should askyou to forgive my petulance; but, indeed, indeed, " and again his tonefaltered, and his eye was dimmed, "I am more wretched even than I amwilling to confess. Pardon my silly conduct--it was but the vain andmomentary flashing of the soldier's spirit impatient of an assumedimputation, and the man less than the profession is to be taxed withit. But it is past; and already do you behold me once more the tame andapprehensive being I must ever continue until all is over. "

"What can I possibly urge to console one who seems so willing to nurseinto conviction all the melancholy imaginings of a diseased mind, "observed Captain Blessington, in a voice that told how deeply he feltfor the situation of his young friend. "Recollect, dearest Charles, thetime that has been afforded to our friends. More than a week has goneby since they left the fort, and a less period was deemed sufficientfor their purpose. Before this they must have gained their destination. In fact, it is my positive belief they have; for there could be nothingto detect them in their disguise. Had I the famous lamp of Aladdin, " hepursued, in a livelier tone, "over the history of which Clara andyourself used to spend so many hours in childhood, I have no doubt Icould show them to you quietly seated within the fort, recounting theiradventures to Clara and her cousin, and discoursing of their absentfriends. "

"Would I to Heaven you had the power to do so!" replied De Haldimar, smiling faintly at the conceit, while a ray of hope beamed for a momentupon his sick soul; "for then, indeed, would all my fears for thepresent be at rest. But you forget, Blessington, the encounter statedto have taken place between them and that terrible stranger near thebridge. Besides, is it not highly probable the object of theirexpedition was divined by that singular and mysterious being, and thatmeans have been taken to intercept their passage? If so, all hope is atan end. "

"Why persevere in viewing only the more sombre side of the picture?"returned his friend. "In your anxiety to anticipate evil, Charles, youhave overlooked one important fact. Ponteac distinctly stated that hisruffian friend was still lying deprived of consciousness and speechwithin his tent, and yet two days had elapsed since the encounter wassaid to have taken place. Surely we have every reason then to inferthey were beyond all reach of pursuit, even admitting, what is by nomeans probable the recovery of the wretch immediately after the returnof the chiefs from the council. "

A gleam of satisfaction, but so transient as to be scarcely noticeable, passed over the pale features of the youthful De Haldimar. He lookedhis thanks to the kind officer who was thus solicitous to tender himconsolation; and was about to reply, when the attention of both wasdiverted by the report of a musket from the rear of the fort. Presentlyafterwards, the word was passed along the chain of sentinels, upon theramparts, that the Indians were issuing in force from the forest uponthe common near the bomb-proof. Then was heard, as the sentinel at thegate delivered the password, the heavy roll of the drum summoning toarms. 

"Ha! here already!" said Captain Blessington, as, glancing towards theforest, he beheld the skirt of the wood now alive with dusky humanforms: "Ponteac's visit is earlier than we had been taught to expect;but we are as well prepared to receive him now, as later; and, in fact, the sooner the interview is terminated, the sooner we shall know whatwe have to depend upon. Come, Charles, we must join the company, andlet me entreat you to evince less despondency before the men. It ishard, I know, to sustain an artificial character under suchdisheartening circumstances; still, for example's sake, it must bedone. "

"What I can I will do, Blessington, " rejoined the youth, as they bothmoved from the ramparts; "but the task is, in truth, one to which Ifind myself wholly unequal. How do I know that, even at this moment, mydefenceless, terrified, and innocent sister may not be invoking thename and arm of her brother to save her from destruction. "

"Trust in Providence, Charles. Even although our worst apprehensions berealised, as I fervently trust they will not, your sister may bespared. The Canadian could not have been unfaithful, or we should havelearnt something of his treachery from the Indians. Another week willconfirm us in the truth or fallacy of our impressions. Until then, letus arm our hearts with hope. Trust me, we shall yet see the laughingeyes of Clara fill with tears of affection, as I recount to her all hertoo sensitive and too desponding brother has suffered for her sake. "

De Haldimar made no reply. He deeply felt the kind intention of hiscaptain, but was far from cherishing the hope that had beenrecommended. He sighed heavily, pressed the arm, on which he leaned, ingratitude for the motive, and moved silently with his friend to jointheir company below the rampart. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Meanwhile the white flag had again been raised by the Indians upon thebomb-proof; and this having been readily met by a corresponding signalfrom the fort, a numerous band of savages now issued from the coverwith which their dark forms had hitherto been identified, and spreadthemselves far and near upon the common. On this occasion they werewithout arms, offensive or defensive, of any kind, if we may except theknife which was always carried at the girdle, and which constituted apart rather of their necessary dress than of their warlike equipment. These warriors might have been about five hundred in number, and werecomposed chiefly of picked men from the nations of the Ottawas, theDelawares, and the Shawanees; each race being distinctly recognisablefrom the others by certain peculiarities of form and feature whichindividualised, if we may so term it, the several tribes. Their onlycovering was the legging before described, composed in some instancesof cloth, but principally of smoked deerskin, and the flap that passedthrough the girdle around the loins, by which the straps attached tothe leggings were secured. Their bodies, necks, and arms were, with theexception of a few slight ornaments, entirely naked; and even theblanket, that served them as a couch by night and a covering by day, had, with one single exception, been dispensed with, apparently with aview to avoid any thing like encumbrance in their approaching sport. Each individual was provided with a stout sapling of about three feetin length, curved, and flattened at the root extremity, like that usedat the Irish hurdle; which game, in fact, the manner of ball-playingamong the Indians in every way resembled. 

Interspersed among these warriors were a nearly equal number of squaws. These were to be seen lounging carelessly about in small groups, andwere of all ages; from the hoary-headed, shrivelled-up hag, whose eyesstill sparkled with a fire that her lank and attenuated frame denied, to the young girl of twelve, whose dark and glowing cheek, roundedbust, and penetrating glance, bore striking evidence of theprecociousness of Indian beauty. These latter looked with evidentinterest on the sports of the younger warriors, who, throwing downtheir hurdles, either vied with each other in the short but incrediblyswift foot-race, or indulged themselves in wrestling and leaping; whiletheir companions, abandoned to the full security they felt to beattached to the white flag waving on the fort, lay at their lazy lengthupon the sward, ostensibly following the movements of the severalcompetitors in these sports, but in reality with heart and eye directedsolely to the fortification that lay beyond. Each of these females, inaddition to the machecoti, or petticoat, which in one solid square ofbroad-cloth was tightly wrapped around the loins, also carried ablanket loosely thrown around the person, but closely confined over theshoulders in front, and reaching below the knee. There was an air ofconstraint in their movements, which accorded ill with the occasion offestivity for which they were assembled; and it was remarkable, whetherit arose from deference to those to whom they were slaves, as well aswives and daughters, or from whatever other cause it might be, none ofthem ventured to recline themselves upon the sward in imitation of thewarriors. 

When it had been made known to the governor that the Indians had begunto develop themselves in force upon the common unarmed, yet redolentwith the spirit that was to direct their meditated sports, the soldierswere dismissed from their respective companies to the ramparts; wherethey were now to be seen, not drawn up in formidable and hostile array, but collected together in careless groups, and simply in theirside-arms. This reciprocation of confidence on the part of the garrisonwas acknowledged by the Indians by marks of approbation, expressed asmuch by the sudden and classic disposition of their fine forms intoattitudes strikingly illustrative of their admiration and pleasure, asby the interjectional sounds that passed from one to the other of thethrong. From the increased alacrity with which they now lent themselvesto the preparatory and inferior amusements of the day, it was evidenttheir satisfaction was complete. 

Hitherto the principal chiefs had, as on the previous occasion, occupied the bomb-proof; and now, as then, they appeared to bedeliberating among themselves, but evidently in a more energetic andserious manner. At length they separated, when Ponteac, accompanied bythe chiefs who had attended him on the former day, once more led in thedirection of the fort. The moment of his advance was the signal for thecommencement of the principal game. In an instant those of the warriorswho lay reclining on the sward sprang to their feet, while thewrestlers and racers resumed their hurdles, and prepared themselves forthe trial of mingled skill and swiftness. At first they formed a densegroup in the centre of the common; and then, diverging in two equalfiles both to the right and to the left of the immediate centre, wherethe large ball was placed, formed an open chain, extending from theskirt of the forest to the commencement of the village. On the one sidewere ranged the Delawares and the Shawanees, and on the other the morenumerous nation of the Ottawas. The women of these several tribes, apparently much interested in the issue of an amusement in which themanliness and activity of their respective friends were staked, hadgradually and imperceptibly gained the front of the fort, where theywere now huddled in groups at about twenty paces from the drawbridge, and bending eagerly forward to command the movements of theball-players. 

In his circuit round the walls, Ponteac was seen to remark theconfiding appearance of the unarmed soldiery with a satisfaction thatwas not sought to be disguised; and from the manner in which he threwhis glance along each face of the rampart, it was evident his objectwas to embrace the numerical strength collected there. It was moreoverobserved, when he passed the groups of squaws on his way to the gate, he addressed some words in a strange tongue to the elder matrons ofeach. 

Once more the dark warriors were received at the gate by MajorBlackwater; and, as with firm but elastic tread, they moved across thesquare, each threw his fierce eyes rapidly and anxiously around, andwith less of concealment in his manner than had been manifested on theformer occasion. On every hand the same air of nakedness and desertionmet their gaze. Not even a soldier of the guard was to be seen; andwhen they cast their eyes upwards to the windows of the blockhouses, they were found to be tenantless as the area through which they passed. A gleam of fierce satisfaction pervaded the swarthy countenances of theIndians; and the features of Ponteac, in particular, expressed thedeepest exultation. Instead of leading his party, he now brought up therear; and when arrived in the centre of the fort, he, without anyvisible cause for the accident, stumbled, and fell to the earth. Theother chiefs for a moment lost sight of their ordinary gravity, andmarked their sense of the circumstance by a prolonged sound, partakingof the mingled character of a laugh and a yell. Startled at the cry, Major Blackwater, who was in front, turned to ascertain the cause. Atthat moment Ponteac sprang lightly again to his feet, responding to theyell of his confederates by another even more startling, fierce, andprolonged than their own. He then stalked proudly to the head of theparty, and even preceded Major Blackwater into the council room. 

In this rude theatre of conference some changes had been made sincetheir recent visit, which escaped not the observation of thequick-sighted chiefs. Their mats lay in the position they hadpreviously occupied, and the chairs of the officers were placed asbefore, but the room itself had been considerably enlarged. The slightpartition terminating the interior extremity of the mess-room, anddividing it from that of one of the officers, had been removed; andmidway through this, extending entirely across, was drawn a curtain ofscarlet cloth, against which the imposing figure of the governor, elevated as his seat was above those of the other officers, was throwninto strong relief. There was another change, that escaped not theobservation of the Indians, and that was, not more than one half of theofficers who had been present at the first conference being now in theroom. Of these latter, one had, moreover, been sent away by thegovernor the moment the chiefs were ushered in. 

"Ugh!" ejaculated the proud leader, as he took his seatunceremoniously, and yet not without reluctance, upon the mat. "Thecouncil-room of my father is bigger than when the Ottawa was herebefore, yet the number of his chiefs is not so many. "

"The great chief of the Ottawas knows that the Saganaw has promised thered skins a feast, " returned the governor. "Were he to leave it to hisyoung warriors to provide it, he would not be able to receive theOttawa like a great chief, and to make peace with him as he could wish. "

"My father has a great deal of cloth, red, like the blood of a paleface, " pursued the Indian, rather in demand than in observation, as hepointed with his finger to the opposite end of the room. "When theOttawa was here last, he did not see it. "

"The great chief of the Ottawas knows that the great father of theSaganaw has a big heart to make presents to the red skins. The cloththe Ottawa sees there is sufficient to make leggings for the chiefs ofall the nations. "

Apparently satisfied with this reply, the fierce Indian uttered one ofhis strong guttural and assentient "ughs, " and then commenced fillingthe pipe of peace, correct on the present occasion in all itsornaments, which was handed to him by the Delaware chief. It wasremarked by the officers this operation took up an unusually longportion of his time, and that he frequently turned his ear, like ahorse stirred by the huntsman's horn, with quick and irrepressibleeagerness towards the door. 

"The pale warrior, the friend of the Ottawa chief, is not here, " saidthe governor, as he glanced his eye along the semicircle of Indians. "How is this? Is his voice still sick, that he cannot come; or has thegreat chief of the Ottawas forgotten to tell him?"

"The voice of the pale warrior is still sick, and he cannot speak, "replied the Indian. "The Ottawa chief is very sorry; for the tongue ofhis friend the pale face is full of wisdom. "

Scarcely had the last words escaped his lips, when a wild shrill cryfrom without the fort rang on the ears of the assembled council, andcaused a momentary commotion among the officers. It arose from a singlevoice, and that voice could not be mistaken by any who had heard itonce before. A second or two, during which the officers and chiefs kepttheir eyes intently fixed on each other, passed anxiously away, andthen nearer to the gate, apparently on the very drawbridge itself, waspealed forth the wild and deafening yell of a legion of devilishvoices. At that sound, the Ottawa and the other chiefs sprang to theirfeet, and their own fierce cry responded to that yet vibrating on theears of all. Already were their gleaming tomahawks brandished wildlyover their heads, and Ponteac had even bounded a pace forward to reachthe governor with the deadly weapon, when, at the sudden stamping ofthe foot of the latter upon the floor, the scarlet cloth in the rearwas thrown aside, and twenty soldiers, their eyes glancing along thebarrels of their levelled muskets, met the startled gaze of theastonished Indians. 

An instant was enough to satisfy the keen chief of the true state ofthe case. The calm composed mien of the officers, not one of whom hadeven attempted to quit his seat, amid the din by which his ears were soalarmingly assailed, --the triumphant, yet dignified, and even severeexpression of the governor's countenance; and, above all, theunexpected presence of the prepared soldiery, --all these at onceassured him of the discovery of his treachery, and the danger thatawaited him. The necessity for an immediate attempt to join hiswarriors without, was now obvious to the Ottawa; and scarcely had heconceived the idea before it was sought to be executed. In a singlespring he gained the door of the mess-room, and, followed eagerly andtumultuously by the other chiefs, to whose departure no opposition wasoffered, in the next moment stood on the steps of the piazza that ranalong the front of the building whence he had issued. 

The surprise of the Indians on reaching this point, was now toopowerful to be dissembled; and, incapable either of advancing orreceding, they remained gazing on the scene before them with an air ofmingled stupefaction, rage, and alarm. Scarcely ten minutes had elapsedsince they had proudly strode through the naked area of the fort; andyet, even in that short space of time, its appearance had been entirelychanged. Not a part was there now of the surrounding buildings that wasnot redolent with human life, and hostile preparation. Through everywindow of the officers' low rooms, was to be seen the dark and frowningmuzzle of a field-piece, bearing upon the gateway; and behind thesewere artillerymen, holding their lighted matches, supported again byfiles of bayonets, that glittered in their rear. In the block-housesthe same formidable array of field-pieces and muskets was visible;while from the four angles of the square, as many heavy guns, that hadbeen artfully masked at the entrance of the chiefs, seemed ready tosweep away every thing that should come before them. The guard-roomnear the gate presented the same hostile front. The doors of this, aswell as of the other buildings, had been firmly secured within; butfrom every window affording cover to the troops, gleamed a line ofbayonets rising above the threatening field-pieces, pointed, at adistance of little more than twelve feet, directly upon the gateway. Inaddition to his musket, each man of the guard moreover held a handgrenade, provided with a short fuze that could be ignited in a momentfrom the matches of the gunners, and with immediate effect. Thesoldiers in the block-houses were similarly provided. 

Almost magic as was the change thus suddenly effected in the appearanceof the garrison, it was not the most interesting feature in theexciting scene. Choking up the gateway, in which they were completelywedged, and crowding the drawbridge, a dense mass of dusky Indians wereto be seen casting their fierce glances around; yet paralysed in theirmovements by the unlooked-for display of a resisting force, threateninginstant annihilation to those who should attempt either to advance orto recede. Never, perhaps, were astonishment and disappointment moreforcibly depicted on the human countenance, than as they were nowexhibited by these men, who had already, in imagination, secured tothemselves an easy conquest. They were the warriors who had so recentlybeen engaged in the manly yet innocent exercise of the ball; but, instead of the harmless hurdle, each now carried a short gun in onehand and a gleaming tomahawk in the other. After the first generalyelling heard in the council-room, not a sound was uttered. Their burstof rage and triumph had evidently been checked by the unexpected mannerof their reception, and they now stood on the spot on which the furtheradvance of each had been arrested, so silent and motionless, that, butfor the rolling of their dark eyes, as they keenly measured theinsurmountable barriers that were opposed to their progress, they mightalmost have been taken for a wild group of statuary. 

Conspicuous at the head of these was he who wore the blanket; a tallwarrior, on whom rested the startled eye of every officer and soldierwho was so situated as to behold him. His face was painted black asdeath; and as he stood under the arch of the gateway, with his whiteturbaned head towering far above those of his companions, thisformidable and mysterious enemy might have been likened to the spiritof darkness presiding over his terrible legions. 

In order to account for the extraordinary appearance of the Indians, armed in every way for death, at a moment when neither gun nor tomahawkwas apparently within miles of their reach, it will be necessary torevert to the first entrance of the chiefs into the fort. The fall ofPonteac had been the effect of design; and the yell pealed forth byhim, on recovering his feet, as if in taunting reply to the laugh ofhis comrades, was in reality a signal intended for the guidance of theIndians without. These, now following up their game with increasingspirit, at once changed the direction of their line, bringing the ballnearer to the fort. In their eagerness to effect this object, they hadoverlooked the gradual secession of the unarmed troops, spectators oftheir sport from the ramparts, until scarcely more than twentystragglers were left. As they neared the gate, the squaws broke uptheir several groups, and, forming a line on either hand of the roadleading to the drawbridge, appeared to separate solely with a view notto impede the action of the players. For an instant a dense groupcollected around the ball, which had been driven to within a hundredyards of the gate, and fifty hurdles were crossed in their endeavoursto secure it, when the warrior, who formed the solitary exception tothe multitude, in his blanket covering, and who had been lingering inthe extreme rear of the party, came rapidly up to the spot where thewell-affected struggle was maintained. At his approach, the hurdles ofthe other players were withdrawn, when, at a single blow from hispowerful arm, the ball was seen flying into the air in an obliquedirection, and was for a moment lost altogether to the view. When itagain met the eye, it was descending perpendicularly into the verycentre of the fort. 

With the fleetness of thought now commenced a race that had ostensiblyfor its object the recovery of the lost ball; and in which, he who haddriven it with such resistless force outstripped them all. Their courselay between the two lines of squaws; and scarcely had the head of thebounding Indians reached the opposite extremity of those lines, whenthe women suddenly threw back their blankets, and disclosed each ashort gun and a tomahawk. To throw away their hurdles and seize uponthese, was the work of an instant. Already, in imagination, was thefort their own; and, such was the peculiar exultation of the black andturbaned warrior, when he felt the planks of the drawbridge bendingbeneath his feet, all the ferocious joy of his soul was pealed forth inthe terrible cry which, rapidly succeeded by that of the other Indians, had resounded so fearfully through the council-room. What theirdisappointment was, when, on gaining the interior, they found thegarrison prepared for their reception, has already been shown. 

"Secure that traitor, men!" exclaimed the governor, advancing into thesquare, and pointing to the black warrior, whose quick eye was nowglancing on every side, to discover some assailable point in theformidable defences of the troops. 

A laugh of scorn and derision escaped the lips of the warrior. "Isthere a man--are there any ten men, even with Governor de Haldimar attheir head, who will be bold enough to attempt it?" he asked. "Nay!" hepursued, stepping boldly a pace or two in front of the wonderingsavages, --"here I stand singly, and defy your whole garrison!"

A sudden movement among the soldiers in the guard-room announced theywere preparing to execute the order of their chief. The eye of theblack warrior sparkled with ferocious pleasure; and he made a gestureto his followers, which was replied to by the sudden tension of theirhitherto relaxed forms into attitudes of expectance and preparation. 

"Stay, men; quit not your cover for your lives!" commanded thegovernor, in a loud deep voice:--"keep the barricades fast, and movenot. "

A cloud of anger and disappointment passed over the features of theblack warrior. It was evident the object of his bravado was to draw thetroops from their defences, that they might be so mingled with theirenemies as to render the cannon useless, unless friends and foes (whichwas by no means probable) should alike be sacrificed. The governor hadpenetrated the design in time to prevent the mischief. 

In a moment of uncontrollable rage, the savage warrior aimed histomahawk at the head of the governor. The latter stepped lightly aside, and the steel sank with such force into one of the posts supporting thepiazza, that the quivering handle snapped close off at its head. Atthat moment, a single shot, fired from the guard-house, was drowned inthe yell of approbation which burst from the lips of the dark crowd. The turban of the warrior was, however, seen flying through the air, carried away by the force of the bullet which had torn it from hishead. He himself was unharmed. 

"A narrow escape for us both, Colonel de Haldimar, " he observed, assoon as the yell had subsided, and with an air of the most perfectunconcern. "Had my tomahawk obeyed the first impulse of my heart, Ishould have cursed myself and died: as it is, I have reason to avoidall useless exposure of my own life, at present. A second bullet may bebetter directed; and to die, robbed of my revenge, would ill answer thepurpose of a life devoted to its attainment. Remember my pledge!"

At the hasty command of the governor, a hundred muskets were raised tothe shoulders of his men; but, before a single eye could glance alongthe barrel, the formidable and active warrior had bounded over theheads of the nearest Indians into a small space that was leftunoccupied; when, stooping suddenly to the earth, he disappearedaltogether from the view of his enemies. A slight movement in thecentre of the numerous band crowding the gateway, and extending evenbeyond the bridge, was now discernible: it was like the waving of afield of standing corn, through which some animal rapidly winds itstortuous course, bending aside as the object advances, and closingagain when it has passed. After the lapse of a minute, the terriblewarrior was seen to spring again to his feet, far in the rear of theband; and then, uttering a fierce shout of exultation, to make good hisretreat towards the forest. 

Meanwhile, Ponteac and the other chiefs of the council continued rootedto the piazza on which they had rushed at the unexpected display of thearmed men behind the scarlet curtain. The loud "Waugh" that burst fromthe lips of all, on finding themselves thus foiled in their schemes ofmassacre, had been succeeded, the instant afterwards, by feelings ofpersonal apprehension, which each, however, had collectedness enough todisguise. Once the Ottawa made a movement as if he would have clearedthe space that kept him from his warriors; but the emphatical pointingof the finger of Colonel de Haldimar to the levelled muskets of the menin the block-houses prevented him, and the attempt was not repeated. Itwas remarked by the officers, who also stood on the piazza, closebehind the chiefs, when the black warrior threw his tomahawk at thegovernor, a shade of displeasure passed over the features of theOttawa; and that, when he found the daring attempt was not retaliatedon his people, his countenance had been momentarily lighted up with asatisfied expression, apparently marking his sense of the forbearanceso unexpectedly shown. 

"What says the great chief of the Ottawas now?" asked the governorcalmly, and breaking a profound silence that had succeeded to the lastfierce yell of the formidable being just departed. "Was the Saganaw notright, when he said the Ottawa came with guile in his heart, and with alie upon his lips? But the Saganaw is not a fool, and he can read thethoughts of his enemies upon their faces, and long before their lipshave spoken. "

"Ugh!" ejaculated the Indian; "my father is a great chief, and his headis full of wisdom. Had he been feeble, like the other chiefs of theSaganaw, the strong-hold of the Detroit must have fallen, and the redskins would have danced their war-dance round the scalps of his youngmen, even in the council-room where they came to talk of peace. "

"Does the great chief of the Ottawas see the big thunder of theSaganaw?" pursued the governor: "if not, let him open his eyes andlook. The Saganaw has but to move his lips, and swifter than thelightning would the pale faces sweep away the warriors of the Ottawa, even where they now stand: in less time than the Saganaw is nowspeaking, would they mow them down like the grass of the Prairie. "

"Ugh!" again exclaimed the chief, with mixed doggedness and fierceness:"if what my father says is true, why does he not pour out his angerupon the red skins?"

"Let the great chief of the Ottawas listen, " replied the governor withdignity. "When the great chiefs of all the nations that are in leaguewith the Ottawas came last to the council, the Saganaw knew that theycarried deceit in their hearts, and that they never meant to smoke thepipe of peace, or to bury the hatchet in the ground. The Saganaw mighthave kept them prisoners, that their warriors might be without a head;but he had given his word to the great chief of the Ottawas, and theword of a Saganaw is never broken. Even now, while both the chiefs andthe warriors are in his power, --he will not slay them, for he wishes toshow the Ottawa the desire of the Saganaw is to be friendly with thered skins, and not to destroy them. Wicked men from the Canadas havewhispered lies in the ear of the Ottawa; but a great chief should judgefor himself, and take council only from the wisdom of his own heart. The Ottawa and his warriors may go, " he resumed, after a short pause;"the path by which they came is again open to them. Let them depart inpeace; the big thunder of the Saganaw shall not harm them. "

The countenance of the Indian, who had clearly seen the danger of hisposition, wore an expression of surprise which could not be dissembled:low exclamations passed between him and his companions; and, thenpointing to the tomahawk that lay half buried in the wood, he said, doubtingly, --

"It was the pale face, the friend of the great chief of the Ottawas, who struck the hatchet at my father. The Ottawa is not a fool tobelieve the Saganaw can sleep without revenge. "

"The great chief of the Ottawas shall know us better, " was the reply. "The young warriors of the Saganaw might destroy their enemies wherethey now stand, but they seek not their blood. When the Ottawa chieftakes council from his own heart, and not from the lips of a cowardlydog of a pale face, who strikes his tomahawk and then flies, his wisdomwill tell him to make peace with the Saganaw, whose warriors arewithout treachery, even as they are without fear. "

Another of those deep interjectional "ughs" escaped the chest of theproud Indian. 

"What my father says is good, " he returned; "but the pale face is agreat warrior, and the Ottawa chief is his friend. The Ottawa will go. "

He then addressed a few sentences, in a tongue unknown to the officers, to the swarthy and anxious crowd in front. These were answered by alow, sullen, yet assentient grunt, from the united band, who nowturned, though with justifiable caution and distrust, and recrossed thedrawbridge without hinderance from the troops. Ponteac waited until thelast Indian had departed, and then making a movement to the governor, which, with all its haughtiness, was meant to mark his sense of theforbearance and good faith that had been manifested, once more stalkedproudly and calmly across the area, followed by the remainder of thechiefs. The officers who were with the governor ascended to theramparts, to follow their movements; and it was not before their reporthad been made, that the Indians were immerging once more into the heartof the forest, the troops were withdrawn from their formidabledefences, and the gate of the fort again firmly secured. 

CHAPTER VII. 

While the reader is left to pause over the rapid succession ofincidents resulting from the mysterious entrance of the warrior of theFleur de lis into the English fort, be it our task to explain thecircumstances connected with the singular disappearance of Captain deHaldimar, and the melancholy murder of his unfortunate servant. 

It will be recollected that the ill-fated Halloway, in the course ofhis defence before the court-martial, distinctly stated the voice ofthe individual who had approached his post, calling on the name ofCaptain de Haldimar, on the night of the alarm, to have been that of afemale, and that the language in which they subsequently conversed wasthat of the Ottawa Indians. This was strictly the fact; and the onlyerror into which the unfortunate soldier had fallen, had referencemerely to the character and motives of the party. He had naturallyimagined, as he had stated, it was some young female of the village, whom attachment for his officer had driven to the desperatedetermination of seeking an interview; nor was this impression at allweakened by the subsequent discourse of the parties in the Indiantongue, with which it was well known most of the Canadians, both maleand female, were more or less conversant. The subject of that short, low, and hurried conference was, indeed, one that well warranted thesingular intrusion; and, in the declaration of Halloway, we havealready seen the importance and anxiety attached by the young officerto the communication. Without waiting to repeat the motives assignedfor his departure, and the prayers and expostulations to which he hadrecourse to overcome the determination and sense of duty of theunfortunate sentinel, let us pass at once to the moment when, afterhaving cleared the ditch, conjointly with his faithful follower, in themanner already shown, Captain de Haldimar first stood side by side withhis midnight visitant. 

The night, it has elsewhere been observed, was clear and starry, sothat objects upon the common, such as the rude stump that here andthere raised its dark low head above the surface, might be dimly seenin the distance. To obviate the danger of discovery by the sentinels, appeared to be the first study of the female; for, when Captain deHaldimar, followed by his servant, had reached the spot on which shestood, she put the forefinger of one hand to her lips, and with theother pointed to his booted foot. A corresponding signal showed thatthe lightness of the material offered little risk of betrayal. Donellan, however, was made to doff his heavy ammunition shoes; and, with this precaution, they all stole hastily along, under the shadowsof the projecting ramparts, until they had gained the extreme rear. Here the female suddenly raised her tall figure from the stoopingposition in which she, as well as her companions, had performed thedangerous circuit; and, placing her finger once more significantly onher lips, led in the direction of the bomb-proof, unperceived by thesentinels, most of whom, it is probable, had, up to the moment of thealarm subsequently given, been too much overcome by previous watchingand excitement to have kept the most vigilant look-out. 

Arrived at the skirt of the forest, the little party drew up within theshadow of the ruin, and a short and earnest dialogue ensued, in Indian, between the female and the officer. This was succeeded by a commandfrom the latter to his servant, who, after a momentary but respectfulexpostulation, which, however, was utterly lost on him to whom it wasaddressed, proceeded to divest himself of his humble apparel, assumingin exchange the more elegant uniform of his superior. Donellan, who wasalso of the grenadiers, was remarkable for the resemblance he bore, infigure, to Captain de Haldimar; wanting, it is true, the grace andfreedom of movement of the latter, but still presenting an outlinewhich, in an attitude of profound repose, might, as it subsequentlydid, have set even those who were most intimate with the officer atfault. 

"This is well, " observed the female, as the young man proceeded toinduct himself in the grey coat of his servant, having previously drawnthe glazed hat close over his waving and redundant hair: "if theSaganaw is ready, Oucanasta will go. "

"Sure, and your honour does not mane to lave me behind!" exclaimed theanxious soldier, as his captain now recommended him to stand closelyconcealed near the ruin until his return. "Who knows what ambuscade theshe-divil may not lade your honour into; and thin who will you have tobring you out of it?"

"No, Donellan, it must not be: I first intended it, as you may perceiveby my bringing you out; but the expedition on which I am going is ofthe utmost importance to us all, and too much precaution cannot betaken. I fear no ambuscade, for I can depend on the fidelity of myguide; but the presence of a third person would only embarrass, withoutassisting me in the least. You must remain behind; the woman insistsupon it, and there is no more to be said. "

"To ould Nick with the ugly winch, for her pains!" half muttered thedisappointed soldier to himself. "I wish it may be as your honour says;but my mind misgives me sadly that evil will come of this. Has yourhonour secured the pistols?"

"They are here, " returned his captain, placing a hand on either chest. "And now, Donellan, mark me: I know nothing that can detain me longerthan an hour; at least the woman assures me, and I believe her, that Imay be back then; but it is well to guard against accidents. You mustcontinue here for the hour, and for the hour only. If I come not then, return to the fort without delay, for the rope must be removed, and thegate secured, before Halloway is relieved. The keys you will find inthe pocket of my uniform: when you have done with them, let them behung up in their proper place in the guard-room. My father must notknow either that Halloway suffered me to pass the gate, or that youaccompanied me. "

"Lord love us! your honour talks as if you nivir would return, givingsuch a heap of orders!" exclaimed the startled man; "but if I go backalone, as I trust in heaven I shall not, how am I to account for beingdressed in your honour's rigimintals?"

"I tell you, Donellan, " impatiently returned the officer, "that I shallbe back; but I only wish to guard against accidents. The instant youget into the fort, you will take off my clothes and resume your own. Who the devil is to see you in the uniform, unless it be Halloway?"

"If the Saganaw would not see the earth red with the blood of his race, he will go, " interrupted the female. "Oucanasta can feel the breath ofthe morning fresh upon her cheek, and the council of the chiefs must bebegun. "

"The Saganaw is ready, and Oucanasta shall lead the way, " hastilyreturned the officer. "One word more, Donellan;" and he pressed thehand of his domestic kindly: "should I not return, you must, withoutcommitting Halloway or yourself, cause my father to be apprised thatthe Indians meditate a deep and treacherous plan to get possession ofthe fort. What that plan is, I know not yet myself, neither does thiswoman know; but she says that I shall hear it discussed unseen, even inthe heart of their own encampment. All you have to do is to acquaint myfather with the existence of danger. And now be cautious: above allthings, keep close under the shadow of the bomb-proof; for there arescouts constantly prowling about the common, and the glittering of theuniform in the starlight may betray you. "

"But why may I not follow your honour?" again urged the faithfulsoldier; "and where is the use of my remaining here to count the stars, and hear the 'All's well!' from the fort, when I could be so muchbetter employed in guarding your honour from harm? What sort ofprotection can that Ingian woman afford, who is of the race of ourbitterest enemies, them cursed Ottawas, and your honour venturing, too, like a spy into the very heart of the blood-hounds? Ah, Captain deHaldimar, for the love of God, do not trust yourself alone with her, orI am sure I shall never see your honour again!"

The last words (unhappily too prophetic) fell only on the ear of himwho uttered them. The female and the officer had already disappearedround an abrupt angle of the bomb-proof; and the soldier, as directedby his master, now drew up his tall figure against the ruin, where hecontinued for a period immovable, as if he had been planted there inhis ordinary character of sentinel, listening, until they eventuallydied away in distance, to the receding footsteps of his master; andthen ruminating on the several apprehensions that crowded on his mind, in regard to the probable issue of his adventurous project. 

Meanwhile, Captain de Haldimar and his guide trod the mazes of theforest, with an expedition that proved the latter to be well acquaintedwith its bearings. On quitting the bomb-proof, she had struck into anarrow winding path, less seen than felt in the deep gloom pervadingthe wood, and with light steps bounded over obstacles that lay strewedin their course, emitting scarcely more sound than would have beenproduced by the slimy crawl of its native rattlesnake. Not so, however, with the less experienced tread of her companion. Wanting the pliancyof movement given to it by the light mocassin, the booted foot of theyoung officer, despite of all his precaution, fell heavily to theground, producing such a rustling among the dried leaves, that, had anIndian ear been lurking any where around, his approach must inevitablyhave been betrayed. More than once, too, neglecting to follow theinjunction of his companion, who moved in a stooping posture, with herhead bent over her chest, his hat was caught in the closely mattedbranches, and fell sullenly and heavily to the earth, evidently much tothe discomfiture of his guide. 

At length they stood on the verge of a dark and precipitous ravine, theabrupt sides of which were studded with underwood, so completelyinterwoven, that all passage appeared impracticable. What, however, seemed an insurmountable obstacle, proved, in reality, an inestimableadvantage; for it was by clinging to this, in imitation of the exampleset him by his companion, the young officer was prevented from rollinginto an abyss, the depth of which was lost in the profound obscuritythat pervaded the scene. Through the bed of this dark dell rolled anarrow stream, so imperceptible to the eye in the "living darkness, "and so noiseless in its course, that it was not until warned by hiscompanion he stood on the very brink of it, Captain de Haldimar wasmade sensible of its existence. Both cleared it at a single bound, inwhich the activity of the female was not the least conspicuous, and, clambering up the opposite steep, secured their footing, by the aid ofthe same underwood that had assisted them in their descent. 

On gaining the other summit, which was not done without detachingseveral loose stones from their sandy bed, they again, fell into thepath, which had been lost sight of in traversing the ravine. They hadproceeded along this about half a mile, when the female suddenlystopped, and pointing to a dim and lurid atmosphere that now began toshow itself between the thin foliage, whispered that in the openingbeyond stood the encampment of the Indians. She then seated herself onthe trunk of a fallen tree, that lay at the side of the almostinvisible path they had hitherto pursued, and motioning to hercompanion to unboot himself, proceeded to unlace the fastenings of hermocassins. 

"The foot of the Saganaw must fall like the night dew on the prairie, "she observed: "the ear of the red skin is quicker than the lightning, and he will know that a pale face is near, if he hear but his treadupon a blade of grass. "

Gallantry in the civilised man is a sentiment that never whollyabandons him; and in whatever clime he may be thrown, or under whatevercircumstances he may be placed, --be it called forth by white or byblackamoor, --it is certain to influence his conduct: it is arefinement, of that instinctive deference to the weaker sex, whichnature has implanted in him for the wisest of purposes; and which, while it tends to exalt those to whom its influence is extended, failsnot to reflect a corresponding lustre on himself. 

The young officer had, at the first suggestion of his guide, divestedhimself of his boots, prepared to perform the remainder of the journeymerely in his stockings, but his companion now threw herself on herknees before him, and, without further ceremony, proceeded to draw overhis foot one of the mocassins she had just relinquished. 

"The feet of the Saganaw are soft as those of a young child, " sheremarked, in a voice of commiseration; "but the mocassins of Oucanastashall protect them from the thorns of the forest. "

This was too un-European, --too much reversing the established order ofthings, to be borne patiently. As if he had felt the dignity of hismanhood offended by the proposal, the officer drew his foot hastilyback, declaring, as he sprang from the log, he did not care for thethorns, and could not think of depriving a female, who must be muchmore sensible of pain than himself. 

Oucanasta, however, was not to be outdone in politeness. She calmlyreseated herself on the log, drew her right foot over her left knee, caught one of the hands of her companion, and placing it upon the nakedsole, desired him to feel how impervious to attack of every descriptionwas that indurated portion of the lower limb. 

This practical argument was not without its weight, and had more effectin deciding the officer than a volume of remonstrance. Most men love torender tribute to a delicate and pretty foot. Some, indeed, go so faras to connect every thing feminine with these qualities, and to believethat nothing can be feminine without them. For our parts, we confess, that, although no enemies to a pretty foot, it is by no means a sinequa non in our estimate of female perfection; being in no way disposed, where the head and heart are gems, to undervalue these in considerationof any deficiency in the heels. Captain de Haldimar probably thoughtotherwise; for when he had passed his unwilling hand over the foot ofOucanasta, which, whatever her face might have been, was certainly anything but delicate, and encountered numerous ragged excrescences andraspy callosities that set all symmetry at defiance, a wonderfulrevolution came over his feelings; and, secretly determining themocassins would be equally well placed on his own feet, he no longeroffered any opposition. 

This important point arranged, the officer once more followed his guidein silence. Gradually the forest, as they advanced, became lighter withthe lurid atmosphere before alluded to; and at length, through thetrees, could be indistinctly seen the Indian fires from which itproceeded. The young man was now desired by his conductress to use theutmost circumspection in making the circuit of the wood, in order togain a position immediately opposite to the point where the path theyhad hitherto pursued terminated in the opening. This, indeed, was themost dangerous and critical part of the undertaking. A false step, orthe crackling of a decayed branch beneath the foot, would have beensufficient to betray proximity, in which case his doom was sealed. 

Fortunate did he now deem himself in having yielded to the counsel ofhis guide. Had he retained his unbending boot, it must have crushedwhatever it pressed; whereas, the pliant mocassin, yielding to theobstacles it encountered, enabled him to pass noiselessly over them. Still, while exempt from danger on this score, another, scarcely lessperplexing, became at every instant more obvious; for, as they drewnearer to the point which the female sought to gain, the dim light ofthe half-slumbering fires fell so immediately upon their path, that hada single human eye been turned in that direction, their discovery wasinevitable. It was with a beating heart, to which mere personal fear, however, was a stranger, that Captain de Haldimar performed thisconcluding stage of his adventurous course; but, at a moment when heconsidered detection unavoidable, and was arming himself withresolution to meet the event, the female suddenly halted, placing, inthe act, the trunk of an enormous beech between her companion and thedusky forms within, whose very breathing could be heard by the anxiousofficer. Without uttering a word, she took his hand, and, drawing himgently forward, disappeared altogether from his view. The young manfollowed, and in the next moment found himself in the bowelless body ofthe tree itself; into which, on the side of the encampment, both lightand sound were admitted by a small aperture formed by the natural decayof the wood. 

The Indian pressed her lips to the ear of her companion, and ratherbreathed than said, --"The Saganaw will see and hear every thing fromthis in safety; and what he hears let him treasure in his heart. Oucanasta must go. When the council is over she will return, and leadhim back to his warriors. "

With this brief intimation she departed, and so noiselessly, that theyoung officer was not aware of her absence until some minutes ofsilence had satisfied him she must be gone. His first care then was tosurvey, through the aperture that lay in a level with his eye, thecharacter of the scene before him. The small plain, in which lay theencampment of the Indians, was a sort of oasis of the forest, girtround with a rude belt of underwood, and somewhat elevated, so as topresent the appearance of a mound, constructed on the first principlesof art. This was thickly although irregularly studded with tents, someof which were formed of large coarse mats thrown over poles disposed ina conical shape, while others were more rudely composed of the leafybranches of the forest. 

Within these groups of human forms lay, wrapped in their blankets, stretched at their lazy length. Others, with their feet placed close tothe dying embers of their fires, diverged like so many radii from theircentre, and lay motionless in sleep, as if life and consciousness werewholly extinct. Here and there was to be seen a solitary warriorsecuring, with admirable neatness, and with delicate ligatures formedof the sinew of the deer, the guiding feather, or fashioning the bonybarb of his long arrow; while others, with the same warlike spirit inview, employed themselves in cutting and greasing small patches ofsmoked deerskin, which were to secure and give a more certain directionto the murderous bullet. Among the warriors were interspersed manywomen, some of whom might be seen supporting in their laps the heavyheads of their unconscious helpmates, while they occupied themselves, by the firelight, in parting the long black matted hair, andmaintaining a destructive warfare against the pigmy inhabitants of thatdark region. These signs of life and activity in the body of the campgenerally were, however, but few and occasional; but, at the spot whereCaptain de Haldimar stood concealed, the scene was different. At a fewyards from the tree stood a sort of shed, composed of tall poles placedupright in the earth, and supporting a roof formed simply of rudeboughs, the foliage of which had been withered by time. This simpleedifice might be about fifty feet in circumference. In the centreblazed a large fire that had been newly fed, and around this wereassembled a band of swarthy warriors, some twenty or thirty in number, who, by their proud, calm, and thoughtful bearing, might at once beknown to be chiefs. 

The faces of most of these were familiar to the young officer, whospeedily recognised them for the principals of the various tribesPonteac had leagued in arms against his enemies. That chief himself, ever remarkable for his haughty eye and commanding gesture, was of thenumber of those present; and, a little aloof from his inferiors, sat, with his feet stretched towards the fire, and half reclining on hisside in an attitude of indolence; yet with his mind evidently engrossedby deep and absorbing thought. From some observations that distinctlymet his ear, Captain de Haldimar gathered, the party were only awaitingthe arrival of an important character, without whose presence theleading chief was unwilling the conference should begin. The period ofthe officer's concealment had just been long enough to enable him tofix all these particulars in his mind, when suddenly the faint reportof a distant rifle was heard echoing throughout the wood. This wasinstantly succeeded by a second, that sounded more sharply on the ear;and then followed a long and piercing cry, that brought every warrior, even of those who slept, quickly to his feet. 

An anxious interval of some minutes passed away in the fixed andlistening attitudes, which the chiefs especially had assumed, when anoise resembling that of some animal forcing its way rapidly throughthe rustling branches, was faintly heard in the direction in which theshots had been fired. This gradually increased as it evidentlyapproached the encampment, and then, distinctly, could be heard thelight yet unguarded boundings of a human foot. At every moment therustling of the underwood, rapidly divided by the approaching form, became more audible; and so closely did the intruder press upon thepoint in which Captain de Haldimar was concealed, that that officer, fancying he had been betrayed, turned hastily round, and, grasping oneof the pistols he had secreted in his chest, prepared himself for alast and deadly encounter. An instant or two was sufficient tore-assure him. The form glided hastily past, brushing the tree with itsgarments in its course, and clearing, at a single bound, the belt ofunderwood that divided the encampment from the tall forest, stoodsuddenly among the group of anxious and expectant chiefs. 

This individual, a man of tall stature, was powerfully made. He wore ajerkin, or hunting-coat, of leather; and his arms were, a rifle whichhad every appearance of having just been discharged, a tomahawk reekingwith blood, and a scalping-knife, which, in the hurry of some recentservice it had been made to perform, had missed its sheath, and wasthrust naked into the belt that encircled his loins. His countenancewore an expression of malignant triumph; and as his eye fell on theassembled throng, its self-satisfied and exulting glance seemed to givethem to understand he came not without credentials to recommend him totheir notice. Captain de Haldimar was particularly struck by the air ofbold daring and almost insolent recklessness pervading every movementof this man; and it was difficult to say whether the haughtiness ofbearing peculiar to Ponteac himself, was not exceeded by that of thisherculean warrior. 

By the body of chiefs his appearance had been greeted with a meregeneral grunt of approbation; but the countenance of the leaderexpressed a more personal interest. All seemed to expect he hadsomething of moment to communicate; but as it was not consistent withthe dignity of Indian etiquette to enquire, they waited calmly until itshould please their new associate to enter on the history of hisexploits. In pursuance of an invitation from Ponteac, he now took hisseat on the right hand of that chief, and immediately facing the tree, from which Captain de Haldimar, strongly excited both by the reports ofthe shots that had been fired, and the sight of the bloody tomahawk ofthe recently arrived Indian, gazed earnestly and anxiously on theswarthy throng. 

Glancing once more triumphantly round the circle, who sat smoking theirpipes in calm and deliberative silence, the latter now observed the eyeof a young chief, who sat opposite to him, intently riveted on his leftshoulder. He raised his hand to the part, withdrew it, looked at it, and found it wet with blood. A slight start of surprise betrayed hisown unconsciousness of the accident; yet, secretly vexed at thediscovery which had been made, and urged probably by one of his waywardfits, he demanded haughtily and insultingly of the young chief, if thatwas the first time he had ever looked on the blood of a warrior. 

"Does my brother feel pain?" was the taunting reply. "If he is come tous with a trophy, it is not without being dearly bought. The Saganawhas spilt his blood. "

"The weapons of the Saganaw, like those of the smooth face of theOttawa, are without sting, " angrily retorted the other. "They onlyprick the skin like a thorn; but when Wacousta drinks the blood of hisenemy, " and he glanced his eye fiercely at the young man, "it is theblood next his heart. "

"My brother has always big words upon his lips, " returned the youngchief, with a scornful sneer at the implied threat against himself. "But where are his proofs?"

For a moment the eye of the party thus challenged kindled into flame, while his lips were firmly compressed together; and as he half benthimself forward, to scan with greater earnestness the features of hisquestioner, his right hand sank to his left side, tightly grasping thehandle of his scalping-knife. The action was but momentary. Again hedrew himself up, puffed the smoke deliberately from his bloodytomahawk, and, thrusting his right hand into his bosom, drew leisurelyforth a reeking scalp, which he tossed insolently across the fire intothe lap of the young chief. A loud and general "ugh!" testified theapprobation of the assembled group, at the unequivocal answer thusgiven to the demand of the youth. The eye of the huge warrior sparkledwith a deep and ferocious exultation. 

"What says the smooth face of the Ottawas now?" he demanded, in thesame insolent strain. "Does it make his heart sick to look upon thescalp of a great chief?"

The young man quietly turned the horrid trophy over several times inhis hand, examining it attentively in every part. Then tossing it backwith contemptuous coolness to its owner, he replied, --

"The eyes of my brother are weak with age. He is not cunning, like ared skin. The Ottawa has often seen the Saganaw in their fort, and heknows their chiefs have fine hair like women; but this is like thebristles of the fox. My brother has not slain a great chief, but acommon warrior. "

A flush of irrepressible and threatening anger passed over the featuresof the vast savage. 

"Is it for a boy, " he fiercely asked, "whose eyes know not yet thecolour of blood, to judge of the enemies that fall by the tomahawk ofWacousta? but a great warrior never boasts of actions that he does notachieve. It is the son of the great chief of the Saganaw whom he hasslain. If the smooth face doubts it, and has courage to venture, evenat night, within a hundred yards of the fort, he will see a Saganawwithout a scalp; and he will know that Saganaw by his dress--thedress, " he pursued, with a low emphatic laugh, "that Oucanasta, thesister of the smooth face, loved so much to look upon. "

Quicker than thought was the upspringing of the young Indian to hisfeet. With a cheek glowing, an eye flashing, and his gleaming tomahawkwhirling rapidly round his head, he cleared at a single bound the firethat separated him from his insulter. The formidable man who had thuswantonly provoked the attack, was equally prompt in meeting it. At thefirst movement of the youth, he too had leapt to his feet, andbrandished the terrible weapon that served in the double capacity ofpipe and hatchet. A fierce yell escaped the lips of each, as they thusmet in close and hostile collision, and the scene for the momentpromised to be one of the most tragic character; but before eithercould find an assailable point on which to rest his formidable weapon, Ponteac himself had thrown his person between them, and in a voice ofthunder commanded the instant abandonment of their purpose. Exasperatedeven as they now mutually were, the influence of that authority, forwhich the great chief of the Ottawas was well known, was not withoutdue effect on the combatants. His anger was principally directedagainst the assailant, on whom the tones of his reproving voiceproduced a change the intimidation of his powerful opponent could neverhave effected. The young chief dropped the point of his tomahawk, bowedhis head in submission, and then resuming his seat, sat during theremainder of the night with his arms folded, and his head bent insilence over his chest. 

"Our brother has done well, " said Ponteac, glancing approvingly at himwho had exhibited the reeking trophy, and whom he evidently favoured. "He is a great chief, and his words are truth. We heard the report ofhis rifle, and we also heard the cry that told he had borne away thescalp of an enemy. But we will think of this to-morrow. Let us nowcommence our talk. "

Our readers will readily imagine the feelings of Captain de Haldimarduring this short but exciting scene. From the account given by thewarrior, there could be no doubt the murdered man was the unhappyDonellan; who, probably, neglecting the caution given him, had exposedhimself to the murderous aim of this fierce being, who was apparently ascout sent for the purpose of watching the movements of the garrison. The direction of the firing, the allusion made to the regimentals, nay, the scalp itself, which he knew from the short crop to be that of asoldier, and fancied he recognised from its colour to be that of hisservant, formed but too conclusive evidence of the fact; and, bitterlyand deeply, as he gazed on this melancholy proof of the man's sacrificeof life to his interest, did he repent that he had made him thecompanion of his adventure, or that, having done so, he had not eitherbrought him away altogether, or sent him instantly back to the fort. Commiseration for the fate of the unfortunate Donellan naturallyinduced a spirit of personal hostility towards his destroyer; and itwas with feelings strongly excited in favour of him whom he nowdiscovered to be the brother of his guide, that he saw him springfiercely to the attack of his gigantic opponent. There was an activityabout the young chief amply commensurate with the greater physicalpower of his adversary; while the manner in which he wielded histomahawk, proved him to be any thing but the novice in the use of theformidable weapon the other had represented him. It was with a feelingof disappointment, therefore, which the peculiarity of his own positioncould not overcome, he saw Ponteac interpose himself between theparties. 

Presently, however, a subject of deeper and more absorbing interestthan even the fate of his unhappy follower engrossed every faculty ofhis mind, and riveted both eye and ear in painful tension to theaperture in his hiding-place. The chiefs had resumed their places, andthe silence of a few minutes had succeeded to the fierce affray of thewarriors, when Ponteac, in a calm and deliberate voice, proceeded tostate he had summoned all the heads of the nations together, to hear aplan he had to offer for the reduction of the last remaining forts oftheir enemies, Michilimackinac and Detroit. He pointed out thetediousness of the warfare in which they were engaged; the desertion ofthe hunting-grounds by their warriors; and their consequent deficiencyin all those articles of European traffic which they were formerly inthe habit of receiving in exchange for their furs. He dwelt on thebeneficial results that would accrue to them all in the event of thereduction of those two important fortresses; since, in that case, theywould be enabled to make such terms with the English as would secure tothem considerable advantages; while, instead of being treated with theindignity of a conquered people, they would be enabled to commandrespect from the imposing attitude this final crowning of theirsuccesses would enable them to assume. He stated that the prudence andvigilance of the commanders of these two unreduced fortresses werelikely long to baffle, as had hitherto been the case, every openattempt at their capture; and admitted he had little expectation ofterrifying them into a surrender by the same artifice that hadsucceeded with the forts on the Ohio and the lower lakes. The plan, however, which he had to propose, was one he felt assured would beattended with success. He would disclose that plan, and the greatchiefs should give it the advantage of their deliberation. 

Captain de Haldimar was on the rack. The chief had gradually droppedhis voice as he explained his plan, until at length it became so low, that undistinguishable sounds alone reached the ear of the excitedofficer. For a moment he despaired of making himself fully master ofthe important secret; but in the course of the deliberation thatensued, the blanks left unsupplied in the discourse of the leader wereabundantly filled up. It was what the reader has already seen. Thenecessities of the Indians were to be urged as a motive for their beingtired of hostilities. A peace was to be solicited; a council held; aball-playing among the warriors proposed, as a mark of their ownsincerity and confidence during that council; and when the garrison, lulled into security, should be thrown entirely off their guard, thewarriors were to seize their guns and tomahawks, with which (the formercut short, for the better concealment of their purpose) their womenwould be provided, rush in, under pretext of regaining their lost ball, when a universal massacre of men, women, and children was to ensue, until nothing wearing the garb of a Saganaw should be left. 

It would be tedious to follow the chief through all the minorramifications of his subtle plan. Suffice it they were of a nature tothrow the most wary off his guard; and so admirably arranged was everypart, so certain did it appear their enemies must give into the snare, that the oldest chiefs testified their approbation with a vivacity ofmanner and expression little wont to characterize the deliberativemeetings of these reserved people. But deepest of all was the approvalof the tall warrior who had so recently arrived. To him had thediscourse of the leader been principally directed, as one whose counseland experience were especially wanting to confirm him in his purpose. He was the last who spoke; but, when he did, it was with a force--anenergy--that must have sunk every objection, even if the plan had notbeen so perfect and unexceptionable in its concoction as to haveprecluded a possibility of all negative argument. During the deliveryof his animated speech, his swarthy countenance kindled into fierce andrapidly varying expression. A thousand dark and complicated passionsevidently struggled at his heart; and as he dwelt leisurely andemphatically on the sacrifice of human life that must inevitably attendthe adoption of the proposed measure, his eye grew larger, his chestexpanded, nay, his very nostril appeared to dilate with unfathomablyguileful exultation. Captain de Haldimar thought he had never gazed onany thing wearing the human shape half so atrociously savage. 

Long before the council was terminated, the inferior warriors, who hadbeen so suddenly aroused from their slumbering attitudes, had againretired to their tents, and stretched their lazy length before theembers of their fires. The weary chiefs now prepared to follow theirexample. They emptied the ashes from the bowls of their pipe-tomahawks, replaced them carefully at their side, rose, and retired to theirrespective tents. Ponteac and the tall warrior alone remained. For atime they conversed earnestly together. The former listened attentivelyto some observations made to him by his companion, in the course ofwhich, the words "chief of the Saganaw--fort--spy--enemy, " and two orthree others equally unconnected, were alone audible to the ear of himwho so attentively sought to catch the slightest sound. He then thrusthis hand under his hunting-coat, and, as if in confirmation of what hehad been stating, exhibited a coil of rope and the glossy boot of anEnglish officer. Ponteac uttered one of his sharp ejaculating "ughs!"and then rising quickly from his seat, followed by his companion, soondisappeared in the heart of the encampment. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

How shall we attempt to paint all that passed through the mind ofCaptain de Haldimar during this important conference of the fiercechiefs?--where find language to convey the cold and thrilling horrorwith which he listened to the calm discussion of a plan, the object ofwhich was the massacre, not only of a host of beings endeared to him bylong communionship of service, but of those who were wedded to hisheart by the dearer ties of affection and kindred? As Ponteac hadjustly observed, the English garrisons, strong in their own defences, were little likely to be speedily reduced, while their enemies confinedthemselves to overt acts of hostility; but, against their insidiousprofessions of amity who could oppose a sufficient caution? His father, the young officer was aware, had all along manifested a spirit ofconciliation towards the Indians, which, if followed up by thegovernment generally, must have had the effect of preventing the crueland sanguinary war that had so recently desolated this remote part ofthe British possessions. How likely, therefore, was it, having thisobject always in view, he should give in to the present wily stratagem, where such plausible motives for the abandonment of their hostilepurpose were urged by the perfidious chiefs! From the few hasty hintsalready given him by his guide, --that kind being, who evidently soughtto be the saviour of the devoted garrisons, --he had gathered that adeep and artful plan was to be submitted to the chiefs by their leader;but little did he imagine it was of the finished nature it now provedto be. Any other than the present attempt, the vigilance and prudenceof his experienced father, he felt, would have rendered abortive; butthere was so much speciousness in the pleas that were to be advanced infurtherance of their assumed object, he could not but admit the almostcertainty of their influence, even on him. 

Sick and discouraged as he was at the horrible perspective thus forcedon his mental view, the young officer had not, for some moments, presence of mind to reflect that the danger of the garrison existedonly so long as he should be absent from it. At length, however, thecheering recollection came, and with it the mantling rush of blood, tohis faint heart. But, short was the consoling hope: again he feltdismay in every fibre of his frame; for he now reflected, that althoughhis opportune discovery of the meditated scheme would save one fort, there was no guardian angel to extend, as in this instance, itsprotecting influence to the other; and within that other there breathedthose who were dearer far to him than his own existence;--beings, whoselives were far more precious to him than any even in the garrison ofwhich he was a member. His sister Clara, whom he loved with a lovelittle inferior to that of his younger brother; and one, even moredearly loved than Clara, --Madeline de Haldimar, his cousin andaffianced bride, --were both inmates of Michilimackinac, which wascommanded by the father of the latter, a major in the ---- regiment. With Madeline de Haldimar he had long since exchanged his vows ofaffection; and their nuptials, which were to have taken place about theperiod when the present war broke out, had only been suspended becauseall communication between the two posts had been entirely cut off bythe enemy. 

Captain de Haldimar had none of the natural weakness and timidity ofcharacter which belonged to the gentler and more sensitive Charles. Sanguine and full of enterprise, he seldom met evils half way; but whenthey did come, he sought to master them by the firmness andcollectedness with which he opposed his mind to their infliction. Ifhis heart was now racked with the most acute suffering--his reasonincapacitated from exercising its calm deliberative power, the seemingcontradiction arose not from any deficiency in his character, but wasattributable wholly to the extraordinary circumstances of the moment. 

It was a part of the profound plan of the Ottawa chief, that it shouldbe essayed on the two forts on the same day; and it was a suggestion ofthe murderer of poor Donellan, that a parley should be obtained, through the medium of a white flag, the nature of which he explained tothem, as it was understood among their enemies. If invited to thecouncil, then they were to enter, or not, as circumstances mightinduce; but, in any case, they were to go unprovided with the pipe ofpeace, since this could not be smoked without violating every thingheld most sacred among themselves. The red, or war-pipe, was to besubstituted as if by accident; and, for the success of the deception, they were to presume on the ignorance of their enemies. This, however, was not important, since the period of their first parley was to be themoment chosen for the arrangement of a future council, and the proposalof a ball-playing upon the common. Three days were to be named as theinterval between the first conference of Ponteac with the governor andthe definitive council which was to ensue; during which, however, itwas so arranged, that, before the lip of a red skin should touch thepipe of peace, the ball-players should rush in and massacre theunprepared soldiery, while the chiefs despatched the officers incouncil. 

It was the proximity of the period allotted for the execution of theircruel scheme that mainly contributed to the dismay of Captain deHaldimar. The very next day was appointed for carrying into effect thefirst part of the Indian plan: and how was it possible that amessenger, even admitting he should elude the vigilance of the enemy, could reach the distant post of Michilimackinac within the short periodon which hung the destiny of that devoted fortress. In the midst of theconfused and distracting images that now crowded on his brain, came atlength one thought, redolent with the brightest colourings of hope. Onhis return to the garrison, the treachery of the Indians being madeknown, the governor might so far, and with a view of gaining time, givein to the plan of his enemies, as to obtain such delay as would affordthe chance of communication between the forts. The attempt, on the partof those who should be selected for this purpose, would, it is true, bea desperate one: still it must be made; and, with such incentives toexertion as he had, how willingly would he propose his own services!

The more he dwelt on this mode of defeating the subtle designs of theenemy, the more practicable did it appear. Of his own safe return tothe fort he entertained not a doubt; for he knew and relied on theIndian woman, who was bound to him by a tie of gratitude, which herconduct that night evidently denoted to be superior even to theinterests of her race. Moreover, as he had approached the encampmentunnoticed while the chiefs were yet awake to every thing around them, how little probability was there of his return being detected while alllay wrapped in the most profound repose. It is true that, for a moment, his confidence deserted him as he recurred to the earnest dialogue ofthe two Indians, and the sudden display of the rope and boot, thelatter of which articles he had at once recognised to be one of thosehe had so recently worn; but his apprehensions on that score were againspeedily set to rest, when he reflected, had any suspicion existed inthe minds of these men that an enemy was lurking near them, a generalalarm would have been spread, and hundreds of warriors despatched toscour the forest. 

The night was now rapidly waning away, and already the cold damp air ofan autumnal morning was beginning to make itself felt. More than halfan hour had elapsed since the departure of Ponteac and his companion, and yet Oucanasta came not. With a sense of the approach of day camenew and discouraging thoughts, and, for some minutes, the mind of theyoung officer became petrified with horror, as he reflected on the barepossibility of his escape being intercepted. The more he lingered onthis apprehension, the more bewildered were his ideas; and already, inhorrible perspective, he beheld the destruction of his nearest anddearest friends, and the host of those who were humbler followers, andpartakers in the same destiny. Absolutely terrified with the misgivingsof his own heart, he, in the wildness and unconnectedness of hispurpose, now resolved to make the attempt to return alone, although heknew not even the situation of the path he had so recently quitted. Hehad actually moved a pace forward on his desperate enterprise, when hefelt a band touching the extended arm with which he groped to find theentrance to his hiding-place. The unexpected collision sent a coldshudder through his frame; and such was the excitement to which he hadworked himself up, it was not without difficulty he suppressed anexclamation, that must inevitably have sealed his doom. The soft tonesof Oucanasta's voice re-assured him. 

"The day will soon dawn, " she whispered; "the Saganaw must go. "

With the return of hope came the sense of all he owed to thedevotedness of this kind woman. He grasped the hand that still lingeredon his arm, pressed it affectionately in his own, and then placed it insilence on his throbbing heart. The breathing of Oucanasta becamedeeper, and the young officer fancied he could feel her trembling withagitation. Again, however, and in a tone of more subdued expression, she whispered that he must go. 

There was little urging necessary to induce a prompt compliance withthe hint. Cautiously emerging from his concealment, Captain de Haldimarnow followed close in the rear of his guide, who took the same circuitof the forest to reach the path that led towards the fort. This theyspeedily gained, and then pursued their course in silence, until theyat length arrived at the log where the exchange of mocassins had beenmade. 

"Here the Saganaw may take breath, " she observed, as she seated herselfon the fallen tree; "the sleep of the red skin is sound, and there isno one upon the path but Oucanasta. "

Anxious as he felt to secure his return to the fort, there was animplied solicitation in the tones of her to whom he owed so much, thatprevented Captain de Haldimar from offering an objection, which hefeared might be construed into slight. 

For a moment or two the Indian remained with her arms folded, and herhead bent over her chest; and then, in a low, deep, but tremulousvoice, observed, --

"When the Saganaw saved Oucanasta from perishing in the angry waters, there was a girl of the pale faces with him, whose skin was like thesnows of the Canadian winter, and whose hair was black like the fur ofthe squirrel. Oucanasta saw, " she pursued, dropping her voice yetlower, "that the Saganaw was loved by the pale girl, and her own heartwas very sick, for the Saganaw had saved her life, and she loved himtoo. But she knew she was very foolish, and that an Indian girl couldnever be the wife of a handsome chief of the Saganaw; and she prayed tothe Great Spirit of the red skins to give her strength to overcome herfeelings; but the Great Spirit was angry with her, and would not hearher. " She paused a moment, and then abruptly demanded, "Where is thatpale girl now?"

Captain de Haldimar had often been rallied, not only by hisbrother-officers, but even by his sister and Madeline de Haldimarherself, on the conquest he had evidently made of the heart of thisIndian girl. The event to which she had alluded had taken place severalmonths previous to the breaking out of hostilities. Oucanasta wasdirecting her frail bark, one evening, along the shores of the Detroit, when one of those sudden gusts of wind, so frequent in these countries, upset the canoe, and left its pilot struggling amid the waves. Captainde Haldimar, who happened to be on the bank at the moment with hissister and cousin, was an eye-witness of her danger, and instantly flewdown the steep to her assistance. Being an excellent swimmer, he wasnot long in gaining the spot, where, exhausted with the exertion shehad made, and encumbered with her awkward machecoti, the poor girl wasalready on the point of perishing. But for his timely assistance, indeed, she must have sunk to the bottom; and, since that period, thegrateful being had been remarked for the strong but unexpressedattachment she felt for her deliverer. This, however, was the firstmoment Captain de Haldimar became acquainted with the extent offeelings, the avowal of which not a little startled and surprised, andeven annoyed him. The last question, however, suggested a thought thatkindled every fibre of his being into expectancy, --Oucanasta might bethe saviour of those he loved; and he felt that, if time were butafforded her, she would. He rose from the log, dropped on one kneebefore the Indian, seized both her hands with eagerness, and then intones of earnest supplication whispered, --

"Oucanasta is right: the pale girl with the skin like snow, and hairlike the fur of the squirrel, is the bride of the Saganaw. Long beforehe saved the life of Oucanasta, he knew and loved that pale girl. Sheis dearer to the Saganaw than his own blood; but she is in the fortbeyond the great lake, and the tomahawks of the red skins will destroyher; for the warriors of that fort have no one to tell them of theirdanger. What says the red girl? will she go and save the lives of thesister and the wife of the Saganaw. "

The breathing of the Indian became deeper; and Captain de Haldimarfancied she sighed heavily, as she replied, --

"Oucanasta is but a weak woman, and her feet are not swift like thoseof a runner among the red skins; but what the Saganaw asks, for hissake she will try. When she has seen him safe to his own fort, she willgo and prepare herself for the journey. The pale girl shall lay herhead on the bosom of the Saganaw, and Oucanasta will try to rejoice inher happiness. "

In the fervour of his gratitude, the young officer caught the droopingform of the generous Indian wildly to his heart; his lips pressed hers, and during the kiss that followed, the heart of the latter bounded andthrobbed, as if it would have passed from her own into the bosom of hercompanion. 

Never was a kiss less premeditated, less unchaste. Gratitude, notpassion, had called it forth; and had Madeline de Haldimar been near atthe moment, the feeling that had impelled the seeming infidelity toherself would have been regarded as an additional claim on heraffection. On the whole, however, it was a most unfortunate andill-timed kiss, and, as is often the case under such circumstances, ledto the downfall of the woman. In the vivacity of his embrace, Captainde Haldimar had drawn his guide so far forward upon the log, that shelost her balance, and fell with a heavy and reverberating crash amongthe leaves and dried sticks that were strewed thickly around. 

Scarcely a second elapsed when the forest was alive with human yells, that fell achingly on the ears of both; and bounding warriors wereheard on every hand, rapidly dividing the dense underwood theyencountered in their pursuit. 

Quick as thought the Indian had regained her feet. She grasped the handof her companion; and hurrying, though not without caution, along thepath, again stood on the brow of the ravine through which they hadpreviously passed. 

"The Saganaw must go alone, " she whispered. "The red skins are closeupon our trail, but they will find only an Indian woman, when theyexpect a pale face. Oucanasta will save her friend. "

Captain de Haldimar did as he was desired. Clinging to the bushes thatlined the face of the precipitous descent, he managed once more to gainthe bed of the ravine. For a moment he paused to listen to the soundsof his pursuers, whose footsteps were now audible on the eminence hehad just quitted; and then, gathering himself up for the leap that wasto enable him to clear the rivulet, he threw himself heavily forward. His feet alighted upon an elevated and yielding substance, that gaveway with a crashing sound that echoed far and near throughout theforest, and he felt himself secured as if in a trap. Althoughdespairing of escape, he groped with his hands to discover what it wasthat thus detained him, and found he had fallen through a bark canoe, the bottom of which had been turned upwards. The heart of the fugitivenow sank within him: there could be no doubt that his retreat wasintercepted. The canoe had been placed there since he last passedthrough the ravine: and it was evident, from the close and triumphantyell that followed the rending of the frail bark, such a result hadbeen anticipated. 

Stunned as he was by the terrific cries of the savages, and confused aswere his ideas, Captain de Haldimar had still presence of mind toperceive the path itself offered him no further security. He thereforequitted it altogether, and struck, in an oblique direction, up theopposite face of the ravine. Scarcely had he gone twenty yards, when heheard the voices of several Indians conversing earnestly near the canoehe had just quitted; and presently afterwards he could distinctly hearthem ascending the opposite brow of the ravine by the path he recentlycongratulated himself on having abandoned. To advance or to recede wasnow equally impracticable; for, on every side, he was begirt byenemies, into whose hands a single false step must inevitably betrayhim. What would he not have given for the presence of Oucanasta, whowas so capable of advising him in this difficulty! but, from the momentof his descending into the ravine, he had utterly lost sight of her. 

The spot on which he now rested was covered with thick brushwood, closely interwoven at their tops, but affording sufficient spacebeneath for a temporary close concealment; so that, unless some Indianshould touch him with his foot, there was little seeming probability ofhis being discovered by the eye. Under this he crept, and lay, breathless and motionless, with his head raised from the ground, andhis ear on the stretch for the slightest noise. For several minutes heremained in this position, vainly seeking to catch the sound of avoice, or the fall of a footstep; but the most deathlike silence hadsucceeded to the fierce yellings that had so recently rent the forest. At times he fancied he could distinguish faint noises in the directionof the encampment; and so certain was he of this, he at length came tothe conclusion that the Indians, either baffled in their search, hadrelinquished the pursuit, or, having encountered Oucanasta, had beenthrown on a different scent. His first intention had been to lieconcealed until the following night, when the warriors, no longer onthe alert, should leave the path once more open to him; but now thatthe conviction of their return was strong on his mind, he changed hisdetermination, resolving to make the best of his way to the fort withthe aid of the approaching dawn. With this view he partly withdrew hisbody from beneath its canopy of underwood; but, scarcely had he doneso, when a hundred tongues, like the baying of so many blood-hounds, again rent the air with their wild cries, which seemed to rise up fromthe very bowels of the earth, and close to the appalled ear of theyoung officer. 

Scarcely conscious of what he did, Captain de Haldimar grasped one ofhis pistols, for he fancied he felt the hot breathing of human lifeupon his cheek. With a sickly sensation of fear, he turned to satisfyhimself whether it was not an illusion of his heated imagination. What, however, was his dismay, when he beheld bending over him a dark andheavy form, the outline of which alone was distinguishable in the deepgloom in which the ravine remained enveloped! Desperation was in theheart of the excited officer: he cocked his pistol; but scarcely hadthe sharp ticking sound floated on the air, when he felt a powerfulhand upon his chest; and, with as much facility as if he had been achild, was he raised by that invisible hand to his feet. A dozenwarriors now sprang to the assistance of their comrade, when the whole, having disarmed and bound their prisoner, led him back in triumph totheir encampment. 

CHAPTER IX. 

The fires of the Indians were nearly now extinct; but the faint lightof the fast dawning day threw a ghastly, sickly, hue over thecountenances of the savages, which rendered them even more terrific intheir war paint. The chiefs grouped themselves immediately around theirprisoner, while the inferior warriors, forming an outer circle, stoodleaning their dark forms upon their rifles, and following, with keenand watchful eye, every movement of their captive. Hitherto theunfortunate officer had been too much engrossed by his despair to payany immediate attention to the individual who had first discovered andseized him. It was sufficient for him to know all hope of the safety ofthe garrison had perished with his captivity: and, with thatrecklessness of life which often springs from the very consciousness ofinability to preserve it, he now sullenly awaited the death which heexpected at each moment would be inflicted. Suddenly his ear wasstartled by an interrogatory, in English, from one who stood behind him. 

With a movement of surprise, Captain de Haldimar turned to examine hisquestioner. It was the dark and ferocious warrior who had exhibited thescalp of his ill-fated servant. For a moment the officer fixed his eyesfirmly and unshrinkingly on those of the savage, seeking to reconcilethe contradiction that existed between his dress and features and thepurity of the English he had just spoken. The other saw his drift, and, impatient of the scrutiny, again repeated, as he fiercely pulled thestrong leathern thong by which the prisoner now found himself securedto his girdle, --

"Who and what are you?--whence come you?--and for what purpose are youhere?" Then, as if struck by some sudden recollection, he laid his handupon the shoulder of his victim; and, while his eye grew upon hisfeatures, he pursued, in a tone of vehemence, --"Ha! by Heaven, I shouldknow that face!--the cursed lines of the blood of De Haldimar arestamped upon that brow! But stay, one proof and I am satisfied. " Whilehe yet spoke he dashed the menial hat of his captive to the earth, putaside his hair, and then, with fiendish exultation, pursued, --"It iseven so. Do you recollect the battle of the plains of Abraham, Captainde Haldimar?--Recollect you the French officer who aimed so desperatelyat your life, and whose object was defeated by a soldier of yourregiment? I am that officer: my victim escaped me then, but not forever. The hour of vengeance is nearly now arrived, and your capture isthe pledge of my success. Hark, how the death-cry of all his hated racewill ring in madness on your father's ear!"

Amazement, stupefaction, and horror, filled the mind of the wretchedofficer at this extraordinary declaration. He perfectly recollectedthat the individual who had evinced so much personal hostility on theoccasion alluded to, was indeed a man wearing the French uniform, although at the head of a band of savages, and of a stature andstrength similar to those of him who now so fiercely avowed himself thebitter and deadly foe of all his race. If this were so, and his toneand language left little room for doubt, the doom of the ill-fatedgarrison was indeed irrevocably sealed. This mysterious enemy evidentlypossessed great influence in the councils of the Indians; and while thehot breath of his hatred continued to fan the flame of fierce hostilitythat had been kindled in the bosom of Ponteac, whose particular friendhe appeared to be, there would be no end to the atrocities that mustfollow. Great, however, as was the dismay of Captain de Haldimar, who, exhausted with the adventures of the night, presented a ghastly imageof anxiety and fatigue, it was impossible for him to repress thefeelings of indignation with which the language of this fierce man hadinspired him. 

"If you are in reality a French officer, " he said, "and not anEnglishman, as your accent would denote, the sentiments you have nowavowed may well justify the belief, that you have been driven withignominy from a service which your presence must eternally havedisgraced. There is no country in Europe that would willingly claim youfor its subject. Nay, even the savage race, with whom you are nowconnected, would, if apprised of your true nature, spurn you as a thingunworthy to herd even with their wolf-dogs. "

A fierce sardonic laugh burst from the lips of the warrior, but thiswas so mingled with rage as to give an almost devilish expression tohis features. 

"Ignominy--ignominy!" he repeated, while his right hand playedconvulsively with the handle of his tomahawk; "is it for a De Haldimarto taunt me with ignominy? Fool!" he pursued, after a momentary pause, "you have sealed your doom. " Then abruptly quitting the handle of hisweapon, he thrust his hand into his bosom, and again drawing forth thereeking scalp of Donellan, he dashed it furiously in the face of hisprisoner. "Not two hours since, " he exclaimed, "I cheered myself withthe thought that the scalp of a De Haldimar was in my pouch. Now, indeed, do I glory in my mistake. The torture will be a more fittingdeath for you. "

Had an arm of the insulted soldier been at liberty, the offence wouldnot have gone unavenged even there; for such was the desperation of hisheart, that he felt he could have hugged the death struggle with hisinsolent captor, notwithstanding the fearful odds, nor quitted himuntil one or both should have paid the debt of fierce enmity with life. As it was he could only betray, by his flashing eye, excited look, andthe impatient play of his foot upon the ground, the deep indignationthat consumed his heart. 

The tall savage exulted in the mortification he had awakened, and ashis eye glanced insolently from head to foot along his enemy, itsexpression told how much he laughed at the impotence of his anger. Suddenly, however, a change passed over his features. The mocassin ofthe officer had evidently attracted his attention, and he now demanded, in a more serious and imperative tone, --

"Ha! what means this disguise? Who is the wretch whom I have slain, mistaking him for a nobler victim; and how comes it that an officer ofthe English garrison appears here in the garb of a servant? By heaven, it is so! you are come as a spy into the camp of the Indians to stealaway the councils of the chiefs. Speak, what have you heard?"

With these questions returned the calm and self-possession of theofficer. He at once saw the importance of his answer, on which hung notmerely his own last faint chance of safety, but that also of hisgenerous deliverer. Struggling to subdue the disgust which he felt atholding converse with this atrocious monster, he asked in turn, --

"Am I then the only one whom the warriors have overtaken in theirpursuit?"

"There was a woman, the sister of that boy, " and he pointedcontemptuously to the young chief who had so recently assailed him, andwho now, in common with his followers, stood impatiently listening to acolloquy that was unintelligible to all. "Speak truly, was SHE not thetraitress who conducted you here?"

"Had you found me here, " returned the officer, with difficultyrepressing his feelings, "there might have been some ground for theassertion; but surely the councils of the chiefs could not be overheardat the distant point at which you discovered me. "

"Why then were you there in this disguise?--and who is he, " againholding up the bloody scalp, "whom I have despoiled of this?"

"There are few of the Ottawa Indians, " returned Captain de Haldimar, "who are ignorant I once saved that young woman's life. Is it then sovery extraordinary an attachment should have been the consequence? Theman whom you slew was my servant. I had brought him out with me forprotection during my interview with the woman, and I exchanged myuniform with him for the same purpose. There is nothing in this, however, to warrant the supposition of my being a spy. "

During the delivery of these more than equivocal sentences, which, however, he felt were fully justified by circumstances, the youngofficer had struggled to appear calm and confident; but, despite of hisexertions, his consciousness caused his cheek to colour, and his eye totwinkle, beneath the searching glance of his ferocious enemy. Thelatter thrust his hand into his chest, and slowly drew forth the ropehe had previously exhibited to Ponteac. 

"Do you think me a fool, Captain de Haldimar, " he observed, sneeringly, "that you expect so paltry a tale to be palmed successfully on myunderstanding? An English officer is not very likely to run the risk ofbreaking his neck by having recourse to such a means of exit from abesieged garrison, merely to intrigue with an Indian woman, when thereare plenty of soldiers' wives within, and that too at an hour when heknows the scouts of his enemies are prowling in the neighbourhood. Captain de Haldimar, " he concluded, slowly and deliberately, "you havelied. "

Despite of the last insult, his prisoner remained calm. The veryobservation that had just been made afforded him a final hope ofexculpation, which, if it benefited not himself, might still be ofservice to the generous Oucanasta. 

"The onus of such language, " he observed coolly and with dignity, "falls not on him to whom it is addressed, but on him who utters it. Yet one who professes to have been himself a soldier, must see in thisvery circumstance a proof of my innocence. Had I been sent out as a spyto reconnoitre the movements, and to overhear the councils of ourenemies, the gate would have been open for my egress; but that rope isin itself an evidence I must have stolen forth unknown to the garrison. "

Whether it was that the warrior had his own particular reasons forattaching truth to this statement, or that he merely pretended to doso, Captain de Haldimar saw with secret satisfaction his last argumentwas conclusive. 

"Well, be it so, " retorted the savage, while a ferocious smile passedover his swarthy features; "but, whether you have been here as a spy, or have merely ventured out in prosecution of an intrigue, it mattersnot. Before the sun has travelled far in the meridian you die; and thetomahawk of your father's deadly foe--of--of--of Wacousta, as I amcalled, shall be the first to drink your blood. "

The officer made a final effort at mercy. "Who or what you are, orwhence your hatred of my family, I know not, " he said; "but surely Ihave never injured you: wherefore, then, this insatiable thirst for myblood? If you are, indeed, a Christian and a soldier, let your heart betouched with humanity, and procure my restoration to my friends. Youonce attempted my life in honourable combat, why not wait, then, untila fitting opportunity shall give not a bound and defenceless victim toyour steel, but one whose resistance may render him a conquest worthyof your arm?"

"What! and be balked of the chance of my just revenge? Hear me, Captainde Haldimar, " he pursued, in that low, quick, deep tone that told allthe strong excitement of his heart:--"I have, it is true, no particularenmity to yourself, further than that you are a De Haldimar; but helldoes not supply a feeling half so bitter as my enmity to your proudfather; and months, nay years, have I passed in the hope of such anhour as this. For this have I forsworn my race, and become--what younow behold me--a savage both in garb and character. But this mattersnot, " he continued, fiercely and impatiently, "your doom is sealed; andbefore another sun has risen, your stern father's gaze shall be blastedwith the sight of the mangled carcase of his first born. Ha! ha! ha!"and he laughed low and exultingly; "even now I think I see himwithering, if heart so hard can wither, beneath this proof of myundying hate. "

"Fiend!--monster!--devil!" exclaimed the excited officer, now losingsight of all considerations of prudence in the deep horror inspired byhis captor:--"Kill me--torture me--commit any cruelty on me, if such beyour savage will; but outrage not humanity by the fulfilment of yourlast disgusting threat. Suffer not a father's heart to be agonised--afather's eye to be blasted--with a view of the mangled remains of himto whom he has given life. "

Again the savage rudely pulled the thong that bound his prisoner to hisgirdle, and removing his tomahawk from his belt, and holding itssullied point close under the eye of the former, exclaimed, as he benteagerly over him, --

"See you this, Captain de Haldimar? At the still hour of midnight, while you had abandoned your guard to revel in the arms of your Indianbeauty, I stole into the fort by means of the same rope that you hadused in quitting it. Unseen by the sentinels I gained your father'sapartment. It was the first time we had met for twenty years; and I dobelieve that had the very devil presented himself in my place, he wouldhave been received with fewer marks of horror. Oh, how that proud man'seye twinkled beneath this glittering blade! He attempted to call out, but my look paralysed his tongue, and cold drops of sweat stole rapidlydown his brow and cheek. Then it was that my seared heart once morebeat with the intoxication of triumph. Your father was alone andunarmed, and throughout the fort not a sound was to be heard, save thedistant tread of the sentinels. I could have laid him dead, at my feetat a single blow, and yet have secured my retreat. But no, that was notmy object. I came to taunt him with the promise of my revenge--to tellhim the hour of my triumph was approaching fast; and, ha!" heconcluded, laughing hideously as he passed his large rude hand throughthe wavy hair of the now uncovered officer, "this is, indeed, a fairand unexpected first earnest of the full redemption of my pledge. No--no!" he continued, as if talking to himself, "he must not die. Tantulus-like, he shall have death ever apparently within his grasp;but, until all his race have perished before his eyes, he shall notattain it. "

Hitherto the Indians had preserved an attitude of calm, listening tothe interrogatories put to the prisoner with that wonder and curiositywith which a savage people hear a language different from their own;and marking the several emotions that were elicited in the course ofthe animated colloquy of the pale faces. Gradually, however, theybecame impatient under its duration; and many of them, in theexcitement produced by the fierce manner of him who was calledWacousta, fixed their dark eyes upon the captive, while they graspedthe handles of their tomahawks, as if they would have disputed with theformer the privilege of dying his weapon first in his blood. When theysaw the warrior hold up his menacing blade to the eye of his victim, while he passed his hand through the redundant hair, they at onceinferred the sacrifice was about to be completed, and rushing furiouslyforward, they bounded, and leaped, and yelled, and brandished their ownweapons in the most appalling manner. 

Already had the unhappy officer given himself self up for lost; fiftybright tomahawks were playing about his head at the same instant, anddeath--that death which is never without terror to the young, howeverbrave they may be in the hour of generous conflict--seemed to havearrived at last. He raised his eyes to Heaven, committing his soul tohis God in the same silent prayer that he offered up for thepreservation of his friends and comrades; and then bending them uponthe earth, summoned all his collectedness and courage to sustain himthrough the trial. At the very moment, however when he expected to feelthe crashing steel within his brain, he felt himself again violentlypulled by the thong that secured his hands. In the next instant he waspressed close to the chest of his vast enemy, who, with one armencircling his prisoner, and the other brandishing his fierce blade inrapid evolutions round his head, kept the yelling band at bay, with theevident unshaken determination to maintain his sole and acknowledgedright to the disposal of his captive. 

For several moments the event appeared doubtful; but, notwithstandinghis extreme agility in the use of a weapon, in the management of whichhe evinced all the dexterity of the most practised native, the oddswere fearfully against Wacousta; and while his flashing eye andswelling chest betrayed his purpose rather to perish himself thansuffer the infringement of his claim, it was evident that numbers must, in the end, prevail against him. On an appeal to Ponteac, however, ofwhich he now suddenly bethought himself, the authority of the latterwas successfully exerted, and he was again left in the full andundisturbed possession of his prisoner. 

A low and earnest conversation now ensued among the chiefs, in which, as before, Wacousta bore a principal part. When this was terminated, several Indians approached the unhappy officer, and unfastening thethong with which his hands were firmly and even painfully girt, deprived him both of coat, waistcoat, and shirt. He was then bound asecond time in the same manner, his body besmeared with paint, and hishead so disguised as to give him the caricature semblance of an Indianwarrior. When these preparations were completed, he was led to the treein which he had been previously concealed, and there firmly secured. Meanwhile Wacousta, at the head of a numerous band of warriors, haddeparted once more in the direction of the fort. 

With the rising of the sun now vanished all traces of the mist that hadfallen since the early hours of morning, leaving the unfortunateofficer ample leisure to survey the difficulties of his position. Hehad fancied, from the course taken by his guide the previous night, that the plain or oasis, as we have elsewhere termed it, lay in thevery heart of the forest; but that route now proved to have beencircuitous. The tree to which he was bound was one of a slight belt, separating the encampment from the open grounds which extended towardsthe river, and which was so thin and scattered on that side as to leavethe clear silver waters of the Detroit visible at intervals. Oh, whatwould he not have given, at that cheering sight, to have had his limbsfree, and his chance of life staked on the swiftness of his flight!While he had imagined himself begirt by interminable forest, he felt asone whose very thought to elude those who were, in some degree, thedeities of that wild scene, must be paralysed in its first conception. But here was the vivifying, picture of civilised nature. Corn fields, although trodden down and destroyed--dwelling houses, although burnt ordilapidated--told of the existence of those who were of the same racewith himself; and notwithstanding these had perished even as he mustperish, still there was something in the aspect of the very ruins oftheir habitations which, contrasted with the solemn gloom of theforest, carried a momentary and indefinable consolation to his spirit. Then there was the ripe and teeming orchard, and the low whitewashedcabin of the Canadian peasant, to whom the offices of charity, and theduties of humanity, were no strangers; and who, although the secretenemies of his country, had no motive for personal hostility towardshimself. Then, on the river itself, even at that early hour, was to beseen, fastened to the long stake driven into its bed, or secured by therude anchor of stone appended to a cable of twisted bark, the lightcanoe or clumsy periagua of the peasant fisherman, who, ever and anon, drew up from its deep bosom the shoal-loving pickerel or pike, or whiteor black bass, or whatever other tenant of these waters might chance toaffix itself to the traitorous hook. It is true that his view of theseobjects was only occasional and indistinct; but his intimateacquaintance with the localities beyond brought every thing beforeCaptain de Haldimar's eye; and even while he sighed to think they werefor ever cut off from his reach, he already, in idea, followed thecourse of flight he should pursue were the power but afforded him. 

From this train of painful and exciting thought the wretched captivewas aroused, by a faint but continued yelling in a distant part of theforest, and in the direction that had been taken by Wacousta and hiswarriors. Then, after a short interval, came the loud booming of thecannon of the fort, carried on with a spirit and promptitude that toldof some pressing and dangerous emergency, and fainter afterwards thesharp shrill reports of the rifles, bearing evidence the savages werealready in close collision with the garrison. Various were theconjectures that passed rapidly through the mind of the young officer, during a firing that had called almost every Indian in the encampmentaway to the scene of action, save the two or three young Ottawas whohad been left to guard his own person, and who lay upon the sward nearhim, with head erect and ear sharply set, listening to the startlingsounds of conflict. What the motive of the hurried departure of theIndians was he knew not; but he had conjectured the object of thefierce Wacousta was to possess himself of the uniform in which hiswretched servant was clothed, that no mistake might occur in hisidentity, when its true owner should be exhibited in it, within view ofthe fort, mangled and disfigured, in the manner that fierce andmysterious man had already threatened. It was exceedingly probable thebody of Donellan had been mistaken for his own, and that in the anxietyof his father to prevent the Indians from carrying it off, the cannonhad been directed to open upon them. But if this were the case, howwere the reports of the rifles, and the fierce yellings that continued, save at intervals, to ring throughout the forest to be accounted for?The bullets of the Indians evidently could not reach the fort, and theywere too wily, and attached too much value to their ammunition, to riska shot that was not certain of carrying a wound with it. For a momentthe fact itself flashed across his mind, and he attributed the fire ofsmall arms to the attack and defence of a party that had been sent outfor the purpose of securing the body, supposed to be his own; yet, ifso, again how was he to account for his not hearing the report of asingle musket? His ear was too well practised not to know the sharpcrack of the rifle from the heavy dull discharge of the musket, and asyet the former only had been distinguishable, amid the intervals thatensued between each sullen booming of the cannon. While this impressioncontinued on the mind of the anxious officer, he caught, with theavidity of desperation, at the faint and improbable idea that hiscompanions might be able to penetrate to his place of concealment, andprocure his liberation; but when he found the firing, instead ofdrawing nearer, was confined to the same spot, and even more fiercelykept up by the Indians towards the close, he again gave way to hisdespair, and resigning himself to his fate, no longer sought comfort invain speculation as to its cause. His ear now caught the report of thelast shell as it exploded, and then all was still and hushed, as ifwhat he had so recently heard was but a dream. 

The first intimation given him of the return of the savages was thedeath howl, set up by the women within the encampment. Captain deHaldimar turned his eyes, instinct with terror, towards the scene, andbeheld the warriors slowly issuing from the opposite side of the forestinto the plain, and bearing in silence the dead and stiffened forms ofthose who had been cut down by the destructive fire from the fort. Their mien was sullen and revengeful, and more than one dark andgleaming eye did he encounter turned upon him, with an expression thatseemed to say a separate torture should avenge the death of each oftheir fallen comrades. 

The early part of the morning wore away in preparation for theinterment of the slain. These were placed in rows under the councilshed, where they were attended by their female relatives, who composedthe features and confined the limbs, while the gloomy warriors dug, within the limit of the encampment, rude graves, of a depth justsufficient to receive the body. When these were completed, the deadwere deposited, with the usual superstitious ceremonies of thesepeople, in their several receptacles, after which a mound of earth wasthrown up over each, and the whole covered with round logs, so disposedas to form a tomb of semicircular shape: at the head of each grave wasfinally planted a pole, bearing various devices in paint, intended toillustrate the warlike achievements of the defunct parties. 

Captain de Haldimar had followed the course of these proceedings with abeating heart; for too plainly had he read in the dark and threateningmanner both of men and women, that the retribution about to be wreakedupon himself would be terrible indeed. Much as he clung to life, andbitterly as he mourned his early cutting off from the affectionshitherto identified with his existence, his wretchedness would havebeen less, had he not been overwhelmed by the conviction that, withhim, must perish every chance of the safety of those, the barerecollection of whom made the bitterness of death even more bitter. Harrowing as were these reflections, he felt that immediatedestruction, since it could not be avoided, would be rather a blessingthan otherwise. But such, evidently, was not the purpose of hisrelentless enemy. Every species of torment which his cruel inventioncould supply would, he felt convinced, be exercised upon his frame; andwith this impression on his mind, it would have required sterner nervesthan his, not to have shrunk from the very anticipation of so dreadfulan ordeal. 

It was now noon, and yet no visible preparation was making for theconsummation of the sacrifice. This, Captain de Haldimar imputed to theabsence of the fierce Wacousta, whom he had not seen since the returnof the warriors from their skirmish. The momentary disappearance ofthis extraordinary and ferocious man was, however, fraught with noconsolation to his unfortunate prisoner, who felt he was only engagedin taking such measures as would render not only his destruction morecertain, but his preliminary sufferings more complicated andprotracted. While he was thus indulging in fruitless speculation as tothe motive for his absence, he fancied he heard the report of a rifle, succeeded immediately afterwards by the war-whoop, at a considerabledistance, and in the direction of the river. In this impression he wasconfirmed, by the sudden upstarting to their feet of the young Indiansto whose custody he had been committed, who now advanced to the outeredge of the belt of forest, with the apparent object of obtaining amore unconfined view of the open ground that lay beyond. The rapidgliding of spectral forms from the interior of the encampment in thesame direction, denoted, moreover, that the Indians generally hadheard, and were attracted by the same sound. 

Presently afterwards, repeated "waughs!" and "Wacousta!--Wacousta!"from those who had reached the extreme skirt of the forest, fell on thedismayed ear of the young officer. It was evident, from the peculiartones in which these words were pronounced, that they beheld thatwarrior approaching them with some communication of interest; and, sickat heart, and filled with irrepressible dismay, Captain de Haldimarfelt his pulse to throb more violently as each moment brought his enemynearer to him. 

A startling interest was now created among the Indians; for, as thesavage warrior neared the forest, his lips pealed forth that peculiarcry which is meant to announce some intelligence of alarm. Scarcely hadits echoes died away in the forest, when the whole of the warriorsrushed from the encampment towards the clearing. Directed by the sound, Captain de Haldimar bent his eyes upon the thin skirt of wood that layimmediately before him, and at intervals could see the towering form ofthat vast warrior bounding, with incredible speed, up the slopingground that led from the town towards the forest. A ravine lay beforehim; but this he cleared, with a prodigious effort, at a single leap;and then, continuing his way up the slope, amid the low gutturalacclamations of the warriors at his extraordinary dexterity andstrength, finally gained the side of Ponteac, then leaning carelesslyagainst a tree at a short distance from the prisoner. 

A low and animated conversation now ensued between these two importantpersonages, which at moments assumed the character of violentdiscussion. From what Captain de Haldimar could collect, the Ottawachief was severely reproving his friend for the inconsiderate ardourwhich had led him that morning into collision with those whom it wastheir object to lull into security by a careful avoidance of hostility, and urging the possibility of their plan being defeated in consequence. He moreover obstinately refused the pressing request of Wacousta, inregard to some present enterprise which the latter had just suggested, the precise nature of which, however, Captain de Haldimar could notlearn. Meanwhile, the rapid flitting of numerous forms to and from theencampment, arrayed in all the fierce panoply of savage warfare, whilelow exclamations of excitement occasionally caught his ear, led theofficer to infer, strange and unusual as such an occurrence was, thateither the detachment already engaged, or a second, was advancing ontheir position. Still, this offered little chance of security forhimself; for more than once, during his long conference with Ponteac, had the fierce Wacousta bent his eye in ferocious triumph on hisvictim, as if he would have said, --"Come what will--whatever be theresult--you, at least, shall not escape me. " Indeed, so confident didthe latter feel that the instant of attack would be the signal of hisown death, that, after the first momentary and instinctive cheering ofhis spirit, he rather regretted the circumstance of their approach; or, if he rejoiced at all, it was only because it afforded him the prospectof immediate death, instead of being exposed to all the horror of alingering and agonising suffering from the torture. 

While the chiefs were yet earnestly conversing, the alarm cry, previously uttered by Wacousta, was repeated, although in a low andsubdued tone, by several of the Indians who stood on the brow of theeminence. Ponteac started suddenly to the same point; but Wacoustacontinued for a moment or two rooted to the spot on which he stood, with the air of one in doubt as to what course he should pursue. Hethen abruptly raised his head, fixed his dark and menacing eye on hiscaptive, and was already in the act of approaching him, when theearnest and repeated demands for his presence, by the Ottawa chief, drew him once more to the outskirt of the wood. 

Again Captain de Haldimar breathed freely. The presence of that fierceman had been a clog upon the vital functions of his heart; and, to berelieved from it, even at a moment like the present, when far moreimportant interests might be supposed to occupy his mind, was agratification, of which not even the consciousness of impending deathcould wholly deprive him. From the continued pressing of the Indianstowards one particular point in the clearing, he now conjectured, that, from that point, the advance of the troops was visible. Anxious toobtain even a momentary view of those whom he deemed himself fatednever more to mingle with in this life, he raised himself upon hisfeet, and stretched his neck and bent his eager glance in the directionby which Wacousta had approached; but, so closely were the darkwarriors grouped among the trees, he found it impossible. Once ortwice, however, he thought he could distinguish the gleaming of theEnglish bayonets in the bright sunshine, as they seemed to file off ina parallel line with the ravine. Oh, how his generous heart throbbed atthat moment; and how ardently did he wish that he could have stood inthe position of the meanest soldier in those gallant ranks! Perhaps hisown brave and devoted grenadiers were of the number, burning withenthusiasm to be led against the captors or destroyers of theirofficer; and this thought added to his wretchedness still more. 

While the unfortunate prisoner, thus strongly excited, bent his wholesoul on the scene before him, he fancied he heard the approach of acautious footstep. He turned his head as well as his confined positionwould admit, and beheld, close behind him, a dark Indian, whose eyesalone were visible above the blanket in which his person was completelyenveloped. His right arm was uplifted, and the blade of a scalpingknife glittered in his hand. A cold shudder ran through the veins ofthe young officer, and he closed his eyes, that he might not see theblow which he felt was about to be directed at his heart. The Indianglanced hurriedly yet cautiously around, to see if he was observed; andthen, with the rapidity of thought, divided, first the thongs thatsecured the legs, and then those which confined the arms of thedefenceless captive. When Captain de Haldimar, full of astonishment atfinding himself once more at liberty, again unclosed his eyes, theyfell on the not unhandsome features of the young chief, the brother ofOucanasta. 

"The Saganaw is the prisoner of Wacousta, " said the Indian hastily;"and Wacousta is the enemy of the young Ottawa chief. The warriors ofthe pale faces are there" (and he pointed directly before him). "If theSaganaw has a bold heart and a swift foot, he may save his life:" and, with this intimation, he hurried away in the same cautious manner, andwas in the next instant seen making a circuit to arrive at the point atwhich the principal strength of the Indians was collected. 

The position of Captain de Haldimar had now attained its acme ofinterest; for on his own exertions alone depended every thing thatremained to be accomplished. With wonderful presence of mind hesurveyed all the difficulties of his course, while he availed himselfat the same moment of whatever advantages were within his grasp. On theapproach of Wacousta, the young Indians, to whose custody he had beencommitted, had returned to their post; but no sooner had that warrior, obeying the call of Ponteac, again departed, than they once more flewto the extreme skirt of the forest, after first satisfying themselvesthe ligatures which confined their prisoner were secure. Either with aview of avoiding unnecessary encumbrance in their course, or throughhurry and inadvertence, they had left their blankets near the foot ofthe tree. The first thought of the officer was to seize one of these;for, in order to gain the point whence his final effort to join thedetachment must be made, it was necessary he should pass through thebody of scattered Indians who stood immediately in his way; and thedisguise of the blanket could alone afford him a reasonable chance ofmoving unnoticed among them. Secretly congratulating himself on theinsulting mockery that had inducted his upper form in the disguisingwarpaint of his enemies, he now drew the protecting blanket close up tohis eyes; and then, with every nerve braced up, every faculty of mindand body called into action, commenced his dangerous enterprise. 

He had not, however, taken more than two or three steps in advance, when, to his great discomfiture and alarm, he beheld the formidableWacousta approaching from a distance, evidently in search of hisprisoner. With the quickness of thought he determined on his course. Toappear to avoid him would be to excite the suspicion of the fiercewarrior; and, desperate as the alternative was, he resolved to moveundeviatingly forward. At each step that drew him nearer to his enemy, the beating of his heart became more violent; and had it not been forthe thick coat of paint in which he was invested, the involuntarycontraction of the muscles of his face must inevitably have betrayedhim. Nay, even as it was, had the keen eye of the warrior fallen onhim, such was the agitation of the officer, he felt he must have beendiscovered. Happily, however, Wacousta, who evidently took him for someinferior warrior hastening to the point where his fellows were alreadyassembled, passed without deigning to look at him, and so close, theirforms almost touched. Captain de Haldimar now quickened his pace. Itwas evident there was no time to be lost; for Wacousta, on finding himgone, would at once give the alarm, when a hundred warriors would beready on the instant to intercept his flight. Taking the precaution todisguise his walk by turning in his toes after the Indian manner, hereached, with a beating heart, the first of the numerous warriors whowere collected within the belt of forest, anxiously watching themovements of the detachment in the plain below. To his infinite joy hefound that each was too much intent on what was passing in thedistance, to heed any thing going on near themselves; and when he atlength gained the extreme opening, and stood in a line with those whowere the farthest advanced, without having excited a single suspicionin his course, he could scarcely believe the evidence of his senses. 

Still the most difficult part of the enterprise remained to becompleted. Hitherto he had moved under the friendly cover of theunderwood, the advantage of which had been to conceal that part of hisregimental trousers which the blanket left exposed; and if he movedforward into the clearing, the quick glance of an Indian would not beslow in detecting the difference between these and his own ruderleggings. There was no alternative now but to commence his flight fromthe spot on which he stood; and for this he prepared himself. At onerapid and comprehensive view he embraced the immediate localitiesbefore him. On the other side of the ravine he could now distinctly seethe English troops, either planning, as he conceived, their own attack, or waiting in the hope of drawing the Indians from their cover. It wasevident that to reach them the ravine must be crossed, unless the morecircuitous route by the bridge, which was hid from his view by anintervening hillock, should be preferred; but as the former had beencleared by Wacousta in his ascent, and was the nearest point by whichthe detachment could be approached, to this did he now direct hisundivided attention. 

While he yet paused with indecision, at one moment fancying the timefor starting was not yet arrived, and at the next that he had sufferedit to pass away, the powerful and threatening voice of Wacousta washeard proclaiming the escape of his captive. Low but expressiveexclamations from the warriors marked their sense of the importance ofthe intelligence; and many of them hastily dispersed themselves inpursuit. This was the critical moment for action: for, as the anxiousofficer had rather wished than expected, those Indians who had beenimmediately in front, and whose proximity he most dreaded, were amongthe number of those who dashed into the heart of the forest--Captain deHaldimar now stood alone, and full twenty paces in front of the nearestof the savages. For a moment he played with his mocassined foot tosatisfy himself, of the power and flexibility of its muscles, and thencommitting himself to his God, dashed the blanket suddenly from hisshoulders, and, with eye and heart fixed on the distant soldiery, darted down the declivity with a speed of which he had never yetbelieved himself capable. Scarcely, however, had his fleeing formappeared in the opening, when a tremendous and deafening yell rent theair, and a dozen wild and naked warriors followed instantly in pursuit. Attracted by that yell, the terrible Wacousta, who had been seeking hisvictim in a different quarter, bounded forward to the front with an eyeflashing fire, and a brow compressed into the fiercest hate; and sostupendous were his efforts, so extraordinary was his speed, that hadit not been for the young Ottawa chief, who was one of the pursuingparty, and who, under the pretence of assisting in the recapture of theprisoner, sought every opportunity of throwing himself before, andembarrassing the movements of his enemy, it is highly probable thelatter would have succeeded. Despite of these obstacles, however, thefierce Wacousta, who had been the last to follow, soon left theforemost of his companions far behind him; and but for his sudden fall, while in the very act of seizing the arm of his prisoner, his giganticefforts must have been crowned with the fullest success. But the readerhas already seen how miraculously Captain de Haldimar, reduced to thelast stage of debility, as much from inanition as from the unnaturalefforts of his flight, finally accomplished his return to thedetachment. 

CHAPTER X. 

At the western extremity of the lake Huron, and almost washed by thewaters of that pigmy ocean, stands the fort of Michilimackinac. Constructed on a smaller scale, and garrisoned by a less numericalforce, the defences of this post, although less formidable than thoseof the Detroit, were nearly similar, at the period embraced by ourstory, both in matter and in manner. Unlike the latter fortress, however, it boasted none of the advantages afforded by culture;neither, indeed, was there a single spot in the immediate vicinity thatwas not clad in the eternal forest of these regions. It is true, thatart and laborious exertion had so far supplied the deficiencies ofnature as to isolate the fort, and throw it under the protecting sweepof its cannon; but, while this afforded security, it failed to produceany thing like a pleasing effect to the eye. The very site on which thefortress now stood had at one period been a portion of the wildernessthat every where around was only terminated by the sands on the lakeshore: and, although time and the axe of the pioneer had in some degreechanged its features, still there was no trace of that blended naturalscenery that so pleasingly diversified the vicinity of the sister fort. Here and there, along the imperfect clearing, and amid the dark andthickly studded stumps of the felled trees, which in themselves weresufficient to give the most lugubrious character to the scene, rose therude log cabin of the settler; but, beyond this, cultivation appearedto have lost her power in proportion with the difficulties she had toencounter. Even the two Indian villages, L'Arbre-Croche and Chabouiga, situate about a mile from the fort, with which they formed nearly anequilateral triangle, were hid from the view of the garrison by thedark dense forest, in the heart of which they were embedded. 

Lake ward the view was scarcely less monotonous; but it was not, as inthe rear, that monotony which is never occasionally broken in upon bysome occurrence of interest. If the eye gazed long and anxiously forthe white sail of the well known armed vessel, charged at statedintervals with letters and tidings of those whom time, and distance, and danger, far from estranging, rendered more dear to the memory, andbound more closely to the heart, it was sure of being rewarded at last;and then there was no picture on which it could love to linger so wellas that of the silver waves bearing that valued vessel in safety to itswonted anchorage in the offing. Moreover, the light swift bark canoesof the natives often danced joyously on its surface; and while thesight was offended at the savage, skulking among the trees of theforest, like some dark spirit moving cautiously in its course of secretdestruction, and watching the moment when he might pounce unnoticed onhis unprepared victim, it followed, with momentary pleasure andexcitement, the activity and skill displayed by the harmless paddler, in the swift and meteor-like race that set the troubled surface of theHuron in a sheet of hissing foam. Nor was this all. When the eye turnedwood-ward, it fell heavily, and without interest, upon a dim and duskypoint, known to enter upon savage scenes and unexplored countries;whereas, whenever it reposed upon the lake, it was with an eagernessand energy that embraced the most vivid recollections of the past, andled the imagination buoyantly over every well-remembered scene that hadpreviously been traversed, and which must be traversed again before theland of the European could be pressed once more. The forest, in a word, formed, as it were, the gloomy and impenetrable walls of theprison-house, and the bright lake that lay before it the only portalthrough which happiness and liberty could be again secured. 

The principal entrance into the fort, which presented four equal sidesof a square, was from the forest; but, immediately opposite to this, and behind the apartments of the commanding officer, there was anothersmall gate that opened upon the lake shore; but which, since theinvestment of the place, had been kept bolted and locked, with aprecaution befitting the danger to which the garrison was exposed. Still, there were periods, even now, when its sullen hinges were to beheard moaning on the midnight breeze; for it served as a medium ofcommunication between the besieged and others who were no lesscritically circumstanced than themselves. 

The very day before the Indians commenced their simultaneous attack onthe several posts of the English, the only armed vessel that had beenconstructed on these upper lakes, serving chiefly as a medium ofcommunication between Detroit and Michilimackinac, had arrived withdespatches and letters from the former fort. A well-concerted plan ofthe savages to seize her in her passage through the narrow waters ofthe river Sinclair had only been defeated by the vigilance of hercommander; but, ever since the breaking out of the war, she had beenimprisoned within the limits of the Huron. Laborious indeed was theduty of the devoted crew. Several attempts had been renewed by theIndians to surprise them; but, although their little fleets stolecautiously and noiselessly, at the still hour of midnight, to the spotwhere, at the last expiring rays of twilight, they had beheld hercarelessly anchored, and apparently lulled into security, the subjectof their search was never to be met with. No sooner were objects on theshore rendered indistinct to the eye, than the anchor was silentlyweighed, and, gliding wherever the breeze might choose to carry her, the light bark was made to traverse the lake, with every sail set, until dawn. None, however, were suffered to slumber in the presumedsecurity afforded by this judicious flight. Every man was at his post;and, while a silence so profound was preserved, that the noise of afalling pin might have been heard upon her decks, every thing was inreadiness to repel an attack of their enemies, should the vessel, inher course, come accidentally in collision with their pigmy fleets. When morning broke, and no sign of their treacherous foes was visible, the vessel was again anchored, and the majority of the crew suffered toretire to their hammocks, while the few whose turn of duty it chancedto be, kept a vigilant look-out, that, on the slightest appearance ofalarm, their slumbering comrades might again be aroused to energy andaction. 

Severe and harassing as had been the duty on board this vessel for manymonths, --at one moment exposed to the assaults of the savages, atanother assailed by the hurricanes that are so prevalent and sodangerous on the American lakes, --the situation of the crew was evenless enviable than that of the garrison itself. What chieflycontributed to their disquietude, was the dreadful consciousness that, however their present efforts might secure a temporary safety, theperiod of their fall was only protracted. A few months more must bringwith them all the severity of the winter of those climes, and then, blocked up in a sea of ice, --exposed to all the rigour of cold, --allthe miseries of hunger, --what effectual resistance could they oppose tothe numerous bands of Indians who, availing themselves of thedefenceless position of their enemies, would rush from every quarter totheir destruction. 

At the outset of these disheartening circumstances the officer hadsummoned his faithful crew together, and pointing out the danger anduncertainty of their position, stated that two chances of escape stillremained to them. The first was, by an attempt to accomplish thepassage of the river Sinclair during some dark and boisterous night, when the Indians would be least likely to suspect such an intention: itwas at this point that the efforts of their enemies were principally tobe apprehended; but if, under cover of storm and darkness, they couldaccomplish this difficult passage, they would easily gain the Detroit, and thence pass into lake Erie, at the further extremity of which theymight, favoured by Providence, effect a landing, and penetrate to theinhabited parts of the colony of New York. The other alternativewas, --and he left it to themselves to determine, --to sink the vessel onthe approach of winter, and throw themselves into the fort before them, there to await and share the destiny of its gallant defenders. 

With the generous enthusiasm of their profession, the noble fellows haddetermined on the latter course. With their officer they fullycoincided in opinion, that their ultimate hopes of life depended on thesafe passage of the Sinclair; for it was but too obvious, that soon orlate, unless some very extraordinary revolution should be effected inthe intentions of the Indians, the fortress must be starved intosubmission. Still, as it was tolerably well supplied with provisions, this gloomy prospect was remote, and they were willing to run allchances with their friends on shore, rather than desert them in theirextremity. The determination expressed by them, therefore, was, thatwhen they could no longer keep the lake in safety, they would, if theofficer permitted it, scuttle the vessel, and attempt an entrance intothe fort, where they would share the fate of the troops, whatever itmight chance to be. 

No sooner was this resolution made known, than their young commandersought an opportunity of communicating with the garrison, This, however, was no very easy task; for, so closely was the fort hemmed inby the savages, it was impossible to introduce a messenger within itswalls; and so sudden had been the cutting off of all communicationbetween the vessel and the shore, that the thought had not evenoccurred to either commander to establish the most ordinaryintelligence by signal. In this dilemma recourse was had to aningenious expedient. The dispatches of the officer were enclosed in oneof the long tin tubes in which were generally deposited the maps andcharts of the schooner, and to this, after having been carefullysoldered, was attached an inch rope of several hundred fathoms inlength: the case was then put into one of the ship's guns, so placed asto give it the elevation of a mortar; thus prepared, advantage wastaken of a temporary absence of the Indians to bring the vessel withinhalf a mile of the shore, and when the attention of the garrison, naturally attracted by this unusual movement, was sufficientlyawakened, that opportunity was chosen for the discharge of the gun; andas the quantity of powder had been proportionably reduced for thelimited range, the tube was soon safely deposited within the rampart. The same means were adopted in replying; and one end of the roperemaining attached to the schooner, all that was necessary was tosolder up the tube as before, and throw it over the ramparts upon thesands, whence it was immediately pulled over her side by the watchfulmariners. 

As the dispatch conveyed to the garrison, among other subjects ofinterest, bore the unwelcome intelligence that the supplies of the crewwere nearly expended, an arrangement was proposed by which, at statedintervals, a more immediate communication with the former might beeffected. Whenever, therefore, the wind permitted, the vessel was kepthovering in sight during the day, beneath the eyes of the savages, andon the approach of evening an unshotted gun was discharged, with a viewof drawing their attention more immediately to her movements; everysail was then set, and under a cloud of canvass the course of theschooner was directed towards the source of the Sinclair, as if anattempt to accomplish that passage was to be made during the night. Nosooner, however, had the darkness fairly set in, than the vessel wasput about, and, beating against the wind, generally contrived to reachthe offing at a stated hour, when a boat, provided with muffled oars, was sent off to the shore. This ruse had several times deceived theIndians, and it was on these occasions that the small gate to which wehave alluded was opened, for the purpose of conveying the necessarysupplies. 

The buildings of the fort consisted chiefly of block-houses, theinternal accommodations of which were fully in keeping with their rudeexterior, being but indifferently provided with the most ordinaryarticles of comfort, and fitted up as the limited resources of thatwild and remote district could supply. The best and most agreeablysituated of these, if a choice could be made, was that of thecommanding officer. This building rose considerably above the others, and overhanging that part of the rampart which skirted the shores ofthe Huron, commanded a full view of the lake, even to its extremity offrowning and belting forest. 

To this block-house there were two staircases; the principal leading tothe front entrance from the barrack-square, the other opening in therear, close under the rampart, and communicating by a few rude stepswith the small gate that led upon the sands. In the lower part of thisbuilding, appropriated by the commanding officer to that exclusivepurpose, the official duties of his situation were usually performed;and on the ground-floor a large room, that extended from front to rearof the block-house on one side of the passage, had formerly been usedas a hall of council with the Indian chiefs. The floor above thiscomprised both his own private apartments and those set apart for thegeneral use of the family; but, above all, and preferable from theircheerful view over the lake, were others, which had been reserved forthe exclusive accommodation of Miss de Haldimar. This upper floorconsisted of two sleeping apartments, with a sitting-room, the latterextending the whole length of the block-house and opening immediatelyupon the lake, from the only two windows with which that side of thebuilding was provided. The principal staircase led into one of thebed-rooms, and both of the latter communicated immediately with thesitting-room, which again, in its turn, opened, at the oppositeextremity, on the narrow staircase that led to the rear of theblock-house. 

The furniture of this apartment, which might be taken as a fair sampleof the best the country could afford, was wild, yet simple, in theextreme. Neat rush mats, of an oblong square, and fantastically puttogether, so as to exhibit in the weaving of the several coloured reedsboth figures that were known to exist in the creation, and those whichcould have no being save in the imagination of their framers, served asexcellent substitutes for carpets, while rush bottomed chairs, theproduct of Indian ingenuity also, occupied those intervals around theroom that were unsupplied by the matting. Upon the walls were hungnumerous specimens both of the dress and of the equipments of thesavages, and mingled with these were many natural curiosities, thegifts of Indian chiefs to the commandant at various periods before thewar. 

Nothing could be more unlike the embellishments of a modern Europeanboudoir than those of this apartment, which had, in some degree, beenmade the sanctum of its present occupants. Here was to be seen thescaly carcass of some huge serpent, extending its now harmless lengthfrom the ceiling to the floor--there an alligator, stuffed after thesame fashion; and in various directions the skins of the beaver, themarten, the otter, and an infinitude of others of that genus, filled upspaces that were left unsupplied by the more ingenious specimens ofIndian art. Head-dresses tastefully wrought in the shape of thecrowning bays of the ancients, and composed of the gorgeous feathers ofthe most splendid of the forest birds--bows and quivers handsomely, andeven elegantly ornamented with that most tasteful of Indiandecorations, the stained quill of the porcupine; war clubs of massiveiron wood, their handles covered with stained horsehair and featherscuriously mingled together--machecotis, hunting coats, mocassins, andleggings, all worked in porcupine quill, and fancifullyarranged, --these, with many others, had been called into requisition tobedeck and relieve the otherwise rude and naked walls of the apartment. 

Nor did the walls alone reflect back the picture of savage ingenuity, for on the various tables, the rude polish of which was hid from viewby the simple covering of green baize, which moreover constituted thegarniture of the windows, were to be seen other products of their art. Here stood upon an elevated stand a model of a bark canoe, filled withits complement of paddlers carved in wood and dressed in full costume;the latter executed with such singular fidelity of feature, thatalthough the speaking figures sprung not from the experienced andclassic chisel of the sculptor but from the rude scalping knife of thesavage, the very tribe to which they belonged could be discovered at aglance by the European who was conversant with the features of each:then there were handsomely ornamented vessels made of the birch bark, and filled with the delicate sugars which the natives extract from themaple tree in early spring; these of all sizes, even to the most tinythat could well be imagined, were valuable rather as exquisitespecimens of the neatness with which those slight vessels could be puttogether, sewn as they were merely with strips of the same bark, thanfrom any intrinsic value they possessed. Covered over with fantasticfigures, done either in paint, or in quill work artfully interwoveninto the fibres of the bark, they presented, in their smooth andpolished surface, strong evidence of the address of the savages intheir preparation of this most useful and abundant produce of thecountry. Interspersed with these, too, were numerous stands filled withstuffed birds, some of which combined in themselves every variety andshade of dazzling plumage; and numerous rude cases contained the rarestspecimens of the American butterfly, most of which were of sizes andtints that are no where equalled in Europe. One solitary table alonewas appropriated to whatever wore a transatlantic character in thiswild and museum-like apartment. On this lay a Spanish guitar, a fewpieces of old music, a collection of English and French books, a coupleof writing-desks, and, scattered over the whole, several articles ofunfinished needle-work. 

Such was the apartment in which Madeline and Clara de Haldimar were metat the moment we have selected for their introduction to our readers. It was the morning of that day on which the second council of thechiefs, the result of which has already been seen, was held at Detroit. The sun had risen bright and gorgeously above the adjacent forest, throwing his golden beams upon the calm glassy waters of the lake; andnow, approaching rapidly towards the meridian, gradually diminished thetall bold shadows of the block-houses upon the shore. At the distanceof about a mile lay the armed vessel so often alluded to; her light lowhull dimly seen in the hazy atmosphere that danced upon the waters, andher attenuated masts and sloping yards, with their slight tracery ofcordage, recalling rather the complex and delicate ramifications of thespider's web, than the elastic yet solid machinery to which the livesof those within had so often been committed in sea and tempest. Uponthe strand, and close opposite to the small gate which now stood ajar, lay one of her boats, the crew of which had abandoned her with theexception only of a single individual, apparently her cockswain, who, with the tiller under his arm, lay half extended in the stern-sheets, his naked chest exposed, and his tarpaulin hat shielding his eyes fromthe sun while he indulged in profound repose. These were the onlyobjects that told of human life. Everywhere beyond the eye rested onthe faint outline of forest, that appeared like the softened tracing ofa pencil at the distant junction of the waters with the horizon. 

The windows that commanded this prospect were now open; and throughthat which was nearest to the gate, half reclined the elegant, slight, and somewhat petite form of a female, who, with one small anddelicately formed hand supporting her cheek, while the other playedalmost unconsciously with an open letter, glanced her eye alternately, and with an expression of joyousness, towards the vessel that laybeyond, and the point in which the source of the Sinclair was known tolie. It was Clara de Haldimar. 

Presently the vacant space at the same window was filled by anotherform, but of less girlish appearance--one that embraced all the fullrich contour of the Medicean Venus, and a lazy languor in its movementsthat harmonised with the speaking outlines of the form, and withoutwhich the beauty of the whole would have been at variance andimperfect. Neither did the face belie the general expression of thefigure. The eyes, of a light hazel, were large, full, and somewhatprominent--the forehead broad, high, and redolent with an expression ofcharacter--and the cheek rich in that peculiar colour which can belikened only to the downy hues of the peach, and is, in itself, aphysical earnest of the existence of deep, but not boisterous--ofdevoted, but not obtrusive affections; an impression that was not, inthe present instance, weakened by the full and pouting lip, and therather heavy formation of the lower face. The general expression, moreover, of a countenance which, closely analysed, could not be termedbeautiful, marked a mind at once ardent in its conceptions, and steadyand resolute in its silent accomplishments of purpose. She was of themiddle height. 

Such was the person of Madeline de Haldimar; but attractive, or ratherwinning, as were her womanly attributes, her principal power lay in hervoice, --the beauty, nay, the voluptuousness of which nothing couldsurpass. It was impossible to listen to the slow, full, rich, deep, andmelodious tones that fell trembling from her lips upon the ear, and notfeel, aye shudder, under all their fascination on the soul. In such avoice might the Madonna of Raphael have been supposed to offer up hersupplications from the gloomy precincts of the cloister. No wonder thatFrederick de Haldimar loved her, and loved her with all the intensedevotedness of his own glowing heart. His cousin was to him a divinitywhom he worshipped in the innermost recesses of his being; and his, inreturn, was the only ear in which the accents of that almost superhumanvoice had breathed the thrilling confession of an attachment, which itsvery tones announced could be deep and imperishable as the soul inwhich it had taken root. Often in the hours that preceded the periodwhen they were to have been united heart and mind and thought in onecommon destiny, would he start from her side, his brain whirling withvery intoxication, and then obeying another wild impulse, rush oncemore into her embrace; and clasping his beloved Madeline to his heart, entreat her again to pour forth all the melody of that confession inhis enraptured ear. Artless and unaffected as she was generous andimpassioned, the fond and noble girl never hesitated to gratify himwhom alone she loved; and deep and fervent was the joy of the soldier, when he found that each passionate entreaty, far from being met withcaprice, only drew from the lips of his cousin warmer and moreaffectionate expressions of her attachment. Such expressions, comingfrom any woman, must have been rapturous and soothing in the extreme;but, when they flowed from a voice whose very sound was melody, theyacted on the heart of Captain de Haldimar with a potency that was asirresistible as the love itself which she inspired. 

Such was the position of things just before the commencement of theIndian war. Madeline de Haldimar had been for some time on a visit toDetroit, and her marriage with her cousin was to have taken placewithin a few days. The unexpected arrival of intelligence fromMichilimackinac that her father was dangerously ill, however, retardedthe ceremony; and, up to the present period, their intercourse had beencompletely suspended. If Madeline de Haldimar was capable of strongattachment to her lover, the powerful ties of nature were no lessdeeply rooted in her heart, and commiseration and anxiety for herfather now engrossed every faculty of her mind. She entreated hercousin to defer the solemnisation of their nuptials until her parentshould be pronounced out of danger, and, having obtained his consent tothe delay, instantly set off for Michilimackinac, accompanied by hercousin Clara, whom, she had prevailed on the governor to part withuntil her own return. Hostilities were commenced very shortlyafterwards, and, although Major de Haldimar speedily recovered from hisillness, the fair cousins were compelled to share the commonimprisonment of the garrison. 

When Miss de Haldimar joined her more youthful cousin at the window, through which the latter was gazing thoughtfully on the scene beforeher, she flung her arm around her waist with the protecting manner of amother. The mild blue eyes of Clara met those that were fastened intenderness upon her, and a corresponding movement on her part broughtthe more matronly form of her cousin into close and affectionatecontact with her own. 

"Oh, Madeline, what a day is this!" she exclaimed; "and how often on mybended knees have I prayed to Heaven that it might arrive! Our trialsare ended at last, and happiness and joy are once more before us. Thereis the boat that is to conduct us to the vessel, which, in its turn, isto bear me to the arms of my dear father, and you to those of the loverwho adores you. How beautiful does that fabric appear to me now! Neverdid I feel half the pleasure in surveying it I do at this moment. "

"Dear, dear girl!" exclaimed Miss de Haldimar, --and she pressed hercloser and in silence to her heart: then, after a slight pause, duringwhich the mantling glow upon her brow told how deeply she desired thereunion alluded to by her cousin--"that, indeed, will be an hour ofhappiness to us both, Clara; for irrevocably as our affections havebeen pledged, it would be silly in the extreme to deny that I long mostardently to be restored to him who is already my husband. But, tellme, " she concluded, with an archness of expression that caused thelong-lashed eyes of her companion to sink beneath her own, "are youquite sincere in your own case? I know how deeply you love your fatherand your brothers, but do these alone occupy your attention? Is therenot a certain friend of Charles whom you have some little curiosity tosee also?"

"How silly, Madeline!" and the cheek of the young girl became suffusedwith a deeper glow; "you know I have never seen this friend of mybrother, how then can I possibly feel more than the most ordinaryinterest in him? I am disposed to like him, certainly, for the merereason that Charles does; but this is all. "

"Well, Clara, I will not pretend to decide; but certain it is, this isthe last letter you received from Charles, and that it contains thestrongest recommendations of his friend to your notice. Equally certainis it, that scarcely a day has passed, since we have been shut up here, that you have not perused and re-perused it half a dozen times. Now, asI am confessedly one who should know something of these matters, I mustbe suffered to pronounce these are strong symptoms, to say the veryleast. Ah! Clara, that blush declares you guilty. --But, who have wehere? Middleton and Baynton. "

The eyes of the cousins now fell upon the ramparts immediately underthe window. Two officers, one apparently on duty for the day, werepassing at the moment; and, as they heard their names pronounced, stopped, looked up, and saluted the young ladies with that easy freedomof manner, which, unmixed with either disrespect or effrontery, sousually characterises the address of military men. 

"What a contrast, by heaven!" exclaimed he who wore the badge of dutysuspended over his chest, throwing himself playfully into a theatricalattitude, expressive at once of admiration and surprise, while his eyeglanced intelligently over the fair but dissimilar forms of thecousins. "Venus and Psyche in the land of the Pottowatamies by all thatis magnificent! Come, Middleton, quick, out with that eternal pencil ofyours, and perform your promise. "

"And what may that promise be?" asked Clara, laughingly, and withoutadverting to the hyperbolical compliment of the dark-eyed officer whohad just spoken. 

"You shall hear, " pursued the lively captain of the guard. "Whilemaking the tour of the ramparts just now, to visit my sentries, I sawMiddleton leaning most sentimentally against one of the boxes in front, his notebook in one hand and his pencil in the other. Curious todiscover the subject of his abstraction, I stole cautiously behind him, and saw that he was sketching the head of a tall and rather handsomesquaw, who, in the midst of a hundred others, was standing close to thegateway watching the preparations of the Indian ball-players. I at oncetaxed him with having lost his heart; and rallying him on his bad tastein devoting his pencil to any thing that had a red skin, never combedits hair, and turned its toes in while walking, pronounced his sketchto be an absolute fright. Well, will you believe what I have to add?The man absolutely flew into a tremendous passion with me, and sworethat she was a Venus, a Juno, a Minerva, a beauty of the first water inshort; and finished by promising, that when I could point out any womanwho was superior to her in personal attraction, he would on the instantwrite no less than a dozen consecutive sonnets in her praise. I nowcall upon him to fulfil his promise, or maintain the superiority of hisIndian beauty. "

Before the laughing Middleton could find time to reply to the light andunmeaning rattle of his friend, the quick low roll of a drum was heardfrom the front. The signal was understood by both officers, and theyprepared to depart. 

"This is the hour appointed for the council, " said Captain Baynton, looking at his watch, "and I must be with my guard, to receive thechiefs with becoming honour. How I pity you, Middleton, who will havethe infliction of one of their great big talks, as Murphy would callit, dinned into your ear for the next two hours at least! Thank heaven, my tour of duty exempts me from that; and by way of killing an hour, Ithink I shall go and carry on a flirtation with your Indian Minerva, alias Venus, alias Juno, while you are discussing the affairs of thenation with closed doors. But hark! there is the assembly drum again. We must be off. Come, Middleton, come. --Adieu!" waving his hand to thecousins, "we shall meet at dinner. "

"What an incessant talker Baynton is!" observed Miss de Haldimar, asthe young men now disappeared round an angle of the rampart; "but hehas reminded me of what I had nearly forgotten, and that is to giveorders for dinner. My father has invited all the officers to dine withhim to day, in commemoration of the peace which is being concluded. Itwill be the first time we shall have all met together since thecommencement of this cruel war, and we must endeavour, Clara, to dohonour to the feast. "

"I hope, " timidly observed her cousin, shuddering as she spoke, "thatnone of those horrid chiefs will be present, Madeline; for, without anyaffectation of fear whatever, I feel that I could not so far overcomemy disgust as to sit at the same table with them. There was a time, itis true, when I thought nothing of these things; but, since the war, Ihave witnessed and heard so much of their horrid deeds, that I shallnever be able to endure the sight of an Indian face again. Ah!" sheconcluded, turning her eyes upon the lake, while she clung more closelyto the embrace of her companion; "would to Heaven, Madeline, that wewere both at this moment gliding in yonder vessel, and in sight of myfather's fort!"

CHAPTER XI. 

The eyes of Miss de Haldimar followed those of her cousin, and restedon the dark hull of the schooner, with which so many recollections ofthe past and anticipations of the future were associated in theirminds. When they had last looked upon it, all appearance of human lifehad vanished from its decks; but now there was strong evidence ofunusual bustle and activity. Numerous persons could be seen movinghastily to and fro, their heads just peering above the bulwarks; andpresently they beheld a small boat move from the ship's side, and shootrapidly ahead, in a direct line with the well-known bearings of theSinclair's source. While they continued to gaze on this point, following the course of the light vessel, and forming a variety ofconjectures as to the cause of a movement, especially remarkable fromthe circumstance of the commander being at that moment in the fort, whither he had been summoned to attend the council, another andscarcely perceptible object was dimly seen, at the distance of abouthalf a mile in front of the boat. With the aid of a telescope, whichhad formed one of the principal resources of the cousins during theirlong imprisonment, Miss de Haldimar now perceived a dark and shapelessmass moving somewhat heavily along the lake, and in a line with theschooner and the boat. This was evidently approaching; for each momentit loomed larger upon the hazy water, increasing in bulk in the sameproportion that the departing skiff became less distinct: still, it wasimpossible to discover, at that distance, in what manner it waspropelled. Wind there was none, not as much as would have changed thecourse of a feather dropping through space; and, except where thedividing oars of the boatmen had agitated the waters, the whole surfaceof the lake was like a sea of pale and liquid gold. 

At length the two dark bodies met, and the men in the boat were seen tolie upon their oars, while one in the stem seemed to be in the act ofattaching a rope to the formless matter. For a few moments there was acessation of all movement; and then again the active and sturdy rowingof the boatmen was renewed, and with an exertion of strength even morevigorous than that they had previously exhibited. Their course was nowdirected towards the vessel; and, as it gradually neared that fabric, the rope by which the strange-looking object was secured, could bedistinctly though faintly seen with the telescope. It was impossible tosay whether the latter, whatever it might be, was urged by someinvisible means, or merely floated in the wake of the boat; for, although the waters through which it passed ran rippling and foamingfrom their course, this effect might have been produced by the boatwhich preceded it. As it now approached the vessel, it presented theappearance of a dense wood of evergreens, the overhanging branches ofwhich descended close to the water's edge, and baffled every attempt ofthe cousins to discover its true character. The boat had now arrivedwithin a hundred yards of the schooner, when a man was seen to risefrom its bows, and, putting both his hands to his mouth, after themanner of sailors in hailing, to continue in that position for somemoments, apparently conversing with those who were grouped along thenearest gangway. Then were observed rapid movements on the decks; andmen were seen hastening aloft, and standing out upon the foremastyards. This, however, had offered no interruption to the exertions ofthe boatmen, who still kept plying with a vigour that set even thesail-less vessel in motion, as the foaming water, thrown from theirbending oar-blades, dashed angrily against her prow. Soon afterwardsboth the boat and her prize disappeared on the opposite side of theschooner, which, now lying with her broadside immediately on a linewith the shore, completely hid them from the further view of thecousins. 

"Look!--Look!" said Clara, clinging sensitively and with alarm to thealmost maternal bosom against which she reposed, while she pointed withher finger to another dark mass that was moving through the lake in acircular sweep from the point of wood terminating the clearing on theright of the fort. 

Miss de Haldimar threw the glass on the object to which her attentionwas now directed. It was evidently some furred animal, and presentedall the appearance either of a large water-rat or a beaver, the latterof which it was pronounced to be as a nearer approach rendered itsshape more distinct. Ever and anon, too, it disappeared altogetherunder the water; and, when it again came in sight, it was alwaysseveral yards nearer. Its course, at first circuitous, at length took adirect line with the stern of the boat, where the sailor who was incharge still lay extended at his drowsy length, his tarpaulin hatshading his eyes, and his arms folded over his uncovered and heavingchest, while he continued to sleep as profoundly as if he had beencomfortably berthed in his hammock in the middle of the Atlantic. 

"What a large bold animal it is, " remarked Clara, in die tone of onewho wishes to be confirmed in an impression but indifferentlyentertained. "See how close it approaches the boat! Mad that lazysailor but his wits about him, he might easily knock it on the headwith his oar. It is--it is a beaver, Madeline; I can distinguish itshead even with the naked eye. "

"Heaven grant it may be a beaver, " answered Miss de Haldimar, in avoice so deep and full of meaning, that it made her cousin startle andturn paler even than before. "Nay, Clara, dearest, command yourself, nor give way to what may, after all, prove a groundless cause of alarm. Yet, I know not how it is, my heart misgives me sadly; for I like notthe motions of this animal, which are strangely and unusually bold. Butthis is not all: a beaver or a rat might ruffle the mere surface of thewater, yet this leaves behind it a deep and gurgling furrow, as if theelement had been ploughed to its very bottom. Observe how the lake isagitated and discoloured wherever it has passed. Moreover, I dislikethis sudden bustle on board the schooner, knowing, as I do, there isnot an officer present to order the movements now visibly goingforward. The men are evidently getting up the anchor; and see how hersails are loosened, apparently courting the breeze, as if she would flyto avoid some threatened danger. Would to Heaven this council scenewere over; for I do, as much as yourself, dearest Clara, distrust thesecruel Indians!"

A significant gesture from her trembling cousin again drew herattention from the vessel to the boat. The animal, which now exhibitedthe delicate and glossy fur of the beaver, had gained the stern, andremained stationary within a foot of her quarter. Presently the sailormade a sluggish movement, turning himself heavily on his side, and withhis face towards his curious and daring visitant. In the act thetarpaulin hat had fallen from his eyes, but still he awoke not. Scarcely had he settled himself in his new position, when, to theinfinite horror of the excited cousins, a naked human hand was raisedfrom beneath the surface of the lake, and placed upon the gunwale ofthe boat Then rose slowly, and still covered with its ingeniousdisguise, first the neck, then the shoulders, and finally the form, even to the midwaist, of a dark and swarthy Indian, who, stooping lowand cautiously over the sailor, now reposed the hand that had quittedthe gunwale upon his form, while the other was thrust searchingly intothe belt encircling his waist. 

Miss de Haldimar would have called out, to apprise the unhappy man ofhis danger; but her voice refused its office, and her cousin was evenless capable of exertion than herself. The deep throbbings of theirhearts were now audible to each; for the dreadful interest they took inthe scene, had excited their feelings to the most intense stretch ofagony. At the very moment, however, when, with almost suspendedanimation, they expected to see the knife of the savage driven into thechest of the sleeping and unsuspecting sailor, the latter suddenlystarted up, and, instinct with the full sense of the danger by which hewas menaced, in less time than we take to describe it, seized thetiller of his rudder, the only available instrument within his reach, and directing a powerful blow at the head of his amphibious enemy, laidhim, without apparent life or motion, across the boat. 

"Almighty God! what can this mean?" exclaimed Miss de Haldimar, as soonas she could recover her presence of mind. "There is some fearfultreachery in agitation; and a cloud now hangs over all, that will soonburst with irresistible fury on our devoted heads. Clara, my love, " andshe conducted the almost fainting girl to a seat, "wait here until Ireturn. The moment is critical, and my father must be apprised of whatwe have seen. Unless the gates of the fort be instantly closed, we arelost. "

"Oh, Madeline, leave me not alone, " entreated the sinking Clara. "Wewill go together. Perhaps I may be of service to you below. "

"The thought is good; but have you strength and courage to face thedark chiefs in the council-room. If so, hasten there, and put my fatheron his guard, while I fly across the parade, and warn Captain Bayntonof the danger. "

With these words she drew the arm of her agitated cousin within herown, and, rapidly traversing the apartment, gained the bed-room whichopened close upon the head of the principal staircase. Already werethey descending the first steps, when a loud cry, that sent a thrill ofterror through their blood, was heard from without the fort. For amoment Miss de Haldimar continued irresolute; and leaning against therude balustrade for support, passed her hand rapidly across her brow, as if to collect her scattered energies. The necessity for prompt andimmediate action was, however, evident; and she alone was capable ofexertion. Speechless with alarm, and trembling in every joint, theunhappy Clara had now lost all command of her limbs; and, clingingclose to the side of her cousin, by her wild looks alone betrayedconsciousness had not wholly deserted her. The energy of despair lentmore than woman's strength to Miss de Haldimar. She caught the faintinggirl in her arms, retraced her way to the chamber, and depositing herburden on the bed, emphatically enjoined her on no account to moveuntil her return. She then quitted the room, and rapidly descended thestaircase. 

For some moments all was still and hushed as the waveless air; and thenagain a loud chorus of shouts was heard from the ramparts of the fort. The choked breathing of the young girl became more free, and the bloodrushed once more from her oppressed heart to the extremities. Never didtones of the human voice fall more gratefully on the ear of marinercast on some desert island, than did those on that of the highlyexcited Clara. It was the loud laugh of the soldiery, who, collectedalong the line of rampart in front, were watching the progress of theball-players. Cheered by the welcome sounds, she raised herself fromthe bed to satisfy her eye her ear had not deceived her. The windows ofboth bed-chambers looked immediately on the barrack square, andcommanded a full view of the principal entrance. From that at which shenow stood, the revived but still anxious girl could distinctly see allthat was passing in front. The ramparts were covered with soldiers, who, armed merely with their bayonets, stood grouped in carelessattitudes--some with their wives leaning on their arms--others withtheir children upraised, that they might the better observe theenlivening sports without--some lay indolently with their legsoverhanging the works--others, assuming pugilistic attitudes, dealttheir harmless blows at each other, --and all were blended together, men, women, and children, with that heedlessness of thought that toldhow little of distrust existed within their breasts. The soldiers ofthe guard, too, exhibited the same air of calm and unsuspectingconfidence; some walking to and fro within the square, while thegreater portion either mixed with their comrades above, or, with armsfolded, legs carelessly crossed, and pipe in mouth, leant lazilyagainst the gate, and gazed beyond the lowered drawbridge on the Indiangames. 

A mountain weight seemed to have been removed from the breast of Claraat this sight, as she now dropped upon her knees before the window, andraised her hands in pious acknowledgment to Heaven. 

"Almighty God, I thank thee, " she fervently exclaimed, her eye oncemore lighting up, and her cheek half suffused with blushes at her latevague and idle fears; while she embraced, at a single glance, the wholeof the gladdening and inspiriting scene. 

While her soul was yet upturned whither her words had gone before, herears were again assailed by sounds that curdled her blood, and made herspring to her feet as if stricken by a bullet through the heart; orpowerfully touched by some electric fluid. It was the well-known anddevilish war-cry of the savages, startling the very air through whichit passed, and falling like a deadly blight upon the spirit. With amechanical and desperate effort at courage, the unhappy girl turned hereyes below, and there met images of death in their most appallingshapes. Hurry and confusion and despair were every where visible; for aband of Indians were already in the fort, and these, fast succeeded byothers, rushed like a torrent into the square, and commenced theirdreadful work of butchery. Many of the terrified soldiers, withoutthinking of drawing their bayonets, flew down the ramparts in order togain their respective block-houses for their muskets: but these everywhere met death from the crashing tomahawk, short rifle, or gleamingknife;--others who had presence of mind sufficient to avail themselvesof their only weapons of defence, rushed down in the fury ofdesperation on the yelling fiends, resolved to sell their lives asdearly as possible; and for some minutes an obstinate contest wasmaintained: but the vast superiority of the Indian numbers triumphed;and although the men fought with all the fierceness of despair, forcingtheir way to the block-houses, their mangled corpses strewed the areain every direction. Neither was the horrid butchery confined to these. Women clinging to their husbands for protection, and, in therecklessness of their despair, impeding the efforts of the latter intheir self-defence--children screaming in terror, or supplicating mercyon their bonded knees--infants clasped to their parents' breasts, --allalike sunk under the unpitying steel of the blood-thirsty savages. Atthe guard-house the principal stand had been made; for at the firstrush into the fort, the men on duty had gained their station, and, having made fast the barricades, opened their fire upon the enemy. Mixed pele-mele as they were with the Indians, many of the English wereshot by their own comrades, who, in the confusion of the moment, wereincapable of taking a cool and discriminating aim. These, however, werefinally overcome. A band of desperate Indians rushed upon the maindoor, and with repeated blows from their tomahawks and massivewar-clubs, succeeded in demolishing it, while others diverted the fireof those within. The door once forced, the struggle was soon over. Every man of the guard perished; and their scalpless and disfiguredforms were thrown out to swell the number of those that already delugedthe square with their blood. 

Even amid all the horrors of this terrific scene, the agonised Clarapreserved her consciousness. The very imminence of the danger enduedher with strength to embrace it under all its most dishearteningaspects; and she, whose mind had been wrought up to the highest pitchof powerful excitement by the mere preliminary threatenings, wascomparatively collected under the catastrophe itself. Death, certaindeath, to all, she saw was inevitable; and while her perception at onceembraced the futility of all attempts at escape from the general doom, she snatched from despair the power to follow its gloomy detailswithout being annihilated under their weight. 

The confusion of the garrison had now reached its acme of horror. Theshrieks of women and the shrill cries of children, as they severallyand fruitlessly fled from the death certain to overtake them in theend, --the cursings of the soldiers, the yellings of the Indians, thereports of rifles, and the crashings of tomahawks;--these, with thestamping of human feet in the death struggle maintained in thecouncil-room below between the chiefs and the officers, and which shookthe block-house to its very foundation, all mixed up in terrible chorustogether, might have called up a not inapt image of hell to thebewildered and confounding brain. And yet the sun shone in yellowlustre, and all Nature smiled, and wore an air of calm, as if theaccursed deed had had the sanction of Heaven, and the spirits of lightloved to look upon the frightful atrocities then in perpetration. 

In the first distraction of her spirit, Clara had utterly lost allrecollection of her cousin; but now that she had, with unnaturaldesperation, brought her mind to bear upon the fiercest points of thegrim reality, she turned her eye every where amid the scene of death insearch of the form of her beloved Madeline, whom she did not rememberto have seen cross the parade in pursuance of the purpose she hadnamed. While she yet gazed fearfully from the window, loud bursts ofmingled anguish and rage, that were almost drowned in the fiercer yellswith which they were blended, ascended from the ground floor of theblock-house. These had hitherto been suppressed, as if the desperateattack of the chiefs on the officers had been made with closed doors. Now, however, there was an evident outburst of all parties into thepassage; and there the struggle appeared to be desperately andfearfully maintained. In the midst of that chaotic scene, the loud andpiercing shriek of a female rose far above the discordant yell even ofthe savages. There was an instant of pause, and then the crashing of askull was heard, and the confusion was greater than before, andshrieks, and groans, and curses, and supplications rent the air. 

The first single shriek came from Madeline de Haldimar, and vibratedthrough every chord of the heart on which it sank. Scarcely consciousof what she did, Clara, quitting the window, once more gained the topof the staircase, and at the extremity of her voice called on the nameof her cousin in the most piteous accents. She was answered by a loudshout from the yelling band; and presently bounding feet and screamingvoices were heard ascending the stairs. The terrified girl fancied atthe moment she heard a door open on the floor immediately below her, and some one dart suddenly up the flight communicating with the spot onwhich she stood. Without waiting to satisfy herself, she rushed withall the mechanical instinct of self-preservation back into her ownapartment. As she passed the bed-room window, she glanced once morehastily into the area below, and there beheld a sight that, filling hersoul with despair, paralysed all further exertion. A tall savage wasbearing off the apparently lifeless form of her cousin through thecombatants in the square, her white dress stained all over with blood, and her beautiful hair loosened and trailing on the ground. Shefollowed with her burning eyes until they passed the drawbridge, andfinally disappeared behind the intervening rampart, and then bowing herhead between her hands, and sinking upon her knees, she reposed herforehead against the sill of the window, and awaited unshrinkingly, yetin a state of inconceivable agony, the consummation of her own unhappydestiny. 

The sounds of ascending feet were now heard in the passage without; andpresently, while the clangour of a thousand demons seemed to ringthroughout the upper part of the building, a man rushed furiously intothe room. The blood of the young girl curdled in her veins. Shemechanically grasped the ledge of the window on which her aching headstill reposed, and with her eyes firmly closed, to shut out from viewthe fiend whose sight she dreaded, even more than the death whichthreatened her, quietly awaited the blow that was to terminate at onceher misery and her life. Scarcely, however, had the feet of theintruder pressed the sanctuary of her bedchamber, when the heavy door, strongly studded with nails, was pushed rapidly to, and bolt and lockwere heard sliding into their several sockets. Before Clara could raiseher head to discover the cause of this movement, she felt herselffirmly secured in the grasp of an encircling arm, and borne hastilythrough the room. An instinctive sense of something worse even thandeath now flashed across the mind of the unhappy girl; and while shefeared to unclose her eyes, she struggled violently to disengageherself. 

"Clara! dear Miss de Haldimar, do you not know me?" exclaimed hersupporter, while, placing her for a moment on a seat, he proceeded tosecure the fastenings of the second door, that led from the bed-chamberinto the larger apartment. 

Re-assured by the tones of a voice which, even in that dreadful momentof trial and destruction, were familiar to her ear, the trembling girlopened her eyes wildly upon her protector. A slight scream of terrormarked her painful sense of the recognition. It was Captain Bayntonwhom she beheld: but how unlike the officer who a few minutes beforehad been conversing with her from the ramparts. His fine hair, mattedwith blood, now hung loosely and disfiguringly over his eyes, and hispallid face and brow were covered with gore spots, the evidentspatterings from the wounds of others; while a stream that issued fromone side of his head attested he himself had not escaped unhurt in thecruel melee. A skirt and a lappel had been torn from his uniform, which, together with other portions of his dress, were now stained invarious parts by the blood continually flowing from his wound. 

"Oh, Captain Baynton, " murmured the fainting girl, her whole soulsinking within her, as she gazed shudderingly on his person, "is thereno hope for us? must we die?"

"No, by Heaven, not while I have strength to save you, " returned theofficer, with energy. "If the savages have not penetrated to the rear, we may yet escape. I saw the postern open just now, on my passage roundthe rampart, and the boat of the schooner upon the strand. Ha!" heexclaimed, as he flew to the window, and cast his eye rapidly below, "we are lost! The gate is still clear, and not an Indian to be seen;but the coward sailor is pulling for his life towards the vessel. Buthold! another boat is now quitting the ship's side. See, how manfullythey give themselves to the oars: in a few minutes they will be here. Come, Clara, let us fly!" and again he caught her in his arms, and boreher across the room. "Hark, hear you not the exulting yellings of themonsters? They are forcing the outer door: mark how they redouble theirefforts to break it open! That passed, but one more barrier remainsbetween us and inevitable and instant death. "

"And my cousin, my uncle!" shrieked the unhappy girl, as the officernow bore her rapidly down the back staircase. 

"Oh, ask me not!" exclaimed Baynton: "were I to linger again on all Ihave witnessed, I should go mad. All, all have perished! but, hark!"

A tremendous yell now bursting from the passage, announced at once, thetriumph of the savages in having effected an entrance into thebed-room, and their disappointment at finding their pursuit baulked bya second door. Presently afterwards their heavy weapons were to beheard thundering at this new obstacle, in the most furious manner. Thisgave new stimulus to the exertions of the generous officer. Eachwinding of the staircase was familiar to him, and he now descended itwith a rapidity which, considering the burden that reposed against hischest, could only have been inspired by his despair. The flightterminated at a door that led directly upon the rampart, withoutcommunicating with any of the passages of the building; and in thisconsisted the principal facility of escape: for, in order to reachthem, the savages must either make the circuit of the block-house, orovertake them in the course they were now following. In this tryingemergency, the presence of mind of the young officer, wounded andbleeding as he was, did not desert him. On quitting the largerapartment above, he had secured the outside fastenings of a small doorat the top of the stairs, and having now gained the bottom, he took asimilar precaution. All that remained was to unclose the bolts of theponderous door that opened upon their final chance of escape: this wasspeedily done, but here the feelings of the officer were put to asevere test. A rude partition divided him from the fatal council-room;and while he undid the fastenings, the faint and dying groans of hisbutchered brother officers rung in his ears, even at the moment that hefelt his feet dabbling in the blood that oozed through the imperfectlyclosed planks of which the partition was composed. As for Clara, shewas insensible to all that was passing. From the moment of the Indianyell, announcing their entry into the bed-room, she had fainted. 

The huge door came now creaking back upon its hinges, when the soundsof the yet unfinished conflict in front, which had hitherto beendeadened in their descent through the remote staircase, rang once morefiercely and startlingly upon the ear. A single glance satisfiedCaptain Baynton the moment for exertion was come, and that the way tothe lake shore, which, by some strange oversight, both the Indians andthe men had overlooked, was perfectly clear. He clasped his unconsciousburden closer to his chest, and then, setting his life upon the cast, hastened down the few steps that led to the rampart, and dashed rapidlythrough the postern; in the next minute he stood on the uttermost vergeof the sands, unharmed and onfollowed. He cast his eyes anxiously alongthe surface of the lake; but such was the excitement and confusion ofhis mind, produced by the horrid recollection of the past scene, it wasnot until he had been abruptly hailed from it, he could see a boat, atthe distance of about two hundred yards, the crew of which were lyingon their oars. It was the long boat of the schooner, which, preventedfrom a nearer approach by a sand bar that ran along the lake to aconsiderable extent, had taken her station there to receive thefugitives. Two tall young men in the dress, yet having little the mien, of common sailors, were standing up in her stern; and one of these, with evident anxiety in his manner, called on Baynton by name to makethe best of his way to the boat. At that moment a loud and frantic yellcame from the block-house the latter had just quitted. In the wildimpulse of his excited feelings, he answered with a cheer of defiance, as he turned to discover the precise point whence it proceeded. Thewindows of the apartment so recently occupied by the unhappy cousins, were darkened with savage forms, who now pealed forth their mingledfury and disappointment in the most terrific manner. 

"Fly, fly, Baynton, or you are lost!" exclaimed the same voice from theboat; "the devils are levelling from the windows. "

While he yet spake several shots came whizzing along the waters, and aspent ball even struck the now rapidly fleeing officer in the back; butthe distance was too great for serious injury. The guns of the savageshad been cut so short for their desperate enterprise, that they carriedlittle further than a horse pistol. 

Again, in the desperation of his feelings, and heedless of the dangerhe was drawing on himself and charge, the officer turned fiercely roundand shouted, at his utmost lungs, a peal of triumph in the ears of hisenemies. Scarcely, however, had the sounds escaped his lips, when twohideously painted Indians sprang through the postern, and, silent asthe spectres they resembled, rushed down the sands, and thence into thelake. Loud shouts from the windows above were again pealed forth, andfrom the consternation visible on the features of those within theboat, the nearly exhausted Baynton learnt all the risk he incurred. Summoning all his strength, he now made the most desperate efforts toreach his friends. The lake was little more than knee deep from theshore to the bar, but, encumbered as he was, the difficulty opposed tohis movements was immeasurably against him, and yet he seemedgenerously resolved rather to perish than relinquish his charge. Already were his pursuers, now closely followed by a numerous band, within twenty yards of him, when the two young men, each armed with acutlass and pistol, sprang from the boat upon the sand bar: as theIndians came on they fired deliberately at them, but both missed theiraim. Encouraged by this failure, the fearless devils dashed eagerly on, brandishing their gleaming tomahawks, but littering not a sound. Already was the unfortunate Baynton within a few feet of the bar, whenhe felt that the savages were immediately upon him. 

"Take, take, for God's sake take her!" he cried, as with a desperateeffort he threw the light form of the still unconscious girl into thearms of one of the young men. "My strength is quite exhausted, and Ican do no more. "

For the first time a yell burst from the lips of the pursuing savages, as they saw him, to whom the guardianship of the wretched Clara was nowconfided, suddenly spring from the sand bar into the lake, and in a fewrapid strokes gain the side of the boat. Leaving the hapless Baynton tobe disposed of by his companion, the foremost darted upon the bank, burning with disappointment, and resolved to immolate another victim. For a moment he balanced his tomahawk, and then, with the rapidity ofthought, darted it at the covered head of the youth who still lingeredon the bar. A well-timed movement of the latter averted the blow, andthe whizzing steel passed harmlessly on. A gutteral "Ugh!" marked thedisappointment of the Indian, now reduced to his scalping-knife; butbefore he could determine whether to advance or to retreat, hisopponent had darted upon him, and, with a single blow from his cutlass, cleft his skull nearly asunder. The next instantaneous purpose of thevictor was to advance to the rescue of the exhausted Baynton; but, whenhe turned to look for him, he saw the mangled form of what had oncebeen that gallant and handsome officer floating, without life ormotion, on the blood-stained surface of the Huron, while his fiendishmurderer, calmly awaiting the approach of his companions, held up thereeking scalp, in triumph, to the view of the still yelling groupswithin the block-house. 

"Noble, generous, self-devoted fellow!" exclaimed the youth, as hefixed his burning tearless eye for a moment on the unfortunate victim;"even you, then, are not spared to tell the horrid story of thisbutchery; yet is the fate of the fallen far, far more enviable thanthat of those who have survived this day. " He then committed hiscutlass to its sheath; and, leaping into the deep water that lay beyondthe bar, was, in a few seconds, once more in the stern of the boat. 

Meanwhile, the numerous band, who followed their two first fiercecomrades into the lake, bounded rapidly forward; and, so active weretheir movements, that, at almost the same moment when the second of theyouths had gained his temporary place of refuge, they stood yelling andscreaming on the sand bar he had just quitted. Two or three, excited todesperation by the blood they had seen spilt, plunged unhesitatinglyinto the opposite depths of the lake; and the foremost of these was thedestroyer of the ill-fated Baynton. With his bloody scalping-knifeclosely clutched between his teeth, and his tomahawk in his right hand, this fierce warrior buffeted the waves lustily with one arm, and, noiselessly as in the early part of his pursuit, urged his way towardsthe boat. In the stern of this a few planks from the schooner had beenfirmly lashed, to serve as a shield against the weapons of the savages, and was so arranged as to conceal all within while retiring from theshore. A small aperture had, however, been bored for the purpose ofobserving the movements of the enemy without risk. Through this an eyewas now directed, while only the blades of the oars were to be seenprojecting from the boat's sides as they reposed in their rowlocks. Encouraged by the seeming apathy and inertness of the crew, theswimming savages paused not to consider of consequences, but continuedtheir daring course as if they had apprehended neither risk norresistance. Presently a desperate splash was heard near the stern ofthe boat, and the sinuous form of the first savage was raised above thegunwale, his grim face looking devilish in its war-paint, and hisfierce eyes gleaming and rolling like fire-balls in their sockets. Scarcely was he seen, however, when he had again disappeared. A blowfrom the cutlass that had destroyed his companion descended likelightning on his naked and hairless head; and, in the agony of death, he might be seen grinding his teeth against the knife which theinstinctive ferocity of his nature forbade his relinquishing. A yell offury burst from the savages on the bar, and presently a shower ofbullets ran whistling through the air. Several were heard striking therude rampart in the stem; but, although the boat was scarcely out ofpistol-shot, the thickness of the wood prevented all injury to thosewithin. Another fierce yell followed this volley; and then nearly ascore of warriors, giving their guns in charge to their companions, plunged furiously into the water; and, with an air of the mostinfuriated determination, leaped rather than swam along its surface. 

"Now, then, my lads, give way, " said he at the look-out; "there aremore than a dozen of the devils in full cry; and our only chance is inflight! Ha! another here!" as, turning to issue these directions, hechanced to see the dark hand of a savage at that moment grasping thegunwale of the boat, as if with a view to retard her movements untilthe arrival of his companions. 

A heavy blow from his cutlass accompanied these words. The fingers, divided at their very roots, rolled to the bottom of the boat, and thecarcase of the savage dropped, with a yell of anguish, far in the rear. The heavy oar-blades of the seamen now made play, dashing the lake awayin sheets of foam; and, in less than five minutes, the heads of theswimming savages were seen mingling like so many rats upon the water, as they returned once more in disappointment from their fruitlesspursuit. 

CHAPTER XII. 

The sun had gone down, as he had risen, in all the gloriousness of hisautumnal splendour, and twilight was now fast descending on the watersof the Huron. A slight breeze was just beginning to make itself feltfrom the land, the gradual rising of which was hailed by many ananxious heart, as the schooner, which had been making vain attempts toquit her anchorage during the day, now urged her light bows through theslightly curling element. A death-like silence, interrupted only by thelow gruff voice of a veteran seaman, as he issued, in technicallanguage, the necessary orders for the management of the vessel, prevailed every where along her decks. The dress and general appearanceof this individual announced him for a petty officer of the royalservice; and it was evident, from the tone of authority with which hespoke, he was now in the enjoyment of a temporary command. The crew, consisting of about thirty souls, and chiefly veterans of the sameclass, were assembled along the gangways, each man wearing a brace ofpistols in the belt, which, moreover, secured a naked cutlass aroundhis loins; and these now lingered near the several guns that werethrown out from their gloomy looking ports, as if ready for some activeservice. But, although the arming of these men indicated hostilepreparation, there was none of that buoyancy of movement and animationof feature to be observed, which so usually characterise theindomitable daring of the British sailor. Some stood leaning theirheads pensively on their hands against the rigging and hammocks thatwere stowed away along the bulwarks, after the fashion of war ships inboarding; others, with arms tightly folded across their chests, spirtedthe tobacco juice thoughtfully from their closed teeth into thereceding waters; while not a few gazed earnestly and despondingly onthe burning fort in the distance, amid the rolling volumes of smoke andflame from which, ever and anon, arose the fiendish yell of those who, having already sacked, were now reducing it to ashes. Nor was this theonly object of their attention. On the sand bank alluded to in our lastchapter were to be dimly seen through the growing dusk, the darkoutlines of many of the savages, who, frantic with rage at theirinability to devote them to the same doom, were still unwilling to quita spot which approached them nearest to the last surviving objects oftheir enmity. Around this point, were collected numerous canoes, filledalso with warriors; and, at the moment when the vessel, obeying theimpulse given by her flowing sails, glided from her anchorage, thesefollowed, scudding in her wake, and made a show of attacking her in thestern. The sudden yawing of the schooner, however, in bringing her tierof bristling ports into view, had checked the ardour of the pursuingfleet; and the discharge of a single gun, destroying in its coursethree of their canoes, and carrying death among those who directedthem, had driven them back, in the greatest hurry and confusion, totheir yelling and disappointed comrades. 

The after-deck of the schooner presented a different, though not lesssombre and discouraging, scene. On a pile of mattresses lay the lightand almost inanimate form of Clara de Haldimar; her fair and redundanthair overshadowing her pallid brow and cheek, and the dress she hadworn at the moment of her escape from the fort still spotted with theblood of her generous but unfortunate preserver. Close at her side, with her hands clasped in his, while he watched the expression of deepsuffering reflected from each set feature, and yet with the air of onepre-occupied with some other subject of painful interest, sat, on anempty shot-box, the young man in sailor's attire, whose cutlass hadperformed the double service of destroying his own immediate opponent, and avenging the death of the devoted Baynton. At the head of the rudecouch, and leaning against a portion of the schooner's stern-work, stood his companion, who from delicacy appeared to have turned away hiseyes from the group below, merely to cast them vacantly on the darkwaters through which the vessel was now beginning to urge her course. 

Such was the immediate position of this little party, when the gunfired at the Indians was heard booming heavily along the lake. The loudreport, in exciting new sources of alarm, seemed to have dissipated thespell that had hitherto chained the energies and perception of thestill weak, but now highly excited girl. 

"Oh, Captain Baynton, where are we?" she exclaimed, starting upsuddenly in terror, and throwing her arms around him, who sat at herside, as if she would have clung to him for protection. "Is the horridmassacre not finished yet? Where is Madeline? where is my cousin? Oh, Icannot leave the fort without her. "

"Ha! where indeed is she?" exclaimed the youth, as he clasped histrembling and scarcely conscious burden to his chest, "Almighty God, where is she?" Then, after a short pause, and in a voice of tender butexquisite anguish, "Clara, my beloved sister, do you not know me? It isnot Baynton but your brother, who now clasps you to his breaking heart. "

A deluge of tears was the only answer of the wretched girl. They werethe first she had shed, --the first marks of consciousness she hadexhibited. Hitherto her heart had been oppressed; every fibre of herbrain racked almost to bursting, and filled only with ghastly flittingvisions of the dreadful horrors she had seen perpetrated, she hadcontinued, since the moment of her fainting in the block-house, as onebereft of all memory of the past, or apprehension of the present. Butnow, the full outpouring of her grief relieved her overcharged brainand heart, even while the confused images floating before herrecollection acquired a more tangible and painful character. She raisedherself a moment from the chest on which her burning head reposed, looked steadfastly in the face that hung anxiously over her own, andsaw indeed that it was her brother. She tried to speak, but she couldnot utter a word, for the memory of all that had occurred that fatalmorning rushed with mountain weight upon her fainting spirit, and againshe wept, and more bitterly than before. 

The young man pressed her in silence to his chest; nor was it until shehad given full vent to her grief, that he ventured to address her onthe subject of his own immediate sorrows. At length, when she appearedsomewhat more calm, he observed, in a voice broken by emotion, --

"Clara, dearest, what account have you to give me of Madeline? Has sheshared the fate of all? or have you reason to suppose her life has beenspared?"

Another burst of tears succeeded to these questions, for coupled withthe name of her cousin arose all the horrid associations connected withher loss. As soon, however, as she could compose herself, she brieflystated all she had witnessed of the affair, from the moment when theboat of the schooner was seen to meet the strange looking object on thewater, to that when she had beheld her ill-fated cousin borne awayapparently lifeless in the arms of the tall Indian by whom she had beencaptured. 

During this recital, the heart of Captain de Haldimar, --for it washe, --beat audibly against the cheek that still reposed on his breast;but when his sister had, in a faint voice, closed her melancholynarrative with the manner of her cousin's disappearance, he gave asudden start, uttering at the same time an exclamation of joy. 

"Thank God, she still lives!" he cried, pressing his sister once morein fondness to his heart; then turning to his companion, who, althoughseemingly abstracted, had been a silent and attentive witness of thescene, --"By Heaven! Valletort, there is yet a hope. She it was indeedwhom we saw borne out of the fort, and subsequently made to walk by thecruel Indian who had charge of her. "

"Valletort, Valletort, " murmured Clara unconsciously, her sick heartthrobbing with she knew not what. "How is this, Frederick?--Where, then, is Captain Baynton? and how came you here?"

"Alas! Clara, poor Baynton is no more. Even at the moment when heconfided the unconscious burden, preserved at the peril of his ownlife, to the arms of Sir Everard here, he fell beneath the tomahawk ofa pursuing savage. Poor, noble, generous Baynton, " he continued, mournfully; "to him, indeed, Clara, are you indebted for your life; yetwas it purchased at the price of his own. "

Again the pained and affectionate girl wept bitterly, and her brotherproceeded:--

"The strange object you saw on the lake, my love, was nothing more thana canoe disguised with leafy boughs, in which Sir Everard Valletort andmyself, under the guidance of old Francois of the Fleur de lis, whomyou must recollect, have made the dangerous passage of the Sinclair inthe garb of duck hunters, --which latter we had only discarded onreaching the schooner, in order to assume another we conceived bettersuited to our purpose. Alas!" and he struck his hand violently againsthis brow, "had we made directly for the shore without touching thevessel at all, there might have been time to save those we came toapprise of their danger. Do you not think there was, Valletort?"

"Most assuredly not, " returned his companion, anxious to remove theimpression of self-blame that existed in the mind of Captain deHaldimar. "From the moment of our reaching the schooner, which layimmediately in our route, to that when the shout was raised by thesavages as they rushed into the fort, there was scarcely an interval ofthree minutes; and it would have required a longer period to haveenabled us even to gain the shore. "

"Thank, thank you for that!" exclaimed the officer, drawing himself upwith the air of one who breathes more freely. "I would not, for thewealth and honours of the united world, that such a cause forself-reproach should linger on my mind. By Heaven! it would break myheart to think we had been in time to save them, and yet had lost theopportunity through even one moment of neglect. " Then turning once moreto his sister, --"Now, Clara, that I see you in safety, I have anothersacred duty to perform. I must leave you, but not alone. "

"What mean you, Frederick?" exclaimed his agitated sister, clingingmore closely to his embrace. "Scarce have we met, and you talk ofleaving me. Oh, whither would you go?"

"Surely, my love, " and he spoke half reproachfully, although withtenderness of accent, "my meaning must be obvious. But what do I say?You know it not. Madeline still lives. We saw her, as we pulled towardsthe shore, led across the clearing in the direction of Chabouiga. Hearme, then: the canoe in which we came is still towing from the vessel'sstern, and in this do I mean to embark, without further loss of time, in search of her who is dearer to me than existence. I know, " hepursued with emotion, "I have but little hope of rescuing, even if I dosucceed in finding her; but at least I shall not have to suffer underthe self-reproach of having neglected the only chance that now lieswithin my reach. If she be doomed to die, I shall then have nothingleft to live for--except you, Clara, " he concluded, after a pause, pressing the weeping girl to his heart, as he remarked how much sheseemed pained by the declaration. 

Having placed his sister once more on the couch, and covered her with acloak that had been brought from the cabin of the unfortunatecommander, Captain de Haldimar now rose from his humble seat, andgrasping the hand of his friend, --

"Valletort, " he said, "I commit this dear girl to your keeping. Hitherto we have been equal sharers in an enterprise having for itsobject the preservation of our mutual companions and friends. Atpresent, interests of a more personal nature occupy my attention; andto these must I devote myself alone. I trust you will reach Detroit insafety; and when you have delivered my unfortunate sister into the armsof her father, you will say to him from me, I could not survive theloss of that being to whom I had sworn eternal fidelity and affection. Francois must be my only companion on this occasion. Nay, " hecontinued, pointing to his sister, in answer to the rising remonstranceof the baronet, "will you desert the precious charge I have confided toyour keeping? Recollect, Valletort, " in a more subdued tone, "thatbesides yourself, there will be none near her but rude and uneducatedsailors;--honest men enough in their way, it is true; but not the sortof people to whom I should like to confide my poor sister. "

The warm and silent pressure by Sir Everard of his hand announced hisparticipation in the sentiment; and Captain de Haldimar now hastenedforward to apprise the Canadian of his purpose. He found mine host ofthe Fleur de lis seated in the forecastle of the schooner; and with anair of the most perfect unconcern discussing a substantial meal, consisting of dried uncooked venison, raw onions, and Indian cornbread, the contents of a large bag or wallet that lay at his feet. Nosooner, however, had the impatient officer communicated his design, asking at the same time if he might expect his assistance in theenterprise, than the unfinished meal of the Canadian was discontinued, the wallet refilled, and the large greasy clasp-knife with which theportions had been separated, closed and thrust into a pocket of hisblanket coat. 

"I shall go to de devils for you, capitaine, if we must, " he said, ashe raised his portly form, not without effort, from the deck, slappingthe shoulder of the officer at the same time somewhat rudely with hishand. There was nothing, however, offensively familiar in this action. It expressed merely the devotedness of heart with which the man lenthimself to the service to which he had pledged himself, and was rathercomplimentary than otherwise to him to whom it was directed. Captain deHaldimar took it in the light in which we have just shown it, and hegrasped and shook the rough hand of the Canadian with an earnestnesshighly gratifying to the latter. 

Every thing was now in readiness for their departure. The canoe, stillcovered with its streaming boughs, was drawn close up to the gangway, and a few hasty necessaries thrown in. While this was passing, theofficer had again assumed his disguise of a duck-hunter; and he nowappeared in the blanket costume in which we introduced Sir Everard andhimself at the opening of this volume. 

"If I may be so bold as to put in my oar, your honour, "--said theveteran boatswain, on whom the command of the schooner had fallen, ashe now advanced, rolling his quid in his mouth, and dropping his hat onhis shoulder, while the fingers of the hand which clutched it werebusily occupied in scratching his bald head, --"if I may be so bold, there is another chap here as might better sarve your honour's purposethan that 'ere fat Canadian, who seems to think only of stuffing whilehis betters are fasting. "

"And who is he, my good Mullins?" asked Captain de Haldimar. 

"Why, that 'ere Ingian, your honour, as began the butchery in the fort, yonder, by trying to kill Jack Fuller while he laid asleep thismorning, waiting for the captain in the jolly boat. Jack never seed himcoming, until he felt his black hands upon his throat, and then he upswith the tiller at his noddle, and sends him floundering across theboat's thwarts like a flat-fish. I thought, your honour, seeing as howI have got the command of the schooner, of tying him up to themainmast, and giving him two or three round dozen or so, and thensending him to swim among the mascannungy with a twenty-four pound shotin his neckcloth; but, seeing as how your honour is going among themsavages agin, I thought as how some good might be done with him, ifyour honour could contrive to keep him in tow, and close under your leequarter, to prevent his escape. "

"At all events, " returned the officer, after a pause of some moments, during which he appeared to be deliberating on his course of action, "it may be dangerous to keep him in the vessel; and yet, if we take himashore, he may be the means of our more immediate destruction; unless, indeed, as you observe, he can be so secured as to prevent thepossibility of escape: but that I very much doubt indeed. Where is he, Mullins? I should like to see and question him. "

"He shall be up, your honour, in no time, " replied the sailor, oncemore resuming his hat, and moving a pace or two forward. Thenaddressing two or three men in the starboard gangway in theauthoritative tone of command:--"Bear a hand there, my men, and castoff the lashings of that black Ingian, and send him aft, here, to theofficer. "

The order was speedily executed. In a few minutes the Indian stood onthe quarter-deck, his hands firmly secured behind, and his head sunkupon his chest in sullen despondency. In the increasing gloom in whichobjects were now gradually becoming more and more indistinct, it wasimpossible for Captain de Haldimar to distinguish his features; butthere was something in the outline of the Indian's form that impressedhim with the conviction he had seen it before. Advancing a pace or twoforward, he pronounced, in an emphatic and audible whisper, the name of"Oucanasta!"

The Indian gave an involuntary start, --uttered a deep interjectional"Ugh!"--and, raising his head from his chest, fixed his eye heavily onthe officer. 

"Hookynaster!--Hookynaster!" growled Jack Fuller, who had followed tohear the examination of his immediate captive: "why, your honour, thatjaw-breaking name reminds me as how the chap had a bit of a paper whenI chucked him into the jolly boat, stuck in his girdle. It was coveredover with pencil-marks, as writing like; but all was rubbed out agin, except some such sort of a name as that. "

"Where is it?--what have you done with it?" hastily asked Captain deHaldimar. 

"Here, in my backy-box, your honour. I kept it safe, thinking as how itmight sarve to let us know all about it afterwards. "

The sailor now drew from the receptacle just named a dirty piece offolded paper, deeply impregnated with the perfume of stale and oftrechewed quids of coarse tobacco; and then, with the air of oneconscious of having "rendered the state some service, " hitched up histrowsers with one hand, while with the other he extended the importantdocument. 

To glance his eye hurriedly over the paper by the light of a darklanthorn that had meanwhile been brought upon deck, unclasp hishunting-knife, and divide the ligatures of the captive, and then warmlypress his liberated hands within his own, were, with Captain deHaldimar, but the work of a minute. 

"Hilloa! which the devil way does the wind blow now?" muttered Fuller, the leer of self-satisfaction that had hitherto played in his eyerapidly giving place to an air of seriousness and surprise; anexpression that was not at all diminished by an observation from hisnew commander. 

"I tell you what it is, Jack, " said the latter, impressively; "I don'tpretend to have more gumption (qu. Discernment?) than my messmates; butI can see through a millstone as clear as any man as ever heaved a leadin these here lakes; and may I never pipe boatswain's whistle again, ifyou 'ar'n't, some how or other, in the wrong box. That 'ere Ingian'sone of us!"

The feelings of Captain de Haldimar may easily be comprehended by ourreaders, when, on glancing at the paper, he found himself confirmed inthe impression previously made on him by the outline of the captive'sform. The writing, nearly obliterated by damp, had been rudely tracedby his own pencil on a leaf torn from his pocket-book. In the night ofhis visit to the Indian encampment, and at the moment when, seated onthe fatal log, Oucanasta had generously promised her assistance in atleast rescuing his betrothed bride. They were addressed to Major deHaldimar, and briefly stated that a treacherous plan was incontemplation by the enemy to surprise the fort, which the bearer, Oucanasta (the latter word strongly marked), would fully explain, ifshe could possibly obtain access within. From the narrative enteredinto by Clara, who had particularly dwelt on the emotions of fear thathad sprung up in her own and cousin's heart by the suddentransformation of a supposed harmless beaver into a fierce andthreatening savage, he had no difficulty in solving the enigma. 

The Indian, in whom he had recognised the young chief who had saved himfrom the fury of Wacousta, had evidently been won upon by his sister toperform a service which offered so much less difficulty to a warriorthan to a woman; and it was clear, that, finding all other means ofcommunication with the fort, undiscovered by his own people, impracticable, he had availed himself of the opportunity, when he sawthe boat waiting on the strand, to assume a disguise so well adapted toinsure success. It was no remarkable thing in these countries, to seeboth the beaver and the otter moving on the calm surface of the watersin the vicinity of the forts, even at mid-day; and occupied as theIndians were, to a man, at that moment with their cruel projects, itwas by no means likely that their attention should have been called offfrom these to so apparently unimportant a circumstance. The act thathad principally alarmed the cousins, and terminated, as we have seen, in the sudden attack of the sailor, had evidently been misconceived. The hand supposed to be feeling for the heart of the sluggard, had, inall probability, been placed on his chest with a view to arouse himfrom his slumber; while that which was believed to have been dropped tothe handle of his knife, was, in reality, merely seeking the paper thatcontained the announcement, which, if then delivered, might have savedthe garrison. 

Such was the tram of conjecture that now passed through the mind of theofficer; but, although he thus placed the conduct of the Indian in themost favourable light, his impression received no confirmation from thelips of the latter. Sullen and doggedly, notwithstanding the releasefrom his bonds, the Ottawa hung his head upon his chest, with his eyesriveted on the deck, and obstinately refused to answer every questionput to him by his deliverer. This, however, did not the less tend toconfirm Captain de Haldimar in his belief. He knew enough of the Indiancharacter, to understand the indignant and even revengeful spiritlikely to be aroused by the treatment the savage had met with in returnfor his intended services. He was aware that, without pausing toreflect on the fact, that the sailor, ignorant of his actual purpose, could merely have seen in him an enemy in the act of attempting hislife, the chief would only consider and inflame himself over therecollection of the blow inflicted; and that, with the true obstinacyof his race, he would rather suffer captivity or death itself, thanhumble the haughty pride of his nature, by condescending to anexplanation with those by whom he felt himself so deeply injured. Still, even amid all his own personal griefs, --griefs that rendered theboon in some degree at present valueless, --Captain de Haldimar couldnot forget that the youth, no matter by what motive induced, hadrescued him from a dreadful death on a previous occasion. With thegenerous warmth, therefore, of a grateful mind, he now sought toimpress on the Indian the deep sense of obligation under which helaboured; explaining at the same time the very natural error into whichthe sailor had fallen, and concluding with a declaration that he wasfree to quit the vessel in the canoe in which he himself was about totake his departure for the shore, in search of her whom his sister hadpledged herself, at all hazards, to save. 

The address of the officer, touching and impressive as language ever isthat comes from the heart, was not altogether without effect on theIndian. Several times he interrupted him with a short, quick, approving"Ugh!" and when he at length received the assurance that he was nolonger a prisoner, he raised his eyes rapidly, although without movinghis head, to the countenance of his deliverer. Already were his lipsopening to speak for the first time, when the attention of the grouparound him was arrested by his giving a sudden start of surprise. Atthe same moment he raised his head, stretched his neck, threw forwardhis right ear, and, uttering a loud and emphatic "Waugh!" pointed withhis finger over the bows of the vessel. 

All listened for upwards of a minute in mute suspense; and then a faintand scarcely distinguishable sound was heard in the direction in whichhe pointed. Scarcely had it floated on the air, when a shrill, loud, and prolonged cry, of peculiar tendency, burst hurriedly and eagerlyfrom the lips of the captive; and, spreading over the broad expanse ofwater, seemed to be re-echoed back from every point of the surroundingshore. 

Great was the confusion that followed this startling yell on the decksof the schooner. "Cut the hell-fiend down!"--"Chuck himoverboard!"--"We are betrayed!"--"Every man to his gun!"--"Put thecraft about!" were among the numerous exclamations that now rosesimultaneously from at least twenty lips, and almost drowned the loudshriek that burst again from the wretched Clara de Haldimar. 

"Stop, Mullins!--Stop, men!" shouted Captain de Haldimar, firmly, asthe excited boatswain, with two or three of his companions, --nowadvanced with the intention of laying violent hands on the Indian. "Iwill answer for his fidelity with my life. If he be false, it will betime enough to punish him afterwards; but let us calmly await the issuelike men. Hear me, " he proceeded, as he remarked their incredulous, uncertain, and still threatening air;--"this Indian saved me from thetomahawks of his tribe not a week ago; and, even now, he has become ourcaptive in the act of taking a note from me to the garrison, to warnthem of their danger. But for that slumbering fool, " he added, bitterly, pointing to Fuller, who slept when he should have watched, "your fort would not now have been what it is, --a mass of smokingruins. He has an ocean of blood upon his soul, that all the waters ofthe Huron can never wash out!"

Struck by the vehement manner of the officer, and the disclosure he hadjust made, the sailors sunk once more into inaction and silence. Theboatswain alone spoke. 

"I thought, your honour, as how Jack Fuller, who sartainly is a betterhand at a snooze than a watch, had got into a bit of a mess; but, shiver my topsails, if I think it's quite fair to blame him, neither, for clapping a stopper on the Indian's cable, seeing as how he wasexpecting a shot between wind and water. Still, as the chap turns outto be an honest chap, and has saved your honour's life above all, Idon't much care if I give him a grip. Here, old fellow, tip us yourfist!"

Without seeming to understand that his cry had been productive ofgeneral and intense alarm throughout the vessel, the Indian had viewedthe sudden rushing of the crew towards him as an act of gratuitoushostility; and, without shrinking from the attack, had once moreresumed his original air of dogged sullenness. It was evident to him, from the discussion going on, that some violence, about to be offeredto his person, had only been prevented by the interference of theofficer. With the natural haughtiness of his savage nature, hetherefore rejected the overtures of the sailor, whose hand he hadobserved among the first that were raised against him. 

While the angry boatswain was yet rolling his quid within his capaciousjaws, racking his brain for the strongest language wherein to give ventto his indignation, his ears were suddenly saluted by a low but clear"Hilloa!" from the bows of the schooner. 

"Ay, ay!" was the brief response. 

"There's something approaching us ahead, on the weather fore quarter, "continued the same voice, which was that of the man on the look-out. 

The most profound silence now pervaded the deck. Every individual, including Captain de Haldimar and the boatswain, had flown to thegangway of the quarter indicated, which was on the side occupied by thecouch of the unfortunate Clara. Presently a noise like that produced bya single paddle rapidly dividing the water, was heard by every anxiousear. Night had long since thrown her mantle over the surrounding waste;and all that was to be seen reflected from the bosom of the graduallydarkening river, scarcely ruffled by the yet incipient breeze, were afew straggling stars, that here and there appeared in the overcastheavens. Hitherto no object could be discovered by those who strainedtheir eyes eagerly and painfully through the gloom, although the soundsbecame at each moment more distinct. It was evident the party, guidedby the noise of the rippling waves that fell from the bows of theschooner, was enabled to follow up a course, the direct clue to whichhad been indicated by the cry of the captive. Every man stood near hisgun on the starboard battery, and the burning matches hanging overtheir respective buckets ready to be seized at a moment's notice. Still, but little room for apprehension existed; for the practised earof the mariners could easily tell that a solitary bark aloneapproached; and of one, or even ten, they entertained no fear. Suddenly, as the course of the vessel was now changed a point towindward, --a movement that brought her bows more off the adjacentshore, --the sound, in which all were more or less interested, was heardnot more than twenty yards off, and in a line with the gangway at whichthe principal of the crew were assembled. In the next minute the lowhull of a canoe came in sight, and then a tall and solitary humanfigure was seen in the stern, bending alternately to the right and tothe left, as the paddle was rapidly and successively changed from sideto side. 

Another deep and exulting "Ugh!" was now heaved from the chest of theIndian, who stood calmly on the spot on which he had first rested, while Fuller prepared a coil of rope to throw to the active steersman. 

"Avast there, Jack!" growled the boatswain, addressing the sailor; "howcan the stranger keep the bow of his craft on, and grapple at the sametime? Just pass one end of the coil round your waist, and swingyourself gently into her. "

The head of the canoe was now near enough for the purpose. The sailordid as he was desired, having previously divested himself of his shoes, and leaping forward, alighted on what appeared to be a bundle ofblankets stowed away in her bows. No sooner, however, had he securedhis footing, when with another desperate leap, and greatly to theastonishment of all around, he bounded once more to the deck of theschooner, his countenance exhibiting every mark of superstitious alarm. In the act of quitting the canoe he had spurned her violently severalfeet from the vessel, which the silent steersman was again making everyeffort to reach. 

"Why what the devil's the matter with you now?" exclaimed the roughboatswain, who, as well as Captain de Haldimar and the rest of thecrew, had quitted the gangway to learn the cause of this extraordinaryconduct. "Damn my eyes, if you ar'n't worse scared than when the Ingianstood over you in the jolly boat. "

"Scared, ay, to be sure I am; and so would you be scared too, if you'da see'd what I did. May I never touch the point at Portsmouth, if Ia'n't seen her ghost. "

"Where?--whose ghost?--what ghost?--what do you mean, Jack?" exclaimedseveral of the startled men in the same breath, while the superstitiousdread so common to mariners drew them still closer in the group thatencircled their companion. 

"Well, then, as I am a miserable sinner, " returned the man, impressively, and in a low tone, "I see'd in the bows of thecanoe, --and the hand that steered it was not made of flesh and bloodlike ours, --what do you think?--the ghost of--"

Captain de Haldimar heard no more. At a single bound he had gained theship's side. He strained his eyes anxiously over the gangway in searchof the canoe, but it was gone. A death-like silence throughout the deckfollowed the communication of the sailor, and in that pause the soundof the receding boat could be heard, not urged, as it had approached, by one paddle, but by two. The heart of the officer throbbed almost tosuffocation; and his firmness, hitherto supported by the manly energiesof his nature, now failed him quite. Heedless of appearances, regardless of being overlooked, he tottered like a drunken man forsupport against the mainmast. For a moment or two he leant his headupon his hand, with the air of one immersed in the most profoundabstraction; while the crew, at once alarmed and touched by the deepdistress into which this mysterious circumstance had plunged him, stoodsilently and respectfully watching his emotion. Suddenly he startedfrom his attitude of painful repose, like one awaking from a dream, anddemanded what had become of the Indian. 

Every one looked around, but the captive was nowhere to be seen. Searchwas made below, both in the cabin and in the fore decks, and men weresent up aloft to see if he had secreted himself in the rigging; but allreturned, stating he was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared fromthe vessel altogether, yet no one knew how; for he had not beenobserved to stir from the spot on which he had first planted himself. It was plain, however, he had joined the mysterious party in the canoe, from the fact of the second paddle having been detected; and allattempts at pursuit, without endangering the vessel on the shallows, whither the course of the fugitives was now directed, was declared bythe boatswain utterly impracticable. 

The announcement of the Indian's disappearance seemed to put the climaxto the despair of the unfortunate officer. --"Then is our every hopelost!" he groaned aloud, as, quitting the centre of the vessel, heslowly traversed the deck, and once more stood at the side of his noless unhappy and excited sister. For a moment or two he remained withhis arms folded across his chest, gazing on the dark outline of herform; and then, in a wild paroxysm of silent tearless grief, threwhimself suddenly on the edge of the couch, and clasping her in a longclose embrace to his audibly beating heart, lay like one bereft of allsense and consciousness of surrounding objects. 

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME. 

 * * * * * * * * *

WACOUSTA;

 or

THE PROPHECY. 

Volume Three of Three

by

John Richardson

CHAPTER I. 

The night passed away without further event on board the schooner, yetin all the anxiety that might be supposed incident to men so perilouslysituated. Habits of long-since acquired superstition, too powerful tobe easily shaken off, moreover contributed to the dejection of themariners, among whom there were not wanting those who believed thesilent steersman was in reality what their comrade had represented, --animmaterial being, sent from the world of spirits to warn them of someimpending evil. What principally gave weight to this impression werethe repeated asseverations of Fuller, during the sleepless night passedby all on deck, that what he had seen was no other, could be no other, than a ghost! exhibiting in its hueless, fleshless cheek, thewell-known lineaments of one who was supposed to be no more: and, ifthe story of their comrade had needed confirmation among men in whomfaith in, rather than love for, the marvellous was a constitutionalingredient, the terrible effect that seemed to have been produced onCaptain de Haldimar by the same mysterious visitation would have beenmore than conclusive. The very appearance of the night, too, favouredthe delusion. The heavens, comparatively clear at the moment when thecanoe approached the vessel, became suddenly enveloped in the deepestgloom at its departure, as if to enshroud the course of those who, having so mysteriously approached, had also so unaccountablydisappeared. Nor had this threatening state of the atmosphere thecounterbalancing advantage of storm and tempest to drive them onwardthrough the narrow waters of the Sinclair, and enable them, byanticipating the pursuit of their enemies, to shun the Scylla andCharybdis that awaited their more leisure advance. The wind increasednot; and the disappointed seamen remarked, with dismay, that theircraft scarcely made more progress than at the moment when she firstquitted her anchorage. 

It was now near the first hours of day; and although, perhaps, noneslept, there were few who were not apparently at rest, and plunged inthe most painful reflections. Still occupying her humble couch, andshielded from the night air merely by the cloak that covered her ownblood-stained garments, lay the unhappy Clara, her deep groans andstifled sobs bursting occasionally from her pent-up heart, and fallingon the ears of the mariners like sounds of fearful import, produced bythe mysterious agency that already bore such undivided power over theirthoughts. On the bare deck, at her side, lay her brother, his faceturned upon the planks, as if to shut out all objects from eyes he hadnot the power to close; and, with one arm supporting his heavy brow, while the other, cast around the restless form of his beloved sister, seemed to offer protection and to impart confidence, even while hislips denied the accents of consolation. Seated on an empty hen-coop attheir head, was Sir Everard Valletort, his back reposing against thebulwarks of the vessel, his arms folded across his chest, and his eyesbent mechanically on the man at the helm, who stood within a few pacesof him, --an attitude of absorption, which he, ever and anon, changed toone of anxious and enquiring interest, whenever the agitation of Clarawas manifested in the manner already shown. 

The main deck and forecastle of the vessel presented a similar pictureof mingled unquietness and repose. Many of the seamen might be seenseated on the gun-carriages, with their cheeks pressing the rude metalthat served them for a pillow. Others lay along the decks, with theirheads resting on the elevated hatches; while not a few, squatted ontheir haunches with their knees doubled up to their very chins, supported in that position the aching head that rested between theirrough and horny palms. A first glance might have induced the beliefthat all were buried in the most profound slumber; but the quickjerking of a limb, --the fitful, sudden shifting of a position, --theutter absence of that deep breathing which indicates theunconsciousness of repose, and the occasional spirting of tobacco juiceupon the deck, --all these symptoms only required to be noticed, toprove the living silence that reigned throughout was not born either ofapathy or sleep. 

At the gangway at which the canoe had approached now stood theindividual already introduced to our readers as Jack Fuller. The samesuperstitious terror that caused his flight had once more attracted himto the spot where the subject of his alarm first appeared to him; and, without seeming to reflect that the vessel, in her slow but certainprogress, had left all vestige of the mysterious visitant behind, hecontinued gazing over the bulwarks on the dark waters, as if heexpected at each moment to find his sight stricken by the sameappalling vision. It was at the moment when he had worked up hisnaturally dull imagination to its highest perception of thesupernatural, that he was joined by the rugged boatswain, who hadpassed the greater part of the night in pacing up and down the decks, watching the aspect of the heavens, and occasionally tauting a rope orsquaring a light yard, unassisted, as the fluttering of the canvass inthe wind rendered the alteration necessary. 

"Well, Jack!" bluntly observed the latter in a gruff whisper thatresembled the suppressed growling of a mastiff, "what the hell are yethinking of now?--Not got over your flumbustification yet, that yestand here, looking as sanctified as an old parson!"

"I'll tell ye what it is, Mr. Mullins, " returned the sailor, in thesame key; "you may make as much game on me as you like; but these herestrange sort of doings are somehow quizzical; and, though I fearsnothing in the shape of flesh and blood, still, when it comes to havingto do with those as is gone to Davy Jones's locker like, it gives afellow an all-overishness as isn't quite the thing. You understand me?"

"I'm damned if I do!" was the brief but energetic rejoinder. 

"Well, then, " continued Fuller, "if I must out with it, I must. I thinkthat 'ere Ingian must have been the devil, or how could he come sosudden and unbeknownst upon me, with the head of a 'possum: and then, agin, how could he get away from the craft without our seeing him? andhow came the ghost on board of the canoe?"

"Avast there, old fellow; you means not the head of a 'possum, but abeaver: but that 'ere's all nat'r'l enough, and easily 'counted for;but you hav'n't told us whose ghost it was, after all. "

"No; the captain made such a spring to the gunwale, as frighted it allout of my head: but come closer, Mr. Mullins, and I'll whisper it inyour ear. --Hark! what was that?"

"I hears nothing, " said the boatswain, after a pause. 

"It's very odd, " continued Fuller; "but I thought as how I heard itseveral times afore you came. "

"There's something wrong, I take it, in your upper story, Jack Fuller, "coolly observed his companion; "that 'ere ghost has quite capsized you. "

"Hark, again!" repeated the sailor. "Didn't you hear it then? A sort ofa groan like. "

"Where, in what part?" calmly demanded the boatswain, though in thesame suppressed tone in which the dialogue had been, carried on. 

"Why, from the canoe that lies alongside there. I heard it severaltimes afore. "

"Well, damn my eyes, if you a'rn't turned a real coward at last, "politely remarked Mr. Mullins. "Can't the poor fat devil of a Canadiansnooze a bit in his hammock, without putting you so completely out ofyour reckoning?"

"The Canadian--the Canadian!" hurriedly returned Fuller: "why, don'tyou see him there, leaning with his back to the main-mast, and as fastasleep as if the devil himself couldn't wake him?"

"Then it was the devil, you heard, if you like, " quaintly retortedMullins: "but bear a hand, and tell us all about this here ghost. "

"Hark, again! what was that?" once more enquired the excited sailor. 

"Only a gust of wind passing through the dried boughs of the canoe, "said the boatswain: "but since we can get nothing out of that crazednoddle of yours, see if you can't do something with your hands. That'ere canoe running alongside, takes half a knot off the ship's way. Bear a hand then, and cast off the painter, and let her drop astarn, that she may follow in our wake. Hilloa! what the hell's the matterwith the man now?"

And well might he ask. With his eyeballs staring, his teeth chattering, his body half bent, and his arms thrown forward, yet pendent as ifsuddenly arrested in that position while in the act of reaching therope, the terrified sailor stood gazing on the stern of the canoe; inwhich, by the faint light of the dawning day, was to be seen an objectwell calculated to fill the least superstitious heart with terror anddismay. Through an opening in the foliage peered the pale and spectralface of a human being, with its dull eyes bent fixedly and mechanicallyupon the vessel. In the centre of the wan forehead was a darkincrustation, as of blood covering the superficies of a newly closedwound. The pallid mouth was partially unclosed, so as to display a rowof white and apparently lipless teeth; and the features were otherwiseset and drawn, as those of one who is no longer of earth. Around thehead was bound a covering so close, as to conceal every part save theface; and once or twice a hand was slowly raised, and pressed upon theblood spot that dimmed the passing fairness of the brow. Every otherportion of the form was invisible. 

"Lord have mercy upon us!" exclaimed the boatswain, in a voice that, now elevated to more than its natural tone, sounded startlingly on thestillness of the scene; "sure enough it is, indeed, a ghost!"

"Ha! do you believe me now?" returned Fuller, gaining confidence fromthe admission of his companion, and in the same elevated key. "It is, as I hope to be saved, the ghost I see'd afore. "

The commotion on deck was now every where universal. The sailorsstarted to their feet, and, with horror and alarm visibly imprinted ontheir countenances, rushed tumultuously towards the dreaded gangway. 

"Make way--room, fellows!" exclaimed a hurried voice; and presentlyCaptain de Haldimar, who had bounded like lightning from the deck, appeared with eager eye and excited cheek among them. To leap into thebows of the canoe, and disappear under the foliage, was the work of asingle instant. All listened breathlessly for the slightest sound; andthen every heart throbbed with the most undefinable emotions, as hislips were heard giving utterance to the deep emotion of his ownspirit, --

"Madeline, oh, my own lost Madeline!" he exclaimed with almost franticenergy of passion: "do I then press you once more in madness to mydoting heart? Speak, speak to me--for God's sake speak, or I shall gomad! Air, air, --she wants air only--she cannot be dead. "

These last words were succeeded by the furious rending asunder of thefastenings that secured the boughs, and presently the whole wentoverboard, leaving revealed the tall and picturesque figure of theofficer; whose left arm encircled while it supported the reclining andpowerless form of one who well resembled, indeed, the spectre for whichshe had been mistaken, while his right hand was busied in detaching thestring that secured a portion of the covering round her throat. Atlength it fell from her shoulders; and the well known form of Madelinede Haldimar, clad even in the vestments in which they had been wont tosee her, met the astonished gaze of the excited seamen. Still therewere some who doubted it was the corporeal woman whom they beheld; andseveral of the crew who were catholics even made the sign of the crossas the supposed spirit was now borne up the gangway in the arms of thepained yet gratified De Haldimar: nor was it until her feet were seenfinally resting on the deck, that Jack Fuller could persuade himself itwas indeed Miss de Haldimar, and not her ghost, that lay clasped to theheart of the officer. 

With the keen rush of the morning air upon her brow returned thesuspended consciousness of the bewildered Madeline. The blood cameslowly and imperceptibly to her cheek; and her eyes, hitherto glazed, fixed, and inexpressive, looked enquiringly, yet with stupidwonderment, around. She started from the embrace of her lover, gazedalternately at his disguise, at himself, and at Clara; and then passingher hand several times rapidly across her brow, uttered an hystericscream, and threw herself impetuously forward on the bosom of thesobbing girl; who, with extended arms, parted lips, and heaving bosom, sat breathlessly awaiting the first dawn of the returning reason of hermore than sister. 

We should vainly attempt to paint all the heart-rending misery of thescene exhibited in the gradual restoration of Miss de Haldimar to hersenses. From a state of torpor, produced by the freezing of everyfaculty into almost idiocy, she was suddenly awakened to all theterrors of the past and the deep intonations of her rich voice wereheard only in expressions of agony, that entered into the mostiron-hearted of the assembled seamen; while they drew from the bosom ofher gentle and sympathising cousin fresh bursts of desolating grief. Imagination itself would find difficulty in supplying the harrowingeffect upon all, when, with upraised hands, and on her bended knees, her large eyes turned wildly up to heaven, she invoked in deep andstartling accents the terrible retribution of a just God on the inhumanmurderers of her father, with whose life-blood her garments wereprofusely saturated; and then, with hysteric laughter, demanded why shealone had been singled out to survive the bloody tragedy. Love andaffection, hitherto the first principles of her existence, then foundno entrance into her mind. Stricken, broken-hearted, stultified to allfeeling save that of her immediate wretchedness, she thought only ofthe horrible scenes through which she had passed; and even he, whom atanother moment she could have clasped in an agony of fond tenderness toher beating bosom, --he to whom she had pledged her virgin faith, andwas bound by the dearest of human ties, --he whom she had so oftenlonged to behold once more, and had thought of, the preceding day, withall the tenderness of her impassioned and devoted soul, --even he didnot, in the first hours of her terrible consciousness, so much ascommand a single passing regard. All the affections were for a periodblighted in her bosom. She seemed as one devoted, without the power ofresistance, to a grief which calcined and preyed upon all otherfeelings of the mind. One stunning and annihilating reflection seemedto engross every principle of her being; nor was it for hours after shehad been restored to life and recollection that a deluge of burningtears, giving relief to her heart and a new direction to her feelings, enabled her at length to separate the past from, and in some degreedevote herself to, the present. Then, indeed, for the first time didshe perceive and take pleasure in the presence of her lover; andclasping her beloved and weeping Clara to her heart, thank her God, inall the fervour of true piety, that she at least had been spared toshed a ray of comfort on her distracted spirit. But we will not painthe reader by dwelling on a scene that drew tears even from the ruggedand flint-nerved boatswain himself; for, although we should linger onit with minute anatomical detail, no powers of language we possesscould convey the transcript as it should be. Pass we on, therefore, tothe more immediate incidents of our narrative. 

The day now rapidly developing, full opportunity was afforded themariners to survey the strict nature of their position. To allappearance they were yet in the middle of the lake, for around them laythe belting sweep of forest that bounded the perspective of theequidistant circle, of which their bark was the focus or immediatecentre. The wind was dying gradually away, and when at length the sunrose, in all his splendour, there was scarce air enough in the heavensto keep the sails from flapping against the masts, or to enable thevessel to obey her helm. In vain was the low and peculiar whistle ofthe seamen heard, ever and anon, in invocation of the departing breeze. Another day, calm and breathless as the preceding, had been charteredfrom the world of light; and their hearts failed them, as they foresawthe difficulty of their position, and the almost certainty of theirretreat being cut off. It was while labouring under the dishearteningconsciousness of danger, peculiar to all, that the anxious boatswainsummoned Captain de Haldimar and Sir Everard Valletort, by asignificant beck of the finger, to the side of the deck opposite tothat on which still lay the suffering and nearly broken-hearted girls. 

"Well, Mullins, what now?" enquired the former, as he narrowly scannedthe expression of the old man's features: "that clouded brow of yours, I fear me, bodes no agreeable information. "

"Why, your honour, I scarcely knows what to say about it; but seeing asI'm the only officer in the ship, now our poor captain is killed, Godbless him! I thought I might take the liberty to consult with yourhonours as to the best way of getting out of the jaws of them sharks ofIngians; and two heads, as the saying is, is always better than one. "

"And now you have the advantage of three, " observed the officer, with asickly smile; "but I fear, Mullins, that if your own be not sufficientfor the purpose, ours will be of little service. You must take counselfrom your own experience and knowledge of nautical matters. "

"Why, to be sure, your honour, " and the sailor rolled his quid from onecheek to the other, "I think I may say as how I'll venture to steer thecraft with any man on the Canada lakes, and bring her safe into porttoo; but seeing as how I'm only a petty officer, and not yetrecommended by his worship the governor for the full command, I thoughtit but right to consult with my superiors, not as to the management ofthe craft, but the best as is to be done. What does your honour thinkof making for the high land over the larboard bow yonder, and waitingfor the chance of the night-breeze to take us through the Sinclair?"

"Do whatever you think best, " returned the officer. "For my part, Iscarcely can give an opinion. Yet how are we to get there? There doesnot appear to be a breath of wind. "

"Oh, that's easily managed; we have only to brail and furl up a little, to hide our cloth from the Ingians, and then send the boats a-head totow the craft, while some of us lend a hand at her own sweeps. We shallget close under the lee of the land afore night, and then we must pullup agin along shore, until we get within a mile or so of the head ofthe river. "

"But shall we not be seen by our enemies?" asked Sir Everard; "and willthey not be on the watch for our movements, and intercept our retreat?"

"Now that's just the thing, your honour, as they're not likely to do, if so be as we bears away for yon headlands. I knows every nook andsounding round the lake; and odd enough if I didn't, seeing as how thecraft circumnavigated it, at least, a dozen times since we have beencooped up here. Poor Captain Danvers! (may the devil damn hismurderers, I say, though it does make a commander of me for once;) heused always to make for that 'ere point, whenever he wished to liequiet; for never once did we see so much as a single Ingian on theheadland. No, your honour, they keeps all at t'other side of the lake, seeing as how that is the main road from Mackina' to Detroit. "

"Then, by all means, do so, " eagerly returned Captain de Haldimar. "Oh, Mullins! take us but safely through, and if the interest of my fathercan procure you a king's commission, you shall not want it, believe me. "

"And if half my fortune can give additional stimulus to exertion, itshall be shared, with pleasure, between yourself and crew, " observedSir Everard. 

"Thank your honours, --thank your honours, " said the boatswain, somewhatelectrified by these brilliant offers. "The lads may take the money, ifthey like; all I cares about is the king's commission. Give me but aswab on my shoulder, and the money will come fast enough of itself. But, still, shiver my topsails, if I wants any bribery to make me do myduty; besides, if 'twas only for them poor girls alone, I would gothrough fire and water to sarve them. I'm not very chicken-hearted inmy old age, your honours, but I don't recollect the time when Iblubbered so much as I did when Miss Madeline come aboard. But I can'tbear to think of it; and now let us see and get all ready for towing. "

Every thing now became bustle and activity on board the schooner. Thematches, no longer required for the moment, were extinguished, and theheavy cutlasses and pistols unbuckled from the loins of the men, anddeposited near their respective guns. Light forms flew aloft, and, standing out upon the yards, loosely furled the sails that hadpreviously been hauled and clewed up; but, as this was an operationrequiring little time in so small a vessel, those who were engaged init speedily glided to the deck again, ready for a more arduous service. The boats had, meanwhile, been got forward, and into these the sailorssprang, with an alacrity that could scarcely have been expected frommen who had passed not only the preceding night, but many before it, inutter sleeplessness and despair. But the imminence of the danger, andthe evident necessity existing for exertion, aroused them to newenergy; and the hitherto motionless vessel was now made to obey theimpulse given by the tow ropes of the boats, in a manner that provedtheir crews to have entered on their toil with the determination ofmen, resolved to devote themselves in earnest to their task. Nor wasthe spirit of action confined to these. The long sweeps of the schoonerhad been shipped, and such of the crew as remained on board labouredeffectually at them, --a service, in which they were essentially aided, not only by mine host of the Fleur de lis, but by the young officersthemselves. 

At mid-day the headlands were seen looming largely in the distance, while the immediate shores of the ill-fated fortress were momentarily, and in the same proportion, disappearing under the dim line of horizonin the rear. More than half their course, from the spot whence theycommenced towing, had been completed, when the harassed men were madeto quit their oars, in order to partake of the scanty fare of thevessel, consisting chiefly of dried bear's meat and venison. Spirit ofany description they had none; but, unlike their brethren of theAtlantic, when driven to extremities in food, they knew not what it wasto poison the nutritious properties of the latter by sipping the putriddregs of the water-cask, in quantities scarce sufficient to quench thefire of their parched palates. Unslaked thirst was a misery unknown tothe mariners of these lakes: it was but to cast their buckets deep intothe tempting element, and water, pure, sweet, and grateful as any thatever bubbled from the moss-clad fountain of sylvan deity, came cool andrefreshing to their lips, neutralising, in a measure, the crudities ofthe coarsest food. It was to this inestimable advantage the crew of theschooner had been principally indebted for their health, during thelong series of privation, as far as related to fresh provisions andrest, to which they had been subjected. All appeared as vigorous inframe, and robust in health, as at the moment when they had lastquitted the waters of the Detroit; and but for the inward sinking ofthe spirit, reflected in many a bronzed and furrowed brow, there waslittle to show they had been exposed to any very extraordinary trials. 

Their meal having been hastily dispatched, and sweetened by a draughtfrom the depths of the Huron, the seamen once more sprang into theirboats, and devoted themselves, heart and soul, to the completion oftheir task, pulling with a vigour that operated on each and all with atendency to encouragement and hope. At length the vessel, stillimpelled by her own sweeps, gradually approached the land; and atrather more than an hour before sunset was so near that the moment wasdeemed arrived when, without danger of being perceived, she might berun up along the shore to the point alluded to by the boatswain. Littlemore than another hour was occupied in bringing her to her station; andthe red tints of departing day were still visible in the direction ofthe ill-fated fortress of Michilimackinac, when the sullen rumbling ofthe cable, following the heavy splash of the anchor, announced theplace of momentary concealment had been gained. 

The anchorage lay between two projecting headlands; to the outermostextremities of which were to be seen, overhanging the lake, the statelybirch and pine, connected at their base by an impenetrable brushwood, extending to the very shore, and affording the amplest concealment, except from the lake side and the banks under which the schooner wasmoored. From the first quarter, however, little danger was incurred, asany canoes the savages might send in discovery of their course, mustunavoidably be seen the moment they appeared over the line of thehorizon, while, on the contrary, their own vessel, although muchlarger, resting on and identified with the land, must be invisible, except on a very near approach. In the opposite direction they wereequally safe; for, as Mullins had truly remarked, none, save a fewwandering hunters, whom chance occasionally led to the spot, were to bemet with in a part of the country that lay so completely out of thetrack of communication between the fortresses. It was, however, but todouble the second headland in their front, and they came within view ofthe Sinclair, the head of which was situated little more than a leaguebeyond the spot where they now lay. Thus secure for the present, andwaiting only for the rising of the breeze, of which the setting sun hadgiven promise, the sailors once more snatched their hasty refreshment, while two of their number were sent aloft to keep a vigilant look-outalong the circuit embraced by the enshrouding headlands. 

During the whole of the day the cousins had continued on deck claspedin each other's arms, and shedding tears of bitterness, and heaving themost heart-rending sobs at intervals, yet but rarely conversing. Thefeelings of both were too much oppressed to admit of the utterance oftheir grief. The vampire of despair had banqueted on their hearts. Their vitality had been sucked, as it were, by its cold and bloodlesslips; and little more than the withered rind, that had contained theseeds of so many affections, had been left. Often had Sir Everard andDe Haldimar paused momentarily from the labour of their oars, to castan eye of anxious solicitude on the scarcely conscious girls, wishing, rather than expecting, to find the violence of their desolation abated, and that, in the full expansion of unreserved communication, they wererelieving their sick hearts from the terrible and crushing weight ofwoe that bore them down. Captain de Haldimar had even once or twiceessayed to introduce the subject himself, in the hope that some freshparoxysm, following their disclosures, would remove the horriblestupefaction of their senses; but the wild look and excited manner ofMadeline, whenever he touched on the chord of her affliction, had asoften caused him to desist. 

Towards the evening, however, her natural strength of character came inaid of his quiescent efforts to soothe her; and she appeared not onlymore composed, but more sensible of the impression produced bysurrounding objects. As the last rays of the sun were tinging thehorizon, she drew up her form in a sitting position against thebulwarks, and, raising her clasped hands to heaven, while her eyes werebent long and fixedly on the distant west, appeared for some minuteswholly lost in that attitude of absorption. Then she closed her eyes;and through the swollen lids came coursing, one by one, over herquivering cheek, large tears, that seemed to scald a furrow where theypassed. After this she became more calm--her respiration more free; andshe even consented to taste the humble meal which the young man nowoffered for the third time. Neither Clara nor herself had eaten foodsince the preceding morning; and the weakness of their framescontributed not a little to the increasing despondency of theirspirits; but, notwithstanding several attempts previously made, theyhad rejected what was offered them, with insurmountable loathing. Whenthey had now swallowed a few morsels of the sliced venison ham, prepared with all the delicacy the nearly exhausted resources of thevessel could supply, accompanied by a small portion of the cornbread ofthe Canadian, Captain de Haldimar prevailed on them to swallow a fewdrops of the spirit that still remained in the canteen given them byErskine on their departure from Detroit. The genial liquid sent akindling glow to their chilled hearts, and for a moment deadened thepungency of their anguish; and then it was that Miss de Haldimarentered briefly on the horrors she had witnessed, while Clara, with herarm encircling her waist, fixed her dim and swollen eyes, from which atear ever and anon rolled heavily to her lap, on those of her belovedcousin. 

CHAPTER II. 

Without borrowing the affecting language of the unhappy girl--alanguage rendered even more touching by the peculiar pathos of hertones, and the searching agony of spirit that burst at intervalsthrough her narrative--we will merely present our readers with a briefsummary of what was gleaned from her melancholy disclosure. On bearingher cousin to the bedroom, after the terrifying yell first heard fromwithout the fort, she had flown down the front stairs of theblockhouse, in the hope of reaching the guardroom in time to acquaintCaptain Baynton with what she and Clara had witnessed from theirwindow. Scarcely, however, had she gained the exterior of the building, when she saw that officer descending from a point of the rampartimmediately on her left, and almost in a line with the block-house. Hewas running to overtake and return the ball of the Indian players, which had, at that moment, fallen into the centre of the fort, and wasnow rolling rapidly away from the spot on which Miss de Haldimar stood. The course of the ball led the pursuing officer out of the reach of hervoice; and it was not until he had overtaken and thrown it again overthe rampart, she could succeed in claiming his attention. No sooner, however, had he heard her hurried statement, than, without waiting totake the orders of his commanding officer, he prepared to join hisguard, and give directions for the immediate closing of the gates. Butthe opportunity was now lost. The delay occasioned by the chase andrecovery of the ball had given the Indians time to approach the gatesin a body, while the unsuspicious soldiery looked on without so much asdreaming to prevent them; and Captain Baynton had scarcely movedforward in execution of his purpose, when the yelling fiends were seenalready possessing themselves of the drawbridge, and exhibiting everyappearance of fierce hostility. Wild, maddened at the sight, the almostfrantic Madeline, alive only to her father's danger, rushed backtowards the council-room, whence the startling yell from without hadalready been echoed, and where the tramp of feet, and the clashing ofweapons, were distinguishable. 

Cut off from his guard, by the rapid inundation of warriors, CaptainBaynton had at once seen the futility of all attempts to join the men, and his first impression evidently had been to devote himself to thepreservation of the cousins. With this view he turned hastily to Missde Haldimar, and hurriedly naming the back staircase of theblock-house, urged her to direct her flight to that quarter. But theexcited girl had neither consideration nor fear for herself; shethought only of her father: and, even while the fierceness of contestwas at its height within, she suddenly burst into the council-room. Theconfusion and horror of the scene that met her eyes no language canrender: blood was flowing in every direction, and dying and deadofficers, already stripped of their scalps, were lying strewed aboutthe room. Still the survivors fought with all the obstinacy of despair, and many of the Indians had shared the fate of their victims. Miss deHaldimar attempted to reach her father, then vigorously combating withone of the most desperate of the chiefs; but, before she could dartthrough the intervening crowd, a savage seized her by the hair, andbrandished a tomahawk rapidly over her neck. At that moment CaptainBaynton sent his glittering blade deep into the heart of the Indian, who, relinquishing his grasp, fell dead at the feet of his intendedvictim. The devoted officer then threw his left arm round her waist, and, parrying with his sword-arm the blows of those who sought tointercept his flight, dragged his reluctant burden towards the door. Hotly pressed by the remaining officers, nearly equal in number, theIndians were now compelled to turn and defend themselves in front, whenCaptain Baynton took that opportunity of getting once more into thecorridor, not, however, without having received a severe woundimmediately behind the right ear, and leaving a skirt and lappel of hisuniform in the hands of two savages who had successively essayed todetain him. At that moment the band without had succeeded in forcingopen the door of the guard-room; and the officer saw, at a glance, there was little time left for decision. In hurried and imploringaccents he besought Miss de Haldimar to forget every thing but her owndanger, and to summon resolution to tear herself from the scene: butprayer and entreaty, and even force, were alike employed in vain. Clinging firmly to the rude balustrades, she refused to be led up thestaircase, and wildly resisting all his efforts to detach her hands, declared she would again return to the scene of death, in which herbeloved parent was so conspicuous an actor. While he was yet engaged inthis fruitless attempt to force her from the spot, the door of thecouncil-room was suddenly burst open, and a group of bleeding officers, among whom was Major de Haldimar, followed by their yelling enemies, rushed wildly into the passage, and, at the very foot of the stairswhere they yet stood, the combat was renewed. From that moment Miss deHaldimar lost sight of her generous protector. Meanwhile the tumult ofexecrations, and groans, and yells, was at its height; and one by oneshe saw the unhappy officers sink beneath weapons yet reeking with theblood of their comrades, until not more than three or four, includingher father and the commander of the schooner, were left. At lengthMajor de Haldimar, overcome by exertion, and faint from wounds, whilehis wild eye darted despairingly on his daughter, had his sword-armdesperately wounded, when the blade dropped to the earth, and a dozenweapons glittered above his head. The wild shriek that had startledClara then burst from the agonised heart of her maddened cousin, andshe darted forward to cover her father's head with her arms. But hersenses failed her in the attempt; and the last thing she recollectedwas falling over the weltering form of Middleton, who pressed her, asshe lay there, in the convulsive energy of death, to his almostpulseless heart. 

A vague consciousness of being raised from the earth, and borne rapidlythrough the air, came over her even in the midst of her insensibility, but without any definite perception of the present, or recollection ofthe past, until she suddenly, when about midway between the fort andthe point of wood that led to Chabouiga, opened her eyes, and foundherself in the firm grasp of an Indian, whose features, even in thehasty and fearful glance she cast at the countenance, she fancied werenot unfamiliar to her. Not another human being was to be seen in theclearing at that moment; for all the savages, including even the womenassembled outside, were now within the fort assisting in the complexhorrors of murder, fire, and spoliation. In the wild energy ofreturning reason and despair, the wretched girl struggled violently tofree herself; and so far with success, that the Indian, whose strengthwas evidently fast failing him, was compelled to quit his hold, andsuffer her to walk. No sooner did Miss de Haldimar feel her feettouching the ground, when she again renewed her exertions to freeherself, and return to the fort; but the Indian held her firmly securedby a leathern thong he now attached to her waist, and every attemptproved abortive. He was evidently much disconcerted at her resistance;and more than once she expected, and almost hoped, the tomahawk at hisside would be made to revenge him for the test to which his patiencewas subjected; but Miss de Haldimar looked in vain for the expressionof ferocity and impatience that might have been expected from him atsuch a moment. There was an air of mournfulness, and even kindness, mingled with severity, on his smooth brow that harmonised ill with thehorrible atrocities in which he had, to all appearance, covered as hewas with blood, been so recent and prominent an actor. The Indianremarked her surprise; and then looking hurriedly, yet keenly, around, and finding no living being near them, suddenly tore the shirt from hischest, and emphatically pronouncing the names "Oucanasta, " "DeHaldimar, " disclosed to the still struggling captive the bosom of awoman. After which, pointing in the direction of the wood, and finallytowards Detroit, she gave Miss de Haldimar to understand that was thecourse intended to be pursued. 

In a moment the resistance of the latter ceased. She at once recognisedthe young Indian woman whom her cousin had rescued from death: andaware, as she was, of the strong attachment that had subsequently boundher to her preserver, she was at no loss to understand how she mighthave been led to devote herself to the rescue of one whom, it wasprobable, she knew to be his affianced wife. Once, indeed, a suspicionof a different nature crossed her mind; for the thought occurred to hershe had only been saved from the general doom to be made the victim ofprivate revenge--that it was only to glut the jealous vengeance of thewoman at a more deliberative hour, she had been made a temporarycaptive. The apprehension, however, was no sooner formed thanextinguished. Bitterly, deeply as she had reason to abhor the treacheryand cunning of the dark race to which her captor belonged, there was anexpression of openness and sincerity, and even imploringness, in thecountenance of Oucanasta, which, added to her former knowledge of thewoman, at once set this fear at rest, inducing her to look upon herrather in the character of a disinterested saviour, than in that of acruel and vindictive enemy, goaded on to the indulgence of malignanthate by a spirit of rivalry and revenge. Besides, even were hercruellest fears to be realised, what could await her worse than thepast? If she could even succeed in getting away, it would only be toreturn upon certain death; and death only could await her, howeverrefined the tortures accompanying its infliction, in the event of herquietly following and yielding herself up to the guidance of one whooffered this slight consolation, at least, that she was of her own sex. But Miss de Haldimar was willing to attribute more generous motives tothe Indian; and fortified in her first impression, she signified bysigns, that seemed to be perfectly intelligible to her companion, sheappreciated her friendly intentions, and confided wholly in her. 

No longer checked in her efforts, Oucanasta now directed her coursetowards the wood, still holding the thong that remained attached toMiss de Haldimar's waist, probably with a view to deceive anyindividuals from the villages on whom they might chance to fall, into abelief that the English girl was in reality her prisoner. No sooner, however, had they entered the depths of the forest, when, instead offollowing the path that led to Chabouiga, Oucanasta took a direction tothe left, and then moving nearly on a parallel line with the course ofthe lake, continued her flight as rapidly as the rude nature of theunderwood, and the unpractised feet of her companion, would permit. They had travelled in this manner for upwards of four hours, withoutmeeting a breathing thing, or even so much as exchanging a soundbetween themselves, when, at length, the Indian stopped at the edge ofa deep cavern-like excavation in the earth, produced by the tearing up, by the wild tempest, of an enormous pine. Into this she descended, andpresently reappeared with several blankets, and two light paintedpaddles. Then unloosing the thong from the waist of the exhausted girl, she proceeded to disguise her in one of the blankets in the manneralready shown, securing it over the head, throat, and shoulders withthe badge of captivity, now no longer necessary for her purpose. Shethen struck off at right angles from the course they had previouslypursued; and in less than twenty minutes both stood on the lake shore, apparently at a great distance from the point whence they hadoriginally set out. The Indian gazed for a moment anxiously before her;and then, with an exclamation, evidently meant to convey a sense ofpleasure and satisfaction, pointed forward upon the lake. Miss deHaldimar followed, with eager and aching eyes, the direction of herfinger, and beheld the well-known schooner evidently urging her flighttowards the entrance of the Sinclair. Oh, how her sick heart seemedready to burst at that moment! When she had last gazed upon it was fromthe window of her favourite apartment; and even while she held herbeloved Clara clasped fondly in her almost maternal embrace, she haddared to indulge the fairest images that ever sprung into being at thecreative call of woman's fancy. How bitter had been the reverse! andwhat incidents to fill up the sad volume of the longest life of sorrowand bereavement had not Heaven awarded her in lieu! In one short hourthe weight of a thousand worlds had fallen on and crushed her heart;and when and how was the panacea to be obtained to restore one moment'scessation from suffering to her agonised spirit? Alas! she felt at thatmoment, that, although she should live a thousand years, the bitternessand desolation of her grief must remain. From the vessel she turned hereyes away upon the distant shore, which it was fast quitting, andbeheld a column of mingled flame and smoke towering far above thehorizon, and attesting the universal wreck of what had so long beenendeared to her as her home. And she had witnessed all this, and yethad strength to survive it!

The courage of the unhappy girl had hitherto been sustained by noeffort of volition of her own. From the moment when, discovering afriend in Oucanasta, she had yielded herself unresistingly to theguidance of that generous creature, her feelings had been characterisedby an obtuseness strongly in contrast with the high excitement that haddistinguished her previous manner. A dreamy recollection of some pasthorror, it is true, pursued her during her rapid and speechless flight;but any analysis of the causes conducing to that horror, her subjugatedfaculties were unable to enter upon. Even as one who, under theinfluence of incipient slumber, rejects the fantastic images that risesuccessively and indistinctly to the slothful brain, until, at length, they weaken, fade, and gradually die away, leaving nothing but aformless and confused picture of the whole; so was it with Miss deHaldimar. Had she been throughout alive to the keen recollectionsassociated with her flight, she could not have stirred a foot infurtherance of her own safety, even if she would. The mere instinct ofself-preservation would never have won one so truly devoted to thegenerous purpose of her deliverer, had not the temporary stupefactionof her mind prevented all desire of opposition. It is true, in themoment of her discovery of the sex of Oucanasta, she had been able toexercise her reflecting powers; but they were only in connection withthe present, and wholly abstract and separate from the past. She hadfollowed her conductor almost without consciousness, and with such deepabsorption of spirit, that she neither once conjectured whither theywere going, nor what was to be the final issue of their flight. Butnow, when she stood on the lake shore, suddenly awakened, as if by somestartling spell, to every harrowing recollection, and with herattention assisted by objects long endeared, and rendered familiar toher gaze--when she beheld the vessel that had last borne her across thestill bosom of the Huron, fleeing for ever from the fortress where herarrival had been so joyously hailed--when she saw that fortress itselfpresenting the hideous spectacle of a blackened mass of ruins fastcrumbling into nothingness--when, in short, she saw nothing but whatreminded her of the terrific past, the madness of reason returned, andthe desolation of her heart was complete. And then, again, when shethought of her generous, her brave, her beloved, and too unfortunatefather, whom she had seen perish at her feet--when she thought of herown gentle Clara, and the sufferings and brutalities to which, if sheyet lived, she must inevitably be exposed, and of the dreadful fate ofthe garrison altogether, the most menial of whom was familiar to hermemory, brought up, as she had been, among them from herchildhood--when she dwelt on all these things, a faintness, as ofdeath, came over her, and she sank without life on the beach. Of whatpassed afterwards she had no recollection. She neither knew how she hadgot into the canoe, nor what means the Indian had taken to secure herapproach to the schooner. She had no consciousness of having beenremoved to the bark of the Canadian, nor did she even remember havingrisen and gazed through the foliage on the vessel at her side; but shepresumed, the chill air of morning having partially restored pulsation, she had moved instinctively from her recumbent position to the spot inwhich her spectre-like countenance had been perceived by Fuller. Thefirst moment of her returning reason was that when, standing on thedeck of the schooner, she found herself so unexpectedly clasped to theheart of her lover. 

Twilight had entirely passed away when Miss de Haldimar completed hersad narrative; and already the crew, roused to exertion by the swellingbreeze, were once more engaged in weighing the anchor, and setting andtrimming the sails of the schooner, which latter soon began to shootround the concealing headland into the opening of the Sinclair. Adeathlike silence prevailed throughout the decks of the little bark, asher bows, dividing the waters of the basin that formed its source, gradually immerged into the current of that deep but narrow river; sonarrow, indeed, that from its centre the least active of the marinersmight have leaped without difficulty to either shore. This was the mostcritical part of the dangerous navigation. With a wide sea-board, andfull command of their helm, they had nothing to fear; but so limitedwas the passage of this river, it was with difficulty the yards andmasts of the schooner could be kept disengaged from the projectingboughs of the dense forest that lined the adjacent shores to their veryjunction with the water. The darkness of the night, moreover, while itpromised to shield them from the observation of the savages, contributed greatly to perplex their movements; for such was theabruptness with which the river wound itself round in variousdirections, that it required a man constantly on the alert at the bowsto apprise the helmsman of the course he should steer, to avoidcollision with the shores. Canopies of weaving branches met in variousdirections far above their heads, and through these the schooner glidedwith a silence that might have called up the idea of a Stygian freight. Meanwhile, the men stood anxiously to their guns, concealing thematches in their water-buckets as before; and, while they strained bothear and eye through the surrounding; gloom to discover the slightestevidence of danger, grasped the handles of their cutlasses with a firmhand, ready to unsheathe them at the first intimation of alarm. 

At the suggestion of the boatswain, who hinted at the necessity ofhaving cleared decks, Captain de Haldimar had prevailed on hisunfortunate relatives to retire to the small cabin arranged for theirreception; and here they were attended by an aged female, who had longfollowed the fortunes of the crew, and acted in the twofold characterof laundress and sempstress. He himself, with Sir Everard, continued ondeck watching the progress of the vessel with an anxiety that becamemore intense at each succeeding hour. Hitherto their course had beenunimpeded, save by the obstacles already enumerated; and they had now, at about an hour before dawn, gained a point that promised a speedytermination to their dangers and perplexities. Before them lay a reachin the river, enveloped in more than ordinary gloom, produced by thecontinuous weaving of the tops of the overhanging trees; and in theperspective, a gleam of relieving light, denoting the near vicinity ofthe lake that lay at the opposite extremity of the Sinclair, whose nameit also bore. This was the narrowest part of the river; and soapproximate were its shores, that the vessel in her course could notfail to come in contact both with the obtruding foliage of the forestand the dense bullrushes skirting the edge of either bank. 

"If we get safe through this here place, " said the boatswain, in arough whisper to his anxious and attentive auditors, "I think as howI'll venture to answer for the craft. I can see daylight dancing uponthe lake already. Ten minutes more and she will be there. " Then turningto the man at the helm, --"Keep her in the centre of the stream, Jim. Don't you see you're hugging the weather shore?"

"It would take the devil himself to tell which is the centre, " growledthe sailor, in the same suppressed tone. "One might steer with one'seyes shut in such a queer place as this and never be no worser off thanwith them open. "

"Steady her helm, steady, " rejoined Mullins, "it's as dark as pitch, tobe sure, but the passage is straight as an arrow, and with a steadyhelm you can't miss it. Make for the light ahead. "

"Abaft there!" hurriedly and loudly shouted the man on the look-out atthe bows, "there's a tree lying across the river, and we're just uponit. "

While he yet spoke, and before the boatswain could give suchinstructions as the emergency required, the vessel suddenly struckagainst the obstacle in question; but the concussion was not of theviolent nature that might have been anticipated. The course of theschooner, at no one period particularly rapid, had been considerablychecked since her entrance into the gloomy arch, in the centre of whichher present accident had occurred; so that it was without immediateinjury to her hull and spars she had been thus suddenly brought to. Butthis was not the most alarming part of the affair. Captain de Haldimarand Sir Everard both recollected, that, in making the same passage, notforty-eight hours previously, they had encountered no obstacle of thekind, and a misgiving of danger rose simultaneously to the hearts ofeach. It was, however, a thing of too common occurrence in thesecountries, where storm and tempest were so prevalent and partial, tocreate more than a mere temporary alarm; for it was quite as probablethe barrier had been interposed by some fitful outburst of Nature, asthat it arose from design on the part of their enemies: and when thevessel had continued stationary for some minutes, without the preparedand expectant crew discovering the slightest indication of attack, theformer impression was preserved by the officers--at least avowedly tothose around. 

"Bear a hand, my lads, and cut away, " at length ordered the boatswain, in a low but clear tone; "half a dozen at each end of the stick, and weshall soon clear a passage for the craft. "

A dozen sailors grasped their axes, and hastened forward to execute thecommand. They sprang lightly from the entangled bows of the schooner, and diverging in equal numbers moved to either extremity of the fallentree. 

"This is sailing through the heart of the American forest with avengeance, " muttered Mullins, whose annoyance at their detention wasstrongly manifested as he paced up and down the deck. "Shiver mytopsails, if it isn't bad enough to clear the Sinclair at any time, much more so when one's running for one's life, and not a whisper'slength from one's enemies. Do you know, Captain, " abruptly checking hismovement, and familiarly placing his hand on the shoulder of DeHaldimar, "the last time we sailed through this very reach I couldn'thelp telling poor Captain Danvers, God rest his soul, what a nice spotit was for an Ingian ambuscade, if they had only gumption enough tothink of it. "

"Hark!" said the officer, whose heart, eye, and ear were painfully onthe alert, "what rustling is that we hear overhead?"

"It's Jack Fuller, no doubt, your honour; I sent him up to clear awaythe branches from the main topmast rigging. " Then raising his head, andelevating his voice, "Hilloa! aloft there!"

The only answer was a groan, followed by a deeper commotion among therustling foliage. 

"Why, what the devil's the matter with you now, Jack?" pursued theboatswain, in a voice of angry vehemence. "Are ye scared at anotherghost, and be damned to you, that ye keep groaning there after thatfashion?"

At that moment a heavy dull mass was heard tumbling through the upperrigging of the schooner towards the deck, and presently a human formfell at the very feet of the small group, composed of the two officersand the individual who had last spoken. 

"A light, a light!" shouted the boatswain; "the foolish chap has losthis hold through fear, and ten to one if he hasn't cracked hisskull-piece for his pains. Quick there with a light, and let's see whatwe can do for him. "

The attention of all had been arrested by the sound of the fallingweight, and as one of the sailors now advanced, bearing a dark lanternfrom below, the whole of the crew, with the exception of those employedon the fallen tree, gathered themselves in a knot round the motionlessform of the prostrate man. But no sooner had their eyes encountered theobject of their interest, when each individual started suddenly andinvoluntarily back, baring his cutlass, and drawing forth his pistol, the whole presenting a group of countenances strongly marked by variousshades of consternation and alarm, even while their attitudes werethose of men prepared for some fierce and desperate danger. It wasindeed Fuller whom they had beheld, but not labouring, as the boatswainhad imagined, under the mere influence of superstitious fear. He wasdead, and the blood flowing from a deep wound, inflicted by a sharpinstrument in his chest, and the scalped head, too plainly told themanner of his death, and the danger that awaited them all. 

A pause ensued, but it was short. Before any one could find words toremark on the horrible circumstance, the appalling war-cry of thesavages burst loudly from every quarter upon the ears of the devotedcrew. In the desperation of the moment, several of the men clutchedtheir cutlasses between their teeth, and seizing the concealed matches, rushed to their respective stations at the guns. It was in vain theboatswain called out to them, in a voice of stern authority, to desist, intimating that their only protection lay in the reservation of thefire of their batteries. Goaded and excited, beyond the power ofresistance, to an impulse that set all subordination at defiance, theyapplied the matches, and almost at the same instant the terrificdischarge of both broadsides took place, rocking the vessel to thewater's edge, and reverberating, throughout, the confined space inwhich she lay, like the deadly explosion of some deeply excavated mine. 

Scarcely had the guns been fired, when the seamen became sensible oftheir imprudence. The echoes were yet struggling to force a passagethrough the dense forest, when a second yell of the Indians announcedthe fiercest joy and triumph, unmixed by disaster, at the result; andthen the quick leaping of many forms could be heard, as they dividedthe crashing underwood, and rushed forward to close with their prey. Itwas evident, from the difference of sound, their first cry had beenpealed forth while lying prostrate on the ground, and secure from thebullets, whose harmless discharge that cry was intended to provoke; fornow the voices seemed to rise progressively from the earth, until theyreached the level of each individual height, and were already almosthotly breathing in the ears of those they were destined to fill withillimitable dismay. 

"Shiver my topsails, but this comes of disobeying orders, " roared theboatswain, in a voice of mingled anger and vexation. "The Ingians arequite as cunning as ourselves, and arn't to be frighted that way. Quick, every cutlass and pistol to his gangway, and let's do our best. Pass the word forward for the axemen to return to quarters. "

Recovered from their first paroxysm of alarm, the men at length becamesensible of the presence of a directing power, which, humble as it was, their long habits of discipline had taught them to respect, and, headedon the one side by Captain de Haldimar, and on the other by Sir EverardValletort, neither of whom, however, entertained the most remote chanceof success, flew, as commanded, to their respective gangways. The yellof the Indians had again ceased, and all was hushed into stillness; butas the anxious and quicksighted officers gazed over the bulwarks, theyfancied they could perceive, even through the deep gloom that everywhere prevailed, the forms of men, --resting in cautious and eagerattitudes, on the very verge of the banks, and at a distance of littlemore than half pistol shot. Every heart beat with expectancy, --everyeye was riveted intently in front, to watch and meet the firstmovements of their foes, but not a sound of approach was audible to theequally attentive ear. In this state of aching suspense they might havecontinued about five minutes, when suddenly their hearts were made toquail by a third cry, that came, not as previously, from the banks ofthe river, but from the very centre of their own decks, and from thetop-mast and riggings of the schooner. So sudden and unexpected too wasthis fresh danger, that before the two parties had time to turn, andassume a new posture of defence, several of them had already fallenunder the butchering blades of their enemies. Then commenced adesperate but short conflict, mingled with yellings, that again wereanswered from every point; and rapidly gliding down the pendant ropes, were to be seen the active and dusky forms of men, swelling the numberof the assailants, who had gained the deck in the same noiselessmanner, until resistance became almost hopeless. 

"Ha! I hear the footsteps of our lads at last, " exclaimed Mullinsexultingly to his comrades, as he finished despatching a third savagewith his sturdy weapon. "Quick, men, quick, up with hatchet andcutlass, and take them in the rear. If we are to die, let's die--"game, he would perhaps have added, but death arrested the word upon hislips; and his corpse rolled along the deck, until its further progresswas stopped by the stiffened body of the unhappy Fuller. 

Notwithstanding the fall of their brave leader, and the whoopings oftheir enemies, the flagging spirits of the men were for a momentexcited by the announcement of the return even of the small force ofthe axemen, and they defended themselves with a courage anddetermination worthy of a better result; but when, by the lurid lightof the torches, now lying burning about the decks, they turned andbeheld not their companions, but a fresh band of Indians, at whosepouch-belts dangled the reeking scalps of their murdered friends, theyat once relinquished the combat as hopeless, and gave themselvesunresistingly up to be bound by their captors. 

Meanwhile the cousins experienced a renewal of all those horrors fromwhich their distracted minds had been temporarily relieved; and, petrified with alarm, as they lay in the solitary berth that containedthem both, endured sufferings infinitely more terrible than deathitself. The early part of the tumult they had noticed almost withoutcomprehending its cause, and but for the terrific cry of the Indiansthat had preceded them, would have mistaken the deafening broadsidesfor the blowing up of the vessel, so tremendous and violent bad beenthe concussion. Nay, there was a moment when Miss de Haldimar felt apang of deep disappointment and regret at the misconception; for, withthe fearful recollection of past events, so strongly impressed on herbleeding heart, she could not but acknowledge, that to be engulfed inone general and disastrous explosion, was mercy compared with thealternative of falling into the hands of those to whom her loathingspirit bad been too fatally taught to deny even the commonestattributes of humanity. As for Clara, she had not the power to think, or to form a conjecture on the subject:--she was merely sensible of arepetition of the horrible scenes from which she had so recently beensnatched, and with a pale cheek, a fixed eye, and an almost pulselessheart, lay without motion in the inner side of the berth. The piteousspectacle of her cousin's alarm lent a forced activity to the despairof Miss de Haldimar, in whom apprehension produced that strong energyof excitement that sometimes gives to helplessness the character oftrue courage. With the increasing clamour of appalling conflict ondeck, this excitement grew at every moment stronger, until it finallybecame irrepressible, so that at length, when through the cabin windowsthere suddenly streamed a flood of yellow light, extinguishing that ofthe lamp that threw its flickering beams around the cabin, she flungherself impetuously from the berth, and, despite of the aged andtrembling female who attempted to detain her, burst open the narrowentrance to the cabin, and rushed up the steps communicating with thedeck. 

The picture that here met her eyes was at once graphic and fearful inthe extreme. On either side of the river lines of streaming torcheswere waved by dusky warriors high above their heads, reflecting thegrim countenances, not only of those who bore them, but of dense groupsin their rear, whose numbers were alone concealed by the foliage of theforest in which they stood. From the branches that wove themselvesacross the centre of the river, and the topmast and rigging of thevessel, the same strong yellow light, produced by the bark of the birchtree steeped in gum, streamed down upon the decks below, rendering eachline and block of the schooner as distinctly visible as if it had beennoon on the sunniest of those far distant lakes. The deck itself wascovered with the bodies of slain men--sailors, and savages mixedtogether; and amid these were to be seen fierce warriors, recliningtriumphantly and indolently on their rifles, while others were occupiedin securing the arms of their captives with leathern thongs behindtheir backs. The silence that now prevailed was strongly in contrastwith, and even more fearful than, the horrid shouts by which it hadbeen preceded; and, but for the ghastly countenances of the captives, and the quick rolling eyes of the savages, Miss de Haldimar might haveimagined herself the sport of some extraordinary and exciting illusion. Her glance over these prominent features in the tragedy had beencursory, yet accurate. It now rested on one that had more immediate andterrifying interest for herself. At a few paces in front of thecompanion ladder, and with their backs turned towards her, stood twoindividuals, whose attitudes denoted the purpose of men resolved tosell with their lives alone a passage to a tall fierce-looking savage, whose countenance betrayed every mark of triumphant and deadly passion, while he apparently hesitated whether his uplifted arm should stay theweapon it wielded. These individuals were Captain de Haldimar and SirEverard Valletort; and to the former of these the attention of thesavage was more immediately and exultingly directed; so much so, indeed, that Miss de Haldimar thought she could read in the ferociousexpression of his features the death-warrant of her cousin. In the wildterror of the moment she gave a piercing scream that was answered by ahundred yelling voices, and rushing between her lover and his enemy, threw herself wildly and supplicatingly at the feet of the latter. Uttering a savage laugh, the monster spurned her from him with hisfoot, when, quick as thought, a pistol was discharged within a fewinches of his face; but with a rapidity equal to that of his assailant, he bent aside his head, and the ball passed harmlessly on. The yellthat followed was terrific; and while it was yet swelling into fulness, Captain de Haldimar felt an iron hand furiously grappling his throat, and, ere the grasp was relinquished, he again stood the bound andpassive victim of the warrior of the Fleur de lis. 

CHAPTER III. 

The interval that succeeded to the last council-scene of the Indianswas passed by the officers of Detroit in a state of inexpressibleanxiety and doubt. The fears entertained for the fate of theircompanions, who had set out in the perilous and almost forlorn hope ofreaching Michilimackinac, in time to prevent the consummation of thethreatened treachery, had, in some degree, if not wholly, been allayedby the story narrated by the Ottawa chief. It was evident, from hisstatement, the party had again met, and been engaged in fearfulstruggle with the gigantic warrior they had all so much reason torecollect; and it was equally apparent, that in that struggle they hadbeen successful. But still, so many obstacles were likely to be opposedto their navigation of the several lakes and rivers over which laytheir course, it was almost feared, even if they eventually escapedunharmed themselves, they could not possibly reach the fort in time tocommunicate the danger that awaited their friends. It is true, the timegained by Governor de Haldimar on the first occasion had afforded aconsiderable interval, of which advantage might be taken; but it wasalso, on the other hand, uncertain whether Ponteac had commanded thesame delay in the council of the chiefs investing Michilimackinac, towhich he had himself assented. Three days were sufficient to enable anIndian warrior to perform the journey by land; and it was chiefly onthis vague and uncertain ground they based whatever little of hope wasentertained on the subject. 

It had been settled at the departure of the adventurers, that theinstant they effected a communication with the schooner on Lake Huron, Francois should be immediately sent back, with instructions so tocontrive the period of his return, that his canoe should make itsappearance soon after daybreak at the nearest extremity of Hog Island, the position of which has been described in our introductory chapter. From this point a certain signal, that could be easily distinguishedwith the aid of a telescope, was to be made from the canoe, which, without being of a nature to attract the attention of the savages, wasyet to be such as could not well be mistaken by the garrison. This wasa precaution adopted, not only with the view of giving the earliestintimation of the result of the enterprise, but lest the Canadianshould be prevented, by any closer investment on the part of theIndians, from communicating personally with the fort in the way he hadbeen accustomed. 

It will easily be comprehended therefore, that, as the periodapproached when they might reasonably look for the return of Francois, if he should return at all, the nervous anxiety of the officers becamemore and more developed. Upwards of a week had elapsed since thedeparture of their friends; and already, for the last day or two, theirimpatience had led them, at early dawn, and with beating hearts, tothat quarter of the rampart which overlooked the eastern extremity ofHog Island. Hitherto, however, their eager watching had been in vain. As far as our recollection of the Canadian tradition of this storyserves us, it must have been on the fourth night after the finaldiscomfiture of the plans of Ponteac, and the tenth from the departureof the adventurers, that the officers were assembled in the mess-room, partaking of the scanty and frugal supper to which their longconfinement had reduced them. The subject of their conversation, as itwas ever of their thoughts, was the probable fate of their companions;and many and various, although all equally melancholy, were theconjectures offered as to the result. There was on the countenance ofeach, that deep and fixed expression of gloom, which, if it did notindicate any unmanliness of despair, told at least that hope was nearlyextinct: but more especially was this remarkable in the young but sadlyaltered Charles de Haldimar, who, with a vacant eye and a pre-occupiedmanner, seemed wholly abstracted from the scene before him. 

All was silence in the body of the fort. The men off duty had longsince retired to rest in their clothes, and only the "All's well!" ofthe sentinels was heard at intervals of a quarter of an hour, as thecry echoed from mouth to mouth in the line of circuit. Suddenly, however, between two of those intervals, and during a pause in thelanguid conversation of the officers, the sharp challenge of a sentinelwas heard, and then quick steps on the rampart, as of men hastening tothe point whence the challenge had been given. The officers, whom thisnew excitement seemed to arouse into fresh activity, hurriedly quittedthe room; and, with as little noise as possible, gained the spot wherethe voice had been heard. Several men were bending eagerly over therampart, and, with their muskets at the recover, riveting their gaze ona dark and motionless object that lay on the verge of the ditchimmediately beneath them. 

"What have you here, Mitchell?" asked Captain Blessington, who was incommand of the guard, and who had recognised the gruff voice of theveteran in the challenge just given. 

"An American burnt log, your honour, " muttered the soldier, "if one wasto judge from its stillness; but if it is, it must have rolled therewithin the last minute; for I'll take my affidavy it wasn't here when Ipassed last in my beat. "

"An American burnt log, indeed! it's some damned rascal of a spy, rather, " remarked Captain Erskine. "Who knows but it may be our bigfriend, come to pay us a visit again? And yet he is not half longenough for him, either. Can't you try and tickle him with the bayonet, any of you fellows, and see whether he is made of flesh and blood?"

Although this observation was made almost without object, it beingtotally impossible for any musket, even with the addition of itsbayonet, to reach more than half way across the ditch, the severalsentinels threw themselves on their chests, and, stretching over therampart as far as possible, made the attempt to reach the suspiciouslooking object that lay beyond. No sooner, however, had their arms beenextended in such a manner as to be utterly powerless, when the darkmass was seen to roll away in an opposite direction, and with suchrapidity that, before the men could regain their feet and level theirmuskets, it had entirely disappeared from their view. 

"Cleverly managed, to give the red skin his due, " half laughinglyobserved Captain Erskine, while his brother officers continued to fixtheir eyes in astonishment on the spot so recently occupied by thestrange object; "but what the devil could be his motive for lying thereso long? Not playing the eaves-dropper, surely; and yet, if he meant tohave picked off a sentinel, what was to have prevented him from doingit sooner?"

"He had evidently no arms, " said Ensign Delme. 

"No, nor legs either, it would appear, " resumed the literal Erskine. "Curse me if I ever saw any thing in the shape of a human form bundledtogether in that manner. "

"I mean he had no fire-arms--no rifle, " pursued Delme. 

"And if he had, he certainly would have rifled one of us of a life, "continued the captain, laughing at his own conceit. "But come, the birdis flown, and we have only to thank ourselves for having been soegregiously duped. Had Valletort been here, he would have given adifferent account of him. "

"Hist! listen!" exclaimed Lieutenant Johnstone, calling the attentionof the party to a peculiar and low sound in the direction in which thesupposed Indian had departed. 

It was repeated, and in a plaintive tone, indicating a desire topropitiate. Soon afterwards a human form was seen advancing slowly, butwithout show either of concealment or hostility in its movements. Itfinally remained stationary on the spot where the dark and shapelessmass had been first perceived. 

"Another Oucanasta for De Haldimar, no doubt, " observed CaptainErskine, after a moment's pause. "These grenadiers carry every thingbefore them as well in love as in war. "

The error of the good-natured officer was, however, obvious to all buthimself. The figure, which was now distinctly traced in outline forthat of a warrior, stood boldly and fearlessly on the brink of theditch, holding up its left arm, in the hand of which dangled somethingthat was visible in the starlight, and pointing energetically to thispendant object with the other. 

A voice from one of the party now addressed the Indian in two severaldialects, but without eliciting a reply. He either understood not, orwould not answer the question proposed, but continued pointingsignificantly to the indistinct object which he still held forth in anelevated position. 

"The governor must be apprised of this, " observed Captain Blessingtonto De Haldimar, who was his subaltern of the guard. "Hasten, Charles, to acquaint your father, and receive his orders. "

The young officer willingly obeyed the injunction of his superior. Asecret and indefinable hope rushed through his mind, that as the Indiancame not in hostility, he might be the bearer of some communicationfrom their friends; and he moved rapidly towards that part of thebuilding occupied by his father. 

The light of a lamp suspended over the piazza leading to the governor'srooms reflecting strongly on his regimentals, he passed unchallenged bythe sentinels posted there, and uninterruptedly gained a door thatopened on a narrow passage, at the further extremity of which was thesitting-room usually occupied by his parent. This again was enteredfrom the same passage by a second door, the upper part of which was ofcommon glass, enabling any one on the outside to trace with facilityevery object within when the place was lighted up. 

A glance was sufficient to satisfy the youth his father was not in theroom; although there was strong evidence he had not retired for thenight. In the middle of the floor stood an oaken table, and on this layan open writing desk, with a candle on each side, the wicks of whichhad burnt so long as to throw a partial gloom over the surroundingwainscotting. Scattered about the table and desk were a number ofletters that had apparently been just looked at or read; and in themidst of these an open case of red morocco, containing a miniature. Theappearance of these letters, thus left scattered about by one who wasscrupulously exact in the arrangement of his papers, added to thecircumstance of the neglected and burning candles, confirmed the youngofficer in an impression that his father, overcome by fatigue, hadretired into his bed-room, and fallen unconsciously asleep. Imagining, therefore, he could not, without difficulty, succeed in making himselfheard, and deeming the urgency of the case required it, he determinedto wave the usual ceremony of knocking, and penetrate to his father'sbedroom unannounced. The glass door being without fastening within, easily yielded to his pressure of the latch; but as he passed by thetable, a strong and natural feeling of curiosity induced him to casthis eye upon the miniature. To his infinite surprise, nay, almostterror, he discovered it was that of his mother--the identical portraitwhich his sister Clara had worn in her bosom from infancy, and which hehad seen clasped round her neck on the very deck of the schooner inwhich she sailed for Michilimackinac. He felt there could be nomistake, for only one miniature of the sort had ever been in possessionof the family, and that the one just accounted for. Almost stupified atwhat he saw, and scarcely crediting the evidence of his senses, theyoung officer glanced his eye hurriedly along one of the open lettersthat lay around. It was in the well remembered hand-writing of hismother, and commenced, "Dear, dearest Reginald. " After this followedexpressions of endearment no woman might address except to an affiancedlover, or the husband of her choice; and his heart sickened while heread. Scarcely, however, had he scanned half a dozen lines, when itoccurred to him he was violating some secret of his parents; and, discontinuing the perusal with an effort, he prepared to acquit himselfof his mission. 

On raising his eyes from the paper he was startled by the appearance ofhis father, who, with a stern brow and a quivering lip, stood a fewpaces from the table, apparently too much overcome by his indignationto be able to utter a sentence. 

Charles de Haldimar felt all the awkwardness of his position. Someexplanation of his conduct, however, was necessary; and he stammeredforth the fact of the portrait having riveted his attention, from itsstriking resemblance to that in his sister's possession. 

"And to what do these letters bear resemblance?" demanded the governor, in a voice that trembled in its attempt to be calm, while he fixed hispenetrating eye on that of his son. "THEY, it appears, were equallyobjects of attraction with you. "

"The letters were in the hand-writing of my mother; and I wasirresistibly led to glance at one of them, " replied the youth, with thehumility of conscious wrong. "The action was involuntary, and no soonercommitted than repented of. I am here, my father, on a mission ofimportance, which must account for my presence. "

"A mission of importance!" repeated the governor, with more of sorrowthan of anger in the tone in which he now spoke. "On what mission areyou here, if it be not to intrude unwarrantably on a parent's privacy?"

The young officer's cheek flushed high, as he proudly answered:--"I wassent by Captain Blessington, sir, to take your orders in regard to anIndian who is now without the fort under somewhat extraordinarycircumstances, yet evidently without intention of hostility. It issupposed he bears some message from my brother. "

The tone of candour and offended pride in which this formalannouncement of duty was made seemed to banish all suspicion from themind of the governor; and he remarked, in a voice that had more of thekindness that had latterly distinguished his address to his son, "Wasthis, then, Charles, the only motive for your abrupt intrusion at thishour? Are you sure no inducement of private curiosity was mixed up withthe discharge of your duty, that you entered thus unannounced? You mustadmit, at least, I found you employed in a manner different from whatthe urgency of your mission would seem to justify. "

There was lurking irony in this speech; yet the softened accents of hisfather, in some measure, disarmed the youth of the bitterness he wouldhave flung into his observation, --"That no man on earth, his parentexcepted, should have dared to insinuate such a doubt with impunity. "

For a moment Colonel de Haldimar seemed to regard his son with asurprised but satisfied air, as if he had not expected themanifestation of so much spirit, in one whom he had been accustomedgreatly to undervalue. 

"I believe you, Charles, " he at length observed; "forgive thejustifiable doubt, and think no more of the subject. Yet, one word, " asthe youth was preparing to depart; "you have read that letter" (and hepointed to that which had principally arrested the attention of theofficer): "what impression has it given you of your mother? Answer mesincerely. MY name, " and his faint smile wore something of thecharacter of triumph, "is not REGINALD, you know. "

The pallid cheek of the young man flushed at this question. His ownundisguised impression was, that his mother had cherished a guilty lovefor another than her husband. He felt the almost impiety of such abelief, but he could not resist the conviction that forced itself onhis mind; the letter in her handwriting spoke for itself; and thoughthe idea was full of wretchedness, he was unable to conquer it. Whatever his own inference might be, however, he could not endure thethought of imparting it to his father; he, therefore, answeredevasively. 

"Doubtless my mother had some dear relative of the name, and to him wasthis letter addressed; perhaps a brother, or an uncle. But I neverknew, " he pursued, with a look of appeal to his father, "that a secondportrait of my mother existed. This is the very counterpart of Clara's. "

"It may be the same, " remarked the governor, but in a tone ofindecision, that dented his faith in what he uttered. 

"Impossible, my father. I accompanied Clara, if you recollect, as faras Lake Sinclair; and when I quitted the deck of the schooner toreturn, I particularly remarked my sister wore her mother's portrait, as usual, round her neck. "

"Well, no matter about the portrait, " hurriedly rejoined the governor;"yet, whatever your impression, Charles, " and he spoke with a warmththat was far from habitual to him, "dare not to sully the memory ofyour mother by a doubt of her purity. An accident has given this letterto your inspection, but breathe not its contents to a human creature;above all, respect the being who gave you birth. Go, tell CaptainBlessington to detain the Indian; I will join you immediately. "

Strongly, yet confusedly, impressed with the singularity of the scenealtogether, and more particularly with his father's strange admonition, the young officer quitted the room, and hastened to rejoin hiscompanions. On reaching the rampart he found that the Indian, duringhis long absence, had departed; yet not without depositing, on theouter edge of the ditch, the substance to which he had previouslydirected their attention. At the moment of De Haldimar's approach, theofficers were bending over the rampart, and, with straining eyes, endeavouring to make out what it was, but in vain; something was justperceptible in the withered turf, but what that something was no onecould succeed in discovering. 

"Whatever this be, we must possess ourselves of it, " said CaptainBlessington: "it is evident, from the energetic manner of him who leftit, it is of importance. I think I know who is the best swimmer andclimber of our party. "

Several voices unanimously pronounced the name of "Johnstone. "

"Any thing for a dash of enterprise, " said that officer, whose slightwound had been perfectly healed. "But what do you propose that theswimmer and climber should do, Blessington?"

"Secure yon parcel, without lowering the drawbridge. "

"What! and be scalped in the act? Who knows if it be not a trick afterall, and that the rascal who placed it there is not lying within a fewfeet, ready to pounce upon me the instant I reach the bank. "

"Never mind, " said Erskine, laughingly, "we will revenge your death, myboy. "

"Besides, consider the nunquam non paratus, Johnstone, " slily remarkedLieutenant Leslie. 

"What, again, Leslie?" energetically responded the young Scotsman. "Yetthink not I hesitate, for I did but jest: make fast a rope round myloins, and I think I will answer for the result. "

Colonel de Haldimar now made his appearance. Having heard a briefstatement of the facts, and approving of the suggestion of CaptainBlessington, a rope was procured, and made fast under the shoulders ofthe young officer, who had previously stripped himself of his uniformand shoes. He then suffered himself to drop gently over the edge of therampart, his companions gradually lowering the rope, until a deep andgasping aspiration, such as is usually wrung from one coming suddenlyin contact with cold water, announced he had gained the surface of theditch. The rope was then slackened, to give him the unrestrainedcommand of his limbs; and in the next instant he was seen clambering upthe opposite elevation. 

Although the officers, indulging in a forced levity, in a great degreemeant to encourage their companion, had treated his enterprise withindifference, they were far from being without serious anxiety for theresult. They had laughed at the idea, suggested by him, of beingscalped; whereas, in truth, they entertained the apprehension far morepowerfully than he did himself. The artifices resorted to by thesavages, to secure an isolated victim, were so many and so various, that suspicion could not but attach to the mysterious occurrence theyhad just witnessed. Willing even as they were to believe their presentvisitor, whoever he was, came not in a spirit of enmity, they could notaltogether divest themselves of a fear that it was only a subtleartifice to decoy one of them within the reach of their traitorousweapons. They, therefore, watched the movements of their companion withquickening pulses; and it was with a lively satisfaction they saw him, at length, after a momentary search, descend once more into the ditch, and, with a single powerful impulsion of his limbs, urge himself backto the foot of the rampart. Neither feet nor hands were of muchservice, in enabling him to scale the smooth and slanting logs thatcomposed the exterior surface of the works; but a slight jerk of thewell secured rope, serving as a signal to his friends, he was soondragged once more to the summit of the rampart, without other injurythan a couple of slight bruises. 

"Well, what success?" eagerly asked Leslie and Captain Erskine in thesame breath, as the dripping Johnstone buried himself in the folds of acapacious cloak procured during his absence. 

"You shall hear, " was the reply; "but first, gentlemen, allow me, ifyou please, to enjoy, with yourselves, the luxury of dry clothes. Ihave no particular ambition to contract an American ague fit just now;yet, unless you take pity on me, and reserve my examination for afuture moment, there is every probability I shall not have a tooth leftby to-morrow morning. "

No one could deny the justice of the remark, for the teeth of the youngman were chattering as he spoke. It was not, therefore, until after hehad changed his dress, and swallowed a couple of glasses of CaptainErskine's never failing spirit, that they all repaired once more to themess-room, when Johnstone anticipated all questions, by the productionof the mysterious packet. 

After removing several wrappers of bark, each of which was secured by athong of deerskin, Colonel de Haldimar, to whom the successful officerhad handed his prize, at length came to a small oval case of redmorocco, precisely similar, in size and form, to that which had sorecently attracted the notice of his son. For a moment he hesitated, and his cheek was observed to turn pale, and his hand to tremble; butquickly subduing his indecision, he hurriedly unfastened the clasp, anddisclosed to the astonished view of the officers the portrait of ayoung and lovely woman, habited in the Highland garb. 

Exclamations of various kinds burst from the lips of the group ofofficers. Several knew it to be the portrait of Mrs. De Haldimar;others recognised it from the striking likeness it bore to Clara and toCharles; all knew it had never been absent from the possession of theformer since her mother's death; and feeling satisfied as they did thatits extraordinary appearance among them, at the present moment, was anannouncement of some dreadful disaster, their countenances wore animpress of dismay little inferior to that of the wretched Charles, who, agonized beyond all attempt at description, had thrown himself into aseat in the rear of the group, and sat like one bewildered, with hishead buried in his hands. 

"Gentlemen, " at length observed Colonel de Haldimar, in a voice thatproved how vainly his natural emotion was sought to be subdued by hispride, "this, I fear me, is an unwelcome token. It comes to announce toa father the murder of his child; to us all, the destruction of ourlast remaining friends and comrades. "

"God forbid!" solemnly aspirated Captain Blessington. After a pause ofa moment or two he pursued: "I know not why, sir; but my impression is, the appearance of this portrait, which we all recognise for that wornby Miss de Haldimar, bears another interpretation. "

Colonel de Haldimar shook his head. --"I have but too much reason tobelieve, " he observed, smiling in mournful bitterness, "it has beenconveyed to us not in mercy but in revenge. "

No one ventured to question why; for notwithstanding all were awarethat in the mysterious ravisher of the wife of Halloway Colonel deHaldimar had a fierce and inexorable private enemy, no allusion hadever been made by that officer himself to the subject. 

"Will you permit me to examine the portrait and envelopes, Colonel?"resumed Captain Blessington: "I feel almost confident, although Iconfess I have no other motive for it than what springs from arecollection of the manner of the Indian, that the result will bear meout in my belief the bearer came not in hostility but in friendship. "

"By my faith, I quite agree with Blessington, " said Captain Erskine;"for, in addition to the manner of the Indian, there is anotherevidence in favour of his position. Was it merely intended in the lightin which you consider it, Colonel, the case or the miniature itselfmight have been returned, but certainly not the metal in which it isset. The savages are fully aware of the value of gold, and would not soeasily let it slip through their fingers. "

"And wherefore thus carefully wrapped up?" remarked LieutenantJohnstone, "unless it had been intended it should meet with no injuryon the way. I certainly think the portrait never would have beenconveyed, in its present perfect state, by an enemy. "

"The fellow seemed to feel, too, that he came in the character of onewhose intentions claimed all immunity from harm, " remarked CaptainWentworth. "He surely never would have stood so fearlessly on the brinkof the ditch, and within pistol shot, had he not been conscious ofrendering some service to those connected with us. "

To these several observations of his officers, Colonel de Haldimarlistened attentively; and although he made no reply, it was evident hefelt gratified at the eagerness with which each sought to remove thehorrible impression he had stated to have existed in his own mind. Meanwhile, Captain Blessington had turned and examined the miniature infifty different ways, but without succeeding in discovering any thingthat could confirm him in his original impression. Vexed anddisappointed, he at length flung it from him on the table, and sinkinginto a seat at the side of the unfortunate Charles, pressed the hand ofthe youth in significant silence. 

Finding his worst fears now confirmed. Colonel de Haldimar, for thefirst time, cast a glance towards his son, whose drooping head, andsorrowing attitude, spoke volumes to his heart. For a moment his owncheek blanched, and his eye was seen to glisten with the first tearever witnessed there by those around him. Subduing his emotion, however, he drew up his person to its lordly height, as if that actreminded him the commander was not to be lost in the father, andquitting the room with a heavy brow and step, recommended to hisofficers the repose of which they appeared to stand so much in need. But not one was there who felt inclined to court the solitude of hispillow. No sooner were the footsteps of the governor heard dying awayin the distance, when fresh lights were ordered, and several logs ofwood heaped on the slackening fire. Around this the officers nowgrouped, and throwing themselves back in their chairs, assumed theattitudes of men seeking to indulge rather in private reflection thanin personal converse. 

The grief of the wretched Charles de Haldimar, hitherto restrained bythe presence of his father, and encouraged by the touching evidences ofinterest afforded him by the ever-considerate Blessington, now burstforth audibly. No attempt was made by the latter officer to check theemotion of his young friend. Knowing his passionate fondness for hissister, he was not without fear that the sudden shock produced by theappearance of her miniature might destroy his reason, even if itaffected not his life; and as the moment was now come when tears mightbe shed without exciting invidious remark in the only individual whowas likely to make it, he sought to promote them as much as possible. Too much occupied in their own mournful reflections to bestow more thana passing notice on the weakness of their friend, the group round thefireplace scarcely seemed to have regarded his emotion. 

This violent paroxysm past, De Haldimar breathed more freely; and, after listening to several earnest observations of Captain Blessington, who still held out the possibility of something favourable turning up, on a re-examination of the portrait by daylight, he was so far composedas to be able to attend to the summons of the sergeant of the guard, who came to say the relief were ready, and waiting to be inspectedbefore they were finally marched off. Clasping the extended hand of hiscaptain between his own, with a pressure indicative of his deepgratitude, De Haldimar now proceeded to the discharge of his duty; andhaving caught up the portrait, which still lay on the table, and thrustit into the breast of his uniform, he repaired hurriedly to rejoin hisguard, from which circumstances alone had induced his unusually longabsence. 

CHAPTER IV. 

The remainder of that night was passed by the unhappy De Haldimar in astate of indescribable wretchedness. After inspecting the relief, hehad thrown himself on his rude guard-bed; and, drawing his cloak overhis eyes, given full rein to the wanderings of his excited imagination. It was in vain the faithful old Morrison, who never suffered his masterto mount a guard without finding some one with whom to exchange histour of duty, when he happened not to be in orders himself, repeatedlyessayed, as he sat stirring the embers of the fire, to enter intoconversation with him. The soul of the young officer was sick, past theendurance even of that kind voice; and, more than once, he impetuouslybade him be silent, if he wished to continue where he was; or, if not, to join his comrades in the next guard-room. A sigh was the onlyrespectful but pained answer to these sharp remonstrances; and DeHaldimar, all absorbed even as he was in his own grief, felt it deeply;for he knew the old man loved him, and he could not bear the idea ofappearing to repay with slight the well-intentioned efforts of one whomhe had always looked upon more as a dependant on his family than as themere rude soldier. Still he could not summon courage to disclose thetrue nature of his grief, which the other merely ascribed to generalcauses and vague apprehensions of a yet unaccomplished evil. Morrisonhad ever loved his sister with an affection in no way inferior to thatwhich he bore towards himself. He had also nursed her in childhood; andhis memory was ever faithful to trace, as his tongue was to dwell on, those gentle and amiable qualities, which, strongly marked at anearlier period of her existence, had only undergone change, inasmuch asthey had become matured and more forcibly developed in womanhood. Often, latterly, had the grey-haired veteran been in the habit ofalluding to her; for he saw the subject was one that imparted amournful satisfaction to the youth; and, with a tact that years, morethan deep reading of the human heart, had given him, he ever made apoint of adverting to their re-union as an event admitting not of doubt. 

Hitherto the affectionate De Haldimar had loved to listen to thesesounds of comfort; for, although they carried no conviction to hismind, impressed as he was with the terrible curse of Ellen Halloway, and the consequent belief that his family were devoted to some fearfuldoom, still they came soothingly and unctuously to his sick soul; and, all deceptive even as he felt them to be, he found they created a hopewhich, while certain to be dispelled by calm after-reflection, carrieda momentary solace to his afflicted spirit. But, now that he had everyevidence his adored sister was no more, and that the illusion of hopewas past for ever, to have heard her name even mentioned by one who, ignorant of the fearful truth the events of that night had elucidated, was still ready to renew a strain every chord of which had lost itspower of harmony, was repugnant beyond bearing to his heart. At onemoment he resolved briefly to acquaint the old man with the dreadfulfact, but unwillingness to give pain prevented him; and, moreover, hefelt the grief the communication would draw from the faithful servitorof his family must be of so unchecked a nature as to render his ownsufferings even more poignant than they were. Neither had he(independently of all other considerations) resolution enough to foregothe existence of hope in another, even although it had passed entirelyaway from himself. It was for these reasons he had so harshly and (forhim) unkindly checked, the attempt of the old man at a conversationwhich he, at every moment, felt would be made to turn on the ill-fatedClara. 

Miserable as he felt his position to be, it was not withoutsatisfaction he again heard the voice of his sergeant summoning him tothe inspection of another relief. This duty performed, and anxious toavoid the paining presence of his servant, he determined, instead ofreturning to his guard-room, to consume the hour that remained beforeday in pacing the ramparts. Leaving word with his subordinate, that, inthe event of his being required, he might be found without difficulty, he ascended to that quarter of the works where the Indian had beenfirst seen who had so mysteriously conveyed the sad token he stillretained in his breast. It was on the same side with that particularpoint whence we have already stated a full view of the bridge with itssurrounding scenery, together with the waters of the Detroit, wherethey were intersected by Hog Island, were distinctly commanded. Ateither of those points was stationed a sentinel, whose duty it was toextend his beat between the boxes used now rather as lines ofdemarcation than as places of temporary shelter, until each gained thatof his next comrade, when they again returned to their own, crossingeach other about half way: a system of precaution pursued by the wholeof the sentinels in the circuit of the rampart. 

The ostensible motive of the officer in ascending the works, was tovisit his several posts; but no sooner had he found himself between thepoints alluded to, which happened to be the first in his course, thanhe seemed to be riveted there by a species of fascination. Not thatthere was any external influence to produce this effect, for the utmoststillness reigned both within and around the fort; and, but for thehowling of some Indian wolf-dog in the distance, or the low andmonotonous beat of their drums in the death-dance, there was noughtthat gave evidence of the existence of the dreadful enemy by whom theywere beset. But the whole being of the acutely suffering De Haldimarwas absorbed in recollections connected with the spot on which hestood. At one extremity was the point whence he had witnessed thedreadful tragedy of Halloway's death; at the other, that on which hadbeen deposited the but too unerring record of the partial realisationof the horrors threatened at the termination of that tragedy; andwhenever he attempted to pass each of these boundaries, he felt as ifhis limbs repugned the effort. 

In the sentinels, his appearance among them excited but littlesurprise; for it was no uncommon thing for the officers of the guard tospend the greatest part of the night in visiting, in turn, the severalmore exposed points of the ramparts; and that it was now confined toone particular part, seemed not even to attract their notice. It was, therefore, almost wholly unremarked by his men, that the heart-strickenDe Haldimar paced his quick and uncertain walk with an imaginationfilled with the most fearful forebodings, and with a heart throbbingwith the most painful excitement. Hitherto, since the discovery of thecontents of the packet, his mind had been so exclusively absorbed instupifying grief for his sister, that his perception seemed utterlyincapable of outstepping the limited sphere drawn around it; but now, other remembrances, connected with the localities, forced themselvesupon his attention; and although, in all these, there was nothing thatwas not equally calculated to carry dismay and sorrow to his heart, still, in dividing his thoughts with the one supreme agony that bowedhim down, they were rather welcomed than discarded. His mind was as awheel, embracing grief within grief, multiplied to infinitude; and thewider and more diffusive the circle, the less powerful was theconcentration of sickening heart and brain on that which was the moreimmediate axis of the whole. 

Reminded, for the first time, as he pursued his measured but aimlesswalk, by the fatal portrait which he more than once pressed withfeverish energy to his lips, of the singular discovery he had made thatnight in the apartments of his father, he was naturally led, by a chainof consecutive thought, into a review of the whole of the extraordinaryscene. The fact of the existence of a second likeness of his mother wasone that did not now fail to reawaken all the unqualified surprise hehad experienced at the first discovery. So far from having ever heardhis father make the slightest allusion to this memorial of his departedmother, he perfectly recollected his repeatedly recommending to Clarathe safe custody of a treasure, which, if lost, could never bereplaced. What could be the motive for this mystery?--and why had hesought to impress him with the belief it was the identical portraitworn by his sister which had so unintentionally been exposed to hisview? Why, too, had he evinced so much anxiety to remove from his mindall unfavourable impressions in regard to his mother? Why have been soenergetic in his caution not to suffer a taint of impurity to attach toher memory? Why should he have supposed the possibility of suchimpression, unless there had been sufficient cause for it? In what, moreover, originated his triumphant expression of feature, when, onthat occasion, he reminded him that HIS name was not Reginald? Who, then, was this Reginald? Then came the recollection of what had beenrepeated to him of the parting scene between Halloway and his wife. Inaddressing her ill-fated husband, she had named him Reginald. Could itbe possible this was the same being alluded to by his father? But no;his youth forbade the supposition, being but two years older than hisbrother Frederick; yet might he not, in some way or other, be connectedwith the Reginald of the letter? Why, too, had his father shown suchunrelenting severity in the case of this unfortunate victim?--aseverity which had induced more than one remark from his officers, thatit looked as if he entertained some personal feeling of enmity towardsa man who had done so much for his family, and stood so high in theesteem of all who knew him. 

Then came another thought. At the moment of his execution, Halloway haddeposited a packet in the hands of Captain Blessington;--could theseletters--could that portrait be the same? Certain it was, by whatevermeans obtained, his father could not have had them long in hispossession; for it was improbable letters of so old a date should haveoccupied his attention NOW, when many years had rolled over the memoryof his mother. And then, again, what was the meaning of the languageused by the implacable enemy of his father, that uncouth and ferociouswarrior of the Fleur de lis, not only on the occasion of the executionof Halloway, but afterwards to his brother, during his short captivity;and, subsequently, when, disguised as a black, he penetrated, with theband of Ponteac, into the fort, and aimed his murderous weapon at hisfather's head. What had made him the enemy of his family? and where andhow had originated his father's connection with so extraordinary and sosavage a being? Could he, in any way, be implicated with his mother?But no; there was something revolting, monstrous, in the thought:besides, had not his father stood forward the champion of herinnocence?--had he not declared, with an energy carrying convictionwith every word, that she was untainted by guilt? And would he havedone this, had he had reason to believe in the existence of a criminallove for him who evidently was his mortal foe? Impossible. 

Such were the questions and solutions that crowded on and distractedthe mind of the unhappy De Haldimar, who, after all, could arrive at nosatisfactory conclusion. It was evident there was a secret, --yet, whatever its nature, it was one likely to go down with his father tothe grave; for, however humiliating the reflection to a haughty parent, compelled to vindicate the honour of a mother to her son, and in directopposition to evidence that scarcely bore a shadow ofmisinterpretation, it was clear he had motives for consigning thecircumstance to oblivion, which far outweighed any necessity he felt ofadducing other proofs of her innocence than those which rested on hisown simple yet impressive assertion. 

In the midst of these bewildering doubts, De Haldimar heard some oneapproaching in his rear, whose footsteps he distinguished from theheavy pace of the sentinels. He turned, stopped, and was presentlyjoined by Captain Blessington. 

"Why, dearest Charles, " almost querulously asked the kind officer, ashe passed his arm through that of his subaltern, --"why will you persistin feeding this love of solitude? What possible result can it produce, but an utter prostration of every moral and physical energy? Come, come, summon a little fortitude; all may not yet be so hopeless as youapprehend. For my own part, I feel convinced the day will dawn uponsome satisfactory solution of the mystery of that packet. "

"Blessington, my dear Blessington!"--and De Haldimar spoke withmournful energy, --"you have known me from my boyhood, and, I believe, have ever loved me; seek not, therefore, to draw me from the presenttemper of my mind; deprive me not of an indulgence which, melancholy asit is, now constitutes the sole satisfaction I take in existence. "

"By Heaven! Charles, I will not listen to such language. You absolutelyput my patience to the rack. "

"Nay, then, I will urge no more, " pursued the young officer. "Torevert, therefore, to a different subject. Answer me one question withsincerity. What were the contents of the packet you received from poorHalloway previous to his execution? and in whose possession are theynow?"

Pleased to find the attention of his young friend diverted for themoment from his sister, Captain Blessington quickly rejoiced, hebelieved the packet contained letters which Halloway had stated to himwere of a nature to throw some light on his family connections. He had, however, transferred it, with the seal unbroken, as desired by theunhappy man, to Colonel de Haldimar. 

An exclamation of surprise burst involuntarily from the lips of theyouth. "Has my father ever made any allusion to that packet since?" heasked. 

"Never, " returned Captain Blessington; "and, I confess, his failing todo so has often excited my astonishment. But why do you ask?"

De Haldimar energetically pressed the arm of his captain, while a heavysigh burst from his oppressed heart "This very night, Blessington, onentering my father's apartment to apprise him of what was going onhere, I saw, --I can scarcely tell you what, but certainly enough toconvince me, from what you have now stated, Halloway was, in somedegree or other, connected with our family. Tell me, " he anxiouslypursued, "was there a portrait enclosed with the letters?"

"I cannot state with confidence, Charles, " replied his friend; "but ifI might judge from the peculiar form and weight of the packet, I shouldbe inclined to say not. Have you seen the letters, then?"

"I have seen certain letters which, I have reason to believe, are thesame, " returned De Haldimar. "They were addressed to 'Reginald;' andHalloway, I think you have told me, was so called by his unhappy wife. "

"There can be little doubt they are the same, " said CaptainBlessington; "but what were their contents, and by whom written, thatyou deem they prove a connection between the unhappy soldier and yourfamily?"

De Haldimar felt the blood rise into his cheek, at this natural butunexpected demand. "I am sure, Blessington, " he replied, after a pause, "you will not think me capable of unworthy mystery towards yourself butthe contents of these letters are sacred, inasmuch as they relate onlyto circumstances connected with my father's family. "

"This is singular indeed, " exclaimed Captain Blessington, in a tonethat marked his utter and unqualified astonishment at what had now beendisclosed to him; "but surely, Charles, " he pursued, "if the packethanded me by Halloway were the same you allude to, he would have causedthe transfer to have been made before the period chosen by him for thatpurpose. "

"But the name, " pursued De Haldimar; "how are we to separate theidentity of the packets, when we recur to that name of 'Reginald?'"

"True, " rejoined the musing Blessington; "there is a mystery in thisthat baffles all my powers of penetration. Were I in possession of thecontents of the letters, I might find some clue to solve the enigma:but--"

"You surely do not mean this as a reproach, Blessington?" ferventlyinterrupted the youth. "More I dare not, cannot say, for the secret isnot my own; and feelings, which it would be dishonour to outrage, alonebind me to silence. What little I have revealed to you even now, hasbeen uttered in confidence. I hope you have so understood it. "

"Perfectly, Charles. What you have stated, goes no further; but we havebeen too long absent from our guard, and I confess I have no particularfancy for remaining in this chill night-air. Let us return. "

De Haldimar made no opposition, and they both prepared to quit therampart. As they passed the sentinel stationed at that point where theIndian had been first seen, their attention was directed by him to afire that now suddenly rose, apparently at a great distance, andrapidly increased in volume. The singularity of this occurrence rivetedthe officers for a moment in silent observation; until CaptainBlessington at length ventured a remark, that, judging from thedirection, and the deceptive nature of the element at night, he shouldincline to think it was the hut of the Canadian burning. 

"Which is another additional proof, were any such wanting, that everything is lost, " mournfully urged the ever apprehensive De Haldimar. "Francois has been detected in rendering aid to our friends; and theIndians, in all probability, after having immolated their victim, aresacrificing his property to their rage. "

During this exchange of opinions, the officers had again moved to theopposite point of the limited walk of the younger. Scarcely had theyreached it, and before Captain Blessington could find time to reply tothe fears of his friend, when a loud and distant booming like that of acannon was heard in the direction of the fire. The alarm was givenhastily by the sentinels, and sounds of preparation and arming wereaudible in the course of a minute or two every where throughout thefort. Startled by the report, which they had half inclined to imagineproduced by the discharge of one of their own guns, the half slumberingofficers had quitted the chairs in which they had passed the night inthe mess-room, and were soon at the side of their more watchfulcompanions, then anxiously listening for a repetition of the sound. 

The day was just beginning to dawn, and as the atmosphere clearedgradually away, it was perceived the fire rose not from the hut of theCanadian, but at a point considerably beyond it. Unusual as it was tosee a large fire of this description, its appearance became an objectof minor consideration, since it might be attributed to some caprice ordesire on the part of the Indians to excite apprehension in theirenemies. But how was the report which had reached their ears to beaccounted for? It evidently could only have been produced by thedischarge of a cannon; and if so, where could the Indians have procuredit? No such arm had recently been in their possession; and if it were, they were totally unacquainted with the manner of serving it. 

As the day became more developed, the mystery was resolved. Everytelescope in the fort had been called into requisition; and as theywere now levelled in the direction of the fire, sweeping the line ofhorizon around, exclamations of surprise escaped the lips of several. 

"The fire is at the near extremity of the wood on Hog Island, "exclaimed Lieutenant Johnstone. "I can distinctly see the forms of amultitude of savages dancing round it with hideous gestures andmenacing attitudes. "

"They are dancing their infernal war dance, " said Captain Wentworth. "How I should like to be able to discharge a twenty-four pound battery, loaded with grape, into the very heart of the devilish throng. "

"Do you see any prisoners?--Are any of our friends among them?" eagerlyand tremblingly enquired De Haldimar of the officer who had last spoken. 

Captain Wentworth made a sweep of his glass along the shores of theisland; but apparently without success. He announced that he coulddiscover nothing but a vast number of bark canoes lying dry andupturned on the beach. 

"It is an unusual hour for their war dance, " observed CaptainBlessington. "My experience furnishes me with no one instance in whichit has not been danced previous to their retiring to rest. "

"Unless, " said Lieutenant Boyce, "they should have been thus engagedall night; in which case the singularity may be explained. "

"Look, look, " eagerly remarked Lieutenant Johnstone--"see how they areflying to their canoes, bounding and leaping like so many devils brokeloose from their chains. The fire is nearly deserted already. "

"The schooner--the schooner!" shouted Captain Erskine. "By Heaven, ourown gallant schooner! see how beautifully she drives past the island. It was her gun we heard, intended as a signal to prepare us for herappearance. "

A thrill of wild and indescribable emotion passed through every heart. Every eye was turned upon the point to which attention was nowdirected. The graceful vessel, with every stitch of canvass set, wasshooting rapidly past the low bushes skirting the sands that stillconcealed her hull; and in a moment or two she loomed largely andproudly on the bosom of the Detroit, the surface of which was slightlycurled with a north-western breeze. 

"Safe, by Jupiter!" exclaimed the delighted Erskine, dropping the glassupon the rampart, and rubbing his hands together with everymanifestation of joy. 

"The Indians are in chase, " said Lieutenant Boyce; "upwards of fiftycanoes are following in the schooner's wake. But Danvers will soon giveus an account of their Lilliputian fleet. "

"Let the troops be held in readiness for a sortie, Mr. Lawson, " saidthe governor, who had joined his officers just as the schooner clearedthe island; "we must cover their landing, or, with this host of savagesin pursuit, they will never effect it alive. "

During the whole of this brief but exciting scene, the heart of Charlesde Haldimar beat audibly. A thousand hopes and fears rushed confusedlyon his mind, and he was as one bewildered by, and scarcely creditingwhat he saw. Could Clara, --could his cousin--could his brother--couldhis friend be on board? He scarcely dared to ask himself thesequestions; still it was with a fluttering heart, in which hope, however, predominated, that he hastened to execute an order of hiscaptain, that bore immediate reference to his duty as subaltern of theguard. 

CHAPTER V. 

Meanwhile the schooner dashed rapidly along, her hull occasionally hidfrom the view of those assembled on the ramparts by some interveningorchard or cluster of houses, but her tall spars glittering in theircovering of white canvass, and marking the direction of her course. Atlength she came to a point in the river that offered no otherinterruption to the eye than what arose from the presence of almost allthe inhabitants of the village, who, urged by curiosity and surprise, were to be seen crowding the intervening bank. Here the schooner wassuddenly put about, and the English colours, hitherto concealed by thefolds of the canvass, were at length discovered proudly floating in thebreeze. 

Immediately over the gateway of the fort there was an elevatedplatform, approached by the rampart, of which it formed a part, by somehalf dozen rude steps on either side; and on this platform was placed along eighteen pounder, that commanded the whole extent of road leadingfrom the drawbridge to the river. Hither the officers had all repaired, while the schooner was in the act of passing the town; and now that, suddenly brought up in the wind's eye, she rode leisurely in theoffing, every movement on her decks was plainly discernible with thetelescope. 

"Where the devil can Danvers have hid all his crew?" first spokeCaptain Erskine; "I count but half a dozen hands altogether on deck, and these are barely sufficient to work her. "

"Lying concealed, and ready, no doubt, to give the canoes a warmreception, " observed Lieutenant Johnstone; "but where can our friendsbe? Surely, if there, they would show themselves to us. "

There was truth in this remark; and each felt discouraged anddisappointed that they did not appear. 

"There come the whooping hell fiends, " said Major Blackwater. "ByHeaven! the very water is darkened with the shadows of their canoes. "

Scarcely had he spoken, when the vessel was suddenly surrounded by amultitude of savages, whose fierce shouts rent the air, while theirdripping paddles, gleaming like silver in the rays of the rising sun, were alternately waved aloft in triumph, and then plunged into thetroubled element, which they spurned in fury from their blades. 

"What can Danvers be about? Why does he not either open his fire, orcrowd sail and away from them?" exclaimed several voices. 

"The detachment is in readiness, sir, " said Mr. Lawson, ascending theplatform, and addressing Major Blackwater. 

"The deck, the deck!" shouted Erskine. 

Already the eyes of several were bent in the direction alluded to bythe last speaker, while those whose attention had been diverted by theapproaching canoes glanced rapidly to the same point. To the surpriseand consternation of all, the tall and well-remembered form of thewarrior of the Fleur de lis was seen towering far above the bulwarks ofthe schooner; and with an expression in the attitude he had assumed, which no one could mistake for other than that of triumphant defiance. Presently he drew from the bosom of his hunting coat a dark parcel, andspringing into the rigging of the main-mast, ascended with incredibleactivity to the point where the English ensign was faintly floating inthe breeze. This he tore furiously away, and rending it into manypieces, cast the fragments into the silver element beneath him, onwhose bosom they were seen to float among the canoes of the savages, many of whom possessed themselves, with eagerness, of the gaudycoloured trophies. The dark parcel was now unfolded by the activewarrior, who, after having waved it several times round his head, commenced attaching it to the lines whence the English ensign had sorecently been torn. It was a large black flag, the purport of which wastoo readily comprehended by the excited officers. 

"D--n the ruffian! can we not manage to make that, flag serve as hisown winding sheet?" exclaimed Captain Erskine. "Come, Wentworth, giveus a second edition of the sortie firing; I know no man who understandspointing a gun better than yourself, and this eighteen pounder might dosome mischief. "

The idea was instantly caught at by the officer of artillery, who readhis consent in the eye of Colonel de Haldimar. His companions made wayon either side; and several gunners, who were already at theirstations, having advanced to work the piece at the command of theircaptain, it was speedily brought to bear upon the schooner. 

"This will do, I think, " said Wentworth, as, glancing his experiencedeye carefully along the gun, he found it pointed immediately on thegigantic frame of the warrior. "If this chain-shot miss him, it will bethrough no fault of mine. "

Every eye was now riveted on the main-mast of the schooner, where thewarrior was still engaged in attaching the portentous flag. The gunner, who held the match, obeyed the silent signal of his captain; and themassive iron was heard rushing past the officers, bound on itsmurderous mission. A moment or two of intense anxiety elapsed; and whenat length the rolling volumes of smoke gradually floated away, to thedismay and disappointment of all, the fierce warrior was seen standingapparently unharmed on the same spot in the rigging. The shot had, however, been well aimed, for a large rent in the outstretched canvass, close at his side, and about mid-height of his person, marked thedirection it had taken. Again he tore away, and triumphantly waved theblack flag around his head, while from his capacious lungs there burstyells of defiance and scorn, that could be distinguished for his owneven at that distance. This done, he again secured the death symbol toits place; and gliding to the deck by a single rope, appeared to giveorders to the few men of the crew who were to be seen; for every stitchof canvass was again made to fill, and the vessel, bounding forwardbefore the breeze then blowing upon her quarter, shot rapidly behindthe town, and was finally seen to cast anchor in the navigable channelthat divides Hog Island from the shores of Canada. 

At the discharge of the eighteen pounder, the river had been suddenlycleared, as if by magic, of every canoe; while, warned by the samedanger, the groups of inhabitants, assembled on the bank, had rushedfor shelter to their respective homes; so that, when the schoonerdisappeared, not a vestige of human life was to be seen along thatvista so recently peopled with human forms. An order from Colonel deHaldimar to the adjutant, countermanding the sortie, was the firstinterruption to the silence that had continued to pervade the littleband of officers; and two or three of these having hastened to thewestern front of the rampart, in order to obtain a more distinct viewof the movements of the schooner, their example was speedily followedby the remainder, all of whom now quitted the platform, and repaired tothe same point. 

Here, with the aid of their telescopes, they again distinctly commandeda view of the vessel, which lay motionless close under the sandy beachof the island, and exhibiting all the technicalities of skill in thedisposition of sails and yards peculiar to the profession. In vain, however, was every eye strained to discover, among the multitude ofsavages that kept momentarily leaping to her deck, the forms of thosein whom they were most interested. A group of some half dozen men, apparently common sailors, and those, in all probability, whoseservices had been compelled in the working of the vessel, were the onlyevidences that civilised man formed a portion of that grotesqueassemblage. These, with their arms evidently bound behind their backs, and placed on one of the gangways, were only visible at intervals, asthe band of savages that surrounded them, brandishing their tomahawksaround their heads, occasionally left an opening in their circle. Theformidable warrior of the Fleur de lis was no longer to be seen, although the flag which he had hoisted still fluttered in the breeze. 

"All is lost, then, " ejaculated the governor, with a mournfulness ofvoice and manner that caused many of his officers to turn and regardhim with surprise. "That black flag announces the triumph of my foe inthe too certain destruction of my children. Now, indeed, " he concludedin a lower tone, "for the first time, does the curse of Ellen Hallowaysit heavily on my soul. "

A deep sigh burst from one immediately behind him. The governor turnedsuddenly round, and beheld his son. Never did human countenance wear acharacter of more poignant misery than that of the unhappy Charles atthe moment. Attracted by the report of the cannon, he had flown to therampart to ascertain the cause, and had reached his companions only tolearn the strong hope so recently kindled in his breast was fled forever. His cheek, over which hung his neglected hair, was now pale asmarble, and his lips bloodless and parted; yet, notwithstanding thisintensity of personal sorrow, a tear had started to his eye, apparentlywrung from him by this unusual expression of dismay in his father. 

"Charles--my son--my only now remaining child, " murmured the governorwith emotion, as he remarked, and started at the death-like image ofthe youth; "look not thus, or you will utterly unman me. "

A sudden and involuntary impulse caused him to extend his arms. Theyoung officer sprang forward into the proffered embrace, and sank hishead upon the cheek of his father. It was the first time he had enjoyedthat privilege since his childhood; and even overwhelmed as he was byhis affliction, he felt it deeply. 

This short but touching scene was witnessed by their companions, without levity in any, and with emotion by several. None felt moregratified at this demonstration of parental affection for the sensitiveboy, than Blessington and Erskine. 

"I cannot yet persuade myself, " observed the former officer, as thecolonel again assumed that dignity of demeanour which had beenmomentarily lost sight of in the ebullition of his feelings, --"I cannotyet persuade myself things are altogether so bad as they appear. It istrue the schooner is in the possession of the enemy, but there isnothing to prove our friends are on board. "

"If you had reason to know HIM into whose hands she has fallen, as Ido, you would think differently, Captain Blessington, " returned thegovernor. "That mysterious being, " he pursued, after a short pause, "would never have made this parade of his conquest, had it relatedmerely to a few lives, which to him are of utter insignificance. Thevery substitution of yon black flag, in his insolent triumph, was thepledge of redemption of a threat breathed in my ear within this veryfort: on what occasion I need not state, since the events connectedwith that unhappy night are still fresh in the recollections of us all. That he is my personal enemy, gentlemen, it would be vain to disguisefrom you; although who he is, or of what nature his enmity, it importsnot now to enter upon Suffice it, I have little doubt my children arein his power; but whether the black flag indicates they are no more, orthat the tragedy is only in preparation, I confess I am at a loss tounderstand. "

Deeply affected by the evident despondency that had dictated theseunusual admissions on the part of their chief, the officers wereforward to combat the inferences he had drawn: several coinciding inthe opinion now expressed by Captain Wentworth, that the fact of theschooner having fallen into the hands of the savages by no meansimplied the capture of the fort whence she came; since it was not atall unlikely she had been chased during a calm by the numerous canoesinto the Sinclair, where, owing to the extreme narrowness of the river, she had fallen an easy prey. 

"Moreover, " observed Captain Blessington, "it is highly improbable theferocious warrior could have succeeded in capturing any others than theunfortunate crew of the schooner; for had this been the case, he wouldnot have lost the opportunity of crowning his triumph by exhibiting hisvictims to our view in some conspicuous part of the vessel. "

"This, I grant you, " rejoined the governor, "to be one solitarycircumstance in our favour; but may it not, after all, merely provethat our worst apprehensions are already realised?"

"He is not one, methinks, since vengeance seems his aim, to exercise itin so summary, and therefore merciful, a manner. Depend upon it, colonel, had any of those in whom we are more immediately interested, fallen into his hands, he would not have failed to insult and agonizeus by an exhibition of his prisoners. "

"You are right, Blessington, " exclaimed Charles de Haldimar, in a voicethat his choking feelings rendered almost sepulchral; "he is not one toexercise his vengeance in a summary, and merciful manner. The deed isyet unaccomplished, for even now the curse of Ellen Halloway ringsagain in my ear, and tells me the atoning blood must be spilt on thegrave of her husband. "

The peculiar tone in which these words were uttered, caused every onepresent to turn and regard the speaker, for they recalled the propheticlanguage of the unhappy woman. There was now a wildness of expressionin his handsome features, marking the mind utterly dead to hope, yetstruggling to work itself up to passive endurance of the worst. Colonelde Haldimar sighed painfully, as he bent his eye half reproachfully onthe dull and attenuated features of his son; and although he spoke not, his look betrayed the anguish that allusion had called up to his heart. 

"Forgive me, my father, " exclaimed the youth, grasping a hand that wasreluctantly extended. "I meant it not in unkindness; but indeed I haveever had the conviction strongly impressed on my spirit. I know Iappear weak, childish, unsoldierlike; yet can it be wondered at, when Ihave been so often latterly deceived by false hopes, that now my hearthas room for no other tenant than despair. I am very wretched, " hepursued, with affecting despondency; "in the presence of my companionsdo I admit it, but they all know how I loved my sister. Can they thenfeel surprise, that having lost not only her, but my brother and myfriend, I should be the miserable thing I am. "

Colonel de Haldimar turned away, much affected; and throwing his backagainst the sentry box near him, passed his hand over his eyes, andremained for a few moments motionless. 

"Charles, Charles, is this your promise to me?" whispered CaptainBlessington, as he approached and took the hand of his unhappy friend. "Is this the self-command you pledged yourself to exercise? ForHeaven's sake, agitate not your father thus, by the indulgence of agrief that can have no other tendency than to render him equallywretched. Be advised by me, and quit the rampart. Return to your guard, and endeavour to compose yourself. "

"Ha! what new movement is that on the part of the savages?" exclaimedCaptain Erskine, who had kept his glass to his eye mechanically, andchiefly with a view of hiding the emotion produced in him by the almostinfantine despair of the younger De Haldimar: "surely it is--yet, no, it cannot be--yes, see how they are dragging several prisoners from thewood to the beach. I can distinctly see a man in a blanket coat, andtwo others considerably taller, and apparently sailors. But look, behind them are two females in European dress. Almighty Heaven! therecan be no doubt. "

A painful pause ensued. Every other glass and eye was levelled in thesame direction; and, even as Erskine had described it, a party ofIndians were seen, by those who had the telescopes, conducting fiveprisoners towards a canoe that lay in the channel communicating fromthe island with the main land on the Detroit shore. Into the bottom ofthese they were presently huddled, so that only their heads andshoulders were visible above the gunwale of the frail bark. Presently atall warrior was seen bounding from the wood towards the beach. Thecrowd of gesticulating Indians made way, and the warrior was seen tostoop and apply his shoulder to the canoe, one half of which was highand dry upon the sands. The heavily laden vessel obeyed the impetuswith a rapidity that proved the muscular power of him who gave it. Likesome wild animal, instinct with life, it lashed the foaming waters fromits bows, and left a deep and gurgling furrow where it passed. As itquitted the shore, the warrior sprang lightly in, taking his station atthe stern; and while his tall and remarkable figure bent nimbly to themovement, he dashed his paddle from right to left alternately in thestream, with a quickness that rendered it almost invisible to the eye. Presently the canoe disappeared round an intervening headland, and theofficers lost sight of it altogether. 

"The portrait, Charles; what have you done with the portrait?"exclaimed Captain Blessington, actuated by a sudden recollection, andwith a trepidation in his voice and manner that spoke volumes ofdespair to the younger De Haldimar. "This is our only hope of solvingthe mystery. Quick, give me the portrait, if you have it. "

The young officer hurriedly tore the miniature from the breast of hisuniform, and pitched it through the interval that separated him fromhis captain, who stood a few feet off; but with so uncertain andtrembling an aim, it missed the hand extended to secure it, and fellupon the very stone the youth had formerly pointed out to Blessington, as marking the particular spot on which he stood during the executionof Halloway. The violence of the fall separated the back of the framefrom the picture itself, when suddenly a piece of white and crumpledpaper, apparently part of the back of a letter, yet cut to the size andshape of the miniature, was exhibited to the view of all. 

"Ha!" resumed the gratified Blessington, as he stooped to possesshimself of the prize; "I knew the miniature would be found to containsome intelligence from our friends. It is only this moment it occurredto me to take it to pieces, but accident has anticipated my purpose. May the omen prove a good one! But what have we here?"

With some difficulty, the anxious officer now succeeded in making outthe characters, which, in default of pen or pencil, had been formed bythe pricking of a fine pin on the paper. The broken sentences, on whichthe whole of the group now hung with greedy ear, ran nearly asfollows:--"All is lost. Michilimackinac is taken. We are prisoners, anddoomed to die within eight and forty hours. Alas! Clara and Madelineare of our number. Still there is a hope, if my father deem it prudentto incur the risk. A surprise, well managed, may do much; but it mustbe tomorrow night; forty-eight hours more, and it will be of no avail. He who will deliver this is our friend, and the enemy of my father'senemy. He will be in the same spot at the same hour to-morrow night, and will conduct the detachment to wherever we may chance to be. If youfail in your enterprise, receive our last prayers for a less disastrousfate. God bless you all!"

The blood ran coldly through every vein during the perusal of theseimportant sentences, but not one word of comment was offered by anindividual of the group. No explanation was necessary. The captives inthe canoe, the tall warrior in its stern, all sufficiently betrayed thehorrible truth. 

Colonel de Haldimar at length turned an enquiring look at his twocaptains, and then addressing the adjutant, asked--

"What companies are off duty to-day, Mr. Lawson?"

"Mine, " said Blessington, with an energy that denoted how deeplyrejoiced he felt at the fact, and without giving the adjutant time toreply. 

"And mine, " impetuously added Captain Erskine; "and, by G--! I willanswer for them; they never embarked on a duty of the sort with greaterzeal than they will on this occasion. "

"Gentlemen, I thank you, " said Colonel de Haldimar, with deep emotion, as he stepped forward and grasped in turn the hands of thegenerous-hearted officers. "To Heaven, and to your exertions, do Icommit my children. "

"Any artillery, colonel?" enquired the officer of that corps. 

"No, Wentworth, no artillery. Whatever remains to be done, must beachieved by the bayonet alone, and under favour of the darkness. Gentlemen, again I thank you for this generous interest in mychildren--this forwardness in an enterprise on which depend the livesof so many dear friends. I am not one given to express warm emotion, but I do, indeed, appreciate this conduct deeply. " He then moved away, desiring Mr. Lawson, as he quitted the rampart, to cause the men forthis service to be got in instant readiness. 

Following the example of their colonel, Captains Blessington andErskine quitted the rampart also, hastening to satisfy themselves bypersonal inspection of the efficiency in all respects of their severalcompanies; and in a few minutes, the only individual to be seen in thatquarter of the works was the sentinel, who had been a silent and painedwitness of all that had passed among his officers. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Doubtless, many of our readers are prepared to expect that the doom ofthe unfortunate Frank Halloway was, as an officer of his regiment hadalready hinted, the fruit of some personal pique and concealed motiveof vengeance; and that the denouement of our melancholy story willafford evidence of the governor's knowledge of the true character ofhim, who, under an assumed name, excited such general interest at histrial and death, not only among his military superiors, but those withwhom his adverse destiny had more immediately associated him. It hasalready been urged to us, by one or two of our critical friends to whomwe have submitted what has been thus far written in our tale, that, toexplain satisfactorily and consistently the extreme severity of thegovernor, some secret and personally influencing motive must beassigned; but to these we have intimated, what we now repeat, --namely, that we hope to bear out our story, by natural explanation and simplededuction. Who Frank Halloway really was, or what the connectionexisting between him and the mysterious enemy of the family of DeHaldimar, the sequel of our narrative will show; but whatever itsnature, and however well founded the apprehension of the governor ofthe formidable being hitherto known as the warrior of the Fleur de lis, and however strong his conviction that the devoted Halloway and hisenemy were in secret correspondence, certain it is, that, to the veryhour of the death of the former, he knew him as no other than thesimple private soldier. 

To have ascribed to Colonel de Haldimar motives that would have inducedhis eagerly seeking the condemnation of an innocent man, either togratify a thirst of vengeance, or to secure immunity against personaldanger, would have been to have painted him, not only as a villain, buta coward. Colonel de Haldimar was neither; but, on the contrary, whatis understood in worldly parlance and the generally receivedacceptation of the terms, a man of strict integrity and honour, as wellas of the most undisputed courage. Still, he was a severe and a haughtyman, --one whose military education had been based on the principles ofthe old school--and to whom the command of a regiment afforded a fieldfor the exercise of an orthodox despotism, that could not be passedover without the immolation of many a victim on its rugged surface. Without ever having possessed any thing like acute feeling, his heart, as nature had formed it, was moulded to receive the ordinaryimpressions of humanity; and had he been doomed to move in the sphereof private life, if he had not been distinguished by any remarkablesensibilities, he would not, in all probability, have been conspicuousfor any extraordinary cruelties. Sent into the army, however, at anearly age, and with a blood not remarkable for its mercurial aptitudes, he had calmly and deliberately imbibed all the starched theories andstandard prejudices which a mind by no means naturally gifted was buttoo well predisposed to receive; and he was among the number of those(many of whom are indigenous to our soil even at the present day) wholook down from a rank obtained, upon that which has been just quitted, with a contempt, and coldness, and consciousness of elevation, commensurate only with the respect paid to those still above them, andwhich it belongs only to the little-minded to indulge in. 

As a subaltern, M. De Haldimar had ever been considered a pattern ofrigid propriety and decorum of conduct. Not the shadow of militarycrime had ever been laid to his charge. He was punctual at all paradesand drills; kept the company to which he was attached in a perfect hotwater of discipline; never missed his distance in marching past, orfailed in a military manoeuvre; paid his mess-bill regularly to thehour, nay, minute, of the settling day; and was never, on any oneoccasion, known to enter the paymaster's office, except on thewell-remembered 24th of each month; and, to crown all, he had neverasked, consequently never obtained, a day's leave from his regiment, although he had served in it so long, that there was now but one manliving who had entered it with him. With all these qualities, Ensign deHaldimar promised to make an excellent soldier; and, as such, wasencouraged by the field-officers of the corps, who unhesitatinglypronounced him a lad of discernment and talent, who would one day rivalthem in all the glorious privileges of martinetism. It was evenremarked, as an evidence of his worth, that, when promoted to alieutenancy, he looked down upon the ensigns with that becomingcondescension which befitted his new rank; and up to the captains withthe deferential respect he felt to be due to that third step in thefive-barred gate of regimental promotion, on which his aspiring butchained foot had not yet succeeded in reposing. What, therefore, hebecame when he had succeeded in clambering to the top, and looked downfrom the lordly height he had after many years of plodding serviceobtained, we must leave it to the imaginations of our readers todetermine. We reserve it to a future page, to relate more interestingparticulars. 

Sufficient has been shown, however, from this outline of his character, as well as from the conversations among his officers, elsewheretranscribed, to account for the governor's conduct in the case ofHalloway. That the recommendation of his son, Captain de Haldimar, hadnot been attended to, arose not from any particular ill-will towardsthe unhappy man, but simply because he had always been in the habit ofmaking his own selections from the ranks, and that the presentrecommendation had been warmly urged by one who he fancied pretended toa discrimination superior to his own, in pointing out merits that hadescaped his observation. It might be, too, that there was a latentpride about the manner of Halloway that displeased and dissatisfied onewho looked upon his subordinates as things that were amenable to thehaughtiness of his glance, --not enough of deference in his demeanour, or of supplicating obsequiousness in his speech, to entitle him to thepromotion prayed for. Whatever the motive, there was nothing ofpersonality to influence him in the rejection of the appeal made infavour of one who had never injured him; but who, on the contrary, asthe whole of the regiment could attest, had saved the life of his son. 

Rigid disciplinarian as he was, and holding himself responsible for thesafety of the garrison it was but natural, when the discovery had beenmade of the unaccountable unfastening of the gate of the fort, suspicion of no ordinary kind should attach to the sentinel postedthere; and that he should steadily refuse all credence to a storywearing so much appearance of improbability. Proud, and inflexible, andbigoted to first impressions, his mind was closed against thosepalliating circumstances, which, adduced by Halloway in his defence, had so mainly contributed to stamp the conviction of his moralinnocence on the minds of his judges and the attentive auditory; andcould he even have conquered his pride so far as to have admitted thebelief of that innocence, still the military crime of which he had beenguilty, in infringing a positive order of the garrison, was in itselfsufficient to call forth all the unrelenting severity of his nature. Throughout the whole of the proceedings subsequently instituted, he hadacted and spoken from a perfect conviction of the treason of theunfortunate soldier, and with the fullest impression of the falsehoodof all that had been offered in his defence. The considerations thatinfluenced the minds of his officers, found no entrance into his proudbreast, which was closed against every thing but his own dignifiedsense of superior judgment. Could he, like them, have given credence tothe tale of Halloway, or really have believed that Captain de Haldimar, educated under his own military eye, could have been so wanting insubordination, as not merely to have infringed a positive order of thegarrison, but to have made a private soldier of that garrison accessaryto his delinquency, it is more than probable his stern habits ofmilitary discipline would have caused him to overlook the offence ofthe soldier, in deeper indignation at the conduct of the infinitelymore culpable officer; but not one word did he credit of a statement, which he assumed to have been got up by the prisoner with the mere viewof shielding himself from punishment: and when to these suspicions ofhis fidelity was attached the fact of the introduction of his alarmingvisitor, it must be confessed his motives for indulging in this beliefwere not without foundation. 

The impatience manifested during the trial of Halloway was not a resultof any desire of systematic persecution, but of a sense of woundeddignity. It was a thing unheard of, and unpardonable in his eyes, for aprivate soldier to assert, in his presence, his honour and hisrespectability in extenuation, even while admitting the justice of aspecific charge; and when he remarked the Court listening with thatprofound attention, which the peculiar history of the prisoner hadexcited, he could not repress the manifestation of his anger. Injustice to him, however, it must be acknowledged that, in causing thecharge, to which the unfortunate man pleaded guilty, to be framed, hehad only acted from the conviction that, on the two first, there wasnot sufficient evidence to condemn one whose crime was as clearlyestablished, to his judgment, as if he had been an eye-witness of thetreason. It is true, he availed himself of Halloway's voluntaryconfession, to effect his condemnation; but estimating him as atraitor, he felt little delicacy was necessary to be observed on thatscore. 

Much of the despotic military character of Colonel de Haldimar had beencommunicated to his private life; so much, indeed, that his sons, --bothof whom, it has been seen, were of natures that belied their originfrom so stern a stock, --were kept at nearly as great a distance fromhim as any other subordinates of his regiment. But although he seldomindulged in manifestations of parental regard towards those whom helooked upon rather as inferiors in military rank, than as beingsconnected with him by the ties of blood, Colonel de Haldimar was notwithout that instinctive love for his children, which every animal inthe creation feels for its offspring. He, also, valued and took a pridein, because they reflected a certain degree of lustre upon himself, thetalents and accomplishments of his eldest son, who, moreover, was abrave, enterprising officer, and, only wanted, in his father'sestimation, that severity of carriage and hauteur of deportment, befitting HIS son, to render him perfect. As for Charles, --the gentle, bland, winning, universally conciliating Charles, --he looked upon himas a mere weak boy, who could never hope to arrive at any post ofdistinction, if only by reason of the extreme delicacy of his physicalorganisation; and to have shown any thing like respect for hischaracter, or indulged in any expression of tenderness for one so farbelow his estimate of what a soldier, a child of his, ought to be, would have been a concession of which his proud nature was incapable. In his daughter Clara, however, the gentleness of sex claimed thatwarmer affection which was denied to him, who resembled her in almostevery attribute of mind and person. Colonel de Haldimar doated on hisdaughter with a tenderness, for which few, who were familiar with hisharsh and unbending nature, ever gave him credit. She was the image ofone on whom all of love that he had ever known had been centered; andhe had continued in Clara an affection, that seemed in itself to form aportion, distinct and apart, of his existence. 

We have already seen, as stated by Charles de Haldimar to theunfortunate wife of Halloway, with what little success he had pleadedin the interview he had requested of his father, for the preserver ofhis gallant brother's life; and we have also seen how equallyinefficient was the lowly and supplicating anguish of that wretchedbeing, when, on quitting the apartment of his son, Colonel de Haldimarhad so unexpectedly found himself clasped in her despairing embrace. There was little to be expected from an intercession on the part of oneclaiming so little ascendancy over his father's heart, as theuniversally esteemed young officer; still less from one who, in hershriek of agony, had exposed the haughty chief to the observation bothof men and officers, and under circumstances that caused his positionto border on the ludicrous. But however these considerations might havefailed in effect, there was another which, as a soldier, he could notwholly overlook. Although he had offered no comment on theextraordinary recommendation to mercy annexed to the sentence of theprisoner, it had had a certain weight with him; and he felt, allabsolute even as he was, he could not, without exciting strongdissatisfaction among his troops, refuse attention to a document sopowerfully worded, and bearing the signature and approval of so old andvalued an officer as Captain Blessington. His determination, therefore, had been formed, even before his visit to his son, to act ascircumstances might require; and, in the mean while, he commanded everypreparation for the execution to be made. 

In causing a strong detachment to be marched to the conspicuous pointchosen for his purpose, he had acted from a conviction of the necessityof showing the enemy the treason of the soldier had been detected;reserving to himself the determination of carrying the sentence intofull effect, or pardoning the condemned, as the event might warrant. Not one moment, meanwhile, did he doubt the guilt of Halloway, whosedescription of the person of his enemy was, in itself, to him, confirmatory evidence of his treason. It is doubtful whether he would, in any way, have been influenced by the recommendation of the Court, had the first charges been substantiated; but as there was nothing butconjecture to bear out these, and as the prisoner had been convictedonly on the ground of suffering Captain de Haldimar to quit the fortcontrary to orders, he felt he might possibly go too far in carryingthe capital punishment into effect, in decided opposition to thegeneral feeling of the garrison, --both of officers and men. 

When the shot was subsequently fired from the hut of the Canadian, andthe daring rifleman recognised as the same fearful individual who hadgained access to his apartment the preceding night, conviction of theguilt of Halloway came even deeper home to the mind of the governor. Itwas through Francois alone that a communication was kept up secretlybetween the garrison and several of the Canadians without the fort; andthe very fact of the mysterious warrior having been there so recentlyafter his daring enterprise, bore evidence that whatever treason was inoperation, had been carried on through the instrumentality of mine hostof the Fleur de lis. In proof, moreover, there was the hat of Donellan, and the very rope Halloway had stated to be that by which theunfortunate officer had effected his exit. Colonel de Haldimar was notone given to indulge in the mysterious or to believe in the romantic. Every thing was plain matter of fact, as it now appeared before him;and he thought it evident, as though it had been written in words offire, that if his son and his unfortunate servant had quitted the fortin the manner represented, it was no less certain they had been forcedoff by a party, at the head of whom was his vindictive enemy, and withthe connivance of Halloway. We have seen, that after the discovery ofthe sex of the supposed drummer-boy when the prisoners were confrontedtogether, Colonel de Haldimar had closely watched the expression oftheir countenances, but failed in discovering any thing that could betraced into evidence of a guilty recognition. Still he conceived hisoriginal impression to have been too forcibly borne out, even by theevents of the last half hour, to allow this to have much weight withhim; and his determination to carry the thing through all its fearfulpreliminary stages became more and more confirmed. 

In adopting this resolution in the first instance, he was not without ahope that Halloway, standing, as he must feel himself to be, on theverge of the grave, might be induced to make confession of his guilt, and communicate whatever particulars might prove essential not only tothe safety of the garrison generally, but to himself individually, asfar as his personal enemy was concerned. With this view, he had chargedCaptain Blessington, in the course of their march from the hut to thefatal bridge, to promise a full pardon, provided he should make suchconfession of his crime as would lead to a just appreciation of theevils likely to result from the treason that had in part beenaccomplished. Even in making this provision, however, which was met bythe prisoner with solemn yet dignified reiteration of his innocence, Colonel de Haldimar had not made the refusal of pardon altogetherconclusive in his own mind: still, in adopting this plan, there was achance of obtaining a confession; and not until there was no longer aprospect of the unhappy man being led into that confession, did he feelit imperative on him to stay the progress of the tragedy. 

What the result would have been, had not Halloway, in the strongexcitement of his feelings, sprung to his feet upon the coffin, uttering the exclamation of triumph recorded in the last pages of ourfirst volume, is scarcely doubtful. However much the governor mighthave contemned and slighted a credulity in which he in no wayparticipated himself, he had too much discrimination not to perceive, that to have persevered in the capital punishment would have been tohave rendered himself personally obnoxious to the comrades of thecondemned, whose dispirited air and sullen mien, he clearly saw, denounced the punishment as one of unnecessary rigour. The haughtycommander was not one to be intimidated by manifestations ofdiscontent; neither was he one to brook a spirit of insubordination, however forcibly supported; but he had too much experience and militaryjudgment, not to determine that this was riot a moment, by foregoing anact of compulsory clemency, to instil divisions in the garrison, whenthe safety of all so much depended on the cheerfulness and unanimitywith which they lent themselves to the arduous duties of defence. 

However originating in policy, the lenity he might have been induced tohave shown, all idea of the kind was chased from his mind by theunfortunate action of the prisoner. At the moment when the distantheights resounded with the fierce yells of the savages, and leapingforms came bounding down the slope, the remarkable warrior of the Fleurde lis--the fearful enemy who had whispered the most demoniac vengeancein his ears the preceding night--was the only one that met and rivetedthe gaze of the governor. He paused not to observe or to think who theflying man could be of whom the mysterious warrior was inpursuit, --neither did it, indeed, occur to him that it was a pursuit atall. But one idea suggested itself to his mind, and that was an attemptat rescue of the condemned on the part of his accomplice; and when atlength Halloway, who had at once, as if by instinct, recognised hiscaptain in the fugitive, shouted forth his gratitude to Heaven that "heat length approached who alone had the power to save him, " every shadowof mercy was banished from the mind of the governor, who, labouringunder a natural misconception of the causes of his exulting shout, feltthat justice imperatively demanded her victim, and no longer hesitatedin awarding the doom that became the supposed traitor. It was underthis impression that he sternly gave and repeated the fatal order tofire; and by this misjudged and severe, although not absolutely cruelact, not only destroyed one of the noblest beings that ever wore asoldier's uniform, but entailed upon himself and family that terrificcurse of his maniac wife, which rang like a prophetic warning in theears of all, and was often heard in the fitful starlings of his ownever-after troubled slumbers. 

What his feelings were, when subsequently he discovered, in thewretched fugitive, the son whom he already believed to have beennumbered with the dead, and heard from his lips a confirmation of allthat had been advanced by the unhappy Halloway, we shall leave it toour readers to imagine. Still, even amid his first regret, the rigiddisciplinarian was strong within him; and no sooner had the detachmentregained the fort, after performing the last offices of interment overtheir ill-fated comrade, than Captain de Haldimar received anintimation, through the adjutant, to consider himself under closearrest for disobedience of orders. Finally, however, he succeeded inprocuring an interview with his father; in the course of which, disclosing the plot of the Indians, and the short period allotted forits being carried into execution, he painted in the most gloomy coloursthe alarming, dangers which threatened them all, and finished byurgently imploring his father to suffer him to make the attempt toreach their unsuspecting friends at Michilimackinac. Fully impressedwith the difficulties attendant on a scheme that offered so fewfeasible chances of success, Colonel de Haldimar for a period deniedhis concurrence; but when at length the excited young man dwelt on thehorrors that would inevitably await his sister and betrothed cousin, were they to fall into the hands of the savages, these considerationswere found to be effective. An after-arrangement included Sir EverardValletort, who had expressed a strong desire to share his danger in theenterprise; and the services of the Canadian, who had been brought backa prisoner to the fort, and on whom promises and threats were bestowedin an equally lavish manner, were rendered available. In fact, withoutthe assistance of Francois, there was little chance of their effectingin safety the navigation of the waters through which they were to passto arrive at the fort. He it was, who, when summoned to attend aconference among the officers, bearing on the means to be adopted, suggested the propriety of their disguising themselves as Canadian duckhunters; in which character they might expect to pass unmolested, evenif encountered by any outlying parties of the savages. With the doubtsthat had previously been entertained of the fidelity of Francois, therewas an air of forlorn hope given to the enterprise; still, as the manexpressed sincere earnestness of desire to repay the clemency accordedhim, by a faithful exercise of his services, and as the object soughtwas one that justified the risk, there was, notwithstanding, a latenthope cherished by all parties, that the event would prove successful. We have already seen to what extent their anticipations were realised. 

Whether it was that he secretly acknowledged the too excessivesternness of his justice in regard to Halloway (who still, in the trueacceptation of facts, had been guilty of a crime that entailed thepenalty he had paid), or that the apprehensions that arose to his heartin regard to her on whom he yearned with all a father's fondnessgoverned his conduct, certain it is, that, from the hour of thedisclosure made by his son, Colonel de Haldimar became an altered man. Without losing any thing of that dignity of manner, which had hithertobeen confounded with the most repellent haughtiness of bearing, hisdemeanour towards his officers became more courteous; and although, asheretofore, he kept himself entirely aloof, except when occasions ofduty brought them together, still, when they did meet, there was moreof conciliation in his manner, and less of austerity in his speech. There was, moreover, a dejection in his eye, strongly in contrast withhis former imperious glance; and more than one officer remarked, that, if his days were devoted to the customary practical arrangements fordefence, his pallid countenance betokened that his nights were nightsrather of vigil than of repose. 

However natural and deep the alarm entertained for the fate of thesister fort, there could be no apprehension on the mind of Colonel deHaldimar in regard to his own; since, furnished with the means offoiling his enemies with their own weapons of cunning and deceit, a fewextraordinary precautions alone were necessary to secure all immunityfrom danger. Whatever might be the stern peculiarities of hischaracter, --and these had originated chiefly in an education purelymilitary, --Colonel de Haldimar was an officer well calculated to theimportant trust reposed in him; for, combining experience with judgmentin all matters relating to the diplomacy of war, and being fullyconversant with the character and habits of the enemy opposed to him, he possessed singular aptitude to seize whatever advantages mightpresent themselves. 

The prudence and caution of his policy have already been made manifestin the two several council scenes with the chiefs recorded in oursecond volume. It may appear singular, that, with the opportunity thusafforded him of retaining the formidable Ponteac, --the strength andsinew of that long protracted and ferocious war, --in his power, heshould have waved his advantage; but here Colonel de Haldimar gaveevidence of the tact which so eminently distinguished his publicconduct throughout. He well knew the noble, fearless character of thechief; and felt, if any hold was to be secured over him, it was bygrappling with his generosity, and not by the exercise of intimidation. Even admitting that Ponteac continued his prisoner, and that thetroops, pouring their destructive fire upon the mass of enemies sosuddenly arrested on the drawbridge, had swept away the whole, stillthey were but as a mite among the numerous nations that were leaguedagainst the English; and to these nations, it was evident, they must, sooner or later, succumb. 

Colonel de Haldimar knew enough of the proud but generous nature of theOttawa, to deem that the policy he proposed to pursue in the lastcouncil scene would not prove altogether without effect on thatwarrior. It was well known to him, that much pains had been taken toinstil into the minds of the Indians the belief that the English wereresolved on their final extirpation; and as certain slights, offered tothem at various periods, had given a colouring of truth to thisassertion, the formidable league which had already accomplished thedownfall of so many of the forts had been the consequence of theseartful representations. Although well aware that the French hadnumerous emissaries distributed among the fierce tribes, it was notuntil after the disclosure made by the haughty Ponteac, at the close ofthe first council scene, that he became apprised of the alarminginfluence exercised over the mind of that warrior himself by his ownterrible and vindictive enemy. The necessity of counteracting thatinfluence was obvious; and he felt this was only to be done (if at all)by some marked and extraordinary evidence of the peaceful dispositionof the English. Hence his determination to suffer the faithless chiefsand their followers to depart unharmed from the fort, even at themoment when the attitude assumed by the prepared garrison fully provedto the assailants their designs had been penetrated and their schemesrendered abortive. 

CHAPTER VII. 

With the general position of the encampment of the investing Indians, the reader has been made acquainted through the narrative of Captain deHaldimar. It was, as has been shown, situate in a sort of oasis closewithin the verge of the forest, and (girt by an intervening underwoodwhich Nature, in her caprice, had fashioned after the manner of adefensive barrier) embraced a space sufficient to contain the tents ofthe fighting men, together with their women and children. This, however, included only the warriors and inferior chiefs. The tents ofthe leaders were without the belt of underwood, and principallydistributed at long intervals on that side of the forest which skirtedthe open country towards the river; forming, as it were, a chain ofexternal defences, and sweeping in a semicircular direction round themore dense encampment of their followers. At its highest elevation theforest shot out suddenly into a point, naturally enough rendered anobject of attraction from whatever part it was commanded. 

Darkness was already beginning to spread her mantle over theintervening space, and the night fires of the Indians were kindlinginto brightness, glimmering occasionally through the wood with thatpale and lambent light peculiar to the fire-fly, of which they offereda not inapt representation, when suddenly a lofty tent, the brilliantwhiteness of which was thrown into strong relief by the dark field onwhich it reposed, was seen to rise at a few paces from the abrupt pointin the forest just described, and on the extreme summit of a ridge, beyond which lay only the western horizon in golden perspective. 

The opening of this tent looked eastward and towards the fort; and onits extreme summit floated a dark flag, which at intervals spreaditself before the slight evening breeze, but oftener hung drooping andheavily over the glittering canvass. One solitary pine, whose trunkexceeded not the ordinary thickness of a man's waist, and standing outas a landmark on the ridge, rose at the distance of a few feet from thespot on which the tent had been erected; and to this was bound the talland elegant figure of one dressed in the coarse garb of a sailor. Thearms and legs of this individual were perfectly free; but a strongrope, rendered doubly secure after the manner of what is termed"whipping" among seamen, after having been tightly drawn several timesaround his waist, and then firmly knotted behind, was again passedround the tree, to which the back of the prisoner was closely lashed;thus enabling, or rather compelling, him to be a spectator of everyobject within the tent. 

Layers of bark, over which were spread the dressed skins of the bearand the buffalo, formed the floor and carpet of the latter; and onthese, in various parts, and in characteristic attitudes, reposed theforms of three human beings;--one, the formidable warrior of the Fleurde lis. Attired in the garb in which we first introduced him to ourreaders, and with the same weapons reposing at his side, the haughtysavage lay at his lazy length; his feet reaching beyond the opening ofthe tent, and his head reposing on a rude pillow formed of a closelycompressed pack of skins of wild animals, over which was spread a sortof mantle or blanket. One hand was introduced between the pillow andhis head, the other grasped the pipe tomahawk he was smoking; and whilethe mechanical play of his right foot indicated pre-occupation ofthought, his quick and meaning eye glanced frequently and alternatelyupon the furthest of his companions, the prisoner without, and thedistant fort. 

Within a few feet of the warrior lay, extended on a buffalo skin, thedelicate figure of a female, whose hair, complexion, and hands, denotedher European extraction. Her dress was entirely Indian, however;consisting of a machecoti with leggings, mocassins, and shirt ofprinted cotton studded with silver brooches, --all of which were of aquality and texture to mark the wearer as the wife of a chief; and herfair hair, done up in a club behind, reposed on a neck of dazzlingwhiteness. Her eyes were large, blue, but wild and unmeaning; hercountenance vacant; and her movements altogether mechanical. A woodenbowl filled with hominy, --a preparation of Indian corn, --was at herside; and from this she was now in the act of feeding herself with aspoon of the same material, but with a negligence and slovenliness thatbetrayed her almost utter unconsciousness of the action. 

At the further side of the tent there was another woman, even moredelicate in appearance than the one last mentioned. She, too, wasblue-eyed, and of surpassing fairness of skin. Her attitude denoted amind too powerfully absorbed in grief to be heedful of appearances; forshe sat with her knees drawn up to her chin, and rocking her body toand fro with an undulating motion that seemed to have its origin in noeffort of volition of her own. Her long fair hair hung negligently overher shoulders; and a blanket drawn over the top of her head like aveil, and extending partly over the person, disclosed here and thereportions of an apparel which was strictly European, although rent, andexhibiting in various places stains of blood. A bowl similar to that ofher companion, and filled with the same food, was at her side; but thiswas untasted. 

"Why does the girl refuse to eat?" asked the warrior of her next him, as he fiercely rolled a volume of smoke from his lips. "Make her eat, for I would speak to her afterwards. "

"Why does the girl refuse to eat?" responded the woman in the sametone, dropping her spoon as she spoke, and turning to the object ofremark with a vacant look. "It is good, " she pursued, as she rudelyshook the arm of the heedless sufferer. "Come, girl, eat. "

A shriek burst from the lips of the unhappy girl, as, apparently rousedfrom her abstraction, she suffered the blanket to fall from her head, and staring wildly at her questioner, faintly demanded, --

"Who, in the name of mercy, are you, who address me in this horridplace in my own tongue? Speak; who are you? Surely I should know thatvoice for that of Ellen, the wife of Frank Halloway!"

A maniac laugh was uttered by the wretched woman. This continuedoffensively for a moment; and she observed, in an infuriated tone andwith a searching eye, --"No, I am not the wife of Halloway. It is false. I am the wife of Wacousta. This is my husband!" and as she spoke shesprang nimbly to her feet, and was in the next instant lying prostrateon the form of the warrior; her arms thrown wildly around him, and herlips imprinting kisses on his cheek. 

But Wacousta was in no mood to suffer her endearments. He for the firsttime seemed alive to the presence of her who lay beyond, and, to whosewhole appearance a character of animation had been imparted by thetemporary excitement of her feelings. He gazed at her a moment, withthe air of one endeavouring to recall the memory of days long gone by;and as he continued to do so, his eye dilated, his chest heaved, andhis countenance alternately flushed and paled. At length he threw theform that reposed upon his own, violently, and even savagely, from him;sprang eagerly to his feet; and clearing the space that divided himfrom the object of his attention at a single step, bore her from theearth in his arms with as much ease as if she had been an infant, andthen returning to his own rude couch, placed his horror-stricken victimat his side. 

"Nay, nay, " he urged sarcastically, as she vainly struggled to freeherself; "let the De Haldimar portion of your blood rise up in anger ifit will; but that of Clara Beverley, at least--. "

"Gracious Providence! where am I, that I hear the name of my saintedmother thus familiarly pronounced?" interrupted the startled girl; "andwho are you, "--turning her eyes wildly on the swarthy countenance ofthe warrior, --"who are you, I ask, who, with the mien and in the garbof a savage of these forests, appear thus acquainted with her name?"

The warrior passed his hand across his brow for a moment, as if somepainful and intolerable reflection had been called up by the question;but he speedily recovered his self-possession, and, with an expressionof feature that almost petrified his auditor, vehemently observed, --

"You ask who I am! One who knew your mother long before the accursedname of De Haldimar had even been whispered in her ear; and whom lovefor the one and hatred for the other has rendered the savage you nowbehold! But, " he continued, while a fierce and hideous smile lighted upevery feature, "I overlook my past sufferings in my present happiness. The image of Clara Beverley, even such as my soul loved her in itsyouth, is once more before me in her child; THAT child shall be mywife!"

"Your wife! monster;--never!" shrieked the unhappy girl, again vainlyattempting to disengage herself from the encircling arm of the savage. "But, " she pursued, in a tone of supplication, while the tears coursedeach other down her cheek, "if you ever loved my mother as you say youhave, restore her children to their home; and, if saints may bepermitted to look down from heaven in approval of the acts of men, shewhom you have loved will bless you for the deed. "

A deep groan burst from the vast chest of Wacousta; but, for a moment, he answered not. At length he observed, pointing at the same time withhis finger towards the cloudless vault above their heads, --"Do youbehold yon blue sky, Clara de Haldimar?"

"I do;--what mean you?" demanded the trembling girl, in whom amomentary hope had been excited by the subdued manner of the savage. 

"Nothing, " he coolly rejoined; "only that were your mother to appearthere at this moment, clad in all the attributes ascribed to angels, her prayer would not alter the destiny that awaits you. Nay, nay; looknot thus sorrowfully, " he pursued, as, in despite of her efforts toprevent him, he imprinted a burning kiss upon her lips. "Even thus wasI once wont to linger on the lips of your mother; but hers ever poutedto be pressed by mine; and not with tears, but with sunniest smiles, did she court them. " He paused; bent his head over the face of theshuddering girl; and gazing fixedly for a few minutes on hercountenance, while he pressed her struggling form more closely to hisown, exultingly pursued, as if to himself, --"Even as her mother was, sois she. Ye powers of hell! who would have ever thought a time wouldcome when both my vengeance and my love would be gratified to theutmost? How strange it never should have occurred to me he had adaughter!"

"What mean you, fierce, unpitying man?" exclaimed the terrified Clara, to whom a full sense of the horror of her position had lent unusualenergy of character. "Surely you will not detain a poor defencelesswoman in your hands, --the child of her you say you have loved. But itis false!--you never knew her, or you would not now reject my prayer. "

"Never knew her!" fiercely repeated Wacousta. Again he paused. "Would Ihad never known her! and I should not now be the outcast wretch I am, "he added, slowly and impressively. Then once more elevating hisvoice, --"Clara de Haldimar, I have loved your mother as man never lovedwoman; and I have hated your father" (grinding his teeth with fury ashe spoke) "as man never hated man. That love, that hatred areunquenched--unquenchable. Before me I see at once the image of her who, even in death, has lived enshrined in my heart, and the child of himwho is my bitterest foe. Clara de Haldimar, do you understand me now?"

"Almighty Providence! is there no one to save me?--can nothing touchyour stubborn heart?" exclaimed the affrighted girl; and she turned herswimming eyes on those of the warrior, in appeal; but his glance causedher own to sink in confusion. "Ellen Halloway, " she pursued, after amoment's pause, and in the wild accents of despair, "if you are indeedthe wife of this man, as you say you are, oh! plead for me with him;and in the name of that kindness, which I once extended to yourself, prevail on him to restore me to my father!"

"Ellen Halloway!--who calls Ellen Halloway?" said the wretched woman, who had again resumed her slovenly meal on the rude couch, apparentlywithout consciousness of the scene enacting at her side. "I am notEllen Halloway: they said so; but it is not true. My husband wasReginald Morton: but he went for a soldier, and was killed; and I neversaw him more. "

"Reginald Morton! What mean you, woman?--What know you of ReginaldMorton?" demanded Wacousta, with frightful energy, as, leaning over theshrinking form of Clara, he violently grasped and shook the shoulder ofthe unhappy maniac. 

"Stop; do not hurt me, and I will tell you all, sir, " she almostscreamed. "Oh, sir, Reginald Morton was my husband once; but he waskinder than you are. He did not look so fiercely at me; nor did hepinch me so. "

"What of him?--who was he?" furiously repeated Wacousta, as he againimpatiently shook the arm of the wretched Ellen. "Where did you knowhim?--Whence came he?"

"Nay, you must not be jealous of poor Reginald:" and, as she utteredthese words in a softening and conciliating tone, her eye was turnedupon those of the warrior with a mingled expression of fear andcunning. "But he was very good and very handsome, and generous; and welived near each other, and we loved each other at first sight. But hisfamily were very proud, and they quarrelled with him because he marriedme; and then we became very poor, and Reginald went for a soldier, and--; but I forget the rest, it is so long ago. " She pressed her handto her brow, and sank her head upon her chest. 

"Ellen, woman, again I ask you where he came from? this Reginald Mortonthat you have named. To what county did he belong?"

"Oh, we were both Cornish, " she answered, with a vivacity singularly incontrast with her recent low and monotonous tone; "but, as I saidbefore, he was of a great family, and I only a poor clergyman'sdaughter. "

"Cornish!--Cornish, did you say?" fiercely repeated the dark Wacousta, while an expression of loathing and disgust seemed for a moment toconvulse his features; "then is it as I had feared. One word more. Wasthe family seat called Morton Castle?"

"It was, " unhesitatingly returned the poor woman, yet with the air ofone wondering to hear a name repeated, long forgotten even by herself. "It was a beautiful castle too, on a lovely ridge of hills; and itcommanded such a nice view of the sea, close to the little port of----; and the parsonage stood in such a sweet valley, close under thecastle; and we were all so happy. " She paused, again put her hand toher brow, and pressed it with force, as if endeavouring to pursue thechain of connection in her memory, but evidently without success. 

"And your father's name was Clayton?" said the warrior, enquiringly;"Henry Clayton, if I recollect aright?"

"Ha! who names my father?" shrieked the wretched woman. "Yes, sir, itwas Clayton--Henry Clayton--the kindest, the noblest of human beings. But the affliction of his child, and the persecutions of the Mortonfamily, broke his heart. He is dead, sir, and Reginald is dead too; andI am a poor lone widow in the world, and have no one to love me. " Herethe tears coursed each other rapidly down her faded cheek, although hereyes were staring and motionless. 

"It is false!" vociferated the warrior, who, now he had gained all thatwas essential to the elucidation of his doubts, quitted the shoulder hehad continued to press with violence in his nervous hand, and once moreextended himself at his length; "in me you behold the uncle of yourhusband. Yes, Ellen Clayton, you have been the wife of two ReginaldMortons. Both, " he pursued with unutterable bitterness, while he againstarted up and shook his tomahawk menacingly in the direction of thefort, --"both have been the victims of yon cold-blooded governor; butthe hour of our reckoning is at hand. Ellen, " he fiercely added, "doyou recollect the curse you pronounced on the family of that haughtyman, when he slaughtered your Reginald. By Heaven! it shall befulfilled; but first shall the love I have so long borne the mother betransferred to the child. "

Again he sought to encircle the waist of her whom, in the strongexcitement of his rage, he had momentarily quitted; but the unutterabledisgust and horror produced in the mind of the unhappy Clara lent analmost supernatural activity to her despair. She dexterously eluded hisgrasp, gained her feet, and with tottering steps and outstretched armsdarted through the opening of the tent, and piteously exclaiming, "Saveme! oh, for God's sake, save me!" sank exhausted, and apparentlylifeless, on the chest of the prisoner without. 

To such of our readers as, deceived by the romantic nature of theattachment stated to have been originally entertained by Sir EverardValletort for the unseen sister of his friend, have been led to expecta tale abounding in manifestations of its progress when the parties hadactually met, we at once announce disappointment. Neither the lover ofamorous adventure, nor the admirer of witty dialogue, should dive intothese pages. Room for the exercise of the invention might, it is true, be found; but ours is a tale of sad reality, and our heroes andheroines figure under circumstances that would render wit a satire uponthe understanding, and love a reflection upon the heart. Within thebounds of probability have we, therefore, confined ourselves. 

What the feelings of the young Baronet must have been, from the firstmoment when he received from the hands of the unfortunate CaptainBaynton (who, although an officer of his own corps, was personally astranger to him, ) that cherished sister of his friend, on whose idealform his excited imagination had so often latterly loved to linger, upto the present hour, we should vainly attempt to paint. There areemotions of the heart, it would be mockery in the pen to trace. Fromthe instant of his first contributing to preserve her life, on thatdreadful day of blood, to that when the schooner fell into the hands ofthe savages, few words had passed between them, and these had referencemerely to the position in which they found themselves, and whenever SirEverard felt he could, without indelicacy or intrusion, render himselfin the slightest way serviceable to her. The very circumstances underwhich they had met, conduced to the suppression, if not utterextinction, of all of passion attached to the sentiment with which hehad been inspired. A new feeling had quickened in his breast; and itwas with emotions more assimilated to friendship than to love that henow regarded the beautiful but sorrow-stricken sister of his bosomfriend. Still there was a softness, a purity, a delicacy and tendernessin this new feeling, in which the influence of sex secretly thoughunacknowledgedly predominated; and even while sensible it would havebeen a profanation of every thing most sacred and delicate in nature tohave admitted a thought of love within his breast at such a moment, healso felt he could have entertained a voluptuous joy in making anysacrifice, even to the surrender of life itself, provided thetranquillity of that gentle and suffering being could be by it ensured. 

Clara, in her turn, had been in no condition to admit so exclusive apower as that of love within her soul. She had, it is true, even amidthe desolation of her shattered spirit, recognised in the young officerthe original of a portrait so frequently drawn by her brother, anddwelt on by herself. She acknowledged, moreover, the fidelity of thepainting: but however she might have felt and acted under differentcircumstances, absorbed as was her heart, and paralysed herimagination, by the harrowing scenes she had gone through, she, too, had room but for one sentiment in her fainting soul, and that wasfriendship for the friend of her brother; on whom, moreover, shebestowed that woman's gratitude, which could not fail to be awakened bya recollection of the risks he had encountered, conjointly withFrederick, to save her from destruction. During their passage acrosslake Huron, Sir Everard had usually taken his seat on the deck, at thatrespectful distance which he conceived the delicacy of the position ofthe unfortunate cousins demanded; but in such a manner that, while heseemed wholly abstracted from them, his eye had more than once beendetected by Clara fixed on hers, with an affectionateness of interestshe could not avoid repaying with a glance of recognition and approval. These, however, were the only indications of regard that had passedbetween them. 

If, however, a momentary and irrepressible flashing of that sentiment, which had, at an earlier period, formed a portion of their imaginings, did occasionally steal over their hearts while there was a prospect ofreaching their friends in safety, all manifestation of its power wasagain finally suppressed when the schooner fell into the hands of thesavages. Become the immediate prisoners of Wacousta, they had beensurrendered to that ferocious chief to be dealt with as he might thinkproper; and, on disembarking from the canoe in which their transit tothe main land had been descried that morning from the fort, had beenseparated from their equally unfortunate and suffering companions. Captain de Haldimar, Madeline, and the Canadian, were delivered over tothe custody of several choice warriors of the tribe in which Wacoustawas adopted; and, bound hand and foot, were, at that moment, in the wartent of the fierce savage, which, as Ponteac had once boasted to thegovernor, was every where hung around with human scalps, both of men, of women, and of children. The object of this mysterious man, inremoving Clara to the spot we have described, was one well worthy ofhis ferocious nature. His vengeance had already devoted her todestruction; and it was within view of the fort, which contained thefather whom he loathed, he had resolved his purpose should beaccomplished. A refinement of cruelty, such as could scarcely have beensupposed to enter the breast even of such a remorseless savage ashimself, had caused him to convey to the same spot, him whom he rathersuspected than knew to be the lover of the young girl. It was with theview of harrowing up the soul of one whom he had recognised as theofficer who had disabled him on the night of the rencontre on thebridge, that he had bound Sir Everard to the tree, whence, as we havealready stated, he was a compelled spectator of every thing that passedwithin the tent; and yet with that free action of limb which onlytended to tantalize him the more amid his unavailable efforts to ridhimself of his bonds, --a fact that proved not only the dire extent towhich the revenge of Wacousta could be carried, but the actual andgratuitous cruelty of his nature. 

One must have been similarly circumstanced, to understand all the agonyof the young man during this odious scene, and particularly at thefierce and repeated declaration of the savage that Clara should be hisbride. More than once had he essayed to remove the ligatures whichconfined his waist; but his unsuccessful attempts only drew anoccasional smile of derision from his enemy, as he glanced his eyerapidly towards him. Conscious at length of the inutility of efforts, which, without benefiting her for whom they were principally prompted, rendered him in some degree ridiculous even in his own eyes, thewretched Valletort desisted altogether, and with his head sunk upon hischest, and his eyes closed, sought at least to shut out a scene whichblasted his sight, and harrowed up his very soul. 

But when Clara, uttering her wild cry for protection, and rushing forthfrom the tent, sank almost unconsciously in his embrace, a thrill ofinexplicable joy ran through each awakened fibre of his frame. Bendingeagerly forward, he had extended his arms to receive her; and when hefelt her light and graceful form pressing upon his own as its lastrefuge--when he felt her heart beating against his--when he saw herhead drooping on his shoulder, in the wild recklessness ofdespair, --even amid that scene of desolation and grief he could nothelp enfolding her in tumultuous ecstasy to his breast. Every horribledanger was for an instant forgotten in the soothing consciousness thathe at length encircled the form of her, whom in many an hour ofsolitude he had thus pictured, although under far differentcircumstances, reposing confidingly on him. There was delight mingledwith agony in his sensation of the wild throb of her bosom against hisown; and even while his soul fainted within him, as he reflected on thefate that awaited her, he felt as if he could himself now die morehappily. 

Momentary, however, was the duration of this scene. Furious with angerat the evident disgust of his victim, Wacousta no sooner saw her sinkinto the arms of her lover, than with that agility for which he wasremarkable he was again on his feet, and stood in the next instant ather side. Uniting to the generous strength of his manhood all that waswrung from his mingled love and despair, the officer clasped his handsround the waist of the drooping Clara; and with clenched teeth, andfeet firmly set, seemed resolved to defy every effort of the warrior toremove her. Not a word was uttered on either side; but in the fiercesmile that curled the lip of the savage, there spoke a language evenmore terrible than the words that smile implied. Sir Everard could notsuppress an involuntary shudder; and when at length Wacousta, after ashort but violent struggle, succeeded in again securing and bearing offhis prize, the wretchedness of soul of the former was indescribable. 

"You see 'tis vain to struggle against your destiny, Clara deHaldimar, " sneered the warrior. "Ours is but a rude nuptial couch, itis true; but the wife of an Indian chief must not expect the luxuriesof Europe in the heart of an American wilderness. "

"Almighty Heaven! where am I?" exclaimed the wretched girl, againunclosing her eyes to all the horror of her position; for again she layat the side, and within the encircling arm, of her enemy. "Oh, SirEverard Valletort, I thought I was with you, and that you had saved mefrom this monster. Where is my brother?--Where are Frederick andMadeline?--Why have they deserted me?--Ah! my heart will break. Icannot endure this longer, and live. "

"Clara, Miss de Haldimar, " groaned Sir Everard, in a voice of searchingagony; "could I lay down my life for you, I would; but you see thesebonds. Oh God! oh God! have pity on the innocent; and for once inclinethe heart of yon fierce monster to the whisperings of mercy. " As heuttered the last sentence, he attempted to sink on his knees insupplication to Him he addressed, but the tension of the cord preventedhim; yet were his hands clasped, and his eyes upraised to heaven, whilehis countenance beamed with an expression of fervent enthusiasm. 

"Peace, babbler! or, by Heaven! that prayer shall be your last, "vociferated Wacousta. "But no, " he pursued to himself, dropping at thesame time the point of his upraised tomahawk; "these are but thenatural writhings of the crushed worm; and the longer protracted theyare, the more complete will be my vengeance. " Then turning to theterrified girl, --"You ask, Clara de Haldimar, where you are? In thetent of your mother's lover, I reply, --at the side of him who oncepressed her to his heart, even as I now press you, and with a fondnessthat was only equalled by her own. Come, dear Clara, " and his voiceassumed a tone of tenderness that was even more revolting than hisnatural ferocity, "let me woo you to the affection she once possessed. It was a heart of fire in which her image stood enshrined, --it is aheart of fire still, and well worthy of her child. "

"Never, never!" shrieked the agonised girl. "Kill me, murder me, if youwill; but oh! if you have pity, pollute not my ear with the avowal ofyour detested love. But again I repeat, it is false that my mother everknew you. She never could have loved so fierce, so vindictive a beingas yourself. "

"Ha! do you doubt me still?" sternly demanded the savage. Then drawingthe shuddering girl still closer to his vast chest, --"Come hither, Clara, while to convince you I unfold the sad history of my life, andtell you more of your parents than you have ever known. When, " hepursued solemnly, "you have learnt the extent of my love for the one, and of my hatred for the other, and the wrongs I have endured fromboth, you will no longer wonder at the spirit of mingled love andvengeance that dictates my conduct towards yourself. Listen, girl, " hecontinued fiercely, "and judge whether mine are injuries to be tamelypardoned, when a whole life has been devoted to the pursuit of themeans of avenging them. "

Irresistibly led by a desire to know what possible connection couldhave existed between her parents and this singular and ferocious man, the wretched girl gave her passive assent. She even hoped that, in thecourse of his narrative, some softening recollections would pass overhis mind, the effect of which might be to predispose him to mercy. Wacousta buried his face for a few moments in his large hand, as ifendeavouring to collect and concentrate the remembrances of past years. His countenance, meanwhile, had undergone a change; for there was now ashade of melancholy mixed with the fierceness of expression usuallyobservable there. This, however, was dispelled in the course of hisnarrative, and as various opposite passions were in turn powerfully andseverally developed. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

"It is now four and twenty years, " commenced Wacousta, "since yourfather and myself first met as subalterns in the regiment he nowcommands, when, unnatural to say, an intimacy suddenly sprang upbetween us which, as it was then to our brother officers, has sincebeen a source of utter astonishment to myself. Unnatural, I repeat, forfire and ice are not more opposite than were the elements of which ournatures were composed. He, all coldness, prudence, obsequiousness, andforethought. I, all enthusiasm, carelessness, impetuosity, andindependence. Whether this incongruous friendship--friendship! no, Iwill not so far sully the sacred name as thus to term the unnaturalunion that subsisted between us;--whether this intimacy, then, sprangfrom the adventitious circumstance of our being more frequently throwntogether as officers of the same company, --for we were both attached tothe grenadiers, --or that my wild spirit was soothed by the blandamenity of his manners, I know not. The latter, however, is notimprobable; for proud, and haughty, and dignified, as the colonel NOWis, such was not THEN the character of the ensign; who seemed thrownout of one of Nature's supplest moulds, to fawn, and cringe, and wormhis way to favour by the wily speciousness of his manners. Oh God!"pursued Wacousta, after a momentary pause, and striking his palmagainst his forehead, "that I ever should have been the dupe of such acold-blooded hypocrite!

"I have said our intimacy excited surprise among our brother officers. It did; for all understood and read the character of your father, whowas as much disliked and distrusted for the speciousness of his falsenature, as I was generally esteemed for the frankness and warmth ofmine. No one openly censured the evident preference I gave him in myfriendship; but we were often sarcastically termed the Pylades andOrestes of the regiment, until my heart was ready to leap into mythroat with impatience at the bitterness in which the taunt wasconceived; and frequently in my presence was allusion made to the blindfolly of him, who should take a cold and slimy serpent to his bosomonly to feel its fangs darted into it at the moment when most fosteredby its genial heat. All, however, was in vain. On a nature like mine, innuendo was likely to produce an effect directly opposite to thatintended; and the more I found them inclined to be severe on him Icalled my friend, the more marked became my preference. I even fanciedthat because I was rich, generous, and heir to a title, theirobservations were prompted by jealousy of the influence he possessedover me, and a desire to supplant him only for their interests' sake. Bitterly have I been punished for the illiberality of such an opinion. Those to whom I principally allude were the subalterns of the regiment, most of whom were nearly of our own age. One or two of the juniorcaptains were also of this number; but, by the elders (as we termed theseniors of that rank) and field officers, Ensign de Haldimar was alwaysregarded as a most prudent and promising young officer. 

"What conduced, in a great degree, to the establishment of our intimacywas the assistance I always received from my brother subaltern inwhatever related to my military duties. As the lieutenant of thecompany, the more immediate responsibility attached to myself; butbeing naturally of a careless habit, or perhaps considering all dutyirksome to my impatient nature that was not duty in the field, I wasbut too often guilty of neglecting it. On these occasions my absencewas ever carefully supplied by your father, who, in all the minutiae ofregimental economy, was surpassed by no other officer in the corps; sothat credit was given to me, when, at the ordinary inspections, thegrenadiers were acknowledged to be the company the most perfect inequipment and skilful in manoeuvre. Deeply, deeply, " again musedWacousta, "have these services been repaid. 

"As you have just learnt, Cornwall is the country of my birth. I wasthe eldest of the only two surviving children of a large family; and, as heir to the baronetcy of the proud Mortons, was looked up to by lordand vassal as the future perpetuator of the family name. My brother hadbeen designed for the army; but as this was a profession to which I hadattached my inclinations, the point was waved in my favour, and at theage of eighteen I first joined the ---- regiment, then quartered in theHighlands of Scotland. During my boyhood I had ever accustomed myselfto athletic exercises, and loved to excite myself by encounteringdanger in its most terrific forms. Often had I passed whole days inclimbing the steep and precipitous crags which overhang the sea in theneighbourhood of Morton Castle, ostensibly in the pursuit of the heronor the seagull, but self-acknowledgedly for the mere pleasure ofgrappling with the difficulties they opposed to me. Often, too, in themost terrific tempests, when sea and sky have met in one black andthreatening mass, and when the startled fishermen have in vainattempted to dissuade me from my purpose, have I ventured, in sheerbravado, out of sight of land, and unaccompanied by a human soul. Then, when wind and tide have been against me on my return, have I, with mysimple sculls alone, caused my faithful bark to leap through thefoaming brine as though a press of canvass had impelled her on. Oh, that this spirit of adventure had never grown with my growth andstrengthened with my strength!" sorrowfully added the warrior, againapostrophising himself: "then had I never been the wretch I am. 

"The wild daring by which my boyhood had been marked was againpowerfully awakened by the bold and romantic scenery of the ScottishHighlands; and as the regiment was at that time quartered in a part ofthese mountainous districts, where, from the disturbed nature of thetimes, society was difficult of attainment, many of the officers weredriven from necessity, as I was from choice, to indulge in the sportsof the chase. On one occasion a party of four of us set out early inthe morning in pursuit of deer, numbers of which we knew were to be metwith in the mountainous tracts of Bute and Argyleshire. The course wehappened to take lay through a succession of dark deep glens, and overfrowning rocks; the difficulties of access to which only stirred up mydormant spirit of enterprise the more. We had continued in this coursefor many hours, overcoming one difficulty only to be encountered byanother, and yet without meeting a single deer; when, at length, thefaint blast of a horn was heard far above our heads in the distance, and presently a noble stag was seen to ascend a ledge of rocksimmediately in front of us. To raise my gun to my shoulder and fire wasthe work of a moment, after which we all followed in pursuit. Onreaching the spot where the deer had first been seen, we observedtraces of blood, satisfying us he had been wounded; but the coursetaken in his flight was one that seemed to defy every human effort tofollow in. It was a narrow pointed ledge, ascending boldly towards ahuge cliff that projected frowningly from the extreme summit, and oneither side lay a dark, deep, and apparently fathomless ravine; to lookeven on which was sufficient to appal the stoutest heart, and unnervethe steadiest brain. For me, however, long accustomed to dangers of thesort, it had no terror. This was a position in which I had often wishedonce more to find myself placed, and I felt buoyant and free as thedeer itself I intended to pursue. In vain did my companions (and yourfather was one) implore me to abandon a project so wild and hazardous. I bounded forward, and they turned shuddering away, that their eyesmight not witness the destruction that awaited me. Meanwhile, balancingmy long gun in my upraised hands, I trod the dangerous path with abuoyancy and elasticity of limb, a lightness of heart, and afearlessness of consequences, that surprised even myself. Perhaps itwas to the latter circumstance I owed my safety, for a single doubt ofmy security might have impelled a movement that would not have failedto have precipitated me into the yawning gulf below. I had proceeded inthis manner about five hundred yards, when I came to the termination ofthe ledge, from the equally narrow transverse extremity of whichbranched out three others; the whole contributing to form a figureresembling that of a trident. Pausing here for a moment, I applied thehunting horn, with which I was provided, to my lips. This signal, announcing my safety, was speedily returned by my friends below in acheering and lively strain, that seemed to express at once surprise andsatisfaction; and inspirited by the sound, I prepared to follow up myperilous chase. Along the ledge I had quitted I had remarked occasionaltraces where the stricken deer had passed; and the same blood-spots nowdirected me at a point where, but for these, I must have been utterlyat fault. The centre of these new ridges, and the narrowest, was thattaken by the animal, and on that I once more renewed my pursuit. As Icontinued to advance I found the ascent became more precipitous, andthe difficulties opposed to my progress momentarily more multiplied. Still, nothing daunted, I continued my course towards the main body ofrock that now rose within a hundred yards. How this was to be gained Iknew not; for it shelved out abruptly from the extreme summit, overhanging the abyss, and presenting an appearance which I cannot moreproperly render than by comparing it to the sounding-boards placed overthe pulpits of our English churches. Still I was resolved to persevereto the close, and I but too unhappily succeeded. " Again Wacoustapaused. A tear started to his eye, but this he impatiently brushed awaywith his swarthy hand. 

"It was evident to me, " he again resumed, "that there must be someopening through which the deer had effected his escape to theprecipitous height above; and I felt a wild and fearful triumph infollowing him to his cover, over passes which it was my pleasure tothink none of the hardy mountaineers themselves would have dared toventure upon with impunity. I paused not to consider of the difficultyof bearing away my prize, even if I succeeded in overtaking it. Atevery step my excitement and determination became stronger, and I feltevery fibre of my frame to dilate, as when, in my more boyish days, Iused to brave, in my gallant skiff, the mingled fury of the warringelements of sea and storm. Suddenly, while my mind was intent only onthe dangers I used then to hold in such light estimation, I found myfurther progress intercepted by a fissure in the crag. It was not thewidth of this opening that disconcerted me, for it exceeded not tenfeet; but I came upon it so unadvisedly, that, in attempting to checkmy forward motion, I had nearly lost my equipoise, and fallen into theabyss that now yawned before and on either side of me. To pause uponthe danger, would, I felt, be to ensure it. Summoning all my dexterityinto a single bound, I cleared the chasm; and with one buskined foot(for my hunting costume was strictly Highland) clung firmly to theledge, while I secured my balance with the other. At this point therock became gradually broader, so that I now trod the remainder of therude path in perfect security, until I at length found myself close tothe vast mass of which these ledges were merely ramifications or veins:but still I could discover no outlet by which the wounded deer couldhave escaped. While I lingered, thoughtfully, for a moment, half indisappointment, half in anger, and with my back leaning against therock, I fancied I heard a rustling, as of the leaves and branches ofunderwood, on that part which projected like a canopy, far above theabyss. I bent my eye eagerly and fixedly on the spot whence the soundproceeded, and presently could distinguish the blue sky appearingthrough an aperture, to which was, the instant afterwards, applied whatI conceived to be a human face. No sooner, however, was it seen thanwithdrawn; and then the rustling of leaves was heard again, and all wasstill as before. 

"Why did my evil genius so will it, " resumed Wacousta, after anotherpause, during which he manifested deep emotion, "that I should haveheard those sounds and seen that face? But for these I should havereturned to my companions, and my life might have been the life--theplodding life--of the multitude; things that are born merely to crawlthrough existence and die, knowing not at the moment of death why orhow they have lived at all. But who may resist the destiny thatpresides over him from the cradle to the grave? for, although the massmay be, and are, unworthy of the influencing agency of that UnseenPower, who will presume to deny there are those on whom it stamps itsiron seal, even from the moment of their birth to that which sees allthat is mortal of them consigned to the tomb? What was it but destinythat whispered to me what I had seen was the face of a woman? I had nottraced a feature, nor could I distinctly state that it was a humancountenance I had beheld; but mine was ever an imagination into whichthe wildest improbability was scarce admitted that it did not grow intoconviction in the instant. 

"A new direction was now given to my feelings. I felt a presentimentthat my adventure, if prosecuted, would terminate in some extraordinaryand characteristic manner; and obeying, as I ever did, the firstimpulse of my heart, I prepared to grapple once more with thedifficulties that yet remained to be surmounted. In order to do this, it was necessary that my feet and hands should be utterly withoutincumbrance; for it was only by dint of climbing that I could expect toreach that part of the projecting rock to which my attention had beendirected. Securing my gun between some twisted roots that grew out ofand adhered to the main body of the rock, I commenced the difficultascent; and, after considerable effort, found myself at lengthimmediately under the aperture. My progress along the lower superficiesof this projection was like that of a crawling reptile. My back hungsuspended over the chasm, into which one false movement of hand orfoot, one yielding of the roots entwined in the rock, must inevitablyhave precipitated me; and, while my toes wormed themselves into thetortuous fibres of the latter, I passed hand over hand beyond my head, until I had arrived within a foot or two of the point I desired toreach. Here, however, a new difficulty occurred. A slight projection ofthe rock, close to the aperture, impeded my further progress in themanner hitherto pursued; and, to pass this, I was compelled to drop mywhole weight, suspended by one vigorous arm, while, with the other, Iseparated the bushes that concealed the opening. A violent exertion ofevery muscle now impelled me upward, until at length I had so farsucceeded as to introduce my head and shoulders through the aperture;after which my final success was no longer doubtful. If I have beenthus minute in the detail of the dangerous nature of this passage, "continued Wacousta, gloomily, "it is not without reason. I would haveyou to impress the whole of the localities upon your imagination, thatyou may the better comprehend, from a knowledge of the risks Iincurred, how little I have merited the injuries under which I havewrithed for years. "

Again one of those painful pauses with which his narrative was so oftenbroken, occurred; and, with an energy that terrified her whom headdressed, Wacousta pursued--"Clara de Haldimar, it was here--in thisgarden--this paradise--this oasis of the rocks in which I now foundmyself, that I first saw and loved your mother. Ha! you start: youbelieve me now. --Loved her!" he continued, after another shortpause--"oh, what a feeble word is love to express the concentration ofmighty feelings that flowed like burning lava through my veins! Whoshall pretend to give a name to the emotion that ran thrillingly--madlythrough my excited frame, when first I gazed on her, who, in everyattribute of womanly beauty, realised all my fondest fancy everpainted?--Listen to me, Clara, " he pursued, in a fiercer tone, and witha convulsive pressure of the form he still encircled:--"If, in myyounger days, my mind was alive to enterprise, and loved to contemplatedanger in its most appalling forms, this was far from being the masterpassion of my soul; nay, it was the strong necessity I felt of pouringinto some devoted bosom the overflowing fulness of my heart, that mademe court in solitude those positions of danger with which the image ofwoman was ever associated. How often, while tossed by the ragingelements, now into the blue vault of heaven, now into the lowest gulfsof the sea, have I madly wished to press to my bounding bosom the beingof my fancy's creation, who, all enamoured and given to her love, should, even amid the danger that environed her, be alive but to oneconsciousness, --that of being with him on whom her life's hope alonereposed! How often, too, while bending over some dark and threateningprecipice, or standing on the utmost verge of some tall projectingcliff, my aching head (aching with the intenseness of its ownconceptions) bared to the angry storm, and my eye fixed unshrinkinglyon the boiling ocean far beneath my feet, has my whole soul--my everyfaculty, been bent on that ideal beauty which controlled every sense!Oh, imagination, how tyrannical is thy sway--how exclusive thypower--how insatiable thy thirst! Surrounded by living beauty, I wasinsensible to its influence; for, with all the perfection that realitycan attain on earth, there was ever to be found some deficiency, eitherphysical or moral, that defaced the symmetry and destroyed theloveliness of the whole; but, no sooner didst thou, with magic wand, conjure up one of thy embodiments, than my heart became a sea of flame, and was consumed in the vastness of its own fires. 

"It was in vain that my family sought to awaken me to a sense of theacknowledged loveliness of the daughters of more than one ancient housein the county, with one of whom an alliance was, in many respects, considered desirable. Their beauty, or rather their whole, wasinsufficient to stir up into madness the dormant passions of my nature;and although my breast was like a glowing furnace, in which fancy castall the more exciting images of her coinage to secure the last impressof the heart's approval, my outward deportment to some of the fairestand loveliest of earth's realities was that of one on whom theinfluence of woman's beauty could have no power. From my earliestboyhood I had loved to give the rein to these feelings, until they atlength rendered me their slave. Woman was the idol that lay enshrinedwithin my inmost heart; but it was woman such as I had not yet metwith, yet felt must somewhere exist in the creation. For her I couldhave resigned title, fortune, family, every thing that is dear to man, save the life, through which alone the reward of such sacrifice couldhave been tasted, and to this phantom I had already yielded up all themanlier energies of my nature; but, deeply as I felt the necessity ofloving something less unreal, up to the moment of my joining theregiment, my heart had never once throbbed for created woman. 

"I have already said that, on gaining the summit of the rock, I foundmyself in a sort of oasis of the mountains. It was so. Belted on everyhand by bold and precipitous crags, that seemed to defy the approacheven of the wildest animals, and putting utterly at fault thepenetration and curiosity of man, was spread a carpet of verdure, aluxuriance of vegetation, that might have put to shame the fertility ofthe soft breeze-nourished valleys of Italy and Southern France. Time, however, is not given me to dwell on the mingled beauty and wildness ofa scene, so consonant with my ideas of the romantic and thepicturesque. Let me rather recur to her (although my heart be laceratedonce more in the recollection) who was the presiding deity of thewhole, --the being after whom, had I had the fabled power of Prometheus, I should have formed and animated the sharer of that sweet wildsolitude, nor once felt that fancy, to whom I was so largely a debtor, had in aught been cheated of what she had, for a series of years, sorigidly claimed. 

"At about twenty yards from the aperture, and on a bank, formed ofturf, covered with moss, and interspersed with roses and honeysuckles, sat this divinity of the oasis. She, too, was clad in the Highlanddress, which gave an air of wildness and elegance to her figure thatwas in classic harmony with the surrounding scenery. At the moment ofmy appearance she was in the act of dressing the wounded shoulder of astag, that had recently been shot; and from the broad tartan riband Iperceived attached to its neck, added to the fact of the tameness ofthe animal, I presumed that this stag, evidently a favourite of itsmistress, was the same I had fired at and wounded. The rustling I madeamong the bushes had attracted her attention; she raised her eyes fromthe deer, and, beholding me, started to her feet, uttering a cry ofterror and surprise. Fearing to speak, as if the sound of my own voicewere sufficient to dispel the illusion that fascinated both eye andheart into delicious tension on her form, yet with my soul kindled intoall that wild uncontrollable love which had been the accumulation ofyears of passionate imagining, I stood for some moments as motionlessas the rock out of which I appeared to grow. It seemed as though I hadnot the power to think or act, so fully was every faculty of my beingfilled with the consciousness that I at length gazed upon her I wasdestined to love for ever. 

"It was this utter immobility on my own part, that ensured me acontinuance of the exquisite happiness I then enjoyed. The firstmovement of the startled girl had been to fly towards her dwelling, which stood at a short distance, half imbedded in the same clusteringroses and honey-suckles that adorned her bank of moss; but when sheremarked my utter stillness, and apparent absence of purpose, shechecked the impulse that would have directed her departure, andstopped, half in curiosity, half in fear, to examine me once more. Atthat moment all my energies appeared to be restored; I threw myselfinto an attitude expressive of deep contrition for the intrusion ofwhich I had been unconsciously guilty, and dropping on one knee, andraising my clasped hands, inclined them towards her in token of mingleddeprecation of her anger, and respectful homage to herself. At firstshe hesitated, --then gradually and timidly retrod her way to the seatshe had so abruptly quitted in her alarm. Emboldened by this movement, I made a step or two in advance, but no sooner had I done so than sheagain took to flight. Once more, however, she turned to behold me, andagain I had dropped on my knee, and was conjuring her, with the samesigns, to remain and bless me with her presence. Again she returned toher seat, and again I advanced. Scarcely less timid, however, than thedeer, which followed her every movement, she fled a third time, --athird time looked back, and was again induced, by my supplicatingmanner, to return. Frequently was this repeated, before I finally foundmyself at the feet, and pressing the hand--(oh God! what torture in therecollection!)--yes, pressing the hand of her for whose smile I would, even at that moment, have sacrificed my soul; and every time she fled, the classic disposition of her graceful limbs, and her whole naturalattitude of alarm, could only be compared with those of one of thehuntresses of Diana, intruded on in her woodland privacy by theunhallowed presence of some daring mortal. Such was your mother, Clarade Haldimar; yes, even such as I have described her was Clara Beverley. "

Again Wacousta paused, and his pause was longer than usual, as, withhis large hand again covering his face, he seemed endeavouring tomaster the feelings which these recollections had called up. Clarascarcely breathed. Unmindful of her own desolate position, her soul wasintent only on a history that related so immediately to her belovedmother, of whom all that she had hitherto known was, that she was anative of Scotland, and that her father had married her while quarteredin that country. The deep emotion of the terrible being before her, sooften manifested in the course of what he had already given of hisrecital, added to her knowledge of the facts just named, scarcely lefta doubt of the truth of his statement on her mind. Her ear was now bentachingly towards him, in expectation of a continuance of his history, but he still remained in the same attitude of absorption. Anirresistible impulse caused her to extend her hand, and remove his ownfrom his eyes: they were filled with tears; and even while her mindrapidly embraced the hope that this manifestation of tenderness was butthe dawning of mercy towards the children of her he had once loved, herkind nature could not avoid sympathizing with him, whose uncouthness ofappearance and savageness of nature was, in some measure, lost sight ofin the fact of the powerful love he yet apparently acknowledged. 

But no sooner did Wacousta feel the soft pressure of her hand, and meether eyes turned on his with an expression of interest, than the mostrapid transition was effected in his feelings. He drew the form of theweakly resisting girl closer to his heart; again imprinted a kiss uponher lips; and then, while every muscle in his iron frame seemedquivering with emotion, exclaimed, --"By Heaven! that touch, thatglance, were Clara Beverley's all over! Oh, let me linger on therecollection, even such as they were, when her arms first opened toreceive me in that sweet oasis of the Highlands. Yes, Clara, " heproceeded more deliberately, as he scanned her form with an eye thatmade her shudder, "such as your mother was, so are you; the samedelicacy of proportion; the same graceful curvature of limb, only lessrounded, less womanly. But you must be younger by about two years thanshe then was. Your age cannot exceed seventeen; and time will supplywhat your mere girlhood renders you deficient in. "

There was a cool licence of speech--a startling freedom of manner--inthe latter part of this address, that disappointed not less than itpained and offended the unhappy Clara. It seemed to her as if theillusion she had just created, were already dispelled by his language, even as her own momentary interest in the fierce man had also beendestroyed from the same cause. She shuddered; and sighing bitterly, suffered her tears to force themselves through her closed lids upon herpallid cheek. This change in her appearance seemed to act as a check onthe temporary excitement of Wacousta. Again obeying one of these rapidtransitions of feeling, for which he was remarkable, he once moreassumed an expression of seriousness, and thus continued his narrative. 

CHAPTER IX. 

"It boots not now, Clara, to enter upon all that succeeded to my firstintroduction to your mother. It would take long to relate, not thegradations of our passion, for that was like the whirlwind of thedesert, sudden and devastating from the first; but the burning vow, theplighted faith, the reposing confidence, the unchecked abandonment thatflew from the lips, and filled the heart of each, sealed, as they were, with kisses, long, deep, enervating, even such as I had ever picturedthat divine pledge of human affection should be. Yes, Clara deHaldimar, your mother was the child of nature THEN. Unspoiled by theforms, unvitiated by the sophistries of a world with which she hadnever mixed, her intelligent innocence made the most artless avowals tomy enraptured ear, --avowals that the more profligate minded woman ofsociety would have blushed to whisper even to herself. And for these Iloved her to my own undoing. 

"Blind vanity, inconceivable folly!" continued Wacousta, again pressinghis forehead with force; "how could I be so infatuated as not toperceive, that although her heart was filled with a new and deliciouspassion, it was less the individual than the man she loved. And howcould it be otherwise, since I was the first, beside her father, shehad ever seen or recollected to have seen? Still, Clara de Haldimar, "he pursued, with haughty energy, "I was not always the rugged being Inow appear. Of surpassing strength I had ever been, and fleet of foot, but not then had I attained to my present gigantic stature; neither wasmy form endowed with the same Herculean rudeness; nor did my complexionwear the swarthy hue of the savage; nor had my features been renderedrepulsive, from the perpetual action of those fierce passions whichhave since assailed my soul. My physical faculties had not yet beendeveloped to their present grossness of maturity, neither had my moralenergies acquired that tone of ferocity which often renders me hideous, even in my own eyes. In a word, the milk of my nature (for, with all myimpetuosity of character, I was generous-hearted and kind) had not yetbeen turned to gall by villainy and deceit. My form had then all thatmight attract--my manners all that might win--my enthusiasm of speechall that might persuade--and my heart all that might interest a girlfashioned after nature's manner, and tutored in nature's school. In theregiment, I was called the handsome grenadier; but there was anotherhandsomer than I, --a sly, insidious, wheedling, false, remorselessvillain. That villain, Clara de Haldimar, was your father. 

"But wherefore, " continued Wacousta, chafing with the recollection, "wherefore do I, like a vain and puling schoolboy, enter into thisabasing contrast of personal advantages? The proud eagle soars not moreabove the craven kite, than did my soul, in all that was manly andgenerous, above that of yon false governor; and who should have prizedthose qualities, if it were not the woman who, bred in solitude, andtaught by fancy to love all that was generous and noble in the heart ofman, should have considered mere beauty of feature as dust in thescale, when opposed to sentiments which can invest even deformity withloveliness? In all this I may appear vain; I am only just. 

"I have said that your mother had been brought up in solitude, andwithout having seen the face of another man than her father. Such wasthe case;--Colonel Beverley, of English name, but Scottish connections, was an old gentleman of considerable eccentricity of character. He hadtaken a part in the rebellion of 1715; but sick and disgusted with anissue by which his fortunes had been affected, and heart-broken by theloss of a beloved wife, whose death had been accelerated bycircumstances connected with the disturbed nature of the times, he hadresolved to bury himself and child in some wild, where the face of man, whom he loathed, might no more offend his sight. This oasis of themountains was the spot selected for his purpose; for he had discoveredit some years previously, on an occasion, when, closely pursued by someof the English troops, and separated from his followers, he had onlyeffected his escape by venturing on the ledges of rock I have alreadydescribed. After minute subsequent search, at the opposite extremity ofthe oblong belt of rocks that shut it in on every hand, he haddiscovered an opening, through which the transport of such necessariesas were essential to his object might be effected; and, causing one ofhis dwelling houses to be pulled down, he had the materials carriedacross the rocks on the shoulders of the men employed to re-erect themin his chosen solitude. A few months served to complete thesearrangements, which included a garden abounding in every fruit andflower that could possibly live in so elevated a region; and; this, intime, under his own culture, and that of his daughter, became the Edenit first appeared to me. 

"Previous to their entering on this employment, the workmen had beenseverally sworn to secrecy; and when all was declared ready for hisreception, the colonel summoned them a second time to his presence;when, after making a handsome present to each, in addition to his hire, he found no difficulty in prevailing on them to renew their oath thatthey would preserve the most scrupulous silence in regard to the placeof his retreat. He then took advantage of a dark and tempestuous nightto execute his project; and, attended only by an old woman and herdaughter, faithful dependants of the family, set out in quest of hisnew abode, leaving all his neighbours to discuss and marvel at thesingularity of his disappearance. True to his text, however, not even aboy was admitted into his household: and here they had continued tolive, unseeing and unseen by man, except when a solitary and distantmountaineer occasionally flitted among the rocks below in pursuit ofhis game. Fruits and vegetables composed their principal diet; but oncea fortnight the old woman was dispatched through the opening alreadymentioned, which was at other times so secured by her master, that nohand but his own could remove the intricate fastenings. This expeditionhad for its object the purchase of bread and animal food at the nearestmarket; and every time she sallied forth an oath was administered tothe crone, the purport of which was, not only that she would return, unless prevented by violence or death, but that she would not answerany questions put to her, as to who she was, whence she came, or forwhom the fruits of her marketing were intended. 

"Meanwhile, wrapped up in his books, which were chiefly classicauthors, or writers on abstruse sciences, the misanthropical colonelpaid little or no attention to the cultivation of the intellect of hisdaughter, whom he had merely instructed in the elementary branches ofeducation; in all which, however, she evinced an aptitude andperfectability that indicated quickness of genius and a capability offar higher attainments. Books he principally withheld from her, becausethey brought the image of man, whom he hated, and wished she shouldalso hate, too often in flattering colours before her; and had any worktreating of love been found to have crept accidentally into his owncollection, it would instantly and indignantly have been committed tothe flames. 

"Thus left to the action of her own heart--the guidance of her ownfeelings--it was but natural your mother should have suffered herimagination to repose on an ideal happiness, which, although in somedegree destitute of shape and character, was still powerfully felt. Nature is too imperious a law-giver to be thwarted in her dictates; andhowever we may seek to stifle it, her inextinguishable voice will makeitself heard, whether it be in the lonely desert or in the crowdedcapital. Possessed of a glowing heart and warm sensibilities, ClaraBeverley felt the energies of her being had not been given to her to bewasted on herself. In her dreams by night, and her thoughts by day, shehad pictured a being endowed with those attributes which were the fruitof her own fertility of conception. If she plucked a flower, (and allthis she admitted at our first interview, " groaned Wacousta, ) "she wassensible of the absence of one to whom that flower might be given. Ifshe gazed at the star-studded canopy of heaven, or bent her head overthe frowning precipices by which she was every where surrounded, shefelt the absence of him with whom she could share the enthusiasmexcited by the contemplation of the one, and to whom she could impartthe mingled terror and admiration produced by the dizzying depths ofthe other. What dear acknowledgments (alas! too deceitful, ) flowed fromher guileless lips, even during that first interview. With a candourand unreservedness that spring alone from unsophisticated manners andan untainted heart, she admitted, that the instant she beheld me, shefelt she had found the being her fancy had been so long tutored tolinger on, and her heart to love. She was sure I was come to be herhusband (for she had understood from her aged attendant that a man wholoved a woman wished to be her husband); and she was glad her pet staghad been wounded, since it had been the means of procuring her suchhappiness. She was not cruel enough to take pleasure in the sufferingsof the poor animal; for she would nurse it, and it would soon be wellagain; but she could not help rejoicing in its disaster, since thatcircumstance had been the cause of my finding her out, and loving hereven as she loved me. And all this was said with her head reclining onmy chest, and her beautiful countenance irradiated with a glow that hadsomething divine in the simplicity of purpose it expressed. 

"On my demanding to know whether it was not her face I had seen at theopening in the cliff, she replied that it was. Her stag often playedthe truant, and passed whole hours away from her, rambling beyond theprecincts of the solitude that contained its mistress; but no soonerwas the small silver bugle, which she wore across her shoulder, appliedto her lips, than 'Fidelity' (thus she had named him) was certain toobey the call, and to come bounding up the line of cliff to the mainrock, into which it effected its entrance at a point that had escapedmy notice. It was her bugle I had heard in the course of my pursuit ofthe animal; and, from the aperture through which I had effected myentrance, she had looked out to see who was the audacious hunter shehad previously observed threading a passage, along which her stagitself never appeared without exciting terror in her bosom. The firstglimpse she had caught of my form was at the moment when, after havingsounded my own bugle, I cleared the chasm; and this was a leap she hadso often trembled to see taken by 'Fidelity, ' that she turned away andshuddered when she saw it fearlessly adventured on by a human being. Afeeling of curiosity had afterwards induced her to return and see ifthe bold hunter had cleared the gulf, or perished in his mad attempt;but when she looked outward from the highest pinnacle of her rockyprison, she could discover no traces of him whatever. It then occurredto her, that, if successful in his leap, his progress must have beenfinally arrested by the impassable rock that terminated the ridge; inwhich case she might perchance obtain a nearer sight of his person. With this view she had removed the bushes enshrouding the aperture;and, bending low to the earth, thrust her head partially through it. Scarcely had she done so, however, when she beheld me immediately, though far beneath her, with my back reposing against the rock, and myeyes apparently fixed on hers. 

"Filled with a variety of opposite sentiments, among which unfeignedalarm was predominant, she had instantaneously removed her head; and, closing the aperture as noiselessly as possible, returned to themoss-covered seat on which I had first surprised her; where, while sheapplied dressings of herbs to the wound of her favourite, she sufferedher mind to ruminate on the singularity of the appearance of a man soimmediately in the vicinity of their retreat. The supposedimpracticability of the ascent I had accomplished, satisfied, evenwhile (as she admitted) it disappointed her. I must of necessityretrace my way over the dangerous ridge. Great, therefore, was hersurprise, when, after having been attracted by the rustling noise ofthe bushes over the aperture, she presently saw the figure of the samehunter emerge from the abyss it overhung. Terror had winged her flight;but it was terror mingled with a delicious emotion entirely new to her. It was that emotion, momentarily increasing in power, that induced herto pause, look back, hesitate in her course, and finally be won, by mysupplicating manner, to return and bless me with her presence. 

"Two long and delicious hours, " pursued Wacousta, after another painfulpause of some moments, "did we pass in this manner; exchanging thought, and speech, and heart, as if the term of our acquaintance had beencoeval with the first dawn of our intellectual life; when suddenly asmall silver toned bell was heard from the direction of the house, hidfrom the spot--on which we sat by the luxuriant foliage of anintervening laburnum. This sound seemed to dissipate the dreamy calmthat had wrapped the soul of your mother into forgetfulness. Shestarted suddenly up, and bade me, if I loved her, begone; as that bellannounced her required attendance on her father, who, now awakened fromthe mid-day slumber in which he ever indulged, was about to take hisaccustomed walk around the grounds; which was little else, in fact, than a close inspection of the walls of his natural castle. I rose toobey her; our eyes met, and she threw herself into my extended arms. Wewhispered anew our vows of eternal love. She called me her husband, andI pronounced the endearing name of wife. A burning kiss sealed thecompact; and, on her archly observing that the sleep of her fathercontinued about two hours at noon, and that the old woman and herdaughter were always occupied within doors, I promised to repeat myvisit every second day until she finally quitted her retreat to be myown for life. Again the bell was rung; and this time with a violencethat indicated impatience of delay. I tore myself from her arms, dartedto the aperture, and kissing my hand in reply to the graceful waving ofher scarf as she half turned in her own flight, sunk finally from herview; and at length, after making the same efforts, and mastering thesame obstacles that had marked and opposed my advance, once more foundmyself at the point whence I had set out in pursuit of the wounded deer. 

"Many were the congratulations I received from my companions, whom Ifound waiting my return. They had endured the three hours of my absencewith intolerable anxiety and alarm; until, almost despairing ofbeholding me again, they had resolved on going back without me. Theysaid they had repeatedly sounded their horns; but meeting with noanswer from mine, had been compelled to infer either that I had strayedto a point whence return to them was impracticable, or that I must haveperished in the abyss. I readily gave in to the former idea; stating Ihad been led by the traces of the wounded deer to a considerabledistance, and over passes which it had proved a work of time anddifficulty to surmount, yet without securing my spoil. All this timethere was a glow of animation on my cheek, and a buoyancy of spirit inmy speech, that accorded ill, the first, with the fatigue one mighthave been supposed to experience in so perilous a chase; the second, with the disappointment attending its result. Your father, ever cooland quick of penetration, was the first to observe this; and when hesignificantly remarked, that, to judge from my satisfied countenance, my time had been devoted to the pursuit of more interesting game, Ifelt for a moment as if he was actually master of my secret, and wassensible my features underwent a change. I, however, parried theattack, by replying indifferently, that if he should have the hardihoodto encounter the same dangers, he would, if successful, require noother prompter than the joy of self-preservation to lend the same glowof satisfaction to his own features. Nothing further was said on thesubject; but conversing on indifferent topics, we again threaded themazes of rock and underwood we had passed at an early hour, and finallygained the town in which we were quartered. 

"During dinner, as on our way home, although my voice occasionallymixed with the voices of my companions, my heart was far away, and fullof the wild but innocent happiness in which it had luxuriated. Atlength, the more freely to indulge in the recollection, I stole at anearly hour from the mess-room, and repaired to my own apartments. Inthe course of the morning, I had hastily sketched an outline of yourmother's features in pencil, with a view to assist me in the design ofa miniature I purposed painting from memory. This was an amusement ofwhich I was extremely and in which I had attained considerableexcellence; being enabled, from memory alone, to give a most correctrepresentation of any object that particularly fixed my attention. Shehad declared utter ignorance of the art herself, her father havingstudiously avoided instructing her in it from some unexplained motive;yet as she expressed the most unbounded admiration of those whopossessed it, it was my intention to surprise her with a highlyfinished likeness of herself at my next visit. With this view I now setto work; and made such progress, that before I retired to rest I hadcompleted all but the finishing touches, to which I purposed devoting aleisure hour or two by daylight on the morrow. 

"While occupied the second day in its completion, it occurred to me Iwas in orders for duty on the following, which was that of my promisedvisit to the oasis; and I despatched my servant with my compliments toyour father, and a request that he would be so obliging as to take myguard for me on the morrow, and I would perform his duty when next hisname appeared on the roster. Some time afterwards I heard the door ofthe room in which I sat open, and some one enter. Presuming it to be myservant, returned from the execution of the message with which he hadjust been charged, I paid no attention to the circumstance; butfinding, presently, he did not speak, I turned round with a view ofdemanding what answer he had brought. To my surprise, however, I beheldnot my servant, but your father. He was standing looking over myshoulder at the work on which I was engaged; and notwithstanding in theinstant he resumed the cold, quiet, smirking look that usuallydistinguished him, I thought I could trace the evidence of some deepemotion which my action had suddenly dispelled. He apologised for hisintrusion, although we were on those terms that rendered apologyunnecessary, but said he had just received my message, and preferredcoming in person to assure me how happy he should feel to take my duty, or to render me any other service in his power. I thought he laidunusual emphasis on the last sentence; yet I thanked him warmly, stating that the only service I should now exact of him would be totake my guard, as I was compelled to be absent nearly the whole of thefollowing morning. He observed, with a smile, he hoped I was not goingto venture my neck on those dangerous precipices a second time, afterthe narrow escape I had had on the preceding day. As he spoke, Ithought his eye met mine with a sly yet scrutinizing glance; and, notwishing to reply immediately to his question, I asked him what hethought of the work with which I was endeavouring to beguile an idlehour. He took it up, and I watched the expression of his handsomecountenance with the anxiety of a lover who wishes that all shouldthink his mistress beautiful as he does himself. It betrayed a veryindefinite sort of admiration; and yet it struck me there was aneagerness in his dilating eye that contrasted strongly with the calmand unconcern of his other features. At length I asked him, laughingly, what he thought of my Cornish cousin. He replied, cautiously enough, that since it was the likeness of a cousin, and he dwelt emphaticallyon the word, he could not fail to admire it. Candour, however, compelled him to admit, that had I not declared the original to be oneso closely connected with me, he should have said the talent of soperfect an artist might have been better employed. Whatever, however, his opinion of the lady might be, there could be no question that thepainting was exquisite; yet, he confessed, he could not but be struckwith the singularity of the fact of a Cornish girl appearing in thefull costume of a female Highlander. This, I replied, was mere matterof fancy and association, arising from my having been so much latterlyin the habit of seeing that dress principally worn. He smiled one ofhis then damnable soft smiles of assent, and here the conversationterminated, and he left me. 

"The next day saw me again at the side of your mother, who received mewith the same artless demonstrations of affection. There was a mellowedsoftness in her countenance, and a tender languor in her eye, I had notremarked the preceding day. Then there was more of the vivacity andplayfulness of the young girl; now, more of the deep fervour and thecomposed serenity of the thoughtful woman. This change was tooconsonant to my taste--too flattering to my self-love--not to berejoiced in; and as I pressed her yielding form in silent rapture to myown, I more than ever felt she was indeed the being for whom my glowingheart had so long yearned. After the first full and unreservedinterchange of our souls' best feelings, our conversation turned uponlighter topics; and I took an opportunity to produce the fruit of myapplication since we had parted. Never shall I forget the surprise anddelight that animated her beautiful countenance when first she gazedupon the miniature. The likeness was perfect, even to the minutestshading of her costume; and so forcibly and even childishly did thisstrike her, that it was with difficulty I could persuade her she wasnot gazing on some peculiar description of mirror that reflected backher living image. She expressed a strong desire to retain it; and tothis I readily assented: stipulating only to retain it until my nextvisit, in order that I might take an exact copy for myself. With a lookof the fondest love, accompanied by a pressure on mine of lips thatdistilled dewy fragrance where they rested, she thanked me for a giftwhich she said would remind her, in absence, of the fidelity with whichher features had been engraven on my heart. She admitted, moreover, with a sweet blush, that she herself had not been idle. Although herpencil could not call up my image in the same manner, her pen hadbetter repaid her exertions; and, in return for the portrait, she wouldgive me a letter she had written to beguile her loneliness on thepreceding day. As she spoke she drew a sealed packet from the bosom ofher dress, and placing it in my hand, desired me not to read it until Ihad returned to my home. But there was an expression of sweet confusionin her lovely countenance, and a trepidation in her manner, that, halfdisclosing the truth, rendered me utterly impatient of the delayimposed; and eagerly breaking the seal, I devoured rather than read itscontents. 

"Accursed madness of recollection!" pursued Wacousta, again strikinghis brow violently with his hand, --"why is it that I ever feel thusunmanned while recurring to those letters? Oh! Clara de Haldimar, neverdid woman pen to man such declarations of tenderness and attachment asthat too dear but faithless letter of your mother contained. Words offire, emanating from the guilelessness of innocence, glowed in everyline; and yet every sentence breathed an utter unconsciousness of theeffect those words were likely to produce. Mad, wild, intoxicated, Iread the letter but half through; and, as it fell from my tremblinghand, my eye turned, beaming with the fires of a thousand emotions, upon that of the worshipped writer. That glance was more than her owncould meet. A new consciousness seemed to be stirred up in her soul. Her eye dropped beneath its long and silken fringe--her cheek becamecrimson--her bosom heaved--and, all confidingness, she sank her headupon my chest, which heaved scarcely less wildly than her own. 

"Had I been a cold-blooded villain--a selfish and remorseless seducer, "continued Wacousta with vehemence--"what was to have prevented mytriumph at that moment? But I came not to blight the flower that hadlong been nurtured, though unseen, with the life-blood of my own being. Whatever I may be NOW, I was THEN the soul of disinterestedness andhonour; and had she reposed on the bosom of her own father, thatdevoted and unresisting girl could not have been pressed there withholier tenderness. But even to this there was too soon a term. The hourof parting at length arrived, announced, as before, by the small bellof her father, and I again tore myself from her arms; not, however, without first securing the treasured letter, and obtaining a promisefrom your mother that I should receive another at each succeedingvisit. "

CHAPTER X. 

"Nearly a month passed away in this manner; and at each interview ouraffection seemed to increase. The days of our meeting were ever days ofpure and unalloyed happiness; while the alternate ones of absence were, on my part, occupied chiefly with reading the glowing letters given meat each parting by your mother. Of all these, however, there was notone so impassioned, so natural, so every way devoted, as the first. Notthat she who wrote them felt less, but that the emotion excited in herbosom by the manifestation of mine on that occasion, had imparted adiffidence to her style of expression, plainly indicating the sourcewhence it sprung. 

"One day, while preparing to set out on my customary excursion, areport suddenly reached me that the route had arrived for the regiment, who were to march from ---- within three days. This intelligence Ireceived with inconceivable delight; for it had been settled betweenyour mother and myself, that this should be the moment chosen for herdeparture. It was not to be supposed (and I should have been bothpained and disappointed had it been otherwise, ) that she would consentto abandon her parent without some degree of regret; but, havingforeseen this objection from the first, I had gradually prepared herfor the sacrifice. This was the less difficult, as he appeared never tohave treated her with affection, --seldom with the marked favour thatmight have been presumed to distinguish the manner of a father towardsa lovely and only daughter. Living for himself and the indulgence ofhis misanthropy alone, he cared little for the immolation of hischild's happiness on its unhallowed shrine; and this was an act ofinjustice I had particularly dwelt upon; upheld in truth, as it was, bythe knowledge she herself possessed, that no consideration could inducehim to bestow her hand on any one individual of a race he so cordiallydetested; and this was not without considerable weight in her decision. 

"With a glowing cheek, and a countenance radiant with happiness, didyour mother receive my proposal to prepare for her departure on thefollowing day. She was sufficiently aware, even through what I hadstated myself, that there were certain ceremonies of the Church to beperformed, in order to give sanctity to our union, and ensure her ownpersonal respectability in the world; and these, I told her, would besolemnised by the chaplain of the regiment. She implicitly confided inme; and she was right; for I loved her too well to make her mymistress, while no barrier existed to her claim to a dearer title. Andhad she been the daughter of a peasant, instead of a high-borngentleman, finding her as I had found her, and loving her as I did loveher, I should have acted precisely in the same way. 

"The only difficulty that now occurred was the manner of her flight. The opening before alluded to as being the point whence the old womanmade her weekly sally to the market town, was of so intricate andlabyrinthian a character that none but the colonel understood thesecret of its fastenings; and the bare thought of my venturing with heron the route by which I had hitherto made my entry into the oasis, wasone that curdled my blood with fear. I could absolutely feel my fleshto contract whenever I painted the terrible risk that would be incurredin adopting a plan I had once conceived, --namely, that of lashing yourmother to my back, while I again effected my descent to the ledgebeneath, in the manner I had hitherto done. I felt that, once on theridge, I might, without much effort, attain the passage of the fissurealready described; for the habit of accomplishing this leap hadrendered it so perfectly familiar to me, that I now performed it withthe utmost security and ease; but to imagine our united weightsuspended over the abyss, as it necessarily must be in the first stageof our flight, when even the dislodgment of a single root or fragmentof the rock was sufficient to ensure the horrible destruction of herwhom I loved better than my own life, had something too appalling in itto suffer me to dwell on the idea for more than a moment. I hadproposed, as the most feasible and rational plan, that the colonelshould be compelled to give us egress through the secret passage, whenwe might command the services of the old woman to guide us through thepasses that led to the town; but to this your mother most urgentlyobjected, declaring that she would rather encounter any personal perilthat might attend her escape, in a different manner, than appear to bea participator in an act of violence against her parent whose obstinacyof character she moreover knew too well to leave a hope of his beingintimidated into the accomplishment of our object, even by a threat ofdeath itself. This plan I was therefore compelled to abandon; and asneither of us were able to discover the passage by which the deeralways effected its entrance, I was obliged to fix upon one, which itwas agreed should be put in practice on the following day. 

"On my return, I occupied myself with preparations for the reception ofher who was so speedily to become my wife. Unwilling that she should beseen by any of my companions, until the ceremony was finally performed, I engaged apartments in a small retired cottage, distant about half amile from the furthest extremity of the town, where I purposed sheshould remain until the regiment finally quitted the station. Thispoint secured, I hastened to the quarters of the chaplain, to engagehis services for the following evening; but he was from home at thetime, and I repaired to my own rooms, to prepare the means of escapefor your mother. These occupied me until a very late hour; and when atlength I retired to rest, it was only to indulge in the fondestimaginings that ever filled the heart of a devoted lover. Alas! (andthe dark warrior again sighed heavily) the day-dream of my happinesswas already fast drawing to a close. 

"At half an hour before noon, I was again in the oasis; your mother wasat the wonted spot; and although she received me with her sunniestsmiles, there were traces of tears upon her cheek. I kissed themeagerly away, and sought to dissipate the partial gloom that was againclouding her brow. She observed it pained me to see her thus, and shemade a greater effort to rally. She implored me to forgive herweakness; but it was the first time she was to be separated from herparent; and conscious as she was that it was to be for ever, she couldnot repress the feeling that rose, despite of herself, to her heart. She had, however, prepared a letter, at my suggestion, to be left onher favourite moss seat, where it was likely she would first be soughtby her father, to assure him of her safety, and of her prospects offuture happiness; and the consciousness that he would labour under noharrowing uncertainty in regard to her fate, seemed, at length, tosoothe and satisfy her heart. 

"I now led her to the aperture, where I had left the apparatus providedfor my purpose: this consisted of a close netting, about four feet indepth, with a board for a footstool at the bottom, and furnished atintervals with hoops, so as to keep it full and open. The top of thisnetting was provided with two handles, to which were attached the endsof a cord many fathoms in length; the whole of such durability, as tohave borne weights equal to those of three ordinary sized men, withwhich I had proved it prior to my setting out. My first care was tobandage the eyes of your mother, (who willingly and fearlesslysubmitted to all I proposed, ) that she might not see, and become faintwith seeing, the terrible chasm over which she was about to besuspended. I then placed her within the netting, which, fitting closelyto her person, and reaching under her arms, completely secured her; andmy next urgent request was, that she would not, on any account, removethe bandage, or make the slightest movement, when she found herselfstationary below, until I had joined her. I then dropped her gentlythrough the aperture, lowering fathom after fathom of the rope, theends of which I had firmly secured round the trunk of a tree, as anadditional safeguard, until she finally came on a level with that partof the cliff on which I had reposed when first she beheld me. As shestill hung immediately over the abyss, it was necessary to give agradual impetus to her weight, to enable her to gain the landing-place. I now, therefore, commenced swinging her to and fro, until she atlength came so near the point desired, that I clearly saw the principaldifficulty was surmounted. The necessary motion having been given tothe balance, with one vigorous and final impulsion I dexterouslycontrived to deposit her several feet from the edge of the lower rock, when, slackening the rope on the instant, I had the inexpressiblesatisfaction to see that she remained firm and stationary. The wavingof her scarf immediately afterwards (a signal previously agreed upon), announced she had sustained no injury in this rather rude collisionwith the rock, and I in turn commenced my descent. 

"Fearing to cast away the ends of the rope, lest their weight should byany chance effect the balance of the footing your mother had obtained, I now secured them around my loins, and accomplishing my descent in thecustomary manner, speedily found myself once more at the side of myheart's dearest treasure. Here the transport of my joy was too great tobe controlled; I felt that NOW my prize was indeed secured to me forever; and I burst forth into the most passionate exclamations oftenderness, and falling on my knees, raised my hands to Heaven infervent gratitude for the success with which my enterprise had beencrowned. Another would have been discouraged at the difficulties stillremaining; but with these I was become too familiar, not to feel theutmost confidence in encountering them, even with the treasure that wasequally perilled with myself. For a moment I removed the bandage fromthe eyes of your mother, that she might behold not only the far distantpoint whence she had descended, but the frowning precipice I had dailybeen in the habit of climbing to be blest with her presence. She didso, --and her cheek paled, for the first time, with a sense of thedanger I had incurred; then turning her soft and beautiful eyes onmine, she smiled a smile that seemed to express how much her love wouldrepay me. Again our lips met, and we were happy even in that lonelyspot, beyond all language to describe. Once more, at length, I preparedto execute the remainder of my task; and I again applied the bandage toher eyes, saying that, although the principal danger was over, stillthere was another I could not bear she should look upon. Again shesmiled, and with a touching sweetness of expression that fired myblood, observing at the same time she feared no danger while she waswith me, but that if my object was to prevent her from looking at me, the most efficient way certainly was to apply a bandage to her eyes. Oh! woman, woman!" groaned Wacousta, in fierce anguish of spirit, "whoshall expound the complex riddle of thy versatile nature?

"Disengaging the rope from the handles of the netting, I now applied tothese a broad leathern belt taken from the pouches of two of my men, and stooping with my back to the cherished burden with which I wasabout to charge myself, passed the centre of the belt across my chest, much in the manner in which, as you are aware, Indian women carry theirinfant children. As an additional precaution, I had secured the nettinground my waist by a strong lacing of cord, and then raising myself tomy full height, and satisfying myself of the perfect freedom of actionof my limbs, seized a long balancing pole I had left suspended againstthe rock at my last visit, and commenced my descent of the slopingridge. On approaching the horrible chasm, a feeling of faintness cameover me, despite of the confidence with which I had previously armedmyself. This, however, was but momentary. Sensible that every thingdepended on rapidity of movement, I paused not in my course; but, quickening my pace as I gradually drew nearer, gave the necessaryimpetus to my motion, and cleared the gap with a facility far exceedingwhat had distinguished my first passage, and which was the fruit ofconstant practice alone. Here my balance was sustained by the pole; andat length I had the inexpressible satisfaction to find myself at thevery extremity of the ridge, and immediately at the point where I hadleft my companions in my first memorable pursuit. Alas!" continued thewarrior, again interrupting himself with one of those fierceexclamations of impatient anguish that so frequently occurred in hisnarrative, "what subject for rejoicing was there in this? Better far wehad been dashed to pieces in the abyss, than I should have lived tocurse the hour when first my spirit of adventure led me to traverseit. " Again he resumed:--

"In the deep transport of my joy, I once more threw myself on my kneesin speechless thanksgiving to Providence for the complete success of myundertaking. Your mother, whom I had previously released from herconfinement, did the same; and at that moment the union of our heartsseemed to be cemented by a divine influence, manifested in the fulnessof the gratitude of each. I then raised her from the earth, imprintinga kiss upon her fair brow, that was hallowed by the purity of thefeeling I had so recently indulged in; and throwing over her shouldersthe mantle of a youth, which I had secreted near the spot, enjoined herto follow me closely in the path I was about to pursue. As she hadhitherto encountered no fatigue, and was, moreover, well provided withstrong buskins I had brought for the purpose, I thought it advisable todiscontinue the use of the netting, which must attract notice, andcause us, perhaps, to be followed, in the event of our being met by anyof the hunters that usually traversed these parts. To carry her in myarms, as I should have preferred, might have excited the samecuriosity, and I was therefore compelled to decide upon her walking;reserving to myself, however, the sweet task of bearing her in myembrace over the more difficult parts of our course. 

"I have not hitherto found it necessary to state, " continued Wacousta, his brow lowering with fierce and gloomy thought, "that more than once, latterly, on my return from the oasis, which was usually at a statedhour, I had observed a hunter hovering near the end of the ledge, yetquickly retreating as I advanced. There was something in the figure ofthis man that recalled to my recollection the form of your father; butever, on my return to quarters, I found him in uniform, and exhibitingany thing but the appearance of one who had recently been threading hisweary way among rocks and fastnesses. Besides, the improbability ofthis fact was so great, that it occupied not my attention beyond thepassing moment. On the present occasion, however, I saw the samehunter, and was more forcibly than ever struck by the resemblance to myfriend. Prior to my quitting the point where I had liberated yourmother from the netting, I had, in addition to the disguise of thecloak, found it necessary to make some alteration in the arrangement ofher hair; the redundancy of which, as it floated gracefully over herpolished neck, was in itself sufficient to betray her sex. With thisview I had removed her plumed bonnet. It was the first time I had seenher without it; and so deeply impressed was I by the angel-likecharacter of the extreme feminine beauty she, more than ever, thenexhibited, that I knelt in silent adoration for some moments at herfeet, my eyes and countenance alone expressing the fervent and almostholy emotion of my enraptured soul. Had she been a divinity, I couldnot have worshipped her with a purer feeling. While I yet knelt, Ifancied I heard a sound behind me; and, turning quickly, beheld thehead of a man peering above a point of rock at some little distance. Heimmediately, on witnessing my action, sank again beneath it, but not insufficient time to prevent my almost assuring myself that it was theface of your father I had beheld. My first impulse was to boundforward, and satisfy myself who it really was who seemed thus ever onthe watch to intercept my movements; but a second rapid reflectionconvinced me, that, having been discovered, it was most likely theintruder had already effected his retreat, and that any attempt atpursuit might not only alarm your mother, but compromise her safety. Idetermined, however, to tax your father with the fact on my return toquarters; and, from the manner in which he met the charge, to form myown conclusion. 

"Meanwhile we pursued our course; and after an hour's rather laboriousexertion, at length emerged from the succession of glens and rocks thatlay in our way; when, skirting the valley in which the town wassituated, we finally reached the cottage where I had secured mylodging. Previous to entering it, I had told your mother, that for thefew hours that would intervene before the marriage ceremony could beperformed, I should, by way of lulling the curiosity of her hostess, introduce her as a near relative of my own. This I did accordingly;and, having seen that every thing was comfortably arranged for herconvenience, and recommending her strongly to the care of the oldwoman, I set off once more in search of the chaplain of the regimentBefore I could reach his residence, however, I was met by a sergeant ofmy company, who came running towards me, evidently with someintelligence of moment. He stated, that my presence was requiredwithout delay. The grenadiers, with the senior subaltern, were inorders for detachment for an important service; and considerabledispleasure had been manifested by the colonel at my absence, especially as of late I had greatly neglected my military duties. Hehad been looking for me every where, he said, but without success, whenEnsign de Haldimar had pointed out to him in what direction it waslikely I might be found. 

"At a calmer moment, I should have been startled at the lastobservation; but my mind was too much engrossed with the principalsubject of my regret, to pay any attention to the circumstance. It wassaid the detachment would be occupied in this duty a week or ten days, at least; and how was I to absent myself from her whom I so fondlyloved for this period, without even being permitted first to see andaccount to her for my absence? There was torture in the very thought;and in the height of my impatience, I told the sergeant he might givemy compliments to the colonel, and say I would see the service d--drather than inconvenience myself by going out on this duty at so shorta notice; that I had private business of the highest importance tomyself to transact, and could not absent myself. As the man, however, prepared coolly to depart, it suddenly occurred to me, that I mightprevail on your father to take my duty now, as on former occasions hehad willingly done, and I countermanded my message to the colonel;desiring him, however, to find out Ensign de Haldimar, and say that Irequested to see him immediately at my quarters, whither I was nowproceeding to change my dress. 

"With a beating heart did I assume an uniform that appeared, at thatmoment, hideous in my eyes; yet I was not without a hope I might yetget off this ill-timed duty. Before I had completed my equipment, yourfather entered; and when I first glanced my eye full upon his, Ithought his countenance exhibited evidences of confusion. Thisimmediately reminded me of the unknown hunter, and I asked him if hewas not the person I described. His answer was not a positive denial, but a mixture of raillery and surprise that lulled my doubts, enfeebledas they were by the restored calm of his features. I then told him thatI had a particular favour to ask of him, which, in consideration of ourfriendship, I trusted he would not refuse; and that was, to take myduty in the expedition about to set forth. His manner implied concern;and he asked, with a look that had much deliberate expression in it, 'if I was aware that it was a duty in which blood was expected to beshed? He could not suppose that any consideration would induce me toresign my duty to another officer, when apprised of this fact. ' Allthis was said with the air of one really interested in my honour; butin my increasing impatience, I told him I wanted none of his cant; Isimply asked him a favour, which he would grant or decline as hethought proper. This was a harshness of language I had never indulgedin; but my mind was sore under the existing causes of my annoyance, andI could not bear to have my motives reflected on at a moment when myheart was torn with all the agonies attendant on the position in whichI found myself placed. His cheek paled and flushed more than once, before he replied, 'that in spite of my unkindness his friendship mightinduce him to do much for me, even as he had hitherto done, but that onthe present occasion it rested not with him. In order to justifyhimself he would no longer disguise the fact from me, that the colonelhad declared, in the presence of the whole regiment, I should take myduty regularly in future, and not be suffered to make a convenience ofthe service any longer. If, however, he could do any thing for meduring my absence, I had but to command him. 

"While I was yet giving vent, in no very measured terms, to theindignation I felt at being made the subject of public censure by thecolonel, the same sergeant came into the room, announcing that thecompany were only waiting for me to march, and that the colonel desiredmy instant presence. In the agitation of my feelings, I scarcely knewwhat I did, putting several portions of my regimental equipment on socompletely awry, that your father noticed and rectified the errors Ihad committed; while again, in the presence of the sergeant, Iexpressed the deepest regret he could not relieve me from a duty thatwas hateful to the last degree. 

"Torn with agony at the thought of the uncertainty in which I wascompelled to leave her, whom I so fondly adored, I had now no otheralternative than to make a partial confidant of your father. I told himthat in the cottage which I pointed out he would find the original ofthe portrait he had seen me painting on a former occasion, --the Cornishcousin, whose beauty he professed to hold so cheaply. More he shouldknow of her on my return; but at present I confided her to his honour, and begged he would prove his friendship for me by rendering herwhatever attention she might require in her humble abode. With thesehurried injunctions he promised to comply; and it has often occurred tome since, although I did not remark it at the time, that while hisvoice and manner were calm, there was a burning glow upon his handsomecheek, and a suppressed exultation in his eye, that I had neverobserved on either before. I then quitted the room; and hastening to mycompany with a gloom on--my brow that indicated the wretchedness of myinward spirit, was soon afterwards on the march from ----. "

Again the warrior seemed agitated with the most violent emotion; heburied his face in his hands; and the silence that ensued was longerthan any he had previously indulged in. At length he made an effort toarouse himself; and again exhibiting his swarthy features, disclosed abrow, not clouded, as before, by grief, but animated with the fiercestand most appalling passions, while he thus impetuously resumed. 

CHAPTER XI. 

"If, hitherto, Clara de Haldimar, I have been minute in the detail ofall that attended my connection with your mother, it has been with aview to prove to you how deeply I have been injured; but I have nowarrived at a part of my history, when to linger on the past would goadme into madness, and render me unfit for the purpose to which I havedevoted myself. Brief must be the probing of wounds, that nearly fivelustres have been insufficient to heal; brief the tale that reveals theinfamy of those who have given you birth, and the utter blighting ofthe fairest hopes of one whose only fault was that of loving, "not toowisely, but too well. "

"Will you credit the monstrous truth, " he added, in a fierce butcomposed whisper, while he bent eagerly over the form of the tremblingyet attentive girl, "when I tell you that, on my return from that fatalexpedition, during my continuance on which her image had never oncebeen absent from my mind, I found Clara Beverley the wife of DeHaldimar? Yes, " continued Wacousta, his wounded feeling and mortifiedpride chafing, by the bitter recollection, into increasing fury, whilehis countenance paled in its swarthiness, "the wife, the wedded wife ofyon false and traitorous governor! Well may you look surprised, Clarade Haldimar: such damnable treachery as this may startle his own bloodin the veins of another, nor find its justification even in thedevotedness of woman's filial piety. To what satanic arts socalculating a villain could have had recourse to effect his object Iknow not; but it is not the less true, that she, from whom my previoushistory must have taught you to expect the purity of intention andconduct of an angel, became his wife, --and I a being accursed amongmen. Even as our common mother is said to have fallen in the garden ofEden, tempted by the wily beauty of the devil, so did your mother fall, seduced by that of the cold, false, traitorous De Haldimar. " Here theagitation of Wacousta became terrific. The labouring of his chest waslike that of one convulsed with some racking agony and the swollenveins and arteries of his head seemed to threaten the extinction oflife in some fearful paroxysm. At length he burst into a violent fit oftears, more appalling, in one of his iron nature, than the fury whichhad preceded it, --and it was many minutes before he could so farcompose himself as to resume. 

"Think not, Clara de Haldimar, I speak without the proof. Her own wordsconfessed, her own lips avowed it, and yet I neither slew her, nor herparamour, nor myself. On my return to the regiment I had flown to thecottage, on the wings of the most impatient and tender love that everfilled the bosom of man for woman. To my enquiries the landladyreplied, that my cousin had been married two days previously, by themilitary chaplain, to a handsome young officer, who had visited hersoon after my departure, and was constantly with her from that moment;and that immediately after the ceremony they had left, but she knew notwhither. Wild, desperate, almost bereft of reason, and with a heartbounding against my bosom, as if each agonising throb were to be itslast, I ran like a maniac back into the town, nor paused till I foundmyself in the presence of your father. My mind was a volcano, but stillI attempted to be calm, even while I charged him, in the mostoutrageous terms, with his villainy. Deny it he could not; but, farfrom excusing it, he boldly avowed and justified the step he had taken, intimating, with a smile full of meaning, there was nothing in aconnection with the family of De Haldimar to reflect disgrace on thecousin of Sir Reginald Morton; and that; the highest compliment hecould pay his friend was to attach himself to one whom that friend haddeclared to be so near a relative of his own. There was a coldness oftaunt in these remarks, that implied his sense of the deception I hadpractised on him, in regard to the true nature of the relationship; andfor a moment, while my hand firmly grasped the hilt of my sword, Ihesitated whether I should not cut him down at my feet: I hadself-command, however, to abstain from the outrage, and I have oftensince regretted I had. My own blood could have been but spilt inatonement for my just revenge; and as for the obloquy attached to thememory of the assassin, it could not have been more bitter than thatwhich has followed me through life. But what do I say?" fiercelycontinued the warrior, an exulting ferocity sparkling in his eye, andanimating his countenance; "had he fallen, then my vengeance were buthalf complete. No; it is now he shall feel the deadly venom in hisheart, that has so long banqueted on mine. 

"Determined to know from her own lips, " he pursued, to the shudderingClara, whose hopes, hitherto strongly excited, now, began again to fadebeneath the new aspect given to the strange history of this terribleman;--"determined to satisfy myself from her own acknowledgment, whether all I had heard was not an imposition, I summoned calmnessenough to desire that your mother might confirm in person thealienation of her affection, as nothing short of that could convince meof the truth. He left the room, and presently re-appeared, conductingher in from another: I thought she looked more beautiful than ever, but, alas! I had the inexpressible horror to discover, before a wordwas uttered, that all the fondness of her nature was indeed transferredto your father. How I endured the humiliation of that scene has oftenbeen a source of utter astonishment to myself; but I did endure it. Tomy wild demand, how she could so soon have forgotten her vows, andfalsified her plighted engagements, she replied, timidly andconfusedly, she had not yet known her own heart; but if she had painedme by her conduct, she was sorry for it, and hoped I would forgive her. She would always be happy to esteem me as a friend, but she loved herCharles far, far better than she had ever loved me. This damningadmission, couched in the same language of simplicity that had firsttouched and won my affection, was like boiling lead upon my brain. In atransport of madness I sprang towards her, caught her in my arms, andswore she should accompany me back to the oasis--when I had taken herthere, to be regained by my detested rival, if he could; but that heshould not eat the fruit I had plucked at so much peril to myself. Shestruggled to disengage herself, calling on your father by the mostendearing epithets to free her from my embrace. He attempted it, and Istruck him senseless to the floor at a single blow with the flat of mysabre, which in my extreme fury I had unsheathed. Instead, however, ofprofiting by the opportunity thus afforded to execute my threat, afeeling of disgust and contempt came over me, for the woman, whoseinconstancy had been the cause of my committing myself in thisungentlemanly manner; and bestowing deep but silent curses on her head, I rushed from the house in a state of frenzy. How often since have Iregretted that I had not pursued my first impulse, and borne her tosome wild, where, forgetting one by whose beauty of person her eyealone had been seduced, her heart might have returned to its allegianceto him who had first awakened the sympathies of her soul, and wouldhave loved her with a love blending the fiercest fires of the eaglewith the gentlest devotedness of the dove. But destiny had differentlyordained. 

"Did my injuries end here?" pursued the dark warrior, as his eyekindled with rage. "No: for weeks I was insensible to any thing but thedreadful shock my soul had sustained. A heavy stupor weighed me down, and for a period it was supposed my reason was overthrown: no suchmercy was reserved for me. The regiment had quitted the Highlands, andwere now stationary in ----, whither I had accompanied it in arrest. The restoration of my faculties was the signal for new persecutions. Scarcely had the medical officers reported me fit to sustain theordeal, when a court-martial was assembled to try me on a variety ofcharges. Who was my prosecutor? Listen, Clara, " and he shook herviolently by the arm. "He who had robbed me of all that gave value tolife, and incentive to honour, --he who, under the guise of friendship, had stolen into the Eden of my love, and left it barren of affection. In a word, yon detested governor, to whose inhuman cruelty even the sonof my brother has, by some strange fatality of coincidence, so recentlyfallen a second sacrifice. Curses, curses on him, " he pursued, withfrightful vehemence, half rising as he spoke, and holding forth hisright arm in a menacing attitude; "but the hour of retribution is athand, and revenge, the exclusive passion of the gods, shall at lengthbe mine. In no other country in the world--under no other circumstancesthan the present--could I have so secured it. 

"What were the charges preferred against me?" he continued, with aviolence that almost petrified the unhappy girl. "Hear them, and judgewhether I have not cause for the inextinguishable hate that rankles atmy heart. Every trifling disobedience of orders--every partial neglectof duty that could be raked up--was tortured into a specific charge;and, as I have already admitted I had latterly transgressed not alittle in this respect, these were numerous enough. Yet they were butpreparatory to others of greater magnitude. Next succeeded one thatreferred to the message I had given, and countermanded, to the sergeantof my company, when in the impatience of my disappointment I haddesired him to tell the colonel I would see the service d--d ratherthan inconvenience myself at that moment for it. This was unsupportedby other evidence, however, and therefore failed in the proof. But theweb was too closely woven around to admit of my escaping. --Will you, can you believe any thing half so atrocious, as that your father shouldhave called on this same man not only to prove the violent andinsubordinate language I had used in reference to the commandingofficer in my own rooms, but also to substantiate a charge ofcowardice, grounded on the unwillingness I had expressed to accompanythe expedition, and the extraordinary trepidation I had evinced, whilepreparing for the duty, manifested, as it was stated to be, by thevarious errors he had rectified in my equipment with his own hand? Yes, even this pitiful charge was one of the many preferred; but theseverest was that which he had the unblushing effrontery to make thesubject of public investigation, rather than of private redress--theblow I had struck him in his own apartments. And who was his witness inthis monstrous charge?--your mother, Clara. Yea, I stood as a criminalin her presence; and yet she came forward to tender an evidence thatwas to consign me to a disgraceful sentence. My vile prosecutor had, moreover, the encouragement, the sanction of his colonel throughout, and by him he was upheld in every contemptible charge his ingenuitycould devise. Do you not anticipate the result?--I was found guilty, and dismissed the service. 

"How acted my brother officers, when, previously to the trial, Ialluded to the damnable treachery of your father? Did they condemn hisconduct, or sympathise with me in my misfortune?--No; they shruggedtheir shoulders, and coldly observed, I ought to have known better thanto trust one against whom they had so often cautioned me; but that as Ihad selected him for my friend, I should have bestowed a whole, and nota half confidence upon him. He had had the hypocrisy to pretend to themhe had violated no trust, since he had honourably espoused a lady whomI had introduced to him as a cousin, and in whom I appeared to have noother interest than that of relationship. Not, they said, that theybelieved he actually did entertain that impression; but still theexcuse was too plausible, and had been too well studied by my cunningrival, to be openly refuted. As for the mere fact of his supplantingme, they thought it an excellent thing, --a ruse d'amour for which theynever would have given him credit; and although they admitted it wasprovoking enough to be ousted out of one's mistress in that cool sortof way, still I should not so far have forgotten myself as to havestruck him while he was unarmed, when it was so easy to have otherwisefastened an insult on him. Such, " bitterly pursued Wacousta, "was theconsolation I received from men, who, a few short weeks before, hadbeen sedulous to gain and cultivate my friendship, --but even this wasonly vouchsafed antecedent to my trial. When the sentence waspromulgated, announcing my dismissal from the service, every back wasturned upon me, as though I had been found guilty of some dishonourableaction or some disgraceful crime; and, on the evening of the same day, when I threw from me for ever an uniform that I now loathed from myinmost soul, there was not one among those who had often banqueted atmy expense, who had the humanity to come to me and say, 'Sir ReginaldMorton, farewell. '

"What agonies of mind I endured, --what burning tears I nightly shedupon a pillow I was destined to press in freezing loneliness, --whathours of solitude I passed, far from the haunts of my fellow-men, andforming plans of vengeance, --it would take much longer time to relatethan I have actually bestowed on my unhappy history. To comprehendtheir extent and force, you must understand the heart of fire in whichthe deep sense of injury had taken root; but the night wears away, andbriefly told must be the remainder of my tale. The rebellion offorty-five saw me in arms in the Scottish ranks; and, in one instance, opposed to the regiment from which I had been so ignominiouslyexpelled. Never did revenge glow like a living fire in the heart of manas it did in mine; for the effect of my long brooding in solitude hadbeen to inspire me with a detestation, not merely for those who hadbeen most rancorous in their enmity, but for every thing that wore theuniform, from the commanding officer down to the meanest private. Everyblow that I dealt, every life that I sacrificed, was an insult washedaway from my attainted honour; but him whom I most sought in the meleeI never could reach. At length the corps to which I had attached myselfwas repulsed; and I saw, with rage in my heart, that my enemy stilllived to triumph in the fruit of his villainy. 

"Although I was grown considerably in stature at this period, and wasotherwise greatly altered in appearance, I had been recognised in theaction by numbers of the regiment; and, indeed, more than once I had, in the intoxication of my rage, accompanied the blow that slew ormaimed one of my former associates with a declaration of the name ofhim who inflicted it. The consequence was, I was denounced as a rebeland an outlaw, and a price was put upon my head. Accustomed, however, as I had ever been, to rocks and fastnesses, I had no difficulty ineluding the vigilance of those who were sent in pursuit of me; and thuscompelled to live wholly apart from my species, I at length learned tohate them, and to know that man is the only enemy of man upon earth. 

"A change now came ever the spirit of my vengeance; for about thisperiod your mother died. I had never ceased to love, even while Idespised her; and notwithstanding, had she, after her flagrantinconstancy, thrown herself into my arms, I should have rejected herwith scorn, still I was sensible no other woman could ever supply herplace in my affection. She was, in truth, the only being I had everlooked upon with fondness; and deeply even as I had been injured byher, I wept her memory with many a scalding tear. This, however, onlyincreased my hatred for him who had rioted in her beauty, andsupplanted me in her devotedness. I had the means of learning, occasionally, all that passed in the regiment; and the same accountthat brought me the news of your mother's death also gave me theintelligence that three children had been the fruit of her union withDe Haldimar. How, " pursued Wacousta, with bitter energy, "shall Iexpress the deep loathing I felt for those children? It seemed to me asif their existence had stamped a seal of infamy on my own brow; and Ihated them, even in their childhood, as the offspring of an abhorred, and, as it appeared to me, an unnatural union. I heard, moreover (andthis gave me pleasure), that their father doated on them; and from thatmoment I resolved to turn his cup of joy into bitterness, even as hehad turned mine. I no longer sought his life; for the jealousy that hadhalf impelled that thirst existed no longer: but, deeming his coldnature at least accessible through his parental affection, I wasresolved that in his children he should suffer a portion of the agonieshe had inflicted on me. I waited, however, until they should be grownup to an age when the heart of the parent would be more likely to mourntheir loss; and then I was determined my vengeance should be complete. 

"Circumstances singularly favoured my design. Many years afterwards, the regiment formed one of the expedition against Quebec under GeneralWolfe. They were commanded by your father, who, in the course ofpromotion, had obtained the lieutenant-colonelcy; and I observed by thearmy list, that a subaltern of the same name, whom I presumed to be hiseldest son, was in the corps. Here was a field for my vengeance beyondany I could have hoped for. I contrived to pass over into Cornwall, theban of outlawry being still unrepealed; and having procured from mybrother a sum sufficient for my necessities, and bade him an eternalfarewell, embarked in a fishing-boat for the coast of France, whence Isubsequently took a passage to this country. At Montreal I found theFrench general, who gladly received my allegiance as a subject ofFrance, and gave me a commission in one of the provincial corps thatusually served in concert with our Indian allies. With the general Isoon became a favourite; and, as a mark of his confidence at the attackon Quebec, he entrusted me with the command of a detached irregularforce, consisting partly of Canadians and partly of Indians, intendedto harass the flanks of the British army. This gave me an opportunityof being at whatever point of the field I might think most favourableto my design; and I was too familiar with the detested uniform of theregiment not to be able to distinguish it from afar. In a word, Clara, for I am weary of my own tale, in that engagement I had an opportunityof recognising your brother. He struck me by his martial appearance ashe encouraged his grenadiers to the attack of the French columns; and, as I turned my eye upon him in admiration, I was stung to the soul byhis resemblance to his father. Vengeance thrilled throughout everyfibre of my frame at that moment. The opportunity I had long sought wasat length arrived; and already, in anticipation, I enjoyed the conquesthis fall would occasion to my enemy. I rushed within a few feet of myvictim; but the bullet aimed at his heart was received in the breast ofa faithful soldier, who had flown to intercept it. How I cursed themeddler for his officiousness!"

"Oh, that soldier was your nephew, " eagerly interrupted Clara, pointingtowards her companion, who had fallen into a profound slumber, "thehusband of this unfortunate woman. Frank Halloway (for by that name washe alone known in the regiment) loved my brother as though he had beenof the same blood. He it was who flew to receive the ball that wasdestined for another. But I nursed him on his couch of suffering, andwith my own hands prepared his food and dressed his wound. Oh, if pitycan touch your heart (and I will not believe that a heart that oncefelt as you say yours has felt can be inaccessible to pity), let therecollection of your nephew's devotedness to my mother's child disarmyou of vengeance, and induce you to restore us!"

"Never!" thundered Wacousta, --"never! The very circumstance you havenow named is an additional incentive to my vengeance. My nephew savedthe life of your brother at the hazard of his own; and how has he beenrewarded for the generous deed? By an ignominious death, inflicted, perhaps, for some offence not more dishonouring than those which havethrown me an outcast upon these wilds; and that at the command and inthe presence of the father of him whose life he was fool enough topreserve. Yet, what but ingratitude of the grossest nature could aMorton expect at the hands of the false family of De Haldimar! Theywere destined to be our bane, and well have they fulfilled the end forwhich they were created. "

"Almighty Providence!" aspirated the sinking Clara, as she turned herstreaming eyes to heaven; "can it be that the human heart can undergosuch change? Can this be the being who once loved my mother with apurity and tenderness of affection that angels themselves might hallowwith approval; or is all that I have heard but a bewildering dream?"

"No, Clara, " calmly and even solemnly returned the warrior; "it is nodream, but a reality--a sad, dreadful, heart-rending reality; yet, if Iam that altered being, to whom is the change to be ascribed? Who turnedthe generous current of my blood into a river of overflowing gall? Who, when my cup was mantling with the only bliss I coveted upon earth, traitorously emptied it, and substituted a heart-corroding poison inits stead? Who blighted my fair name, and cast me forth an alien in theland of my forefathers? Who, in a word, cut me off from every joy thatexistence can impart to man? Who did all this? Your father! But theseare idle words. What I have been, you know; what I now am, and throughwhat agency I have been rendered what I now am, you know also. Not morefixed is fate than my purpose. Your brother dies even on the spot onwhich my nephew died; and you, Clara, shall be my bride; and the firstthing your children shall be taught to lisp shall be curses on the vilename of De Haldimar!"

"Once more, in the name of my sainted mother, I implore you to havemercy, " shrieked the unhappy Clara. "Oh!" she continued, with vehementsupplication, "let the days of your early love be brought back to' yourmemory, that your heart may be softened; and cut yourself not whollyoff from your God, by the commission of such dreadful outrages. Again Iconjure you, restore us to my father. "

"Never!" savagely repeated Wacousta. "I have passed years of torture inthe hope of such an hour as this; and now that fruition is within mygrasp, may I perish if I forego it! Ha, sir!" turning from the almostfainting Clara to Sir Everard, who had listened with deep attention tothe history of this extraordinary man;--"for this, " and he thrust asidethe breast of his hunting coat, exhibiting the scar of a long butsuperficial wound, --"for this do you owe me a severe reckoning. I wouldrecommend you, however, "--and he spoke in mockery, --"when next youdrive a weapon into the chest of an unresisting enemy, to be morecertain of your aim. Had that been as true as the blow from the butt ofyour rifle, I should not have lived to triumph in this hour. I littledeemed, " he pursued, still addressing the nearly heart-broken officerin the same insolent strain, "that my intrigue with that dark-eyeddaughter of the old Canadian would have been the means of throwing yourcompanion so speedily into my power, after his first narrow escape. Your disguise was well managed, I confess; and but that there is aninstinct about me, enabling me to discover a De Haldimar, as a hounddoes the deer, by scent, you might have succeeded in passing for whatyou appeared. But" (and his tone suddenly changed its irony forfierceness) "to the point, sir. That you are the lover of this girl Iclearly perceive, and death were preferable to a life embittered by therecollection that she whom we love reposes in the arms of another. Nosuch kindness is meant you, however. To-morrow you shall return to thefort; and, when there, you may tell your colonel, that, in exchange fora certain miniature and letters, which, in the hurry of departure, Idropped in his apartment, some ten days since, Sir Reginald Morton, theoutlaw, has taken his daughter Clara to wife, but without thesolemnisation of those tedious forms that bound himself in accursedunion with her mother. Oh! what would I not give, " he continued, bitterly, "to witness the pang inflicted on his false heart, when firstthe damning truth arrests his ear. Never did I know the triumph of mypower until now; for what revenge can be half so sweet as that whichattains a loathed enemy through the dishonour of his child? But, hark!what mean those sounds?"

A loud yelling was now heard at some distance in rear of the tent. Presently the bounding of many feet on the turf was distinguishable;and then, at intervals, the peculiar cry that announces the escape of aprisoner. Wacousta started to his feet, and fiercely grasping histomahawk, advanced to the front of the tent, where he seemed to listenfor a moment attentively, as if endeavouring to catch the direction ofthe pursuit. 

"Ha! by Heaven!" he exclaimed, "there must be treachery in this, or yonslippery captain would not so soon be at his flight again, bound as Ihad bound him. " Then uttering a deafening yell, and rushing past SirEverard, near whom he paused an instant, as if undecided whether heshould not first dispose of him, as a precautionary measure, he flewwith the speed of an antelope in the direction in which he was guidedby the gradually receding sounds. 

"The knife, Miss de Haldimar, " exclaimed Sir Everard, after a fewmoments of breathless and intense anxiety. "See, there is one in thebelt that Ellen Halloway has girt around her loins. Quick, for Heaven'ssake, quick; our only chance of safety is in this. "

With an activity arising from her despair, the unhappy Clara sprangfrom the rude couch on which she had been left by Wacousta, and, stooping over the form of the maniac, extended her hand to remove theweapon from her side; but Ellen, who had been awakened from her longslumber by the yells just uttered, seemed resolute to prevent it. Astruggle for its possession now ensued between these frail and delicatebeings; in which Clara, however, had the advantage, not only from therecumbent position of her opponent, but from the greater security ofher grasp. At length, with a violent effort, she contrived to disengageit from the sheath, around which Ellen had closely clasped both herhands; but, with the quickness of thought, the latter were againclenched round the naked blade, and without any other evident motivethan what originated in the obstinacy of her madness, the unfortunatewoman fiercely attempted to wrest it away. In the act of doing so, herhands were dreadfully cut; and Clara, shocked at the sight of the bloodshe had been the means of shedding, lost all the energy she hadsummoned, and sunk senseless at the feet of the maniac, who now beganto utter the most piteous cries. 

"Oh, God! we are lost, " exclaimed Sir Everard; "the voice of thatwretched woman has alarmed our enemy, and even now I hear himapproaching. Quick, Clara, give me the knife. But no, it is now toolate; he is here. "

At that instant, the dark form of a warrior rushed noiselessly to thespot on which he stood. The officer turned his eyes in desperation onhis enemy, but a single glance was sufficient to assure him it was notWacousta. The Indian paused not in his course, but passing close roundthe tree to which the baronet was attached, made a circular movement, that brought him in a line with the direction that had been taken byhis enemy; and again they were left alone. 

A new fear now oppressed the heart of the unfortunate Valletort, evento agony: Clara still lay senseless, speechless, before him; and hisimpression was, that, in the struggle, Ellen Halloway had murdered her. The latter yet continued her cries; and, as she held up her hands, hecould see by the fire-light they were covered with blood. Aninstinctive impulse caused him to bound forward to the assistance ofthe motionless Clara; when, to his infinite surprise and joy, hediscovered the cord, which had bound him to the tree, to be severed. The Indian who had just passed had evidently been his deliverer; and asudden flash of recollection recalled the figure of the young warriorthat had escaped from the schooner and was supposed to have leaped intothe canoe of Oucanasta at the moment when Madeline de Haldimar wasremoved into that of the Canadian. 

In a transport of conflicting feelings, Sir Everard now raised theinsensible Clara from the ground; and, having satisfied himself she hadsustained no serious injury, prepared for a flight which he felt to bedesperate, if not altogether hopeless. There was not a moment to belost, for the cries of the wretched Ellen increased in violence, as sheseemed sensible she was about to be left utterly alone; and ever andanon, although afar off, yet evidently drawing nearer, was to be heardthe fierce denouncing yell of Wacousta. The spot on which the officerstood, was not far from that whence his unfortunate friend hadcommenced his flight on the first memorable occasion; and as the moonshone brightly in the cloudless heavens, there could be no mistake inthe course he was to pursue. Dashing down the steep, therefore, withall the speed his beloved burden would enable him to attain, he madeimmediately for the bridge, over which his only chance of safety lay. 

It unfortunately happened, however, that, induced either by the maliceof her insanity, or really terrified at the loneliness of her position, the wretched Ellen Halloway had likewise quitted the tent, and nowfollowed close in the rear of the fugitives, still uttering the samepiercing cries of anguish. The voice of Wacousta was also again heardin the distance; and Sir Everard had the inexpressible horror to findthat, guided by the shrieks of the maniac woman, he was now shaping hiscourse, not to the tent where he had left his prisoners, but in anoblique direction towards the bridge; where he evidently hoped tointercept them. Aware of the extreme disadvantages under which helaboured in a competition of speed with his active enemy, the unhappyofficer would have here terminated the struggle, had he not beenpartially sustained by the hope that the detachment prayed for by DeHaldimar, through the friendly young chief, to whom he owed his ownliberation, might be about this time on its way to attempt theirrescue. This thought supported his faltering resolution, althoughnearly exhausted with his efforts--compelled, as he was, to sustain themotionless form of the slowly reviving Clara; and he again bracedhimself to the unequal flight The moon still shone beautifully bright, and he could now distinctly see the bridge over which he was to pass;but notwithstanding he strained his eyes as he advanced, no vestige ofa British uniform was to be seen in the open space that lay beyond. Once he turned to regard his pursuers. Ellen was a few yards only inhis rear; and considerably beyond her rose, in tall relief against theheavens, the gigantic form of the warrior. The pursuit of the latterwas now conducted with a silence that terrified even more than theyells he had previously uttered; and he gained so rapidly on hisvictims, that the tread of his large feet was now distinctly audible. Again the officer, with despair in his heart, made the most incredibleexertions to reach the bridge, without seeming to reflect that, evenwhen there, no security was offered him against his enemy. Once, as hedrew nearer, he fancied he saw the dark heads of human beings peeringfrom under that part of the arch which had afforded cover to DeHaldimar and himself oh the memorable occasion of their departure withthe Canadian; and, convinced that the warriors of Wacousta had beensent there to lie in ambuscade and intercept his retreat, his hopeswere utterly paralysed; and although he stopped not, his flight wasrather mechanical than the fruit of any systematic plan of escape. 

He had now gained the extremity of the bridge, with Ellen Halloway andWacousta close in his rear, when suddenly the heads of many men wereonce more distinguishable, even in the shadow of the arch that overhungthe sands of the river. Three individuals detached themselves from thegroup and leaping upon the further extremity of the bridge, movedrapidly to meet him. Meanwhile the baronet had stopped suddenly, as ifin doubt whether to advance or to recede. His suspense was butmomentary. Although the persons of these men were disguised as Indianwarriors, the broad moonlight that beamed full on their countenances, disclosed the well-remembered features of Blessington, Erskine, andCharles de Haldimar. The latter sprang before his companions, and, uttering a cry of joy, sank in speechless agony on the neck of hisstill unconscious sister. 

"For God's sake, free me, De Haldimar!" exclaimed the excited baronet, disengaging his charge from the embrace of his friend. "This is nomoment for congratulation. Erskine, Blessington, see you not who isbehind me? Be upon your guard; defend your lives!" And as he spoke, herushed forward with feint and tottering steps to place his companionsbetween the unhappy girl and the danger that threatened her. 

The swords of the officers were drawn; but instead of advancing uponthe formidable being, who stood as if paralysed at this unexpectedrencontre, the two seniors contented themselves with assuming adefensive attitude, --retiring slowly and gradually towards the otherextremity of the bridge. 

Overcome by his emotion, Charles de Haldimar had not noticed thisaction of his companions, and stood apparently riveted to the spot. Thevoice of Blessington calling on him by name to retire, seemed to arousethe dormant consciousness of the unhappy maniac. She uttered a piercingshriek, and, springing forward, sank on her knees at his feet, exclaiming, as she forcibly detained him by his dress, --

"Almighty Heaven! where am I? surely that was Captain Blessington'skind voice I heard; and you--you are Charles de Haldimar. Oh! save myhusband; plead for him with your father!----but no, " she continuedwildly, --"he is dead--he is murdered! Behold these hands all coveredwith his blood! Oh!----"

"Ha! another De Haldimar!" exclaimed Wacousta, recovering hisslumbering energies, "this spot seems indeed fated for our meeting. More than thrice have I been balked of my just revenge, but now will Isecure it. Thus, Ellen, do I avenge your husband's and my nephew'sdeath. My own wrongs demand another sacrifice. But, ha! where is she?where is Clara? where is my bride?"

Bounding over the ill-fated De Haldimar, who lay, even in death, firmlyclasped in the embrace of the wretched Ellen, the fierce man dashedfuriously forward to renew his pursuit of the fugitives. But suddenlythe extremity of the bridge was filled with a column of armed men, thatkept issuing from the arch beneath. Sensible of his danger, he soughtto make good his retreat; but when he turned for the purpose, the sameformidable array met his view at the opposite extremity; and bothparties now rapidly advanced in double quick time, evidently with aview of closing upon and taking him prisoner. In this dilemma, his onlyhope was in the assistance that might be rendered him by his warriors. A yell, so terrific as to be distinctly heard in the fort itself, burstfrom his vast chest, and rolled in prolonged echoes through the forest. It was faintly answered from the encampment, and met by deep butnoiseless curses from the exasperated soldiery, whom the sight of theirmurdered officer was momentarily working into frenzy. 

"Kill him not, for your lives!--I command you, men, kill him not!"muttered Captain Blessington with suppressed passion, as his troopswere preparing to immolate him on their clustering bayonets. "Such adeath were, indeed, mercy to such a villain. "

"Ha! ha!" laughed Wacousta in bitter scorn; "who is there of all youraccursed regiment who will dare to take him alive?" Then brandishinghis tomahawk around him, to prevent their finally closing, he dealt hisblows with such astonishing velocity, that no unguarded point was leftabout his person; and more than one soldier was brought to the earth inthe course of the unequal struggle. 

"By G--d!" said Captain Erskine, "are the two best companies of theregiment to be kept at bay by a single desperado? Shame on ye, fellows!If his hands are too many for you, lay him by the heels. "

This ruse was practised with success. In attempting to defend himselffrom the attack of those who sought to throw him down, the warriornecessarily left his upper person exposed; when advantage was taken toclose with him and deprive him of the play of his arms. It was not, however, without considerable difficulty, that they succeeded indisarming and binding his hands; after which a strong cord beingfastened round his waist, he was tightly lashed to a gun, which, contrary to the original intention of the governor, had been sent outwith the expedition. The retreat of the detachment then commencedrapidly; but it was not without being hotly pursued by the band ofwarriors the yell of Wacousta had summoned in pursuit, that theyfinally gained the fort: under what feelings of sorrow for the fate ofan officer so beloved, we leave it to our readers to imagine. 

CHAPTER XII. 

The morning of the next day dawned on few who had pressed theircustomary couches--on none, whose feverish pulse and bloodshot eyefailed to attest the utter sleeplessness in which the night had beenpassed. Numerous groups of men were to be seep assembling after thereveille, in various parts of the barrack square--those who had borne apart in the recent expedition commingling with those who had not, andrecounting to the latter, with mournful look and voice, thecircumstances connected with the bereavement of their universallylamented officer. As none, however, had seen the blow struck thatdeprived him of life, although each had heard the frantic exclamationsof a voice that had been recognised for Ellen Halloway's, much of themarvellous was necessarily mixed up with truth in theirnarrative, --some positively affirming Mr. De Haldimar had not oncequitted his party, and declaring that nothing short of a supernaturalagency could have transported him unnoticed to the fatal spot, where, in their advance, they had beheld him murdered. The singular appearanceof Ellen Halloway also, at that moment, on the very bridge on which shehad pronounced her curse on the family of De Haldimar, and in companywith the terrible and mysterious being who had borne her off in triumphon that occasion to the forest, and under circumstances calculated toexcite the most superstitious impressions, was not without its weightin determining their rude speculations; and all concurred in opinion, that the death of the unfortunate young officer was a judgment on theircolonel for the little mercy he had extended to the noble-heartedHalloway. 

Then followed allusion to their captive, whose gigantic stature andefforts at escape, tremendous even as the latter were, were dulyexaggerated by each, with the very laudable view of claiming aproportionate share of credit for his own individual exertions; andmany and various were the opinions expressed as to the manner of deathhe should be made to suffer. Among the most conspicuous of the oratorswere those with whom our readers have already made slight acquaintancein our account of the sortie by Captain Erskine's company for therecovery of the supposed body of Frederick de Haldimar. One was forimpaling him alive, and setting him up to rot on the platform above thegate. Another for blowing him from the muzzle of a twenty-four pounder, into the centre of the first band of Indians that approached the fort, that thus perceiving they had lost the strength and sinew of theircunning war, they might be the more easily induced to propose terms ofpeace. A third was of opinion he ought to be chained to the top of theflag-staff, as a target, to be shot at with arrows only, contrivingnever to touch a mortal part. A fourth would have had him tied nakedover the sharp spikes that constituted the chevaux-de-frize garnishingthe sides of the drawbridge. Each devised some new death--proposed somenew torture; but all were of opinion, that simply to be shot, or evento be hanged, was too merciful a punishment for the wretch who had sowantonly and inhumanly butchered the kind-hearted, gentle-manneredofficer, whom they had almost all known and loved from his veryboyhood; and they looked forward, with mingled anxiety and vengeance, to the moment when, summoned as it was expected he shortly would be, before the assembled garrison, he would be made to expiate the atrocitywith his blood. 

While the men thus gave indulgence to their indignation and theirgrief, their officers were even mere painfully affected. The body ofthe ill-fated Charles had been borne to his apartment, where, divestedof its disguise, it had again been inducted in such apparel as wasdeemed suited to the purpose. Extended on the very bed on which he layat the moment when she, whose maniac raving, and forcible detention, had been the immediate cause of his destruction, had preferred her wildbut fruitless supplication for mercy, he exhibited, even in death, thesame delicate beauty that had characterised him on that occasion; yet, with a mildness and serenity of expression on his still, pale features, strongly in contrast with the agitation and glow of excitement thatthen distinguished him. Never was human loveliness in death so markedas in Charles de Haldimar; and but for the deep wound that, dividinghis clustering locks, had entered from the very crown of the head tothe opening of his marble brow, one ignorant of his fate might havebelieved he but profoundly slept. Several women of the regiment wereoccupied in those offices about the corpse, which women alone arecapable of performing at such moments, and as they did so, sufferedtheir tears to flow silently yet abundantly over him, who was no longersensible either of human grief or of human joy. Close at the head ofthe bed stood an old man, with his face buried in his hands; the latterreposing against the wainscoting of the room. He, too, wept, but hisweeping was more audible, more painful, and accompanied by suffocatingsobs. It was the humble, yet almost paternally attached servant of thedefunct--the veteran Morrison. 

Around the bed were grouped nearly all the officers, standing inattitudes indicative of anxiety and interest, and gazing mournfully onthe placid features of their ill-fated friend. All, on entering, movednoiselessly over the rude floor, as though fearful of disturbing therepose of one who merely slumbered; and the same precaution wasextended to the brief but heartfelt expressions of sorrow that passed, from one to the other, as they gazed on all that remained of the gentleDe Haldimar. At length the preparations of the women having beencompleted, they retired from the room, leaving one of their numberonly, rather out of respect than necessity, to remain by the corpse. When they were departed, this woman, the wife of one of Blessington'ssergeants, and the same who had been present at the scene between EllenHalloway and the deceased, cut off a large lock of his beautiful hair, and separating it into small tresses, handed one to each of theofficers. This considerate action, although unsolicited on the part ofthe latter, deeply touched them, as indicating a sense of the highestimation in which the youth bad been held. It was a tribute to thememory of him they mourned, of the purest kind; and each, as hereceived his portion, acknowledged with a mournful but approving look, or nod, or word, the motive that bad prompted the offering. Nor was ita source of less satisfaction, melancholy even as that satisfactionwas, to perceive that, after having set aside another lock, probablyfor the sister of the deceased, she selected and consigned to the bosomof her dress a third, evidently intended for herself. The whole scenewas in striking contrast with the almost utter absence of allpreparation or concern that had preceded the interment of Murphy, on aformer occasion. In one, the rude soldier was mourned, --in the other, the gentle friend was lamented; nor the latter alone by the companionsto whom intimacy had endeared him, but by those humbler dependants, whoknew him only through those amiable attributes of character, which wereever equally extended to all. Gradually the officers now moved away inthe same noiseless manner in which they had approached, either inpursuance of their several duties, or to make their toilet of themorning. Two only of their number remained near the couch of death. 

"Poor unfortunate De Haldimar!" observed one of these, in a low tone, as if speaking to himself; "too fatally, indeed, have your forebodingsbeen realised; and what I considered as the mere despondency of a mindcrashed into feebleness by an accumulation of suffering, was, afterall, but the first presentiment of a death no human power might avert. By Heaven! I would give up half my own being to be able to reanimatethat form once more, --but the wish is vain. "

"Who shall announce the intelligence to his sister?" sighed hiscompanion. "Never will that already nearly heart-broken girl be able tosurvive the shock of her brother's death. Blessington, you alone arefitted to such a task; and, painful as it is, you must undertake it. Isthe colonel apprised of the dreadful truth, do you know?"

"He is. It was told him at the moment of our arrival last night; butfrom the little outward emotion displayed by him, I should be temptedto infer he had almost anticipated some such catastrophe. "

"Poor, poor Charles!" bitterly exclaimed Sir Everard Valletort--for itwas he. "What would I not give to recall the rude manner in which Ispurned you from me last night. But, alas! what could I do, laden withsuch a trust, and pursued, without the power of defence, by such anenemy? Little, indeed, did I imagine what was so speedily to be yourdoom! Blessington, " he pursued, with increased emotion, "it grieves meto wretchedness to think that he, whom I loved as though he had been mytwin brother, should have perished with his last thoughts, perhaps, lingering on the seeming unkindness with which I had greeted him afterso anxious an absence. "

"Nay, if there be blame, it must attach to me, " sorrowfully observedCaptain Blessington. "Had Erskine and myself not retired before thesavage, as we did, our unfortunate friend would in all probability havebeen alive at this very hour. But in our anxiety to draw the formerinto the ambuscade we had prepared for him, we utterly overlooked thatCharles was not retreating with us. "

"How happened it, " demanded Sir Everard, his attention naturallydirected to the subject by the preceding remarks, "that you lay thus inambuscade, when the object of the expedition, as solicited by Frederickde Haldimar, was an attempt to reach us in the encampment of theIndians?"

"It certainly was under that impression we left the fort; but, oncoming to the spot where the friendly Indian lay waiting to conduct us, he proposed the plan we subsequently adopted as the most likely, notonly to secure the escape of the prisoners, whom he pledged himself toliberate, but to defend ourselves with advantage against Wacousta andthe immediate guard set over them, should they follow in pursuit. Erskine approving, as well as myself, of the plan, we halted at thebridge, and disposed of our men under each extremity; so that, ifattacked by the Indians in front, we might be enabled to throw theminto confusion by taking them in rear, as they flung themselves uponthe bridge. The event seemed to answer our expectations. The alarmraised in the encampment satisfied us the young Indian had contrived tofulfil his promise; and we momentarily looked for the appearance ofthose whose flight we naturally supposed would be directed towards thebridge. To our great surprise, however, we remarked that the sounds ofpursuit, instead of approaching us, seemed to take an oppositedirection, apparently towards the point whence we had seen theprisoners disembarked in the morning. At length, when almost tempted toregret we had not pushed boldly on, in conformity with our firstintention, we heard the shrill cries of a woman; and, not longafterwards, the sounds of human feet rushing down the slope. What oursensations were, you may imagine; for we all believed it to be eitherClara or Madeline de Haldimar fleeing alone, and pursued by ourferocious enemies. To show ourselves would, we were sensible, be toensure the death of the pursued, before we could possibly come up; and, although it was with difficulty we repressed the desire to rush forwardto the rescue, our better judgment prevailed. Finally we saw youapproach, followed closely by what appeared to be a mere boy of anIndian, and, at a considerable distance, by the tall warrior of theFleur de lis. We imagined there was time enough for you to gain thebridge; and finding your more formidable pursuer was only accompaniedby the youth already alluded to, conceived at that moment the design ofmaking him our prisoner. Still there were half a dozen muskets ready tobe levelled on him should he approach too near to his fugitives, ormanifest any other design than that of simply recapturing them. Howwell our plan succeeded you are aware; but, alas!" and he glancedsorrowfully at the corpse, "why was our success to be embittered by sogreat a sacrifice?"

"Ah, would to Heaven that he at least had been spared, " sighed SirEverard, as he took the wan white hand of his friend in his own; "andyet I know not: he looks so calm, so happy in death, it is almostselfish to repine he has escaped the horrors that still await us inthis dreadful warfare. But what of Frederick and Madeline de Haldimar?From the statement you have given, they must have been liberated by theyoung Ottawa before he came to me; yet, what could have induced them tohave taken a course of flight so opposite to that which promised theironly chance of safety?"

"Heaven only knows, " returned Captain Blessington. "I fear they haveagain been recaptured by the savages; in which case their doom isscarcely doubtful; unless, indeed, our prisoner of last night be givenup in exchange for them. "

"Then will their liberty be purchased at a terrible price, " remarkedthe baronet. "Will you believe, Blessington, that that man, whoseenmity to our colonel seems almost devilish, was once an officer inthis very regiment?"

"You astonish me, Valletort. --Impossible! and yet it has always beenapparent to me they were once associates. "

"I heard him relate his history only last night to Clara, whom he hadthe audacity to sully with proposals to become his bride, " pursued thebaronet. "His tale was a most extraordinary one. He narrated it, however, only up to the period when the life of De Haldimar wasattempted by him at Quebec. But with his subsequent history we are allacquainted, through the fame of his bloody atrocities in all the poststhat have fallen into the hands of Ponteac. That man, savage and evenfiendish as he now is, was once possessed of the noblest qualities. Iam sorry to say it; but Colonel de Haldimar has brought this presentaffliction upon himself. At some future period I will tell you all. "

"Alas!" said Captain Blessington, "poor Charles, then, has been made topay the penalty of his father's errors; and, certainly, the greatest ofthese was his dooming the unfortunate Halloway to death in the mannerhe did. "

"What think you of the fact of Halloway being the nephew of thisextraordinary man, and both of high family?" demanded Sir Everard. 

"Indeed! and was the latter, then, aware of the connection?"

"Not until last night, " replied Sir Everard. "Some observations made bythe wretched wife of Halloway, in the course of which she named histrue name, (which was that of the warrior also, ) first indicated thefact to the latter. But, what became of that unfortunate creature?--wasshe brought in?"

"I understand not, " said Captain Blessington. "In the confusion andhurry of securing our prisoner, and the apprehension of immediateattack from his warriors, Ellen was entirely overlooked. Some of my mensay they left her lying, insensible, on the spot whence they had raisedthe body of our unfortunate friend, which they had some difficulty inreleasing from her convulsive embrace. But, hark! there is the firstdrum for parade, and I have not yet exchanged my Indian garb. "

Captain Blessington now quitted the room, and Sir Everard, relievedfrom the restraining presence of his companions, gave free vent to hisemotion, throwing himself upon the body of his friend, and givingutterance to the feelings of anguish that oppressed his heart. 

He had continued some minutes in this position, when he fancied he feltthe warm tears of a human being bedewing a hand that reposed on theneck of his unfortunate friend. He looked up, and, to his infinitesurprise, beheld Clara de Haldimar standing before him at the oppositeside of the bed. Her likeness to her brother, at that moment, was sostriking, that, for a second or two, the irrepressible thought passedthrough the mind of the officer, it was not a living being he gazedupon, but the immaterial spirit of his friend. The whole attitude andappearance of the wretched girl, independently of the fact of hernoiseless entrance, tended to favour the delusion. Her features, of anashy paleness, seemed fixed, even as those of the corpse beneath him;and, but for the tears that coursed silently down her cheek, there wasscarcely an outward evidence of emotion. Her dress was a simple whiterobe, fastened round her waist with a pale blue riband; and over hershoulders hung her redundant hair, resembling in colour, and disposedmuch in the manner of that of her brother, which had been drawnnegligently down to conceal the wound on his brow. For some moments thebaronet gazed at her in speechless agony. Her tranquil exterior wastorture to him; for he, feared it betokened some alienation of reason. He would have preferred to witness the most hysteric convulsion ofgrief, rather than that traitorous calm; and yet he had not the powerto seek to remove it. 

"You are surprised to see me here, mingling my grief with yours, SirEverard, " she at length observed, with the same calm mien, and in tonesof touching sweetness. "I came, with my father's permission, to take alast farewell of him whose death has broken my heart. I expected to bealone; but--Nay, do not go, " she added, perceiving that the officer wasabout to depart. "Had you not been here, I should have sent for you;for we have both a sacred duty to perform. May I not ask your hand?"

More and more dismayed at her collected manner, the young officer gazedat her with the deepest sorrow depicted in every line of his owncountenance. He extended his hand, and Clara, to his surprise, graspedand pressed it firmly. 

"It was the wish of this poor boy that his Clara should be the wife ofhis friend, Sir Everard. Did he ever express such to you?"

"It was the fondest desire of his heart, " returned the baronet, unableto restrain the emotion of joy that mingled, despite of himself, withhis worst apprehensions. 

"I need not ask how you received his proposal, " continued Clara, withthe same calmness of manner. "Last night, " she pursued solemnly, "I wasthe bride of the murderer of my brother, of the lover of mymother, --tomorrow night I may be the bride of death; but to-night I amthe bride of my brother's friend. Yes, here am I come to pledge myselfto the fulfilment of his wish. If you deem a heart-broken girl notunworthy of you, I am your wife, Sir Everard; and, recollect, it is asolemn pledge, that which a sister gives over the lifeless body of abrother, beloved as this has been. "

"Oh, Clara--dearest Clara, " passionately exclaimed the excited youngman, "if a life devoted to your happiness can repay you for this, countupon it as you would upon your eternal salvation. In you will I loveboth my friend and the sister he has bequeathed to me. Clara, mybetrothed wife, summon all the energies of your nature to sustain thiscruel shock; and exert yourself for him who will be to you both abrother and a husband. "

As he spoke he drew the unresisting girl towards him, and, locking herin his embrace, pressed, for the first time, the lips, which it hadmaddened him the preceding night to see polluted by the forcible kissesof Wacousta. But Clara shared not, but merely suffered his momentaryhappiness. Her cheek wore not the crimson of excitement, neither wereher tears discontinued. She seemed as one who mechanically submitted towhat she had no power of resistance to oppose; and even in the embraceof her affianced husband, she exhibited the same deathlike calm thathad startled him at her first appearance. Religion could not hallow apurer feeling than that which had impelled the action of the youngofficer. The very consciousness of the sacred pledge having beenexchanged over the corpse of his friend, imparted a holiness of fervourto his mind; and even while he pressed her, whom he secretly swore tolove with all the affection of a fond brother and a husband united, hefelt that if the spirit of him, who slept unconscious of the scene, were suffered to linger near, it would be to hallow it with approval. 

"And now, " said Clara at length, yet without attempting to disengageherself, --"now that we are united, I would be alone with my brother. Myhusband, leave me. "

Deeply touched at the name of husband, Sir Everard could not refrainfrom imprinting another kiss on the lips that uttered it. He thengently disengaged himself from his lovely but suffering charge, whom hedeposited with her head resting on the bed; and making a significantmotion of his hand to the woman, who, as well as old Morrison, had beenspectators of the whole scene, stole gently from the apartment, underwhat mingled emotions of joy and grief it would be difficult todescribe. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

It was the eighth hour of morning, and both officers and men, quittingtheir ill-relished meal, were to be seen issuing to the parade, wherethe monotonous roll of the assemblee now summoned them. Presently thegarrison was formed in the order we have described in our first volume;that is to say, presenting three equal sides of a square. The vacantspace fronted the guard-house, near one extremity of which was to beseen a flight of steps communicating with the rampart, where theflag-staff was erected. Several men were employed at this staff, passing strong ropes through iron pulleys that were suspended from theextreme top, while in the basement of the staff itself, to a height ofabout twenty feet, were stuck at intervals strong wooden pegs, servingas steps to the artillerymen for greater facility in clearing, whenfoul, the lines to which the colours were attached. The latter had beenremoved; and, from the substitution of a cord considerably strongerthan that which usually appeared there, it seemed as if some farheavier weight was about to be appended to it. Gradually the men, having completed their unusual preparations, quitted the rampart, andthe flagstaff, which was of tapering pine, was left totally unguarded. 

The "Attention!" of Major Blackwater to the troops, who had beenhitherto standing in attitudes of expectancy that rendered theinjunction almost superfluous, announced the approach of the governor. Soon afterwards that officer entered the area, wearing hischaracteristic dignity of manner, yet exhibiting every evidence of onewho had suffered deeply. Preparation for a drum-head court-martial, asin the first case of Halloway, had already been made within the square, and the only actor wanting in the drama was he who was to be tried. 

Once Colonel de Haldimar made an effort to command his appearance, butthe huskiness of his voice choked his utterance, and he was compelledto pause. After the lapse of a few moments, he again ordered, but in avoice that was remarked to falter, --

"Mr. Lawson, let the prisoner be brought forth. "

The feeling of suspense that ensued between the delivery and executionof this command was painful throughout the ranks. All were penetratedwith curiosity to behold a man who had several times appeared to themunder the most appalling circumstances, and against whom the strongestfeeling of indignation had been excited for his barbarous murder ofCharles de Haldimar. It was with mingled awe and anger they now awaitedhis approach. At length the captive was seen advancing from the cell inwhich he had been confined, his gigantic form towering far above thoseof the guard of grenadiers by whom he was surrounded; and with ahaughtiness in his air, and insolence in his manner, that told he cameto confront his enemy with a spirit unsubdued by the fate that tooprobably awaited him. 

Many an eye was turned upon the governor at that moment. He wasevidently struggling for composure to meet the scene he felt it to beimpossible to avoid; and he turned pale and paler as his enemy drewnear. 

At length the prisoner stood nearly in the same spot where hisunfortunate nephew had lingered on a former occasion. He was unchained;but his hands were firmly secured behind his back. He threw himselfinto an attitude of carelessness, resting on one foot, and tapping theearth with the other; riveting his eye, at the same time, with anexpression of the most daring insolence, on the governor, while hisswarthy cheek was moreover lighted up with a smile of the deepest scorn. 

"You are Reginald Morton the outlaw, I believe, " at length observed thegovernor in an uncertain tone, that, however, acquired greater firmnessas he proceeded, --"one whose life has already been forfeited throughhis treasonable practices in Europe, and who has, moreover, incurredthe penalty of an ignominious death, by acting in this country as a spyof the enemies of England. What say you, Reginald Morton, that youshould not be convicted in the death that awaits the traitor?"

"Ha! ha! by Heaven, such cold, pompous insolence amuses me, "vociferated Wacousta. "It reminds me of Ensign de Haldimar of nearlyfive and twenty years back, who was then as cunning a dissembler as heis now. " Suddenly changing his ribald tone to one of scorn andrage:--"You BELIEVE me, you say, to be Reginald Morton the outlaw. Welldo you know it. I am that Sir Reginald Morton, who became an outlaw, not through his own crimes, but through your villainy. Ay, frown as youmay, I heed it not. You may award me death, but shall not chain mytongue. To your whole regiment do I proclaim you for a false, remorseless villain. " Then turning his flashing eye along theranks:--"I was once an officer in this corps, and long before any ofyou wore the accursed uniform. That man, that fiend, affected to be myfriend; and under the guise of friendship, stole into the heart I lovedbetter than my own life. Yes, " fervently pursued the excited prisoner, stamping violently with his foot upon the earth, "he robbed me of myaffianced wife; and for that I resented an outrage that should havebanished him to some lone region, where he might never again pollutehuman nature with his presence--he caused me to be tried by acourt-martial, and dismissed the service. Then, indeed, I became theoutlaw he has described, but not until then. Now, Colonel de Haldimar, that I have proclaimed your infamy, poor and inefficient as the triumphbe, do your worst--I ask no mercy. Yesterday I thought that years oftoilsome pursuit of the means of vengeance were about to be crownedwith success; but fate has turned the tables on me and I yield. "

To all but the baronet and Captain Blessington this declaration wasproductive of the utmost surprise. Every eye was turned upon thecolonel. He grew impatient under the scrutiny, and demanded if thecourt, who meanwhile had been deliberating, satisfied of the guilt ofthe prisoner, had come to a decision in regard to his punishment. Anaffirmative answer was given, and Colonel de Haldimar proceeded. 

"Reginald Morton, with the private misfortunes of your former life wehave nothing to do. It is the decision of this court, who are merelymet out of form, that you suffer immediate death by hanging, as a justrecompense for your double treason to your country. There, " and hepointed to the flag-staff, "will you be exhibited to the misguidedpeople whom your wicked artifices have stirred up into hostilityagainst us. When they behold your fate, they will take warning fromyour example; and, finding we have heads and arms not to suffer offencewith impunity, be more readily brought to obedience. "

"I understand your allusion, " coolly rejoined Wacousta, glancingearnestly at, and apparently measuring with his eye, the dimensions ofthe conspicuous scaffold on which he was to suffer. "You had ever acalculating head, De Haldimar, where any secret villainy, any thing topromote your own selfish ends, was to be gained by it; but yourcalculation seems now, methinks, at fault. "

Colonel de Haldimar looked at him enquiringly. 

"You have STILL a son left, " pursued the prisoner with the samerecklessness of manner, and in a tone denoting allusion to him who wasno more, that caused an universal shudder throughout the ranks. "He isin the hands of the Ottawa Indians, and I am the friend of their greatchief, inferior only in power among the tribe to himself. Think youthat he will see me hanged up like a dog, and fail to avenge mydisgraceful death?"

"Ha! presumptuous renegade, is this the deep game you have in view?Hope you then to stipulate for the preservation of a life every wayforfeited to the offended justice of your country? Dare you to cherishthe belief, that, after the horrible threats so often denounced by you, you will again be let loose upon a career of crime and blood?"

"None of your cant, de Haldimar, as I once observed to you before, "coolly retorted Wacousta, with bitter sarcasm. "Consult your own heart, and ask if its catalogue of crime be not far greater than my own: yet Iask not my life. I would but have the manner of my fate altered, andfain would die the death of the soldier I WAS before you rendered methe wretch I AM. Methinks the boon is not so great, if the restorationof your son be the price. "

"Do you mean, then, " eagerly returned the governor, "that if the meremode of your death be changed, my son shall be restored?"

"I do, " was the calm reply. 

"What pledge have we of the fact? What faith can we repose in the wordof a fiend, whose brutal vengeance has already sacrificed the gentlestlife that ever animated human clay?" Here the emotion of the governoralmost choked, his utterance, and considerable agitation and murmuringwere manifested in the ranks. 

"Gentle, said you?" replied the prisoner, musingly; "then did heresemble his mother, whom I loved, even as his brother resembles youwhom I have had so much reason to hate. Had I known the boy to be whatyou describe, I might have felt some touch of pity even while I delayednot to strike his death blow; but the false moonlight deceived me, andthe detested name of De Haldimar, pronounced by the lips of my nephew'swife--that wife whom your cold-blooded severity had widowed and drivenmad--was in itself sufficient to ensure his doom. "

"Inhuman ruffian!" exclaimed the governor, with increasing indignation;"to the point. What pledge have you to offer that my son will berestored?"

"Nay, the pledge is easily given, and without much risk. You have onlyto defer my death until your messenger return from his interview withPonteac. If Captain de Haldimar accompany him back, shoot me as I haverequested; if he come not, then it is but to hang me after all. "

"Ha! I understand you; this is but a pretext to gain time, a device toenable your subtle brain to plan some mode of escape. "

"As you will, Colonel de Haldimar, " calmly retorted Wacousta; and againhe sank into silence, with the air of one utterly indifferent toresults. 

"Do you mean, " resumed the colonel, "that a request from yourself tothe Ottawa chief will obtain the liberation of my son?"

"Unless the Indian be false as yourself, I do. "

"And of the lady who is with him?" continued the colonel, colouringwith anger. 

"Of both. "

"How is the message to be conveyed?"

"Ha, sir!" returned the prisoner, drawing himself up to his fullheight, "now are you arrived at a point that is pertinent. My wampumbelt will be the passport, and the safeguard of him you send; then forthe communication. There are certain figures, as you are aware, that, traced on bark, answer the same purpose among the Indians with theEuropean language of letters. Let my hands be cast loose, " he pursued, but in a tone in which agitation and excitement might be detected, "andif bark be brought me, and a burnt stick or coal, I will give you notonly a sample of Indian ingenuity, but a specimen of my own progress inIndian acquirements. "

"What, free your hands, and thus afford you a chance of escape?"observed the governor, doubtingly. 

Wacousta bent his stedfast gaze on him for a few moments, as if hequestioned he had heard aright. Then bursting into a wild and scornfullaugh, --"By Heaven!" he exclaimed, "this is, indeed, a high complimentyou pay me at the expense of these fine fellows. What, Colonel deHaldimar afraid to liberate an unarmed prisoner, hemmed in by a forestof bayonets? This is good; gentlemen, " and he bent himself in sarcasticreverence to the astonished troops, "I beg to offer you my very bestcongratulations on the high estimation in which you are held by yourcolonel. "

"Peace, sirrah!" exclaimed the governor, enraged beyond measure at theinsolence of him who thus held him up to contempt before his men, "or, by Heaven, I will have your tongue cut out!--Mr. Lawson, let what thisfellow requires be procured immediately. " Then addressing LieutenantBoyce, who commanded the immediate guard over the prisoner, --"Let hishands be liberated, sir, and enjoin your men to be watchful of themovements of this supple traitor. His activity I know of old to begreat, and he seems to have doubled it since he assumed that garb. "

The command was executed, and the prisoner stood, once more, free andunfettered in every muscular limb. A deep and unbroken silence ensued;and the return of the adjutant was momentarily expected. Suddenly aloud scream was heard, and the slight figure of a female, clad inwhite, came rushing from the piazza in which the apartment of thedeceased De Haldimar was situated. It was Clara. The guard of Wacoustaformed the fourth front of the square; but they were drawn up somewhatin the distance, so as to leave an open space of several feet at theangles. Through one of these the excited girl now passed into the area, with a wildness in her air and appearance that riveted every eye inpainful interest upon her. She paused not until she had gained the sideof the captive, at whose feet she now sank in an attitude expressive ofthe most profound despair. 

"Tiger!--monster!" she raved, "restore my brother!--give me back thegentle life you have taken, or destroy my own! See, I am a weakdefenceless girl: can you not strike?--you who have no pity for theinnocent. But come, " she pursued, mournfully, regaining her feet andgrasping his iron hand, --"come and see the sweet calm face of him youhave slain:--come with me, and behold the image of Clara Beverley; and, if you ever loved her as you say you did, let your soul be touched withremorse for your crime. "

The excitement and confusion produced by this unexpected interruptionwas great. Murmurs of compassion for the unhappy Clara, and ofindignation against the prisoner, were no longer sought to be repressedby the men; while the officers, quitting their places in the ranks, grouped themselves indiscriminately in the foreground. One, moreimpatient than his companions, sprang forward, and forcibly drew awaythe delicate, hand that still grasped that of the captive. It was SirEverard Valletort. 

"Clara, my beloved wife!" he exclaimed, to the astonishment of all whoheard him, "pollute not your lips by further communion with such awretch; his heart is as inaccessible to pity as the rugged rocks onwhich his spring-life was passed. For Heaven's sake, --for mysake, --linger not within his reach. There is death in his verypresence. "

"Your wife, sir!" haughtily observed the governor, with irrepressibleastonishment and indignation in his voice; "what mean you?--Gentlemen, resume your places in the ranks. --Clara--Miss de Haldimar, I commandyou to retire instantly to your apartment. --We will discourse of thislater, Sir Everard Valletort. I trust you have not dared to offer anindignity to my child. "

While he was yet turned to that officer, who had taken his post, ascommanded, in the inner angle of the square, and with a countenancethat denoted the conflicting emotions of his soul, he was suddenlystartled by the confused shout and rushing forward of the whole body, both of officers and men. Before he had time to turn, a loud andwell-remembered yell burst upon his ear. The next moment, to hisinfinite surprise and horror, he beheld the bold warrior rapidlyascending the very staff that had been destined for his scaffold, andwith Clara in his arms. 

Great was the confusion that ensued. To rush forward and surround theflag-staff, was the immediate action of the troops. Many of the menraised their muskets, and in the excitement of the moment, would havefired, had they not been restrained by their officers, who pointed outthe certain destruction it would entail on the unfortunate Clara. Withthe rapidity of thought, Wacousta had snatched up his victim, while theattention of the troops was directed to the singular conversationpassing between the governor and Sir Everard Valletort, and dartingthrough one of the open angles already alluded to, had gained therampart before they had recovered from the stupor produced by hisdaring action. Stepping lightly upon the pegs, he had rapidly ascendedto the utmost height of these, before any one thought of following him;and then grasping in his teeth the cord which was to have served forhis execution, and holding Clara firmly against his chest, while heembraced the smooth staff with knees and feet closely compressed aroundit, accomplished the difficult ascent with an ease that astonished allwho beheld him. Gradually, as he approached the top, the tapering pinewaved to and fro; and at each moment it was expected, that, yielding totheir united weight, it would snap asunder, and precipitate both Claraand himself, either upon the rampart, or into the ditch beyond. 

More than one officer now attempted to follow the fugitive in hisadventurous course; but even Lieutenant Johnstone, the most active andexperienced in climbing of the party, was unable to rise more than afew yards above the pegs that afforded a footing, add the enterprisewas abandoned as an impossibility. At length Wacousta was seen to gainthe extreme summit. For a moment he turned his gaze anxiously beyondthe town, in the direction of the bridge; and, after pealing forth oneof his terrific yells, exclaimed, exultingly, as he turned his eye uponhis enemy:--

"Well, colonel, what think you of this sample of Indian ingenuity? DidI not tell you, " he continued, in mockery, "that, if my hands were butfree, I would give you a specimen of my progress in Indianacquirements?"

"If you would avoid a death even more terrible than that of hanging, "shouted the governor, in a voice of mingled rage and terror, "restoremy daughter. "

"Ha! ha! ha!--excellent!" vociferated the savage. "You threatenlargely, my good governor; but your threats are harmless as those of aweak besieging army before an impregnable fortress. It is for thestrongest, however, to propose his terms. --If I restore this girl tolife, will you pledge yourself to mine?"

"Never!" thundered Colonel de Haldimar, with unusual energy. --"Men, procure axes; cut the flag-staff down, since this is the only meansleft of securing yon insolent traitor! Quick to your work: and mark, who first seizes him shall have promotion on the spot. "

Axes were instantly procured, and two of the men now lent themselvesvigorously to the task. Wacousta seemed to watch these preparationswith evident anxiety; and to all it appeared as if his courage had beenparalysed by this unexpected action. No sooner, however, had the axemenreached the heart of the staff, than, holding Clara forth over the edgeof the rampart, he shouted, --

"One stroke more, and she perishes!"

Instantaneously the work was discontinued. A silence of a few momentsensued. Every eye was turned upward, --every heart beat with terror tosee the delicate girl, held by a single arm, and apparently about to beprecipitated from that dizzying height. Again Wacousta shouted, --

"Life for life, De Haldimar! If I yield her shall I live?"

"No terms shall be dictated to me by a rebel, in the heart of my ownfort, " returned the governor. "Restore my child, and we will thenconsider what mercy may be extended to you. "

"Well do I know what mercy dwells in such a heart as yours, " gloomilyremarked the prisoner; "but I come. "

"Surround the staff, men, " ordered the governor, in a low tone. "Theinstant he descends, secure him: lash him in every limb, nor suffereven his insolent tongue to be longer at liberty. "

"Boyce, for God's sake open the gate, and place men in readiness tolower the drawbridge, " implored Sir Everard of the officer of theguard, and in a tone of deep emotion that was not meant to be overheardby the governor. "I fear the boldness of this vengeful man may lead himto some desperate means of escape. "

While the officer whom he addressed issued a command, theresponsibility of which he fancied he might, under the peculiarcircumstances of the moment, take upon himself, Wacousta began hisdescent, not as before, by adhering to the staff, but by the rope whichhe held in his left hand, while he still supported the apparentlysenseless Clara against his right chest with the other. 

"Now, Colonel de Haldimar, I hope your heart is at rest, " he shouted, as he rapidly glided by the cord; "enjoy your triumph as best may suityour pleasure. "

Every eye followed his movement with interest; every heart beat lighterat the certainty of Clara being again restored, and without otherinjury than the terror she must have experienced in such a scene. Eachcongratulated himself on the favourable termination of the terribleadventure, yet were all ready to spring upon and secure the desperateauthor of the wrong. Wacousta had now reached the centre of theflag-staff. Pausing for a moment, he grappled it with his strong andnervous feet, on which he apparently rested, to give a momentary reliefto the muscles of his left arm. He then abruptly abandoned his hold, swinging himself out a few yards from the staff, and returning again, dashed his feet against it with a force that caused the weakened massto vibrate to its very foundation. Impelled by his weight, and theviolence of his action, the creaking pine gave way; its lofty topgradually bending over the exterior rampart until it finally snappedasunder, and fell with a loud crash across the ditch. 

"Open the gate, down with the drawbridge!" exclaimed the excitedgovernor. 

"Down with the drawbridge, " repeated Sir Everard to the men alreadystationed there ready to let loose at the first order. The heavy chainsrattled sullenly through the rusty pulleys, and to each the bridgeseemed an hour descending. Before it had reached its level, it wascovered with the weight of many armed men rushing confusedly to thefront; and the foremost of these leaped to the earth before it had sunkinto its customary bed. Sir Everard Valletort and Lieutenant Johnstonewere in the front, both armed with their rifles, which had been broughtthem before Wacousta commenced his descent. Without order orcombination, Erskine, Blessington, and nearly half of their respectivecompanies, followed as they could; and dispersing as they advanced, sought only which could outstep his fellows in the pursuit. 

Meanwhile the fugitive, assisted in his fall by the gradual rendingasunder of the staff, had obeyed the impulsion first given to hisactive form, until, suddenly checking himself by the rope, he droppedwith his feet downward into the centre of the ditch. For a moment hedisappeared, then came again uninjured to the surface; and in the faceof more than fifty men, who, lining the rampart with their musketslevelled to take him at advantage the instant he should reappear, seemed to laugh their efforts to scorn. Holding Clara before him as ashield, through which the bullets of his enemies must pass before theycould attain him, he impelled his gigantic form with a backwardmovement towards the opposite bank, which he rapidly ascended; and, still fronting his enemies, commenced his flight in that manner with aspeed which (considering the additional weight of the drenched garmentsof both) was inconceivable. The course taken by him was not through thetown, but circuitously across the common until he arrived on thatimmediate line whence, as we have before stated, the bridge wasdistinctly visible from the rampart; on which, nearly the whole of theremaining troops, in defiance of the presence of their austere chief, were now eagerly assembled, watching, with unspeakable interest, theprogress of the chase. 

Desperate as were the exertions of Wacousta, who evidently continuedthis mode of flight from a conviction that the instant his person wasleft exposed the fire-arms of his pursuers would be brought to bearupon him, the two officers in front, animated by the most extraordinaryexertions, were rapidly gaining upon him. Already was one within fiftyyards of him, when a loud yell was heard from the bridge. This wasfiercely answered by the fleeing man, and in a manner that implied hisglad sense of coming rescue. In the wild exultation of the moment, heraised Clara high above his head, to show her in triumph to thegovernor, whose person his keen eye could easily distinguish amongthose crowded upon the rampart. In the gratified vengeance of thathour, he seemed utterly to overlook the actions of those who were sonear him. During this brief scene, Sir Everard had dropped upon oneknee, and supporting his elbow on the other, aimed his rifle at theheart of the ravisher of his wife. An exulting shout burst from thepursuing troops. Wacousta bounded a few feet in air, and placing hishand to his side, uttered another yell, more appalling than any thathad hitherto escaped him. His flight was now uncertain and wavering. Hestaggered as one who had received a mortal wound; and discontinuing hisunequal mode of retreat, turned his back upon his pursuers, and threwall his remaining energies into a final effort at escape. 

Inspirited by the success of his shot, and expecting momentarily to seehim fall weakened with the loss of blood, the excited Valletortredoubled his exertions. To his infinite joy, he found that the effortsof the fugitive became feebler at each moment Johnstone was abouttwenty paces behind him, and the pursuing party at about the samedistance from Johnstone. The baronet had now reached his enemy, andalready was the butt of his rifle raised with both hands with murderousintent, when suddenly Wacousta, every feature distorted with rage andpain, turned like a wounded lion at bay, and eluding the blow, deposited the unconscious form of his victim upon the sward. Springingupon his infinitely weaker pursuer, he grappled him furiously by thethroat, exclaiming through his clenched teeth:--

"Nay then, since you will provoke your fate--be it so. Die like a dog, and be d--d, for having balked me--of my just revenge!"

As he spoke, he hurled the gasping officer to the earth with a violencethat betrayed the dreadful excitement of his soul, and again hastenedto assure himself of his prize. 

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Johnstone had come up, and, seeing his companionstruggling as he presumed, with advantage, with his severely woundedenemy, made it his first care to secure the unhappy girl; for whoserecovery the pursuit had been principally instituted. Quitting hisrifle, he now essayed to raise her in his arms. She was without life orconsciousness, and the impression on his mind was that she was dead. 

While in the act of raising her, the terrible Wacousta stood at hisside, his vast chest heaving forth a laugh of mingled rage andcontempt. Before the officer could extricate, with a view of defendinghimself, his arms were pinioned as though in a vice; and ere he couldrecover from his surprise, he felt himself lifted up and thrown to aconsiderable distance. When he opened his eyes a moment afterwards, hewas lying amid the moving feet of his own men. 

From the instant of the closing of the unfortunate Valletort with hisenemy, the Indians, hastening to the assistance of their chief, hadcome up, and a desultory fire had already commenced, diverting, in agreat degree, the attention of the troops from the pursued. Emboldenedby this new aspect of things Wacousta now deliberately grasped therifle that had been abandoned by Johnstone; and raising it to hisshoulder, fired among the group collected on the ramparts. For a momenthe watched the result of his shot, and then, pealing forth anotherfierce yell, he hurled the now useless weapon into the very heart ofhis pursuers; and again raising Clara in his arms, once more commencedhis retreat, which, under cover of the fire of his party, was easilyeffected. 

"Who has fallen?" demanded the governor of his adjutant, perceivingthat some one had been hit at his side, yet without taking his eyes offhis terrible enemy. 

"Mr. Delme, sir, " was the reply. "He has been shot through the heart, and his men are bearing him from the rampart. "

"This must not be, " resumed the governor with energy. "Private feelingsmust no longer be studied at the expense of the public good. Thatpursuit is hopeless; and already too many of my officers have fallen. Desire the retreat to be sounded, Mr. Lawson. Captain Wentworth, letone or two covering guns be brought to bear upon the savages. They aregradually increasing hi numbers; and if we delay, the party will bewholly cut off. "

In issuing these orders, Colonel de Haldimar evinced a composednessthat astonished all who heard him. But although his voice was calm, despair was upon his brow. Still he continued to gaze fixedly on theretreating form of his enemy, until he finally disappeared behind theorchard of the Canadian of the Fleur de lis. 

Obeying the summons from the fort, the troops without now commencedtheir retreat, bearing off the bodies of their fallen officers andseveral of their comrades who had fallen by the Indian fire. There wasa show of harassing them on their return; but they were too near thefort to apprehend much danger. Two or three well-directed discharges ofartillery effectually checked the onward progress of the savages; and, in the course of a minute, they had again wholly disappeared. 

In gloomy silence, and with anger and disappointment in their hearts, the detachment now re-entered the fort. Johnstone was only severelybruised; Sir Everard Valletort not dead. Both were conveyed to the sameroom, where they were instantly attended by the surgeon, who pronouncedthe situation of the latter hopeless. 

Major Blackwater, Captains Blessington and Erskine, Lieutenants Leslieand Boyce, and Ensigns Fortescue and Summers, were now the onlyregimental officers that remained of thirteen originally comprising thestrength of the garrison. The whole of these stood grouped around theircolonel, who seemed transfixed to the spot he had first occupied on therampart, with his arms folded, and his gaze bent in the direction inwhich he had lost sight of Wacousta and his child. 

Hitherto the morning had been cold and cheerless, and objects in thefar distance were but indistinctly seen through a humid atmosphere. Atabout half an hour before mid-day the air became more rarified, and, the murky clouds gradually disappearing, left the blue autumnal skywithout spot or blemish. Presently, as the bells of the fort strucktwelve, a yell as of a legion of devils rent the air; and, rivetingtheir gaze in that direction, all beheld the bridge, hitherto deserted, suddenly covered with a multitude of savages, among whom were severalindividuals attired in the European garb, and evidently prisoners. Eachofficer had a telescope raised to his eye, and each prepared himself, shudderingly, for some horrid consummation. Presently the bridge wascleared of all but a double line of what appeared to be women, armedwith war-clubs and tomahawks. Along the line were now seen to pass, inslow succession, the prisoners that had previously been observed. Ateach step they took (and it was evident they had been compelled to runthe gauntlet), a blow was inflicted by some one or other of the line, until the wretched victims were successively despatched. A loud yellfrom the warriors, who, although hidden from view by the interveningorchards, were evidently merely spectators in the bloody drama, announced each death. These yells were repeated, at intervals, to aboutthe number of thirty, when, suddenly, the bridge was again deserted asbefore. 

After the lapse of a minute, the tall figure of a warrior was seen toadvance, holding a female in his arms. No one could mistake, even atthat distance, the gigantic proportions of Wacousta, --as he stood inthe extreme centre of the bridge, in imposing relief against the floodthat glittered like a sea of glass beyond. From his chest there nowburst a single yell; but, although audible, it was fainter than anyremembered ever to have been heard from him by the garrison. He thenadvanced to the extreme edge of the bridge; and, raising the form ofthe female far above his head with his left hand, seemed to wave her invengeful triumph. A second warrior was seen upon the bridge, andstealing cautiously to the same point. The right hand of the firstwarrior was now raised and brandished in air; in the next instant itdescended upon the breast of the female, who fell from his arms intothe ravine beneath. Yells of triumph from the Indians, and shouts ofexecration from the soldiers, mingled faintly together. At that momentthe arm of the second warrior was raised, and a blade was seen toglitter in the sunshine. His arm descended, and Wacousta was observedto stagger forward and fall heavily into the abyss into which hisvictim had the instant before been precipitated. Another loud yell, butof disappointment and anger, was heard drowning that of exultationpealed by the triumphant warrior, who, darting to the open extremity ofthe bridge, directed his flight along the margin of the river, where alight canoe was ready to receive him. Into this he sprang, and, seizingthe paddle, sent the waters foaming from its sides; and, pursuing hisway across the river, had nearly gained the shores of Canada before abark was to be seen following in pursuit. 

How felt--how acted Colonel de Haldimar throughout this brief butterrible scene? He uttered not a word. With his arms still foldedacross his breast, he gazed upon the murder of his child; but he heavednot a groan, he shed not a tear. A momentary triumph seemed to, irradiate his pallid features, when he saw the blow struck thatannihilated his enemy; but it was again instantly shaded by anexpression of the most profound despair. 

"It is done, gentlemen, " he at length remarked. "The tragedy is closed, the curse of Ellen Halloway is fulfilled, and Iam--childless!--Blackwater, " he pursued, endeavouring to stifle theemotion produced by the last reflection, "pay every attention to thesecurity of the garrison, see that the drawbridge is again properlychained up, and direct that the duties of the troops be prosecuted inevery way as heretofore. "

Leaving his officers to wonder at and pity that apathy of mind thatcould mingle the mere forms of duty with the most heart-rendingassociations, Colonel de Haldimar now quitted the rampart; and, with ahead that was remarked for the first time to droop over his chest, paced his way musingly to his apartments. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Night had long since drawn her circling mantle over the westernhemisphere; and deeper, far deeper than the gloom of that night was thedespair which filled every bosom of the devoted garrison, whosefortunes it has fallen to our lot to record. A silence, profound asthat of death, pervaded the ramparts and exterior defences of thefortress, interrupted only, at long intervals, by the customary "All'swell!" of the several sentinels; which, after the awful events of theday, seemed to many who now heard it as if uttered in mockery of theirhopelessness of sorrow. The lights within the barracks of the men hadbeen long since extinguished; and, consigned to a mere repose of limb, in which the eye and heart shared not, the inferior soldiery pressedtheir rude couches with spirits worn out by a succession of painfulexcitements, and frames debilitated, by much abstinence and watching. It was an hour at which sleep was wont to afford them the blessing of atemporary forgetfulness of endurances that weighed the more heavily asthey were believed to be endless and without fruit; but sleep had nowapparently been banished from all; for the low and confused murmur thatmet the ear from the several block-houses was continuous and general, betraying at times, and in a louder key, words that bore reference tothe tragic occurrences of the day. 

The only lights visible in the fort proceeded from the guard-house anda room adjoining that of the ill-fated Charles de Haldimar. Within thelatter were collected, with the exception of the governor, and groupedaround a bed on which lay one of their companions in a nearly expiringstate, the officers of the garrison, reduced nearly one third in numbersince we first offered them to the notice of our readers. The dying manwas Sir Everard Valletort, who, supported by pillows, was concluding anarrative that had chained the earnest attention of his auditory, evenamid the deep and heartfelt sympathy perceptible in each for theforlorn and hopeless condition of the narrator. At the side of theunhappy baronet, and enveloped in a dressing gown, as if recently outof bed, sat, reclining in a rude elbow chair, one whose pallidcountenance denoted, that, although far less seriously injured, he, too, had suffered severely:--it was Lieutenant Johnstone. 

The narrative was at length closed; and the officer, exhausted by theeffort he had made in his anxiety to communicate every particular tohis attentive and surprised companions, had sunk back upon his pillow, when, suddenly, the loud and unusual "Who comes there?" of the sentinelstationed on the rampart above the gateway, arrested every ear. Amoment of pause succeeded, when again was heard the "Stand, friend!"evidently given in reply to the familiar answer to the originalchallenge. Then were audible rapid movements in the guard-house, as ofmen aroused from temporary slumber, and hastening to the point whencethe voice proceeded. 

Silently yet hurriedly the officers now quitted the bedside of thedying man, leaving only the surgeon and the invalid Johnstone behindthem; and, flying to the rampart, stood in the next minute confoundedwith the guard, who were already grouped round the challengingsentinel, bending their gaze eagerly in the direction of the road. 

"What now, man?--whom have you challenged?" asked Major Blackwater. 

"It is I--De Haldimar, " hoarsely exclaimed one of four dark figuresthat, hitherto, unnoticed by the officers, stood immediately beyond theditch, with a burden deposited at their feet. "Quick, Blackwater, letus in for God's sake! Each succeeding minute may bring a scouting partyon our track. Lower the drawbridge!"

"Impossible!" exclaimed the major: "after all that has passed, it ismore than my commission is worth to lower the bridge withoutpermission. Mr. Lawson, quick to the governor, and report that Captainde Haldimar is here: with whom shall he say?" again addressing theimpatient and almost indignant officer. 

"With Miss de Haldimar, Francois the Canadian, and one to whom we allowe our lives, " hurriedly returned the officer; "and you may add, " hecontinued gloomily, "the corpse of my sister. But while we stand inparley here, we are lost: Lawson, fly to my father, and tell him wewait for entrance. "

With nearly the speed enjoined the adjutant departed. Scarcely a minuteelapsed when he again stood upon the rampart, and advancing closely tothe major, whispered a few words in his ear. 

"Good God! can it be possible? When? How came this? but we will enquirelater. Open the gate; down with the bridge, Leslie, " addressing theofficer of the guard. 

The command was instantly obeyed. The officers flew to receive thefugitives; and as the latter crossed the drawbridge, the light of alantern, that had been brought from the guard-room, flashed full uponthe harassed countenances of Captain and Miss de Haldimar, Francois theCanadian, and the devoted Oucanasta. 

Silent and melancholy was the greeting that took place between theparties: the voice spoke not; the hand alone was eloquent; but it wasin the eloquence of sorrow only that it indulged. Pleasure, even inthis almost despaired of re-union, could not be expressed; and even theeye shrank from mutual encounter, as if its very glance at such amoment were sacrilege. Recalled to a sense of her situation by thepreparation of the men to raise the bridge, the Indian woman was thefirst to break the silence. 

"The Saganaw is safe within his fort, and the girl of the pale faceswill lay her head upon his bosom, " she remarked solemnly. "Oucanastawill go to her solitary wigwam among the red skins. "

The heart of Madeline de Haldimar was oppressed by the weight of manygriefs; yet she could not see the generous preserver of her life, andthe rescuer of the body of her ill-fated cousin, depart withoutemotion. Drawing a ring, of some value and great beauty, from herfinger, which she had more than once observed the Indian to admire, sheplaced it on her hand; and then, throwing herself on the bosom of thefaithful creature, embraced her with deep manifestations of affection, but without uttering a word. 

Oucanasta was sensibly gratified: she raised her large eyes to heavenas if in thankfulness; and by the light of the lantern, which fell uponher dark but expressive countenance, tears were to be seen startingunbidden from their source. 

Released from the embrace of her, whose life she had twice preserved atimminent peril to her own, the Indian again prepared to depart; butthere was another, who, like Madeline, although stricken by manysorrows, could not forego the testimony of his heart's gratitude. Captain de Haldimar, who, during this short scene, had despatched amessenger to his room for the purpose, now advanced to the poor girl, bearing a short but elegantly mounted dagger, which he begged her todeliver as a token of his friendship to the young chief her brother. Hethen dropped on one knee at her feet, and raising her hand, pressed itfervently against his heart; an action which, even to the untutoredmind of the Indian, bore evidence only of the feeling that prompted it, A heavy sigh escaped her labouring chest; and as the officer now roseand quitted her hand, she turned slowly and with dignity from him, andcrossing the drawbridge, was in a few minutes lost in the surroundinggloom. 

Our readers have, doubtless, anticipated the communication made toMajor Blackwater by the Adjutant Lawson. Bowed down to the dust by theaccomplishment of the curse of Ellen Halloway, the inflexibility ofColonel de Haldimar's pride was not proof against the utterannihilation wrought to his hopes as a father by the unrelenting hatredof the enemy his early falsehood and treachery had raised up to him. When the adjutant entered his apartment, the stony coldness of hischeek attested he had been dead some hours. 

We pass over the few days of bitter trial that succeeded to therestoration of Captain de Haldimar and his bride to their friends;days, during which were consigned to the same grave the bodies of thegovernor, his lamented children, and the scarcely less regretted SirEverard Valletort. The funeral service was attempted by CaptainBlessington; but the strong affection of that excellent officer, forthree of the defunct parties at least, was not armed against the trial. He had undertaken a task far beyond his strength; and scarcely hadcommenced, ere he was compelled to relinquish the performance of theritual to the adjutant. A large grave had been dug close under therampart, and near the fatal flag-staff, to receive the bodies of theirdeceased friends; and, as they were lowered successively into theirlast earthly resting place, tears fell unrestrainedly over the bronzedcheeks of the oldest soldiers, while many a female sob blended with andgave touching solemnity to the scene. 

On the morning of the third day from this quadruple interment, noticewas given by one of the sentinels that an Indian was approaching thefort, making signs as if in demand for a parley. The officers, headedby Major Blackwater, now become the commandant of the place, immediately ascended the rampart, when the stranger was at oncerecognised by Captain de Haldimar for the young Ottawa, the preserverof his life, and the avenger of the deaths of those they mourned, inwhose girdle was thrust, in seeming pride, the richly mounted daggerthat officer had caused to be conveyed to him through his no lessgenerous sister. A long conference ensued, in the language of theOttawas, between the parties just named, the purport of which was ofhigh moment to the garrison, now nearly reduced to the last extremity. The young chief had come to apprise them, that, won by the nobleconduct of the English, on a late occasion, when his warriors werewholly in their power, Ponteac had expressed a generous determinationto conclude a peace with the garrison, and henceforth to consider themas his friends. This he had publicly declared in a large council of thechiefs, held the preceding night; and the motive of the Ottawa's comingwas, to assure the English, that, on this occasion, their great leaderwas perfectly sincere in a resolution, at which he had the more readilyarrived, now that his terrible coadjutor and vindictive adviser was nomore. He prepared them for the coming of Ponteac and the principalchiefs of the league to demand a council on the morrow; and, with thisfinal communication, again withdrew. 

The Ottawa was right Within a week from that period the English were tobe seen once more issuing from their fort; and, although many monthselapsed before the wounds of their suffering hearts were healed, stillwere they grateful to Providence for their final preservation from adoom that had fallen, without exception, on every fortress on the lineof frontier in which they lay. 

Time rolled on; and, in the course of years, Oucanasta might be seenassociating with and bearing curious presents, the fruits of Indianingenuity, to the daughters of De Haldimar, now become the colonel ofthe ---- regiment; while her brother, the chief, instructed his sons inthe athletic and active exercises peculiar to his race. As for poorEllen Halloway, search had been made for her, but she never was heardof afterwards. 

THE END