were frequently cast behind her, for she was fearful Robert Willoughby
might miss the path, having so little acquaintance with the thousand
sinuosities he encountered. She caught glimpses of his person, however,
in the distance, and saw that he was on the right track. Her chief
concern, therefore, soon became an anxiety that he should not be seen
by her companions. As they kept a little in advance, and the underbrush
was somewhat thick, she had strong hopes that this evil would be
avoided.

The path being very circuitous, it took some time to reach the spot
Joel sought. Here he, Mike, and Maud, crossed the rivulet on a tree
that had been felled expressly to answer the purposes of a rustic foot-
bridge; a common expedient of the American forest. As our heroine had
often performed this exploit when alone, she required no assistance,
and she felt as if half the danger of her critical situation had
vanished, when she found herself on the same side of the stream as the
Hut. Joel, nothing suspecting, and keeping all his faculties on the
sounds and sights that might occur in front, led the way diligently,
and soon reached the verge of the woods. Here he paused for his
companions to join him.

Twilight had, by this time, nearly disappeared. Still, enough remained
to enable Maud to perceive that many were watching for her, either at
the windows above the cliff, or through different parts of the
stockades. The distance was so small, that it might have been possible,
by raising the voice, even to converse; but this would be an experiment
too hazardous, as some hostile scouts, at that hour might very well be
fearfully near.

"I see nothing, Miss Maud," observed Joel, after taking a good look