to make a man think quick and act at once, as was my case, or the
Sarpent's spirit would be hunting in the happy land of his people
at this very moment."

"Come, come, Pathfinder, this palaver is worse than being skinned
from stem to stem; we have but a few hours of sun, and had better
be drifting down this said current of yours while we may. Magnet
dear, are you not ready to get under way?"

Magnet started, blushed brightly, and made her preparations for
immediate departure. Not a syllable of the discourse just related
had she heard; for Eau-douce, as young Jasper was oftener called
than anything else, had been filling her ears with a description
of the yet distant part towards which she was journeying, with
accounts of her father, whom she had not seen since a child, and
with the manner of life of those who lived in the frontier garrisons.
Unconsciously she had become deeply interested, and her thoughts
had been too intently directed to these matters to allow any of
the less agreeable subjects discussed by those so near to reach
her ears. The bustle of departure put an end to the conversation,
and, the baggage of the scouts or guides being trifling, in a few
minutes the whole party was ready to proceed. As they were about
to quit the spot, however, to the surprise of even his fellow-guides,
Pathfinder collected a quantity of branches and threw them upon the
embers of the fire, taking care even to see that some of the wood
was damp, in order to raise as dark and dense a smoke as possible.

"When you can hide your trail, Jasper," said he, "a smoke at leaving
an encampment may do good instead of harm. If there are a dozen
Mingos within ten miles of us, some of 'em are on the heights, or