It was in the power of those behind the bushes, by placing their
eyes near the leaves, to find many places to look through while one
at a little distance lost this advantage. To those who watched his
motions from behind their cover, and they were all in the canoes,
it was evident that Jasper was totally at a loss to imagine where
the Pathfinder had secreted himself. When fairly round the curvature
in the shore, and out of sight of the fire he had lighted above,
the young man stopped and began examining the bank deliberately
and with great care. Occasionally he advanced eight or ten paces,
and then halted again, to renew the search. The water being much
shallower than common, he stepped aside, in order to walk with
greater ease to himself and came so near the artificial plantation
that he might have touched it with his hand. Still he detected
nothing, and was actually passing the spot when Pathfinder made an
opening beneath the branches, and called to him in a low voice to
enter.

"This is pretty well," said the Pathfinder, laughing; "though pale-face
eyes and red-skin eyes are as different as human spy-glasses. I
would wager, with the Sergeant's daughter here, a horn of powder
against a wampum-belt for her girdle, that her father's rijiment
should march by this embankment of ours and never find out the
fraud! But if the Mingoes actually get down into the bed of the
river where Jasper passed, I should tremble for the plantation.
It will do for their eyes, even across the stream, however, and
will not be without its use."

"Don't you think, Master Pathfinder, that it would be wisest, after
all," said Cap, "to get under way at once, and carry sail hard down