"And if he did utter such taunt, why acknowledge it as
such," calmly rejoined Colonel D'Egville, "are you ashamed
of the name? I too am a Canadian, but so far from
endeavoring to repudiate my country, I feel pride in
having received my being in a land where every thing
attests the sublimity and magnificence of nature. Look
around you, my nephew, and ask yourself what there in
the wild grandeur of these scenes to disown? But ha!" as
he cast his eyes upon the water; "I fear Gerald will lose
his prize after all--that cunning Yankee is giving him
the Indian double."

During the foregoing short conversation, an important
change had been effected in the position of the adverse
boats. The shot fired, apparently with the view of
bringing the enemy to, had produced no favorable result;
but no sooner had the gun boat come abreast with the
chase, than the latter, suddenly clewing up her sails,
put her helm about, and plying every oar with an exertion
proportioned to the emergency, made rapidly for the coast
she had recently left. The intention of the crew was,
evidently to abandon the unarmed boat, and to seek safety
in the woods. Urged by the rapidity of her own course,
the gun boat had shot considerably ahead, and when at
length she also was put about, the breeze blew so
immediately in her teeth that it was found impossible to
regain the advantage which had been lost. Meanwhile, the
American continued her flight, making directly for the
land, with a rapidity that promised fair to baffle every