to our farms, and so much that is our own, and which no one in the
world wants. No, no! You can not wish us to leave such a spot."

My dear wife and I both felt that age would soon creep on us, and we
could not help some doubts as to the fate of our sons. Should we stay
and end our days here, some one of us would out-live the rest, and this
thought came oft to my mind, and brought with it a sense of dread I
could not get rid of. It made me pray to God that He would save us all
from so dire a fate as to die far from the sound of the voice of man,
with no one to hear our last words, or lay us in the earth when He
should call us to our rest.

My wife did not share this dread. "Why should we go back?" she would
say. "We have here all that we can wish for. The boys lead a life of
health, free from sin, and live with us, which might not be the case if
we went out in the world. Let us leave our fate in the hands of God."


CHAPTER XIV.

As Fritz and Ernest were now men, they were of course free to go where
they chose, and to come back when their will led them home. Thus, from
time to time they took long trips, and went far from Rock House. They
had fine boats and strong steeds, and of these they made such good use
that there was scarce a spot for leagues round that was not well known
to them.

At one time, Fritz had been so long from home that we had a dread lest
he should have lost his way, or fallen a prey to wild beasts. When he
came back he told us a long tale of what he had seen and where he had