without the slightest sound, and then a voice said, in tones which
the speaker had evidently tried to lower, but which were distinctly
audible in the canoe:

"I tell yer, redskin, it seems to me as how you've brought us here on
a fool's errand. I don't see no signs of a canoe, and it aint likely
that the British would be along the lake here, seeing as how there's
a score of canoes with your people in them scouting ahead."

"I heard canoe," another voice said, "first at other end of the
island and then coming along here."

"And ef yer did," the first speaker said, "likely enough it was one
of the canoes of your people."

"No," the Indian answered. "If canoe come back with news, would have
come straight to fires."

"Well, it aint here, anyway," the first speaker said, "and I don't
believe yer ever heard a canoe at all. It's enough to make a man
swear to be called up jest as we were making ourselves comfortable
for the night on account of an Injun's fancies. I wonder at the
general's listening to them. However, we've got our orders to go
round the island and see ef there's any canoe on either shore; so
we'd better be moving, else we shall not get to sleep before
morning."

Harold held his breath as the group passed opposite to him.
Fortunately the trunk of the tree grew from the very edge of the
water, and there were several bushes growing round it, so that at