n a
communication with the major through the chinks of the logs After
receiving Nick's intelligence, his plan was to be governed by
circumstances, and to act accordingly.

"God bless you, Joyce," said the captain, squeezing the Serjeant's hand
as he was on the point of descending. "We are on ticklish service, and
require all our wits about us. If anything happen to me, remember that
my wife and daughter will mainly depend on you for protection."

"I shall consider that as your honour's orders, sir, and no more need
be said to me, Captain Willoughby."

The captain smiled on his old follower, and Joyce thought that never
had he seen the fine manly face of his superior beam with a calmer, or
sweeter expression, than it did as he returned his own pressure of the
hand. The two adventurers were both careful, and their descent was
noiseless. The men above listened, in breathless silence, but the
stealthy approach of the cat upon the bird could not have been more
still, than that, of these two experienced warriors.

The place where Joyce was left with the men, might have been fifty feet
above the roof of the cabin, and almost perpendicularly over the narrow
vacancy that was known to exist between the rocks and the lean-to.
Still the bushes and trees were so thick as to prevent the smallest
glimpse at objects below, had the shape of the cliff allowed it, while
they even intercepted sounds. Joyce fancied, nevertheless, that he
heard the rustling bushes, as the captain forced his way into the
narrow space he was to occupy, and he augured well of the fact, since
it proved that no opposition had been encountered. Half an hour of
forest silence followed, that was only interrupted by the tumbling of
the waters over the natural dam. At the end of that weary period, a
shout was heard in front of the mills, and the party raised their
pieces, in a vague apprehension that some discovery had been made that
was about to bring on a crisis. Nothing further occurred, however, to
confirm this impression, and an occasional burst of laughter, that
evidently came from white men, rather served to allay the apprehension.

Another half-hour passed, during which no interruption was heard. By
this time Joyce became uneasy, a state of things having arrived for
which no provision had been made in his instructions. He was about to
leave his command under the charge of Jamie, and descend himself to
reconnoitre, when a footstep was heard coming up the p