e done, or his necessity be made
known, on account of the smoke. Sartain, when I got the right position,
I finished the affair of my own accord. For a friend under the tomahawk
is apt to make a man think quick and act at once, as was my case, or
the Sarpent's spirit would be hunting in the happy land of his people at
this very moment."

"Come, come, Pathfinder, this palaver is worse than being skinned from
stem to stem; we have but a few hours of sun, and had better be drifting
down this said current of yours while we may. Magnet dear, are you not
ready to get under way?"

Magnet started, blushed brightly, and made her preparations for
immediate departure. Not a syllable of the discourse just related
had she heard; for Eau-douce, as young Jasper was oftener called than
anything else, had been filling her ears with a description of the yet
distant part towards which she was journeying, with accounts of her
father, whom she had not seen since a child, and with the manner of
life of those who lived in the frontier garrisons. Unconsciously she
had become deeply interested, and her thoughts had been too intently
directed to these matters to allow any of the less agreeable subjects
discussed by those so near to reach her ears. The bustle of departure
put an end to the conversation, and, the baggage of the scouts or guides
being trifling, in a few minutes the whole party was ready to proceed.
As they were about to quit the spot, however, to the surprise of even
his fellow-guides, Pathfinder collected a quantity of branches and threw
them upon the embers of the fire, taking care even to see that some
of the wood was damp, in order to raise as dark and dense a smoke as
possible.

"When you can hide your trail, Jasper," said he, "a smoke at leaving
an encampment may do good instead of harm. If there are a dozen Mingos
within ten miles of us, some of 'em are on the heights, or in the trees,
looking out for smokes; let them see this, and much good may it do them.
They are welcome to our leavings."

"But may they not strike and follow on our trail?" asked the youth,
whose interest in the hazard of his situation had much increased since
the meeting with Magnet. "We shall leave a broad path to the river."

"The broader the better; when there, it will surpass Mingo cunning,
even, to say which way the canoe has gone--up stream or down. Water is
the only thing in natur' that will thoroughly wash out a trail, and even
water will not