oat and then, sighing, passed
them back to the Major.

Major Braithwaite's survey was not so long and he looked puzzled when he
took the glasses down.

"Now, what in the name of Neptune do you make of it, young sir?" he
asked.

"It's a flatboat that once belonged to an emigrant party," said Henry.
"Such boats, built for long voyages and much freight, are of heavy
timbers and this is no exception. They have mounted upon it two cannon,
twelve pounds at least. I can see their muzzles and the places that have
been cut away in the boat's side to admit them."

Major Braithwaite's face whitened.

"Cannon here in the wilderness!" he exclaimed.

"One of our stations in Kentucky has been attacked with cannon."

"Where do they get them?"

"They are brought all the way from Canada and they are worked by the
renegades and white men from Canada."

"This is a great danger to us."

"It is certainly a very great danger, Major."

Henry took another look through the glasses. The boat, driven by great
sweeps, came on in a diagonal course across the river, bearing down upon
the fort. Nobody on board it could yet be seen, so well protected were
they by the high sides. It was near enough now to be observed by
everybody in the fort, and many curious eyes were turned upon it,
although the people did not yet know, as Henry and the Major did, the
deadly nature of its burden.

The two descended from the blockhouse. The boat was now much nearer,
still coming on, black and silent, but behind it at some distance,
hovered a swarm of canoes filled with warriors.

The big boat stopped and swayed a little in the current. There was a
flash of flame from her side, a puff of smoke, and a crash that traveled
far up and down the river. A cannon ball struck inside the palisade, but
buried itself harmlessly in the ground, merely sending up a shower of
dirt. There was a second flash, a second puff and crash, and another
cannon ball struck near its predecessor, like the first doing no harm.

But consternation spread inside the fort. They could reply to rifles
with rifles, but how were they to defend themselves from cannon which
from a safe range could batter them to pieces?

While the terrible problem was yet fresh in their minds, the attack on
land was resumed. Hundreds of the warriors issued from the woods and
began to fire upon the palisade, while the cannon shot were sent at
intervals from the floating fortress.

Major Braithwaite retaine