ce. Collecting two as large
pieces of drift-wood as he could manage, he drew them to the bank,
collected fallen limbs and brush wood, laying them across the drift
wood, until he found, by walking upon it, that it would sustain their
weight; then seating Anne in the centre, and with a long pole in his
hand, placed himself beside her, and with the end of his pole pushing
against the bank, launched his strange looking craft into the stream,
their weight pressing against the water and its density resisting the
pressure, kept the raft together. Slowly but securely they moved along;
by pressing the pole against the bed of the river he propelled it until
they finally reached in safety the opposite bank, where, drawing their
raft a little out of water, that it might not float out of their reach
into the stream, they prepared to explore the grove of willows that had
drawn them thither. It was the sight of this raft across the stream
that caused Mr. Duncan's alarm about the Indians.

On entering they found a large space cleared of its primitive growth,
in the centre of about three acres, which was slightly overgrown with
stunted shrubs, but the willows that formed the grove were of gigantic
proportions, many of them three and a half, and some four feet in
diameter.

In the centre of the clearing, was an immense fort, evidently built of
the willows that had been felled to clear the space. The logs had been
cut, straightened, and made to fit each other, with some sharp
instrument, the corners being smoothly jointed, making the whole
structure solid and impregnable to gun-shot or arrows. What had
evidently been the door was torn away, and lay mouldering on the
ground. The whole structure was apparently very old, and had been long
deserted. The grass was growing within the enclosure, with weeds and
briers, while the logs that formed it were covered with moss, and were
crumbling to decay.

The children's curiosity was now blended with an absorbing interest,
and Anne longed to follow Edward into the enclosure, but hesitated
until he called out, "Only look! Anne! what can this be?" Then
forgetting all her timidity, she hastened to see what he was dragging
out of the rubbish, and as he held it up triumphantly for her
inspection, she looked on with wonder and amazement.

"It is a huge plate cover; here is the handle," said Anne, turning it
round with eagerness.

"Hardly that," said her brother; "this is two feet across, and is
hard