suffered to burn low."

"Let us, then, push for the place, and relieve our doubts," said the
impatient Duncan; "the party must be small that can lie on such a bit of
land."

"If you judge of Indian cunning by the rules you find in books, or
by white sagacity, they will lead you astray, if not to your death,"
returned Hawkeye, examining the signs of the place with that acuteness
which distinguished him. "If I may be permitted to speak in this matter,
it will be to say, that we have but two things to choose between: the
one is, to return, and give up all thoughts of following the Hurons--"

"Never!" exclaimed Heyward, in a voice far too loud for their
circumstances.

"Well, well," continued Hawkeye, making a hasty sign to repress his
impatience; "I am much of your mind myself; though I thought it becoming
my experience to tell the whole. We must, then, make a push, and if the
Indians or Frenchers are in the narrows, run the gauntlet through these
toppling mountains. Is there reason in my words, Sagamore?"

The Indian made no other answer than by dropping his paddle into the
water, and urging forward the canoe. As he held the office of directing
its course, his resolution was sufficiently indicated by the movement.
The whole party now plied their paddles vigorously, and in a very few
moments they had reached a point whence they might command an entire
view of the northern shore of the island, the side that had hitherto
been concealed.

"There they are, by all the truth of signs," whispered the scout, "two
canoes and a smoke. The knaves haven't yet got their eyes out of the
mist, or we should hear the accursed whoop. Together, friends! we are
leaving them, and are already nearly out of whistle of a bullet."

The well-known crack of a rifle, whose ball came skipping along the
placid surface of the strait, and a shrill yell from the island,
interrupted his speech, and announced that their passage was discovered.
In another instant several savages were seen rushing into canoes, which
were soon dancing over the water in pursuit. These fearful precursors of
a coming struggle produced no change in the countenances and movements
of his three guides, so far as Duncan could discover, except that the
strokes of their paddles were longer and more in unison, and caused
the little bark to spring forward like a creature possessing life and
volition.

"Hold them there, Sagamore," said Hawkeye, looking coolly backward over
this l