dies,
who were regarding me with curiosity and amazement. Imagine, if you
can, my mingled horror and pleasure at recognizing in two of them the
very persons whom you and I, Hester, had been so anxious to overtake."

"Not my sister!" cried Donald.

"Yes, your sister, Miss Edith, and Madam Rothsay. I don't think they
recognized me at first, for when I tried to make the best of the
situation by speaking and expressing my happiness at thus meeting them,
Miss Edith gave a sort of a gasp and cried: 'Why, aunty! I do believe
it is Mr. Bullen!' She seemed so distressed, that I hastened not only
to assure her of my identity, but that with the exception of a few
blisters I was quite well. I also attempted to divert her mind by
praising the wonderful sea-going qualities of my tub; but all at once
she--"

"Oh, Bullen! Bullen! oh Lord! I imagine the tableau!" roared Donald,
shouting with uncontrollable laughter at the scene thus presented to
his imagination. Even Christie smiled. The startled Indians regarded
the white men with wonder, and the little paymaster gazed at Donald
with mute indignation.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE PAYMASTER IN WAR-PAINT AND FEATHERS

"That is just what Miss Edith did," remarked Bullen, in a grieved tone,
when Donald's outburst of mirth had somewhat subsided.

"What?"

"Laughed. And when I tried to convince her that my unfortunate
predicament was not a subject for merriment, she only laughed the more,
until finally she ran away and disappeared in the forest, with which
most of the island was covered."

"Well, I don't blame her," said Donald. "Why, man, the spectacle must
have been enough to make a graven image chuckle. Didn't Madam Rothsay
laugh, too?"

"Certainly not. She only coughed and smiled and apologized in the
sweetest manner for having accidentally been a witness to my arrival;
hoped they would have the pleasure of seeing me later after I had
recovered from the effects of my voyage, and all that sort of thing.
Behaved in the most lady-like manner, by Jove."

"And the third lady? By the way, who was she?"

"Oh, she was only an Indian girl; but a stunner, for all that. She may
have laughed, but I didn't notice; for she ran after Miss Edith. I
found out about her afterwards. She is Pontiac's daughter, and her
name is Ah-mo, which means the bee or the sweet one. She was educated
in the convent at Montreal and went into society there. Refused a
French count, I believ