ear before him, cannot reproach us
with the sacrifice of his life, since we risked our own for the common
good."

"No," replied Bois-Rose; "but let us still hope in that God, who
re-united us by a miracle; what does not happen to-day, may to-morrow;
we have time before us before our provisions fail. To attempt to take
the bank now, would be to march to certain death. To die would be
nothing, and we always hold that last resource in our own hands; but we
might perhaps be made prisoners, and then I shudder to think of what
would be our fate. Oh! my beloved Fabian, these Indians in their
determination to take us alive give me at least the happiness of being
yet a few days beside you."

Silence again resumed its reign; but as Bois-Rose thought of the
terrible denouement he clutched convulsively at some of the trunks of
the dead trees, and under his powerful grasp the islet trembled as
though about to be torn from its base.

"Ah! the wretches! the demons!" cried Pepe, with a sudden explosion of
rage. "Look yonder!"

A red light was piercing gradually through the veil of vapour which hung
over the river, and seemed to advance and grow larger; but, strange to
say, the fire floated on the water, and, intense as was the fog, the
mass of flames dissipated it as the sun disperses the clouds. The three
hunters had barely time to be astonished at this apparition, before they
guessed its cause. A long course of life in the desert and its dangers
had imparted to the Canadian a firmness which Pepe had not attained;
therefore, instead of giving way to surprise, he remained perfectly
calm. He knew that this was the only way to surmount any difficulty.

"Yes," said he, "I understand what it is as well as if the Indians had
told me. You spoke once of foxes smoked out of their holes; now they
want to burn us in ours."

The globe of fire which floated on the river advanced with alarming
rapidity, and confirmed the words of Bois-Rose. Already amidst the
water, reddened by the flame, the twigs of the willows were becoming
distinct.

"It is a fire-ship," cried Pepe, "with which they want to set fire to
our island."

"So much the better," cried Fabian; "better to fight against the fire
than wait quietly for death."

"Yes," said Bois-Rose; "but fire is a terrible adversary and it fights
for these demons."

The besieged could oppose nothing to the advancing flames; and they
would soon devour the little island, leaving to its