crouched down and looked around with a feeling of misgiving and
fear.

"I wonder if it can hold me after such a supper? It is a little lower in
the water, but I guess it can stand it."

Whither the stream was tending was a question for the wanderer to
consider; but as he was without any possible means of determining, he
did not devote much time to the consideration thereof. His purpose was
to get ahead without leaving a trail behind, and that was what he was
doing.

CHAPTER XV.

IN THE SOLITUDE.

Ned designed to drift down stream for a mile or so, by which time he
expected to be at such a distance that there was no further possible
danger of pursuit. It would then be necessary for him to get forward as
fast as he could, taking care to avoid the redskins who were in front,
rather than those in the rear.

He was a little alarmed to find, after going scarcely half that
distance, that the stream was broadening very rapidly. The current as a
consequence, became slower, and when he descried seemingly a large
forest looming up before him, he concluded that the time had about come
for him to disembark, and use his heels. But, prompted somewhat by
curiosity, he remained a while longer, until, before he was aware, he
discovered that the stream had debouched into a lake, nearly circular in
shape, and fully a couple of hundred yards in diameter. The impetus of
the current kept the tree moving slowly and still more slowly, until it
had reached a point near the middle, when it gradually settled down to a
complete standstill.

"That's odd!" exclaimed the lad, looking about him, and seeing the broad
sweep of water on every hand. "If I knew this I think I should have got
off."

It only remained for him to work his way to land, and this he began
doing by using his hands as paddles. It was slow progress; and he was of
the opinion that he had made a rather foolish blunder in permitting
himself to be "carried out to sea" in this fashion. He was disturbed
still further by the appearance of the sky. Dark, threatening clouds
were gathering and sweeping across it, frequently shutting out the light
of the moon and causing the most grotesque shadows to whisk over the
surface of the lake.

The indications were that a violent storm was close at hand, and he used
both hands with all the vigor at his command, and saw himself gradually
nearing land--the rate being so moderate that it could not keep pace
with his impatience. He was