the natives, a strong dash of pink in it, and the mass of
fair hair which encircled it, proved that, as Harry paradoxically
expressed it, its owner was a _white_ man. He was young, considerably
above the middle height, and apparently athletic. His address and
language on approaching the young men put the question of his being a
_white_ man beyond a doubt.

"Good-morning, gentlemen," he began. "I presume that you are the party
we have been expecting for some time past to reinforce our staff at
Stoney Creek. Is it not so?"

To this query young Somerville, who stood in advance of his friend, made
no reply, but stepping hastily forward, laid a hand on each of the
stranger's shoulders, and gazed earnestly into his face, exclaiming as
he did so--

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is Charley Kennedy before me--or his ghost?"

"What! eh," exclaimed the individual thus addressed, returning Harry's
gripe and stare with interest, "is it possible? No--it cannot--Harry
Somerville, my old, dear, unexpected friend!"--and pouring out broken
sentences, abrupt ejaculations, and incoherent questions, to which
neither vouchsafed replies, the two friends gazed at and walked round
each other, shook hands, partially embraced, and committed sundry other
extravagances, utterly unconscious of, or indifferent to, the fact that
Hamilton was gazing at them, open-mouthed, in a species of stupor, and
that Jacques was standing by, regarding them with a look of mingled
amusement and satisfaction. The discovery of this latter personage was
a source of renewed delight and astonishment to Charley, who was so much
upset by the commotion of his spirits, in consequence of this, so to
speak, double shot, that he became rambling and incoherent in his speech
during the remainder of that day, and gave vent to frequent and sudden
bursts of smothered enthusiasm, in which it would appear, from the
occasional muttering of the names of Redfeather and Jacques, that he not
only felicitated himself on his own good fortune, but also anticipated
renewed pleasure in witnessing the joyful meeting of these two worthies
ere long. In fact, this meeting did take place on the following day,
when Redfeather, returning from a successful hunt, with part of a deer
on his shoulders, entered Charley's tent, in which the travellers had
spent the previous day and night, and discovered the guide gravely
discussing a venison steak before the fire.

It would be vain to attempt a descr