-perhaps during the youth of my maternal grandfather.

"It may be so, Mr. Carew," said Christopher Burley; "but to my mind the
work is of more recent date. I should say the stone had been purposely
removed, and then put back after the hieroglyphics were carved on the
plaster. I would take a copy, but unfortunately I have no material at
hand--"

"It would be a useless waste of time, sir, if you had," Captain Rudstone
interrupted, almost fiercely. "The characters are meaningless. I'll
warrant 'tis but a jest on the part of some crack-brained hunter or
trapper, or possibly one of the laborers who built the fort. And surely
we have more serious matters to think about!"

"Ay, that is true!" I assented, wondering meanwhile at the captain's
earnestness. "Cryptogram or not, we'll leave it for wiser heads than
ours! Come, reset the stone!"

Baptiste and Carteret lifted the fragments of the slab, and fitted them
into place again. That done, I ceased to think of the mystery, and it
was not subsequently referred to.

It was a great relief, after the hardships at the fort and the exposure
of the long march, to have a shelter over us once more. The danger of
pursuit was a specter that had faded behind us, and we counted on
reaching Fort Charter at the end of another day's journey. We found some
rickety stools and benches, and drawing them around the roaring fire, we
ate our simple meal with thankful hearts. Flora sat beside me, and I
watched her lovely face, now pensive, now radiant with happiness and
love, as the flickering glow of the flames played upon it. I held
myself a lucky man to have won such a treasure.

But we were devouring almost the last of our food; indeed, when supper
was finished nothing remained but a sack of cornmeal and half a pound of
dried fish. It was necessary to provide for the next day, since we would
march but poorly on empty stomachs and so we arranged a plan that we had
partly settled on that morning.

The suggestion was mine. About five miles to the east, in a hilly and
timbered bit of country, a spring bubbled up, so cold and swift that it
never froze near its source. The deer and other game knew it, and came
to the place by day and night to drink, and there I proposed to guide
one or two of my companions.

"We are certain to be back before midnight," I said, "for we can make
the round trip in less than three hours. And I'll promise venison for
breakfast--or perhaps moose meat."

"Will it be