, an' she were passin' in th'
night, by th' oldness o' her footin'."

"They ain't no danger o' findin' Injuns here, Bill," added Ed. "This
is what they calls th' ha'nted country, an' they'd be too scairt o'
ghosts an' th' devils they thinks is runnin' round loose here t' risk
theirselves."

The long detours made necessary without the assistance of a canoe so
far delayed their progress that, though they had not slackened the
rapid pace set in the morning, night found them upon the shores of one
of the intermediate lakes, with little more than half the distance to
the end of the portage trail behind them.

Here they erected a lean-to at the edge of the forest, as a reflector
for their camp-fire, and as a protection against a light but chilling
breeze that had sprung up with the setting sun; and, all made snug for
the night, they cooked and ate their supper.

Then they lighted their pipes and lounged back upon the bed of spruce
boughs under the lean-to, speculating upon the morrow, and the
probability of an encounter with the Indians.

"What's that, now?" exclaimed Ed suddenly, and cautiously rising and
taking a position beyond the glow of the fire, he stood for several
minutes gazing intently out upon the waters of the wide lake not yet
lighted by the belated moon.

"There 'tis again! Did you make un out, Dick?" he asked, as Dick and
Bill, following Ed's example of cautious exit from the range of the
fire's glow, joined him.

"No, I weren't makin' nothin' out," answered Dick.

"There were somethin' there on th' water," Ed stated positively, when
they presently returned to the lean-to.

"What were it, now? What were it like?" asked Dick.

"I seen un twict, an' 'twere lookin' t' me like a canoe, though I'm
not sayin' so for sure," explained Ed.

"I seen un," corroborated Bill, "but whether 'twere a canoe or no, I'm
noways sure--'twere so far out."

"If 'twere a canoe, 'twere Injuns," declared Ed, "an' if 'twere Injuns
they was seein' our fire, an' they'll be up t' some devilment, now,
before day."

"Be you sartin', now, you seen something?" asked Dick, a note of
scepticism in his voice.

"Sure an' sartin'," insisted Ed. "'Twere movin', an' I'm thinkin'
'twere a canoe, though I'm noways sure."

"'Twere just a loon or maybe a bunch o' geese," said Dick, still
unwilling to believe.

"'Twere movin', an' 'twere lookin' like a canoe t' me," said Bill.
"'Twere certain no loon nor geese either. 'Twere too big.