to them. Go on, please."

"Yes, my dear. Well, first of all, this place was a part of the grant of
land given to the Le Noirs. And the first owner, old Henri Le Noir, was
said to be one of the grandest villains that ever was heard of. Well,
you see, he lived out here in his hunting lodge, which is this part of
the house."

"Oh, my! then this very room was a part of the old pioneer hunter's
lodge?"

"Yes, my dear; and they do say that he had this place made as a trap for
the Indians! You see, they say he was on terms of friendship with the
Succapoos, a little tribe of Indians that was nearly wasted away, though
among the few that was left there were several braves. Well, he wanted
to buy a certain large tract of land from this tribe, and they were all
willing to sell it except those half a dozen warriors, who wanted it for
camping ground. So what does this awful villain do but lay a snare for
them. He makes a great feast in his lodge and invites his red brothers
to come to it; and they come. Then he proposes that they stand upon his
blanket and all swear eternal brotherhood, which he made the poor souls
believe was the right way to do it. Then when they all six stood close
together as they could stand, with hands held up touching above their
heads, all of a sudden the black villain sprung the bolt, the trap fell
and the six men went down--down, the Lord knows where!"

"Oh! that is horrible! horrible!" cried Capitola; "but where do you
think they fell to?"

"I tell you the Lord only knows! They say that it is a bottomless abyss,
with no outlet but one crooked one, miles long, that reaches to the
Demon's Punch Bowl. But if there is a bottom to that abyss, that bottom
is strewn with human bones!"

"Oh! horrible! most horrible!" exclaimed Capitola.

"Perhaps you are afraid to sleep here by yourself? If so, there's the
damp room----"

"Oh, no! oh, no! I am not afraid. I have been in too much deadly peril
from the living ever to fear the dead! No, I like the room, with its
strange legend; but tell me, did that human devil escape without
punishment from the tribe of the murdered victims?"

"Lord, child, how were they to know of what was done? There wasn't a man
left to tell the tale. Besides, the tribe was now brought down to a few
old men, women and children. So, when he showed a bill of sale for the
land he wanted, signed by the six braves--'their marks,' in six
blood-red arrows, there was none to contradict him."