re
Cora desired him to remain, while she was engaged in closing up the
aperture through which they had emerged. Putting her finger on her lips
to enforce silence, she once more led him forward at a rapid rate,
keeping under the shelter of the trees; where the gloom was such that he
could not possibly by himself have made his way. At length they reached
a small beach with low cliffs on either side. Keeping under their shade
they proceeded till he discovered a canoe concealed beneath a rock.
Cora, without requiring his assistance, quickly launched it, and then
again taking his hand, bade him, in a whisper, step in and lie down his
length at the bottom. Instantly grasping a paddle, she began to make
her way rapidly from the shore. She had not got far, when a voice from
the cliff hailed, ordering the canoe immediately to come back. Cora
took no notice, but paddled on with renewed efforts. Again the person
on the cliff shouted, and threatened to fire if his orders were not
obeyed. A few seconds only had passed when a shot whistled close to the
canoe. Cora bravely paddled on. The man on the cliff must have
reloaded quickly, for soon afterwards another shot came, but happily
without touching the canoe. The darkness must have soon hid so small an
object from the soldier's sight, though the shore was still visible. A
third and fourth shot followed, but still wider of the mark. Cora did
not relax her efforts till they had got more than half way across the
harbour. She then stopped for a moment to listen, but no sound of oars
indicated that they were pursued.

"We are safe now," she said, "and you may raise yourself; but don't
attempt to stand up. Thankful I am that we have escaped. I have no
fear for myself, but I dreaded every moment lest you might have been
retaken by your cruel enemies. My brother gave me the task to do, and I
gladly accepted it. He himself has gone to summon our tribe to arms,
having resolved to rescue you by force had my undertaking failed."

"I am most grateful to you," said Nigel. "But by what wonderful means
were you able to enter my prison and liberate me without apparent
difficulty?"

"By means which these cruel priests themselves afforded," answered Cora.
"When they were building their prison-house, Tecumah and I happened to
pass that way and observed that they were placing it on the ground once
occupied by an ancient temple at which, in days gone by, our tribe were
wont to worshi