atching for his return. As the questers had come dropping in, she had
read in each dejected face the answer to the question which her own had
ceased to ask. She hastened forth to meet her husband, and as he sadly,
tenderly folded her in his arms, she laid her head upon his rugged
breast, and gave her pent-up sorrow relief in tears. But scarcely had
her tears begun to flow, when suddenly she checked them, and with
singular decision in manner and voice, exclaimed:

"Come, Jervis! Come!"

"Whither, dear Elster?"

"I know not," replied she. "I have heard no voice, yet I feel that we
are called! Come!"

They went at once, as in obedience to a summons, which must be answered
then or never. They went as led by a hand, which, to resist, were to
tempt their own destruction. They saw themselves drawing--felt
themselves drawn toward that side of the hill where, not a stone's throw
in the rear of the fort, it abruptly ended in the lofty precipice,
before mentioned. A few steps more and their feet had been on the very
verge, when, between it and themselves, rang out a cry of thrilling
horror, followed by peals of wild, unearthly laughter, which, beginning
at the brow of the steep, swiftly descended along its sides, till in the
edge of the forest, afar down there, they subsided into a wild,
unearthly wail. Then in a moment all was still--not a tell-tale echo
awaking to help the listening ear to determine what manner of sounds
had broken the silence.

Harrowed with horror and anguish, Jervis and Elster stood, and with no
more power to move from the spot than the senseless stones that lay
around them. Not a sign of life had they seen, where sounds of life they
had heard. It was as if the vacant air had cried; then laughed, to mock
itself for crying; then wailed, to chide itself for laughing.

Old Pow-wow had followed cowering behind them. Now he bounded forward,
and straight came bounding back again, with something in his mouth,
which he laid at their feet. Pitiful heavens! The little coonskin cap!
The next instant the dog had flung him sheer over the brink of the
steep, and now, in a succession of huge leaps from ledge to ledge, was
making his zig-zag way adown its sides, till, in the forest shadows far
below, he disappeared. One moment more and his bark came ringing
joyfully up to his friends--the sweetest, welcomest sound that had ever
greeted their ears.

"Pow-wow has found him! Wait here, Elster!"

So saying, and moved b