ughing, "female society is what we never
calculated upon. What is the man's name?"

"Malachi Bone," replied Captain Sinclair. "I presume you expect Mrs.
Bone to call first?"

"She ought to do so, if she knows the _usage_ of society," replied Emma;
"but if she does not, I think I shall waive ceremony and go and see
her. I have great curiosity to make acquaintance with an Indian squaw."

"You may be surprised to hear me say so, Miss Emma, but I assure you,
without having ever seen her, that you will find her perfectly well
bred. All the Indian women are--their characters are a compound of
simplicity and reserve.--Keep the boat's head more to the right, Selby,
we will land close to that little knoll."

The commandant's boat had pulled much faster, and was a long way ahead
of the _bateaux_. In a few minutes afterward they had all disembarked
and were standing on the knoll, surveying their new property. A portion
of about thirty acres, running along the shore of the lake, was what is
termed natural prairie, or meadow of short fine grass; the land
immediately behind the meadow was covered with brushwood for about three
hundred yards, and then rose a dark and impervious front of high timber
which completely confined the landscape. The allotment belonging to the
old hunter, on the opposite side of the brook, contained about the same
portion of natural meadow, and was in other respects but a continuation
of the portion belonging to Mr. Campbell.

"Well," said Martin Super, as soon as he had come up to the party on the
knoll, for the _bateaux_ had now arrived, "I reckon, Mr. Campbell, that
you are in luck to have this piece of grass. It would have taken no few
blows of the ax to have cleared it away out of such a wood as that
behind us. Why, it is as good as a fortune to a new settler."

"I think it is, Martin," said Mr. Campbell.

"Well, sir, now to work as soon as you please, for a day is a day, and
must not be lost. I'll go to the wood with five or six of the men who
can handle an ax, and begin to cut down, leaving you and the captain
there to decide where the house is to be; the other soldiers will be
putting up the tents all ready for to-night, for you must not expect a
house over your heads till next full moon."

In a quarter of an hour all were in motion. Henry and Alfred took their
axes, and followed Martin Super and half of the soldiers, the others
were busy landing the stores and pitching the tents, while Captai