you please," replied Alfred.

"I must put my veto on any such attempts, Alfred," said Mr. Campbell.
"We have sufficient danger to meet without running into it voluntarily,
and we have no occasion for wolves' skins just now. I shall, however,
venture to ask your assistance to-morrow morning. We wish to haul up the
fishing-punt before the ice sets in on the lake, and we are not
sufficiently strong-handed."

During the day Captain Sinclair took Alfred aside to know if the old
hunter had obtained any information relative to the Indians. Alfred
replied that they expected him every day, but as yet had not received
any communication from him. Captain Sinclair stated that they were
equally ignorant at the fort as to what had been finally arranged, and
that Colonel Forster was in hopes that the hunter would by this time
have obtained some intelligence.

"I should not be surprised if Malachi Bone were to come here to-morrow
morning," replied Alfred. "He has been away a long while, and, I am
sure, is as anxious to have John with him as John is impatient to go."

"Well, I hope he will; I shall be glad to have something to tell the
Colonel, as I made the request upon that ground. I believe, however,
that he was very willing that I should find an excuse for coming here,
as he is more anxious about your family than I could have supposed. How
well your cousin Mary is looking."

"Yes; and so is Emma, I think. She has grown half a head since she left
England. By the by, you have to congratulate me on my obtaining my rank
as lieutenant."

"I do indeed, my dear fellow," replied Captain Sinclair. "They will be
pleased to hear it at the fort. When will you come over?"

"As soon as I can manage to trot a little faster on these snow-shoes.
If, however, the old hunter does not come to-morrow, I will go to the
fort as soon as he brings us any news."

The accession to their party made them all very lively, and the evening
passed away very agreeably. At night, Captain Sinclair and Mr. Gwynne
were ushered into the large bedroom, where all the younger male portion
of the family slept, and which, as we before stated, had two spare
bed-places.

The next morning, Captain Sinclair would have accompanied the Miss
Percivals on their milking expedition, but as his services were required
to haul up the fishing punt, he was obliged to go down, with all the
rest of the men, to assist; Percival and John were the only ones left at
home with Mrs. Camp