oom. The
full moon had not yet risen, and they watched for the first gleam that
should break above the eastern hills to cheer them, as for the coming of
a friend.

Sadly these two poor lonely ones sat hand in hand, talking of the happy
days of childhood, or the perplexing present and the uncertain future.
At last, wearied out with watching and anxiety, Catharine leaned her
head upon the neck of old Wolfe and fell asleep, while Louis restlessly
paced to and fro in front of the sleeper; now straining his eye to
penetrate the surrounding gloom, now straining his ear to catch the
first sound that might indicate the approach of his absent cousin.

It was almost with a feeling of irritability that he heard the quick
sharp note of the "Whip-poor-will," as she flew from bough to bough of
an old withered tree beside him. Another, and again another of
these midnight watchers took up the monotonous never-varying cry of
"Whip-poor-will, Whip-poor-will;" and then came forth, from many a
hollow oak and birch, the spectral night-hawk from hidden dens, where
it had lain hushed in silence all day, from dawn till sunset. Sometimes
their sharp hard wings almost swept his cheek as they wheeled round and
round in circles, first narrow, then wide, and wider extending, till at
last they soared far above the tallest tree-tops and launching out in
the high regions of the air, uttered from time to time a wild shrill
scream, or hollow booming sound, as they suddenly descended to pounce
with wide-extended throat upon some hapless moth or insect, that sported
all unheeding in mid air, happily unconscious of the approach of so
unerring a foe.

Petulantly Louis chid these discordant minstrels of the night, and
joyfully he hailed the first gush of moonlight that rose broad and full
and red, over the Oak-hills to the eastward.

Louis envied the condition of the unconscious sleeper, who lay in happy
forgetfulness of all her sorrows, her fair curls spread in unbound
luxuriance over the dark shaggy neck of the faithful Wolfe, who seemed
as if proud of the beloved burden that rested so trustingly upon him.
Sometimes the careful dog just unclosed his large eyes, raised his nose
from his shaggy paws, snuffed the night air, growled in a sort of under
tone, and dosed again, but watchfully.

It would be no easy task to tell the painful feelings that agitated
young Louis's breast. He was angry with Hector, for having thus madly,
as he thought, rushed into