done."

"I propose," said Louis, "retreating, bag and baggage, to the nearest
point of Long Island." "My French cousin has well spoken," said Hector,
mimicking the Indian mode of speaking; "but listen to the words of the
wise. I propose to take all our household stores that are of the most
value, to the island, and lodge the rest safely in our new root-house,
first removing from its neighbourhood all such light, loose matter as is
likely to take fire; the earthen roof will save it from destruction; as
to the shanty, it must take its chance to stand or fall."

"The fence of the little clearing will be burned, no doubt. Well, never
mind, better that than our precious selves; and the corn, fortunately,
is not yet sown," said Louis.

Hector's advice met with general applause, and the girls soon set to
work to secure the property they meant to leave.

It was a fortunate thing that the root-house had been finished, as
it formed a secure storehouse for their goods, and would also be made
available as a hiding-place from the Indians, in time of need. The boys
carefully scraped away all the combustible matter from its vicinity, and
also from the house; but the rapid increase of the fire now warned them
to hurry down to join Catharine and the young Mohawk, who had gone off
to the lake shore, with such things as they required to take with them.

CHAPTER XI.

"I know a lake where the cool waves break,
And softly fall on the silver sand,
And no stranger intrudes on that solitude,
And no voices but ours disturb the strand."
IRISH SONG

The breeze had sprung up, and had already brought the fire down as far
as the creek. The swamp had long been on fire, and now the flames were
leaping among the decayed timbers, roaring and crackling among the
pines, and rushing to the tops of the cedars, springing from heap to
heap of the fallen branches, and filling the air with dense volumes
of black and suffocating smoke. So quickly did the flames advance that
Hector and Louis had only time to push off the canoe before the heights
along the shore were wrapped in smoke and fire. Many a giant oak and
noble pine fell crashing to the earth, sending up showers of red sparks,
as its burning trunk shivered in its fall. Glad to escape from the
suffocating vapour, the boys quickly paddled out to the island, enjoying
the cool, fresh air of the lake. Reposing on the grass beneath the
trees, they passed the day, sheltered from the noond