Spectre though I be, I am not sent to scare thee or deceive;But in reward of thy fidelity.
WORDSWORTH.
It would be difficult to say which evinced the most sat-isfaction, when Mabel sprang to her feet and appeared in the centre of the room, our heroine, on finding that her visitor was the wife of Arrowhead, and not Arrowhead himself, or June, at discovering that her advice had been followed, and that the blockhouse contained the person she had so anxiously and almost hopelessly sought.They embraced each other, and the unsophisticated Tuscarora woman laughed in her sweet accents as she held her friend at arm's length, and made certain of her presence.
"Blockhouse good," said the young Indian; "got no scalp.""It is indeed good, June," Mabel answered, with a shud-der, veiling her eyes at the same time, as if to shut out a view of the horrors she had so lately witnessed."Tell me, for God's sake, if you know what has become of my dear uncle! I have looked in all directions without being able to see him.""No here in blockhouse?" June asked, with some curi-osity.
"Indeed he is not: I am quite alone in this place; Jen-nie, the woman who was with me, having rushed out to join her husband, and perishing for her imprudence.""June know, June see; very bad, Arrowhead no feel for any wife; no feel for his own.""Ah, June, your life, at least, is safe!""Don't know; Arrowhead kill me, if he know all.""God bless and protect you, June! He _will_ bless and protect you for this humanity.Tell me what is to be done, and if my poor uncle is still living?""Don't know.Saltwater has boat; maybe he go on river.""The boat is still on the shore, but neither my uncle nor the Quartermaster is anywhere to be seen.""No kill, or June would see.Hide away! Red man hide; no shame for pale-face.""It is not the shame that I fear for them, but the op-portunity.Your attack was awfully sudden, June!""Tuscarora!" returned the other, smiling with exultation at the dexterity of her husband."Arrowhead great war-rior!"
"You are too good and gentle for this sort of life, June;you cannot be happy in such scenes?"
June's countenance grew clouded, and Mabel fancied there was some of the savage fire of a chief in her frown as she answered, --"Yengeese too greedy, take away all hunting-grounds;chase Six Nation from morning to night; wicked king, wicked people.Pale-face very bad."Mabel knew that, even in that distant day, there was much truth in this opinion, though she was too well in-structed not to understand that the monarch, in this, as in a thousand other cases, was blamed for acts of which he was most probably ignorant.She felt the justice of the rebuke, therefore, too much to attempt an answer, and her thoughts naturally reverted to her own situation.
"And what am I to do, June?" she demanded."It cannot be long before your people will assault this build-ing."
"Blockhouse good -- got no scalp.
"But they will soon discover that it has got no garrison too, if they do not know it already.You yourself told me the number of people that were on the island, and doubtless you learned it from Arrowhead.""Arrowhead know," answered June, holding up six fin-gers, to indicate the number of the men."All red men know.Four lose scalp already; two got 'em yet.""Do not speak of it, June; the horrid thought curdles my blood.Your people cannot know that I am alone in the blockhouse, but may fancy my uncle and the Quarter-master with me, and may set fire to the building, in order to dislodge them.They tell me that fire is the great dan-ger to such places."
"No burn blockhouse," said June quietly;
"You cannot know that, my good June, and I have no means to keep them off.""No burn blockhouse.Blockhouse good; got no scalp.""But tell me why, June; I fear they will burn it.""Blockhouse wet -- much rain -- logs green -- no burn easy.
Red man know it -- fine t'ing -- then no burn it to tell Yengeese that Iroquois been here.Fader come back, miss blockhouse, no found.No, no; Indian too much cunning; no touch anything.""I understand you, June, and hope your prediction may be true; for, as regards my dear father, should he escape --perhaps he is already dead or captured, June ?""No touch fader -- don't know where he gone -- water got no trail -- red man can't follow.No burn blockhouse --blockhouse good; got no scalp."
"Do you think it possible for me to remain here safely until my father returns?""Don't know; daughter tell best when fader come back."Mabel felt uneasy at the glance of June's dark eye as she uttered this; for the unpleasant surmise arose that her companion was endeavoring to discover a fact that might be useful to her own people, while it would lead to the destruction of her parent and his party.She was about to make an evasive answer, when a heavy push at the outer door suddenly drew all her thoughts to the immediate danger.
"They come!" she exclaimed."Perhaps, June, it is my uncle or the Quartermaster.I cannot keep out even Mr.Muir at a moment like this.""Why no look? plenty loophole, made purpose."Mabel took the hint, and, going to one of the downward loops, that had been cut through the logs in the part that overhung the basement, she cautiously raised the little block that ordinarily filled the small hole, and caught a glance at what was passing at the door.The start and changing countenance told her companion that some of her own people were below.
"Red man," said June, lifting a finger in admonition to be prudent.
"Four; and horrible in their paint and bloody trophies.
Arrowhead is among them."
June had moved to a corner, where several spare rifles had been deposited, and had already taken one into her hand, when the name of her husband appeared to arrest her movements.It was but for an instant, however, for she immediately went to the loop, and was about to thrust the muzzle of the piece through it, when a feeling of natural aversion induced Mabel to seize her arm.
