"June! this is not a fit subject for a girl who scarcely knows if she is to live another hour or not.I would obtain some signs of my dear uncle's being alive and safe, if pos-sible."
"June go see."
"Can you? -- will you? -- would it be safe for you to be seen on the island? is your presence known to the warriors, and would they be pleased to find a woman on the war-path with them?"
All this Mabel asked in rapid connection, fearing that the answer might not be as she wished.She had thought it extraordinary that June should be of the party, and, im-probable as it seemed, she had fancied that the woman had covertly followed the Iroquois in her own canoe, and had got in their advance, merely to give her the notice which had probably saved her life.But in all this she was mistaken, as June, in her imperfect manner, now found means to let her know.
Arrowhead, though a chief, was in disgrace with his own people, and was acting with the Iroquois temporarily, though with a perfect understanding.He had a wigwam, it is true, but was seldom in it; feigning friendship for the English, he had passed the summer ostensibly in their service, while he was, in truth, acting for the French, and his wife journeyed with him in his many migrations, most of the distances being passed over in canoes.In a word, her presence was no secret, her husband seldom moving without her.Enough of this to embolden Mabel to wish that her friend might go out, to ascertain the fate of her uncle, did June succeed in letting the other know; and it was soon settled between them that the Indian woman should quit the blockhouse with that object the moment a favorable opportunity offered.
They first examined the island, as thoroughly as their position would allow, from the different loops, and found that its conquerors were preparing for a feast, having seized upon the provisions of the English and rifled the huts.
Most of the stores were in the blockhouse; but enough were found outside to reward the Indians for an attack that had been attended by so little risk.A party had already removed the dead bodies, and Mabel saw that their arms were collected in a pile near the spot chosen for the banquet.June suggested that, by some signs which she understood, the dead themselves were carried into a thicket and either buried or concealed from view.None of the more prominent objects on the island, however, were dis-turbed, it being the desire of the conquerors to lure the party of the Sergeant into an ambush on its return.June made her companion observe a man in a tree, a look-out, as she said, to give timely notice of the approach of any boat, although, the departure of the expedition being so recent, nothing but some unexpected event would be likely to bring it back so soon.There did not appear to be any intention to attack the blockhouse immediately; but every indication, as understood by June, rather showed that it was the intention of the Indians to keep it besieged until the return of the Sergeant's party, lest, the signs of an as-sault should give a warning to eyes as practised as those of Pathfinder.The boat, however, had been secured, and was removed to the spot where the canoes of the Indians were hid in the bushes.
June now announced her intention to join her friends, the moment being particularly favorable for her to quit the blockhouse.Mabel felt some distrust as they de-scended the ladder; but at the next instant she was ashamed of the feeling, as unjust to her companion and unworthy of herself, and by the time they both stood on the ground her confidence was restored.The process of unbarring the door was conducted with the utmost cau-tion, and when the last bar was ready to be turned June took her station near the spot where the opening must necessarily be.The bar was just turned free of the brackets, the door was opened merely wide enongh to allow her body to pass, and June glided through the space.
Mabel closed the door again, with a convulsive movement;and as the bar turned into its place, her heart beat audibly.
She then felt secure; and the two other bars were turned down in a more deliberate manner.When all was fast again, she ascended to the first floor, where alone she could get a glimpse of what was going on without.
Long and painfully melancholy hours passed, during which Mabel had no intelligence from June.She heard the yells of the savages, for liquor had carried them be-yond the bounds of precaution; and occasionally caught glimpses of their mad orgies through the loops; and at all times was conscious of their fearful presence by sounds and sights that would have chilled the blood of one who had not so lately witnessed scenes so much more terrible.
Toward the middle of the day, she fancied she saw a white man on the island, though his dress and wild appearance at first made her take him for a newly-arrived savage.Aview of his face, although it was swarthy naturally, and much darkened by exposure, left no doubt that her con-jecture was true; and she felt as if there was now one of a species more like her own present, and one to whom she might appeal for succor in the last emergency.Mabel lit-tle knew, alas! how ,small was the influence exercised by the whites over their savage allies, when the latter had begun to taste of blood; or how slight, indeed, was the disposition to divert them from their cruelties.
The day seemed a month by Mabel's computation, and the only part of it that did not drag were the minutes spent in prayer.She had recourse to this relief from time to time; and at each effort she found her spirit firmer, her mind more tranquil, and her resignation more confirmed.
