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。　　A
  view　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。
  She　understood　the　reasoning　of　June；　and　believed　it
  highly　probable　that　the　blockhouse　would　be　left　unmo…
  lested　until　the　return　of　her　father；　in　order　to　entice　him
  into　an　ambuscade；　and　she　felt　much　less　apprehension　of
  immediate　danger　in　consequence；　but　the　future　offered
  little　ground　of　hope；　and　her　thoughts　had　already　begun
  to　calculate　the　chances　of　her　captivity。　　At　such　mo…
  ments；　Arrowhead　and　his　offensive　admiration　filled　a
  prominent　place　in　the　background：　for　our　heroine　well
  knew　that　the　Indians　usually　carried　off　to　their　villages；
  for　the　purposes　of　adoption；　such　captives　as　they　did　not
  slay；　and　that　many　instances　had　occurred　in　which　in…
  dividuals　of　her　sex　had　passed　the　remainder　of　their
  lives　in　the　wigwams　of　their　conquerors。　　Such　thoughts
  as　these　invariably　drove　her　to　her　knees　and　to　her
  prayers。
  While　the　light　lasted　the　situation　of　our　heroine　was
  sufficiently　alarming；　but　as　the　shades　of　evening　grad…
  ually　gathered　over　the　island；　it　became　fearfully　appal…
  ling。　　By　this　time　the　savages　had　wrought　themselves
  up　to　the　point　of　fury；　for　they　had　possessed　themselves
  of　all　the　liquor　of　the　English；　and　their　outcries　and
  gesticulations　were　those　of　men　truly　possessed　by　evil
  spirits。　　All　the　efforts　of　their　French　leader　to　restrain
  them　were　entirely　fruitless；　and　he　had　wisely　withdrawn
  to　an　adjacent　island；　where　he　had　a　sort　of　bivouac；　that
  he　might　keep　at　a　safe　distance　from　friends　so　apt　to
  run　into　excesses。　　Before　quitting　the　spot；　however；　this
  officer；　at　great　risk　to　his　own　life；　had　succeeded　in　ex…
  tinguishing　the　fire；　and　in　securing　the　ordinary　means
  to　relight　it。　　This　precaution　he　took　lest　the　Indians
  should　burn　the　blockhouse；　the　preservation　of　which　was
  necessary　to　the　success　of　his　future　plans。　　He　would
  gladly　have　removed　all　the　arms　also；　but　this　he　found
  impracticable；　the　warriors　clinging　to　their　knives　and
  tomahawks　with　the　tenacity　of　men　who　regarded　a　point
  of　honor　as　long　as　a　faculty　was　left；　and　to　carry　off　the
  rifles；　and　leave　behind　him　the　very　weapons　that　were
  generally　used　on　such　occasions；　would　have　been　an　idle
  expedient。　　The　extinguishing　of　the　fire　proved　to　be　the
  most　prudent　measure；　for　no　sooner　was　the　officer's　back
  turned　than　one　of　the　warriors　in　fact　proposed　to　fire
  the　blockhouse。　　Arrowhead　had　also　withdrawn　from　the
  group　of　drunkards　as　soon　as　he　found　that　they　were
  losing　their　senses；　and　had　taken　possession　of　a　hut；
  where　he　had　thrown　himself　on　the　straw；　and　sought　the
  rest　that　two　wakeful　and　watchful　nights　had　rendered
  necessary。　　It　followed　that　no　one　was　left　among　the
  Indians　to　care　for　Mabel；　if；　indeed；　any　knew　of　her　ex…
  istence　at　all；　and　the　proposal　of　the　drunkard　was　re…
  ceived　with　yells　of　delight　by　eight　or　ten　more　as　much
  intoxicated　and　habitually　as　brutal　as　himself。
  This　was　the　fearful　moment　for　Mabel。　　The　Indians；
  in　their　present　condition；　were　reckless　of　any　rifles　that
  the　blockhouse　might　hold；　though　they　did　retain　dim
  recollections　of　its　containing　living　beings；　an　additional
  incentive　to　their　enterprise；　and　they　approached　its
  base　whooping　and　leaping　like　demons。　　As　yet　they
  were　excited；　not　overcome　by　the　liquor　they　had　drunk。
  The　first　attempt　was　made　at　the　door；　against　which
  they　ran　in　a　body；　but　the　solid　structure；　which　was
  built　entirely　of　logs；　defied　their　efforts。　　The　rush　of　a
  hundred　men　with　the　same　object　would　have　been　use…
  less。　　This　Mabel；　however；　did　not　know；　and　her　heart
  seemed　to　leap　into　her　mouth　as　she　heard　the　heavy　shock
  at　each　renewed　effort。　　At　length　when；　she　found　that
  the　door　resisted　these　assaults　as　if　it　were　of　stone；
  neither　trembling　nor　yielding；　and　only　betraying　its　not
  being　a　part　of　the　wall　by　rattling　a　litt