permission to take two or three men
with him, and to travel northward in the direction Keith would most
likely come, in the hopes of falling in with him, and giving assistance
should it be required. "He may have met with some such misadventure as
Loraine and I did; or he may have expended his ammunition and be
starving," he observed.

Effie was very grateful to Hector when she heard of his proposal.

"I won't ask you to accompany me, Loraine," he said to his friend, "for
I suspect that Sybil would greatly object to your going away; and as you
are less accustomed to the style of life than our men, you would knock
up sooner than they would. I wish that old Sass had been here with his
boy Greensnake; they would, by some means or other, have discovered him,
wherever he is."

Loraine made no reply. He certainly had no wish to go, and he agreed
with Hector that the hunters were more accustomed to the style of life
they would have to lead than he was; still, in his anxiety to assist
Keith, he was ready to sacrifice much, but if a sufficient number of men
from the fort could be spared, his aid would not be required.

To Hector's disappointment, however, Captain Mackintosh objected to his
taking any men from the fort.

"The best hunters are required to go out in search of game, and the
garrison is already weakened by those who have accompanied Mr Harvey,"
he remarked. "Although I am as anxious as you are about Keith, yet duty
compels me to refuse your request, and I cannot let you go alone, or
even with one man. Had Le Brun been here I might have sent him, as he
is worth two or three others; but unless Mr Harvey abandons his station
and takes refuge in the fort, it may be some time before he returns, and
I hope before then we shall either see or hear of Keith."

Still Hector did not abandon his plan. Norman was ready to go; and
Loraine, when he found that no one else could be spared, without
consulting Sybil, volunteered to accompany him.

Captain Mackintosh finding that his sons were so bent on the expedition,
and that their guest was ready to sacrifice his own inclination, on
further considering the matter, gave his consent, and agreed to send one
of the best hunters and guides with them, provided they promised not to
be absent more than ten days, and to leave behind them marks by which
their trail could be followed up.

Effie thanked Loraine warmly; and even Sybil acknowledged that as he was
going from a gener