ugh he did not care to be heard by
Jasper. "Give me a fair, honest, English-Yankee-American tow, above
board, and above water too, if I must have a tow at all, and none of
your sneaking drift that is below the surface, where one can neither
see nor feel. I daresay, if the truth could be come at, that this late
escape of ours was all a contrived affair."

"We have now a good opportunity, at least, to reconnoitre the enemy's
post at Niagara, brother, for such I take this fort to be," put in
the Sergeant. "Let us be all eyes in passing, and remember that we are
almost in face of the enemy."

This advice of the Sergeant needed nothing to enforce it; for the
interest and novelty of passing a spot occupied by human beings were of
themselves sufficient to attract deep attention in that scene of a vast
but deserted nature. The wind was now fresh enough to urge the _Scud_
through the water with considerable velocity, and Jasper eased her helm
as she opened the river, and luffed nearly into the mouth of that noble
strait, or river, as it is termed. A dull, distant, heavy roar came down
through the opening in the banks, swelling on the currents of the air,
like the deeper notes of some immense organ, and occasionally seeming to
cause the earth itself to tremble.

"That sounds like surf on some long unbroken coast!" exclaimed Cap, as a
swell, deeper than common, came to his ears.

"Ay, that is such surf as we have in this quarter of the world,"
Pathfinder answered. "There is no under-tow there, Master Cap; but all
the water that strikes the rocks stays there, so far as going back again
is consarned. That is old Niagara that you hear, or this noble stream
tumbling down a mountain."

"No one will have the impudence to pretend that this fine broad river
falls over yonder hills?"

"It does, Master Cap, it does; and all for the want of stairs, or a road
to come down by. This is natur', as we have it up hereaway, though I
daresay you beat us down on the ocean. Ah's me, Mabel! a pleasant hour
it would be if we could walk on the shore some ten or fifteen miles up
this stream, and gaze on all that God has done there."

"You have, then, seen these renowned falls, Pathfinder?" the girl
eagerly inquired.

"I have--yes, I have; and an awful sight I witnessed at that same time.
The Sarpent and I were out scouting about the garrison there, when he
told me that the traditions of his people gave an account of a mighty
cataract in this nei