apid connection, fearing that the answer might
not be as she wished. She had thought it extraordinary that June should
be of the party, and, improbable 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 disturbed, 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 in