essionally a forger of axes, and Henri Coppet, being an
artificer in wood, went off to cut down trees for firewood; and Donald
Bane with his friend set about cutting up and preparing the venison,
while Blondin superintended and assisted Salamander and the others in
landing the cargo, and hauling up the boat.

"Max," said Lumley to me that evening during an interval in our devotion
to steaks and marrow-bones, "look around for a moment if you can tear
your gross mind from the contemplation of food, and tell me what you
see?"

He made a sweep with his arm to indicate the surrounding scenery, which
was at the moment irradiated by the after-glow of the setting sun, as
well as the brightening beams of the full moon.

"I see," said I, looking up, "a lovely lake, dotted with islets of
varied shape and size, with the pale moon reflected almost unbroken in
its glassy waters."

"What else do you see?" asked Lumley.

"I see around and beyond a prospect of boundless woodland, of plain,
mound, hill, lake, and river, extending with a grand sweep that suggests
ideas which can only be defined by the word Immensity. I see altogether
a scene the like of which I never looked upon before--a scene of beauty,
peacefulness, and grandeur which gladdens the eye to behold and fills
the heart with gratitude to its Maker."

"You say well, Max," returned my friend, "and it seems to me that we may
regard this Lake Wichikagan which we now look upon as our inheritance in
the wilderness, and that the spot on which we now sit shall be, for some
time at least, our future home."

CHAPTER NINE.

A BRIGHT APPARITION--FOLLOWED BY RUMOURS OF WAR.

While we were thus feasting and chatting on the green sward of the
region which seemed destined to be our future home, an object suddenly
appeared among the bushes, near the edge of the circle of light cast by
our camp-fire.

This object was by no means a frightful one, yet it caused a sensation
in the camp which could hardly have been intensified if we had suddenly
discovered a buffalo with the nose of an elephant and the tail of a
rattlesnake. For one moment we were all struck dumb; then we all sprang
to our feet, but we did not seize our firearms--oh no!--for there, half
concealed by the bushes, and gazing at us in timid wonder, stood a
pretty young girl, with a skin much fairer than usually falls to the lot
of Indian women, and with light brown hair as well as bright blue eyes.
In all other res