st invisible.

We stood aghast! What fearful termination to the machine impended we
could not guess. A moment later and the crank broke, entangled itself
with the wheel and stopped it. As if maddened by this additional
resistance, the water-spout then swept the whole concern away, after
which, like a wild-horse set free, it took a leap of full thirty feet--a
straight column of solid water--before it burst itself on the ground,
and rushed wildly down to the lake! It was a humiliating termination--
and showed how terrible it is to create a power which one cannot
control.

I draw a veil over the story here. My feelings forbid me to write more!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

ARRIVAL OF STRANGE INDIANS.

About this time a band of strange Indians came in with a large supply of
valuable furs. They had heard, they said, of the establishment of the
new post, and had gladly come to trade there, instead of making their
customary long journey to Muskrat House.

The change to these Indians was, in truth, of the utmost importance, for
so distant were some of their hunting-grounds from Macnab's
establishment, that nearly all the ammunition obtained there--the
procuring of which was one of the chief desires of their hearts--was
expended in shooting for mere subsistence on the way back to their
hunting-grounds. It will be easily understood, then, that they received
us with open arms.

By this time we were quite prepared for their visit. The two
dwelling-houses for ourselves and the men were completed, so also was
the store for our goods. There only remained unfinished one or two
outhouses and our back kitchen, the latter a detached building,
afterwards to be connected with the main dwelling by a passage. The
store was an unusually strong log-house of one storey with a very solid
door. It was attached to the side of our dwelling, with which it was
connected by an inner door, so that we could, if necessary, enter it
without having to go outside--a matter of some importance in case we
should ever be forced to defend the fort.

I had just returned, much dispirited, from a visit to the camp of our
own Indians, when this band of strangers arrived.

Remembering my last conversation with Waboose, and being very curious to
know what were the contents of the mysterious packet she had mentioned,
I had gone to the camp to visit her, but, to my extreme regret, found
that Big Otter and several of the Indians had struck their tents and