s we have done his companion,"
said Mr Tidey, producing a piece of rope which he had brought with him
from the canoe; and, dragging the Indian to a tree, we lashed him so
securely to it, that we believed with all his cunning he could not set
himself free.

"Now let us continue our search for the little girls and Dio," said the
Dominie; "depend upon it, they cannot be far off. Probably they are
somewhere near the shores of the lake, and if we approach their captors
cautiously, we may master them as we have the other man."

I suggested that we should paddle round the shores of the lake in the
canoe, and as they were probably expecting her arrival with two men in
her, they would not suspect who we were until we got close up to them.

The Dominie, after a little consideration, agreed to my proposal.

"What are we to do with Rose?" he asked.

"She can lie down at the bottom of the canoe, and assist in keeping our
prisoner quiet, unless she will consent to remain behind," I observed.

"No, no, me go with massa!" she exclaimed.

As she might be useful, Mr Tidey agreed to her going. We hurried back
once more to the canoe, and, lifting in Rose, placed her in the bows
near the head of our prisoner, in a position which would enable her
speedily to tighten his gag, should he attempt to cry out. We then,
taking the paddles, commenced our voyage, I sitting in the bows, Mr
Tidey in the stern. We paddled in towards every opening which was
likely to afford a spot for camping, but no object could we see besides
the tall trees rising up above the water. We had gone some distance,
and I had begun to fear that those we were in search of had moved off
from the shores of the lake, and that we might have a long march to come
up with them, should we discover the direction they had taken, when I
perceived a more ruddy tint on the surface of the lake than that
reflected by the silvery moon.

"There must be a fire somewhere near the shore," I whispered, "people
are encamped there, depend upon it; how shall we proceed?"

"We will land close in here, and then try to steal upon them unobserved,
so as to reconnoitre them first. If there are too many people to
master, we must wait until some of the party fall asleep, and then try
to surprise them. One at least is sure to be on guard; we must knock
him over and then spring on the rest. We shall be able to judge better
when we ascertain how matters stand," observed the Dominie.

As he