, though."

"All right," agreed Christie; "but what could be the chap's object in
spying our movements?"

"It is hard to say; but I am satisfied that there is a general Indian
war much nearer at hand than Major Wilkins is willing to admit, and in
that case we must be prepared at any moment for all sorts of unexpected
happenings. I only wish I was by my sister's side in one of Cuyler's
boats, and could give the lieutenant warning of what to expect."

"So do I," assented Christie so heartily that the other looked at him
quizzically, and he hastened to add, "I mean so do I wish you were
there, though I trust you may be mistaken in your prophecy. In case
there is any trouble, though, I hope I may reach my post before it
breaks out."

"I hope you may, old man, with all my heart. At any rate, you want to
keep both eyes and ears wide open every minute between here and there,
and after you get there, too. Hello! Here comes Bullen!"

"By Jove! What a beastly place!" cried the little paymaster, as he
peered into the dim depths of the Devil's Hole. "It actually makes one
feel creepy, don't you know. Tummas, you rascal, gad up those snails
of bulls and let us move on."

An hour later, as they came abreast of the stupendous cataract, whose
mighty voice had throbbed in their ears all that morning, the younger
men would gladly have lingered to gaze on its grandeur; but the
paymaster complained that the volume of water was not nearly so great
as he had been led to expect, and refused to waste any time in gazing
on it.

"But surely, Bullen, you are going to drown the Fire Demon, and we want
to see the last of the tub," expostulated Christie.

"You'll have to want then, and want till you're gray, and longer,"
retorted the little man. "So we might as well move on. Tummas, you
idiot, gad up those bulls!"

CHAPTER XVI

QUICKEYE AND THE "ZEBRA"

The flotilla under command of Lieutenant Cuyler consisted of twenty
bateaux, nineteen of which were heavily laden with recruits and
supplies of ammunition, provisions, and goods for Fort Detroit. The
other boat, which generally headed the fleet, was of lighter and more
graceful construction than the others, and was reserved for the
commander of the expedition. In it also travelled the two ladies, who
were thus undertaking an adventurous journey into the far western
wilderness. This much information concerning his sister's present
surroundings Donald Hester gained at