lay the forest, and skirted the latter to the lake
shore. There he hid his rifle and his supplies in the hollow of a
tree, so that he might have greater freedom of action. Then he worked
his way cautiously toward the rude breastworks facing the blockhouse.
A small fire of driftwood burned dimly behind these, and about it sat
several blanketed figures. In no other direction was there a sign of
wakefulness.

Donald was now crawling on hands and knees. Suddenly he encountered a
figure lying prone in his path, and had touched it before aware of its
proximity. Instantly he, too, lay flat on the ground, and, with heavy
breathing, so feigned sleep that the aroused savage was deceived into
believing the form beside him to be that of some restless comrade. So
he turned over with a grunt, and again dozed into unconsciousness.

After a few minutes Donald ventured to move, and then to pursue his way
with a greater caution than before. Now he passed other sleeping
forms, and even stepped over one whom he could not otherwise avoid.
Finally, after more than an hour of intense anxiety and stealthy
movement, only advancing by inches, and with frequent motionless
pauses, he discovered the place of which he was in search. It was the
mouth of the mine that the Indians had spent two days and nights in
excavating. As he had conjectured, it lay very near the little fire
beside which sat the drowsy guard, and not until he was well within its
profound shadow did he venture to draw a full breath.

The passage was very low, but of sufficient width to allow two persons
to pass each other, and after penetrating it a short distance he found
that it took a turn to the left. At this angle he was perplexed by
coming into contact with fragments of charred wood. Wondering for what
purpose these had been brought there, he still moved forward,
determined to discover whether or not the statement concerning a store
of powder beneath the blockhouse was true. All at once his
outstretched hands came into contact with something that barred his
further progress. It was hard, smooth, and round. There were other
similar objects above, below, and on both sides of it. They were
powder kegs, five in all, and of a size that should contain twenty
pounds. One hundred pounds of powder! Enough to lift the little
fortress from its foundations and scatter its timbers far and wide.
The savages had made no empty boast, and, unless he could save his
recent c