ves, and the warm hazy
atmosphere was lighted up so brightly by the sun, that it seemed as
though the world were enveloped in delicate golden gauze.

Jack Robinson stood on the shore, with the exile of Erin beside him.
Strange to say, the effect of this lovely scene on both was the reverse
of gladdening.

"It's _very_ sad," said Jack, slowly.

"True for ye," observed the sympathising Teddy, supposing that his
master had finished his remark.

"It's _very_ sad," repeated Jack, "to look abroad upon this lovely
world, and know that thousands of our fellow-men are enjoying it in each
other's society, while we are self-exiled here."

"An' so it is," said Teddy, "not to mintion our fellow-women an' our
fellow-childers to boot."

"To be sure we have got each other's society, O'Donel," continued Jack,
"and the society of the gulls--"

"An' the fush," interposed Teddy.

"And the fish," assented Jack; "for all of which blessings we have cause
to be thankful; but it's my opinion that you and I are a couple of
egregious asses for having forsaken our kind and come to vegetate here
in the wilderness."

"That's just how it is, sur. We're both on us big asses, an' it's a
pint for investigation which on us is the biggest--you, who ought to
have know'd better, or me, as niver kno'w'd anything, a'most, to spake
of."

Jack smiled. He was much too deeply depressed to laugh. For some
minutes they stood gazing in silent despondency at the sea.

"What's that?" exclaimed Jack, with sudden animation, pointing to an
object which appeared at the moment near the extremity of a point of
rocks not far from the spot where they stood--"a canoe?"

"Two of 'em!" cried O'Donel, as another object came into view.

The change which came over the countenances of the two men, as they
stood watching the approach of the two canoes, would have been
incomprehensible to any one not acquainted with the effect of solitude
on the human mind. They did not exactly caper on the beach, but they
felt inclined to do so, and their heaving bosoms and sparkling eyes told
of the depth of emotion within.

In about a quarter of an hour the canoes were within a short distance of
the landing-place, but no shout or sign of recognition came from the
Indians who paddled them. There was an Indian in the bow and stern of
each canoe, and a woman in the middle of one of them.

"Well, boys, what cheer?" said Jack, using a well-known backwood's
salutation, as the men