en Heyward, apprised as he was of
the nature of the cry, looked upwards in quest of the bird, as the
cawing of a crow rang in the air about them.

"See!" continued the laughing scout, as he pointed towards the remainder
of the party, who, in obedience to the signal, were already
approaching: "this is music which has its natural virtues; it brings two
good rifles to my elbow, to say nothing of the knives and tomahawks. But
we see that you are safe; now tell us what has become of the maidens."

"They are captives to the heathen," said David; "and though greatly
troubled in spirit, enjoying comfort and safety in the body."

"Both?" demanded the breathless Heyward.

"Even so. Though our wayfaring has been sore and our sustenance scanty,
we have had little other cause for complaint, except the violence done
our feelings, by being thus led in captivity into a far land."

"Bless ye for these very words!" exclaimed the trembling Munro; "I shall
then receive my babes spotless and angel-like, as I lost them!"

"I know not that their delivery is at hand," returned the doubting
David; "the leader of these savages is possessed of an evil spirit that
no power short of Omnipotence can tame. I have tried him sleeping and
waking, but neither sounds nor language seem to touch his soul."

"Where is the knave?" bluntly interrupted the scout.

"He hunts the moose to-day, with his young men; and to-morrow, as I
hear, they pass farther into these forests, and nigher to the borders of
Canada. The elder maiden is conveyed to a neighboring people, whose
lodges are situate beyond yonder black pinnacle of rock; while the
younger is detained among the women of the Hurons, whose dwellings are
but two short miles hence, on a table-land, where the fire has done the
office of the axe, and prepared the place for their reception."

"Alice, my gentle Alice!" murmured Heyward; "she has lost the
consolation of her sister's presence!"

"Even so. But so far as praise and thanksgiving in psalmody can temper
the spirit in affliction, she has not suffered."

"Has she then a heart for music?"

"Of the graver and more solemn character; though it must be acknowledged
that, in spite of all my endeavors, the maiden weeps oftener than she
smiles. At such moments I forbear to press the holy songs; but there are
many sweet and comfortable periods of satisfactory communication, when
the ears of the savages are astounded with the upliftings of our
voices."