offered tempting
landing-places.

My feelings were very like Martin's, and Robin joining us, we all begged
Alick to steer up the stream, intending to land and search for what we
were so eager to obtain.

We kept a lookout, some of us on one side of the canoe and some on the
other, for any animals or birds which might appear on the bank. Martin
and I, who were in the bow, fancied we saw a deer on the right-hand
side, and called Alick's attention to it.

While we were looking out Robin, whose quick sight had been attracted by
some movements in the foliage, exclaimed, "There's a man--an Indian. If
he's an enemy, he'll have a shot at us;" and pulling in his paddle, he
seized his gun, ready to take aim at our supposed foe. As he spoke we
turned our heads round in the same direction, and we all saw among the
trees a human being stooping and apparently intently watching us.

"If he sees that we're all armed he won't fire, though he should have a
musket," said Alick. "We'll wave to him, and try to make him understand
that we have no wish to be foes to any one. Show your fowling-pieces,
lads!"

We all lifted up our guns, then laying them down, again took to our
paddles. We now steered the canoe towards the shore, where we had seen
the man. We soon reached a spot where we could land; but Alick desired
us to sit still in the canoe, as possibly there might be other persons
besides the one we saw.

The gloom of the forest prevented our seeing his features, but on
getting nearer, to our surprise we perceived that the seeming Indian was
a white man, though clad from head to foot in skins. There he stood, in
an attitude of astonishment, with his mouth wide open, unable apparently
to utter a word. Though he was greatly altered, I felt sure that I knew
the man before me.

"Hillo! Pat Casey!" I exclaimed. "What! don't you remember us?"

"Och! shure, is it yourself that's spaking to me?" exclaimed Pat, for
Pat he was--of that I had no doubt. "I belaved that you were all
murthered by the Injins months ago, and niver expected to see your faces
again."

"But you see that you were mistaken, Pat, and that we are all alive and
well," I said.

While I was speaking, Pat had been slowly approaching, still evidently
greatly in doubt whether we were real beings of this world or spirits
from another. When at length he was convinced that we were ourselves,
he rushed forward towards us, and seizing me by the hand, exclaimed,