eping a lookout."

Alick made no remark. I expected every instant to see Mr Meredith or
some of the garrison come out to welcome us.

The gate was reached, but no one appeared. We knocked and shouted, and
Bouncer barked. No answer came, neither to his nor our calls.

"The fort is deserted!" I exclaimed. "What dreadful event can have
happened?"

"Mr Meredith for some reason or other was ordered to retire. Had the
Indians captured the fort, the gate would have been left open," observed
Alick.

"The sooner we get in and ascertain what has occurred, the better," said
Martin.

"Faix, thin, if you'll give me a lift I'll soon find out," said Pat,
taking off his snow-shoes.

The poles of the tent were placed against the gate, and with our help
Pat climbed them till he could reach the top with his hands, when,
drawing himself up, he got his head and shoulders over.

"Sorra a man do I see," he cried out, "but, bedad, there's a black baste
waddling along on the opposite side. There's another, and another.
They're bears, and seem to be the only garrison left in the place. Just
hand me up my gun, plase, for I should not like having them coming to
turn me out without the manes of disputing the matther."

We handed Pat up his gun, when he immediately slipped down inside and
made haste to undo the fastenings of the gate.

It was opened, and we hurried in, dragging the sledges after us. We
loosened Bouncer, that he might be able to do battle should any of the
bears venture to attack us. They, however, the very moment we had
arrived, were, so it seemed to us, on the point of evacuating the fort,
and the last of them must have climbed over the palisades while Pat was
engaged in undoing the door. We conjectured that their object in coming
to the fort was to search for food.

Having entered, we again closed the door and took possession of one of
the rooms, in which was a large stove. Fortunately there was a small
store of wood remaining, with which we lighted a fire, and had there
been food we should have been perfectly comfortable.

Why our friends had deserted the fort it was difficult to determine.

Martin thought that it was on account of want of provisions. Alick held
to the opinion that they were required to strengthen the garrison of
some more important fort.

I suspected that Mr Meredith, having heard of the destruction of Fort
Black, and believing that Fort Ross would be attacked, and that he
possesse