h
he was exposed, and reappear some day or other.

We camped at night in a secure position, fully one-third of our force
being under arms, so that should any savages attempt to surprise us,
they would be kept in check until we were ready to repel them.

It was not until nearly the end of the next day that we saw the bright
waters of the "Silver Spring" glittering through the trees. On reaching
the buildings, we found that, although empty, they were uninjured. The
Indians, if they had visited them, had perhaps looked upon them as
temples built in honour of the spirit presiding over their sacred
spring. No boats, however, were there; and unless some should arrive,
we should be obliged to construct rafts or canoes to carry us down the
river. To stay where we were without provisions was impossible:
although we might shoot birds and perhaps deer in the neighbourhood, yet
we dared not exhaust our ammunition. The scouts told us that they had
received the information they had brought from a canoe which had been
sent up to ascertain if any Indians were in the neighbourhood, and that
it had afterwards returned down the river.

Lejoillie and I offered to go down, if we could obtain a canoe, to learn
what had happened; but though we searched about in every direction, none
could be found. Dawn had just broken, when one of the sentries
announced that he saw a thin column of smoke over the trees in the
direction in which the stream ran.

Presently afterwards we heard a peculiar sound, which we all declared
must be produced by the paddle-wheels of a steamer. A cheer rose from
us when a curious craft, with high paddle-boxes, and machinery rising
above her deck, hove in sight, and came gliding up the stream. She
brought the greatly required stores for the fort; and the skipper
undertook to convey the whole of our party down the stream to the
man-of-war steamer waiting her return. He relieved poor Juanita's fears
in regard to Castle Kearney, by assuring her that the house still stood
uninjured, and that it had not been attacked by the Indians.

We were very sorry to have to part with Captain Norton, who had to
return to the fort. He promised to pay a visit to Castle Kearney as
soon as his duties would allow. He also assured me that he would not
fail to try and induce Rochford to rejoin us.

"Should you be able to send him a message, you may hint that he will not
find my cousin Juanita quite as hard-hearted as he once su