ed by the mingling shadows of the hut itself, and a
few tall pear trees that overhung the paling of the orchard at some
yards from the spot on which they stood.

They waited some minutes to hear the result of the Canadian's
admittance into his dwelling; but although each with suppressed
breathing sought to catch those sounds of welcome with which a daughter
might be supposed to greet a parent so unexpectedly restored, they
listened in vain. At length, however, while the ears of both were on
the rack to drink in the tones of a human voice, a faint scream floated
on the hushed air, and all again was still.

"Good!" whispered the elder of the officers; "that scream is sweeter to
my ear than the softest accents of woman's love. It is evident the
ordinary tones of speech cannot find their way to us here from the
front of the hut. The faintness of yon cry, which was unquestionably
that of a female, is a convincing proof of it."

"Hist!" urged his companion, in the same almost inaudible whisper,
"what sound was that?"

Both again listened attentively, when the noise was repeated. It came
from the orchard, and resembled the sound produced by the faint crash
of rotten sticks and leaves under the cautious but unavoidably rending
tread of a human foot. At intervals it ceased, as if the person
treading, alarmed at his own noise, was apprehensive of betraying his
approach; and then recommenced, only to be checked in the same manner.
Finally it ceased altogether.

For upwards of five minutes the young men continued to listen for a
renewal of the sound, but nothing was now audible, save the short and
fitful gusts of a rising wind among the trees of the orchard.

"It must have been some wild animal in search of its prey," again
whispered the younger officer; "had it been a man, we should have heard
him leap the paling before this."

"By Heaven, we are betrayed,--here he is," quickly rejoined the other,
in the same low tone. "Keep close to the hut, and stand behind me. If
my dagger fail, you must try your own. But fire not, on your life,
unless there be more than two, for the report of a pistol will be the
destruction of ourselves and all that are dear to us."

Each with uplifted arm now stood ready to strike, even while his heart
throbbed with a sense of danger, that had far more than the mere dread
of personal suffering or death to stimulate to exertion in
self-defence. Footsteps were now distinctly heard stealing round that