eaning against the trunk of a tree on the hilltop, Mary could see
without being seen; for she still wore the travelling dress which
so nearly matched the tree stem in colour, and a brown veil was
over her face, a necessary precaution against the mosquitoes which
swarmed everywhere.

There was a girl in the boat, with soft, wavy hair, pretty and
feminine in appearance, but with strength and decision in every
movement, which made Mary whisper to herself: "That must be
Katherine; and how graceful she is! I had quite expected her to be
a great, clumping creature, because Mrs. Burton said she did a
man's work."

There was a boy in the boat as well, but it was the girl who
claimed Mary's attention now. The boat drew in at a point above
the falls where a little shed served as boathouse, and then the boy
and the girl rapidly unloaded various packages and bundles, which
were dumped in a heap on the bank, while the boat was drawn in and
secured under the shed.

"Phil, we shall have to make two journeys--we can never do it in
one," the girl said, and her voice had a tired ring which made the
unseen listener on the hilltop pity her exceedingly.

"Just you sit down for five minutes while I whistle for the dogs,"
said the boy. "They will hear if Miles doesn't, and there will be
such a clamour that everyone will know we are close home."

As he spoke he hooked two fingers between his lips, and the
resultant whistles were so piercing and shrill that Mary would have
been glad to thrust her fingers in her ears, only now she would not
move through fear of drawing attention to herself.

The whistles had scarcely ceased to vibrate through the quiet air
when in the distance there arose a mighty clamour of barking. Mary
caught her breath and waited now to see what was coming, and in
less than five minutes two huge dogs came bounding down the portage
path to the shed where the girl and boy were waiting.

"I must make friends with those dogs before I am many hours older,
or I shall be afraid to stir away from the house," Mary said to
herself, with a little shiver, as she watched the big brutes
careering round.

But they were wanted for work, not play, so their gambols came to a
speedy end. The boy loaded each one with packages, and, picking up
a couple of bundles himself, started up the portage path, closely
followed by the dogs, which perfectly understood the work that was
required of them.

Then the girl rose to her feet, and