shell rang over the
hill-side. The settlers, black and white, immediately ceased their
pursuit of the savages, and from every side they came trooping in by
dozens. Without waiting to inquire the cause of what was being done,
each man, as he arrived, fell to work on the blazing edifice, and, urged
on by Henry's voice and example, toiled and moiled in the midst of fire
and smoke, until the pastor's house was literally pulled to pieces.

Fortunately for little Alice, she had been carried out of that house
long before by Keona, who, being subtle as well as revengeful, knew well
how to strike at the tenderest part of the white man's heart.

While her friends were thus frantically endeavouring to deliver her from
the burning house in which they supposed her to be, Alice was being
hurried through the woods by a steep mountain path in the direction of
the native village. Happily for the feelings of her father, the fact
was made known, soon after the house had been pulled down, by the
arrival of a small party of native settlers bearing one of the child's
shoes. They had found it, they said, sticking in the mud, about a mile
off, and had tracked the little footsteps a long way into the mountains
by the side of the prints made by the naked feet of a savage. At length
they had lost the tracks amid the hard lava rocks and had given up the
chase.

"We must follow them up instantly," said Mr Mason, who had by this time
recovered; "no time is to be lost."

"Ay, time is precious, who will go?" cried Henry, who, begrimed with
fire and smoke, and panting vehemently from recent exertion, had just at
that moment come towards the group.

"Take me! Oh! take me, Henry!" cried Corrie, in a beseeching tone, as
he sprang promptly to his friend's side.

At any other time, Henry would have smiled at the enthusiastic offer of
such a small arm to fight the savages; but fierce anger was in his
breast at that moment;--he turned from the poor boy and looked round
with a frown, as he observed that, although the natives crowded round
him at once, neither Gascoyne, nor Thorwald, nor Captain Montague shewed
any symptom of an intention to accompany him.

"Nay, be not angry, lad," said Gascoyne, observing the frown; "your
blood is young and hot, as it should be; but it behoves us to have a
council of war before we set out on this expedition, which, believe me,
will be no trifling one, if I know anything of savage ways and doings."

"Mr Gascoyn