eeded in mastering the
place. My uncle expressed his regret that he had come away so suddenly,
and feared that he should be accused of cowardice in not having afforded
more assistance to his friends.

"Set your mind at rest on that score," observed the doctor; "had you
remained, you would now have been numbered with the dead. Depend on it,
the garrison have retreated to the citadel, and are there holding out;
but as no reinforcements are likely to appear, they must ultimately
yield and be cut to pieces--which is sure to be their fate, as no one in
this war thinks of asking or giving quarter. We may, then, congratulate
ourselves on our escape.

"This is the third time, young gentleman, in as many days, that you have
run the risk of losing your life," he observed, turning to me.

I acknowledged that he was right, and felt that I ought to return thanks
to Heaven for my having been so mercifully preserved.

Still, my uncle wished to go back, but the crew positively refused to
obey him--Tim and the doctor siding with them.

"Let us be wise, Mr Concannan," observed the latter; "it is useless
running our noses into danger when it can be avoided. And even if we
were to go back, we could not save the lives of the commandant and the
garrison. Let us console ourselves with the reflection that, should
they be killed, they have died doing their duty."

At length my uncle yielded to the doctor's advice, and directed the crew
to paddle on towards the upper part of the lake. As there were several
narrow passages to be passed, leading from one lake into another, it was
important that we should get through them before the Indians could reach
the shore, whence they could pick us off with their arrows. It was
satisfactory to know that they had no canoes in which to follow us, else
our chances of escape would have been small indeed.

It was still dark when we reached the first passage. Not a word was
spoken, and we hoped, even if our enemies were on the shore, that we
should get through without being perceived. Still, I could not help
keeping an anxious watch on the banks, expecting every instant to see a
party of Indians start out from behind the trees and send a flight of
arrows after us.

I breathed more freely when, emerging from the channel, we were once
more making our way across a broad expanse. Here daylight burst on us.
There would probably be less risk in passing the next channel, as the
Indians would not have h