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The hunter, followed by his young comrade, now leaving the
rest of the band to proceed to their contemplated stand by the
main road, struck off into the woods to the right, and, with silent
and rapid steps, led the way to the south-eastern shore of the
pond. Here finding, as he seemed to have expected, a capacious
canoe, dug out from the trunk of some huge pine, he drew it forth
from its concealment, beneath a mass of fallen trees projecting
over the bank, and, bidding Bart enter with the oars, and placing
one knee on the stern, with a grasp on the sides, gave a push
with his foot from the shore, which sent his rude craft surging out
far into the open expanse of water before him. Before applying
the oars, however, and while the canoe continued to move under
the impulse it had thus received, its occupants employed themselves
in bending their heads to the water, and listening for any
sounds that might indicate the presence of others abroad on the
pond. The night, as it was yet moonless, and as the sky was
overclouded, was consequently a dark one; and the adventurers
could distinguish little else but the dark outlines of the Green
Mountains, that rose high in the western heavens, casting, by their
huge shadows, an impenetrable pall of darkness over the intervening
space beneath, from which not a sound rose to the ear,
save an occasional short croak of some waterfowl, or the low,
sullen dash of the waters along the shores.

“Nothing out on the pond, guess, but loons, ducks, and sich
like,” quietly observed Bart, raising himself from his listening
attitude; “nor can I make out any sounds from the nest of 'em
you say there is over on the shore yonder. Ma'be they've pulled
up stakes and are off with their traps, the wimin folks and all —
shouldn't wonder, single bit.”

“Now I reason a little ditter different,” replied the sergeant.
“They may be getting oneasy and suspicious, because their spies
we took there at Coffin's don't return; and so keep still, and put
out their fires, lest the absent ones be dogged back, and their rendezvous
thus discovered; but I der don't believe the company

[figure description] Page 076.[end figure description]

would clear out till they knew what become of them. They are
still there, I'm apt to think; so we will now put forward — first
up north a piece, on this side, and then across and down to a little
cove there is near their encampment.”

So saying, Dunning took up one of the oars, and, with long,
vigorous, but noiseless strokes, sent the boat rapidly ahead; while
the other took a position most favorable for a lookout. In this
manner, and taking turns at the oar, they soon, by the course they
had marked out for themselves, reached the western side of the
pond, and, heading round, moved cautiously along the shore
towards the hostile encampment.

“Ah! there! one — two — yes, three camp fires, I can der
catch glimmers of occasionally,” softly exclaimed Dunning, rising
up in the boat, and peering ahead for observation. “I was right—
the ditter rapscallions are there, snug in their quarters, but had
wit enough to build their fires behind logs, or something, so as not
to be seen from 'tother side. We are within the ditter matter of
three hundred yards of 'em, now; so carefully, Bart, and don't
let your oar graze the boat, or any thing, to give out the least
sound; for they've ears, it's der probable, as well as we.”

A short time now sufficed to bring them to the small cove,
at which the hunter had proposed to land. Here, under the
screen of an impervious tangle of brushwood and fallen tree tops,
which intervened between them and the foe, they drew up their
boat on to the shore. They then, after taking off their shoes,
which they left in the canoe, carefully crawled up the bank,
passed round the thicket, and paused to listen. The sounds of
voices conversing in low tones in one spot, the slow steps of a
sentinel in another, and the snoring of some hard sleeper in a third,
were soon detected by the quick ears of the anxious listeners.

“As I thought,” whispered Dunning, putting his mouth close to
the ear of the other: “the head ones are ditter suspicious and
watchful; but we must try what can be done — at least to find the
spot where they've put the gals. There's a ditter old shanty I
used to camp in, about fifty yards ahead; and as that is probably
the best they've got, I've been thinking they may have cooped
'em in there. Suppose you, who are lightest and smallest, creep
forward to it, for ditter discoveries. I will follow half way, and
wait.”

Without demurring to the suggestion, Bart immediately set forward,
on his hands and knees, in the direction indicated by his companion.
Carefully removing every dry twig and leaf from each
place where he wished to bear his weight, and moving as

[figure description] Page 077.[end figure description]

noiselessly as the preying cat along the ground, he made his way onward
till he had gone far enough, as he judged, to reach the
expected shanty; when he paused to listen and reconnoitre. But
now all seemed perfectly still. Not the slightest sound of any
kind reached his ears; while it had, in some unaccountable manner,
suddenly become so pitchy dark that he could not distinguish
a single object before him. And he began to feel confused and
doubtful about proceeding, when, by the action of those secret and
undefinable sympathies, perhaps, by which, it is said, we sometimes
become apprised of the presence of others before we are
informed by the senses, he all at once became impressed with the
idea that some person was near him. He therefore strained his
senses to the utmost in trying to discover what objects might be
before or around him; but all, for a while, to no purpose. In a
short time, however, his ear caught the sound of a deep sigh, the
softness of which told him it came from a female, within a few
feet of him. With a palpitating heart, he now doubtfully attempted
to move forward, when he suddenly perceived his head on the
point of coming in contact with some broad, high obstacle, which
seemed to rise like a wall before him. Surprised, and still more
confused than before, he retreated a few paces, and looked upward,
to try to make out the nature of the obstacle before him;
when he discovered it to be the backside of the very shanty of
which he was in search. The strange darkness, which had so
suddenly overshadowed him, and which was caused by the obstruction
of the skylight by this rude structure, being now explained,
and every thing made clear to his mind, he cautiously
moved round towards the front of the shanty, to find the entrance,
no longer doubting that those he sought were within. On reaching
the front corner, so as to enable him to peer round it on that
side, he soon made out the entrance; but directly across it, to his
disappointment, he discovered the half-recumbent form of a man,
with a musket leaning on his shoulder. After a few hurried observations,
in which he discovered, by the decaying fires before
them, several other shanties or tents among the trees, a few rods
in front, Bart again slunk back to the spot he had just left, and
was about to retrace his way to his companion, when a new
thought occurred to him, and, moving up to the back of the shanty,
which was formed by broad pieces of thick bark standing slantingly
against a pole supported by crotches, and, placing his mouth
to a crack, softly whispered the names of the captives, and turned
his ear to the spot to catch the hoped-for response. For the first
moment, all was still; but the next, the catching of a

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long-suspended breath, and even, as he thought, the rapid beatings of a
fluttering bosom, became audible. Presently a slight movement,
as of a cautiously changed posture, was heard within; and the
next instant a pair of soft lips came in contact with his ear at the
crevice, articulating, in sounds scarcely above the slightest murmur
of the air, —

“Who speaks my name?”

“Bart,” replied the other. “You know what I'm after. Can
one of the barks between us be removed without alarming your
keeper?”

“I fear — but he seems asleep — try it,” was the measured and
hesitating reply.

After slightly essaying several of the pieces of the bark he wished
to remove, he at length commenced operations at the bottom of
one of them, and gently forcing it aside, inch by inch, in a short
time effected an opening sufficient, as he judged, for the egress
of the captives, and that too, he felt confident, without attracting
the attention of the dozing guard.

“Now feel your way out; and, without stirring a twig or leaf,
creep on after me,” whispered Bart.

And receding a few paces from the opening, he paused to
await the result. In a moment he had the satisfaction of perceiving
a female form slowly emerging from the narrow passage
into the open air without.

Supposing her companion to be immediately behind, he now,
with a whispered word of encouragement, led the way from the
spot. With frequent pauses, both to assure himself that he was
followed by his charge, and to listen for any stir among the foe
that should indicate a discovery of the escape, he continued to
creep forward till he encountered Dunning, when, the latter taking
the lead, they all moved on, one after another, in the same
cautious manner as before, and soon reached the landing in safety;
but as they emerged from the bushes, and the hunter turned to
congratulate the ladies on their escape, it was now, for the first
time, discovered that but one of them was present.

“Bart, how is this? ditter tell me — where is the other?” demanded
Dunning, in a tone of disappointment and vexation.

But Bart, equally disappointed and perplexed, was mute; and
the lady, who proved to be Miss Howard, replied, —

“Miss Haviland, if not retaken, is now wandering in the woods.”

“Der wandering in ditter woods, and you not with her?”
again demanded the former, with an air of mingled surprise and
reproach.

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“Yes, sir, but I did not intend to desert her,” promptly replied
the girl. “Perceiving we were not watched very closely by the
man they put over us, she and I had thought of a plan of escaping
into the woods and getting round into the road. And while he was
talking with another, that he had stepped forward a little ways to
meet, we slipped out undiscovered, and gained a thicket; when
finding I had left my shawl, I, contrary to Miss Haviland's advice,
I will own, ventured back to get it, and was detected, just as I was
leaving the shanty a second time, and her absence discovered.
This made a stir among them, and they ordered off scouts after
her along the pond towards the road, which was the way I pointed
when they were threatening me if I didn't tell. But she must
have heard all and escaped.”

“Escaped! ditter deuse of an escape that; for a woman to
get out into a forest full of Indians in search of her,” replied the
still unreconciled hunter. “But what course has she der taken,
think ye, gal?”

“The one we planned, likely; and that was, to take a wide
sweep round their camp, gain the road, and make for the tavern,
which she said was not far off,” replied the other.

“Well,” said Dunning, in a more mollified tone, “though der
dogs is in the luck, to be sure, yet half a loaf is better than none.
We must save what we have got; so into the canoe there with
ye, gal; and you, Bart, take her across, der find Harry, whom I'd
ditter rather you would meet first, and tell him you have left me
this side to go in search of the other, who, if found, can most
likely be got to the road as well the way she set out as this, in the
shape things now stand.”

Although this conversation scarcely occupied a minute, and
although, while the hunter was yet speaking, Bart and his fair
friend were in their respective positions in the boat, which instantly
shot out silently and swiftly into the pond, under the vigorous push
given it by the former, yet the event showed that they had been
none too speedy in their movements; for, at that instant, a sudden
bustle in the tory encampment, which was quickly followed
by the confused sounds of voices making rapid inquiries and
giving orders, together with the stealthy tread of approaching
footsteps, apprised the fugitives that not only was their escape
discovered, but probably also the direction they had taken.

“Der narve it, narve it, Bart! The ditter divils are after ye!”
shouted the hunter, hastily retreating from the shore, and disappearing
in the nearest thicket.

And scarcely had he gained a covert, before his place was

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occupied by four or five of the enemy, who came rushing down
to the water; when, discovering the receding boat, then not fifty
yards distant, the acting leader of the band fiercely exclaimed,
“Put about there instantly, and come ashore, or we'll fire and kill
every person in the boat!”

“O, but you'll kill us if we come back,” replied Bart, splashing
round his oar as if turning the boat, which in fact was going
swiftly ahead.

“No, we won't,” responded the leader, deceived by the apparent
simplicity of the reply; “but be quick, or we fire!”

“Well, seeing you aint going to hurt us,” said the former,
carelessly, while at the same time directing, in a whisper, the
girl to throw herself close on the bottom of the canoe, he silently,
but with all his might, bent himself to the oar.

“Why,” said the leader, after a short and doubtful pause, as
he peered out in the darkness at the dimly-seen boat — “why,
aint the fellow still moving ahead? He is, confound him: fire!”

“Let drive, then!” sung out Bart, with the greatest sang froid,
as he hastily cast himself down in the boat.

The next instant several bullets struck the boat, or whistled
over it, as the fierce flashings and deafening reports of as many
exploding muskets burst from the shore with startling effect on
the darkness and silence of night.

“I vown! but that an't so bad shooting as might be, in the dark
so,” exclaimed Bart, hastily springing up and seizing his oar.
“They are more at the business than I thought 'em; and we
may as well be a little further off afore they have time to load
and fire agin, guess,” he added, suddenly changing the direction
of the boat from the course it had been taking, and playing the
oar with an energy which showed rather less indifference to his
proximity to the hostile marksmen behind him than his words
might seem to imply.

The tories, in the mean while, who had foolishly all discharged
their pieces at once, fell to loading again as fast as was possible
for them to do in the dark. But before any of them was ready
to fire, the last traces of the fugitive boat had vanished from their
view.

They were, however, after giving vent to their vexation in a
volley of curses upon the fellow who had thus outwitted them, in
getting beyond controlling distance, preparing to fire again, at
random, in the direction in which the canoe was last seen moving,
when their attention was suddenly arrested by firing in the woods,
a short distance to the south, which seemed to be an exchange of

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shots between their pickets and some enemy assailing them from
that direction. They therefore hurried back to their companions,
and with them rallied to make a stand against the force which all
supposed was about to storm their encampment. But to their
agreeable disappointment, though an occasional shot continued to
be directed towards them by persons who seemed to be lurking
in the distant thickets, no tangible force made its appearance;
for the firing which had so alarmed them, and caused them to
call in all their scouts within hearing, and make every preparation
for a desperate resistance, was, as the reader will have already
imagined, but the feint made by Woodburn's party, who, hearing
the reports of the guns discharged at the escaping canoe, and
partly divining the cause, had advanced from their concealment,
and begun to make the diversion agreed on at the outset. But
not receiving the signal promised, in case help was needed, and
feeling doubtful how to act, most of them fell back, and ceased
operations, till Bart, who had, in the mean time, reached the
shore, and, with the fearless girl he had released, hastened round
to their post, arrived and informed them of all that had occurred.
On receiving this aggravating intelligence, Woodburn, now almost
frantic with disappointment and anxiety, instantly withdrew
to the road with all his band, except two left to keep the enemy
in a state of alarm; when they all, including even the heroic
Vine Howard, immediately scattered in different directions through
the dark forest in anxious search for the luckless Miss Haviland,
to whom we will now return, for the purpose of following her in
the wild and perilous adventures she was destined to encounter
on that eventful night.

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