But a single bar was crossed, and Jennie was directed to stand in readiness to remove even that at any application from a friend.She then ascended the ladder to the room above, where by means of a loophole she was enabled to get as good a view of the island as the surrounding bushes would allow.Admonishing her associate below to be firm and steady, she made as careful an examination of the en-virons as her situation permitted.
To her great surprise, Mabel could not at first see a liv-ing soul on the island, friend or enemy.Neither French-man nor Indian was visible, though a small straggling white cloud that was floating before the wind told her in which quarter she ought to look for them.The rifles had been discharged from the direction of the island whence June had come, though whether the enemy were on that island, or had actually landed on her own, Mabel could not say.Going to the loop that commanded a view of the spot where M'Nab lay, her blood curdled at perceiving all three of his soldiers lying apparently lifeless at his side.
These men had rushed to a common centre at the first alarm, and had been shot down almost simultaneously by the invisible foe whom the Corporal had affected to despise.
Neither Cap nor Lieutenant Muir was to be seen.With a beating heart, Mabel examined every opening through the trees, and ascended even to the upper story or garret of the blockhouse, where she got a full view of the whole island, so far as its covers would allow, but with no better success.She had expected to see the body of her uncle lying on the grass like those of the soldiers, but it was nowhere visible.Turning towards the spot where the boat lay, Mabel saw that it was still fastened to the shore; and then she supposed that by some accident Muir had been prevented from effecting his retreat in that quarter.In short, the island lay in the quiet of the grave, the bodies of the soldiers rendering the scone as fearful as it was ex-traordinary.
"For God's holy sake, Mistress Mabel," called out the woman from below; for, though her fear had become too ungovernable to allow her to keep silence, our heroine's superior refinement, more than the regimental station of her father, still controlled her mode of address, -- "Mistress Mabel, tell me if any of our friends are living! I think Ihear groans that grow fainter and fainter, and fear that they will all be tomahawked!"Mabel now remembered that one of the soldiers was this woman's husband, and she trembled at what might be the immediate effect of her sorrow, should his death become suddenly known to her.The groans, too, gave a little hope, though she feared they might come from her uncle, who lay out of view.
"We are in His holy keeping, Jennie," she answered.
"We must trust in Providence, while we neglect none of its benevolent means of protecting ourselves.Be care-ful with the door; on no account open it without my di-rections."
"Oh, tell me, Mistress Mabel, if you can anywhere see Sandy! If I could only let him know that I'm in safety, the guid man would be easier in his mind, whether free or a prisoner."Sandy was Jennie's husband, and he lay dead in plain view of the loop from which our heroine was then looking.
"You no' tell me if you're seeing of Sandy," the woman repeated from below, impatient at Mabel's silence.
"There are some of our people gathered about the body of M'Nab, was the answer; for it seemed sacrilegious in her eyes to tell a direct untruth under the awful circum-stances in which she was placed.
"Is Sandy amang them?" demanded the woman, in a voice that sounded appalling by its hoarseness and energy.
"He may be certainly; for I see one, two, three, four, and all in the scarlet coats of the regiment.""Sandy!" called out the woman frantically; "why d'ye no' care for yoursal', Sandy? Come hither the instant, man, and share your wife's fortunes in weal or woe.It's no' a moment for your silly discipline and vain-glorious notions of honor! Sandy! Sandy!"Mabel heard the bar turn, and then the door creaked on its hinges.Expectation, not to say terror, held her in sus-pense at the loop, and she soon beheld Jennie rushing through the bushes in the direction of the cluster of the dead.It took the woman but an instant to reach the fatal spot.So sudden and unexpected had been the blow, that she in her terror did not appear to comprehend its weight.Some wild and half-frantic notion of a deception troubled her fancy, and she imagined that the men were trifling with her fears.She took her husband's hand, and it was still warm, while she thought a covert smile was struggling on his lip.
"Why will ye fool life away, Sandy?" she cried, pulling at the arm."Ye'll all be murdered by these accursed Indians, and you no' takin' to the block like trusty sol-diers! Awa'! awa'! and no' be losing the precious mo-ments."
