The Kings Arrow | Page 3

the shore. They
swung rapidly on their way, up hill and down, leaping small brooks,
and crossing swamps overgrown with a tangle of alders, rank grass, and
succulent weeds. Small game was plentiful. Rabbits scurried across the
trail, and partridges rose and whirred among the trees. But the travellers
never paused in their onward march. Although they had been on the
way since early morning, they showed no sign of fatigue. Their strong
athletic bodies, bent somewhat forward, swayed in rythmic motion, and
their feet beat a silent tatoo upon the well-worn trail.
For over an hour they kept up this swinging gait, and only slowed down
when at length the trail led them out of the thick forest into a great open
portion of the country. This was marshland, and it spread out before
them miles in extent. To the right were rugged wooded hills, while far
away to the left the cold steel glitter of the Bay of Fundy could be
distinctly seen.
For a few minutes they stopped to rest on this commanding elevation,
Dane's whole soul athrill at the wonderful panorama thus suddenly
presented to view. His eyes glowed, and he eagerly inhaled great
draughts of the invigorating tang wafted in from the far distant sea.
"My, that's fine!" he ejaculated, giving a deep sigh of satisfaction.
"That puts new life into one, eh, Pete?"
The Indian's mind, however, was not upon the marvellous things of
nature. He was gazing intently down toward the marshland where
something had attracted his attention.

"Plenty duck down dere," he replied. "Me get 'em bimeby."
Dane smiled, picked up his musket, and looked quizzically at his
companion.
"Can't you see anything but ducks, Pete? What do you think of all
that?" and he waved his hand to the left. "Isn't it great!"
"Umph!" the Indian grunted, "me see only duck; stummick say only
'duck.'"
"Come on, then, Pete," the young man ordered. "The sooner we get
through with our business, the sooner you can come back for your
ducks. One of those fat fellows would go well for supper."
Turning somewhat to the right, they followed the trail over the rugged
hills, where through breaks in the trees they could catch occasional
glimpses of the marsh and the water beyond. The way here was rough,
and their progress somewhat slow. But steadily they plodded on,
knowing that their destination was now not far off.
After crossing an exceptionally bad piece of ground, they came out
upon a pleasant little lake lying like a gem among the hills. At its outlet
was a small saw-mill, but now idle, and with no one in sight. Here they
paused for a few minutes, and when they were about to proceed a great
roar startled them. It was quickly followed by three more in rapid
succession, and then all was still.
"It's the Fort cannon!" Dane exclaimed, much excited. "Something's
happening over there. Maybe that old pirate, Crabtree, has come up the
harbour again. He won't find Fort Howe as easy to take as Fort
Frederick, let me tell you that. Come on, Pete, let's see the fun."
Hurrying on their way, ere long they reached the summit of a hill above
the lake, from which position they were able to obtain the first view of
the Fort away in the distance. The guns were silent now, and no sign of
life could they see.

Below stretched a deep wooded valley through which the trail ran. It
did not take the excited men long to speed down the hill and up the
opposite side. The roar of the cannon had roused these hardy sons of
the wild, and the fire of a new adventure thrilled their souls. The great
guns had roared, and what else did it mean but a fight with a desperate
foe in the narrow harbour? And if they could see the struggle, what a
tale they would have to tell their comrades around the camp fires in the
heart of the great forest.
As they gained the summit of the hill, the trail led them through
clearings where the trees had been cut for fuel. Piles of brush were on
all sides, and in places cords of wood lined the way which here
widened into a rough road. They were coming into the limits of
civilisation now, and the view of the Fort was much more distinct. The
great guns gave no further voice, but as they neared the crest of the hill
which slopes down to the harbour, a new and peculiar sound fell upon
their ears. They paused and listened intently, but could not understand
its meaning.
Cautiously they advanced, alert, and ready to flee to the shelter of the
forest should occasion require. For a time nothing unusual could