The young husband and his wife now landed, and began to examine more particularly into the state of the swamp, near their place of concealment.  Just at that spot, the bank of the river was higher than in most of the low land, and was dry, with a soil that approached sand.  This was the place where the few young pines had grown.  The dry ground might have covered four or five acres, and so many trees having been felled, light and air were admitted, in a way to render the place comparatively cheerful.  The branches of the felled trees made a sufficient cover in all directions, though the swamp itself was more than that, almost a defence, toward the Openings.  The bee-hunter found it was possible, though it was exceedingly difficult, to make his way through it.  He ascertained the fact, however, since it might be important to their future movements to know it.

In a word, le Bourdon made a complete reconnaissance of his position.  He cleared a spot for the females, and made a sort of hut, that would serve as a protection against rain, and in which they all might sleep at night.  There was little doubt that this place must be occupied for some days, if Peter was acting in good faith, since an early movement would infallibly lead to detection.  Time must be given to the Indians to precede them, or the great numbers of the savages would scarce leave a hope of escape.  A greater sense of security succeeded this examination, and these arrangements.  The danger was almost entirely to be apprehended on the side of the river.  A canoe passing up-stream might, indeed, discover their place of concealment, but it was scarcely to be apprehended that one would wade through the mud and water of the swamp to approach them in any other direction.

Under these circumstances, le Bourdon began to feel more security in their position.  Could he now be certain of Peter, his mind would be comparatively at ease, and he might turn his attention altogether to making the party comfortable.  Margery, who seldom quitted his side, reasoned with him on the subject of the mysterious chief’s good faith, and by means of her own deep reliance on him, she came at last to the point of instilling some of her own confidence into the mind of her husband.  From that time he worked at the shelter for the females, and the other little arrangements their situation rendered necessary, with greater zest, and with far more attention to the details.  So long as we are in doubt of accomplishing good, we hesitate about employing our energies; but once let hope revive within us, in the shape of favorable results, and we become new men, bracing every nerve to the task, and working with redoubled spirit; even should it be at the pump of the sinking ship, which, we believe, ranks the highest among the toils that are inflicted on the unfortunate.