The peculiar tone in which these words were uttered, caused every one present to turn and regard the speaker, for they recalled the prophetic language of the unhappy woman.  There was now a wildness of expression in his handsome features, marking the mind utterly dead to hope, yet struggling to work itself up to passive endurance of the worst.  Colonel de Haldimar sighed painfully, as he bent his eye half reproachfully on the dull and attenuated features of his son; and although he spoke not, his look betrayed the anguish that allusion had called up to his heart.

“Forgive me, my father,” exclaimed the youth, grasping a hand that was reluctantly extended.  “I meant it not in unkindness; but indeed I have ever had the conviction strongly impressed on my spirit.  I know I appear weak, childish, unsoldierlike; yet can it be wondered at, when I have been so often latterly deceived by false hopes, that now my heart has room for no other tenant than despair.  I am very wretched,” he pursued, with affecting despondency; “in the presence of my companions do I admit it, but they all know how I loved my sister.  Can they then feel surprise, that having lost not only her, but my brother and my friend, I should be the miserable thing I am.”

Colonel de Haldimar turned away, much affected; and throwing his back against the sentry box near him, passed his hand over his eyes, and remained for a few moments motionless.

“Charles, Charles, is this your promise to me?” whispered Captain Blessington, as he approached and took the hand of his unhappy friend.  “Is this the self-command you pledged yourself to exercise?  For Heaven’s sake, agitate not your father thus, by the indulgence of a grief that can have no other tendency than to render him equally wretched.  Be advised by me, and quit the rampart.  Return to your guard, and endeavour to compose yourself.”

“Ha! what new movement is that on the part of the savages?” exclaimed Captain Erskine, who had kept his glass to his eye mechanically, and chiefly with a view of hiding the emotion produced in him by the almost infantine despair of the younger De Haldimar:  “surely it is—­yet, no, it cannot be—­yes, see how they are dragging several prisoners from the wood to the beach.  I can distinctly see a man in a blanket coat, and two others considerably taller, and apparently sailors.  But look, behind them are two females in European dress.  Almighty Heaven! there can be no doubt.”

A painful pause ensued.  Every other glass and eye was levelled in the same direction; and, even as Erskine had described it, a party of Indians were seen, by those who had the telescopes, conducting five prisoners towards a canoe that lay in the channel communicating from the island with the main land on the Detroit shore.  Into the bottom of these they were presently huddled, so that only their heads and shoulders were visible above the gunwale of the frail bark.  Presently a tall warrior was seen bounding