“Nothing of the kind is required of us—­his treason will soon unfold itself, and that in a manner to demand, as an imperative duty, that we secure the traitor.  For this have I removed the rifles which may, in a moment of desperation, be turned at backwoodsman’s odds against our pistols.  Let us steal gently towards the beach, and then you shall satisfy yourself; but I had nearly forgotten—­suppose the other party should arrive?”,

“Then they must in their turn wait for us.  They have already exceeded their time ten minutes.”

“Look,” exclaimed his companion, as he slightly grasped the shoulder on which his hand had rested, “he is returning for the rifles.”

Only one of the two men now retrod his steps from the beach towards the hut, but with a more hurried action than before.  As he passed where the friends still lingered, he gave a start of surprise, apparently produced by the absence of the rifles.  A moment’s reflection seeming to satisfy him it was possible his memory had failed him, and that they had been left within the building, he hurried forward to assure himself.  After a few moments of apparently ineffectual search, he again made his appearance, making the circuit of the hut to discover his lost weapons, but in vain; when, in the fierceness of his anger, he cried aloud, with a bitterness that gave earnest of sincerity.

“By Gosh, I wish I had the curst British rascal who played me this trick, on t’other shore—­if I wouldn’t tuck my knife into his b——­y gizzard, then is my name not Jeremiah Desborough.  What the h—­l’s to be done now?”

Taking advantage of his entrance into the hut, the two individuals, first described, had stolen cautiously under cover of the forest, until they arrived at its termination, within about twenty yards of the shore, where however there was no outward or visible sign of the individual who had been Desborough’s companion.  In the bows of the canoe were piled the blankets, and in the centre was deposited the provision bag that had formed a portion of their mutual load.  The mast had not been hoisted, but lay extended along the hull, its sail loosened and partially covering the before mentioned article of freightage.  The bow half of the canoe pressed the beach, the other lay sunk in the water, apparently in the manner in which it had first approached the land.

Still uttering curses, but in a more subdued tone, against “the fellor who had stolen his small bores,” the angry Desborough retraced his steps to the canoe.  More than once he looked back to see if he could discover any traces of the purloiner, until at length his countenance seemed to assume an expression of deeper cause for concern, than even the loss of his weapons.

“Ha, I expect some d——­d spy has been on the look out—­ if so, I must cut and run I calculate purty soon.”

This apprehension was expressed as he arrived opposite the point where the forest terminated.  A slight rustling among the underwood reduced that apprehension to certainty.  He grasped the handle of his huge knife that was thrust into the girdle around his loins, and rivetting his gaze on the point whence the sound had proceeded, retreated in that attitude.  Another and more distinct crush of underwood, and he stood still with surprise, on finding himself face to face with two officers of the garrison.