“A low tapping against the door of the hut, which although evidently intended to be subdued, was now, in the silence of night, distinctly audible; while our whispers, on the contrary, mingled as they were with the crisping sound of the waves rippling on the sands were, at that distance, undistinguishable.  It was evident that I had erred in my original conjecture.  Had it been Desborough himself, living alone as he did, he would not have knocked for admission where there was no one to afford it, but would have quietly let himself in.  It could then be no other than a visiter—­perhaps a spy from the enemy—­and the same to whom we had given chase.

“From the moment that the tapping commenced, Sambo and I stood motionless on the shore, and without trusting our voices again, even to a whisper.  In a little time we heard the door open, and the low voice of Desborough in conversation with another.  Presently the door was shut, and soon afterwards, through an imperfectly closed shutter on the only floor of the hut, we could perceive a streak of light reflected on the clearing in front, as if from a candle or lamp, that was stationary,

“‘I tink him dam rascal dat man, Massa Geral;’ at length ventured my companion.  “I ‘member long time ago,’ and he sighed, “’when Sambo no bigger nor dat paddle, one berry much like him.  But, Massa Geral,’ Missis always tell me nebber talk o’ dat.’

“’A villain he is, I believe, Sambo, but let us advance cautiously and discover what he is about.’

“We now stole along the skirt of the forest, until we managed to approach the window, through which the light was still thrown in one long, fixed, but solitary ray.  It was however impossible to see who were within, for although the voices of men were distinguishable, their forms were so placed as not to be visible through the partial opening.

“The conversation had evidently been some moments commenced.  The first words I heard uttered, were by Desborough.

“’A Commissary boat, and filled with bags of goold eagles, and a fiftieth part ourn, if we get her clean slick through to Detroit.  Well, drot me, if that aint worth the trial.  Why didn’t they try it by land, boy?’

“’I reckon, father, that cock wouldn’t fight.  The Injuns are outlyin’ every where to cut off our mails, and the ready is too much wanted to be thrown away.  No, no:  the river work’s the safest I take it, for there they little expect it to come.’

“The voice of the last speaker, excited in me a strong desire to see the face of Desborough’s visiter.  Unable, where I stood, to catch the slightest view of either, I fancied that I might be more successful in rear of the hut.  I therefore moved forward, followed by Sambo, but not so cautiously as to prevent my feet from crushing a fragment of decayed wood, that lay in my path.

“A bustle within, and the sudden opening of the door announced that the noise had been overheard.  I held up my finger impressively to Sambo, and we both remained motionless.