“Again I had thrown myself upon the deck, and was ruminating on the singular events of the evening, associating the rich prize, which I now already looked upon as my own, with the rascality of those who, imagining me to be their dupe, were so soon to become mine; and moreover meditating such measures as I fancied most likely to secure a result so opposite to that which they anticipated, when the loud quick sharp hail of the sentinels announced that a craft of some kind was approaching.

“‘Want to see the officer,’ shouted a voice which I knew to be Desborough’s.  “Somethin’ very partick’lar to tell him, I guess.”

“Permission having been granted, the canoe came rapidly up to the side, and in the next minute, the tall heavy form of the settler stood distinctly defined against the lake, as he stepped on the gun-wale of the boat.

“It must be needless here to repeat the information of which he was the bearer,” pursued Grantham.  Its purport was, in every sense, what I had so recently overheard in the hut.

“‘And how am I to know that this tale of yours is correct,’ I demanded when he had concluded, yet in a tone that seemed to admit, I was as much his dupe as he could reasonably desire.  ’You are aware Desborough, that your character for loyalty does not stand very high, and this may prove but a trick to get me out of the way.  What good motive can you give for my believing you.’

“‘The best I calculate as can be,’ he unhesitatingly answered, ’and that is my own interest.  I don’t make no boast of my loyalty, as you say, to be sure, Mr. Grantham, but I’ve an eye like a hawk for the rhino, and I han’t giv’ you this piece of news without expectin’ a promise that I shall git a purty considerable sum in eagles, if so be as you succeeds in wallopin’ the prize.’

“‘Walloping—­what do you call walloping, man?’

“‘What do I call wallopin’? why licking her slick and clean out, and gettin’ hold of the dust to be sure.’

“I could have knocked the scoundrel to the deck, for the familiarity of the grin which accompanied this reply, and as for Sambo, I had more than once to look him peremptorily into patience.

“I knew from what had passed between father and son, that, until the former had communicated with, and impressed a conviction of the accuracy of his report, upon me, nothing was to be attempted by the boat, the capture of which was now, for a variety of reasons, an object of weighty consideration.  Whatever violence I did to myself therefore, in abstaining from a castigation of the traitor, I felt that I could not hope for success, unless, by appearing implicitly to believe all he had stated, I thus set suspicion at rest.

“’A more satisfactory motive for your information you could not have given me Desborough,’ I at length replied, with a sarcasm which was however lost upon him, ’and I certainly do you the justice to believe that to the self interest you have avowed, we shall be indebted for the capture of the prize in question.  She lies, you say, between Turkey Island and our own shores.’