with　great　care　to　avoid　making　any　noise。　　The　conversa…
  tion　gradually　ceased；　and　as　the　dreaded　rift　was　ap…
  proached；　all　became　impressed　with　the　gravity　of　the
  moment。　　That　their　enemies　would　endeavor　to　reach
  this　point　before　them　was　almost　certain；　and　it　seemed
  so　little　probable　any　one　should　attempt　to　pass　it；　in　the
  profound　obscurity　which　reigned；　that　Pathfinder　was
  confident　parties　were　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　in　the
  hope　of　intercepting　them　when　they　might　land。　　He
  would　not　have　made　the　proposal　he　did　had　he　not　felr
  sure　of　his　own　ability　to　convert　this　very　anticipation　of
  success　into　a　means　of　defeating　the　plans　of　the　Iroquois。
  As　the　arrangement　now　stood；　however；　everything　de…
  pended　on　the　skill　of　those　who　guided　the　canoes；　for
  should　either　hit　a　rock；　if　not　split　asunder；　it　would
  almost　certainly　be　upset；　and　then　would　come　not　only
  all　the　hazards　of　the　river　itself；　but；　for　Mabel；　the　cer…
  tainty　of　falling　into　the　hands　of　her　persuers。　　The
  utmost　circumspection　consequently　became　necessary；
  and　each　one　was　too　much　engrossed　with　his　own
  thoughts　to　feel　a　disposition　to　utter　more　than　was　called
  for　by　the　exigencies　of　the　case。
  At　the　canoes　stole　silently　along；　the　roar　of　the　rift
  became　audible；　and　it　required　all　the　fortitude　of　Cap　to
  keep　his　seat；　while　these　boding　sounds　were　approached；
  amid　a　darkness　which　scarcely　permitted　a　view　of　the
  outlines　of　the　wooded　shore　and　of　the　gloomy　vault
  above　his　head。　　He　retained　a　vivid　impression　of　the
  falls；　and　his　imagination　was　not　now　idle　in　swelling　the
  dangers　of　the　rift　to　a　level　with　those　of　the　headlong
  descent　he　had　that　day　made；　and　even　to　increase　them；
  under　the　influence　of　doubt　and　uncertainty。　　In　this；
  however；　the　old　mariner　was　mistaken；　for　the　Oswego
  Rift　and　the　Oswego　Falls　are　very　different　in　their　char…
  acters　and　violence；　the　former　being　no　more　than　a
  rapid；　that　glances　among　shallows　and　rocks；　while　the
  latter　really　deserved　the　name　it　bore；　as　has　been　already
  shown。
  Mabel　certainly　felt　distrust　and　apprehension；　but　her
  entire　situation　was　so　novel；　and　her　reliance　on　her　guide
  so　great；　that　she　retained　a　self…command　which　might
  not　have　existed　had　she　clearer　perceptions　of　the　truth；
  or　been　better　acquainted　with　the　helplessness　of　men
  when　placed　in　opposition　to　the　power　and　majesty　of
  Nature。
  〃Is　that　the　spot　you　have　mentioned？〃　she　said　to
  Jasper；　when　the　roar　of　the　rift　first　came　distinctly　on
  her　ears。
  〃It　is；　and　I　beg　you　to　have　confidence　in　me。　　We　are
  not　old　acquaintances；　Mabel；　but　we　live　many　days　in
  one；　in　this　wilderness。　　I　think；　already；　that　I　have
  known　you　years！〃
  〃And　I　do　not　feel　as　if　you　were　a　stranger　to　me；
  Jasper。　　I　have　every　reliance　on　your　skill；　as　well　as　on
  your　disposition　to　serve　me。〃
  〃We　shall　see；　we　shall　see。　　Pathfinder　is　striking　the
  rapids　too　near　the　centre　of　the　river；　the　bed　of　the　water
  is　closer　to　the　eastern　shore；　but　I　cannot　make　him　hear
  me　now。　　Hold　firmly　to　the　canoe；　Mabel；　and　fear
  nothing。〃
  At　the　next　moment　the　swift　current　had　sucked　them
  into　the　rift；　and　for　three　or　four　minutes　the　awe…struck；
  rather　than　the　alarmed；　girl　saw　nothing　around　her　but
  sheets　of　glancing　foam；　heard　nothing　but　the　roar　of
  waters。　　Twenty　times　did　the　canoe　appear　about　to　dash
  against　some　curling　and　bright　wave　that　showed　itself
  even　amid　that　obscurity；　and　as　often　did　it　glide　away
  again　unharmed；　impelled　by　the　vigorous　arm　of　him
  who　governed　its　movements。　　Once；　and　once　only；　did
  Jasper　seem　to　lose　command　of　his　frail　bark；　during
  which　brief　space　it　fairly　whirled　entirely　round；　but　by
  a　desperate　effort　he　brought　it　again　under　control；　re…
  covered　the　lost　channel；　and　was　soon　rewarded　for　all
  his　anxiety　by　finding　himself　floating　quietly　in　the　deep
  water　below　the　rapids；　secure　from　every　danger；　and
  without　having　taken　in　enough　of　the　element　to　serve
  for　a　draught。
  〃All　is　over；　Mabel；〃　the　young　man　cried　cheerfully。
  〃The　danger　is　past；　and　you　may　now　indeed　hope　to
  meet　your　father　this　very　night。〃
  〃God　be　praised！　　Jasper；　we　shall　owe　this　great　hap…
  piness　to　you。〃
  〃The　Pathfinder　may　claim　a　full　share　in　the　merit；
  but　what　has　become　of　the　other　canoe？〃
  〃I　see　something　near　us　on　the　water；　is　it　not　the
  boat　of　our　friends？〃
  A　few　strokes　of　the　paddle　brought　Jasper　to　the　side
  of　the　object　in　question：　it　was　the　other　canoe；　empty
  and　bottom　upwards。　　No　sooner　did　the　young　man　as…
  certain　this　fact；　than　he　began　to　search　for　the　swimmers；
  and；　to　his　great　joy；　Cap　was　soon　discovered　drifting　down
  with　the　current；　the　old　seaman　preferring　the　chances
  of　drowning　to　those　of　landing　among　savages。　　He　was
  hauled　into　the　canoe；　though　not　without　difficulty；　and
  then　the　search　ended；　for　Jasper　was　persuaded　that　the
  Pathfinder；　would　wade　to　the　shore；　the　water　being　shal…
  low　in　preference　to　abandoning　his　beloved　rifle。
  The　remainder　of　the　passage　was　short；　though　made
  amid　darkness　and　doubt。　　After　a　short　pause；　a　dull
  roaring　sound　was　heard；　which　at　times　resembled　the
  mutterings　of　distant　thunder；　and　then　again　brought
  with　it　the　washing　of　waters。　　Jasper　announced　to　his
  companions　that　they　now　heard　the　surf　of　the　lake。
  Low　curved　spits　of　land　lay　before　them；　into　the　bay
  formed　by　one　of　which　the　canoe　glided；　and　then　it　shot
  up　noiselessly　upon　a　gravelly　beach。　　The　transition　that
  followed　was　so　hurried　and　great；　that　Mabel　scarcely
  knew　what　passed。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　minutes；　how…
  ever　sentinels　had　been　passed；　a　gate　was　opened；　and
  the　agitated　girl　found　herself　in　the　arms　of　a　parent
  who　was　almost　a　stranger　to　her。
  CHAPTER　VIII。
  A　land　of　love；　and　a　land　of　light；
  Withouten　sun；　or　moon；　or　night：
  Where　the　river　swa'd　a　living　stream；
  And　the　light　a　pure　celestial　beam：
  The　land　of　vision；　it　would　seem
  A　still；　an　everlasting　dream。
  _Queen's　Wake。_
  The　rest　that　succeeds　fatigue；　and　which　attends　a
  newly　awakened　sense　of　security；　is　generally　sweet　and
  deep。　　Such　was　the　fact　with　Mabel；　who　did　not　rise
  from　her　humble　pallet　　such　a　bed　as　a　sergeant's
  daughter　might　claim　in　a　remote　frontier　post　　until
  long　after　the　garrison　had　obeyed　the　usual　summons　of
  the　drums；　and　had　assembled　at　the　morning　parade。
  Sergeant　Dunham；　on　whose　shoulders　fell　the　task　of
  attending　to　these　ordinary　and　daily　duties；　had　got
  through　all　his　morning　avocations；　and　was　beginning　to
  think　of　his　breakfast；　before　his　child　left　her　room；　and
  came　into　the　fresh　air；　equally　bewildered；　delighted；　and
  grateful；　at　the　novelty　and　security　of　her　new　situation。
  At　the　time　of　which　we　are　writing；　Oswego　was　one　of
  the　extreme　frontier　posts　of　the　British　possessions　on　this
  continent。　　It　had　not　been　long　occupied；　and　was　garri…
  soned　by　a　battalion　of　a　regiment　which　had　been　origin…
  ally　Scotch；　but　into　which　many　Americans　had　been　re…
  ceived　since　its　arrival　in　this　country；　all　innovation　that
  had　led　the　way　to　Mabel's　father　filling　the　humble　but
  responsible　situation　of　the　oldest　sergeant。　　A　few　young
  officers　also；　who　were　natives　of　the　colonies；　were　to　be
  found　in　the　corps。　　The　fort　itself；　like　most　works　of
  that　character；　was　better　adapted　to　resist　an　attack　of
  savages　than　to　withstand　a　regular　siege；　but　the　great
  difficulty　of　transporting　heavy　artillery　and　other　neces…
  saries　rendered　the　occurrence　of　the　latter　a　probability
  so　remote　as　scarcely　to　enter　into　the　estimate　of　the　en…
  gineers　who　had　planned　the　defences。　　There　were　bas…
  tions　of　earth　and　logs；　a　dry　ditch；　a　stockade；　a　parade
  of　considerable　extent；　and　barracks　of　logs；　that　answered
  the　double　purpose　of　dwellings　and　fortifications。　　A　few
  light　fleld…pieces　stood　in　the　area　of　the　fort；　ready　to　be
  conveyed　to　any　point　where　they　might　be　wanted；　and
  one　or　two　heavy　iron　guns　looked　out　from　the　summits
  of　the　advanced　angles；　as　so　many　admonitions　to　the
  audacious　to　respect　their　power。
  When　Mabel；　quitting　the　convenient；　but　compara…
  tively　retired　hut　where　her　father　had　been　permitted　to
  place　her；　issued　into　the　pure　air　of　the　morning；　she
  found　herself　at　the　foot　of　a　bastion；　which　lay　invitingly
  before　her；　with　a　promise　of　giving　a　_coup　d'oeil_　of　all
  that　had　been　concealed　in　the　darkness　of　the　preceding
  night。　　Tripping　up　the　grassy　ascent；　the　light…hearted
  as　well　as　light…footed　girl　found　herself　at　once　on　a　point
  where　the　sight；　at　a　few　varying　glances；　could　take　in　all
  the　external　novelties　of　her　new　situation。
  To　the　southward　lay　the　forest；　through　which　she　had
  been　journeying　so　many　weary　days；　and　which　had　proved
  so　full　of　dangers。　　It　was　separated　from　the　stockade　by
  a　belt　of　open　land；　that　had　been　principally　cleared　of
  its　woods　to　form　the　martial　constructions　around　her。
  This　glacis；　for　such　in　fact　was　its　military　uses；　might
  have　covered　a　hundred　acres；　but　with　it　every　sign　of
  civilization　ceased