white limestone road that bordered the little port, its overgrown
garden surrounded by an ancient stockade ten feet in height, with a
massive, slow-swinging gate in front, defended by loopholes. This
stockade bulged out in some places and leaned in at others; but the
veteran posts, each a tree sharpened to a point, did not break their
ranks, in spite of decrepitude; and the Indian warriors, could they
have returned from their happy hunting-grounds, would have found the
brave old fence of the Agency a sturdy barrier still. But the Indian
warriors could not return. The United States agent had long ago moved
to Lake Superior, and the deserted residence, having only a mythical
owner, left without repairs year after year, and under a cloud of
confusion as regarded taxes, titles, and boundaries, became a kind of
flotsam property, used by various persons, but belonging legally to no
one. Some tenant, tired of swinging the great gate back and forth, had
made a little sally port alongside, but otherwise the place remained
unaltered; a broad garden with a central avenue of cherry-trees, on
each side dilapidated arbors, overgrown paths, and heart-shaped beds,
where the first agents had tried to cultivate flowers, and behind the
limestone cliffs crowned with cedars. The house was large on the
ground, with wings and various additions built out as if at random; on
each side and behind were rough outside chimneys clamped to the wall;
in the roof over the central part dormer-windows showed a low second
storey; and here and there at intervals were outside doors, in some
cases opening out into space, since the high steps which once led up
to them had fallen down, and remained as they fell, heaps of stones on
the ground below. Within were suites of rooms, large and small,
showing traces of workmanship elaborate for such a remote locality;
the ceilings, patched with rough mortar, had been originally decorated
with moulding, the doors were ornamented with scroll-work, and the two
large apartments on each side of the entrance-hall possessed