had been outwitted with such cleverness that the youth could not
deny himself the pleasure of expressing his exultation in that
characteristic fashion.

When Jack Carleton discovered the water bubbling through the
bullet-hole in the side of the canoe, as though it was a tiny spring
that had just burst forth, he was afraid it would sink the craft.
He inserted the end of his finger to check, in some measure, the
flow; but Deerfoot, observing the act, shook his head to signify it
was unnecessary.

"My brothers shall reach land," he said.

"I have no doubt we shall, since you are using the paddle again, but
a little while ago it looked as though the land we were going to
reach was at the bottom of the river. Deerfoot," added Jack, with a
smile, "they have punctured this boat pretty thoroughly. I cannot
understand how it was we all escaped when the bullets seemed to be
everywhere."

"The Great Spirit turned aside the bullets," said the Shawanoe.

"No he didn't," was the sturdy response of Jack; "I acknowledge His
mercies, which have followed us all the days of our lives, but that
is not the way He works. You know as well as do I, that if yon get
in the way of a Shawanoe or Miami rifle, you will be hit unless yon
are very quick to get out of the way again; but for all that," the
Kentuckian hastened to add, noticing a reproving expression on the
countenance of his dusky friend, "my heart overflows with gratitude
because we have been saved, when there seemed not the first ray of