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conscience, and he now felt the embarrassment conse- 

 quent upon this novel acquisition. He was therefore 

 at a loss how to act. He reflected that to expose his 

 presence to the Indians would be dangerous in the 

 highest degree, and could lead to no good result, while, 

 on the other hand, he did not as yet feel justified in 

 solving the difficulty with his rifle. 



While the old hunter speculated thus, the raft had 

 rounded a sinuosity of the stream, and vanished from 

 his eyes. 



Cautiously advancing, Jake presently arrived at the 

 spot where a few moments previously he had beheld 

 the raft disappear. To his astonishment no trace either 

 of it or of the Indians was visible. 



The old man cast a keen glance down the stream, 

 which at intervals was illumined by the moon, but in 

 vain. He listened intently for several minutes ; but in 

 the breathing stillness not a sound save the drowsy 

 rush of water at a great distance could be detected by 

 his straining ear. 



For a moment the hunter was oppressed by a super- 

 stitious awe. He had heard of the apparitions of 

 Indian spirits which haunted the scenes of their earthly 

 deeds. Those phantom figures that had passed his 

 ambush, and had thus unaccountably disappeared, 

 perhaps they were the unquiet spirits of braves who 

 had long since gone to their account. But these were 

 passing apprehensions. 



" Wagh ! " exclaimed Jake to himself, " this coon don't 



