284 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



his rifle in his hand, winding around different covers until he 

 reached the base of the tower, and looked up its lofty cone. The 

 embers still smouldered in its base, and up the darkened trunk he 

 could see the square hole that led to the platform, and through it 

 the blue of the sky. Then another savage came out, and another, 

 and they gathered together and talked long at the base of the 

 tower. Lou saw them from where she lay, and could have thrown 

 her lamp-scissors on their heads, but she kept quiet and concealed. 

 The savages, tired of their siege, and satisfied that they had de- 

 stroyed the only occupants of the light-house, collected together 

 the spoils from the dwelling-house, and putting them in their 

 canoes prepared to start. Lou watched them eagerly, thinking 

 she might see her uncle a prisoner among them. She saw the 

 patchwork coverlet from her bed go down wrapped around a 

 painted chief. She saw some of the little mantle ornaments, her 

 uncle's large brass compass, the family kettles and pewter plates. 

 She saw many a little article of grace and comfort, endeared to 

 her by gift or use, passed through brutal hands and stowed in the 

 canoes lying in the lagoon, but her uncle was not there. The 

 faint hope that had arisen in her soul faded away, and the mercury 

 of her heart fell back with a cold chill. 



The Indians paddled off fast, to get to the mainland, for the 

 weather was changing; a cold wind was blowing, and they pre- 

 ferred the shelter of the main to their exposed camp on the Key. 

 In a little while their canoes looked like a train of ducks gliding 

 over the black waters of the bay, and the curling waves came in 

 from seaward with a hollow sound, booming out at sea, and hissing 

 on the sands. Far beyond the regular shore-breakers white 

 spots on the ocean and curling ridges showed where the coral reefs 

 reared their backs and made maelstroms of boiling waves tangled 

 with sea-weed and brightened with foam. 



The sun set before its time in clouds. The air was all a haze. 

 The gulls flew about hither and thither, like bits of white paper 

 tossed on the winds. 



 A hard night at sea," said Lou, gathering herself up and look- 

 ing round her citadel. The wind blew up the trap-door with 

 spatters of the salt water, and found egress through the shattered 



