A NIGHT-ADVENTURE DURING THE OLD you "What! have you never heard of Timothy Weasel, the Varmounter, as he calls himself?" Never." The HOULD discover the po- othy was left for dead by the savages, who, 'Well, then, I must give you a sketch of his story before I introduce him. He was born in New Hampshire, as he says, and in due time, as is customary in those parts, married, and took possession by right of discovery, I suppose-of a tract of land in what was at that time called the New Hampshire grants. Others followed him, and in the course of a few years a little settlement was formed of real 'cute Yankees, as Timothy calls them, to the amount of sixty or seventy men, women and children. They were gradually growing in wealth and numbers, when one night, in the dead of winter, they were set upon by a party of Indians from Canada, and every soul of them except Timothy either consumed in the flames or massacred in the attempt to escape. I have witnessed in the course of my life many scenes of horror, but nothing like that which he describes in which his wife and eight children perished. Tim beyond all belief. I am half a savage my- | burnt color, his beard of a month's growth self, but I have heard this man relate stories of his adventures and escapes which make me feel myself, in the language of the redskins, 'a woman' in comparison with this strange compound of cunning and simplicity. It is inconceivable with what avidity he will hunt an Indian, and the keenest sportsman does not feel a hundredth part of the delight in bringing down his game that Timothy does in witnessing the mortal pangs of one of these 'kritters.' It is a horrible propensity, but to lose all in one night, and to wake the next morning and see nothing but the mangled remains of wife, children-all that man holds most dear to his inmost heart-is no trifle. If ever man had motive for revenge, it is Timothy. Such as he is I employ him, and find his services highly useful. He is a compound of the two races, and combines all the qualities essential to the species of warfare in which we are now engaged. I have sent for him, and expect him here every moment.' As Sir William concluded Sybrandt heard a long dry sort of "H-e-e-m-m!" ejaculated just outside of the door. "That's he," exclaimed Sir William; "I know the sound. It is his usual expression of satisfaction at the prospect of being employed against his old enemies the Indians.Come in, Timothy." Timothy accordingly made his appearance, forgot his bow and said nothing. Sybrandt eyed his associate with close attention. He was a tall, wind-dried man with extremely sharp, angular features and a complexion deeply bronzed by the exposures to which he had been subjected for so many years. His scanty head of hair was of a sort of sun 'Very well; that means you are certain." "I'm always sartin of my mark." "Have you your gun with you?" "The kritter is just outside the door." "And plenty of ammunition?" "Why, what under the sun should I do with a gun and no ammunition ?" "Can you paddle a canoe so that nobody can hear you?" "Can't I? H-e-e-m-m!" "And you are all ready?" "I 'spect so. I knew you didn't want me for nothing, and so got everything to hand.” "Have you anything to eat, by the way?" No; if I only stay out two or three days, I sha'n't want anything." "But you are to have a companion." Timothy here manufactured a sort of linsey-woolsey grunt betokening disapprobation : "I'd rather go alone." "But it is necessary you should have a companion; this young gentleman will go hung over the narrow strait in front of the Well, that's what I call hard; but maybe it will please God to put our lives in danger. That's some comfort." The knight now produced two Indian dresses, which he directed them to put on, somewhat against the inclinations of friend. Timothy, who observed that if he happened to see his shadow in the water he should certainly mistake it for one of the tarnil kritters and shoot himself. Sir William then with his own hand painted the face of Sybrandt so as to resemble that of an Indianan operation not at all necessary to Timothy: his toilet was already made; his complexion required no embellishment. This done, the night having now set in, Sir William, motioning silence, led the way cautiously to one of the gates of Ticonderoga, which was opened by the sentinel, and they proceeded swiftly and silently to the high bank which fort. A little bark canoe lay moored at the foot, into which Sybrandt and Timothy placed themselves flat on the bottom, each with his musket and accoutrements at his side and a paddle in his hand. "Now," said Sir William, almost in a whisper-" now, luck be with you, boys! Remember, you are to return before daylight without fail." But, Sir William," said Timothy, coaxingly, "now, mayn't I take a pop at one of the tarnil kritters if I meet e'm?" "I tell you no," replied the other, “unless you wish to be popped out of the world when you come back. Away with you, my boys!" Each seized his paddle, and the light feather of a boat darted away with the swiftness of a bubble in a whirlpool. It's plaguy hard," muttered Timothy to What?" quoth Sybrandt. "Why, not to have the privilege of shooting one of these varmints." " · Not another word," whispered Sybrandt; "we may be overheard from the shore." "Does he think I don't know what's what?" again muttered Timothy, plying his paddle with a celerity and silence that Sybrandt vainly tried to equal. The night gradually grew dark as pitch. All became one color, and the earth and the air were confounded together in utter obscurity-at least, to the eyes of Sybrandt Westbrook. Not a breath of wind disturbed the foliage of the trees that hung invisible to all eyes but those of Timothy, who seemed to see best in the dark; not an echo, not a whisper, disturbed the dead silence of nature as they darted along unseen and unseeing. At least, our hero could see nothing but darkness. "Whisht!" aspirated Timothy, at length, so low that he could scarcely hear himself; and after making a few strokes with his paddle, so as to shoot the boat out of her course, cowered himself down to the bottom. Sybrandt did the same, peering just over the side of the boat to discover, if possible, the reason of Timothy's manoeuvres. Suddenly he heard, or thought he heard, the measured sound of paddles dipping lightly into the water. A few minutes more and he saw five or six little lights glimmering indistinctly through the obscurity, apparently at a great distance. Timothy raised himself up suddenly, seized his gun and pointed it for a moment at one of the lights, but, recollecting the injunction of Sir William, immediately resumed his former position. In a few minutes the sound of the paddles died away and the lights disappeared. "How do you know they were 'kritters,' as you call the Indians?" Why, did you ever hear so many Frenchmen make so little noise ?” This reply was perfectly convincing; and, Sybrandt again enjoining silence, they proceeded with the same celerity and in the same intensity of darkness as before for more than an hour. This brought them, at the swift rate they were going, at a distance of at least twenty miles from the place of their departure. Turning a sharp angle at the expiration of the time just specified, Timothy suddenly stopped his paddle as before and cowered down at the bottom of the canoe. Sybrandt had no occasion to inquire the reason of this action; for, happening to look toward the shore, he could discover at a distance innumerable lights glimmering and flashing amid the obscurity and rendering the darkness beyond the sphere of their influence still more profound. These lights appeared to extend several miles along what he supposed to be the strait or lake, which occasionally reflected their glancing rays upon its quiet bosom. "What was that?" whispered Sybrandt. "The Frenchmen are turning the tables on us, I guess,” replied the other. "If that boat isn't going a-spying jist like ourselves, I'm quite out in my calculations." What! with lights? They must be Timothy, exultingly; "we've treed 'em at great fools." "It was only the fire of their pipes, which the darkness made look like so many candles. I'm thinking what a fine mark these lights would have bin, and how I could have peppered two or three of them if Sir William had not bin so plaguy obstinate.' "Peppered them'! Why, they were half a dozen miles off." "They were within fifty yards, the kritters! I could have broke all their pipes as easy as kiss my hand." "There they are, the kritters!" whispered last, I swow! Now, mister, let me ask you. one question will you obey my orders?" "If I like them," said Sybrandt. "Ay, like or no like. I must be captainfor a little time, at least.” "I have no objection to benefit by your experience." "Can you play Ingen when you are put to it?" "I have been among them, and know something of their character and man ners." Well, then I must make the best of the matter. The kritters are camped out-I see by their fires by themselves. I can't stop to tell you everything, but you must keep close to me, do jist as I do and say nothing, that's all." "I am likely to play a pretty part, I see." "Play'! You'll find no play here, I guess, mister. Set down close, make no noise; and if you go to sneeze or cough, take right hold of your throat and let it go downward." Sybrandt obeyed his injunctions, and Timothy proceeded toward the lights, which appeared much farther off in the darkness than they really were, handling his paddle with such lightness and dexterity that Sybrandt could not hear the strokes. In this manner they swiftly approached the encamp ment until they could distinguish a confused noise of shoutings and hallooings, which gradually broke on their ears in discordant violence. Timothy stopped his paddle and listened: "It is the song of those tarni kritters the Utawas. They're in a drunken frolic, as they always are the night before going to battle. I know the kritters, for I've popped off a few, and can talk and sing their songs pretty considerably, I guess. So we'll be among 'em right off. Don't forget what I told you about doing as I do and holding your tongue." Cautiously plying his paddle, he now shot in close to the shore, whence the sounds of revelry proceeded, and made the land at some little distance, that he might avoid the sentinels, whom they could hear ever and anon challenging each other. They then drew up the light canoe into the bushes which here closely skirted the water. "Now leave all behind but yourself and follow me," whispered Timothy as he carefully felt whether the muskets were well covered from the damps of the night, and then laid himself down on his face and crawled along under the bushes with the quiet celerity of a snake in the grass. "Must we leave our guns behind?" whispered Sybrandt. Yes, according to orders; but it's a plaguy hard case. Yet, upon the whole, it's best; for if I was to get a fair chance at one of these kritters, I believe in my heart my gun would go off clean of itself. But hush! shut your mouth as close as a powder-horn." After proceeding some distance, Sybrandt getting well scratched by the briars and finding infinite difficulty in keeping up with Timothy, the latter stopped short. |