"Surely not, as far as I am concerned," rejoined she. "Tell me, I entreat you, what you propose to do."

"No," answered Derbond, "I will not be so indiscreet as to burthen you with a secret which must be concealed from your husband."

"Miserable evasion!" said Emily, bursting into tears. "Insulting cruelty!-Is it thus that you repay the interest I take in your welfare? There was a time when you would have disclosed every thing to me; but because I am unfortunate and unhappy, you withdraw your confidence. - Derbond, I swear never to reveal what you may tell me. It is my affection for you that makes me thus urgent-speak-if you do not utterly disregard and despise me."

now,

"Listen then, unreasonable woman," replied Derbond; "I am about to explore the marsh of Ouaquahenegow, in search of a people who inhabit its interior."

"I understand you," cried Emily with rapidity and eagerness, "you will take up your abode amongst them, and never return here. Make me then the companion. of your journey, and the partaker of your dangers and hardships. I am wretched in my present situation, and could be happy-yes-inexpressibly happy with you any where. I will forsake my husband, and fly into your arms,-I love you more than woman ever yet loved man. We are far removed from the European world, and why should we be restrained in our actions by its opinions or usages? Let us hasten then into the

recesses of the Ouaquahenegow, and there forget what we have been: I know your heart too well to believe that you can be happy without the endearments of female affection. Take me then with you, and trust me that you will experience them in my society."

Derbond would hear no more: he rushed from the house, and mounting his horse, galloped home, agitated by a strange mixture of pain and delight, of love and abhorrence. His passion for Emily, at one time nearly extinct, now revived with greater force than ever; but nevertheless, her declarations had excited sentiments of repugnance towards herself, which in such a degree modified and neutralized the feeling, that he scarcely knew whether he most disliked or doated upon her. The result of these conflicting emotions, was a determination to save her honour and his own, by setting out on his expedition of discovery the following day, without seeing, or acquainting her with his design. He spent a great part of the night in making preparations to that effect, and struggled to banish Emily from his thoughts; for when he recalled her distress, her passionate looks, and her complaints, he felt inclined to break his resolutions, and to hasten to her for the purpose of consoling her and reasoning with her against the criminal predilection, which she had unfortunately expressed.

Having given directions to his slaves how to manage the plantation during his absence, he began his journey at sunrise. He travelled on foot, and his equipment

consisted merely of a rifle and a quantity of ammunition; a pocket compass, two knives, a hatchet, and a bag containing several pounds of maize flour, mixed with a small proportion of maple sugar. This was to serve for his subsistence in case it might not suit his purpose to alarm the Indians, and discover himself by shooting game, of which he supposed he should find no scarcity in the course of his excursion. At first his path lay through a tract of forest that formed part of his own estate; and having passed this, and forced his way through a dark grove of hemlock trees, encumbered with brushwood, he found himself on the borders of the great marsh Ouaquahenegow. He stopped and looked into its recesses. The grey light of morning had scarcely yet penetrated the foggy air, and every thing appeared indistinct and undefined; and the leafless branches of the trees seemed blended into an obscure and dense mass, forbidding all advance, and gloomily shading the country lying beyond it. The most profound silence prevailed, and Derbond felt himself thrilled by sentiments of mysterious awe.

He had no intention of losing time in seeking the reported Indian avenue, for he justly considered that as the Apalachees, from all accounts, never passed out of the marsh, it must have been allowed to close up, or had more likely been so effectually barricaded that entrance by that route would be impossible. His plan was to travel across the Ouaquahenegow in as direct a

line as he found practicable, by which means he could not fail of reaching its interior, and that at no very distant period either, for its utmost breadth did not exceed seventy or eighty miles. It would be useless to describe the hardships and fatigues which he endured in the prosecution of this plan, and the incessant and harassing anxiety with which he watched for any indications of the presence or neighbourhood of man. He sometimes struggled knee-deep through black morasses; sometimes waded for miles together in marshes and pools of stagnant water; and sometimes forced his way with the help of his axe, amidst thickets of thorny and interlacing plants. During the night he hardly dared resign himself to sleep, lest an enemy should surprise, and put him to death before he had time to explain who and what he was.

On the evening of the fourth day of his journey, he estimated that he had advanced in a direct course seventeen miles from the borders of the marsh, and he was beginning to prepare a resting place for the night, when he heard several strokes of an axe close by, and shortly afterwards a shrill whoop. Now is the critical moment thought Derbond, when every thing must be either lost or won, and he replied by another shout, and soon perceived three Indians approaching him. Assuming a fearless and joyful air, he hastened to meet them, and saluting them in the general language of that part of America, found by their returning the

civility that they understood him well enough.

But it was soon evident that they had at first mistaken him for a brother Indian; for on viewing him closely, and discovering that he was of a race different from themselves, they seemed struck with a kind of panic, and encircled him as if to prevent his escape, at the same time calling to some of their friends who were at a distance to hasten towards them. In a few minutes the party had increased to seven individuals, who, after much whispering consultation, informed him that he must accompany them to their village, and thither they immediately proceeded, Derbond walking in silence in the midst of the group; for as they had paid no regard to the questions of various kinds which he had at first addressed to them, he thought it best to say nothing more until called upon to speak for himself.

Having advanced about a mile, they reached the edge of the forest, and Derbond saw before him an open and clear tract of country, rising with a gentle and agreeable slope, into a wide expanse of table land of considerable elevation, the declivities of which were furrowed and intersected with many beautiful rivulets. On a level space at the top stood a large assemblage of houses of different dimensions, and formed of wickerwork plaistered with clay, and thatched with rushes. The hum of many voices, and a concourse of passengers in the neighbourhood of the village, shewed that it was thickly peopled; while the neatness and commodiousness