rested a skeleton, loosely shrouded in a scarlet hunting-coat, now faded to a dull brown, except for the vivid streaks of scarlet, showing, where the garment had lain in folds. The velvet breeches and hunting boots still clung to the limbs, and the chalky skull was hidden beneath the kerchief. A musket with rusted barrel and water-stained stock, a huntingknife protected by the sheath, the steel but slightly discoloured, rested upon the skeleton figure of their owner, the only mementoes of the youth who had gone forth on that wintry morning in the vigour of health. The fate that had overtaken Guy Kingsland was plain. "Poor lad, he lost his way and died miserably in the snowdrifts!" asserted Captain Gardiner, to which the old Sachem answered never a word. Those nearest the groom noticed that the shining scalp at his girdle was hidden within its folds. Chief, we have come to ask your assistance; we were on a hunting expedition, and the chase led us straight to the spot where these poor bones have rested for months. We have borne the burden long and far, and are wearied with the day's hunt, therefore we came asking that you would send some of your warriors with us to the boat. I fear we have interrupted a merry-making-pray, what is the occasion?" continued the Captain, looking with some curiosity at the large assemblage. "The King of the Montauks has given his daughter to a great brave-the Montauks are making a feast in honour of the marriage," returned Wyandance curtly. "Two of my warriors shall go with my white brothers." Summoning two powerful savages, he gave a few directions in the Indian tongue, and turned again to the white men. "Will my pale-faced brothers eat at the feast?" he asked, but both courteously declined, urging the necessity of returning to the Isle of Wight with all speed. Not a question concerning the gruesome object lying upon the rude bier did the old Sachem ask, much to the surprise of Lawrence, but Captain Gardiner, well versed in Indian taciturnity, laid the omission to the custom prevailing, which forbade any expression of a natural curiosity. The two warriors lifted the burden as stoically as if it had been a light canoe, and moved away, followed by the white men. The advent of the unbidden guests made scarcely a ripple in the proceedings. Fast and furious the revels waxed, while among her maidens the haughty, undemonstrative bride sat, as became the daughter of the kingly savage who ruled the tribes of Seawan-ha-ka and Manhansett-aha-quash-a-warnuck. Like a globe of silver the moon was descending the western sky when the lordly Sachem led his daughter to the lodge of the bold warrior who had won her. Я CHAPTER LIII FROZEN "Body hides-where? STRANGE Providence had ordered that the skeleton of the man who had paid the penalty of his treachery to the daughter of the Montauks should be brought to the wedding feast. Tohemon had been dispatched to see that the boat was in readiness, and upon the beach he awaited the coming of his master. Without a question he assisted the bearers to deposit their burden in the birch canoe which Wyandance had instructed his warriors to place at the disposal of his white brothers. Captain Gardiner and Lawrence entered their own boat, Tohemon took the oars, while one of the Montauk warriors silently took his seat in the canoe, the frail vessel keeping abreast the boat. The second brave had been dismissed, with a handsome present for his services. The moonlight was falling brightly upon the waters, but the shadows of the tamaracks, pines and maples, with their weight of creeping vines, lay darkly across the mouth of the stream flowing between high, mossy banks where the party landed upon a secluded portion of the island, at a goodly distance from the hall, and convenient to a boathouse roughly laid up with stone, within which they laid the body, and closing the door securely made their way to the mansion. Both Mrs. Gardiner and Damaris gave a sigh of relief when the well-known footsteps sounded upon the portico, and Damaris hastened to admit the tardy ones. A significant glance the Captain gave his wife warned her that he had made a discovery, but the maiden, engaged in the exchange of sweet nothings lovers will indulge after the shortest separation, noticed naught save that her lover was slightly pallid, a circumstance that he attributed to fatigue and disappointment that they had secured but a trivial amount of game which they had left at the Indian encampment. It was not until after the Captain and his lady had retired to their own apartment that he made explanation. "What has happened, husband?" she inquired, anxiously, the moment the door closed. You are pale as a ghost, and your hand trembles—you have discovered something unpleasant, I am sure." "We have found all that is left of poor Guyhis skeleton is lying in the boat-house below the pine woods." "At the boat-house-and we have never guessed! How could such a thing happen?" cried Mrs. Gardiner, opening her eyes in horror and amaze ment. Softly, Mollie! He was not found there we brought him over from Montauk. It was Viking who guided us to the spot, upon the very edge of the fen, Mah-chon-it-chuge, you know. He was lying right under the shadow of a ridge, running like a furrow, upon the twisted roots of a thicket of pines and cedars, just where a hunter's eye would never have discovered it except he had been out upon the sluggish, green-coated water among the tangled dog-lily-pads that cover the lake like a blanket; one might have passed at the distance of five feet and been none the wiser. The ground must have been frozen hard when he ventured there. I stumbled across his flask, knife and firelock some dozen yards from the place where he lay." Dreadful!" shuddered the lady. "You will bury the poor boy here, beside the Major? "Of course! of course!" assented the Captain. "Alack! poor lad, poor lad! what a horrible end. He must have been bewildered in that dreadful wood, and probably the night came on and he must have wandered until he was frozen," sighed the lady. "That is a question, at least to my mind, wife," in a whisper, which surprised her. "In the morn I must e'en inform the authorities, and there will be a commission from Easthampton to examine the remains a formality of English law that must be complied with. I tell thee, dame, there is some mystery that I hope the sheriff and his fellows will make plain to their own satisfaction, and-mine." "Why, man alive! what can you mean?" 66 Alack, dame! I didn't intend to speak out, even to you, and harkee, wife, not a lisp to mortal being; but I've my suspicions that, like poor Gordon, the lad has fallen a victim to savage hate." "Husband, your wits must be wool-gathering! There are no hostiles upon the island, and surely none of Wyandance's tribe would murder an Englishman, I'm quite sure of that," objected Mrs. Gardiner, positively. "Aye, woman, I would be the last to disturb your faith, but you have been quite in the dark-perhaps |