Gabriel chuckled with delight.  “Right,” said he, “right enough, but it is not all.  I know of a boat on the other side of the mountain, and the Ogden river will carry us not far from the Buona Ventura.”

I started.  “A mistake,” I exclaimed, “dear friend, a sad mistake; we are more than thirty miles from the river.”

“From the main river, yes,” answered he, shaking my hand, “but many an otter have I killed in a pretty lake two miles from here, at the southern side of this hill.  There I have a boat well concealed, as I hope; and it is a place where we may defy all the Arrapahoes, and the Crows to back them.  From that lake to the river it is but thirty miles’ paddling in a smooth canal, made either by nature or by a former race of men.”

I need not say how cheerfully we walked these two miles, in spite of the weight of our saddles, rifles, and accoutrements.  Our ascent was soon over, and striking into a small tortuous deer-path, we perceived below us the transparent sheet of water, in which a few stars already reflected their pale and tremulous light.  When we reached the shore of the lake, we found ourselves surrounded by vast and noble ruins, like those on the Buona Ventura, but certainly much more romantic.  Gabriel welcomed us to his trapping-ground, as a lord in his domain, and soon brought out a neat little canoe from under a kind of ancient vault.

“This canoe,” said he, “once belonged to one of the poor fellows that was murdered with the Prince Seravalle.  We brought it here six years ago with great secrecy; it cost him twenty dollars, a rifle, and six blankets.  Now, in the middle of this lake there is an island, where he and I lived together, and where we can remain for months without any fear of Indians or starvation.”

We all three entered the canoe, leaving our saddles behind us, to recover them on the following day.  One hour’s paddling brought us to the island, and it was truly a magnificent spot.  It was covered with ruins; graceful obelisks were shaded by the thick foliage of immense trees, and the soft light of the moon, beaming on the angles of the ruined monuments, gave to the whole scenery the hue of an Italian landscape.

“Here we are safe,” said Gabriel, “and to-morrow you will discover that my old resting-place is not deficient in comfort.”

As we were very tired, we lay down and soon slept, forgetting in this little paradise the dangers and the fatigues of the day.  Our host’s repose, however, was shorter than mine, for long before morn he had gone to fetch our saddles.  Roche and I would probably have slept till his return, had we not been awakened by the report of a rifle, which came down to us, repeated by a thousand echoes.  An hour of intense anxiety was passed, till at last we saw Gabriel paddling towards us.  The sound of the rifle had, however, betrayed our place of concealment, and as Gabriel neared the island, the shore opposite to us began to swarm with our disappointed enemies,