A Little Maid of Ticonderoga

								

forgot Nooski and Kashaqua, and stood looking at the sparkling waters
and listening to the same sound of "Chiming Waters" that had made the
early French settlers call the place "Carillon." She wondered if she
should ever see the inside of the fort of which she had heard so much,
and then heard Kashaqua calling her name.
"Canoe all ready, Faith." The Indian woman had drawn the birch-bark
canoe from its hiding-place in the underbrush, and the light craft now
rested on the waters of the lake. The baskets and bundles were in the
canoe, and Kashaqua, paddle in hand, stood waiting for her little
companion.
"Where's Nooski?" asked Faith, looking about for the young bear.
Kashaqua pointed toward the distant range of mountains which they had
left behind them. "He gone home," she said.
Kashaqua told her how to step into the canoe, and how to sit, and
cautioned her not to move. Faith felt as if the day had been a
wonderful dream. As Kashaqua with swift strokes of her paddle sent the
canoe over the water Faith sat silent, with eyes fixed on the looming
battlements of the fort, on the high mountain behind it, and thought
to herself that no other little girl had ever taken such a journey.
Kashaqua landed some distance below the fort; the canoe was again
safely hidden, and after a short walk across a field they reached a
broad, well-traveled road. "'Most to Philip Scott's house," grunted
Kashaqua. "You be glad?" and she looked down at the little girl with a
friendly smile.

CHAPTER VII
NEW FRIENDS

"An Indian woman and a little girl with yellow hair are coming across
the road, mother," declared Donald Scott, rushing into the
sitting-room, where his mother was busy with her sewing.
Mrs. Scott hastened to the front door. "Oh, Aunt Prissy," called
Faith, running as fast as her tired feet could carry her, and hardly
seeing the brown-haired little cousin standing by his mother's side.
Aunt Prissy welcomed her little niece, whom she had not expected to
see for weeks to come, and then turned to thank Kashaqua. But the
Indian woman had disappeared. The bundle containing Faith's clothing
lay on the door-step, but there was no trace of her companion. Long
afterward they discovered that Kashaqua had started directly back over
the trail, and had reached the Carews' cabin, with her message of
Faith's safe arrival at her aunt's house, early the next morning.
"Come in, dear child. You are indeed welcome. Your father's letter
reached me but yesterday," said Aunt Prissy, putting her arm about
Faith and leading her into the house. "I know you are tired, and you
shall lie down on the settle for a little, and then have your supper
and go straight to bed."
Faith was quite ready to agree. As she curled up on the broad sofa her
three little cousins came into the room. They came on tiptoe, very
quietly, Donald leading the two younger boys. Their mother had told
them that Cousin Faith was tired after her long journey, and that they