Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/248

 8 THE CRATER; for there it was universally believed that Betto (meaning Betts) and his companions had concealed themselves and their much-coveted treasures. Rancocus Island was well enough, and Waally made all his plans for colonizing it at once, but the other, and distant mountain, no doubt was the most desirable territory to possess, or white men would not have brought their women so far in order to occupy it. As a matter of course, Unus and Peggy learned the nature of the intended proceedings. The last might have been content to wait for the slower movements of the ex pedition, had she not ascertained that threats of severely punishing the two deserters, one of whom was her own husband, had been heard to fall from the lips of the dread Waally himself. No sooner, therefore, did this faithful In dian girl become mistress of the intended plan, than she gave her brother no peace until he consented to put off into the ocean with her, in a canoe she had brought from home, and which was her own property. Had not Unus been disaffected to his new chief, this might not so easily have been done, but the young Indian was deadly hostile to Waally, and was a secret friend of Ooroony; a state of feeling which disposed him to desert the former, at the first good opportunity. The two adventurers put off from Rancocus Island just at dark, and paddled in the direction that they believed would carry them to the Peak. It will be remembered that the last could not be seen from the ocean, until about half the passage between the islands was made, though it was plainly apparent from the heights of Rancocus, as al ready mentioned. Next morning, when day returned, the smoke of the volcano was in sight, but no Peak. There is little question that the canoe had been set too much to the southward, and was diagonally receding from its de sired point of debarkation, instead of approaching it. To wards the smoke, Unus and his sister continued to paddle, arid, after thirty-six hours of nearly unremitted labour, they succeeded in landing at the volcano, ignorant of its na ture, awe-struck and trembling, but compelled to seek a refuge there, as the land-bird rests its tired wing on the ship s spars, when driven from the coast by the unexpected gale. When discovered, Peggy and her brother were