The letter was attached to a small cross, and fixed in the ground.

The voyagers had all re-embarked in the pinnace, which was destined to bear even more than Caesar and his fortunes.

Willis had already loosened the warp, when, a thought crossed the mind of Fritz.
"I must revisit Falcon's Nest once more," said he.
"What!" cried Willis, "you are not going to get up such another scene as we witnessed an hour or two ago ?" "No, Willis, I mean to go by stealth like the Indian trapper, so as to be seen by no mortal eye.

I wish to take one more look at the old familiar trees, and endeavor to ascertain whether my mother has reached home in safety." "But the dogs ?" objected Willis.
"The dogs know me too well to give the slightest alarm at my approach.
I shall not be long gone; but really I must go, the desire is too powerful within me to be resisted." "I will go with you," said Jack.
Here Willis shook his head and reflected an instant.
"You are not angry with us, Willis, are you ?" "Not at all," he replied, "and I think the best thing I can do, under the circumstances, is to go too." "Very well, make fast that warp again, and come along." The party then disappeared amongst the brushwood.
"Some time ago," remarked Fritz, "we followed this track about the same hour; there was danger to be apprehended, but the enterprise was bloodless, though successful." "You mean the chimpanzee affair," said Willis.
"Yes; this time we have only an emotion to conquer, but I am afraid it is too strong for us." "These are the trees," said Jack, as they debouched upon the road, "that I stuck my proclamations upon.

We had very little to think of in those days." As the party drew near Falcon's Nest, the dogs approached and welcomed them with the usual canine demonstrations of joy.
"I have half a mind to carry off Toby," said Fritz; "but I fear Mary would miss him." Externally all appeared tranquil at Falcon's Nest; this satisfied the young men that their mother had succeeded in reaching home, at least, in safety; a light streaming through the window of Becker's dwelling, however, showed that the family had not yet retired for the night.
"If they only knew we were so near them!" remarked Jack.
The entire party then sat down upon a rustic bench, shrouded with flowering orchis and Spanish jasmine.
"How often, on returning from the fields or the chase, we have seen our mother at work on this very seat," observed Fritz.
"Aye," added Jack; "once I observed she had fallen asleep whilst knitting stockings.