"But they couldn't have carried the spring away," Mark replied, with a laugh, able to make merry even amid the terrible surroundings, so great was his relief at learning that nothing more serious had caused the cry which startled him.
"The sheep have gathered there, until the entire place is a mass of filthy mud."
"Well, well, don't let that distress you so sorely. We'll soon be able to clear it out, for I reckon these beggarly Abenakis won't keep me busy more than twelve hours."
"But if the Frenchmen should come in the meantime?"
"We'll take our chances of that, and get along without water a little while."
CHAPTER V.
FIRE
Mark was disposed to make light of that which distressed Susan, and thus did he make his first mistake in the defence.
To his mind there was nothing very serious in the loss of the water which had been carried into the dwelling, because the spring was within the stockade, and however much mischief the sheep had done, it would be the work of but few moments to put everything in proper order once more.
The chief thought in his mind was regarding the possible trouble which the Abenakis might make while hidden in the thicket back of the palisade, and, after this, the fear that the ablest of his assistants might become disabled because of her wound, which had not received the attention such an injury required.
Therefore it was he said to Susan speaking almost sharply to the end that she might feel forced to obey without argument: