repeated. Fritz started forward at a
run.

"That is no Indian voice," he exclaimed; "it is one of our men
calling for aid. He has heard our voices."

Followed by the rest of the party, Fritz ran forward, and soon came
out into a more open glade, commanded by the ridge where he had
observed the signs of Indian occupation. As he did so he uttered a
startled exclamation, which was repeated in all kinds of keys by
those who came after. For in this glade lay the bodies of full
fifty of their soldiers, for the most part stripped and scalped;
and the place was so trodden and bloodstained as to show plainly
that it had been the scene of a bloody conflict.

Crawling forth from a little sheltered gorge was a wan, dishevelled
figure, bloodstained and ghastly. And Fritz, springing forward,
caught the lad in his strong arms, whilst he fell to feeble sobbing
in the plenitude of his thankfulness and relief.

When he was fed and heartened up he had a terrible tale to tell.

It had been as Fritz thought. A party of Indians had been crouching
in the forest, and had fallen upon the company unawares. Colonel
Parker had not been wise. He had divided his men into two
companies. One had gone by boats, and one had skirted through the
forest. What had happened to the boats the lad could not tell. He
had been one of the very few survivors of the land party, and he
owed his escape to his having fallen wounded and breathless into
the little cleft in the rocks hidden by the thick undergrowth, so
that the Indians did not find him when they made their search after
scalps and accoutrements.

Crouching amongst the bushes, half fainting from terror, the lad
had seen it all.

"They scalped them one by one, yelling and shouting and dancing.
They cared not whether they were dead or not. Oh, it was horrible,
horrible! They lighted a fire to burn some of the prisoners, and
danced around it yelling and jeering as their victims died. Oh, I
can never forget the sight! Every moment I thought they would find
me. I thought of all the things I had heard that savages did to
their prisoners. If I had had my sword, I would have run it through
my heart. But I had nothing, and presently I suppose I fainted, for
I can remember no more; and when I woke they had all gone, and only
the bodies lay about beside me. They had taken off their own dead;
but I durst not come out, lest they should come back and find me,
and I did not know where I was.

"There was water