his saddle in
front of him. Another treated Mike in the same manner, in spite of his
struggles to free himself. I made no resistance, knowing it was useless
to do so.

The two Indians who had captured us wheeled their horses round and
galloped away, and we met crowds of other warriors galloping at full
speed in the track of the first. I got one glance round, which enabled
me to see that the enemy were close up to the waggons, while the puffs
of smoke and the report of rifles showed that my friends were determined
to defend themselves. Several of the Indian saddles were emptied in a
minute, but still a whole host of the savages appeared charging down on
the train. Whether or not Reuben had succeeded in getting under shelter
of the waggons, I could not tell. I saw no more, for my captor galloped
off with me round the hill, and they were concealed from view, though I
could still hear the sound of the shots and the shrieks and shouts of
the combatants. I had no hope of escaping with life, and believed that
I was reserved to suffer the fearful tortures to which the Redskins so
frequently subject their prisoners.

After going some distance the Indian stopped, and lifting me up from the
painful position in which I lay, placed me behind him; fastening me by a
leather strap round his body, and so securing my arms that I could not
move. He had previously deprived me of my rifle, which I had hitherto
held firmly in my grasp, hoping against hope that I might have an
opportunity of using it. I saw Mike not far off, he having been treated
much in the same manner, though not without the assistance of another
Indian, who had accompanied the one on whose horse he was placed.

Having secured us, the Indians again galloped forward. After going some
distance, I saw that we were approaching a more wooded region than the
one we had left, with a stream or river running through it; and I
thought that I could distinguish cliffs, below which the river, in part
of its course, made its way.

I could manage to turn my head, and as I did so I fancied that I
discerned another horseman coming up behind us, with a prisoner, whom I
naturally feared was Reuben. Further off were numerous Indians, but
whether they formed the whole of the body which had attacked the train
or not I could not make out. If they were, I had great hopes that the
Redskins had been defeated, although they would probably wreak their
vengeance on us, their unfortuna