arms of her son
Isaac, and wept upon his neck--occasionally articulating, in a choked
voice:

"God bless you, Isaac! God bless you, son!--you're a good boy--the
Lord's presarved you through the whole on't--the Lord be praised!--but
your father, poor lad--your father!" and with a strong burst of emotion,
she buried her face upon his breast, and wept aloud.

"I know it," sobbed forth Isaac, his whole frame shaken with the force
of his feelings: "I--I know the whole on't, mother--Ella's told me. I'd
rather he'd bin killed a thousand times; but thar's no help for it now!"

"No help for it!" cried Ella in alarm, who, having greeted the old
hunter, with tearful eyes, now stood weeping by his side. "No help for
it! Heaven have mercy!--say not so! They must--they must be rescued!"
Then turning wildly to Boone, she grasped his hand in both of hers, and
exclaimed: "Oh! sir, speak! tell me they can be saved--and on my knees
will I bless you!"

A few words now rapidly uttered by Isaac, put the old hunter in
possession of the facts, concerning the forced march of Younker and
Reynolds, of which he had previously heard nothing; and musing on the
information a few moments, he shook his head sadly, and said, with a
sigh:

"I'm sorry for you, Ella--I'm sorry for all o' ye--I'm sorry on my own
account--but I'm o' the opinion o' Isaac, that thar's no help for it
now. They're too far beyond us--we're in the Indian country--our numbers
are few--two or three o' the red varmints have escaped to give 'em
information o' what's been done--they'll be thirsty for revenge--and
nothing but a special Providence can now alter that prisoners' doom. I
had hoped it war to be otherwise; but we must submit to God's decrees;"
and raising his hand to his eyes, the old woodsman hastily brushed away
a tear, and turned aside to conceal his emotion; while Ella, overcome by
her feelings, at the thought of having parted, perhaps for the last
time, from Algernon and her uncle, staggered forward and sunk powerless
into the arms of Mrs. Younker, whose tears now mingled with her own.

By this time the whole party had gathered silently around their noble
leader, and were observing the sad scene as much as the feeble light of
the scattered brands would permit, their faces exhibiting a mournfulness
of expression in striking contrast to that they had so lately displayed,
previous to the death of their comrade. To them Boone now turned, and
running his eye slowly ove