andsome face with its closed eyes.

"She sleep?" asked the Indian.

"Yes," replied Ben, softly, with a nod of his head.

He looked at her a moment and then across to the other blanket, where
the round, chubby cheeks of the little girls reflected the firelight. He
waited a moment, and then the gentler side of his nature triumphed. He
bent over the forms, kissed each in turn, straightened up, and pointing
to the eastward, said to Ben--"Go dat way--you safe--goodbye."

"Goodbye," replied the lad, knowing it was useless to protest.

Like the gliding of the shadow of a cloud, the Delaware passed beyond
the circle of light thrown out by the fire into the deep gloom of the
wood. The moccasins pressed the dry leaves without giving back any
sound, and he vanished.

"That makes a change of situation," was the conclusion of Ben Ripley;
"he's gone, and I become the general of this army; there's no telling
what danger may be abroad tonight, so I will keep my eyes open till
sunrise, to make sure that no harm comes to these folks."

And ten minutes after this decision the lad was as sound asleep as his
mother and the two little ones.

But there was One who did not slumber while all were unconscious. He
ever watches over His children, and,--though there were many perils
abroad that night, none of them came near our friends.

The camp fire which had been burning so brightly grew dimmer and lower
until the figures could hardly be seen. They gradually became more
indistinct, and finally the gloom was as deep as anywhere in the dense
woods. Only a few smouldering embers were left, and they gave out no
glow.

Ben was still sleeping, when something tickled his nose. He rubbed
it vigorously with his forefinger and opened his eyes, confused and
bewildered.

An odd, chuckling laugh at his elbow drew his gaze hither. There stood
Linna, with the sprig of oak which she had been passing back and forth
under the base of his nose, making it feel for all the world like a fly
titillating his nostrils.

Ben made an attempt to catch the mischievous girl, but she deftly
eluded him, and laughed so heartily that the others awoke and looked
wonderingly to learn what it all meant.

"I'll pay you for that!" exclaimed the lad, as his mother raised her
head from his lap. Bounding to his feet, he darted after Linna, but she
was so nimble, and dodged back and forth and from right to left so fast,
that it took much effort to run her down.

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