on. With this view, he strained, with all his
remaining strength, upon the arm he grasped, in order to force Holden
to let go his hold upon the tree. It was now a question of endurance
between them, and it is probable that both would have perished, had
not an unexpected actor appeared upon the scene.

The boy Quadaquina had been watching Ohquamehud. Like a trained
blood-hound, he had kept faithfully on the track and scarcely let the
Indian out of sight until he, came near the village. Here he was met
by a playmate, with whom, like a child as he was, he stopped to amuse
himself for a moment. This was the cause of his not arriving sooner,
the delay corresponding nearly with the time Holden was detained by
his visit. The boy now came running up, all out of breath, and gazed
around, but saw no one nor heard a sound, save the roar of the Fall.
His eyes fell upon the gun of the Indian, and the cap of the Solitary,
lying on the trampled turf, and his mind foreboded disaster. He
hastened to the margin of the beetling crag, and peering over it, saw
Ohquamehud hanging by Holden's arm, and struggling to pull him down.
Quadaquina stepped back, and from the loose stones lying round, picked
up one as large as he could lift, and going to the edge, dropped it
full upon the head of Ohquamehud. The Indian instantly let go his
hold, falling a distance of eighty feet, and grazing against the side
of the huge rock on his way, until with a splash he was swallowed up
in the foaming water that whirled him out of sight.

Quadaquina watched the body as it went gliding down the rocks, and
dashing into the torrent, until it could be seen no more, and then,
as if terrified at his own act, and without waiting to see what had
become of the man to whom he had rendered so timely a service, started
on a run for his home.

As for Holden, upon the weight being withdrawn from his arm, he slowly
gathered himself up and sat upright on the rock; nor did he know
to what he owed his deliverance. He possibly ascribed it to the
exhaustion of his foe. He felt jar'd and bruised, but no bones were
broken: his heart swelled with thankfulness, and raising his eyes to
heaven, he poured forth a thanksgiving.

"The enemy came against me," he ejaculated, "like a lion that is
greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret
places. But thou didst arise, O Lord, thou didst disappoint him and
cast him down; thou didst deliver my soul from the wicked. For