e, and deploy with infinite brilliance across the
parade of the sky, and in glittering alignment pass over the verge of
the western woods and out of sight. So came the great Archer, letting
fly myriads of arrows of flakes of light in the stream near the camp. So
came in slow, gliding majesty the Swan, with all the splendor of the
Galaxy, like infinite unfoldings of white wings, in her wake. So came
the Scorpio, with coil on coil of sidereal scintillations, and here and
again the out-thrust dartings of a malign red star. And at last so came
the morn.

Demere, who had placed himself, wrapped in his military cloak, on the
ground near Stuart, that they might quietly speak together in the night
without alarming the little camp with the idea of precautions and danger
and plotting and planning, noted first a roseate lace-like scroll
unrolled upon the zenith amidst the vague, pervasive, gray suggestions
of dawn. He turned his head and looked at his friend with a smile of
banter as if to upbraid their fears;--for here was the day, and the
night was past!

A sudden wild clamor smote upon the morning quiet. The outposts were
rushing in with the cry that the woods on every side were full of
Cherokees, with their faces painted, and swinging their tomahawks; the
next moment the air resounded with the hideous din of the war-whoop.
Demere's voice rose above the tumult, calling to the men to fall in and
stand to their arms. A volley of musketry poured in upon the little camp
from every side.

Demere fell at the first fire with three other officers and twenty-seven
soldiers. Again and again, from the unseen enemy masked by the forest,
the women and children, the humble beasts of burden,--fleeing wildly
from side to side of the space,--the soldiers and the backwoodsmen, all
received this fusillade. The men had been hastily formed into a square
and from each front fired volleys as best they might, unable to judge of
the effect and conscious of the futility of their effort, surrounded as
they were on every side. Now and again a few, impelled by despair, made
a wild break for liberty, unrestrained by the officers who gave them
what chance they might secure, and with five or six exceptions these
were shot down by the Indians after reaching the woods. The devoted
remnant, fighting until the last round of ammunition was exhausted, were
taken prisoners by the triumphant savages. Stuart, his face covered with
blood and his sword dripping, was