with much of his old audacity returned. "Help me to make the start,
friend, for every joint in my body seems rusty."

His face was white and drawn from agony, and he pressed one hand upon his
side, while perspiration stood in beads upon his forehead. But no moan
came from his set lips; and when he rested a moment on his knees, looking
about him upon the dead, a look of grim approval swept into his eyes.

"Saint Guise, Wayland," he said soberly, "'t was a master fight, and the
savages had it not all their own way!"

It made me sick to hear such boasting amidst the horror that yet
overwhelmed me, and I drew the fellow up to his feet with but little
tenderness.

"God knows 't is sad enough!" I answered, shortly. "Come, there are
parties of Indians already straying this way from the Fort yonder, and it
behooves us to get in hiding."

He made the distance between us and the water with far less difficulty
than I had expected, and with a better use of his limbs at each step. In
spite of vigorous protest on his part, I forced him out from the shore
until the water entirely covered us, save only our faces; and there we
waited for the merciful coming of the night.

CHAPTER XXVII

A GHOSTLY VISION

The touch of the water brought renewed life to De Croix. This was
shown by the brighter color stealing into his cheeks, as well as by the
more careless tone that crept into his voice. The lake proved shallow
for some considerable distance off shore, and I compelled the Frenchman
to wade with me southward, and as far out as we dared venture, until we
must have reached the extreme limit of the field of massacre. Indeed,
I fully believed we had passed beyond the point where the attack had
first burst upon Captain Wells's Miamis; for I could perceive no sign
of any bodies lying opposite us against the white background of sand.
As the night drew on, squads of savages wandered over the scene of
slaughter, despoiling the stiffening corpses, and taking from the
wagons whatever might suit their fancy. Yet we were now so far removed
that we could distinguish little of their deeds, although the sound of
their voices echoed plainly enough across the water to our ears.

As time passed, the numbness that had paralyzed my brain, either from
the cruel blow that felled me or the terrible shock my nerves had
experienced, gradually passed away, and our situation became more vivid
to my mind. I thought again of all who had gone fo