s its
disagreeables--the utter want of society being the worst of the latter."

"I should have thought," said the girl, looking up, "that you--but--
but--why do you gaze and frown so fiercely at that--"

She was promptly answered, for Lumley sprang up at the moment with
panther-like agility, wheeled round, seized the uplifted arm, and, with
a wrench so violent as to break it, he hurled the savage to the ground.

Jessie Macnab sprang up in consternation, but did not give way to that
supposed female-in-alarm necessity--a scream. At the same moment Macnab
and I entered.

"Hallo! Lumley. What's all this?" cried Macnab. "Nobody hurt, I
hope?"

"I fear the Indian is hurt somewhat," said our chief, looking down at
his enemy, who lay stunned upon the floor. "Go, Max, assemble our men
and fetch all the Indians."

In a few minutes all were assembled in the hall, when Lumley, in a low,
stern voice, related what had occurred, appealing to Jessie to
corroborate what he said.

"Now," he added in conclusion, turning to the Indians, "I have no
quarrel with you. There lies your comrade. He has forfeited his life
to me, but I forgive him. Take him away."

Lumley said no more, as, in solemn surprise and silence, the Indians
lifted up their comrade and bore him out of the hall; but he took good
care to make no reference whatever to the looking-glass, and I verily
believe that to this day it is believed by the red-men of that region
that Lumley has eyes in the back of his head.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE MYSTERIOUS PACKET--FRIENDS DEPART, AND LUMLEY IS CAUGHT SINGING.

The uncertainty of all sublunary things is a truism so trite that I do
not mean to insult the reader's understanding by attempting to prove it.
I merely refer to it in order to say that the great Nor'-west is not
exempt from that general rule of uncertainty.

At first peace and prosperity attended us, at least in all the main
lines of life, with only trivial variations, and we felt disposed to
believe that the sunshine would continue to gladden us throughout the
whole winter. But such was not to be the case. Soon after the events
narrated in the last chapter, clouds began to gather, the peaceful flow
of our life was interrupted, and at last a storm burst which filled the
inhabitants of our little fort with consternation.

After the attempted murder by Attick on New Year's Day, the Indians left
the fort, taking their wounded friend along with them.