hen," interrupted Roland taking fire at the idea, "he would spring
on his horse, and make sure of the rest with sword and pistol?"

"Truly," said Nathan, "he would do no such thing, seeing that, the moment
he lifted up his head above the log, he would be liker to have an Injun
bullet through it than to see the wicked creature that shot it. Verily,
a man of Kentucky would be wiser. He would take the pistols thee speaks
of, supposing it were his good luck to have them, and let fly at the
evil-minded creatures with them also; not hoping, indeed, to do any
execution with such small ware, but to make the Injuns believe there were
as many enemies as fire-arms: and, truly, if they did not take to their
heels after such a second volley, they would be foolisher Injuns than
were ever before heard of in Kentucky."

"By Heaven," said Forrester, "it is good advice: and I will take it!"

"Advice, friend! I don't advise thee," said Nathan, hastily: "truly, I
advise to nothing but peace and amity. I only tell thee what a wicked
Kentucky fighting-man would do,--a man that might think it, as many of
them do, as lawful to shoot a prowling Injun as a skulking bear."

"And I would to Heaven," said Roland, "I had but two,--nay, but one of
them with me this instant. A man like Bruce were worth the lives of a
dozen such scum.--I must do my best."

"Truly, friend," said Nathan, who had listened to the warlike outpourings
of the young soldier with a degree of complacency and admiration one
would have scarce looked for in a man of his peaceful character, "thee
has a conscience of thee own, and if thee will fight these Injun-men from
an ambush, truly, I will not censure nor exhort thee to the contrary.
If thee can rely upon thee two men, the coloured person and the other,
thee may hold the evil creatures exceeding uneasy."

"Alas," said Roland, the fire departing from his eyes, "you remind me of
my weakness. My men will _not_ fight, unless from sheer desperation.
Emperor I know to be a coward, and Dodge, I fear, is no braver."

"Verily," said Nathan, bluffly, "it was foolish of thee to come into
the woods in such company, foolisher still to think of fighting five
Injun-men with such followers to back thee; and truly," he added, "it was
foolishest of all to put the safe-keeping of such helpless creatures into
the hands of one who can neither fight for them nor for himself.
Nevertheless, thee is as a babe and suckling in the woods, and Peter an