g that perhaps I had told
the truth. And truth enough, he soon found, I had spoken; for galloping
immediately to Ashburn's house, he found nothing there but the corses of
the people, and the house partly consumed,--for, being of green timber,
it could not all burn. There was not one of the poor family that
escaped."

"But they were avenged?" muttered the soldier.

"If thee calls killing the killers avenging," replied Nathan, "the poor
deceased people had vengeance enough. Of the fourteen murderers, for that
was the number, eleven were killed before day-dawn, the pursuers having
discovered where they had built their fire, and so taken them by
surprise; and of the three that escaped, it was afterwards said by
returning captives, that only one made his way home, the other two having
perished in the woods, in some way unknown.--But, truly," continued
Nathan, suddenly diverting his attention from the tragic theme to the
motions of his dog, "little Peter is more disturbed than is his wont.
Truly, he has never had a liking to the spot: I have heard them that said
a dog could scent the presence of spirits."

"To my mind," said Roland, who had not forgotten Nathan's eulogium on the
excellence of the animal's nose for scenting Indians, and who was
somewhat alarmed at what appeared to him the evident uneasiness of little
Peter, "he is more like to wind another party of cursed Shawnees than
any harmless, disembodied spirits."

"Friend," said Nathan, "it may be that Injuns have trodden upon this
field this day, seeing that the wood is full of them; and it is like
enough that those very evil creatures at the ford hard by have stolen
hither, before taking their post, to glut their eyes with the sight of
the ruins, where the blood of nine poor white persons was shed by their
brothers in a single night; though, truly, in that case, they must have
also thought of the thirteen murderers that bled for the victims; which
would prove somewhat a drawback to their satisfaction. No, friend; Peter
has his likes and his dislikes, like a human being; and this is a spot he
ever approaches with abhorrence,--as, truly, I do myself, never coming
hither unless when driven, as now, by necessity. But, friend, if thee is
in fear, thee shall be satisfied there is no danger before thee; it shall
never be said that I undertook to lead thee poor women out of mischief
only to plunge them into peril. I will go before thee to the ruin, which
thee sees there