nd among the bed of leaves, uttered a whine louder than
before. The pouch dropped from Nathan's hand as his eye fell upon the
shining-kettles, on which he gazed as if petrified.

"What, in Heaven's name, is the matter!" demanded Roland, himself taking
the alarm: "are you frighted at your own kettles?"

"Mine!" cried Nathan, clasping his hands, and looking terror and remorse
together--"If thee will kill me, friend, thee will scarce do amiss; for,
miserable, blind sinner that I am, I have led thee poor luckless women
into the very lion's den! into the hiding-place and head-quarters of the
very cut-throats that is seeking to destroy thee! Up and away--does thee
not hear Peter howling at the door? Hist! Peter, hist!--Truly, this is a
pretty piece of business for thee, Nathan Slaughter!--Does thee not hear
them close at hand?"

"I hear the hooting of an owl and the answer of his fellow," replied
Roland; but his words were cut short by a second howl from Peter, and the
cry of his master, "Up, if thee be not besotted; drag thee women by the
hands and follow me."

With these words, Nathan was leaping towards the door, when a cry from
Roland arrested him. He looked round and perceived Edith had fainted in
the soldier's arms. "I will save the poor thing for thee--help thou the
other," he cried, and snatching her up as if she had been but a feather,
he was again in the act of springing to the door, when brought to a stand
by a far more exciting impediment. A shriek from Telie Doe, uttered in
sudden terror, was echoed by a laugh, strangely wild, harsh, guttural,
and expressive of equal triumph and derision, coming from the door;
looking to which the eyes of Nathan and the soldier fell upon a tall and
naked Indian, shorn and painted, who, rifle in hand, the grim smile yet
writhing on his features, and exclaiming with a mockery of friendly
accost, "_Bo-zhoo_,[8] brudders,--Injun good friend!" was stepping that
moment into the hovel; and as if that spectacle and those sounds were not
enough to chill the heart's blood of the spectators, there were seen over
his shoulders, the gleaming eyes, and heard behind his back, the malign
laughter of three or four equally wild and ferocious companions.

[Footnote 8: _Bo-zhoo_--a corruption of the French _bon jour_, a word of
salutation adopted by Western Indians from the _Voyageurs_ of Canada, and
used by them with great zeal by night as well as by day.]

"To the door, if thee is a man,--rus