ge whoops previously sounded, passed in fewer
moments than we have taken pages to record them. The rush of Nathan
against the leader, the discomfiture of one, and the death of his two
comrades, were indeed the work of but an instant, as it seemed to Roland;
and he was scarce aware of the assault, before he perceived that it was
over. The successful, and, doubtless, the wholly unexpected resistance of
the little party, resulting in a manner so fatal to the advanced guard of
assailants, had struck terror and confusion into the main body, whose
presence had been only made known by their yells, not a single shot
having yet been fired by them.

It was in this moment of confusion that Nathan sprang to the side of
Roland, who was hastily recharging his piece, and catching him by the
hand, said, with a voice that betrayed the deepest agitation, though his
countenance was veiled in night,--"Friend, I have betrayed thee poor
women into danger, so that the axe and scalping-knife is now near their
innocent poor heads."

"It needs not to speak of it," said Roland; adding hastily. "The
miscreant that entered the cabin--did you kill him?"

"_Kill_, friend! _I_ kill!" echoed Nathan, with accents more disturbed
than ever; "would thee have me a murderer? Truly, I did creep over him,
and leave the cabin."

"And left him in it alive!" cried Roland, who was about to rush into the
hovel, when Nathan detained him, saying, "Don't thee be alarmed, friend.
Truly, thee may think it was ill of me to fall upon him so violently;
but, truly, be must have split his head upon a log, or wounded himself
with a splinter;--or perhaps the coloured person stuck him with a knife;
but, truly, as it happened his blood spouted on my hand, by reason of the
hurt he got; so that I left him clean dead."

"Good!" said Roland; "but, by Heaven, I hoped and believed you had
yourself finished him like a man. But time presses: we must retreat again
to the woods,--they are yet open behind us."

"Thee is mistaken," said Nathan; and, as if to confirm his words, there
arose at that moment a loud whooping, with the crack of a dozen or more
rifles, let fly with impotent rage by the enemy, showing plainly enough
that the ruin was already actually environed.

"The ravine,--the river!" cried Forrester; "we can swim it with the
horses, if it be not fordable."

"It is a torrent that would sweep thee, with thee strongest war-horse, to
perdition," muttered Nathan: "does thee