ealed
until well assured the victors had abandoned the pursuit, and returned to
the field of battle.

"Then, friend," said the man of peace, who may now be permitted to tell
his own story, "I took council of Peter as to what we should do; and
truly it was our opinion we should creep after the murdering Shawnee
creatures--though verily there was more than Shawnees engaged in this
wicked business--and see what had become of thee and thee poor women;
seeing that we were in a manner, as I may say, the cause of thee
troubles, in carrying thee to the very place where we should not, wicked
sinners that we are: that is, wicked sinner that _I_ am, for truly little
Peter had nothing to do with that matter, having done his best to keep us
from the ruin. Well, friend, as soon as we thought it safe, we crept to
the spot on the hill-side; and safe enough it was, the savages having
departed, leaving nothing behind them, save two young Kentuckians and the
coloured person, whom they had prevailed over and hewn to pieces with
their Hatchets; besides four corpses of their own, which they had stuck
in a cave, where Peter snuffed them out: truly, friend, thee don't know
what a nose little Peter has! Well, friend, I saw then that thee enemies
had divided, the main body departing one way over the hill, while a
smaller party had crossed the river with a horse and prisoner. Truly it
was Peter's opinion that this prisoner was theeself--thee own very self
(a thing I could not be so certain of on my part, seeing that I had never
tracked thee, save by thee horse-prints only), and that if we followed
thee, we might in some way aid thee to escape, thee captivators being so
few in number. And so, friend, we waded the river, and followed thee
trail until night came, when little Peter undertook to nose thee on in
the dark, which he did very successfully, until we reached the place
where the savages had killed their horse, and broken their cask of
liquor, when truly the scent of the same did so prevail over Peter's
nose, that I was in fear he never would smell right again in all his
life, which was a great grief to me; for truly Peter's nose is, as I may
say, the staff of my life, my defence, and my succour: truly thee don't
know the value of little Peter's nose. And, moreover, the savour of
the dead horse did somewhat captivate his attention; for truly little
Peter is but a dog, and he loves horse-flesh. Well, friend, this was a
thing that perplexed me;