until, by and by, having brought little Peter to
reason in the matter of the horse, and washed his nose in a brook which
it was my fortune to discover, he did bethink him what he was after, and
so straightway hunt for the track, which being recovered we went on our
way until we lighted right on thee captivators' camp-fire, and truly we
lighted upon it much sooner than we expected. Well, friend," continued
the narrator, "having crept up as near as I durst, I could see how thee
was fixed, tied to the poles so thee could not help theeself; and the
three savages lying beside thee, with their guns in the hollows of their
arms, ready to be seized in a moment. Truly, friend, the sight threw me
into another perplexity; and I lay watching thee and thee cruel
oppressors for more than an hour, marvelling in what way I could give
thee help."

"An hour!" cried Roland; "a friend lying by me during that hour, the most
wretched and distracted of my whole existence? Had you but cut the rope,
and given me the knife to strike a blow for myself!"

"Truly," said the man of peace, "I did so desire to do, seeing that then
thee might have killed the Injuns theeself; which would have been more
seemly, as being a thing thee conscience would not disapprove of; whereas
mine, as thee may suppose, was quite averse to any such bloody doings on
my own part. But, truly, I durst not adventure upon the thing thee speaks
of; for, first, I saw by the stick on thee breast, thee was tied so tight
and fast, it would be an hour's work to cut thee loose--thee captivators
lying by all the while; and, secondly, I knew, by the same reason, thee
limbs would be so numb thee could neither stand upon thee legs, nor hold
a weapon in thee hand, for just as long a time; and, besides, I feared,
in case thee should discover there was help nigh at hand, thee might cry
out in thee surprise, and so alarm these sleeping captivators. And so,
friend, I was in what thee may call a pucker, not knowing what to do; and
so I lay hard by thee, with Peter at the back of me, watching and
revolving the matter for that whole hour, as I told thee; when suddenly
down fell a stick into the fire, and the same blazing up brightly, I saw
two of the savages lying beside thee, their heads so close together thee
might have supposed they both grew from the same pair of shoulders, and
so nigh to me withal, that, verily, I might have poked them with the
muzzle of my gun. Truly, friend," continued Na