rpowering
agitation of mind. As he fell, little Peter sprang to his side, and
throwing his paws on his unconscious master's breast, stood over him as
if to protect him, growling at Roland; who, though greatly shocked at the
catastrophe, did not hesitate to offer such relief as was in his power.
Disregarding the menace of the dog, which seemed at last to understand
the purpose was friendly, he raised Nathan's head upon his knee, loosened
the neckcloth that bound his throat, and sprinkled his face with water
from the spring. While thus engaged, the cap of the sufferer fell from
his head, and Roland saw that Nathan carried with him a better cause for
the affliction than could be referred to any mere temporary emotion,
however overwhelming to the mind. A horrible scar disfigured the top of
his head, which seemed to have been, many years before, crushed by the
blows of a heavy weapon; and it was equally manifest that the savage
scalping-knife had done _its_ work on the mangled head.

The soldier had heard that injuries to the head often resulted in
insanity of some species or other; he could now speculate, on better
grounds, and with better reason, upon some of those singular points of
character which seemed to distinguish the houseless Nathan from the rest
of his fellow-men.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The convulsion was but momentary, and departed with almost the same
suddenness that marked its accession. Nathan started half up, looked
wildly around him, surveying the bodies of the two Piankeshaws, and the
visage of the sympathising soldier. Then snatching up and replacing his
hat with one hand, and grasping Roland's with the other, he exclaimed, as
if wholly unconscious of what had happened him,--

"Thee has heard it, and thee knows it,--thee knows what the Shawnees have
done to me--they have killed them all, all that was of my blood! Had they
done so by thee, friend," he demanded with eagerness, "had they done so
by _thee_, what would thee have done to them?"

"Declared eternal war upon them and their accursed race!" cried Roland,
greatly excited by the story; "I would have sworn undying vengeance, and
I would have sought it,--ay, sought it without ceasing. Day and night,
summer and winter, on the frontier and in their own lands and villages, I
would have pursued the wretches, and pursued them to the death."

"Thee is right," cried Nathan, wringing the hand he still held, and
speaking with a grin of hideous approval;--