ould be so, seeing
that these hands of mine have never been stained with the blood of
woman."

"And you have found my mistress?" said Ralph, in a rapture. "Jist call
the Captain, and let's be a doing!"

"He is a brave youth, and a youth of a mighty heart," said Nathan; "but
this is no work for them that has never seen the ways of an Injun
village. Now, friend, does thee hear me? The town is alive with
fighting-men, and there is a war-party of fourteen painted Wyandotts
sleeping on the Council-square. But don't thee be dismayed thereupon;
for, truly, these assassin creatures is all besotted with drink; and were
there with us but ten stout young men of Kentucky, I do truly believe we
could knock every murdering dog of an on the head, and nobody the wiser.
Does thee hear, friend? Do but thee own part in this endeavour well, and
we will save the young and tender maid thee calls madam. Take theeself to
the pound, which thee may do safely, by following the hill: pick out four
good horses, fleet and strong, and carry them safely away, going up the
valley,--mind, friend, thee must go _up_, as if thee was speeding thee
way to the Big Lake, instead of to Kentucky: then, when thee has ridden a
mile, thee may cross the brook, and follow the hills, till thee has
reached the hiding-place that we did spy from out upon this village. Thee
hears, friend? There thee will find the fair maid, Edith; which I will
straightway fetch out of her bondage. And, truly, it may be, I have
learned _that_, this night, which will make both her and the young man
thee calls Captain, which is a brave young man, both rich and happy. And
now, friend, thee has heard me; and thee must do thee duty."

"If I don't fetch her the beautifullest hoss that war ever seed in the
woods," said Ralph, "thar's no reason, except because the Injuns ar'n't
had good luck this year in grabbing! And I'll fetch him round up the
holler, jist as you say too, and round about till I strike the snuggery,
jist the same way; for thar's the way you show judgematical, and I'm
cl'ar of your way of thinking. And so now, h'yar's my fo'-paw, in token
thar's no two ways about me, Ralph Stackpole, a hoss to my friends, and a
niggur to them that sarves me!"

With these words, the two associates, equally zealous in the cause in
which they had embarked, parted, each to achieve his own particular share
of the adventure, in which they had left so little to be done by the
young Virginian.

But,