said sternly. "You can reach the
fort easily by nine o'clock to-night. Now, be off."

He hesitated a moment.

"What is it?" I cried. "You are not afraid, boy?"

He rubbed his eyes and began to whimper.

"Not fo' myself, Mas' Tom," he said. "But yo' gwine t' ride right into d'
Injuns. Dee'll git yo' suah."

"Nonsense!" I retorted sharply. "I'll get through all right, and we can
easily hold out till reinforcements come. Now get on your horse.
Remember, the faster you go, the surer you'll be to save us all."

He swung himself into the saddle, and turned for a moment to look at
me, the tears streaming down his face. He seemed to think me as good as
dead already.

"Good-by, Sam," I said.

"Good-by, Mas' Tom," and he put spurs to his horse and set off
down the road.

I watched him until the trees hid him from sight, and then sprang upon my
horse and started forward. Eight or ten miles, Polete had said, northward
near the river. The road served me for some miles, and then I came to a
cross road, which seemed well traveled. Not doubting that this led to the
plantation of which I was in search, I turned into it, and proceeded
onward as rapidly as the darkness of the woods permitted. Evening was at
hand, and under the overlapping branches of the trees, the gloom grew
deep and deeper. At last, away to the right, I caught the gleam of water,
and with a sigh of relief knew I was near the river and so on the right
road. The house could not be much farther on. With renewed vigor I urged
my horse forward, and in a few minutes came to the edge of a clearing,
and there before me was the house.

But it was not this which drew my eyes. Far away on the other side,
concealed from the house by a grove of trees, a shadowy line of tiny
figures was emerging from the forest. Even as I looked, they vanished,
and I rubbed my eyes in bewilderment. Yet I knew they had not deceived
me. It was the war party preparing for the attack.

I set spurs to my horse and galloped the jaded beast toward the house as
fast as his weary legs would carry him. As I drew near, I saw it was a
large and well-built mansion. Lights gleamed through the open doors and
windows. Evidently none there dreamed of danger, and I thanked God that I
should be in time. In a moment I was at the door, and as I threw myself
from the saddle, I heard from the open window a ringing laugh which
thrilled me through and through, for I knew that the voice was Dorothy's.

C