willingness to trust ourselves to his guidance, and
shouldering our blankets and guns, we left our camp, and followed our
guide due north at a rapid gait. For several miles we strode through the
thick woods, every moment scratching our faces and tearing our clothing,
with the thick tangled brush through which we had to pass, but
considering this of minor importance we hurried on in silence, save when
we intruded too near the nest of the nocturnal king of the forest, when
a wild hoot made us start and involuntarily grasp our rifles. "Sit on
this log and eat," said our red guide. Finding our appetites sharpened
by vigorous exercise, we sat on the log and commenced our repast, when
our guide suddenly sprang from his seat, and with a hideous yell bolted
into the forest and was soon lost to our sight. This conduct instantly
roused our fear; and with one accord we sprang to our feet. We gazed
around. Turn which way we would, the grim visage of a painted warrior
met our terrified gaze, with his tomahawk in one hand, and his rifle in
the other. "Perfidious villain," exclaimed Ralph, "and this is an
Indian's faith." An Indian of gigantic size, dressed in all the gaudy
trappings of a chief, now strode, towards us. Ralph raised his gun, and
closed his eye as the sight of the weapon sought the warrior's breast.
"Don't shoot, and you will be treated friendly," cried the savage in
good English. "So long as I live," said Ralph, "I'll never put faith
again in an Indian's word." The gun went off, and the savage, with an
unearthly cry, bounded high in the air, and fell upon his face a corpse.
A scream as if ten thousand furies had been suddenly turned loose upon
the earth, rang around us; and ere we could start ten steps on our
flight, we were seized by our savage foes, and like the light barque
when, borne on the surface of the angry waves, were we borne equally
endangered upon the shoulders of these maddened men. We were thrown upon
the earth, our hands and feet were bound till the cords were almost
hidden in the flesh; and then with the fury of madmen they commenced
beating us with clubs, when another chief, who appeared to be of higher
standing than the one who had just lost his life, rushed into the
crowd, hurling the excited warriors to the right and left in his
progress, and mounting upon a log he harangued them for a few moments
with a loud voice. They at once desisted, perhaps reconciled by the
prospect of soon seeing us burnt at