t rallied
round him and kept the enemy at bay; while, although evidently much
hurt, he managed to regain his feet.

Now deprived of two of our number, and having to defend Armitage as well
as ourselves, we were nearly overpowered. At any moment another of us
might be wounded. The Indians, seeing their advantage, retreated to a
short distance, in order to make another fierce charge, the result of
which would very probably have been our overthrow, when we heard a loud
shout raised in our rear, and presently, with a wild war-cry of "Erin go
bragh," a strange figure dashed by us, mounted on a powerful horse, with
a target on one arm, and a broadsword flashing in his right hand.
Several arrows were shot at him, but he caught them on his target, and
dashed on unharmed. The first Indian he attacked bit the dust; another
made at him, the head of whose spear he lopped off with a single blow,
and he then clove his opponent from the crown of the head to the neck.
On seeing this, the Indians, crying out to each other, turned their
horses' heads and attempted to escape.

Their flight was expedited by several of the emigrants who, brought up
by Pierre, fired a volley at them as they retreated. On looking at the
old warrior who had come so opportunely to our aid, what was my surprise
to recognise Ben Folkard.

The diversion thus made in our favour, had enabled the emigrants to form
their waggons into a square, so as to be able to repel any further
attacks of the Indians, who showed no disposition however to come on.
Our first care was to commit Armitage--the most severely wounded of our
party--to the charge of Pierre and the emigrants who had accompanied
him. Lifting him up between them, they carried him to the waggons.

"I'm main sure that Mr Praeger will be grateful to the gentlemen," I
heard one of the men say.

As the man uttered the name, the thought flashed across me, "Could it
have been one of his daughters, or Miss Hargrave, I had seen carried
off? Poor Armitage, how fearful would be his feelings should he find
that his Ellen had disappeared. As soon as I could, I turned to the old
trapper and anxiously inquired what had become of Charley."

"I left him in safe keeping," he answered, "but, finding from a
companion of mine who rejoined me after you had gone that the Indians
were about to attack the train in greater force than I had at first
supposed, I resolved to come to your assistance."

"You did well," observ